Domaine Leroy   Clos de Vougeot

2006 Clos de Vougeot

By Domaine Leroy

2006 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy, France

Wine connoisseurs searching for a vintage to capture the spirit of Burgundy need look no further than the 2006 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy. As one navigates the intricate realm of fine wines, certain vintages take on a mythic status, their names whispered reverently amongst aficionados. The 2006 offering by Domaine Leroy firmly belongs in this exalted tier – a dynamic testament to the marriage of exceptional terroir and consummate skill.

 

A Year of Climatic Whimsy: The 2006 Vintage

The year 2006 was characterised by unpredictability, a capricious climatic sequence that put the vines and vignerons through their paces. Yet, it is precisely this environmental dalliance that sculpted the unmistakable profile of this Clos de Vougeot. The hail in June, hot July and an erratic August granted wines from this vintage an opportunity to build complexity – an attribute that Domaine Leroy harnessed with finesse.

 

A Profound Engagement With The Senses

Presenting a rhapsody of meticulously balanced tannins and acidity, the 2006 Clos de Vougeot engages intimately with the senses. A chromatic dance of deep ruby hints at the opulence within; aromatics featuring a cornucopia of cherries, truffles and a whisper of sweet spices lead into a palatal symphony underscored by a discreet mineral baseline – an eloquent spoken essence of its prestigious appellation.

The palate encounters an ensemble where each flavour has been allocated its perfect position - bold yet refined notes harmonise in an interplay reminiscent of a meticulously conducted orchestra. This Clos de Vougeot is a wine unafraid to express the vivaciousness imparted by that topsy-turvy year while equally showcasing Domaine Leroy’s virtuosic knack for magnifying elegance in wine form.

 

An Investment Worthy Of Prestige

In terms of fine wine investment, the 2006 Clos de Vougeot stands as a striking choice, capturing an amphitheatre wherein nature’s variables and human expertise have concocted a vintage both desirable and scarce. It represents an opportunity for investors seeking to add depth and history-burnished prestige to their portfolios. Notwithstanding its potential longevity, those selecting to approach this wine now will find it replete with vitality – a manifestation ready to relay its narrative from bottle to decanter to discerning palate.

In summation, the 2006 Clos de Vougeot from Domaine Leroy illustrates an enigmatic year's gift to Burgundy – etching its story not just upon the memory but ensuring its legacy through both taste and time, making it one of the most alluring prospects for collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Current market price

£60,450.00

12x75cl

Highest score

93

POP score

4650

Scores and tasting notes

93

Broad-shouldered and meaty as well as palpably extract-rich, and in at least those respects reminiscent of this year's Richebourg, the Leroy 2006 Clos Vougeot suggests herbed lamb roasted in a stone pit, with a concentrated saucing of cassis and blackberries. Smoky, saline, and pungently herbal notes mingle with the carnal and berry-rich elements in a long finish of mouth-watering savor and invigoratingly pungent smokiness. This sturdy, dense, yet immediately appealing Clos Vougeot should be fascinating to follow, and offers further evidence of the remarkably varied vinous personalities within the 2006 Leroy collection. The results achieved by Lalou Bize-Leroy in 2006 are all the more notable in view of the misgivings she expressed early on about this vintage. (And, as her reaction to 2004 demonstrates, she will not shy away from declassifying even her entire production if she feels that the wines are not up to their terroir pedigrees.) As voluptuously rich as are Bize-Leroy's 2006 reds, they preserve the sense of buoyancy and elegance common to so many of the standouts of this vintage, and one's gums will not come away fatigued by the strength of underlying tannin or the near-hyper-concentration displayed by her – to be sure awesome – 2005s. As every year, these wines represent meticulous vine manicure; miniscule yields ("above all regulated by severe pruning, not triage," Bize-Leroy emphasizes); and fidelity to biodynamic methods and metaphysics; and were bottled in the second December following the harvest. Despite their winsomeness, they have long life expectancies. Since, however, I have very little experience of their predecessors as they have matured, I have confined my prognostication to a few isolated and very general comments in the tasting notes that follow. Note that I have included as well under the heading "Leroy" the wines of Madame Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay – its cellars located outside Saint-Romain – which now encompass two appellations in red, since inevitably when information is being sought about these wines, and even often when they are described, it is under the name "Leroy." Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 21 December 2009

Vintage performance