4 | Wine | Pinot Noir, $100 and up

"Complex, soil-driven aromas of dark berries, cherry, licorice, pepper and minerals, lifted by a note of blood orange. Juicy, intensely flavored and imploded; taut and powerful yet at the same time elegant. The crop level here was close to 50 hectoliters per hectare, noted Lardiere, but the grapes were small and no saignee was done. The long finish shows a distinctly creamy aspect." 92-95 pts, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Black cherry, kirsch distillate, cedar, incense, iron filings, wet stone, and roasted meats and coffee represent a few of the immediate aromatic suggestions forced on this taster. In the mouth, it is similarly compelling, with an eruption of clear black cherry, cassis, and meat juices, faintly bitter notes of fruit skin and pungent herbal and mineral notes adding complexity. The texture is incipiently velvety, imposingly glossy, and a perfect cover for fine, abundant tannins. Spectacularly rich and reverberative in its multifaceted finish, this sensational wine deserves at least a decade of rest before re-opening."

"Sexy nose combines dark berries, smoked meat and minerals. Creamy, layered and deep, with terrific energy and penetration and a powerful impression of extract. Finishes broad, sweet and very long. Showing spectacularly today." 92-95 pts. Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Very ripe but vibrant aromas of crushed stone, fresh herbs, white pepper and iodine, with a touch of prune. Then silky and primary in the mouth, with captivating forest floor, mineral and tree bark flavors perked up by white wine notes of hazelnut and peach. Wonderfully vibrant, saline, multidimensional wine that broadens out impressively on the back end and leaves the salivary glands quivering." 93-96 pts, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Pungent, highly perfumed nose offers minerals, dried rose, licorice and pepper; very showy today due to the early malo. Then juicy and pure, with superb energy and precision giving the wine a penetrating quality rare for the year. The tannins are covered by intense fruit on the very long finish, which features strong spicy and floral notes and a medicinal reserve." 94-97 pts, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Reticent but nuanced nose offers redcurrant, dried rose, mocha and sweet oak. Silky and lush in the mouth, with a creamy old-viney texture giving it more concentration and volume than the Clos de la Roche. This is altogether more lush. The long finish features very suave tannins and lingering saline and brown spice notes." 91-94 pts, reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Darker and muskier on the nose than the Chambolle villages, hinting at blueberry, wild herbs and menthol. Then silky and intense, with more energy and freshness than the village offering. Also more tannic and closed on the back but finishes with lovely cut and lingering blackberry and cassis perfume. I like the wildness here. A very serious wine for aging." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"From just below the Boudot and near (Vosne) Chaumes, Leroy’s 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Bas de Combe offers aromas of salted black cherry, rose hips and wood smoke. Uncannily meaty in the mouth with persistent sweet fruit and doughy, velvety richness, this displays a lovely sweet juiciness of pure, clear fruit and flattering floral perfume and creaminess of texture in its finish. I hardly notice the structure for the sweetness of fruit and all the pillows strewn ‘round."

"The 2003 Clos Vougeot comes forth with unreal aromas of mocha-laced black cherries, chocolate-drenched plums, and candied blackberries. Full-bodied, immensely concentrated, and deep, this broad, bulky, powerful wine is jam-packed with black chocolate, red as well as black cherries, licorice and tar. Loads of solid yet ripe tannin provide this dense blockbuster with ample structure, detectable in its interminable finish."

"The 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Lavieres smells of sandalwood, cocoa powder, and lightly-cooked black cherry. Strikingly creamy, polished and plush on the palate, with vividly concentrated cherry fruit and meat juices, it finishes sweet and rich but with strong underlying tannins and stony, alkaline mineral notes."