2006 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux

Very deep crimson. Heady nose – maybe a bit too evolved? Transparent with some energy. Racy stuff. Sinewy. (JR)

Good, bright red-ruby. Explosive, highly aromatic nose exudes black cherry, blackberry and licorice. Sweet but imploded, with terrific mineral-driven acids giving this a compelling juicy quality. Still quite tightly wound, but impressively long and firm on the back end. I love this cooler style. A classic example of 2006 at its best.

Whether or not coincidentally, this is also one of Meo's lowest alcohol wines of 2006. Meo-Camuzet's 2006 Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux – from the upper section of that already high-elevation, small, and celebrated cru – combines the sweet black fruits and brown spices common to so many of the wines in its collection, with an enervating sense of brightness and energy; a velvet-like texture and refinement of tannins; and a sheer length that go well beyond all but one of its stable mates (namely the Richebourg). Suggestions of berry distillates, candied orange rind, and bitter-sweet herbal concentrates add allure and interest to this seamlessly rich, exuberant Pinot. There are ample, tightly-stitched tannins supporting the plush fabric of this wine, and I would wait until at least 2012 to revisit it, with the expectation of a further decade of pleasure. ||Jean-Nicolas Meo harvested 2006 fruit between 13.25-14.25% potential alcohol, slightly higher than in 2005. Except for a few instances of vineyards touched by hail, he said, he vinified in essentially the same way (including the same percentages of new barrels) as he had in 2005. Meo notes that the pHs of his 2006s ended up quite high after their malos, and while this contributes to their sense of softness and generosity, I sometimes find these wines wanting for some vivacity or primary juiciness. (I have appended to the description of Meo's negociant bottlings the words "Frere et Soeur" that appear underneath "Meo-Camuzet" on their labels.) Wine Advocate.December, 2009