2003 Meursault Les Perrieres

Healthy bright, light yellow. Very fresh and a bit musky on the nose but more about menthol, mint and fennel than primary fruits; nothing roasted about it. Concentrated, smooth and fresh in the mouth, with sweet yellow fruit flavors enlivened by surprising orange zest lift. Finishes seamless and long, and not at all hot, dry or spiky. Lafon lightly acidified this wine but noted that he has not added acid to his Perrières since 2003. He described 2003 as "my most stable vintage in bottle over time," noting that it has barely changed in recent years. "But it's a winter style of wine," he added. "It's too heavy for warm-weather cooking, but it's great with sweetbreads." This is the highest score I've given this wine to date. Lafon made just 6 barrels of Perrières in 2003, compared to 14 in 2002, as the hillside suffered from heat and drought in '03. (18 h/h; 3.1 g/l acidity; 3.54 pH)

Orange, minerals and crushed stone on the nose. Juicy, firm and precise on the palate. Shows less baby fat than the Charmes and a tighter structure. This wine has gained in shape and minerality since I sampled it last spring.

Aromatically demure, the 2003 Meursault Perrieres (white) reluctantly reveals notes of gun flint. This satin-textured, light to medium-bodied wine displays flavors of smoky slate, spices, roasted minerals, and anise before tapering off. It should be drunk over the next 8 years. Importers: Daniel Johnnes/Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 625-2505, Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 469-5799; and Beaune Imports, Berkeley Ca; tel. (510) 841-9815