LUCIEN LE MOINE
Pre-Arrival offer - 2006 Reds
Offer ends once the wines arrive in-store or until stocks last

“The Lucien le Moine wines have limited availability but are worth a special search of the marketplace.”  Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.

A couple of weeks ago we brought you Lucien le Moines’ 2006 WHITE WINES.  Today, we are pleased to offer the REDS from this small, but much heralded negociant.  Husband and wife team Mounir Saouma and Rotem Brakir have in a short period of time earned deference from their peers as well as Burgundy lovers all over the world. Since the first vintage in 1999, their tiny lots of Premier and Grand Crus have persistently achieved extraordinarily high scores from the critics (see below ratings of ’06 reds).  Significant to note:  Four of Lucien le Moine’s wines are on Allen Meadows’ rather short list of “DON’T MISS” Wines of the Vintage: the Bonnes-Mares, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Echézeaux and Richebourg (not available)

The 2006 vintage
The vintage started out on a bleak note as a destroying hailstorm hit most parts of the Cote d’Or on July 27th.  A cool and overcast August followed, with rain mostly in the Cote de Beaune.  All talk of an early harvest had ceased by now. September saved the day, as the weather turned warm and sunny, and the ban de vendange (the official start of the harvest) was set for Monday, September 18th in the Cote de Beaune, and for the 20th for the Cote de Nuits.   
The 2006s are generally riper and fleshier than the 2004s, and at least at the level of quality of the underrated 2001s.  It is a classic year, with wines showing exceptional aroma, minerality and elegance.  More importantly, the wines posses a wonderful transparency which allows the true underlying terroir to shine through; a quality unequaled since the 2001 vintage.  Mounir and Rotem describe the 2006 vintage as a “vintage of great pleasure. The reds are very fruity and should drink well relatively early, though the balance is such that they will be capable of aging well.”  Mounir also noted that a few of his wines, such as the Vosne-Romanee Malconsorts, are "bigger" in 2006 than in the previous vintages, even if potential alcohol levels were generally about a half-degree lower in '06.  Overall, they consider 2006 to be a very classic vintage for Burgundy, in that these are the typical wines from the terroirs in a northern climate, where often you must wait for the maturity late in the season.

Lucien le Moine Reds 2006  Scheduled to arrive late ‘08/early ‘09
(Tasting notes and ratings from Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, March/April 2008 and Allen Meadows’ Burghound, April 2008)

2006 Morey-St-Denis ‘Clos des Ormes’ / Shelf Price $149.00 / Pre-arrival Price $111.75

2006 Volnay ‘Clos des Chenes’ / Shelf Price $155.00 / Pre-arrival Price $116.25

2006 Volnay Caillerets / Shelf Price $167.00 / Pre-arrival Price $125.25
“A gorgeous and seductive nose of very fresh red pinot fruit that is layered, airy and pure while complementing the light to barely medium weight, delicate and detailed flavors brimming with an underlying minerality and fine finishing intensity. This is a really lovely effort that is on the understated side in this range.” 89/2012+ Burghound

“(bottled two days prior to my visit) Good deep red. Scented nose offers black fruits, violet and minerals. Sweet, lush and pliant, with lovely dark fruit intensity and attractive peppery lift. A broad, creamy wine that should provide plenty of early appeal. From a limestone slope that Saouma compares to the Cote de Nuits. ‘Volnay Caillerets is the red wine of the Cote de Beaune’, he adds.” 90 ST

2006 Pommard les Epenots / Shelf Price $180.00 / Pre-arrival Price $135.00
“(from Petits Epenots). An appealing nose of red and blue pinot fruit laced with violet and rose petal notes leads to relatively concentrated and solidly complex flavors that possess a round and quite supple mid-palate supported by good underlying tension and fine length though there is a noticeable, if slight, finishing edge.” (87-89)/2012+ Burghound

“(from compact clay soil) Good bright, deep red. Ripe aromas of redcurrant, smoke, mocha and minerals. Lush and serious, with a distinctly chewier, creamier texture than the Grands Epenots. Sweet flavors of spicy redcurrant, licorice and bitter chocolate. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins.”  89-91 ST

2006 Nuits St Georges ‘Les Damodes’ / Shelf Price $167.00 / Pre-arrival Price $125.25
“Bright red. Reticent aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, spices and mocha. Sweet and sappy, with an almost liqueur-like ripeness to its maraschino cherry flavor but without any impression of heaviness. Very pure wine, finishing with lovely lift. This wine will get a relatively late bottling owing to a very slow malolactic fermentation.”  90-92 ST

2006 Nuits St Georges ‘Les Cailles’ / Shelf Price $187.00 / Pre-arrival Price $140.25
“Deep red-ruby. A confiture of black fruits on the nose, complemented by smoke and caramel. Lush on entry, then quite firm in the middle, with black fruit and spice flavors currently dominated by a solid tannic spine. Juicy and long but currently rather ungiving.”  89-92 ST

