2006 Clos Vougeot

Broad-shouldered and meaty as well as palpably extract-rich, and in at least those respects reminiscent of this year's Richebourg, the Leroy 2006 Clos Vougeot suggests herbed lamb roasted in a stone pit, with a concentrated saucing of cassis and blackberries. Smoky, saline, and pungently herbal notes mingle with the carnal and berry-rich elements in a long finish of mouth-watering savor and invigoratingly pungent smokiness. This sturdy, dense, yet immediately appealing Clos Vougeot should be fascinating to follow, and offers further evidence of the remarkably varied vinous personalities within the 2006 Leroy collection. 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