From tank, the Comte Armand 2006 Volnay Fremiets – picked even before the vintage's whites – displays aromas of blackberry and mulberry fruit, garnished with pungent smokiness of black tea and peat, all of which deeply inform a strikingly palate. But a Pommard-like structure emerges in the form a fine, abundant tannins that lend a slight tactile fuzziness (not to be confused with indistinctness of flavor skeins) to the finish. This is one darkly impressive wine worthy of pondering over at least the next 6-8 years, though the depression-prone among us might want to exercise extreme moderation. Benjamin Leroux did not finish harvesting until the end of September, and noted that – particularly in Volnay – his crop was rot-free enough to permit this, and under-ripe enough earlier in the month to demand it! He credits his greening of the rows with having managed the excess August precipitation. As usual, Leroux favored fermentation with berries and stems intact. When I last tasted his 2006 collection, only two of the wines had been bottled, in deference to the estate's usual long elevage, especially in view of very late malos. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers); fax 011-333-80-24-29-70