1999 Mazis Chambertin

The similarly-colored 1999 Mazis-Chambertin has a sweet, plummy, almost Amarone-like nose. Medium to full-bodied and chewy-textured, this is a deep, fresh, jammy wine. Loads of super-ripe blackberries can be found intermingled with spices and licorice in this admirably long and supple, tannin-filled wine. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2009. This old vine (65 years old on average) 11 hectare estate had moderate 35 hectoliter per hectare yields in 1999. The reason, according to Yves Confuron, is the advanced age of the vines. The Confurons are traditionalists in the sense they do their own vine selections, growing them in a greenhouse for later in-house grafting. Their vineyards are plowed regularly ("We were the first in the area to do so," said Yves Confuron), they continue to do whole-cluster fermentations, and have never fined or filtered their wines. The estate's wines are aged in 25-30% new oak, 25-30% one-year-old barrels, and the remaining 40-50% in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year vessels. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel (212) 818-0770.

The similarly-colored 1999 Mazis-Chambertin has a sweet, plummy, almost Amarone-like nose. Medium to full-bodied and chewy-textured, this is a deep, fresh, jammy wine. Loads of super-ripe blackberries can be found intermingled with spices and licorice in this admirably long and supple, tannin-filled wine. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2009. Aug 2001, www.robertparker.com