2006 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques
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Tasting notes
Smoky, resinous, bitter-sweet herbal, as well as blue and black fruits scent the Clair 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques, which then comes to the fine-grained, buoyant palate loaded with luscious, ripe purple plum, blueberry, and blackberry; exotic (orchid-like?) inner-mouth floral perfume; and myriad hard-to-describe intimations of things mineral. The dynamic of flavors here is extraordinarily persistent, and the longer it was open to the air, the more impressive the wine became. I would plan to follow this for at least a dozen years. Bruno Clair and cellar master Philippe Brun have a battery of 1,500 liter upright fermentation casks as well as larger ovals, which permit more wines to depart small barrels sooner but not have to go into tanks. And in 2006 (or for that matter 2007), they concurred that preservation of fruit and preventing the wood from drying it out were paramount considerations. (In fact, the Marsannay cuvees were still not yet bottled when I last tasted them in the Spring of 2008.) Picking here, by the way, lasted from September 23 through October 4, and the results certainly speak emphatically for themselves. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
Critic scores
Average Score
David Schildknecht, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Seductive perfume – just what I want from a red burgundy! Quite racy and racehorse-like. Certainly not super-solid. Well balanced even if very youthful. This needs a lot of time. Bone dry – no ersatz sweetness. Finishes appetisingly dry. (JR)
Lovely scent and completeness. Great vineyard speaks! Dry finish and so full of character and savour. Fantastic stuff! (JR)
Full, dark red. Some very ripe notes to the aromas of plum, blackberry and violet. Moderately sweet and penetrating, with very good energy and underlying spine to its currant and floral flavors. A bit youthfully imploded but finishes with solid power, serious tannins and enticing lingering perfume. This classy, fine-grained but still-tight wine calls for seven or eight years of patience. (Incidentally, I tried two different bottles of the Cazetiers and both seemed slightly dried by imperfect corks.)