2006 Mazoyeres Chambertin

The Dugat-Py 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Mazoyeres-Chambertin displays resinous and high-toned herbal concentrate notes that tend to signal one's approach to Morey-St.-Denis. (These vines are younger than those neighboring and incorporated into Dugat's Charmes.) Concentrated, lightly-cooked plum and blackberry mingle with Szechuan pepper, sassafras, peat, and licorice on a sappy, pungent, firmly tannic palate. Where around 75% of the fruit was destemmed for the Charmes, here only half was, and that probably helps enhance the pungency this fruit exhibits, as well as perhaps the overall level of tannin. This is going to want 4-5 years in bottle before it makes sense to revisit, by I would expect at least 6-8 years of impressive performance thereafter. As usual, Bernard Dugat prided himself on having been able to harvest ahead of the ban de vendange thanks to the intensity of his vineyard labors and to yields of around 25 hectoliters per hectare. (He also credits the accumulated effects of three years on a biodynamic regimen.) Potential alcohol was for the most part in the high 12s, and only a handful of cuvees were lightly chaptalized, Dugat reports. As usual, too, he employed significant percentages of whole clusters and stems in most wines. For further details on Bernard Dugat's approach, see my report in issue 170. Perhaps it hardly requires noting, but the prices of these wines continue to rise relentlessly, sadly but perhaps inevitably putting them out of the reach of most Burgundy lovers. And unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to taste the two red appellation Bourgogne bottlings of this estate. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800