A mere fifty meters away from the Boivin, on shallow soil over mother chalk, grows the stand of shy-bearing, tiny-berried old vines that yield the Roty’s 2005 Marsannay Clos de Jeu. Where six or seven bunches might be a typical Roty Marsannay yield, the yield here is apt to be nine or ten tiny clusters. An amazingly spicy, distilled cherry, plum and pistachio aroma leads to a dense, spicy, salty, peppery and fruit skin inflected palate. Philippe Roty and his brother have matters well in hand and are on their way to bottling (as always here, unfiltered) a superb collection of 2005s. That said, this won’t even begin happening until late Spring and some wines may not be bottled until year’s end. (Wines followed above by the initials P.R. are from Philippe’s vines and will be labeled with his name.) Prolonged skin contact and gentle but relentless extraction are the practice here, and in 2005 that has made for Pinots of almost shockingly deep color, abundant and firm but fine tannins, and terrific overall intensity.Also recommended: 2005 Marsannay (85-86+?).Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173.