Pacalet's 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Bel Air was another rather pale and garnet-edged wine of this collection that nevertheless vigorously pressed its case both on the nose and palate, with salted, smoked meats, fresh ginger, and high-toned herbal and red fruit distillates. Wafting hints of rose petal and violets as well as an undertone of wet stone seem to reflect this tiny cru's familial relationship to Clos de Beze, which begins just beneath it. While a bit lean in texture, and undeniably mineral, this finishes with welcome generosity of fruit and fine tannins, promises perhaps a half dozen years of fascinating evolution. A Gevrey-Chambertin Perrieres also appeared relatively pale and – despite its youth – garnet-tinged, but it displayed a uniquely exotic note in the nose and touch of frontal astringency that I worried reflected hail, and I did not, unfortunately, have a chance to re-taste it.
The elevage for his 2006s was a bit precocious, says Pacalet, though this was not for want of his trying to slow things down and give the wines time to fatten on their lees. In most essentials, however – including his fidelity to whole clusters and stems and abhorrence of sulfur – Pacalet treated this crop much as he had its illustrious 2005 predecessor. (For further details on Pacalet's unorthodox methods, readers are encouraged to consult my report in issue 171. And please be aware that these wine demand ideal storage in order not to risk spoilage.)
Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191
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