2005 Domaine Jayer-Gilles Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

The 2005 Hautes Cotes de Beaune smells of ripe but tart red currant, fills the mouth with juicy, sappy red fruit profusion, and finishes with undeniable concentration, but with a bit of a split personality between tart, bracing fruit acidity (admittedly accentuated by residual CO2) and the caramelized, heightened sweetness that results from contact with new barrels (which Gilles Jayer employs even for ostensibly “lesser” appellations). Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.