(91-93 points) Once again a pungent combination of sulfur, wood and reduction make the nose a tough read today. Otherwise the beautifully textured and vibrant flavors brim with both minerality and dry extract that buffers the markedly firm acid spine shaping the detailed, linear and impressively long finish. This too is going to require at least some patience in order to develop better overall complexity. This is worth checking out.

(from vines planted in 1983, which Bitouzet described as "my age"): Pure but subdued nose hints at soft citrus zest, pineapple and more exotic fruits. Smooth in the mouth but less accessible and complex than the Charmes, more about liquid stone than fruit in the early going. Best today on the dry, minerally, rising finish. This Perrières boasts a suave texture but doesn't quite come alive like the Charmes. -- Stephen Tanzer