by Mike Supple
Overall this was a fantastic showing of the 2006 vintage in Burgundy. While the weather was somewhat challenging (including a hail storm that destroyed much of the crop in the Grand Cru vineyard Chambertin), Burgundy was built on cool-climate vintages, and 2006 is turning out to be a very classic vintage. For more information on how various winemakers feel the weather affected their 2006 wines, view my previous posts: Louis Carillon, Jean-Marc Boillot, Etienne-Sauzet, Thierry & Pascale Matrot / Mongeard-Mugneret, Bernard Morey, Vincent Girardin / Dauvissat, Louis Michel, Laurent Tribut, Thibault Liger-Belair / Bruno Clair, Henri Gouges / Ponsot and Arnoux.
**These wines are all very young and many still in barrel. This means that the majority of the aromas and flavors are primary young fruits, and we only get an impression on what the future holds for any of these wines.**
Domaine Christian Moreau Pere & Fils
2006 Chablis
Very pale lemon-green in the glass. Light flint aromas backed by lemon and honeydew. Flint again on the palate with bigger green pear flavors and a touch of lemon. Hint of green asparagus on the finish. 87-88pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillon"
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Interesting floral aromas of iris and jasmine over flinty lemon. Chalky on the palate with sweet lmeon and light slate. Fairly bold acid throughout the palate, and a touch of honey on the finish. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Vaudesir"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Pear and honey aromas with a touch of white truffle. Very structured minerality in the mouth; bold acidity. Light toast and citrus zest with a touch of honeydew. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur"
Pale lemon-yellow from the core out to the rim. Toasty ripe lemons and pears on the nose with a nice mineral streak. Sweet fruit entry on the palate. Fleshy ripe fruit, yet big enough acid to keep the fruit delicate and restrained. Honey and yellow pear linger on the finish. 90-93pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Blanchot"
[This vineyard is named "Blanchot" due to the high limestone content in the soil.]
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Very floral in the nose with a bold steely minerality, candied lemons and yellow apple. Very strong minerality in the mouth with flavors that match the aromas and add a little more pear. Medium length finish. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos"
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Pear and white fig aromas. Huge minerality in the mouth. Very flinty and steely from front to back. Medium acid. Big fig flavors with a touch of citrus. Very young. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Clos des Hospices"
Pale lemon-yellow with a clear rim. Sweet Meyer lemon and light honeydew aromas over a rigid line of minerality. Toasted lemons on the front of the palate are followed by a rush of big flint. Very nice balance of acidity and fruit. Good length on the finish with a lingering note of honey. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple
Olivier Leflaive
2006 Chablis "Les Deux Rives"
A nice simple AC Chablis with good acid and moderate citrus fruit notes. 86-87pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chablis 1er Cru "Cote de Lechet"
Toasty with ripe melon and lemon cream Medium acid and good length in the finish. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Bourgogne Blanc "Les Setilles"
Flint and pear aromas. Good acid in the mouth. A little overripe fruit, but good minerality. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Meursault
Very toasty aromas. Light white jasmine florals followed by flint and sweet citrus. Rich and toasty in the mouth with great acid. Melon and lemon flavors, slate, and a smoky finish. 90-92pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes"
Similar to the AC Meursault aromas, adding a touch of sulfur and ripe pear. Softer in the mouth with medium acidity. Lemon zest and a smoky finish. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Abbaye de Morgeot"
Light lemon aromas with toast, yellow pear and a hint of smoke. Sweet citrus on the front of the palate with a good amount of flinty minerality underlying the whole palate. A little hollow on the mid-palate. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Champ Gain"
Very light aromas. Floral notes, minearls and a light candied lemon. Very nice mouthfeel. Rich lemon and green apple. Laser-like acidity and a strong streak of minerals. Long finish with honeyed citrus. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Very flinty aromas with green pear and blue slate. Great acid on the front of the palate. Big Meyer lemon flavors with lime, vanilla and slate. The acid is a little high making it a touch austere on the finish. This wine needs a few years. 90-92pts. -Mike Supple
Domaine Armand Rousseau
2006 Gevrey-Chambertin
Pale ruby core with purple tints, and a lighter pink rim. Raspberry aromas with a touch of earth, oak and violets. Good acid on the palate. Fresh strawverry and raspberry fruits. Medium (-) body. Fairly soft, medium tannins. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Light ruby and violet core with a violet rim. Aromas of cinnamon, raspberry, light cedar, black truffle and a touch of earth. Somewhat light bodied on the palate. Ripe fruit, good earth and truffle notes up front. Medium acid and tannins. Caramel and black fruits on the finish. Medium (+) length. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Chambertin Grand Cru
Medium ruby/violet core with a pink/violet rim. Very perfumed aromas. Candied violets and oak. The fruit is somewhat subdued and first, but raspberry and blueberry come out as the wine opens. Closed, tight and young on the palate. Medium body with impressively ripe and approachable tannins. Caramel and toast with a hint of herbal notes on the lingering red fruit and vanilla toast finish. 92-94pts. -Mike Supple
Domaine Jacques Prieur
(Due to hail damage, Prieur did NOT produce a Grand Cru Chambertin in 2006. All of the remaining fruit was declassified and used in a 1er Cru Gevrey-Chambertin.)
2006 Meursault "Clos de Mazeray" Monopole
Very pale yellow core with a clear rim. Lemon aromas backed by cream, toast, vanilla and fresh oak. Pear flavors on the front of the palate. Medium (+) acid. Nice toast, citrus, and a hint of cream on the finish. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Beaune 1er Cru "Champ Pimonts"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Buttery coconut aromas, butterscotch and ripe yellow apple. Very ripe flavors. Great body and balance. Toast, butter, lemon and apples. Great balanced acid and a long finish. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Toasty butter aromas, lemon, butterscotch and green pear. Oak up front on the palate is a bit intense. Smooth lemon zest on the mid-palate, and fairly high acid on the finish. Good components, but a little disjointed. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Volnay 1er Cru "Santenots"
Light ruby core with a pink rim. Brown sugar, cherry and a touch of herbal aromas. Light body; muted flavors. Some dark fruit and earth. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Beaune 1er Cru "Champ Pimonts"
Medium ruby core with a pink rim. Light chalk aromas over Bing cherry and straw. Fairly light and lifted aromas. Cinnamon on the palate with wet earth and slate. Very closed and little fruit showing. Rather high tannins and a bitter finish. 85-87pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Corton-Bressandes
Medium ruby color all the way out to the rim. Sweet caramel, raspberry and orange zest are accented by a touch of sweet herbs and cedar. Sweet and delicate on the palate. A lot of tannin, but impressively round and ripe. Long, spicy dark fruit finish. 90-93pts. -Mike Supple
2006 Clos de Vougeot
Medium ruby/purple core with a pink/purple rim. Blueberry, crushed violets, flint and black cherry aromas. Flint and slate dominate the palate. The fruits are somewhat muted and closed right now, but it is balanced very well. This wine needs some years in the bottle. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple