The 2006 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes - sold under the Pierre Matrot label and imported exclusively by Chateau and Estate Wines - smells of honey- and brown spice-laced baked apple and yellow plum preserves; comes to the palate imposingly lush and thickly-rich, with added suggestions of lemon cream and nougat; and finishes with hints of apple pit and toasted nuts to alleviate the sense of sweetness and fat, but also with considerable heat. The Domaine Matrot officially consists of three estates of unequal size, each assigned its own appellations, vinified in separate cellars. But there is a common direction, and the labels differ only in their small print. Thierry Matrot did not begin picking until September 25, as late as any vigneron I encountered, and furthermore worked backwards by the standards of most Burgundy vintners: starting with Bourgogne, he finished (in early October) with his top crus. Matrot acknowledged the rapid evolution of the fruit, but arguing that -the acids concentrated along with the potential alcohol, so the wines are in equilibrium.- That claim must count as controversial - some of these wines betrayed bitterness or heat, and all are weighty and exotic - but on the whole, these outsized wines make a plausible case for their distinct identities. That said, one caveat: I would be inclined to enjoy all of these wines young, even the best of them within 3-4 years. Importers: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802 and Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400