The 1997 Chablis Valmur is superb. Fresh aromas of groseille (red currants), honeysuckle, and pears give way to an explosive, medium-to-full-bodied personality. Its flavor profile, crammed with flint, quartz, stones, and a magnificently pure minerality, is complex and impeccably balanced. Consumers fortunate enough to acquire a few bottles of this wine should exercise cellaring patience. Projected maturity: 2003-2009. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524.

Tasting note: As one might reasonably expect, the nose here is more austere and classically Chablis in character than the '97 Blanchots plus the flavors are drier and underpinned by racy and intense acidity. The finish is long, detailed and pure and while there is some forward '97 character, this is really quite backward for the vintage. A really pretty effort that will require a few more years of bottle age to be at its best and should be capable of holding for another 10 years after that.