Assembled, but awaiting fining (to remove a light protein haze) and filtration when I tasted it, Brocard’s 2006 Chablis Premier Cru Rive Droite Extreme (labeled “Quintessence” in non-U.S. markets) brings together fruit from Montee de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu and Vaucoupin. Lushly, borderline tropically fruited, it offers weight and richness rather than the refinement and lift of its Left Bank counterpart. What passes for mineral expression is low-toned and meat stock-like, adding to the sense of seriousness, but I wonder whether a hint of heat is not poised to become more prominent once this is in bottle. Since my visit, Quebecois cellarmaster Patrick Piuze, who arrived here in 2005 from Verget, has been replaced by Nadine Gublin of Domaine Jacques Prieure. A significant portion of the vast Brocard estate is now being farmed biodynamically. Piuze, like many vintners this year, favored racking his young wines off their lees earlier than usual with the intention of avoiding any heaviness. I did not by any means taste all of the enormous range of wines crafted at this address, and including several different labels. Brocard bottled from 2006 the first commercial quantities of three premier cru cuvees under the name “Quintessence,” each representing a broad range of sites that precludes “single vineyard” status. (I place that expression in quotes, since the names of many of the best-known premier crus by law already serve as collective or alternate names for certain nearby crus.) The blends are largely determined as juice, subject to some later fine-tuning.Imported by: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
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