2006 Nuits St Georges ‘Les Vaucrains’ / Shelf Price $187.00 / Pre-arrival Price $140.25
“Good dark red. A tangy basket of fruits accented by bitter chocolate on the high-pitched nose. Ripe, tangy and dry, showing terrific class and cut. Vibrant and scented in the mouth but with a medicinal reserve today. This juicy, lively wine finishes with fine tannins and lovely lingering perfume. This finished its malo by July but fermented its sugars until August.”  90-93 ST

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Estournelles St Jacques’ / Shelf Price $174.00 / Pre-arrival Price $130.50

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Cazatiers’ / Shelf Price $180.00 / Pre-arrival Price $135.00
“Generous and borderline intrusive wood frames a fresh and distinctly fruity red berry nose that introduces round and rich flavors that the wood noticeably sweetens as well as rounds off the finish though not enough where it loses focus. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the wood compromises the balance of this wine but it’s enough where stylistically it’s not for me.” 89/2013+  Burghound

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Combe Au Moine’ / Shelf Price $174.00 / Pre-arrival Price $130.50

2006 Chambolle Musigny ‘Les Charmes’ / Shelf Price $225.00 / Pre-arrival Price $168.75
“Well-integrated wood allows the subtly spiced red berry fruit nose to express itself clearly, which is followed by round, generous and relatively easy flavors supported by soft and round tannins, all wrapped in a balanced, intense and persistent finish. This is very Chambolle in style and character.” (89-92)/2013+ Burghound

“Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark berries, black cherry, smoke, game and minerals on the slightly high-toned nose, with a medicinal aspect; imagine a cross between Chambolle and Clos Vougeot. Sweet, silky and fat with fruit; impressively dense and layered. Finishes quite long, with substantial granular tannins.”  90-92 ST

2006 Chambolle Musigny ‘Les Hauts Doix’ / Shelf Price $219.00 / Pre-arrival Price $164.25
“This too displays well-integrated wood that does not diminish the at once spicier yet earthier red and blue pinot fruit aromas that are in perfect keeping with the soft, round and again, very Chambolle mediumbodied flavors that are textured, forward and generous but finish with verve and a tangy minerality. A choice.” (89-92)/2012+ Burghound

“(vinified with its stems) Bright, dark red. Pungent aromas of raspberry, blueberry and crushed stone; this reminded me of the minerally Volnay Caillerets. Sweet but quite tight on the palate, with terrific inner-mouth lift and perfume to the precise flavors of dark berries, licorice and stone. Quite bracing and perfumed on the very long finish. With its cut and freshness, this reminded me of an Amoureuses. Saouma believes that wines like this and the Amoureuses will last for two decades but will also be fun to drink at every stage.” 91-93 ST

2006 Vosne Romanée ‘Les Suchots’ / Shelf Price $224.00 / Pre-arrival Price $168.00
“ A very spicy, and very Vosne, nose is trimmed in discreet oak where a touch of crushed herb surfaces though it does not continue onto the rich, soft and quite forward medium full flavors that culminate in a firm and dusty finish. This is really quite seductive and is blessed with excellent length.” (90-92)/2013+ Burghound

“Good deep red. Wild small berries, smoked meat and minerals on the nose. At once lush and sappy in the mouth, with an almost liqueur-like sweetness leavened by an intriguing cool quality. Fruity but not overly sweet. This really saturates the palate on the back end, finishing with substantial tannins that show a slightly tough quality today.” 89-92 ST

2006 Vosne Romanée ‘Les Malconsorts’ / Shelf Price $306.00 / Pre-arrival Price $229.50
“This evidences a highly expressive nose that also is highly spiced and notably pure with an almost airy quality to it, which is relatively rare for the generally more masculine character that is Malconsorts. However, in keeping with a more classically styled example, the powerful and sleekly muscled flavors are both bigger and richer, all wrapped in a solidly firm and driving finish supported by prominent but not rustic tannins. Impressive.” (91-93)/2014+ Burghound

“Saturated deep red. Candied red berries and exotic spices on the liqueur-like yet high-pitched nose. Less plush and fat than the Suchots but with more energy and precision thanks to its tangy minerality. Finishes with superb purity, cut and lift. I love this style.”  91-93 ST

2006 Charmes-Chambertin / Shelf Price $319.00 / Pre-arrival Price $239.25
“Medium red. Musky, nuanced nose offers wild berries, dried rose, smoked meat and orange peel. Suave and velvety on the palate, with lovely lift and inner-mouth perfume. The berry flavors are complicated by subtle soil tones. Finishes quite long, with classy, smooth tannins. Saouma believes that Gevrey-Chambertin performed very well in 2006. ‘The wines are less tannic and more elegant than usual, without any loss of texture,’ he told me.”  90-93 ST

2006 Echézeaux / Shelf Price $362.00 / Pre-arrival Price $271.50
“Here the wood plays on the edge of fighting for center stage with the strikingly, indeed exuberantly spicy nose that mixes red, blue and black berry fruit notes plus warm earth hints that continue onto the rich, full and serious medium weight flavors blessed with impressive amounts of dry extract and terrific length. As I noted in Issue 29, Echézeaux was blessed in 2006 and this is just one more outstanding example.” 93/2014+ Burghound

