Bouchard’s 2006 Meursault Les Clous – from a high-altitude site of which they own more than half – suggests chalk dust and sea breezes in the nose, along with notes of milled grain and orchard and citrus fruits. Satisfyingly rich and polished, with notes of vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest and cardamom, it preserves an admirable sense of delicacy and finishes strongly with an entertaining alternation of spice, fruit and mineral flavors. Priced like the corresponding village wine, this represents good value by today’s white Burgundy standards, and should be enjoyable at least through 2011. In keeping with what he says are his usual intuitions, Philippe Prost picked early – bringing in Chardonnay ahead of Pinot Noir for the first time at Bouchard since 1989 – so as to retain freshness as well as what he termed “the sense of minerality in a vintage of very ripe fruit. But in 1989,” he hastens to add, “yields were perhaps overly generous, whereas in 2006 they are quite reasonable.” The results are consistently impressive. New barrels are generally “seasoned” here through use in wines of lesser appellation (other portions of which are frequently raised in tank), as Prost prefers to employ second year barrels for most of his crus. Injections of inert gas at bottling are among the techniques being used to protect the young wines here from oxidation. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY

Very soft, an unctuous, rounded wine, all charm, rich fruits, soft tannins and ripeness. It’s certainly generous, almost opulent, a wine that rolls around the mouth.——R.V.(10/1/2008)—— 89