The Meursault Les Casse Tetes was aromatically reduced but its certain quality showed through on the palate. It is a medium-to-full-bodied, gorgeously ripe, dense, and beautifully balanced wine with a delightful hazelnut and almond-flavored core. Drink it between 2000 and 2006. A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.

The Meursault Les Casses Tetes is aromatically restrained, revealing only traces of white flowers, and nuts. On the palate, however, it bursts forth with a medium-to-full-bodied, rich, concentrated core of deep and toasty mineral flavors. This velvety, complex, and powerful wine possesses a long and delineated finish. Projected maturity: 2000-2006. This wine was tasted from the barrel after it had been racked. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. A year ago, Jean-Marie Guffens told me that 1996 was the greatest vintage of his lifetime. While he did not repeat that comment when I visited him in November, Guffens was bursting with pride as I tasted the wines. A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-44706293), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.

A deep wine, with a solid core of mineral, dried herbs, spice and mocha flavors. A bit dry on the finish now, but there's plenty of fruit character and depth here. Try from 1998 to 2005.??–null??Region: France / Burgundy / Meursault Select to Add

Displaying a super-spicy nose, the Meursault Casse-Tetes offers deep, rich, nutty flavors. This thick-textured and medium-to-full-bodied wine lingers on the palate, offering notes of hazelnuts, spices and toast. The finish lasts for twenty seconds. Drink it between 1999-2005. This wine is vinified in wood and aged in oak casks, which can be new or up to 4 years old. It was submitted to a light filtration and fining. A note on availability: Verget's top wines are sold on pre-arrival, making them very hard to find after they have been reviewed. I apologize for this inconvenience and will make every effort to taste them prior to their offering in the coming years. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. Critics say that Verget wines will not age. The '95s have good fruit, balance and acid structure, all the components necessary for cellaring. Guffens also makes every effort to prevent oxygen from entering into contact with the wines because this can cause them to either oxidize or can stunt their ability to evolve in the bottle. When I asked Guffens about these comments on the aging ability of his wines, he scoffed and replied that some people believe that if a wine is good young it can't age well, "so maybe they should buy bad wine and age it," he said. Another criticism is that the wines all taste the same. After having tasted all of the '95s and having had a number of Verget wines from previous vintages the following is clear: Guffens pushes for silky textures and long finishes, and his wines are generally thick and often full-bodied. The only other similarity (and I was looking!) is an herbal spiciness that can be found on the nose of many of the wines. Most importantly, each wine reflects its terroir. Moreover, each wine is one of the finest examples of its appellation. Note: Guffens feels that 1996 is the most exceptional vintage of his lifetime. I would not repeat most growers' statements about the next "vintage of the century," but my experience in the retail trade established that Verget's wines usually sold prior to arrival, and were nearly impossible to find after reviews have been published. A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910 and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.