Mint, talcum, marzipan, and candied lemon dominate the penetratingly high-toned aromas of their 2006 Chevalier-Montrachet, which exhibits a remarkable alliance of textural richness and citric brightness, and a finish of fascinating, low-toned, chalk, stone, citrus zest, and nut oils. For all of the sheer ripeness on display here, there is no sense of superficial sweetness, with fresh lime saturating a palate of formidable density and imposingly ripe pit fruits. And for all of this wine’s more than 14% alcohol, there is barely a hint of warmth. It exhibits to an even greater degree than the corresponding Meursault Perrieres a nearly ineffable, for lack of a better word “mineral” character, as well as an uncanny combination of amplitude and elegance; sheer mass yet vivacity. This memorably long beauty should age well for at least a dozen years. In keeping with what he says are his usual intuitions, Philippe Prost picked early – bringing in Chardonnay ahead of Pinot Noir for the first time at Bouchard since 1989 – so as to retain freshness as well as what he termed “the sense of minerality in a vintage of very ripe fruit. But in 1989,” he hastens to add, “yields were perhaps overly generous, whereas in 2006 they are quite reasonable.” The results are consistently impressive. New barrels are generally “seasoned” here through use in wines of lesser appellation (other portions of which are frequently raised in tank), as Prost prefers to employ second year barrels for most of his crus. Injections of inert gas at bottling are among the techniques being used to protect the young wines here from oxidation. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY

Power and elegance combine in this beautifully structured wine. The vineyard, of course, does the work, but the intensity of the rich fruits is given a fine twist of minerality, of tension, and of firm acidity. This wine will age 5–10 years and beyond. The acidity of 2006 will see to that.——R.V.(10/1/2008)—— 95