2006 Domaine François Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru

Animal and woodsy notes mingle with red fruits and holly in the nose of Bertheau's 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses. Resinous, saline, and tar-like elements join on the fine-grained palate and follow into a long finish – underlain by low-toned meaty and mossy flavors – that crystallizes this wine's intrigue. I would give it 2-3 years of rest before savoring it over the subsequent half dozen. Francois Bertheau seemed to shrug-off the challenges of hail and rot in 2006 with the comment: "Triage is normal practice for us." Already in 2008, he professed not to recall when he had picked 2006s, but assured me that "it took four days, as usual," Bertheau also professed to essentially the same fermentative and aging regimen as in other years (for more about which, consult my report in issue 171). You can't argue with the results – though some purists may object to relatively high levels of volatile acidity that are for me part and parcel of the bright, penetrating house style – even if these wines do not approach the quality of the estate's exceptional 2005s. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524