1996 Coteaux du Layon Saint Lambert Les Bonnes Blanches

Reminiscent of a super-ripe German TBA whose acid was surgically removed (deacidified), the herbal tea and brown sugar-scented 1996 Coteaux du Layon-St. Lambert SGN Clos des Bonnes Blanches is even richer, thicker and more viscous than the Beaulieu Clos des Ortinieres. Highly extracted tangy currant fruit can be glimpsed in its hyper-concentrated and full-bodied core of oily sweetness. When asked how much acidity this wine possesses, Jo Pithon smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said "less than the " Bonnes Blanches. Importer: Vinifrance Imports/Olivier Daubresse Selections, Arlington, VA; tel: (703) 271-6185.