In the majority of vintages, red Chassagnes suffer from hard, rustic tannins. However, in 1996, I found a number of truly first rate wines offered from this village that is primarily renowned for its whites. Girardin's Chassagne-Montrachet Clos De La Boudriotte Vieilles Vignes is a wonderful wine, exhibiting a ruby color and floral, violet aromas. Its personality is medium-to-full-bodied, thickly-textured, intense, and filled with ripe and succulent black cherries. This bright and lively, yet soft and supple wine should be consumed over the next four years. The score, on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel. Vincent Girardin's 1996s are generally fresher and more supple than his 1995s, but are not as concentrated or structured. Since he personally prefers softer styled wines, Girardin prefers the 1996 vintage. My feeling is that many of his 1995s will develop better over time than these delicious mid-term drinking wine. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802