2006 Corton Renardes

Given the many extraordinary examples of Corton in this vintage, I was inevitably full of anticipation in approaching the Leroy 2006 Corton Renardes, and it did not disappoint. Ripe purple plum and quarry dust scent the nose. On the palate, the rich fruit here seems to oscillate in counterpoint with mineral nuances for a vibratory expression of vinous energy and complexity, and while the texture is velvet-like there is both a sense of primary juiciness and of lift that make for elegance, refreshment, and youthful accessibility one wouldn't ordinarily encounter in great Corton. The underlying structure is present for long aging, to be sure, but is almost undetectably woven into the wine's fabric. As this opened to the air, animal notes added to the intriguing mineral dimensions, and finish really took flight. The results achieved by Lalou Bize-Leroy in 2006 are all the more notable in view of the misgivings she expressed early on about this vintage. (And, as her reaction to 2004 demonstrates, she will not shy away from declassifying even her entire production if she feels that the wines are not up to their terroir pedigrees.) As voluptuously rich as are Bize-Leroy's 2006 reds, they preserve the sense of buoyancy and elegance common to so many of the standouts of this vintage, and one's gums will not come away fatigued by the strength of underlying tannin or the near-hyper-concentration displayed by her – to be sure awesome – 2005s. As every year, these wines represent meticulous vine manicure; miniscule yields ("above all regulated by severe pruning, not triage," Bize-Leroy emphasizes); and fidelity to biodynamic methods and metaphysics; and were bottled in the second December following the harvest. Despite their winsomeness, they have long life expectancies. Since, however, I have very little experience of their predecessors as they have matured, I have confined my prognostication to a few isolated and very general comments in the tasting notes that follow. Note that I have included as well under the heading "Leroy" the wines of Madame Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay – its cellars located outside Saint-Romain – which now encompass two appellations in red, since inevitably when information is being sought about these wines, and even often when they are described, it is under the name "Leroy." Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

(around 13.5% natural alcohol) Good deep red. Captivating aromas of red berries, minerals, earth, smoke and underbrush. Large-scaled, rich and full, and yet almost magically light on its feet for a wine with so much volume thanks to its purity and underlying minerality. Really mounts on the back end, with the big, broad, palate-saturating tannins coming late. This will go truffley with bottle aging.