This exceptionally rare Meursault from Lalou Bize Leroy has aged in sublime fashion. The 1999 Meursault Chaume de Perrieres has a luminescent silvery hue in the glass. The aromatics are breathtaking in terms of tension and mineralité with scents of wet stone, honeysuckle, brioche and hazelnut that just become more and more intense with aeration. The palate is supremely well-balanced with perfect acidity, undiminished tension and seductive notes of almond, custard creams and whipped cream on the long, mineral-laden finish. These notes were written before the identity was revealed and it is no more and no less than a stunning Meursault at its peak, though on this performance I cannot envisage its decline for another ten years.

The 1999 Meursault Chaume des Perrieres (30-35 year-old vines) has creamy pear aromas and a light-to-medium-bodied character. Hazelnuts, crisp pears/apples, and minerals are found in its zesty, well-fashioned core. Projected maturity: now-2007. Importer: Martine's Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800.