2006 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

"The key in 2007 was to have low crop loads and then to wait to pick," said Mounir Saouma, who compared his young 2007 whites to his 2004s. "It was critical to extract sweetness and depth through long malolactic fermentations and elevage," he went on. "The wines have structure but need more of a middle, and the middle is coming from the lees." Saouma noted that global warming is "great for the vineyards but horrible for the cellars." From the '60s through the '80s we harvested 15 times in October, he told me. "But since 2000 we have picked three times in August. The cellars are usually very warm in September, so quick and early malos are possible. And then producers are forced to bottle their wines too early and in a rush." My notes on '07s are limited to wines that had finished their malolactic fermentations, but others were in mid-malo or had not even started. Incidentally, Saouma believes 2006 to be Burgundy's best vintage for white wine in 20 years.(Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; Chicago Wine Merchants Selections, Chicago, IL; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)