2006 Clos Vougeot

The Arnoux 2006 Clos Vougeot displays a more overt sense of structure than its Nuits and Vosne premier cru siblings, with the tannins segueing into a tactile sense of somehow ore-like mineral impingement. But at the same time, the primary fruit character here is unusually sweet, with an almost candied sense of cassis, black raspberry, and dark chocolate, offset by the bitter sides of fruit skin and cocoa, as well as by the wine's smoky and mineral notes, and augmented by overtones of mint, soy, and cedar. This is unusually rich, powerful, and architecturally ambitious for a 2006 – if not as refined as many, even among its stable mates – and likely to be worth cellaring for 4-5 years before enjoying for the subsequent 10-12. Pascal Lachaux – who subscribes to the prevalent notion that this vintage reflects elements of 2000 and 2002 – is one of the very few red Burgundy growers (Rouget another) whose 2006s strike me as outclassing their 2005s. It's possible that his having had a prior vintage to become accustomed to the opportunities afforded by his spacious new, gravity flow cellar contributed to his success this year. And it's of course also possible that I have under- or over-rated one of these vintages. Lachaux – who defends 2005 as one of his best-ever collections – concurs in finding each 2006 typical for its site as well as more expressive than his 2005s have thus far been, and in the observation that these 2006s improve as they open to the air, suggesting to me considerable longer-term cellaring potential than one can expect from most wines of the vintage. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990