2006 Chambolle Musigny Les Gruenchers

Smoky black tea, sweet floral perfume, and oriental spices greet the nose from the glass of Dujac 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers. Subtly creamy in texture, this displays clarity to inner mouth perfume, spice, and saline, chalky mineral nuances that is exceptional for the vintage. Despite the textural allure, it finishes with a penetration, rectitude, and hint of bitterness that for some tasters may add up to a touch of austerity, yet preserves a wealth of floral and mineral nuances as well as genuine refreshment. I expect this will be best enjoyed over the next 5-7 years. Jeremy Seysses only destemmed a minority of his 2006 fruit, and in some appellations none. The results demonstrate that Dujac got things ripe – not to mention right – in a challenging vintage, with a collection that need not fear comparison with 2005 at this address. (Perhaps, if anything, 2005 ought to look to its laurels!) The team here started picking only on September 23, and then very meticulously and selectively. Clos de la Roche, for example, was picked in two passes nearly a week apart. The top wines came in at between 13 and 13.5% natural alcohol, with minimal chaptalization employed in some instances to extend fermentation. "Color and flavor extraction was easy," says Seysses, "and we did more punch-downs than in 2005, because we felt quite confident of our material. The fruit is fresh and crisp, but not green, and we had no jamminess. It was just right. There's very little to complain about." Indeed! Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724