Revealing sweet oak, pear compote, and caramel aromas, the Meursault Les Rougeots is an oily-textured, expansive, medium-to-full-bodied, extracted, and rich offering. It is packed with minerals, nut extract, and juicy white fruits. It should be at its best between 2000 and 2005. This wine was tasted from the barrel after it had been racked.
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.