1998 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Claude Dugat had virtually the same yields in '99 as in '98, as his high percentage of vines on very poor soil is a strong limiting factor on production. For example, in Griottes-Chambertin, he told me, he made about 25 hectoliters per hectare in both vintages. Not surprisingly, the '99s are immensely rich, sappy wines that will showcase the potentially glorious fruit of this seductive vintage. They offer almost liqueur-like ripeness without showing the more exaggerated roasted qualities of Dugat '97s. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)

Dugat has some succulent, beautifully detailed '98s in the making, but he was just as excited about his new '99s when I visited in November. Dugat managed to hold yields in his grand crus to just 30 hectoliters per hectare in '99, unusually low for this copious year. But then yields here are always low, thanks to severe pruning in late winter followed by a spring bourgeonnage that limits the crop load to six to eight bunches per plant. Dugat also drops underripe fruit in August if necessary. He produced barely 25 hectoliters per hectare in '98 and just 20 to 22 h/h in his grand crus in '97. The '97s, incidentally, are among the thickest and most concentrated wines of the vintage and should be crowd-pleasers. But they are also atypically liqueur-like, even heavy, for wines from this producer as the fruit was at the extreme of ripeness. I sensed that Claude, a modest man who does not often comment on his own wines, does not particularly care for this style. He made it clear to me that he doesn't trust the surmaturite of 1997, recommending that his clients drink the wines early. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)