Nearly 10 years on from the vintage, Jane Anson picks six wines from Bordeaux 2006 that are ready to enjoy now... An interesting year to be following at this critical juncture, as Bordeaux 2006 wines have developed a reputation for being fairly unloveable over the past decade. Scroll down to see the wines Classic, traditional character with strong tannins and long ageing potential on the bright side, but backwards and brooding on the other. So how it is shaping up? First, a reminder of what the winemakers had to work with. The weather during the Bordeaux 2006 growing season blew hot and cold.  A strong heat in July and September was sliced up by a cool August and a stormy mid-September, which saw botrytis spores blooming in select spots around the region. Inevitably this meant a race to harvest in the unlucky areas. Overall, Merlot and clay, and Cabernet Sauvignon on the best gravels resisted well, and this was yet another year where money talked. Yields overall are usually lower than 2005 (with a few notable exceptions such as Ormes de Pez), as winemakers had to be very selective with the grapes they used.

The best wines are concentrated, with balanced acidity and complex aromatics, but many had hard tannins and were unlovely at first showings during en primeur in 2007, and again in the first five years of opening. At the 10 year mark, the best reds are still deeply coloured, with fresh yet complex fruit expression and high aromatics. Bordeaux 2006 is certainly a vintage to age, with all the old school meaning of that term (ie not approachable young!). Early tastings showed them to be less evenly successful than the 2005s, with some exceptionally bright spots, and many wines far exceeded expectations. However, here’s a selection of Bordeaux 2006 wines that deserve to brough out of the cellar this weekend. Jane Anson tasted theses wines at London merchant Bordeaux Index in January 2016. You’ll be able to find more tasting notes on the best wines in the Decanter Bordeaux supplement, free with the July issue and due out at the beginning of June. Subscribe to Decanter here.

A contemporary styled 2006, aged in 100% new oak... Fine damson fruit that holds on through the mid palate... A lovely weight that expands and lifts towards the finish line... Beautifully restrained tannins that are still cradling the ripe blackberry fruit... Enjoyable, well balanced, there is alcohol but the fruit has been well extracted This majors in toffee, butterscotch, rich and sexy fruit flavours...2006 Bordeaux wine vintage report with harvest information, vintage characteristics, list of the top wines, buying tips and links. If you are seeking more in-depth information on anything and everything related to the Bordeaux wine region please see the: All About Bordeaux Wine Guide 2006 Bordeaux wine is the product of an interesting vintage. After the cold, wet winter, the growing season got off to a good start with the summer months of June and July. Both months were hot, dry and sunny. Things slipped back in August, as the month was cool and wet.

September got off to a hot start. But what happened next, changed everything.  By the time the grapes were ready to harvest in September, it started raining and never stopped.  best wine to take to dinnerIt rained in every appellation in both the Left Bank and the Right Bank .  best white wine with italian foodBecause Pomerol is always the first region to pick, they avoided most of the rain.best wine programs nyc Perhaps the best 2006 Bordeaux wine was produced in the Medoc . wine for mac latestMouton Rothschild made a breath-taking wine. best wine store paris

It is the 2006 Bordeaux wine of the vintage! Pontet Canet , located next door is also strong. Due to the willingness of the top estates to make draconian selections and reduce their effective yields to less than 50% in many cases,  there are chateaux that made strong 2006 Bordeaux wine.corner wine bar 2006 Bordeaux wine in Pomerol is highly regarded. best wine to have with chocolatePomerol was much more successful than St. Emilion in the 2006 Bordeaux vintage. best wine stores massachusettsWhile the Merlot ripened under good conditions, the Cabernet Franc was not picked with the same degree of ripeness. where to buy canadian wine in ukThe wines are concentrated, but the style is masculine and broad shouldered.  

2006 Pomerol at its best can display the hedonistic, opulent qualities that Pomerol can produce. St. Emilion is up and down. Chateau Angelus and Chateau Pavie both turned out great wine. In the Medoc, Pauillac is perhaps the most consistent appellation for 2006 Bordeaux wine.  Not only did the First Growths perform well, Pichon Lalande , Lynch Bages ,  Pichon Baron , Clerc Milon , Grand Puy Lacoste did well. And as I mentioned earlier, 2006 Pontet Canet is superb.  Ducru Beaucaillou and Chateau Cos d’Estournel turned out very fine wine.  2006 Bordeaux wine was also very successful for the dry white wines from Pessac Leognan . 2006 Bordeaux wine is generally speaking, tannic, broad shouldered and needs time to age. However, coming on the back of the legendary 2005 Bordeaux vintage, due to the very high prices asked, when the wines were first offered as a future , they were met with tepid demand.  In part, that was because the wines were priced above what consumers were willing to pay.