The 2005 Corton Clos du Roi offers lightly cooked and caramel-tinged black raspberry and plum as well as high-toned herbal notes, and comes onto the palate broad and beefy, with firm, fine tannins and a strong, chalk-inflicted finish. This will be slow to show its full potential, and should be revisited soon after bottling, and then again 5-7 years down the pike. Readers are referred to Pierre Rovani’s report in Issue 160 for details on the acquisition of this house in 2002 by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans, and on Becky Wasserman’s directorial role. At only around 4,500 cases, 2005 will represent their largest production yet, “and we’ll stay small,” says young, manifestly-talented winemaker David Croix. Croix works intensively in the vineyard with most of his suppliers. He ages the wines largely in newly-purchased but once-used barrels, augmented by a low percentage of new casks. I tasted all of the wines immediately prior to their first racking which was late, explains Croix (despite malo-lactic fermentations early by 2005 standards), because the quality of the fruit deserved the enrichment and protection of long lees contact and a slightly reduced state. They will be bottled without filtration in March or April.Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70.

The 2005 Corton Clos du Roi offers lightly cooked and caramel-tinged black raspberry and plum as well as high-toned herbal notes, and comes onto the palate broad and beefy, with firm, fine tannins and a strong, chalk-inflicted finish. This will be slow to show its full potential, and should be revisited soon after bottling, and then again 5-7 years down the pike. Readers are referred to Pierre Rovani’s report in Issue 160 for details on the acquisition of this house in 2002 by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans, and on Becky Wasserman’s directorial role. At only around 4,500 cases, 2005 will represent their largest production yet, “and we’ll stay small,” says young, manifestly-talented winemaker David Croix. Croix works intensively in the vineyard with most of his suppliers. He ages the wines largely in newly-purchased but once-used barrels, augmented by a low percentage of new casks. I tasted all of the wines immediately prior to their first racking which was late, explains Croix (despite malo-lactic fermentations early by 2005 standards), because the quality of the fruit deserved the enrichment and protection of long lees contact and a slightly reduced state. They will be bottled without filtration in March or April. Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70.