2006 Nuits St Georges Les Bousselots

The Chevillon 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Bousselots mingles ripe blackberry and cherry with brown spices, coconut, and chocolate; offers a richly-fruited and pliable palate impression; then finishes with a welcome suggestion of fresh berry cut and berry skin tartness as well as intimations of mineral and carnal dimensions. For now, it advances only modestly beyond the enormous pleasure (coupled with minimal intrigue) that are to be derived from the corresponding ("old vines") village bottling - the one-third new barrel here explain much of the difference - and I would similarly anticipate this remaining accessible short term and fresh for at least a half dozen years. Given the superb track record of this estate's wines even in perceived weak and/or youthfully generous vintages - I think, for example, of the youthfully delicious 1992s I purchased at deeply-discounted prices and only recently finished enjoying - it would be foolish to admonish Burgundy lovers to drink their 2006s up early. Nevertheless, like so many of the best wines of this vintage, they are for the most part already on call - or very soon will be - to deliver generously. Bertrand Chevillon reports that little sorting was required above the level of village wines (the team here began picking Pinot September 22), and that while alcoholic fermentation was unusually protracted, the course of elevage from the standpoint of human interaction was unexceptional, save for backing off a pit on pigeage. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524