Referring to his hugely powerful and super-ripe, yet highly acidic Meursault Charmes Vieilles Vignes, Guffens said, "like with an Ingemar Bergman film, you must like its style to like it." It offers a tightly wound, yet deeply rich nose of minerals and vanilla-like scents, followed by an intense, racy, thick, and full-bodied character. Unending layers of liquid minerals and almond paste streak across the palate of this immensely rich, well-delineated wine. Harvested at over 14% natural potential alcohol and possessing more than 5 grams of acidity per liter, it achieves nearly perfect balance - rare for such an extreme style of wine. I suggest waiting until at least 2004 before approaching a bottle. It should easily last until 2014. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. A year ago, Jean-Marie Guffens told me that 1996 was the greatest vintage of his lifetime. While he did not repeat that comment when I visited him in November, Guffens was bursting with pride as I tasted the wines. A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-44706293), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.