Laurent's "Robert Parker cuvee," the dark-ruby-colored Nuits-St.-Georges Les Cailles is crafted from 75 year old tiny cluster-producing vines harvested at 15 hectoliters/hectare. Revealing unheard of quantities of Asian spices, roasted herbs and super-concentrated cassis-like aromas, it is an intensely thick, full-bodied, powerful, immense wine packed with chocolate-covered cherries. Highly structured and built for the long haul, it possesses an amazingly long finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2012+.This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.A Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42-84-38-22), various American importers.

Laurent's top 1993s are massively concentrated, huge, intense wines that will require 8-10 years of cellaring. One of the villages where Laurent has some fabulous sources for great juice is his hometown of Nuits St.-Georges, not a particularly easy appellation in which to excel in 1993. Les Cailles is outstanding. It is a massive vin de garde that needs at least 10 years of cellaring. It displays gobs of black-cherry fruit, ferociously savage tannin, as well as the glycerin, extract, and concentration necessary to stand up to the wine's structure.A Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris fax # 011 33 1 42843822), various American importers