The Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanee exhibits fruit cake, acacia flower, and anise aromas. On the palate, its acidity and fruit appeared to be slightly disjointed, but there was no mistaking this wine's outstanding potential. Its full-bodied, concentrated, complex, oily-textured flavor profile is loaded with hazelnut cream, spices, minerals, and hints of red berries. As it finishes its elevage, I am certain that this superb wine will integrate all its components. Drink it between 2001 and 2008. 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 # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.

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.

The Chassagne Montrachet La Romanee exhibits sweet red currants on the nose that made my spine tingle. Beautifully made, and with the same extraordinary length as the Remilly, this fat, silky, and complex wine contains layers of sweet floral and perfumed fruits. It will provide immediate pleasure and last for 12+ years. This wine is full-bodied, powerful and stunning. This wine is vinified in wood and aged in oak casks, which can be new or up to 4 years old. It was not filtered, but was fined as Guffens says that tiny particles of bacteria that can create off flavors need to be removed from white wines (the reality may be that Verget is a large commercial operation that cannot afford to have its clients rejecting bottles because of sediment. It is telling that Guffens neither filters nor fines the wines he makes at his private estate.) I have never encountered a line-up of Chassagne Montrachets of this quality from a single producer and vintage. A note on availability: Verget's top wines are sold on pre-arrival, making them very hard to find after they have been reviewed. I apologize for this inconvenience and will make every effort to taste them prior to their offering in the coming years. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. Ratings with a range of scores in parentheses indicate the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Critics say that Verget wines will not age. The '95s have good fruit, balance and acid structure, all the components necessary for cellaring. Guffens also makes every effort to prevent oxygen from entering into contact with the wines because this can cause them to either oxidize or can stunt their ability to evolve in the bottle. When I asked Guffens about these comments on the aging ability of his wines, he scoffed and replied that some people believe that if a wine is good young it can't age well, "so maybe they should buy bad wine and age it," he said. Another criticism is that the wines all taste the same. After having tasted all of the '95s and having had a number of Verget wines from previous vintages the following is clear: Guffens pushes for silky textures and long finishes, and his wines are generally thick and often full-bodied. The only other similarity (and I was looking!) is an herbal spiciness that can be found on the nose of many of the wines. Most importantly, each wine reflects its terroir. Moreover, each wine is one of the finest examples of its appellation. Note: Guffens feels that 1996 is the most exceptional vintage of his lifetime. I would not repeat most growers' statements about the next "vintage of the century," but my experience in the retail trade established that Verget's wines usually sold prior to arrival, and were nearly impossible to find after reviews have been published. 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 # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.