Drouhin's 2005 Charmes Chambertin (from the â_otrueâ__ Charmes and from purchased grapes) offers site-typical vividness of cherry fruit with subtle notes of licorice vanilla flowers and brown spices in a lovely bouquet. Sleek and refined in texture and strikingly pure in fruit on the palate it seems a bit demure (though bright and mouth-watering) in its finish possibly on account of its recent bottling. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual says Frederic Drouhin to retain freshness. (Long-time oenologue Laurence Jobard incidentally was replaced this year by Jerome Faure-Brac.) As is always the case fruit from a great many properties owned or accessed by Drouhin is declassified and blended out leaving only selected terroirs as the subjects of single-site bottlings. (In 2004 for example even the Beaune Clos des Mouches â_" due to hail â_" was declassified into lip-smacking remarkably soothing Cote de Beaune.) That said as befits the quality of 2005 there were more individual bottlings from this vintage than is usual and I did not taste all of them. (Wines from the Drouhin domaine holdings display a â_oDâ__ in their listing.) This year's collection radiates class from top to bottom. Even Drouhin's ubiquitous 25000-case generic â_oLaforetâ__ displays tender ripe cherry fruit a silky palate and iodine-like minerality.Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne Laforet ($14.00;85).Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co. New York NY; tel. (212) 818 0770