2006 Beaune 1er Cru

The flowering here occurred between May 20 and 25, said Frederic Lafarge, and then the weather remained cool and gloomy until the beginning of August. The estate brought in its pinot noir between August 31 and September 5, with no shortage of phenolic material, and grape sugars were generally 12.8% and up, requiring very little chaptalization. Lafarge describes the wines as "charming, but with good structure and length." It was interesting tasting the young '07s next to the '06s-another vintage that Lafarge described as charming in the early going. Yes, the '06s have nicely enrobed tannins, but I found a bit more mineral austerity in several of the wines. For his part, Lafarge still believes that the '06s will be for drinking before the '07s, which he believes will be best between about 2015 and 2022. (A Becky Wasserman Selection, imported by Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY; Wines Unlimited, New Orleans, LA; Vinalia Imports, Camarillo, CA)

"A very good, charming vintage," said Frederic Lafarge of 2006. "It was a vintage made in the vines. The level of ripeness and the sanitary conditions made all the difference. Those who had to do a lot of sorting had problems." The premier crus are in the 13% alcohol range without chaptalization. Interestingly, Lafarge told me that pHs and crop levels were similar in 2006 and 2005 (around 3.5 and 35-38 h/h, respectively). "But you can't compare '06 to '05 in power, density or length," he said. "Still, in five or six years the '06s will be the better vintage to drink." The 2005s here have turned out fabulously. "Two thousand five was a year that agrees with Volnay, because in this village we're less likely to have made overly fleshy, powerful wines. Pommard is much more muscular in 2005." (A Becky Wasserman Selection, imported by Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY; Wines Unlimited, New Orleans, LA; Vinalia Imports, Camarillo, CA)