Produced from vines located in En La Barre, En Luraule, and Charmes, the Meursault reveals mouth-watering hazelnut, toast, and mineral aromatics. On the palate, this medium-bodied, rich, lively, bright, and silky wine has ripe apple, stone, nut, and tangy citrus flavors. It should be at its best between 1999 and 2003. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Dominique Lafon performed more batonnage than usual on his 1996s, "to give them more richness," he said. However, unlike some other vignerons, Lafon abandons the practice when the malos start because he wants his wines to be protected by the carbon dioxide gas that is a by product of a wine's malo-lactic fermentation. Lafon's yields were between 35 and 45 hectoliters/hectare, demonstrating his dedication to quality in this potentially high-yielding vintage. Importer: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644.

Pure, rich, thick fruit expresses itself with the subtle support of toasted oak. Balanced acidity guides the tropical, lemon and mineral notes to a gracious, firm finish. Best from 2000 through 2010.??–PM??Region: France / Burgundy / Meursault Select to Add