2006 Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur

Plum, cherry, and brown spices inform the nose and palate of a Roty 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur from which any sign of hail taint had obviously been picked out. Bright, tart, clean and penetrating, this is another instance of tannins so fine one has to think twice to notice them. A sassy spiciness and notes of lemon zest and dark berry skin inform the finish of this wine that looks to be worth following for at least half a dozen years, though perhaps bound to remain a bit sparer and less winsome than many of its stable mates. Philippe Roty is among the many growers to assert that under-ripe fruit rather than rot was what really drove his 2006 selection process. "But, hail or no hail, I do a strict triage regardless; and besides" he notes with a laugh, "it hails every year in at least one part of Marsannay." He picked in a relative hurry the last week of September, because "as far as I'm concerned, above 13% potential alcohol you have surmaturite, and that's not good." Besides, like the Mugneret sisters and a considerable number of other top-notch growers, Roty favors routinely – if only slightly – chaptalizing his entire range to promote longer and, he believes, flavor- and texture-enhancing fermentation. (While I have mentioned in the text of my tasting notes those wines that are part of the personal domaine of Philippe Roty and bottled under his name, I have not reflected this in the naming of the wines, as the same label is used for those as for the Domaine Joseph Roty wines and they are all vinified and aged together by the same team.) Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173