2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

The 2007 growing season began early, noted Philippe Drouhin, and the veraison took place during humid August weather. As the grapes were already rich in sugar by then, this turn of events left them vulnerable to rot. In general, spots that went through veraison later produced healthier fruit, he added. Drouhin considers the quality of the '07 whites to be more heterogeneous than that of the 2004s, which he felt were more fruity and aromatic at the same stage of their development. Some '07s, he believed, were a bit flat following their malolactic fermentations, even if acidity levels are average. Drouhin describes the family's 2006 whites as "very ripe but with good acid behind them," while Frederic Drouhin referred to the wines as "charming, with sweet flavors that can be enjoyed on the young side-the reds too!"

"The 2006s tasted shockingly good just after the harvest and have been pleasant ever since then," said Philippe Drouhin, who made reference to "the powerful noses" of these wines. The Drouhin team spread the harvest over a wide period in a search for ideal ripeness-for example, picking various sections of their Beaune Clos des Mouches over 11 days (beginning here extremely early, on September 13) and their Montrachet over 8, finishing only on September 26. While rot was not a problem, according to Drouhin, much of the fruit was in surmaturite. The team did a very soft pressing to get the cleanest possible juice, then carried out a fining at the debourbage for the lots most affected by surmaturite. "There was a lot of stuffing in 2006 but also a lot of oxidizable material, and the fining made a big difference," explained Drouhin, who added that virtually no batonnage was done.