Saturated red-ruby. Essence of crushed red raspberry on the nose, complicated by blood orange, rose petal, cocoa powder and nutmeg: I think I could identify this as Musigny in a wind storm. Texture of liquid velvet but with superb grip: high-pitched but fleshy, serious but not austere, and endless on the back end. A wine with great fruit, finesse and style. Can't get this stuff off my palate, but why would I want to? This Musigny should be spectacular in eight to ten years, but it not impossible to taste right now. His finest Musigny prior to the '98 was the '93, notes Mugnier.

The flight of wines from Mugnier that followed brought back memories of my visit to the property last year. I thought the 1998 Musigny was the best of the three vintages we tasted, but there was some disagreement at the table, most notably from Mugnier himself, who preferred the 1993. I loved the 1998 Musigny for its inner perfume, sweetness and freshness. It was a beautifully balanced wine with a very promising future. Simply put, it was awesome. The 1993 Musigny revealed a more sauvage personality, with less overall elegance, particularly in its tannins. Unfortunately this was not a great bottle. The 1991 Musigny was delicate and structured at the same time, as roses, mint and sweet ripe fruit wafted from the glass with tons of elegance.