In years where the fruit ripens enough to withstand the onslaught of new oak (such as '90 and '95), Leclerc produces a Bourgogne Les Bons Batons which is one of the rare values to be found in Burgundy. Revealing a deep, enticing nose of roasted dark fruits, and a silky-textured, powerful, blackberry-filled, medium-to-full-bodied mouth, it is a wine that needs 5-7 years to soften its tannins, not unlike the 1990 offering which is drinking beautifully out of my cellar now. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.Philippe Leclerc's wines are not for the faint hearted! Readers must been forewarned ... these are dense, black, super-concentrated, TANNIC, backward, rugged, wines that demand to be cellared. Generally they tend to be preferred by lovers of big Cabernets than by those wanting elegant, supple Pinot Noirs. Along with his brother Rene and Christian Serafin, Philippe Leclerc is the latest picker in Gevrey. Always aged in 100% new oak, sometimes for upwards of three years, Leclerc's wines are never fined or filtered. Expect these wines to be long lived and to throw a substantial sediment.An Alain Corcia Selection (French Fax # 011-33-3-80-22-71-46), importers include Southern Wines & Spirits in California.

I tasted Philippe Leclerc's 1993s on two separate occasions. To put it mildly, they were the most disappointing wines I have tasted from Leclerc in the past fifteen years. In what is obviously a high acid, high tannin vintage, Leclerc made low acid wines (a good sign in most vintages) that are preposterously oaky, diffuse, and totally unfocused. There is sweet fruit in most cuvees, some possess frightful levels of volatile acidity (i.e., Chambolle-Musigny-Les Babillaires), and others are sweet, excessively woody, pruny wines that are living dangerously. It is hard to know what could have gone wrong, but these are funky wines - too much tannin and wood, and an overripe quality that is not found in other 1993 red burgundies. Importer: William Grant & Sons, Edison, NJ; tel. (908) 225-9000

At the insistence of several American clients, these wines were bottled unfiltered six months earlier than normal. The cuvee that will be sold in Europe will be bottled early next year. Many observers have felt that Leclerc's practice of bottling his wines after more than two years in 100% new oak was excessive. There is no doubting that in top, highly concentrated vintages such as 1985 and 1990 the wines can tolerate more oak than in light years such as 1991 or 1987. The current offerings all performed significantly better than when I last tasted them with Leclerc in November, 1991. If you are looking for super-rich, lusty red burgundy at a decent price, check out Leclerc's 1990 Bourgogne-Les Bons Batons. One of the best generic red burgundies I tasted, this wine offers up a huge, sweet nose of black-cherries and herbs, followed by unctuous, thick flavors, and a full-bodied, lusty finish. It is short on finesse, but, wow, does it deliver gobs of richness and character. Importers: various American importers, including Ideal Wines, Medford, MA and William Grant and Sons, Edison, NJ.