The Lumpp 2006 Givry Crausot – from a very chalky site, whereas the Petit Marole is more clay-rich – favors bright, tart sour cherry fruit underlain by a sense of wet stone. Perhaps precisely because this comes off as more austere than the Petit Marole, its quotient of new wood is also overtly noticeable in the form of a caramel edge that at least for now is not entirely reconcilable to the high acid fresh fruit impression. Although, if you thought the acidity was analytically higher than that of the Petit Marole, you would apparently be wrong. The tannin has been mastered here (whereas the corresponding Clos du Cras bottling was slightly raspy) and there is satisfying and refreshing length.
Francois Lumpp began harvesting already on September 13 and then took two weeks, with his date of picking, he ruefully reports, having been driven in each instance by the sanitary conditions of the grapes. These challenging conditions also dictated an especially gentle approach in the cellar, and the result is lighter-weight wines than usual here, but with their tannins in consequence largely well-mastered. Hectoliters per hectare yields were in the low 30s, where they had been in the low 40s in 2005. Interestingly, Lumpp didn't back off on his usual regimen of 65-70% new barrels. I would plan to enjoy these 2006s in their first several years.
Various importers, including Vineyard Research, Lunenburg, MA; tel.(978) 582-7215, Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, and Alain Blanchon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (267) 474 6629