Gamey and reduced notes on the nose of Rossignol's 2006 Beaune - from vines wedged between Beaune Epenotes and the route nationale - largely dispel with a good shaking, and in any case give way on the palate to rich, sweet blackberry and cassis. Firm tannins, tart berry skin, and cherry pit bitterness add texture and stimulation to this impressively concentrated and ripe though relatively simple Pinot that I imagine will continue to offer satisfaction for at least 3-4 years. Perhaps when it has on its own thrown off its reduction it will also pick up some of the complexity displayed by the 2005. "Excellent ripeness came late, but then very quickly," reports Nicolas Rossignol, who began harvested his 2006s already in mid September. "Volnay tends to be precocious, anyway," he adds, "and you have to consider the intensive way in which I've been working the vines lately, with very low yields and intensive canopy management. I wanted to preserve freshness and equilibrium." Rossignol reported that his intention had been to bottle his 2006s correspondingly early to preserve their fruit and refinement, but the mid-winter of 2007-2008 was so bitterly cold that they seized-up, and in the end he permitted them what, for him, is a normal 18 months' elevage. Deeming his fruit - which largely weighed in between 12 and just over 13% potential alcohol - to be healthy, he employed whole clusters and stems selectively, depending on how he thought the technique fit the particular appellation. Once again, I was unable to taste more than half of the roughly two dozen Rossignol's wines - traversing five communes - and he declined to show me this year's Fremiets or Taillepieds on the grounds of their respective three- and two-barrel total production. (That said, Rossignol very generously introduced me by means of a sample to the wines of his neighbor Jean-Marc Boulet - see under that name for my notes.) For further details on Rossignol and his approach to Pinot, see my report in issue 171. Importers: Martine's Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; also a Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers); fax 011-333-80-24-29-70

Ripe, focused flavors of black cherry, black currant and flowers are supported by fine-grain tannins. It's balanced and almost accessible now. Drink now through 2016. 150 cases made. -BS