Bouchard Pere & Fils

1996 Corton-Charlemagne ($88). Good grief, this is incredible stuff. Excellent profile of honey and cinnamon behind the fruity pear make this a really big, rich wine. Beautifully balanced, velvety in texture, great finish. This will age for at least ten years, maybe more like fifteen. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

1996 Montrachet ($248). Great fruit here, including classic pear and a touch of melon. The characteristic honeyed smoothness is in full force, as is the clean acidity and balance. Lush floral bouquet. Outstanding! This wine is actually drinking surprisingly well now, which makes me think it might not be quite as age-worthy as most – two or three years ought to do it. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Caillot 1996 Meursault Le Limozin ($34). Lush, buttery, and rich, with plenty of toasted nutty oak, this Meursault is quite good. Very fruity, with pear and citrus, this wine needs a bit of time to achieve the balance that it surely will. Try again in about five years, then drink until 2010. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Chateau de Meursault 1996 Meursault ($32). I very much enjoyed the earthy and herbal notes to this wine. They run through the rich pear and apple Chardonnay fruit flavors and add interest and contrast. This is a bold but very clean wine that is delicious now, but could age for several years. ( Weekend Wine, 05/00)

Domaine Michel Picard

Domaine du Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet 2000 St.-Aubin Rouge Le Charmois ($26). Soft and uncomplicated, but still pleasant, this red Burgundy shows smooth red berry and delicate herbal notes. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine, 08/02)

Domaine du Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet 1999 St.-Aubin Blanc Le Charmois ($28). Crisp and focused, with refreshing apple and pear fruit, accented with citrus and mineral notes. Ready to drink now and over the next year or two. (Weekend Wine, 08/02)

Domaine du Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet 1999 St.-Aubin En Pimont ($47). Straightforward Chardonnay flavors are somewhat marred by a burned, ashy note mid-palate and through the finish. (Weekend Wine, 08/02)

Domaine Voarick 1999 Mercurey Blanc ($21). Soft pear and subtle apricot fruit flavors finish with definite mineral and noticeable oak. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine, 08/02)

Dominique Lafon Petit Chapeau 1997 Macon-Villages ($15). From famed winemaker Dominique Lafon of Comtes Lafon, comes this lovely and refreshing wine that bursts with typical green apple, grass, and citrus, plus a touch of soft pear thrown in for balance. Love the mineral trace that lingers on the finish. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Georges Duboeuf

J.-A. Ferret 1997 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos Cuvee Speciale Tete de Cru ($35). This is a great example of the intriguing paradox of Pouilly-Fuissé – immediately rich, ripe, and complex, but still clean and young tasting. This has the new, green wood element that is so wonderful in this appellation. Very nice pineapple notes are both ripe and tart. Wonderful! (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

J. Moreau & Fils 1997 Chablis ($15). Fresh, clean Chablis with bright fruit and a strong, crisp finish. Perfect example of classic Chablis. Great with food. Drink now. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Jean Marc Boillot

1996 Meursault ($38). This is a great bottle at a fantastic price. Ripe fruit, smooth on the palate, it offers an array of rich fruit, lime, honey, and nutty toasty oak that is fabulous. Great example of a rich wine that maintains the classic Meursault clean finish. Pretty darn good now, but will be even better in a couple of years. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

1995 Puligny-Montrachet ($47). This 1995 beauty is holding wonderfully — as it should for several more years — and is still available in many wine shops. This classic white Burgundy explodes with citrus, mineral, and sweet melon Chardonnay flavors. It is rich and ripe, but still clean. The finish is lingering and full. Just an exquisite wine. Although this wine certainly could have complemented an elegant meal, we paired it with a wedge of Gouda, a rather simple green salad, and some crusty bread. Wonderful. (Weekend Wine, 08/00)

Jean-Marc Brocard 1997 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru ($46). A great example of a Chablis Grand Cru, this wine is ripe and rich with forward fruit, including apple and pear, with a citrusy crispness that gives terrific balance. The firm finish lingers exquisitely. This should really age for at least another couple of years. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Joseph Drouhin

2000 Montagny Blanc ($15). Crisp apple and pear fruit is layered with mineral, earth, and touches of rich honey. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine, 09/02)

1998 Rully ($19). Yummy. Do I have to say more? Fabulous fruit, crisp acidity, tropical richness, medium-bodied, and a juicy finish add up to one heck of a wine. So easy to drink that you won’t know where it all went, so buy several. Drink now. (Robyn’s Picks, 06/00)

La Chablisienne

Laboure-Roi

2000 Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouches Cheres Domaine Rene Manuel ($48). Delicious, rich and creamy, with a silky mouthfeel, offering ripe pear fruit with toasted nut, mineral and complex earthy notes. Ready to drink now and over the next five to eight years. (Splurge Wine, 04/03)

2000 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru ($55). Balanced and elegant, with a spicy floral bouquet and ripe pear, nectarine, orange peel, smoke and spicy oak. Picks up a creamy citrus note on the finish. Ready to drink now. (Splurge Wine, 04/03)

Latour-Giraud 2000 Puligny-Montrachet Champs Canet ($54). Beautifully balanced, with racy citrus and mineral dancing around rich apple, cream, and rich toasty notes. Expressive, generous finish. Delicious. Ready to drink now and over the next six or seven years. (Wine Tasting, 04/04)

Louis Jadot

1996 Mâcon Blanc-Villages Chateau des Jacques ($10). Crisp, refreshing, with plenty of tart apple, citrus, and an appealing grassy quality, this is a go-with-seafood wine if ever there was one. Fresh finish, if a bit short. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

1996 Montrachet ($240). There is a floral bouquet, but you practically have to inhale it to detect it. Ditto for the rich fruit layers and almond notes. But that’s because it is still so young – this wine will need a minimum of ten years to open up. When it does, though, hold on to your hat. This latest in the Jadot line of fantastic Montrachet, is going to be a killer. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Louis Latour 1996 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru ($98). Rich and sophisticated, this is outstanding. This wine has plenty of fruit, with characteristic cinnamon and honey, but also some surprising vanilla oak. Very attractive mineral core adds balance, and the acidity is perfect. This wine is drinking pretty well now, so it may not have quite the expected longevity, but should age another five or so years. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

Verget

2002 Chablis Vaillons Vieilles Vignes des Minots ($35). Ripe fruit and good acidity, featuring pretty pear, lemon, butter, and honey – all lingering on the finish. Ready to drink now and over the next five or six years. (Wine Tasting, 04/04)

1998 Chablis Bougros ($48). Beautiful buttery yellow in color, this is a fantastic Chablis. Ripe fruitiness is the star from start to finish, with a toasty, nutty undercurrent that finishes crisp and clean. Best after 2005. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

1998 Mâcon-Villages Tête de Cuvée ($16). Another great Mâcon from reliable Verget – this wine has all the refreshing apple and lime that you expect, but it’s just done very well. Good acidity. Nice balance. Very enjoyable clean finish. (Skinny Guide to French Wine, 06/00)

1998 Pouilly-Fuisse Tete de Cuvee ($24). Love this! Clean, crisp, balanced, smooth – I just cannot say enough about this wine. I first tried the 1997 last year, and the current 1998 release is just as good. Citrusy, but smooth, with that lovely mineral thread you expect from an excellent Pouilly-Fuisse. These wines are outstanding now and will age for 3-5 years. (Robyn’s Picks, 06/00)