2006 Charmes Chambertin Les Mazoyeres

Smoky and carnal in the nose, with more typical red fruits, licorice, and rose petals emerging with air, Roumier's 2006 Charmes-Chambertin (actually form Mazoyeres), comes to the palate with a sense of ample ripeness but opacity of fruit and slightly awkward astringency that might represent a legacy of hail (and that were evident in cask as well as from bottle). There is richness here that just can't fully express itself, and the sense of meatiness is impressively profound. This should really be revisited in 2010 to attempt a proper assessment of its longer-term future. Rigorous triage - along with Christophe Roumier's seemingly intuitive sense for the limits and potential of the vintage - have resulted in a set of 2006s here that are youthfully generous, but in the best instances will be well worth cellaring. The fermentative regimen and elevage (including no racking until assemblage, to maximize contact with lees convey both fat and structure; yet early bottling to preserve fruit) were tailored to the vintage, whereas the regimen of new wood was little changed from other recent years, meaning around one-third for the premier crus. Stems were selectively included, up to something over one-third in the grand crus. I tasted these wines from barrel at 14 months and again from bottle at 18, and they had in most instances both gained textural allure as well as structure and refined their flavors, clearly demonstrating the success of Roumier's strategy. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400