2006 Chevalier Montrachet

The Latour 2006 Chevalier Montrachet Les Demoiselles (of which there are 11 barrels) displays a striking meld of sweet floral and stony mineral notes on the nose. White peach is accented on the palate by brown spices, quinine, toasted nuts, and wet stone. This displays flattering creaminess and admirable clarity and length, even though its 14+% alcohol generates a faint finishing heat. It seems quite capable of added complexity with bottle maturation and at least an 8-10 year lifespan. Louis-Fabrice Latour and oenologue Jean-Charles Thomas presented a 2006 collection that displayed the opulent richness that one would anticipate from such a ripe vintage, and from the Latour house style. Sometimes these wines want a bit for clarity, definition and distinctiveness – occasionally they are rather obviously marked by dairy flavors from their malolactic conversion – but the best of them have much to offer. Since I did not have opportunity to include in my issue 179 report notes on the Chablis bottlings of Simmonet-Febvre – a domaine Latour purchased in 2003 (and which also bottles some lovely sparkling wines) – I have made note of them here. Louis Latour has numerous importers throughout the U.S.