The Laurent 2006 Volnay Clos Des Chenes Vieilles smells delightfully of ripe, dark plum and cherry, gingerbread, vanilla, and herbal concentrates. Richly-fruited and -textured on the palate – with an impression of bitter-sweet dark berry and herbal liqueur – and underlain by a palpable sense of chalky extract, this finishes with sap, grip, and resonant interplay. Look for it to be worth following for at least the better part of a decade. There are only two barrels of it, but then, Laurent adds with a laugh, the grower who supplies him only has three.
Dominique Laurent – whose methodology I attempted to clarify in a bit more detail in my report for issue 171 – purchased fewer wines in 2006 (not all of which I tasted) than he had in 2005, particularly at the lower end of the classificatory spectrum and in the Cote de Beaune. On the other hand, there were some correspondingly sweet opportunities, he noted, to expand acquisitions in top-notch crus due to initial hesitation of many negociants to buy heavily into this vintage. Laurent was highly enthusiastic about the quality of the wines he did raise, which in the glass often proved even more infectious than his enthusiasm – and that's saying something! What's more, although these wines – generally produced in 50-250 case quantities – have a reputation for high prices, most of these 2006s – especially in their upper-echelons – strike me as exhibiting excellent price:quality rapport. While absence of chaptalization and absence of sulfur during the elevage remain constant features this year, less of the wine Laurent purchased and raised from 2006 was vinified with stems than in most years. Vieilles Vignes," incidentally, is used like a brand name chez Laurent, referring to all of his better wines, whereas his "Tradition" line – none of which I tasted – consists of cuvees rendered in slightly larger volumes and exclusively for the French market. Since the words "Vieilles Vignes" are prominently displayed on the label, I have included them as part of each wine's description, although one will often see Laurent's same top wines referred to without that designation.
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