Through the ups and downs in volume of Cote d’Or production at Verget (and more recently it’s been downs), the stony parcel from above Perrieres that informs their 2006 Puligny-Montrachet Sous les Puits has remained a constant. This year’s rendition displays the stony mineral suggestions and refreshment (despite lower than usual acidity) typical of the site. Lime, pink grapefruit, pineapple, and brown spices usher in agc rich yet lusciously citric palate, and only a hint of heat keeps this from being entirely enthralling. Still, I suspect this will gain from some bottle age and should be worth following for 3-5 years – longer if the alcohol does not catch up with it. In the Macon, at least, Jean-Marie Guffen is convinced that in 2006 “you had the choice between picking too early or picking too late. I chose the former. The sugar levels were high in either case, the acidity was low, and grapes were beginning to rot.” Guffens ran his picking crew ragged between the Macon, Cote d’Or, and Chablis, with more felicitous results in the two last-named sectors. (For notes on the 2006 Chablis at Verget, please consult my report in issue 179.) In the Cote d’Or, Guffens was more successful this year than in 2005, a vintage he thinks is in general over-rated and unlikely to stand the test of time. He was sparing with batonnage in 2006, and as always highly selective in pressing and in retention of lees (meaning he had fewer to work with). A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93