2005 Dureuil-Janthial Mercurey Le Bois Lalier Vieilles Vignes

The 2005 Mercurey La Bois de Lalier Vieilles Vignes displays striking aromas of ripe black cherry and walnut oil, saturates the palate with black cherry, nut oils and fresh meatiness, and finishes with sweet, ripe fruit accented by attractively bitter suggestions of toasted nuts and cherry pit. This is a broader, more obviously rich wine than Dureuil’s vintage 2005 Rullys, but no less clear and pure. Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne Les Chaliots ($24.00; 86). A Peter Vezan Selection, Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93. Various importers, notably North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (800) 266 6585.