A measly forty-two bottles of the Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet are allocated annually to the United States, 24 to Vineyard Brands and 18 to Neal Rosenthal. The 2001 displays aromas of minerals, spices, and green apples. This light to medium-bodied, gorgeously defined effort is satin-textured, and exhibits superb clarity of flavor. Spices and pears can be detected in its youthfully tight personality as well as throughout its exceptionally long finish. Unlike the overwhelming majority of 2001s, this wine will require cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2016. To Jacques Carillon, this estate’s winemaker, “the 2001s are wines of richness and fat, with round personalities and excellent balance. They have a great deal in common with the 2000s.” This highly-respected estate’s winemaking philosophies include leaving the wines to ferment on their lees for a year in barrel, then racking them with only the finest lees into stainless steel vats in the August following the harvest. Six months later, in February, the wines are fined, then racked again in March before being filtered and bottled. The estate’s village offering has a slightly shorter elevage, and is bottled in January. Importers: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802; Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990; Wine Markets International, Woodbury, NY; tel. (516) 364-1850; and, for the “Cuvee Nicole”, the same wine as the village Puligny-Montrachet, Kysela Pere et Fils, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228