2003 Le Montrachet

Produced from 25 hectoliter per hectare yields, the 2003 Montrachet (white) boasts a nose of toasted pears dusted with vanilla beans. Medium-bodied and oily-textured, its toasty personality reveals loads of spices, white fruits, anise, and nutmeg. Fresh, pure, and displaying an extended finish, this beauty is a candidate for drinking over the next 9-10 years. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

Aromas of mirabelle , apple, pear, menthol, flowers and oak. Chewy and deep, with strongly oaky flavors of pineapple, nectarine and nut oil. More massive and less detailed today than the Chevalier-Montrachet. Finishes very long and solid, with a tannic impression. There's just a single new barrel of this juice.

The most aromatically complex of this group by a fair margin with subtle notes of pain grillé framing spicy green apple and white flower fruit aromas nuanced with fennel, anise and grilled nuts. The full-bodied, concentrated and exceptionally powerful flavors slam into the palate yet this remains elegant and remarkably well balanced for such a big and muscular wine. This will require at least 7 to 8 years to be at its best and it wouldn't surprise me if it weren't still improving a decade out as the amount of dry extract and depth is genuinely astonishing. Allen Meadows, Burghound , jul. 2005