2006 Mazis Chambertin

Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay 2006 Mazis-Chambertin is subtly smoky and ripe blackberry and purple plum in the nose; exhibits more tension than many of the Leroy this vintage, as well as manifestly tightly-stitched tannins; and finishes with uncanny exuberance, refreshment, and lift for any red wine. This misses quite the mysterious depth and complexity of the best Leroy 2006s, and it's surprising in tasting this side-by-side with the Bonnes Mares how much more of a carnal dimension is present in the latter. But the purity, energy, and buoyancy on display in this Mazis are striking and along with the wine's palpable though seamlessly-integrated tannic structure promise the potential for long evolution during which no doubt greater nuance will be revealed. The results achieved by Lalou Bize-Leroy in 2006 are all the more notable in view of the misgivings she expressed early on about this vintage. (And, as her reaction to 2004 demonstrates, she will not shy away from declassifying even her entire production if she feels that the wines are not up to their terroir pedigrees.) As voluptuously rich as are Bize-Leroy's 2006 reds, they preserve the sense of buoyancy and elegance common to so many of the standouts of this vintage, and one's gums will not come away fatigued by the strength of underlying tannin or the near-hyper-concentration displayed by her – to be sure awesome – 2005s. As every year, these wines represent meticulous vine manicure; miniscule yields ("above all regulated by severe pruning, not triage," Bize-Leroy emphasizes); and fidelity to biodynamic methods and metaphysics; and were bottled in the second December following the harvest. Despite their winsomeness, they have long life expectancies. Since, however, I have very little experience of their predecessors as they have matured, I have confined my prognostication to a few isolated and very general comments in the tasting notes that follow. Note that I have included as well under the heading "Leroy" the wines of Madame Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay – its cellars located outside Saint-Romain – which now encompass two appellations in red, since inevitably when information is being sought about these wines, and even often when they are described, it is under the name "Leroy." Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040