1996 Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets

The Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets is an exquisite wine. Oak, mineral, pear, flower blossom, and smoke-like aromas give way to a precise, pure, defined, complex, and refined character. This concentrated and extraordinarily balanced wine beguiles with its lively minerals, stones, and white fruit flavors which appear to linger on the palate indefinitely. This superb offering will be at its peak between 2003 and 2008. I was tremendously impressed with the quality of Morey's 1996s. While I generally had a slight preference for most vignerons' 1995s because of that vintage's extraordinary concentration, I feel that 1996's crisp, focused, and vibrant profile married admirably well with Morey's rich, plump, and ripe winemaking style. These are some of the finest wines I have tasted from this consistently first rate estate. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802.