2006 Mazis Chambertin

The Le Moine 2006 Mazis-Chambertin manages to combine density, muscularity, breadth, and tannic structure with an amazingly vivacious, high-toned expression of diverse black and red fruits as distilled essences and fresh tart berries. The telltale Chambertin aura of rose petal; a pungent herbal elixir; and roasted game all contribute complexity. This finishes with the buoyancy and power of an aircraft lift-off, but without any noise. An amazing accomplishment for the vintage, it should be worth following for a dozen or more years. "There was too much fruit" on the vines in 2006, opines Mounir Saouma, "and at the same time too much tannin in the fruit." Early pickers therefore, in his opinion, risked getting "lots of primary flavors, but wines that weren't serious. So we started the aging process asking ourselves how we will make this wine less tannic and more serious. After malolactic," which is always late here, "the wines changed completely. But the bigger mistake in 2006 was to bottle early" - something which also never happens at this address - "because the wines needed some time on their lees to extract sweetness and depth, and for all of their elements to come together." The results this year here are spectacular, and need not shy from comparison with their very different 2005 predecessors. Note that with a few significant exceptions there are usually only 1-2 barriques (25-50 cases) of any given Lucien Le Moine wine. Also, despite the number of them I tasted, that did not comprise by any means the entire collection (a circumstance I have taken pains to remedy with 2007). For further details on Le Moine's proprietors and methodology - which, once again this year, included a significant amount of vinification with stems - consult my report in issue 171. Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (919) 769-3000