2006 Nuits St Georges Clos de Forets

The l'Arlot 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Clos Des Forets St.-Georges follows suit with the other wines in its collection by exhibiting a soft texture – here, an almost doughty richness – and immediate appeal of ripe fruit. Plum preserves, cardamom and musky, narcissus-like floral notes in the nose lead to a refreshingly juicy yet soothingly creamy palate. Surprisingly, the second wine (Petits Plets) – while it is less rich – displays more pungent and mineral-like counterpoint when compared with this, although it is less rich. I can only assume that this Forets will establish its superiority after some time in bottle, and perhaps even in short order. It should certainly be worth watching for at least 6-8 years. Director Olivier Leriche is one of those who share my impression that Nuits-St.-Georges was especially favored in 2006, and not merely for having been spared hail. That said, he reports having had to be rigorously selective, cautious with fermentative extraction, and having retained stems and whole bunches less often and then in lower percentages than he had in 2005. As usual in this cellar, malo-lactic transformation did not even wait on the warmth of Spring, by which time the wines were given a first racking. They show a remarkable degree of youthful charm considering the frequent tendency of young wines at this estate to elevate cut and structure over youthful sensual appeal. (A comparison with a couple of the estate's 2001s and 2002s revealed the similarity of 2006 here to the latter.) Numerous agents and U.S. importers including: Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500, Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352-1100, and a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300