2006 Domaine Dujac Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru

The Dujac 2006 Romanee St.-Vivant is extraordinarily perfumed by black raspberry, lily, honeysuckle, narcissus, ginger, star anise, and fennel pollen, all of which are complimented rather than contradicted by a bit of sweet new woodiness. (Seysses says his toasting instructions for these barrels – there were only two of Romanee St.-Vivant this year; half a barrique less than in 2005 – were misunderstood, with the result that it wasn't quite deep enough and there is a bit of superficial coconut aroma, about which, he adds, "I am not concerned long-term.") A musky sense of liquid floral perfume and liqueur-like essence of spiced black fruits and Pinot carnality inform the rich, dense palate of this exceptional, almost endlessly lingering elixir which simultaneously marries near-implosive concentration with animation, elegance, and sheer refreshment. You could – perhaps, should, were you to be lucky enough to acquire some – spend an entire evening savoring this, not to mention the next 12-15 years smugly savoring the knowledge that some exists in your cellar. Jeremy Seysses only destemmed a minority of his 2006 fruit, and in some appellations none. The results demonstrate that Dujac got things ripe – not to mention right – in a challenging vintage, with a collection that need not fear comparison with 2005 at this address. (Perhaps, if anything, 2005 ought to look to its laurels!) The team here started picking only on September 23, and then very meticulously and selectively. Clos de la Roche, for example, was picked in two passes nearly a week apart. The top wines came in at between 13 and 13.5% natural alcohol, with minimal chaptalization employed in some instances to extend fermentation. "Color and flavor extraction was easy," says Seysses, "and we did more punch-downs than in 2005, because we felt quite confident of our material. The fruit is fresh and crisp, but not green, and we had no jamminess. It was just right. There's very little to complain about." Indeed! Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724

(aged in all-new 300-liter barrels) Good full red. The nose offers compelling Oriental spice character, as well as more pronounced toasty oak than the other Dujac grand crus. Wonderfully lush and sappy in the mouth, with superb sweetness to the black raspberry and creme de mure fruit. As rich as this is, though, it offers outstanding tangy freshness and energy. Finishes with uncanny breadth and sweetness, with powerful soil tones and great vibrant perfume.

Good medium red. Deep, sappy aromas of peony, minerals and blood orange, with some vanillin oak yet to be absorbed. Dense, lush and highly concentrated, with compelling sweetness to its silky flavors of medicinal black cherry, raspberry and blood orange. Wonderfully seamless wine with noble, fine-grained tannins, outstanding persistence and terrific back-end grip and verve. This was vinified entirely with whole clusters and is aging in two new 300-liter barrels.