2006 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

Vincent Dancer was candid about his preference for 2007 over 2006. He told me he had moderate yields in '07, "like those of 2005, and much lower than 2004," with his Meursault parcels producing between 30 and 33 hectoliters per hectare and the Chassagne premier crus in the low 40s. "I did a lot of work in the vines, including a very strict ebourgeonnage,and that's why I picked early," he went on. "The later pickers mostly had big crop loads." He told me that he did not have to chaptalize his wines, most of which began with 12.9% to 13.2% potential alcohol. Thanks to long fermentations, he went on, the lees were constantly "troubled" and thus did not require stirring. Nothing was racked or sulfited at the end of May and Dancer planned to give his crus a long elevage. Incidentally, Dancer told me he "really got serious in 2002 and 2003," but then changed his equipment with the 2004 vintage and since then has bottled later and stopped filtering.