The dark ruby with amber-colored 1993 Clos de la Roche is a show-stopper. It has penetrating aromas of cassis, blackberry, stones, and wild herbs. On the palate, leather, boysenberries, assorted dark fruits, and a myriad of spices can be discerned in its complex and decadently fashioned personality. This 1993 unquestionably has the requisite power, richness, concentration, and density of fruit to stand up to its solid backbone. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015.

NOTE: Prices quoted are for single bottles, not cases! The Clos de la Roche exhibits a sweetness, opulence, and unctuosity similar to the Richebourg and Romanee St.-Vivant (also rated perferct), but it is far more dominated by the rocky terrain of this superbly located vineyard, with its striking mineral component that comes across as stone, cinnamon, and spicy notes. The tannin is more noticeable in this massively-endowed wine, but it is a wine making tour de force. Leroy made three perfect wines in 1993 (possibly seven if one includes Chambertin, Musigny, Nuits St.-Georges Les Boudots, and Vosne-Romanee Les Brulees). Critics can bemoan giving a wine a perfect score, but if I believe a wine simply cannot be any better (even recognizing that some day there may well be a wine that tastes superior, or that this particular wine may not turn out to be as sublime as expected), giving 100 points is no different than bestowing 20 out of 20, or 5 stars out of 5 stars, or 3 flowers out of 3 flowers. It means that for me, a wine could not be any more complete, complex, or significant. In 1993, Lalou Bize-Leroy has produced a Romanee St.-Vivant, Richebourg, and Clos de la Roche that are without question unimaginably great wines. They represent a standard of brilliance that is unprecedented. In time, I suspect the Musigny and Chambertin may be perfect wines. Both of those wines are much less evolved at present than the three that I have rated perfect and are in need of considerable aging. When I traveled through Burgundy, it appeared Lalou Bize-Leroy may have as many critics as I do. Some producers accuse her of adding "Alicante" to her wines because she obtains such a deep color. Others claim she is hiding hundreds of cases of grand crus in another cellar since her yields cannot "possibly be so low." Of course all of this is nonsense, not to mention appallingly jealous behavior from producers who are scared to death that other growers might decide to follow in Lalou's footsteps. For now, Bize-Leroy stands at the top of the Burgundy pyramid, alone both literally and figuratively in her pursuit of the finest Burgundy can produce. I will keep my tasting notes brief, recognizing that in this situation it is almost criminal to try and describe wines that may be the greatest red Burgundies I will taste in my life. As even the immodest Lalou Bize-Leroy says, these wines are "an accident of nature." Tasting them, with their extraordinary ripeness, unctuosity, and opulence, with no hard tannin to be found, makes one think that 1993 was a completely different vintage for Domaine Leroy than it was for other Burgundians. Yes, Mama, low yields do translate into physiologically ripe fruit, concentrated wines, and exquisite quality. It goes without saying that everything in this cellar was aged in 100% new French oak (you cannot detect any oak in the wines because of their concentration), and bottled without fining or filtration - as usual. No, Cindy Crawford wasn't sitting on my lap as I was tasting through Leroy's 1993s, nor was I under the influence of either the effusive and persuasive Lalou Bize-Leroy or any chemical substance. My notes are mostly of academic interest since the quantities of wine produced at Domaine Leroy in 1993 are so preposterously low that only cases of certain wines are available. Bize-Leroy's biodynamic farming methods, which do not permit any type of spraying, resulted in yields ranging from as low as 5-6 hectoliters per hectare (about 1/3 ton per acre) to a whopping 1/2 ton per acre. Not one of her vineyards produced as much as one ton of fruit per acre (30 hectoliters per hectare). The microscopic quantities produced of some wines have not only ensured prices that only billionaires can afford, but have also made it virtually impossible to find the wines. For example, consider the total production - for the world - of the following wines: Chambertin (75 cases), Musigny (75 cases), Latricieres (25 cases), Clos de la Roche (50 cases), Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes (50 cases), Richebourg (100 cases), Romanee St.-Vivant (75 cases). Importer: Martine's Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800