Bitouzet has two parcels of Meursault Charmes, one in the lower half of the vineyard ("du bas") with very old vines, and the other in the upper half ("du haut") where the vines are ten years old. The Burgundian cognoscenti generally believe that the better terroir is the Charmes du haut (also known as "du dessus"), which appeared to coincide with my tasting of the component parts. Whereas the wine from older "du bas" vines seemed to have additional concentration, the "du haut" wine was rounder, more refined, and more persistent. The final blend is an outstanding wine, revealing orange rinds and almonds on the nose and a beautifully extracted, medium-to-full-bodied, and silky-textured character filled with candied red currants, flowers, minerals, and traces of vanilla. This elegant, well-crafted and wonderfully long wine should be at its peak between 2002 and 2007. The score, noted on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel. Vincent Bitouzet has produced wonderful 1996s. Whereas his white 1995s were luscious and opulent (ideal for near-term drinking), Bitouzet crafted refined and elegant '96s built for the long-haul. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, Select Vineyard, Shekomeko, NY; tel (800) 910-1990.