From Ponsot's monopole Clos des Mont Luisants (virtually surrounded by grand crus, and which, he opines, represents as steep a slope as exists in the Cote de Nuits), the 2006 Morey-St.-Denis 1er Cru Cuvee des Alouettes exhibits a healthy, deep color; a nose of well-hung game, cassis, blackberry, and dark chocolate; a creamy richness rare in this vintage; and a low-toned finish in which the wine's abundance of tannins becomes evident as a fine, subtly-abrasive though relatively well fruit-covered spread. The more this opened to the air, though, the more game-like notes dominated, so one should probably treat that as an omen for the wine's future rather than a temporary manifestation of reduction which would in any case be rare at Ponsot where the wines are not sulfured. Picking chez Ponsot began predictably late – on September 27 – and lasted until October 5. As might have been expected, Laurent Ponsot acted rigorously in the vineyards in the immediate aftermath of hail and eventually on the sorting table (overseen, he notes, by an especially meticulous team of three young women) to insure that any effects were minimized. (For some notes on the often unorthodox methods Ponsot employs, readers should consult my report in issue 170.) Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802