Two wines that were performing better out of bottle than they did from cask include the two cuvees of 1995 Hermitage. The 1995 Hermitage Cuvee L'Hermite is made in microscopic amounts from old vines grown on the largest hill of Hermitage in a vineyard called L'Hermite. To that is added a small dollop of wine from a tiny old vine parcel in Rocoules. The wine boasts an opaque purple color, and a dense, sweet nose of cassis fruit. It reveals extraordinary finesse for its massive size, and great purity, ripeness, and overall equilibrium. A fabulously concentrated wine with well-integrated acidity and tannin, it will be at its best in 5-7 years, and keep for 20+. As a postscript, readers should be aware that all the Tardieu-Laurent wines reviewed in this segment are very reasonably priced. A Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris fax # 011 33 1 42843822), various American importers