Charlopin's two barrels of 2006 Clos St.-Denis were a bit reduced on the nose when I tasted them, but with air the wine opened to reveal collection-typical chocolate-covered cherries, here seemingly laced with chili peppers, burley tobacco, and quarry dust. Palate-staining and palpably dense, it boasts well-integrated tannins and an emphatically spicy, piquant, and sweet rather than nuanced finish. I suspect this bundle of rather raw concentration will merit following for the better part of a decade, if not longer. Philippe Charlopin is known for his outgoing personality, which applies also to the wines of his domaine spread over more than two dozen appellations, an astonishing nine of which are grand crus. Elevage is long here, and when I last tasted his 2006s with Charlopin in Spring 2008, none had yet been bottled. Various importers, including The Country Vintner, Ashland, VA 23005; tel. (804) 752-3670 and Elite Wines, Lorton VA; tel. (703) 339-8150 and Wine Imports, Ltd., San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 451-2520

Charlopin's two barrels of 2006 Clos St.-Denis were a bit reduced on the nose when I tasted them, but with air the wine opened to reveal collection-typical chocolate-covered cherries, here seemingly laced with chili peppers, burley tobacco, and quarry dust. Palate-staining and palpably dense, it boasts well-integrated tannins and an emphatically spicy, piquant, and sweet rather than nuanced finish. I suspect this bundle of rather raw concentration will merit following for the better part of a decade, if not longer. Philippe Charlopin is known for his outgoing personality, which applies also to the wines of his domaine spread over more than two dozen appellations, an astonishing nine of which are grand crus. Elevage is long here, and when I last tasted his 2006s with Charlopin in Spring 2008, none had yet been bottled.Various importers, including The Country Vintner, Ashland, VA 23005; tel. (804) 752-3670 and Elite Wines, Lorton VA; tel. (703) 339-8150 and Wine Imports, Ltd., San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 451-2520