Medium to deep ruby colour. Some floral, red rose aromas to begin with a core of warm cranberry, pomegranate, pepper and a menthol whiff. Crisp acidity, medium+ level of finely grained tannins and plenty of elegant fruit. Long finish.

(Etienne Grivot told me that this was a high-VA vintage for him; my sampled had been carafed for two hours): Good full red. Empyreumatic and balsamic aromas of plum, chocolate and graphite reminded me of a mature Pomerol on first sniff. A bit monolithic on the attack, then fine-grained but still tight in the middle palate--even a bit unyielding--compared to recent vintages of this bottling. Conveys a sexy iodiney minerality and good sweetness, as well as noteworthy energy, but still a bit more evolved than I would have thought. The tannins are slightly peppery and dusty compared to today's wines but give the wine a solid structural underpinning. Said Etienne Grivot: "1999 was at the very beginning of my modern period," adding that he changed his technique a bit in 2000 in search of wines that were a little less rigorous.

The ruby-colored 1999 Clos Vougeot has gorgeously spicy, pure, raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied and refined, it is a harmonious, gorgeously ripened, satin-textured offering. Asian spices are intermingled with currants, raspberries, and cherries in this sweet, tannin-packed wine. It is a feminine, precise, and pure Clos Vougeot to be drunk over the next 9 years. Importer: Seagram Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 572-7725.