The 2014 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru les Combettes, one of the first to be picked, has a light, chalky bouquet that opens nicely in the glass. The palate is more where the action is, with delicate touches of peach, orange zest and dried honey; it is quite weighty towards the finish that needs to show just a touch of more precision. That said, there is plenty of flavor packed into this Puligny.

Both intensely, brightly citric and at the same time overlain with lanolin and vanilla from barrel, the Prieur 2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes backs up this somewhat bifurcated initial impression with luscious peach and pineapple that mingle with chalk, salt, and smoke in a sustained finish. Typical for its vintage at this estate, this is flatteringly creamy in texture even as it is full of refreshment. It should be worth following for at least 5-7 years during which it will be interesting to taste for enhanced complexity. Oenologist Nadine Gublin did not begin harvesting the Prieur Chardonnay until September 10, finishing a week later. The wines (with the exception of the Montrachet) all weighed-in between 13-13.5% alcohol and none were chaptalized. Malo-lactic fermentations were slow, the wines were inexpressive early, hence Gublin elected to bottle them 2-4 months later than usual (using a new bottling system). As a result, I have only tasted the best of them as assembled in tank. A comparison of the 2004s side-by-side was fascinating, and among other things bore out Gublin's assertion that -the big difference between 2004 and 2007 was the presence of over-ripeness and of enormous heterogeneity of ripeness- in the former. After the completion of renovations that were ongoing when I visited, the whites in a gravity-flow facility will be vinified entirely separately from the reds, and subject to sophisticated air purification and temperature controls of both tanks and cellar. New tractors and personnel will be on hand from 2010 to assist a transition to organic viticulture. In all these respects, the idealism and ambition exhibited at this estate are formidable.Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

The 1997 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes offers appealing, complex, and elegant aromas of minerals, honeysuckle, and apricots. This is a dense wine, with silky layers of white fruits, flower blossoms, and tangy lemons that can be found in its medium-to-full-bodied flavor profile as well as in its long and focused finish. Anticipated maturity: now-2005+. Imported by William Deutsch and Sons, Armonk, NY; Tel. (914) 273-1221.

The Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes (aged in 50% new oak) displays a gorgeously perfumed and floral nose followed by an oily-textured, full-bodied, well-balanced, and feminine personality. This graceful yet powerful wine offers anise, pear, and spicy oak flavors that linger on its persistent finish. It should be at its best between 2000 and 2005. The score, noted on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel.I was extremely impressed with Prieur's three top wines, the Meursault Perrieres, Corton-Charlemagne, and Montrachet, which are at a level only attained by the very best Burgundian estates. Imported by William Deutsch and Sons, Armonk, NY; Tel. (914) 273-1221.