Vinous (97+)

The 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is every bit as captivating as it was last year, maybe even more so. At times powerful, but in other moments finessed, the 2006 constantly changes in the glass, revealing a different shade of its personality with every taste. Perhaps most importantly, the 2006 seems to have gained a level of precision and pure sophistication it did not show last year, when it was quite a bit less put together. Back then, the 2006 was a wine of tremendous potential; today that potential is starting to be realized. Quite simply, the 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a magical Champagne. Don’t miss it.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87-90)

Ruby-red. Pretty aromas of red cherry, floral perfume and spicy oak. Not fleshy but lively and fine, with fresh cherry, redcurrant and mineral flavors lingering nicely on the aftertaste. Tannins are supple and sweet.

Jancis Robinson (19.5)

Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet.

Jancis Robinson (19.5)

Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet.

Wine Advocate (96)

Aubert de Villaine and his team harvested their 2006 Montrachet on September 26, and it was bottled (as a single assemblage) at the end of 2007. High-toned peach, lemon oil, musk, and floral aromas mark the penetrating, ethereal nose. Smoky, peach kernel pungency weaves its way through nutty, peachy richness on the palate. Less obviously dense, rich and sappy than the extraordinary 2005, this 2006 for all of its sheer viscosity and ripeness, displays a dynamic, almost shimmering sense of fruit and mineral interplay. Intriguingly, in my initial – November, 2007 tasting – this effect was more pronounced from a barrel that had been rolled to disburse the lees than in one that had undergone conventional batonnage. The youthful 2006 reflects its new wood environment in a way that the 2005 – at similar stages in its evolution – did not. There is no lack here of the mystery that should be expected from one of the world’s most fabled and expensive wines, not just in the paradox of viscosity, richness and power combined with elegance, lift, and refinement; but also in nuances that left me groping the lexicon for animal or mineral descriptors.

Vinous (95)

The 2006 Richebourg is dark and brooding, with tannins that still need time to resolve. A sense of classic austerity runs through the 2006 that I expect will always be present.

Decanter (100)

Medium-full weight. Very lovely, almost Musigny-like fruit here. Complex, concentrated and intense. Marvelous harmony. Very, very long and multi-dimensional. This is very special.

Decanter (100)

Medium-full weight. Very lovely, almost Musigny-like fruit here. Complex, concentrated and intense. Marvelous harmony. Very, very long and multi-dimensional. This is very special.

Wine Spectator (96)

Seductive and open from barrel about a year ago, this is more reticent now, especially aromatically. Nonetheless, there's richness and a slow buildup of berry and cherry flavors, which turn more refined and satiny as this lingers on the finish.

Vinous (93)

(around 13.5% natural alcohol) Good deep red. Captivating aromas of red berries, minerals, earth, smoke and underbrush. Large-scaled, rich and full, and yet almost magically light on its feet for a wine with so much volume thanks to its purity and underlying minerality. Really mounts on the back end, with the big, broad, palate-saturating tannins coming late. This will go truffley with bottle aging.

Vinous (92+)

Bright red. Aromas of red berries, violet, smoke, truffle and earth. Sweet and lush in the mouth; very rich but less expressive today than on the nose. This will age more on its strong but even tannins than on its acids. Doesn't offer quite the snap of the Beaux-Monts though.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

The character of this wine, a straight line of tannins and black currant fruit flavors, is the model of a classic Pauillac. It has all the structure as well as some austerity and severity at this stage in its development. But the fruit texture is rich enough, dried fruits and spice followed by licorice and bitter chocolate. Age for five years at least.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

The character of this wine, a straight line of tannins and black currant fruit flavors, is the model of a classic Pauillac. It has all the structure as well as some austerity and severity at this stage in its development. But the fruit texture is rich enough, dried fruits and spice followed by licorice and bitter chocolate. Age for five years at least.

Wine Advocate (97)

The Dujac 2006 Romanee St.-Vivant is extraordinarily perfumed by black raspberry, lily, honeysuckle, narcissus, ginger, star anise, and fennel pollen, all of which are complimented rather than contradicted by a bit of sweet new woodiness. (Seysses says his toasting instructions for these barrels – there were only two of Romanee St.-Vivant this year; half a barrique less than in 2005 – were misunderstood, with the result that it wasn't quite deep enough and there is a bit of superficial coconut aroma, about which, he adds, I am not concerned long-term.) A musky sense of liquid floral perfume and liqueur-like essence of spiced black fruits and Pinot carnality inform the rich, dense palate of this exceptional, almost endlessly lingering elixir which simultaneously marries near-implosive concentration with animation, elegance, and sheer refreshment. You could – perhaps, should, were you to be lucky enough to acquire some – spend an entire evening savoring this, not to mention the next 12-15 years smugly savoring the knowledge that some exists in your cellar.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (91-94)

(this had recently been racked and sulfited) Good deep red. Pure aromas of musky wild strawberry and brown spices. Sweet, lush and harmonious, with captivating flavors of tangy strawberry and soft spices. Really caresses the palate. Finishes with subtle persistence and sweet, fine tannins. A superb showing.

