2006 Batard Montrachet
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Tasting notes
From purchased juice, the Drouhin 2006 Batard-Montrachet smells decadently rich with musk, over-ripe peach, lime candy, talcum, and smoky, spicy new wood. With impressive fat and palate persistence, it offers another instance of appealingly forward virtues if without noticeable indications of long aging potential, nor any particular grand cru finesse or mystery. The Drouhins started early but picked with a level of meticulousness and at a moderate tempo that most growers did not feel they could afford this vintage. Lees contact was passive and the wines were bottled relatively early. The results are universally rich and accessible, the best wines being those that manage to retain clarity and a measure of vivacity as well as to stand up to their components of new wood. Drouhin has tight viticultural control over the numerous parcels that inform their village level wines, even though most of them are not owned. Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Expressive, slightly exotic nose combines peach, apricot, pineapple and sweet oak scents. A fat, sweet fruit bomb with apricot, nutmeg and buttery pastry flavors. Comes across as less minerally and gripping than the Corton-Charlemagne or Meursault Perrieres; in fact, this strikes me as more chardonnay than Batard. But really coats the mouth on the back end.
Very ripe pineapple fruit aroma lifted by powdered stone, minerals and an exhilarating violet nuance. Big, rich and fat with exotic peachy fruit. Shows a softer texture and less thrust than the Perrieres, owing to low acidity. This wine represents a blend of two separate vinifications, according to Philippe Drouhin. The acidity level in one lot was so low that part of the malolactic fermentation was blocked.
About the producer
Joseph Drouhin is one of the largest and most famous producers in Burgundy, making both domaine and négociant wines. It remains family-owned and run, now in the hands of the fourth generation.