Guffens Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanee is a winemaking tour de force. Its refined and feminine nose reveals an unreal depth of candied red berries and an awesome purity. On the palate, layer upon layer of flowers, liquid minerals, anise, sweet citrus fruits, and oak spices can be found in this full-bodied, oily-textured, complex, and profound offering. After literally a minute, I still could feel and taste this wine's presence in my mouth. Wow! Anticipated maturity: 2003-2012. This wine was tasted from barrel prior to racking. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. A year ago, Jean-Marie Guffens told me that 1996 was the greatest vintage of his lifetime. While he did not repeat that comment when I visited him in November, Guffens was bursting with pride as I tasted the wines. A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-44706293), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.