The Courcel 2005 Pommard Rugiens comes from the chalkiest, upper portion of that great site (in fact, just below the domaine’s Vaumuriens). Everything about this wine just seems to be pulling together today – and in a promising direction. Mulberry, cassis, roasted meats, and black chocolate in the nose are joined by stimulatingly salty and soy-like savory notes on the palate. Full and rich but finely structured with incipient creaminess of texture, this displays impressive reach and grip and a seamless integration of fruit, meat, and mineral elements. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400

Good deep red-ruby. Pungent, superripe aromas of minerals, red fruits and smoked meat; wilder than the Epenots, even a bit exotic. The palate shows a liqueur-like sweetness, along with a wild gamey character. This is just finishing its malolactic fermentation, and Confuron says the current exotic character is due to the reduction. Undeniably dense and sappy, not to mention unevolved, but today I find more lift in the Epenots. I look forward to comparing the estate's top two cuvees next year in finished form.