1996 Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets

Gagnard's Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets is a phenomenal wine. Aromatically revealing loads of sweet/sour cherries, its penetrating aromatics include highly-defined stones, minerals, sweet nuts, flowers and gorgeously ripe yet crisp pears. Racy, gripping and rich, this medium-to-full-bodied, refined and extremely elegant wine has a persistent, razor-sharp, complex finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2010. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Jean-Noel Gagnard's brilliant 1996s will require patience as they have bracing acidity. These are rich, ripe and extremely well-made wines that, with time, will provide remarkable complexity, minerality, and, most importantly, pleasure. Importers: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644; and Martin Scott, New York, NY.