Lignier's 2006 Morey-St.-Denis Les Cheneverys – grown just below Les Millandes – smells of cassis and wood smoke. On the palate, the aforementioned mingle with tart rhubarb, resin, and tobacco. Abundant but fine tannins support a sappy intensity of fruit and an underlying, slightly austere chalkiness seems (whether or not this is pure fantasy) to precisely mirror the position of these vines over mother rock (a geological surprise, given how far down the slope this is). This finishes with energetic length, and promises considerably more interesting interaction if one waits 2-3 years. I expect this will be worth following for at least half a dozen. Virgile Lignier shared the surprise expressed by many growers at how steadily the 2006s improved in the course of their elevage. He experienced only a 15% drop in net yield vis-a-vis 2005, noting that most of the fruit he discarded was what had suffered from hail rather than succumbed to rain and rot. Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet; fax 011-333-80-24-29-70