2006 Vosne Romanee

Lachaux warned me that his 2006 Vosne Romanee was relatively inexpressive when I tasted it. The bitter fruit skin aspect of its ripe cassis and black raspberry is certainly prominent, but a soy like savor and broodingly dark forest floor notes lend considerable intrigue to a wine that is truly palate staining and finishes with formidable length. The fine-quality of tannin here is quite evident. This should be most interesting to follow for the next 4-5 years, and I expect it to become more generous soon enough. Pascal Lachaux – who subscribes to the prevalent notion that this vintage reflects elements of 2000 and 2002 – is one of the very few red Burgundy growers (Rouget another) whose 2006s strike me as outclassing their 2005s. It's possible that his having had a prior vintage to become accustomed to the opportunities afforded by his spacious new, gravity flow cellar contributed to his success this year. And it's of course also possible that I have under- or over-rated one of these vintages. Lachaux – who defends 2005 as one of his best-ever collections – concurs in finding each 2006 typical for its site as well as more expressive than his 2005s have thus far been, and in the observation that these 2006s improve as they open to the air, suggesting to me considerable longer-term cellaring potential than one can expect from most wines of the vintage. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990