Pale straw green. Crisp, lighter '04 style. Nice salinity and it grew in the glass. While perhaps not a top Grand Cru nor as intense as Preuses can be, this is an excellent effort and well worth drinking.

Not crystal clear in color or, for that matter, in the mouth. Tart cherries with some vegetality and dilution. Not as bright and appealing as Lapierre can be.

Light color. I thought there was not much to it to begin with, but it grew in the glass and grew on me, displaying bright Gamay cherry fruit and even a bit of succulence. Good Cru Beaujolais from a producer unknown to me.

Pale. As previously, just wonderful wine, a profound Premier Cru that already has richness and that trademark hazelnut character that are perfectly offset by youthful Chablis structure. Great acidity for an '05. If you have a few bottles, it is not a mistake to try one now.

Light yellow. Pretty aromatics of pineapple and citrus. Not overly floral. Medium weight without any oiliness. I have a hard time warming to Condrieu, but this was very good.

Corked magnum! Double the distress.

Medium ruby. Much less concentration than many '05s I've tasted, and I mean this in a positive way since it seemed more typical of Loire Cab Franc rather than freakishly dense. Fruit is ripe but restrained, allowing the usual herbs to shine. Fine and uncompromising. Needs a good deal of time to loosen its structure.

Pale yellow with some remaining green. An initial burst of honey quickly transformed into young Chablis aromas with seashell and iodine. Very focused, outstanding (but not punishing) acidity and it already is starting to develop some extra flesh and weight. Long finish. Definitely accessible now, but good bottles should continue their ascent for some time. At least outstanding, although based on this bottle, I'm not convinced it is in the same league as either the '96 or the '00.

Light ruby. Not much of a nose to start, then brambly black fruit. Zippy and light with licorice tones. Good village example with some definite Savigny typicity.

Healthy full yellow color. Uh oh, the first blast was one of maderization. Shot? No, just a wine in 3 distinct acts. The apparent oxidation gave way to magnificent oyster shells and salinity, and the palate showed typical mature Raveneau richness balanced by significant acidity. Broad and long with truffle flavors and hazelnut. Alas, this glorious phase did not last forever, with the hints of oxidation reappearing about 2 hours after the bottle was opened. This will not appeal to everyone, and in truth, this vintage is probably right on the precipice, even with the superb storage conditions that this bottle saw. Fascinating and I'm very glad I got to try it.

Remarkably deep, primary ruby. Oh my, what an alluring mix of sour cherry and stone, stone, stone! Pure Volnay. Crisp acidity, substantial remaining tannins yet without any sense of being too hard. Slow to release itself in the glass, this a long way to go and a ton of beauty left to reveal. Fantastic Volnay.

Medium ruby with slight lightening. This was a day to savor elegant Burgundy, as this followed an ethereal Angerville. The aromatics here were also tangy red fruit, but initially, this showed much less soil. What it did have was an explosion of perfumed florality that was just breathtaking. Somewhat sweeter in the mouth with more sap than the Angerville, beautful purity and harmony with a long, gentle finish. Another '02 that surprised me with its current level of enjoyment, this one is gorgeous.

Disgorged July 23, 2008. Very light yellow. Beautiful nose of orange rind, orchard fruits, and just a hint of yeastiness. Lively in the mouth with a perfect combination of cut and early creaminess. Moderate dosage. This was a tad sweeter and less wild than the Brut Initiale I tried earlier this year, but what an expression of Blanc de Blancs Champagne!

I avoid Nouveau like the plague but got talked into trying this one. Surprise! Unlike 99% of these wines, this was indeed real wine with good color and palate coverage. Very good for the genre.

Second time I've tasted this and it was actually a bit broader and less compressed than the first time. Still, classic in every way-a salty, lean, laser of a wine. Having just tasted the '02, I don't see this turning out as relatively fat as that wine, but it should evolve more along the lines of the 2000. Great young Chablis.

Medium ruby. Lots of garrigue and red fruits right out of the decanter. Medium weight, lovely fruit, but this was much more forbiddingly tannic than when I've tried it before. Drinkable and excellent now, but it looks as though it is going into a shell.