2006 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru

Pavelot admitted that there was plenty of rot in 2006, and told me he took "a good ten days to pick," eliminating 10% to 15% of the fruit in the vineyards and on his sorting table. He describes his 2006s as "more traditional than the '05s, which are now closing up." Pavelot did his normal two pigeages per day in '06, and told me that he could continue punching down the cap longer into the fermentations than he could the previous year, because he was wary of making overly tannic wines in 2005 (the tannins in these 2006s have turned out to be rather fine). The 2006s had been in cuve since September and were slated to be bottled between December and February. (A Becky Wasserman Selection, importers include Vinalia Imports, Camarillo, CA; Wines Unlimited, New Orleans, LA; and Pas Mal, Inc., New York, NY)