1996 Domaine Louis Carillon et Fils Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru

The superb Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts aromatically displays very defined flint, stones and smoke. This is an austere, strict, yet expressive beauty. This wine has great richness, broad shoulders, a medium-to-full body, and unbelievable focus. Its highly-detailed flavor profile is packed with minerals, orange rinds, flowers, and sauteed mushrooms that seem to last forever on its exceedingly long and pure finish. Readers searching for leesy, oaky, and fruit-packed wines for near term drinking are well-advised to stay away from this brooding monster. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2010. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. A slender, serious, and obviously dedicated man, Jacques Carillon loves the structure and ageworthiness of his family's 1996s. He compared the aging of a wine to a wave, saying the optimum time to drink it is during its crests. He feels his '96s will be in the trough of the wave between 2000 and 2001, and should hit their first crest between 2003 and 2005. I tend to agree with his assessment, and will add what this modest man did not: these are absolutely fabulous examples of elegant, mineral-packed Pulignys that will offer years of enjoyment to those lucky enough to acquire them. Importers: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802, Neal Rosenthal, Select Vineyard, Shekomeko, NY; tel (800) 910-1990, Wine Markets International, Woodbury, NY; tel (516) 364-1850 and, under the "Cuvee Nicole" label, Fran Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel (540) 722-9228.