Longtime readers know that the Valettes are committed to the long-term barrel aging of their top wines, so they won’t be surprised to learn that the 2001 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere was bottled in December, 2005 after 48 months in barrel. Its nuanced nose reveals fresh minerals, hints of butterscotch, notes of citrus juices, as well as a traces of rancio, the French term for the aromas of an aged wine. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and satin-textured, this fascinating wine offers a complex, astonishingly long personality awash in lemongrass, caramelized minerals, sweet lime juice, and buttered spices. Given the fact that this wine has “breathed” for years while in barrel, there is no reason to believe it will not enjoy a long life in bottle. Drink it over the next 10 years. Visiting the Valette family, whose home/estate is perched on Chaintre’s hillside affording views of the Saone valley (all the way to the Alps), is always a fascinating adventure. Ever since the family patriarch, Gerard Valette, left the local coop, he and his family have been fiercely independent, bucking both viticultural and winemaking traditions. For example, when all their neighbors had finished harvesting the 2003s, the Valettes were waiting for the fruit to be ripe, and when all their neighbors had bottled and shipped their 2004s, the Valettes’ were still undergoing elevage. Sadly, this outstanding, iconoclastic estate, whose offerings grace the finest restaurant wine lists in France, is no longer imported into the United States. No American importer.

The highly expressive 2000 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere bursts from the glass with minerals, roasted white fruits, and buttered toast. It is medium-bodied, intense, has lovely definition, and an exceptionally long and pure finish. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2012. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

The highly expressive 2000 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere bursts from the glass with minerals, roasted white fruits, and buttered toast. It is medium-bodied, intense, has lovely definition, and an exceptionally long and pure finish. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2012. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

Having spent 30 months on its lees without ever having been racked prior to bottling, the 1999 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere is currently being released. It has a complex, honey, mineral and spice-dominated nose. On the palate, this lush, medium-bodied beauty displays a myriad of flavors, ranging from vanilla to toffee, from gingerbread to minerals drenched in honey. An ample, beautifully focused offering, it possesses an exceedingly long, flavorful finish. Given the fact that it has been in contact with air for two and a half years (barrels are porous) it is hard to imagine that it will age quickly in bottle so extended cellaring is certainly a possibility. That being said, it is so delicious now, why wait? Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228

The Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reyssie Reserve Particuliere was vinified in oak barrels, two-thirds of which were new. It reveals smoke, pears, apples, honeysuckle, and grilled wood aromas. On the palate, this medium-to-full-bodied, dense, and powerful wine has admirable purity of fruit (primarily white peaches and apples) and a mouth-coating oily texture. With no hard edges, this wine offers pure, unadulterated pleasure. I must confess that it took considerable self-discipline not to swallow at my tasting. Anticipated maturity: now-2004. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel (540) 722-9228.