Readers interested in trying one of the wine world's great curiosities should strive to locate one or more bottles of Marionnet's 1999 Provignage. This straw-colored wine is a fascinating intellectual curiosity. Produced from Romorantin, a rarely-seen white varietal, this wine's vines date back to the middle of the nineteenth century. Considered to be one of France's two oldest vineyards (the other, owned by Bollinger, is used to fashion the Vieilles Vignes Francaise Champagne), it is one of the rare parcels of vines in France to have survived the phylloxera scourge of the turn of the century. As I had discovered, this wine improves dramatically with air. At first, its nose revealed aromas strangely reminiscent of Georgia boiled peanuts and appealing garlic aromas. With air, these scents evolved into ripe peach and raspberry aromas. On the palate, spring onions, garlic, and white/red berry fruits can be discerned in this strange but delicious, medium to full-bodied wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2010.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel (610) 486-0800.