1998 Nuits Saint-Georges Chaboeufs 1er Cru

Following his somewhat cooked '97s (reviewed in Issue 83), Alan Meunier has a fresher set of '98s in the works, from grapes with good sugar levels and average acidity for this domain. Following a cool maceration lasting four or five days, Meunier typically ferments for about ten days, then immediately decuves. "I try to retain the sweetness and freshness of the fruit," he explains. "Further maceration would have given the '98s a gout de marc-would have shown the dry side of the vintage." Meunier used 70% new barrels for his premier crus and 100% for his grand crus in '98. But each wine, he noted, will ultimately be a blend of medium- and high-toast barrels from five different oak sources. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)