2006 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin

From a dozen tiny parcels – including upper-elevation acreage from Brochon – Boillot's 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin was bottled late and I last tasted it assembled in tank. Scents of ripe dark cherry and incense lead to a palate of rich berry fruit, with undertones of roasted meats. This boasts considerable stuffing for its classification and vintage, as well as refined tannins, and its bittersweet finish is sustained if not especially complex, with a saline, savory streak helping to entice the next sip. I suspect it will be best enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Pierre Boillot (grandson of Lucien) vinified and marketed together until 2003 with his slightly older brother Louis (who now shares facilities with his wife Ghislaine Barthod, and most of the same appellations as Pierre, and on whose outstanding wines I reported in issue 170 and again in this issue). They then separated their shares of inheritance, which include equally prime acreage in both Cotes, thanks to Lucien having long ago left his family's Volnay estate (now Domaine Henri Boillot) to stake his own claim in Gevrey. My first visit to taste here convinced me that this address and Pierre Boillot's talent should be known to all Burgundy lovers. Pierre Boillot lays great store by lees enrichment, never bottling before the second spring, and then without filtration. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524