Steve Tanzer's Best

Best Reds
	2003 Chateau Margaux Margaux Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$499.99
	"Medium red-ruby. Coffee, mocha, exotic woodsmoke and brown spices on the nose. Fat, full and rich, with intriguing curry and cardamom notes. Opulent and voluptuous wine, with a huge middle palate. But surprisingly tight-grained in the mouth considering the evolution of the wine's aromas. Finishes extremely long, with sandy tannins." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
	2000 Chateau Montrose Saint Estephe Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$99.99
	" Full red-ruby. Roasted, smoky aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice. Plush, dense and large-scaled; expands impressively in the mouth. Chocolatey-ripe but kept fresh by nicely integrated acidity. Offers lovely sweetness without going over the top. Finishes with big, dusty, horizontal tannins and lovely aromatic persistence. Offers extraordinary texture and depth of flavor for a wine with just 12." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
	2000 Chateau Leoville Barton Saint Julien Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$199.99
	" Full medium ruby. Knockout superripe nose combines black cherry, licorice and exotic spices. Compellingly sweet, lush and complete, with harmonious acids giving the wine lovely vinosity and extending the flavors. Finishes with lush, dusty tannins and superb persistence. A great vintage for Leoville-Barton." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
	2000 Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$199.99
	" Good full red-ruby. Complex nose combines plum, mocha, minerals, tobacco and burnished oak. A bit tight on entry, then expands and explodes toward the back, showing dense, insinuating flavors of black fruits and licorice. Chewy, sharply delineated Pichon-Baron with excellent underlying backbone and broad, palate-coating tannins. An outstanding vintage for this estate." -- Steve Tanzer (94 points)
	2001 Chateau Margaux Margaux Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$249.99
	" Enticing aromas of boysenberry, cedar, espresso and roasted oak. Sweet, lush and broad in the mouth, with sappy berry and espresso flavors. This boasts the pliant texture and near-perfect balance of the vintage's best examples. Finishes with a fine dusting of tannins. Like so many 2001s, this is easy to taste today but may well close down in the coming year or so." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
	2001 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux;	$249.99
	" Ruby-red. Aromas of kirsch, currant, graphite, minerals, camphor and smoky oak. Subtly sweet and penetrating, with lovely energy and clarity of flavor. Classic claret, finishing lively and very long, with the tannins reaching the front teeth." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)
Best Whites
	1996 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Champagne Blend; Champagne;	$179.99
	" Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table." -- Steve Tanzer (95 points)
	NV Krug Grande Cuvee Brut Chardonnay; Champagne;	$199.99
	" Explosive but fine mousse Complex, yeasty aromas of lemon, honeysuckle, wet stone, toffee, hazelnut and caramel. Subtle and creamy on entry, then dense, powerful and youthfully brisk, with flavors of minerals, nutmeg and mace framed by strong lemony acidity. Solid, vibrant, dry and rather backward. Not quite as large-scaled or harmonious as last year's release and a bit more youthfully unevolved." -- Steve Tanzer (93 points)