Spices, stones, and black cherries can be discerned in the aromatics of the medium to dark ruby-colored 2000 Morey-St.-Denis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes. Medium-bodied, satin-textured, and generous, it offers layers of red and black cherries immersed in spices. This soft, friendly, fruit-forward wine should be consumed over the next 6-7 years. Lignier opened four of his 2000s after we had tasted the 2001s. They stood out as being riper, more generous, and thicker than the barrel samples we had just experienced. While they are neither highly complex or immensely ageworthy, they satisfy the primary duty of all wines ... they provide pleasure. According to Lignier, “the 2000s are structurally like the 1997s, but not as baked aromatically. In 2000 we had high yields and didn’t get concentration from evaporation as we did in 1997.” Lignier opted to bottle his 2000s in April 2002, a few months earlier than usual, in order “to maintain freshness from the trapped CO2.” Few Burgundy lovers admire Romain Lignier’s wines more than I do, but tastings at his estate over the past few years have demonstrated that we have strongly differing opinions on what constitutes a good vintage. For example, unlike numerous other Burgundians, Lignier maintains that 1998 is a top-flight year. In addition, he characterizes 2001 as a “highly classical vintage, with excellent acidity, purity, and clarity of fruit. There is nothing bad to be said about the 2001s, but if the truth be known, they are more discreet than ripe years, and are not expressive aromatically. However, given 4-5 years for the village wines and a decade for the premier crus, they will ultimately prove that 2001 is a wonderful vintage.” Importer: Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990