2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru

"The winemaking challenge in 2007 was to build the middle of the mouth," said Frederic Magnien, who used a bit of chaptalization to prolong the fermentation and did three punchdowns per day during the first half of the fermentation-more than usual-and then slowed down to once daily for the second half. He made relatively little use of the lees and after he racked most of his wines in July he returned them to two-, three- and four-year-old barrels. Magnien is keeping more carbonic gas than usual to protect the wines against oxidation and plans to bottle them unfiltered. He told me that the pHs in 2007 ranged up to 3.84, or nearly as high as those of 2003. I have limited my 2007 notes to Magnien's crus for space reasons; I also tasted the Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (86-87), Gevrey-Chambertin Jeunes Rois (87-88), Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes (87-88) and Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Sorbe (87-89). (A Peter Vezan selection, imported by North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; and Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY) Also recommended: Morey-Saint-Denis Herbuottes (85), Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Baulet (86).

Frederic Magnien, always a good source of inside intelligence on vintages and vineyards because he buys fruit from all over the Cote de Nuits and has the bad luck to be a very honest guy, describes the young 2006s as having a balance similar to the 2005s, "but with less of everything: fruit, alcohol, acidity, tannins. They won't have to be aged like the '05s." Magnien picks the fruit he buys with his own team, and in about 80% of the vineyards he is able to select the harvest date. Magnien's team also does whatever green-harvesting and leaf-pulling he deems necessary. In 2006, said Magnien, he started picking on September 25 and finished in a quick five days. The wines I tasted had been racked and returned to barrel. Incidentally, Magnien told me that 2004 was the last year in which he only racked his wines for the bottling. This strikes me as a good move, as most of the 2005s I tasted were less reduced than wines from previous vintages. I have limited my 2006 notes to the premier crus for space reasons; the Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes, Gevrey-Chambertin Jeunes Rois, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes and Morey-Saint-Denis Herbuottes should all merit scores in the 86 to 89 range, with the last wine possessing the best stuffing of that group. (A Peter Vezan selection, imported by North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Dionysos Imports, Lorton, VA)