2006 Clos de Vougeot / Shelf Price $381.00 / Pre-arrival Price $285.75
“Good deep red. Pungent aromas of blueberry, smoke, minerals and game. Lush, sexy and deep, with powerful extract and sappiness to its deep core of fruit. A metallic, iodiney quality and a saline element communicate a strong impression of the soil. This firmly structured wine coats the entire palate on the aftertaste, finishing with serious tannins and a note of coffee. Saouma noted that this grand cru was vinified with about one-third of its stems and underwent a long maceration; he planned to bottle most of it in magnums.” 91-95 ST

2006 Clos St Denis / Shelf Price $288.00 / Pre-arrival Price $216.00
“(from 90+ year old vines). A relatively high-toned nose featuring notes of red berries, particularly currant and cranberry, is nuanced by spice, wood and earth undertones precedes round, rich and admirably full-bodied flavors that possess good depth and length on the lingering finish that combines both finesse and power.” 92/2014+ Burghound

“Deep red. Explosive, wild aromas of briary raspberry, brown spices and dried rose. Wonderfully sexy on the palate, with lovely energy giving shape to the silky texture. This has a velvety richness that reminded me of a 2005. As explosive on the back end as on the nose, finishing smooth, rich and tactile yet quite firm.”  91-93 ST

2006 Clos de la Roche / Shelf Price $293.00 / Pre-arrival Price $219.75
“A more deeply pitched nose of red and dark berry fruit liberally laced with ample amounts of earth, game, smoke and underbrush, all of which are picked up by the rich, full and powerful flavors that possess plenty of dry extract that both coats and stains the palate on the admirably long finish. This is bigger and more powerful than the Clos St. Denis but also less elegant. A qualitative choice though the respective personalities of these two wines are quite different.” 92/2014+ Burghound

“Deep red-ruby. More masculine and less expressive on the nose than the Clos Saint-Denis but primary and pure, hinting at blueberry and crushed rocks. Ripe, thick and densely packed if a bit youthfully unformed, with terrific energy and sappiness for a wine with so much breadth. More minerals and brown spices than primary fruit showing today. The finish features serious but ripe tannins and terrific persistence. This backward grand cru is going to need a good six to eight years of cellaring.”  91-94 ST

2006 Mazis-Chambertin / Shelf Price $400.00 / Pre-arrival Price $300.00
“(from both Mazis-Haut and Bas). A highly complex nose deftly blends surprisingly high-toned cranberry and raspberry aromas that also evidence a distinct animale note and this superior complexity also characterizes the deep, rich and moderately concentrated medium full-bodied flavors that possess fine finishing detail and real verve on the persistent finale. This is youthfully awkward at present but the potential is clearly here.” (90-93)/2013+ Burghound

“Good full red. Wild blueberry, blackberry and game on the liqueur-like nose, lifted by a minty topnote. High-pitched and bracing, with terrific intensity to the pristine flavors of pure crushed blueberry and rocks. Mounts impressively on the back half, finishing tight and firm, with powerful tannins and penetrating minerality.”  92-95 ST

2006 Chambertin Clos de Bèze / Shelf Price $457.00 / Pre-arrival Price $342.75
“Here the nose is unusually fruity for a young Bèze with plenty of the classic spice, underbrush, Gevrey earth and the usual sauvage hint that complements perfectly the detailed, pure and firmly mineral-infused big-bodied flavors that possess a taut muscularity on the hugely complex and almost painfully intense finish. This is a deep wine and the underlying material is most impressive.” (92-94)/2014+ Burghound

“Medium-deep red. Wild, highly complex nose melds sappy crushed redcurrant and raspberry, game, tobacco, dried flowers and minerals. Like liquid silk in the mouth; dense, sweet and thick but laid-back. Builds inexorably toward the back, finishing with suave tannins, compelling perfume and terrific force. This intensely minerally, rocky grand cru shows some white wine notes on the aftertaste. But then there's calcaire here that's not very different from that of Montrachet, notes Saouma. A great '06 in the making.”  93-96 ST
 
2006 Bonnes Mares / Shelf Price $419.00 / Pre-arrival Price $314.25
“A very densely fruited nose that possesses seemingly one layer after another of both red and blue fruit aromas, earth hints and a discreet note of minerality that is picked up by the rich, full, sweet and sappy flavors and I really like the mouth feel here as there is a textured quality to the explosive finish. The mid-palate concentration is such that the firm tannins seem buried and if not invisible, then less prominent than they will be in time. Terrific.” (92-94)/2014+ Burghound

“Deep red. Wild raspberry, cassis, smoked meat, rose petal and exotic brown spices on the bracing, nuanced nose. Sweet and gripping, combining impressive power and a fine-grained texture. Superconcentrated, explosive and wild, showing the superb energy of the vintage's finest examples. With palate-staining finishing notes of crushed raspberry, pepper, wild spices and herbs, it's hard to spit this stuff. Wonderfully complete wine.”  93-96 ST
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