Chateau de Chambolle's 2006 Bonnes Mares – which I was unable to re-taste after bottling – smells strikingly of boysenberry and blueberry, accompanied by bittersweet, high-toned herbal concentrates, black tea, crushed stone, and peat. In the mouth this is velvety yet displays invigoration of tart fruit skin, cardamom, white pepper, and mineral impingement, as well as uncanny lift, and its pure blue fruits are transparent to myriad finishing nuances. This shares with the corresponding 2005 its density, dark mystery, and stony mineral depth, but practically crackles with static electric energy and boasts mysteriously levitational length. I see no reason to defer the pleasure of its company, but at the same time this impeccably balanced and refined version of its cru should be worth following for at least 12-15 years.
When asked what he had done differently in 2006 when compared with 2005, Frederic Mugnier replied, "Nothing. I want the character of the vintage to be reflected in the wine as much as the terroir, so I try to hold everything else as constant as possible." While that statement might reflect a bit of hyperbole, it's hard to argue with a collection like Mugnier's 2006s, its wines reflective of their vintage, yet the best of them not really dramatically different from their 2005 counterparts. Certainly they are no less profoundly delicious, and will give more pleasure sooner. (For some details on Mugnier methodology, consult my report in issue 170.) Picking began here ahead of the ban de vendange, "at absolutely the same levels of sugar as in 2005" – meaning at 12.75-14% potential alcohol – although Mugnier hastens to note that it was only well along in the evolution of this collection – and to his surprise – that its ability to hold its own qualitatively with some of the great vintages at his estate became evident. "There wasn't much hail," he relates, "and only in a few sectors did we have to perform serious triage," which chez Mugnier – as at Rousseau – means in the vineyard, not on sorting tables.
A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011-333-80-24-29-70
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