The Grand Crus of Vosne we tasted in three flights. The first flight consisted soley of Echezeaux. This was followed by a flight of Echezeaux and Grands Echezeaux. And finally those Grand Crus from around the village, namely Richebourg, Romanee St Vivant, La Grande Rue and La Romanee. No DRC wines were included as Aubert de Villaine does not provide samples for comparative tastings.Not unnaturally many of these grand wines were dense, closed and presented themselves in a typically adolescent and ungiving style. Certainly they showed higher density, alcohol and Grand cru structure, but they will have suffered from palate fatigue and a build up of tannin on my palate after three days of tasting.
The star performer and highest points for the Echezeaux's was Jean-Marc Millot's beautifully pure yet broodingly complex dark fruited example. Only a point behind was Louis Michel Liger-Belair's which I noted for its energy and supreme fruit of blueberry and damson and its aristocratic terroir. Also at the top of the flight was the lovely Cecile Trembley's - refined, elegant and understated.
Of the short flight of Grands Echezeaux, the Lamarche 06 showed how wine making at this estate has improved dramatically over recent years. Superb 'Musigny' style with power and lingering intensity. The Drouhin GE is always dark dense and brooding and so the 06 proved; it has great potential.
The final flight of the tasting included Richebourg, Romanee St Vivant, La Grande Rue and La Romanee. On the day two wines stood out and showed themselves in all their glory .Others had great potential and were more reticant. There were no disappointments amongst this elete group.
Both the Richebourg from Grivot and the La Grande Rue from Lamarche I noted as being beautifully polished and sensual, packed with sensational fruit and complex minerality. The former having a glorious haunting delicacy the latter layers of dark rich fruits. The two most backward wines of the flight, La Romanée from Comte Liger Belair and Domaine Leroy's Richebourg have perhaps the greatest potential to evolve into great bottles. The La Romanee has aromas of oriental opulence but is firm and ungiving on the palate for the moment. The Richbourg from Leroy was somewhat reduced and needed time in the glass to evolve. Strawberry, tobacco and complex spices become evident with time.
Not to be outdone and only a point behind my top two was Romanée St Vivant by Follin Arbelet. Big in structure yet with tremendous energy and busting with rich complex fruit it has the potential to improve dramatically.
To put the 2006 pinot noirs of Burgundy in perpective at this stage when tasting 300 wines over three days without food is tough on both taster and wines. The wines of Beaune and south of the town are for the most part middle weights yet have the vitue of clear vineyard definition and purity of fruit that makes them food friendly. They can and should be enjoyed over the next two to four years.
The wines of Aloxe and Corton have more structure and consistancy. There will be some good suprises here. The best have the substance and charm to evolve over the next three to five years.
Without doubt the village of Nuits St George has more exciting wines than any other in 2006. Gevrey too has done well. I would think that the best of the Cotes de Nuits 1er and Grand Crus will only show their real potential over the next five to ten years.
