2006 Clos Vougeot
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Tasting notes
The Potel 2006 Clos Vougeot features lightly-cooked strawberry, rhubarb, and red currant; grilled meats; and wood smoke. It displays a fat and textural richness that compliment its full, expansive palate. Pungently resinous and bitter fruit pit notes add complexity to the finish. There is a certain rusticity of tannin here, but to some extent that comes with much of the Clos Vougeot terroir. I suspect this will be worth following for 6-8 years. 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
Critic scores
Average Score
David Schildknecht, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Deep, bright red. Very pure aromas and flavors of strawberry and minerals complicated by smoke and leather. Complex and penetrating, with superb definition and lovely inner-mouth aromatic character. Still a bit youthfully clenched, but the firmly tannic finish displays excellent cut and lingering perfume. Very promising Clos Vougeot, which Potel admits is 'from the bottom' of this huge vineyard. (ST)
The Potel 2006 Clos Vougeot features lightly-cooked strawberry, rhubarb, and red currant; grilled meats; and wood smoke. It displays a fat and textural richness that compliment its full, expansive palate. Pungently resinous and bitter fruit pit notes add complexity to the finish. There is a certain rusticity of tannin here, but to some extent that comes with much of the Clos Vougeot terroir. I suspect this will be worth following for 6-8 years. ||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). Wine Advocate.December, 2009