The Clair 2006 Marsannay Vaudenelles – last tasted assembled just prior to bottling –admirably demonstrates the care taken by Clair and his team in this vintage, as it is more expressive than the 2005. Fresh cherry tinged with cherry pit, iodine, wet stone, and herbs inform the nose as well as a bright, pure-fruited, refreshing palate. While this is not tremendously complex, it''s admirably refined and lip-smacking, reminding me of the best Marsannay rose, except in red. I would drink it up by early 2011. The inherently more structured Grasse Tetes bottling – which was given a measure of new wood – came up a bit stiff and superfluously astringent. RP
