THE 2006 vintage Burgundy has had an unenthusiastic press and as always I wanted to see for myself. And once again, what I had just tasted gave the lie to the press reports.

I had spent one morning tasting some glorious 2006 vintage Burgundies at three of the finest Domaines in my favourite Burgundy commune Chambolle Musigny - Domaines Georges Comte de Vogue, Jacques Frederic Mugnier and Christopher Roumier. The conclusion was that these three Domaines and others had made many lovely wines - different from the great 2005 but almost equally lovely and equally enjoyable.

A once-in-a-lifetime vintage such as 2005 is a hard act to follow. This has happened to Bordeaux and similarly to 2006 in Burgundy. What consumers and wine press alike fail to appreciate is that once in a lifetime is just what it says - ONCE IN A LIFETIME - and to expect the following vintage or vintages to be of the same exceptional quality is not being realistic.

The key features of the 2006 weather were a very hot dry July followed by a wet cold August which slowed growth and maturity. Fortunately, a fine September saved the vintage. But the damage had been done - uneven ripening and a fair amount of rot and botrytis. Those who exercised severe and vigorous selection produced lovely wines, full of fruit, great freshness and minerality but much reduced production. These will not be wines with the richness, fullness and depth of the 2005s but they will be lovely and ready to drink earlier. Best of all, they will be more readily found and less expensive than the 2005s. Some highlights:

DOMAINE PONSOT

Morey St-Denis 1er Cru Monts Luisants Blanc: Light gold, rich, elegant and complex. Lovely wine.

Chambolle Musigny: Light cherry colour, very fine pinot nose, light to medium body, good freshness.

Gevrey Chambertin: Good fruit, a bit tight. Not showing well at the moment.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Charmes: Not showing well also, good fruit but a little austere.

Griotte Chambertin, Grand Cru: Richer firmer wine, ripe cherries, dryish finish.

Chambertin, Grand Cru: Deep red colour. Profound, very ripe wine, very tight now.

Chapelle Chambertin, Grand Cru: A better wine than Chambertin Laurent Ponsot said. A lot of depth and complexity, very ripe cherry fruit flavour, very long finish.

Clos Saint Denis VV, Grand Cru: Big wine, very ripe, very rich complex flavours, very tannic. Excellent.

Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru: Profound wine, very ripe fruit, intensely concentrated. Great.

DOMAINE ANNE GROS

Bourgogne Haut Cotes de Nuits: Good colour, light nose, good easy-to-drink wine with very ripe fruit, not quite enough acidity showing.

Chambolle Musigny: Medium red, nice clean pinot nose, very ripe fruit. Lovely.

Vosne Romane 1er Cru Les Burreaux: Darker colour, richer riper fruit, flavours of cherries and strawberries, very fresh, very long. Excellent.

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru: Medium dark, light bouquet, intense concentration very ripe fruit, very complex and long. Very good.

Richebourg Grand Cru: Big rich wine, very ripe fruit, good structure, complexity and length that goes on and on.

DOMAINE MICHEL GROS

Vosne Romane: Very ripe fruit, good freshness and acidity. Good.

Nuits St-George: Dark red, light nose. Good ripe fruit, firmer texture and more tannin than Vosne Romane. Good.

Chambolle Musigny: Darker colour still, very ripe fruit, denser than the Nuits. Good.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Aux Brulees: Dark colour, lots of ripe fruit, quite tight and tannic. Good acidity. Good.

Morey Saint-Denis: Very ripe fruit, good freshness. Good.

Nuits St Georges Les Chailots: Very dense compact wine, good ripeness and freshness. Very good.

Nuits St Georges 1er Cru: Very ripe fruit, good concentration and density, very tannic at the moment. Excellent.

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru: Dense rich wine, very complex. Excellent.

DOMAINE COMTE DE VOGUE

Chambolle Musigny: Classic Burgundy, delicate, very fresh, good fruit, clean finish.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses: More concentrated, more profound, great minerality, palate of ripe raspberry fruit.

Bonnes Mares Grand Cru: Intense concentration, very ripe fruit, great freshness.

Musigny Grand Cru: Unusually dark colour. Rounder, softer, more lush than Bonnes Mares, very fleshy, more complex, more minerality, very long. Marvelous.

DOMAINE CHRISTOPHE ROUMIER

Chambolle Musigny: Very characteristic Chambolle perfume sweet flowery scents. Lovely wine, delicate, sweet red berry fruit, great freshness and elegance, medium length.

Morey Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de Bussire: Darker colour, heavier wine, more structure, more concentration. Characteristic differentiation between Chambolle and Morey.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Combottes: Slightly more tannic, quite firm, good raspberry fruit flavours, great length and freshness.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras: A complete wine, dark red, lovely aroma, dense very ripe fruit on entry, concentrated, profound, great freshness and minerality.

Charmes Chambertin: Bigger, more closed, palate of dark fruits, very concentrated, very fresh, very very long. More compact, more linear and firmer than the wines from Chambolle Musigny.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses: Dark red, lovely nose. Very intense concentration very ripe fruit, powerful wine. A great wine.

Bonnes Mares Grand Cru: Big powerful wine, very very ripe, great minerality and freshness. Huge wine.

Musigny Grand Cru: Power and grace with great elegance. An unbelievable combination of sheer power, minerality with elegance and great style. Exceptional.

DOMAINE J F MUGNIER

Chambolle Musigny: Darker colour than Roumiers. Intense rich fruit, very dense. Excellent.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees: Similar nose and taste profile to the village Chambolle but a lot more powerful and richness of fruit.

Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru: Very fresh and powerful, more compact as expected of a Grand Cru from Morey St Denis.

Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses: Great ripeness and freshness, very very dense. Great wine.

Musigny, Grand Cru: A big wine, a lot denser and lots of flavour. Solid structure, lots of fruit, a very classic wine. Great.

Nuits St Georges 1er Cru Clos de Marechale Monopole: Deep colour. Faint nose very ripe fruit. Dark flavours on palate, very very ripe fruit, very intense and dense, ripe tannins, quite tannic finish. Excellent.

DOMAINE ROMANEE CONTI

Echezeaux, Grand Cru: Medium colour, very sweet ripe fruit, lovely nose. Good.

Romane St Vivant, Grand Cru: Richer and more ripeness than Echezeaux. A little light at the moment, will gain weight as it matures. Good.

Richebourg, Grand Cru: Medium dark red, light lovely nose of ripe fruit. Very rich, intensely concentrated very ripe fruit, and very very long finish. A very big wine.

Romane Conti: Much richer, very very ripe fruit, more spicy (cinnamon). Great wine.

GENERAL IMPRESSION

A very good vintage characterised by lots of ripe fruit and very good freshness, but not evenly across the board. Some lovely, even great wines to be found, but careful selection is necessary.