2006 Maison Nicolas Potel Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

From three sources, Potel managed to assemble seven barrels of 2006 Chambertin Clos de Beze. Smelling almost like a blend of great Pinot and Gewurztraminer with its bouquet of roses, black pepper, resin, ripe red fruits, and roasted meats, it comes onto the palate with an oily texture; resinous, spicy pungency; intense, sappy red fruit; and a peppery bite. A tide of tannin – not doubt in part the legacy of hail – rises up as if to do battle with this virtuous alliance, and the outcome when bottles are opened on future occasions may not be certain. But even just after bottling when I would expect it to be most susceptible to tannic creep, the distinctively complex, site-typical virtues win out in the long finish. If I were lucky to own a cache of this, I would not wait many years before popping the next cork, but nevertheless I expect this wine to deliver more than a decade of fascination. Nicolas Potel consistently favors promoting ripeness at low potential alcohol and consistently eschews chaptalization. He is also a fan of freshness and clarity in Pinot, while maintaining notably low levels of sulfur. A vintage where a significant share of fruit came in near or above 14% potential alcohol and was shadowed by botrytis was thus a challenge, which seems to have been selectively well met. (For more on the style and methods associated with Maison Nicolas Potel – whose wines are sourced from a mixture of contract fruit and purchased juice – consult my report in issue 171.) Despite the huge number of 2006s I tasted here, incidentally, they did not represent the entire Potel vintage collection. In May, 2009, Potel left the negociant firm that bears his name (and which belongs to the Cottin brothers, owners of Laboure-Roi) to devote himself entirely to his own domaine and negociant operation, Maison Roche de Bellene, which crushed its first grapes with the 2007 vintage (in part from Potel holdings that were showcased in Maison Potel bottlings of vintages 2005 and 2006). Long-time cellarmaster Fabrice Lesne has now assumed direction of Maison Potel. By the way, suggested retail prices for the 2006s here took a sharp downturn vis-a-vis those for the 2005s, an occurrence worth noting for its rarity. (That said, of course the effective, eventual retail prices for all 2006s have turned on market factors that transcended cellar door prices, let alone the parameters envisioned by national importers). Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700