Stones | $50 to $100 | Page 2

"High-pitched aromas of lemon, vineyard peach and flowers. Tactile and wild, with a very dense, extract-rich palate impression cut by penetrating lemony acidity. This boasts terrific flavor intensity and verve for 2009. The very long, saline finish saturates the palate with lemon and crushed stone. White Burgundy from red wine soil."

"Captivating nose combines red raspberry, minerals, crushed stone, coffee and cocoa powder. Juicy and slightly high-toned on the palate; bit lean for this cuvee Fruitier than the Beaux Monts but the tannins seem tougher today. But finishes with sneaky length. I suspect this is better than it's showing today." 90-92 pts, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Highly expressive and pure aromas of lime zest, nutmeg, ginger and quinine. Fat on entry, then stuffed with ginger, citrus and stone fruit flavors. Displays a distinct sucrosite without any heaviness. Finishes impressively long and spicy. This reminded me of a cross between an Alsace riesling and pinot gris grand cru. Am I underrating this?" 91-93 points, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"The 2006 Dolce is intensely fruity, driven by aromas of citrus and stone fruits, and layered with notes of honey and spice. Ripe peach and pear dominate in the nose and are complemented with notes of orange zest, dried apricot and fig. The palate is loaded with ripe and juicy apricot. It begins with a silky entry, followed by an unctuous and balanced mid-palate, and a mouthwatering, clean finish. With time we expect the emergence of the bottle bouquet, together with a subtle minerality, will beautifully showcase the fruit-forward nature of this youngster."

"Bright, pale yellow-straw. Reticent stony nose. More filled in than the Blanchots, with good precision to its stone fruit and mineral flavors. Fruity and densely packed, with a bright, tactile, rising finish that owes more to this grand cru than to the very ripe year. I underrated this wine a year ago." -Stephan Tanzer

"Light vanilla notes, acacia flowers, wet stone nose. Silky texture with zesty acidity and long finish. Classic."

"Very ripe yet high-pitched aromas of wet stone, hawthorn and botanical herbs. Broad, silky and sweet, with a three-dimensional quality to the superrich yet sharply delineated flavors of crushed stone, violet and lavender. Perhaps best today on the superb rising finish, where the wine's compelling vibrancy carries through. Another wine of great dimension. Lardiere used 60% new oak here, but the wood element is fully integrated and virtually invisible. Showing spectacularly well today, perhaps due in part to the fact that this wine finished its fermentation early." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Pungent lavender, mint, sage, sea breeze, and crushed stone mingle with ripe pear in the nose of Bassermann’s 2009 Forster Pechstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs, whose shimmeringly interactive complexity on a firm, juicy palate ranges from fresh lemon through the aforementioned floral, herbal, and northerly orchard fruits to deep nut oil richness and coffee. This should be fascinating to follow for at least the coming decade, and while there is still something a touch austere about the overall impression conveyed, one has here also a fine example of elegance, vivacity, and clarity such as are possible in Grosses Gewachs format."

"The 2009 Beaune Clos des Mouches is quite round and seamless for a young Beaune. Yellow stone fruits and minerals are some of the notes that wrap around the palate in this striking white from Drouhin. I especially like to focus and energy of the finish. Though fabulous today, I am very curious to see where the 2009 might be headed over the coming years. In 2009 the estate picked the fruit from this site in nine separate passes."