2006 Bienvenues Batard Montrachet

I have loved this wine the two or three times I have tasted it and this is easily the best bottle I have encountered. The nose here is much more immediate, with a stunning mineral nose, hints of brioche coming through like last time, but with even more precision and focus, flinty scents developing with time. The palate is clean, tense and refined with hazelnut and quince, a weightlessness and poise that is quite hypnotic. This is one of my favorite white Burgundy wines, and this 2006 is impressive. Excellent. Drink now-2022.

The barest hint of tropic fruit nuances add interest to the otherwise classic and wonderfully complex nose of honeysuckle, white flower and citrus aromas that introduce rich, round and forward flavors that possess good body and initially it seems that the finish might be slightly heavy and then at the last moment a firm backbone of acidity arrives to save both the focus and balance. 2006 will not be a long distance vintage for a wine that typically can easily run to 15 years without breathing hard and while it will make it that far, my guess is that it will be tired when it arrives. Still, the nose at present is already brilliant and this should basically be ready in the 4 to 6 year range.

Bright, pale yellow. High-pitched aromas of lime, violet and mint, with deeper oak and apricot elements emerging with aeration. Juicy, spicy and pungent, with very good precision and verve to the middle palate. Plenty of dusty extract here and perhaps deceptively supple and inviting today. Finishes bracing and long.