The 2005 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from Lucien Le Moine was an absolutely gorgeous wine, though following winemaker Mounir's advice, as with all of his wines, I afforded it a long seven-hour decant and a vigorous shake. The bouquet has a crystalline purity, armed with maraschino cherries, fresh raspberry, orange sorbet and a touch of cold stone. The palate similarly has exceptionally fine clarity and precision, harmonious from start to finish, intensity married with freshness and vitality. Such is the poise but you hardly notice the intensity and length here. For sure, it is a grand cru in its infancy, although with appropriate decanting/aeration, I would begrudge anyone from opening a bottle now. However, it has the substance and breeding to last many years.

The Le Moine 2005 Clos de la Roche opens with an aromatic volley of wood smoke, jellied red fruits, and roasted game. Rich, broad and powerful on entry, its fruit and meat concentration is suffused with salty mineral suggestions, soy-like savoriness, and wet stone. As with so many of the wines in this collection, we are offered sensational richness, depth and length in the finish, with salt, stone, and (groping for some way to put this in words) ore-like mineral profundity. Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (919) 769-3000