I loved the nose of the 2002 Saint-Veran Terres Noires, consistently one of the finest values produced by Verget. Magnificent aromas of minerals, flint, slate, and apples are followed by a deep, expansive, medium-bodied character. This satiny-textured beauty conquers the palate with great waves of apples, honeyed minerals, and spices. It is boisterously flavorful and extremely well-balanced. In addition, its outstanding finish reveals hints of white pepper. Projected maturity: now-2009. Jean Marie Guffens is ecstatic about 2002. “This is the best vintage we’ve done at Verget. From Macon to the Cote d’Or to Chablis, it is like a concentrated 1992. We were able to harvest in each area at the optimal time. We have great ripeness, not overripe, with excellent acidity, and the bulk prices that we paid actually dropped. The only problem in 2002 was some volatile acidity during fermentation, so we used more sulphur earlier than usual. Alcoholic fermentations took an extremely long time, and some of our malolactic fermentations were completed before the sugar was all eaten.”A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700 and North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers; tel. (800) 525-9699