I tasted the St. Veran Les Pommards in November, two weeks after its bottling. Produced from a vineyard that borders the Pouilly-Fuisse appellation, this wine exhibits fabulous toasty oak and mineral aromas. On the palate, this silky-textured, medium-to-full-bodied, highly defined, and deeply extracted offering regales with loads of citrus fruits, stones, and fresh herbs and spices. Its powerful flavors linger on the palate for at least 25 seconds. Projected maturity: 1999-2003+.Daniel Barraud, a hard-working, intelligent and dedicated man, is one of the Maconnais' finest producers. He believes that his 1996s are "more powerful, both in acidity and ripeness" than his '95s and are "magnificently precise and clean." I was blown away by Barraud's '95s (reviewed in issue #110), finding both his En Buland (91) and La Verchere (90+) to be outstanding, but his 1996s are even better. Moreover, these wines are excellent values.Barraud is not a believer in batonnage; his wines obtain their richness from late harvests and extended lees contact in barrel (as opposed to the traditional Maconnais vats). He neither fines nor filters his offerings.Importer: "Reserve" wines are imported exclusively by North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910; the other wines are Peter Vezan Selections (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), various importers including Skurnik in NY.