Vinous (94)

The 2006 Millésime Grand Cru is sourced from old vines in Ambonnay. Vinification and aging in oak shape the wine to a considerable degree, but Ambonnay has the natural breadth and shoulders to handle the oak. Brioche, spice, vanillin, dried orchard fruit and herbs all develop nicely in the glass. The 2006 is rich and resonant to the core, yet also impeccable in its overall balance. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2015.

Vinous (94)

The 2006 Millésime Grand Cru is sourced from old vines in Ambonnay. Vinification and aging in oak shape the wine to a considerable degree, but Ambonnay has the natural breadth and shoulders to handle the oak. Brioche, spice, vanillin, dried orchard fruit and herbs all develop nicely in the glass. The 2006 is rich and resonant to the core, yet also impeccable in its overall balance. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2015.

Vinous (94)

The 2006 Millésime Grand Cru is sourced from old vines in Ambonnay. Vinification and aging in oak shape the wine to a considerable degree, but Ambonnay has the natural breadth and shoulders to handle the oak. Brioche, spice, vanillin, dried orchard fruit and herbs all develop nicely in the glass. The 2006 is rich and resonant to the core, yet also impeccable in its overall balance. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2015.

Wine Advocate (93-94)

A sweet, spicy profusion of cinnamon, ginger, cocoa powder, lily perfume, maraschino, and kirsch soars from the glass of Rouget 2006 Echezeaux, which comes to the palate with unexpected depth and richness of roasted meats, chalk, and saline savor, though to be sure, the bright red fruits and spices never flag. This is positively vibratory as well as riveting in its dynamic, oscillating finishing complexity. I'd give it 3-4 years head start and then plan to follow it for another decade.

Wine Advocate (93-94)

A sweet, spicy profusion of cinnamon, ginger, cocoa powder, lily perfume, maraschino, and kirsch soars from the glass of Rouget 2006 Echezeaux, which comes to the palate with unexpected depth and richness of roasted meats, chalk, and saline savor, though to be sure, the bright red fruits and spices never flag. This is positively vibratory as well as riveting in its dynamic, oscillating finishing complexity. I'd give it 3-4 years head start and then plan to follow it for another decade.

Wine Advocate (95-96)

Rouget alludes to the aromas of his 2006 Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux as tres particulaire, and you can say that again! Cassis, black raspberry, licorice, musk, toasted pistachio, ginger, and white pepper amaze the nose, followed by an implosive palate concentration that incorporates stony, chalky, and somehow ore-like mineral essences. The sense of sappy cling and invigorating, vibratory impingement of spice and mineral matter here left both my salivary and adrenal glands pumping. This fissionable vinous material should be cellared for at least half a dozen years and then vigilantly followed for at least a further decade.

Wine Spectator (92)

Rich and generous, with vanilla and milk chocolate accenting black cherry, plum and mineral flavors. A powerful red, this is balanced and long, with a sweet, spicy aftertaste. Best from 2011 through 2024. 35 cases imported. -BS

The Fantinel Roncaia Refosco 2006 is a masterful expression of Friuli-Venezia Giulia winemaking. Conceived by the esteemed Fantinel family, this distinguished example was crafted using the Refosco grape, a historical variety native to northeastern Italy. It magnificently exemplifies the rich terroir of the Roncaia vineyard, situated on soil rich in marl and sandstone.

Stemming from 2006, a remarkable year for Friulian vineyards, the Fantinel Roncaia Refosco 2006 spent 18 months maturing in oak barrels before final bottling. The result is a wine with robust, rounded tannins and a lush, velvety texture. On the nose, it boasts enticing aromas of ripe red fruit, shading into spicy and smoky notes. This full-bodied ruby red blend offers a complex palate layered with dark fruit, anise, and tobacco nuances.

Delectable now, the Fantinel Roncaia Refosco 2006 will age gracefully, promising evolving complexity and depth.

Discover the sumptuous Ferraton Pere & Fils Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc Samorens 2006, an exquisite masterpiece from the famous French winemaker, Ferraton Pere & Fils. Hailing from the renowned Cotes-du-Rhone region of Southern France, this quintessentially elegant white wine displays hints of ripe pear, peach, and fragrant white flowers. Lychee and citrus notes prance elegantly through the taste, bound by soothing minerality and crisp acidity.

Handpicked Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Clairette Blanche grapes are meticulously crafted into this prestigious bottle. The skilled winemakers at Ferraton Pere & Fils meticulously age the wine on lees, in stainless steel tanks, weaving its unique complexity and depth.

The Ferraton Pere & Fils Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc Samorens 2006 is a testament to Ferraton's exquisite art of wine-making, rich legacy, and unerring commitment to quality. Savour the pride of Rhone Valley with this beautiful testament to French viticulture.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (91)

Full red-ruby. Extravagant aromas of raspberry, iron, brown spices, tobacco, burning cinders and nutty oak. Lush, broad, ripe and dry; really saturates the palate without any impression of weight. Suave, fine-grained, horizontal wine, still a bit youthfully tight. Finishes with lovely lingering perfume.