The Drouhin 2006 Chassagne-Montrachet – like its Puligny counterpart – is quite marked by the barrel, but attractive ripe peach and sweet floral notes as well as a chalky underlying sense of minerality are all quite convincing, and it can be highly recommended for early drinking. The Drouhins started early but picked with a level of meticulousness and at a moderate tempo that most growers did not feel they could afford this vintage. Lees contact was passive and the wines were bottled relatively early. The results are universally rich and accessible, the best wines being those that manage to retain clarity and a measure of vivacity as well as to stand up to their components of new wood. Drouhin has tight viticultural control over the numerous parcels that inform their village level wines, even though most of them are not owned. Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770