Ripe black cherry and blackberry dominate Raquillet's 2006 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes, which comes onto the palate with an initially surprising sense of substantiality and polished texture for the vintage. This displays the underlying structural firmness as well as the cut and refreshment one anticipates at this address, although the finish is a bit hard-edged. That said, I would plan to enjoy this over the next several years, rather than imagining that it will further smooth out. Francois Raquillet pulled no punches in recounting the challenges of the 2006 Cote Chalonnaise vintage, and he sold off a significant share of his already low production. "On the 5th of September it got really warm," he relates. "All of the grapes were ripe on the 11th of September," by which time he had begun picking, "and by the 15th they were almost over-ripe, with 14% potential alcohol." But what Raquillet bottled certainly upheld the high standard of quality-price rapport for which this estate has become known.A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29
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