2006 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

Gerard Boudot harvested early in 2007, beginning on September 3 "The vegetative cycle was really finished by about August 25, and after that the grapes gained sugar through evaporation," he told me. "After about September 6 or 7 the grapes started to lose their tartaric acidity. It was better to pick early and chaptalize a bit than to lose acidity in 2007," he concluded. The crus came in with potential alcohol in the 12.5% to 12.8% range, and Boudot used a sorting table for all of his vineyards in '07. Boudot was not the only winemaker to express the opinion that 2007 favored the base of the hill to mid-slope. "Conditions were a bit tougher on the more minerally top of the hillside," he said. I tasted from barrels that had finished their malolactic fermentations at the end of May, but some older barrels still had some malic acidity remaining. Boudot was still stirring the lees every three weeks. He considers 2007 to be a vintage for medium-term drinking, over the next 3 to 15 years. "The wines started out a bit hard, but they're developing well with elevage," he told me. Incidentally, Boudot says that 2006 has similarities to 1986, beginning with an element of noble rot. "It was critical to pick early in 2006," he summarized. "The wines are not enormous, but the element of noble rot has given them fat and power." In fact, Boudot's wines display considerable immediate sex appeal, while the top '05s here really call for five or six years of patience. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)