Jadot’s 2005 Volnay Clos de la Barre smells pungently of mace-spiced plum and black cherry laced with lemon zest. A meaty dimension emerges on the palate, which also displays firm tannins and a note of alkalinity. Clear, juicy and brightly-fruited in its finish, with wet stone, lemon zest and cherry pit bitterness, this relatively austere wine should hold more appeal after a few years rest. Jacques Lardiere has once again presided over a collection for the most part not intended to flatter in its youth, but rather to achieve an eventual balance of fruit acidity with (in this instance frequently quite prominent) tannin. Prolonged post-fermentative extraction promoted a formidably-structured group of wines, which Lardiere expressed no hurry about bottling. Certain of these – particularly from the Cote de Beaune – displayed a slightly drying finishing astringency or simply an austere lack of charm to match their concentration, traits Lardiere suggested might be traceable to drought stress in those sites. A brief July rain that reached the Cote de Nuits but not the Cote de Beaune was critical, he asserts, and all of Jadot’s vines in the northern Cote were picked before the harvest in the south commenced. (Wines from the Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Heritiers Louis Jadot, or Domaine Gagey, have been identified with a letter “D” in their listings.) Also recommended: 2005 Cote de Nuits-Villages Le Vaucrain ($25.00;86+?), 2005 Santenay Clos de Malte ($27.00; 85-87), 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Guettes (84-86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($37.00; 85-87+?), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny ($50.00; 85-87+?). Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300

This wine’s dark red color is a giveaway for its power. There are plenty of solid fruits as well as dark tannins, but they are wrapped in a velvet coat of ripeness and sumptuous textures. Strawberries, with just a touch of sweetness, are found on the finish of this delicious wine.——R.V.(8/1/2008)—— 94