2006 Clos Vougeot

Meo's 2006 Clos Vougeot – assembled from numerous lots and parcels picked on different dates – features chocolate-covered dark cherries and charred meat. Densely yet finely tannic, and with a formidable sense of underlying extract and incipient complexity, I don't expect this massive, rich wine to epitomize elegance, but I expect it to prove satisfying and impressive in its style over the coming decade. I would plan to give peace and quiet at least until 2011. Jean-Nicolas Meo harvested 2006 fruit between 13.25-14.25% potential alcohol, slightly higher than in 2005. Except for a few instances of vineyards touched by hail, he said, he vinified in essentially the same way (including the same percentages of new barrels) as he had in 2005. Meo notes that the pHs of his 2006s ended up quite high after their malos, and while this contributes to their sense of softness and generosity, I sometimes find these wines wanting for some vivacity or primary juiciness. (I have appended to the description of Meo's negociant bottlings the words "Frere et Soeur" that appear underneath "Meo-Camuzet" on their labels.) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524. Also a Jean-Marie de Champs Selection (various importers), French fax 011 33 3 80 22 58 25