2006 Côte de Nuits-Villages

Bachelet picked his fruit in 2006 with potential alcohol in the low 12% range, and chaptalized to about 13% to prolong the fermentations. "We need acidity here," he explained. "It's not California." Still, he told me, the sugars in some parcels in 2006 were at least as high as those of the previous year, when very dry conditions resulted in a blockage of maturity in some sites. The 2006 malos ended late (mostly in July and August), and yet the wines were easier to taste than the 2005s were a year ago. Bachelet's obsession with making wines with energy served him very well in 2005, as this looks to be an outstanding vintage here. For his part, Bachelet describes this set of wines as very closed and in need of long aging, but their high quality was clear in November. (A Becky Wasserman selection; importers include Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY; Wines Unlimited, New Orleans, LA; and Vinalia Imports, Camarillo, CA)