2006 Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles

Jadot’s 2006 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles just two barrels from purchased fruit and vines of uncertain but old age performs in a different key from the other wines in this collection, delivering distinctive dimensions of saline, savory, stony minerality and mysterious meatiness. Scents of jasmine, green tea as well as piquantly nuttiness and brown spices add to the impressive show, culminating in a finish of buoyancy, yet grip; richness yet refreshment. The 2005, incidentally, is only a little less impressive. The impressive collection of Jadot 2006s were slow both in their alcoholic fermentation and their malo-lactic evolution, which director Jacques Lardiere considered all to the good when it came to imposing structure and building complexity in wines of such ripeness and relatively high alcohol. In any case, Jadot whites seldom complete their malo-lactic transformation, and if one seeks a vintage to demonstrate the virtues of that approach, surely 2006 is the poster child. Furthermore, anyone who thinks that there are no values left in white Burgundy today has clearly not given Jadot’s wide range the attention it deserves. (These wines were assembled from barrel for my tasting and/or tasted from a range of individual barrels. I have generally made note of those wines not owned by Jadot and its associates by at least indicating whether grapes or juice were purchased.) Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300