2006 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanée

The Meo-Camuzet 2006 Vosne-Romanee smells effusively and sweetly of almost over-ripe dark cherries but steers clear of major difficulty. The fruit sweetness comes onto the palate underlain by dark, bittersweet chocolate and laced with a hit of volatility. There is a broad richness here but also a rather rustic quality of tannin that comes to the fore in the finish. Meo says this was recalcitrant even in cask and needs a short time yet to sort itself out. It's already notable for sheer sweetness and fat, but neither vintage- nor village-typical. Jean-Nicolas Meo harvested 2006 fruit between 13.25-14.25% potential alcohol, slightly higher than in 2005. Except for a few instances of vineyards touched by hail, he said, he vinified in essentially the same way (including the same percentages of new barrels) as he had in 2005. Meo notes that the pHs of his 2006s ended up quite high after their malos, and while this contributes to their sense of softness and generosity, I sometimes find these wines wanting for some vivacity or primary juiciness. (I have appended to the description of Meo's negociant bottlings the words "Frere et Soeur" that appear underneath "Meo-Camuzet" on their labels.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524. Also a Jean-Marie de Champs Selection (various importers), French fax 011 33 3 80 22 58 25