1999 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

My first visit in several years to this micro-domain (just 3.1 hectares) was well-timed, since Bachelet describes 1999 as "a reference year, the best vintage I've ever made. The wines have a tenderness but with a lot of structure. They're a bit like '96 but with less acidity." Bachelet began leaf-pulling in '99; with such limited holdings, this labor-intensive technique is feasible, he told me. Aerating the grapes, he continued, enabled him to get a bit more ripeness in 1999 and to avoid rot in 2000. Bachelet had no '98s left to show; Burgundy lovers with good connections may want to make early arrangements to snag a bottle or two of Bachelet superb '99 Charmes-Chambertin. (A Becky Wasserman Selection; importers include Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY and Esquin Imports, San Anselmo, CA)