Tasted from barrel, the dark ruby-colored 1997 Anjou-Villages-Brissac La Chevaliere has all the makings of an excellent - potentially outstanding -wine. It exhibits aromas of blackberries, fresh herbal spices, and toasty oak as well as a huge burst of sweet red and black fruits on the palate. This medium-to-full-bodied wine is reminiscent of a first rate Cabernet from Washington State. It is broad, rich, expansive, and loaded with gorgeous minty fruit. Projected maturity: 2000-2006. Importer: Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY; (212) 459-9703, and Pivotal, Inc., North Hollywood, CA; tel (818) 503-4290.

Herb-tinged blackberries and blueberries can be found in the dark ruby-colored 1996 Anjou-Villages-Brissac La Chevaliere's aromatics. It offers a mouthful of plummy blackberries, dark cherries, faint hints of eucalyptus, and oak spices. This medium-to-full-bodied, structured, and dense wine has excellent depth, a satiny-texture, as well as ripe tannins in its persistent and flavorful finish. Drink it over the next 6-7 years.Importer: Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY; (212) 459-9703, and Pivotal, Inc., North Hollywood, CA; tel (818) 503-4290.