2006 Puligny Montrachet Clos de La Truffiere

Boillot's 2006 Puligny-Montrachet La Truffiere displays perfumed intensity as well as clarity and delicacy that set it apart from most other wines of this commune. Boillot notes an affinity which he things would withstand geological scrutiny, between this site and Chevalier-Montrachet, a few hundred yards south. Honeysuckle, orange blossom, lime, and white peach in the nose promise and deliver on a palate full of luscious, augmented by the sort of mysteriously mineral and carnal inflections one associates with Chablis. Creamy in texture and expansive, yet all the while clear, refreshing, and buoyant, this has the stamina for at least 6-8 years in bottle. Honey and toasted hazelnut add depth and in the finish this displays a palpable sense of chalky, salty, savory minerality. For all of the descriptors just lavished on this wine, its savory, saline, truffle- and iodine-inflected 2005 counterpart is every bit as profound, though less refined, elegant, or fun to drink. Given that Jean-Marc Boillot declares his love for classic dry Alsace Riesling, it is perhaps not surprising that he chose to harvest in 2006 immediately after the ban de vendange, did so in a great hurry, and then took every measure he thought efficacious - from rapid pressing to early bottling - to preserve refreshment and clarity in his finish wines. All of Boillot's premier crus (vinified in around one third new barrels) - whether from his own or purchased grapes - represent old selection massale vines, clearly one source of this collection's success. Boillot considers his 2006s -longer, finer, and more precise- as well as more sleek and dynamic than his 2005s, observations at odds with those of many growers, but ones that my tasting bore out. Importers: A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70 and Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802