1995 Volnay Vendanges Selectionees

From their best parcels of village appellation vineyards, the Lafarges make a Volnay Vendanges Selectionees. Medium-to-dark ruby-colored, it possesses a cherry and blackberry-scented nose and a medium-to-full-bodied, thick-textured and intense flavor profile composed of cassis, blueberries and porcini mushrooms. Admirably long, elegant and supple, it should be at its best between 1998 and 2004. It is only appropriate that a producer who crafts the top generic bottlings in Burgundy should also be responsible for some of its finest village wines. As always, ratings with a score in parentheses indicate the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. A Becky Wasserman Selection, French Fax # 011-33-3-80-24-29-70, various American importers, including Esquin Imports, San Francisco, CA; tel (415) 398-1200, Martin-Scott, Lake Success, NY; tel (516) 327-0808.