2006 Pommard Jarollieres

The Pousse d'Or 2006 Pommard Jarollieres emits alkaline, saline, well-hung game, beef stock-like and sweaty aromas, establishing animal and mineral themes that persist even as plum and cherry fruit loom into view on the palate. There is a leather-like aura to this Pinot of not only animal and mineral character but also tannic toughness. Were there more brightness present, I might be more enthusiastic – though certainly "charmed" would never cross my mind – by this. But, in fairness, the wine might have been moody on the occasion of our meeting, and given its sheer density, it certainly deserves to be revisited to reassess its full potential. Patrick Landanger reports having fermented longer and worked harder to extract flavor from his 2006 crop, and while the results are undeniably concentrated, on the occasion of my tasting, several suffered a bit from opacity and tannic severity. Importer: Langdon-Shiverick Imports, Cleveland, OH; tel. (216) 861 6800 and a Peter Vezan Selection, Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93