2006 Meursault Les Tillets

Jean-Marc Roulot considers the young 2007s to be like the '04s but suppler than the earlier vintage, which he describes as rigorous and austere. "But it's really too early to make comparisons," he told me, adding that he distinctly prefers 2007 to 2006, which he finds too exotic. Roulot harvested chardonnay from September 5 through 13 in 2007, but brought in his top vineyards on the 7th and 8th. The vegetation was healthy, he said, and the fruit was able to gain maximum benefit from its last days on the vines in favorable early September weather. This is a vintage for late bottling-and for a longer elevage than the '06s, Roulot added: "The wines need to gain in fat, depth and complexity, and those qualities should emerge through barrel aging." (Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; Parliament Wine Co., Atlantic City, NJ) Also recommended: Meursault Les Luchets (86).

Jean-Marc Roulot compares his young 2006s to the supple 2000s in style, but believes that the grapes were healthier in the earlier vintage. "Two thousand six is not quite as good as either 2005 or 2004," said Roulot. "The grapes were picked before rot spread, and no special sorting was necessary; it was more a matter of having browner grapes than usual." Roulot started harvesting in Meursault Boucheres four days before the ban de vendange, and also brought in his Poruzots early. Like a few of his colleagues on the Cote de Beaune, Roulot still doesn't quite know what to think about 2005. "I don't think I picked the grapes too late, but I just don't understand the wines yet," he told me. Roulot admitted that he finds the 2005s a bit "anonymous" today and wonders whether they will reward aging. Still, he said, acidity levels in 2005 were high across the board. The '05s were bottled between January and March of 2007.