Patrick Landanger described 2006 as having a "very warm April, a great June and very hot and dry July but August was difficult because it was wet, cloudy and we had limited luminosity. By contrast, September was essentially perfect and for all intents and purposes, saved the harvest. Our goal is to produce right around 35 hl/ha and 2006 gave us between 37 and 38 though that was after a small sorting loss of around 5%. We began picking on the 21st of September and had good sugar levels so there was almost no chaptalization. I did a bit more punching down at the beginning but toward the end of the cuvaisons, which lasted from 20 to 22 days, we did much less. I used between 30 and 40% new wood and bottled without fining or filtration. In terms of the wines, they're really quite pretty and I think they'll age better than people believe as they're very balanced." While it's true that these '06s are not quite up to the quality of the stellar Pousse d'Or '05s, they're not far off. Landanger continues to improve every vintage in terms of the purity of his fruit and in particular, the sophistication of the supporting tannins. In other news, Landanger was the successful bidder for the Daniel Moine-Hudelot vineyards and will have for 2008 some Bonnes Mares and Amoureuses as well as several other small parcels of certain Chambolle 1ers, which may be sold separately or blended into a 1er cuvée. The price, which I was asked not to disclose, was indeed astronomical.

Tasting note: A naturally spicy, fresh and elegant nose of dark pinot fruit and violets merges into exceptionally pure medium-bodied flavors that possess first rate detail on the clean and harmonious finish. This is a wine of seamless harmony, indeed this is Zen-like in its delivery. Tasted: Apr 01, 2008 Score: 90 Drink: 2012+ Issue 30 Allen Meadows; Burghound