Medium-bodied, silky-textured, and deep, the white flower and hazelnut-scented 2002 Meursault Tete de Cuvee is an expressive, almond-flavored wine. Vivacious and steely, it also possesses a long, nut-filled finish. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. Jean Marie Guffens is ecstatic about 2002. “This is the best vintage we’ve done at Verget. From Macon to the Cote d’Or to Chablis, it is like a concentrated 1992. We were able to harvest in each area at the optimal time. We have great ripeness, not overripe, with excellent acidity, and the bulk prices that we paid actually dropped. The only problem in 2002 was some volatile acidity during fermentation, so we used more sulphur earlier than usual. Alcoholic fermentations took an extremely long time, and some of our malolactic fermentations were completed before the sugar was all eaten.” A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), importers include: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700 and North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910, and a Patrick Lesec Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers; tel. (800) 525-9699

Exotic aromas reminiscent of passion fruit can be detected in the nose of the 2001 Meursault Tete de Cuvee. While harvested at 13.5% natural potential alcohol (therefore having achieved "sugar" ripeness), it suffers from a lack of phenolic ripeness. It exhibits good depth to its poached pear-flavored core yet also displays a sharp, green acidity. This dichotomy, ripe fruit flavors with unripe acidity, is a characteristic found in numerous 2001 white Burgundies. That being said, this light-bodied wine delivers a good, refreshing mouthful for uncritical quaffing (albeit at Burgundy prices). Drink it over the next 2 years. "Given what Mother Nature did to us, the 2001 vintage cannot be great." With that pronouncement, Jean-Marie Guffens, the most forthright producer in Burgundy, began his discourse on the vintage. Overall, Guffens views 2001 as being at the quality level of 1998, with Chablis fairing the worst. "Officially, I score the 2001 Chablis at 12/20, but only after having noticed that everybody gets really angry with me when I say the truth," said Guffens with a sarcastic laugh. He later added that he would score the 2001 whites from the Cote de Beaune 15/20 and those from the Maconnais 14/20. The season was difficult throughout Burgundy from the flowering onwards according to Guffens. "This was a year, unlike 1999 and 2000, that severely punished those with high yields." His approach was to purchase only the finest lots he could find (as well as those he had to acquire in order to maintain allocations), and resell to other negociants those that weren't up to his standards. "I sold back 30% of what I'd purchased, at lower prices than what I had paid.." To Guffens, 2001 is a vintage to drink early. "Those with high yields and/or those who harvested early have unripe acidity, which ages very poorly, those who harvested later had low acidities, there seemed to be no middle ground in this vintage." In response to this dilemma, Guffens elected to bottle all his 2001s earlier than usual, "to trap the fruit in the bottle." Whereas many producers in France are feeling the crunch of the sluggish world economy, Guffens announced that "business is good at Verget, because we are producing less wine, have lowered our prices, and told our importers to do the same." He went on to add that Verget's business model, unlike those of traditional negociants, is to never hold stocks of wine. "We make what we can sell, sell it, then make what we can sell. We are not in the storage business." A Peter Vezan Selection (Paris Fax # 011-33-1-42654293), various American importers, including North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910

Because of Meursault's meager, frost-induced yields, as well as Guffens' commitment to purchasing only high quality grapes, Verget blended the 1998 village purchases (including Tillets, and Rougeots) to fashion a Meursault Tete de Cuvee. This creamed hazelnut and toast-scented wine is medium-to-full-bodied, broad, and deep. It coats the palate with tangy minerals, fresh earth, and velvety white fruits. This fat and persistent wine should be consumed over the next 4-5 years. 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 # 011-33-1-42843822), various American importers, including Bacchus Importers (800) 525-9699.