2006 Gevrey Chambertin Clos du Fonteny Monopole

Rose petal, violet, ripe dark cherry, and cassis on the nose of Clair's 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Du Fonteny lead to a sumptuous, glycerin-rich, almost creamy palate, with bitter-sweet black fruit concentration, perfumed floral inhalation, licorice, and black tea. The tannins here are fine-grained and tightly-stitched to the abundant fruit. This long-finishing beauty represents a fine tribute to the team here as well as to these superbly-situated vines. I would not hesitate to plan on following it for a decade. Bruno Clair and cellar master Philippe Brun have a battery of 1,500 liter upright fermentation casks as well as larger ovals, which permit more wines to depart small barrels sooner but not have to go into tanks. And in 2006 (or for that matter 2007), they concurred that preservation of fruit and preventing the wood from drying it out were paramount considerations. (In fact, the Marsannay cuvees were still not yet bottled when I last tasted them in the Spring of 2008.) Picking here, by the way, lasted from September 23 through October 4, and the results certainly speak emphatically for themselves. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802