welcome to the fifty best wines of 2003

                 Presents

Page 3

21   Robert Mondavi 2000
Cabernet Sauvignon
(Napa Valley);  $30. 
Intricately detailed, framed in beautifully scented oak, a rich, ageable wine with a soft delicacy that's almost feminine. Flavors veer toward sweet blackcurrants, green olives and chocolate-covered cherries, coating the palate with a long-lasting aftertaste. Beautiful and elegant.

22   Quinta do Vale Meão 2000
Douro;  $65. 
Made from grapes that used to go into Barca Velha, Portugal's most-storied table red, this wine represents the New Wave of Douro wines. It's inky and intense, with whiffs of smoke and toast from new oak barrels, but also incredible fruit concentration. Blackberries, coffee and dried spices on the palate; it finishes long and firm, with hints of licorice.

23   Fuligni 1997
Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino); $100. 
Incredibly pure fruit defines the sturdy, entirely inviting nose. This is one juicy, rock-steady wine; the tannic structure is that of a fortress. There's unadulterated fruit at every checkpoint, and it hits like a hammer as it transitions from palate to finish. To drink now would require rich, rich food. It's such a baby; drink not before 2007, if possible.

24   Château La Fleur Pétrus 2000
Pomerol;  $75. 
This is a wonderful, dense wine, very concentrated, very intensely flavored. At this stage of its development, it is the opulence that is most evident, but there are already hints that it will show pure fruit alongside sweet tannins, and will develop complexity.

25   Franz Hirtzberger 2001
Steinterrassen Riesling Federspiel
(Wachau); $24. 
A beautifully elegant, focused wine, full of racy, steely fruit, managing to combine fullness with lightness and an intensely dry aftertaste. Hirtzberger's 29-acre vineyard is in the western Wachau village of Spitz, where the Rieslings are aged in large acacia wood barrels.

26   Vasse Felix 2001
Heytesbury Chardonnay
(Margaret River);  $30. 
Balanced, elegant and focused, the Heytesbury shows some noticeable wood, but it's subtle wood, and not mallowy. It's crisp in the mouth, with peach, pear and nectarine flavors, and a medium-long finish.

27   Geyser Peak 1999
Reserve Alexandre Meritage
(Alexander Valley);  $45. 
The quintessential Alexander Valley Cabernet, always dependably soft, fruity and complex. This year is one of the best ever. Plush and velvety, with endless nuances, it's like sipping the essence of black cherries steeped in kirsch. Dry, with just enough oak to add smoke and spice.

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28   Mount Eden 2000
MacGregor Vineyard Chardonnay
(Edna Valley);  $18. 
Brilliant, focused flavors of tangerine, white peach, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and smoke are delicious and complex. Bright acidity adds flair and life, while oak contributes a rich, creamy mouthfeel. The finish is long and intense.

29   Clos LaChance 2001
Chardonnay
(Santa Cruz Mountains);  $18. 
A focused, crisp Chard that impresses with finesse rather than size. Comes down on the mineral side, with flavors of peaches and slate and a steely backbone of acidity. Oak is used judiciously, adding nuances of vanilla, smoke and buttercream.

30   Deutz 1996
Blanc de Blancs
(Reims);  $78.  375 ml. 
Blasts off with warm enveloping aromas of toasted brioche, evolving into baked apple and spice flavors. Lush, creamy and rich on the palate, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Perfectly balanced for near-term consumption.

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