1996 Savigny Les Beaune Les Narbantons

The dark ruby-colored Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons reveals a deep, black raspberry and cherry-scented nose. On the palate, this gorgeously precise, thick, chewy, intensely concentrated and extracted wine is medium-to-full-bodied and packed with black cherries, minerals, and currants. This superb Savigny's finish is exceptionally long. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2009. "There is never any bleeding in my cellars," said Mme. Bize-Leroy just before I gouged myself with my corkscrew, proving her wrong. Of course, she was referring to the winemaking technique of increasing concentration by "bleeding off" the watery juice of a light pressing prior to fermentation, not the results of my battles with her recently bottled wines. As wine lovers have come to expect with every new vintage from this domaine, the 1996 Leroys are extraordinary, benchmark setting wines. This is the only estate I visited whose 1996s were as concentrated as the 1995s, obviously due to the fact that Mme. Bize-Leroy kept her yields exceedingly low (below 25 hectoliters/hectare). These wines will reach their respective peaks sooner than their 1995 counterparts, however, due to their softer tannins and brighter, more forward fruit. Importers: Martine's Wines, Inc., San Rafael, CA; tel (415) 485-1800, and Paterno Imports, Chicago, IL; tel (847) 604-8900.