1999 Mazis Chambertin

Medium red. Red fruits and tobacco on the nose, with some funky hints of truffley evolution. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then classically dry but more harmonious in the middle palate than the nose suggests. Clamps down on the finish, showing a cool and slightly ungiving character and an edge of acidity. I expected a bit more expansiveness and sweetness but Cyrielle Rousseau noted that she and her father Eric find their 1999s rather ungiving so far. She told me that she opened this bottle about six hours before I tasted it and predicted that it would be better the next day. She also described this Mazy as "a funny wine, like a clown."

As Rousseau stated, his ruby-colored 1999 Mazis-Chambertin "has more flesh than the Charmes." It is medium-bodied and offers an excellent depth of super-ripe black fruit flavors. Its tannin-filled finish is ripe and ensconced in fruit. Drink it over the next 8-9 years.

As Rousseau stated, his ruby-colored 1999 Mazis-Chambertin "has more flesh than the Charmes." It is medium-bodied and offers an excellent depth of super-ripe black fruit flavors. Its tannin-filled finish is ripe and ensconced in fruit. Drink it over the next 8-9 years. Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700.