1995 Santenay Clos de Tavannes

The medium ruby-colored Santenay Clos Des Tavannes had finished its malo-lactic fermentation just prior to my tasting. It displays beautiful aromas of sweet cherries and a silky-textured, medium-bodied and soft personality with charming flavors of fresh herbs, ripe currants and creamy Earl Gray tea. Drink it between now and 2002. Gerard Potel has produced some of the purest and most elegant Volnay's I have tasted. His '85 Clos De La Bousse D'Or is graceful, sweet, silky, and simply magnificent today. It is one of the few '85s that is putting on body as it evolves. Potel, historically an interventionist winemaker, lectured me on his belief that fining and filtering do no damage to a wine's quality. Yet he also informed me that he was not subjecting his wines to either procedure in 1995 because they were so clear and healthy. As always, ratings with a score in parentheses indicate the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel (212) 355-0700.