Awaiting filtration when I tasted it, the Laroche 2006 Chablis Blanchot is sweetly perfumed with lily flower and talcum. With a fine sense of chalky minerality and sheer density on the palate, a sweet core of apricot fruit, and persistent wafting floral notes, this opulent, silken-textured Chablis (one third of it raised in barrel) does not lack for clarity or salty, chalky nuance in its long, refined, succulent finish. It should be worth following for 8-10 years. The dense, lush 2005 is not quite on the same level today. Winemaker Denis de la Bourdonnaye and proprietor Michel Laroche – who export 85% of their wines, and were Burgundy’s pioneers (along with Verget) in utilizing screw cap closures – are dedicated to the proposition that Chablis can be seductive and sensual while remaining true to its terroir, and they have proven this in bottle with their outstanding 2005 and 2006 collections. Importer: Remy-Cointreau USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 424-2244

Perfumed white flower aromas lead into a wine that is dense and ripe. As the palate opens up, white and yellow fruits, cinnamon and buttered toast all work their ways into a wine that is almost a meal in itself. Still young, of course, already fresh, it will surely deepen and broaden as it ages. Screwcap.——R.V.(5/1/2009)—— 93