Rich and wood dominated, where the spice is much more prominent than the fruit. The texture, though, is rounded and fat, with only a hint of tight acidity.——R.V.(11/1/2010)—— 85

The suave, oily-textured 2004 Saint-Veran En Faux reveals an aromatic profile of spiced and honeyed minerals. Broad, medium-bodied, and seductive, it slathers the palate with buttery layers of spicy minerals, creamed nuts, and dried honey. This rich, flavor-packed offering should be drunk over the next 4 years. “This was a difficult vintage, no doubt,” said Christophe Cordier, “We never stopped working for an instant.” He went on to add that even though the July 20 hail storm devastated some of his best parcels (there is no Pouilly-Fuisse Metertiere in 2004, for example), “We were still luckier than our friends in the Cote de Beaune because here in the south we actually got some sun and warmth at times.” Cordier did two harvests in his Pouilly-Fuisse vineyards, declassifying the first fruit that was picked to make a Macon-Fuisse and only using the results of his second, later harvests for his Pouilly-Fuisses. In addition, Cordier sorted through all the clusters, throwing out all the ones damaged by hail or oidium.Various American importers including Weygandt-Metzler, Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800