A 2005 Cotes de Nuits-Villages from vineyards in Brochon (bordering the Fixin Clos du Chapitre) smells sweetly and piquantly of cherry, cherry pits and cinnamon, comes onto the palate sleek and refined, with cut and brightness but less flattering creaminess than Boillot’s Bourgogne, and finishes with salty, chalky mineral suggestions and persistently lively fruit. Also recommended: 2005 Fixin (unknown; 85-87). Having moved from Volnay to a newly-expanded facility he shares with his wife, Ghislaine Barthod, Louis Boillot fields a large and geographically diverse range of generally impressive, pure-fruited Pinots. (In rating them, I have left some leeway to allow for my previous unfamiliarity with Louis Boillot’s wines.)Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990.

The Cote de Nuits-Villages exhibits tarry as well as Asian spice aromas and sweet berry flavors. Medium bodied and tannic, this structured wine will require 2-4 years of cellaring and will drink well for 4 years. I was surprised by the uniformity of flavors and personality of the 1995 offerings: They all shared a black color, exhibiting dark, robust fruit flavors and hard tannic finishes. Stylistically they are reminiscent of Philippe Leclerc's wines, but without as much oak and depth of fruit. For most Burgundian domaines 1995 is a wonderful year for noting terroir differences, yet Boillot's wines share similar flavor profiles, often submerging as well as masking the wine's terroir nuances. As my ratings suggest, I did not factor this characteristic into my judgement on the wine's quality.This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.