2006 Pommard Les Grands Epenots 1er Cru

Girardin's description of his 2007 white and red wines makes them sound like two different vintages. "The whites are impenetrable, taut and minerally, and they need long elevage," he told me, adding that they will remain on their lees until at least March. In contrast, "the reds are easy to approach and are for drinking rapidly, but they're very pinot: fine and fruity." Girardin destemmed about 90% of his pinot fruit, but vinified with as many uncrushed grapes as possible. He sold off a number of his red cuvees after the malolactic fermentations, keeping only the ones he liked best. The 2007 reds are aging in 40% new oak, up from 30% in 2006. Because Girardin considers them to be relatively fragile wines, he had not yet racked them in November and planned to bottle in January. Girardin describes the 2006s as "classic, and less roasted than the 2005s," pointing out that the skins and seeds were riper than those of 2007. Incidentally, Girardin told me that 1999 was his most problematic year for premature oxidation, as he did a short elevage and used "too much new oak." He's now bottling all his wines with longer, denser corks. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)