An extraordinary as well as extraordinarily intense aromatic display greets you from the glass of 2006 Romanee-Conti. Rose petals, griotte cherries, almond extract, mint, and cinnamon once again put me in mind of archetypal pinot with a soupcon of Gewurztraminer. The remarkable perfume and spice continue inner-mouth, allied to a silken textural refinement (as if the tannins were self-dissolving); to pure, fresh, but not at all superficially sweet cherry and raspberry essence; and to deep, marrowy meatiness and hints of truffle and forest floor. This pivots at midpoint, as it were – though far more subtly than does its Richebourg sibling – from perfume and fruit to almost sinister animal and mineral suggestions. The finish here is at once positively ethereal and deeply, darkly mysterious, like lingering harmony at the extremes of audibility. I suspect it will also outlive the other wines from this estate and vintage. The Domaine de La Romanee-Conti harvested from the 20th-25th of September (commencing with Richebourg) and subjected the crop to rigorous sorting. Understandably, the viticultural meticulousness at this estate as well as its team of some 60 highly-skilled and –motivated pickers paid dividends in the context of a challenging vintage. Director Aubert de Villaine and cellarmaster Bernard Noblet vinified their 2006s with a lesser share of stems and whole clusters, and exposed them to new wood for a shorter period (thereafter racking into older barrels) than the corresponding 2005s. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

The key to appraising this wine at such as embryonic stage is to swallow it (a rule I steadfastly abide by when it comes to great Burgundy.) Two barrel samples here, the first more black fruit in character on the nose with a hint of oyster shells, perhaps a touch of sous-bois intermingling with crisp ripe blackberries. The palate has an understated entry, but the longer it remains on the palate the more one is struck by the ineffable finesse of the tannins, its silky texture and precision. A wonderful crescendo and incredible sense of balance. The second barrel swayed more towards red-berried fruits, perhaps something more “meaty” in character but followed it up with a sensuous, seductive finish that bore semblance to the 2005 more than anything. This will be fascinating after bottling next year but it has an alluring sense of precision at this nascent stage. Tasted June 2008.

Here too is a very reserved yet ultra classy and refined, indeed even ethereal nose that is quite simply kaleidoscopic in its breadth, combining red, blue and black fruits with spice, earth, minerality and a hint of underbrush that stands aside for the perfectly balanced, pure and stylish medium full flavors that are very firmly but not aggressively structured while delivering flat out unbelievable length yet all the while remaining completely understated in personality. As are all the very best vintages of RC, this is spherical with nothing out of place and this will age effortlessly for decades. The La Tâche is truly spectacular but there is simply another dimension of depth present here. A wine of sheer class and the epitome of the phrase 'power without weight'.

(445) Good medium-deep red. Wonderfully pure, penetrating aromas of cassis, black raspberry, minerals and spices. Denser and more spherical than La Tache, offering a compelling combination of raspberry and mineral high notes and lower earth tones. Wonderfully tactile, building finish saturates the taste buds with flavor.

More pink than garnet and especially bright, even glossy. Aromas are both sweetly fruited and just a little savoury. A mildly meaty and darker character to the fruit. Overlaid on all that a fine oaky spice. Fine and tight like a pressed suit. Just a little peppery. Already fragrant and juicy even though there is a real depth of unopened fruit and savour. Fine and deceptively firm. Lost count of the Caudalies (the units used by some in Burgundy to measure length). (JH)