One of my favorite unheralded appellations in the Loire Valley, the finest Savennieres are the Montrachets of Chenin Blanc. My colleague, Pierre-Antoine Rovani, will be issuing a huge report on the top-notch 1996 Loire Valley vintage, but excellent wines also emerged from the 1994 and 1995 vintages. I was super-impressed with the 1995 Savennieres Cuvee Speciale. The wine possesses a distinctive, intensely pineapple, earthy, volcanic, charcoal-scented nose, massive richness and intensity, a chewy texture, full body, gorgeous purity, and a powerful personality. These wines are aged in demi-muid barrels, and bottled exclusively for Kermit Lynch without any filtration. Look for this dazzling example of mineral-dominated Chenin Blanc to age marvelously for 10+ years. This wine was tasted in May, 1997.Kermit Lynch's wines are available throughout the United States, with the import label "Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, California." Kermit Lynch's address is 1605 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702; tel. (510) 524-1524, fax (510) 528-7026. In France, the Kermit Lynch office is located in Beaune; tel. 011 33 3 80 24 70 96; fax 011 33 3 80 24 18 64.