The 2005 Aloxe Corton Les Chaillots – from Latour’s holdings just below their Corton and among the last-harvested of these 2005s – displays a nose of toasted hickory, almond and cherries with their pits. Deceptively light in color, it nevertheless exhibits real grip, satisfying bitter-sweet fruit, and chalky minerality. Louis-Fabrice Latour and oenologue Jean-Charles Thomas garner frequent praise for their white wines but have drawn some criticism for their Pinots, particularly directed at their practice of flash pasteurization. I have no problem with Latour’s avowed adherence to “the school of finesse,” but some of the reds from 2005 simply lacked the requisite clarity or concentration to be distinctive. That said, there are certainly a number of reds this year – wines Latour began bottling less than eleven months after harvest – that are well worth recommending. (A “D” after a listing indicates that the wine is from the Latour domaine.) Also recommended: 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet ($29.00; 85-87), 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots ($39.00; 86), 2005 Aloxe Corton D ($45.00;85), 2005 Santenay La Combe ($30.00;86), 2005 Beaune Les Perrieres ($55.00;86), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes ($113.00;85-87), 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques ($107.00;85), 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaumonts ($131.00;86), 2005 Echezeaux ($225.00;86+?). Louis Latour has numerous importers throughout the U.S.

Definitely on the dry side, showing the tannic face of Pinot Noir. This is a serious wine that reflects its status as a premier cru, a powerful mix of cranberry fruits and dark tannins, but marked by a hot, hard aftertaste.——R.V.(8/1/2008)—— 88