This is one of my favorite value producers. I have not had any of the '96's yet but this one will make me come back for more.

Light red in color with slight browning at the rim. The relatively open nose initially offered wet earth, violets and hung meat. In the mouth the wine is recognizable as a '96 with a sharp, tart finish. The good thing is that the fruit is there to buffer the tartness and the overall impression is one of balance. After a few hours the rustic qualities of this wine dominate with a funky CDP quality ... this is not a feminine wine. Great with dinner. I suspect this wine was consumed too young but has potential to improve.

i bought a few bottles of the serpentieres on release. the first two were very good. the last one i drank about two years ago was already beginning to slide. i suspect i bought some heat damaged bottles.

I stocked up on the 2002's. Last I checked, they were asleep. But what a great producer!

LR, I went through a case of the '99 version too fast and wish I'd have waited. I'm looking for the '02 but have not found it yet. Ecard is a go-to producer for drinkers. Pavelot is another to check out.

Jeff, this bottle was pristine and I think especially with the '96's which can be fruit deficient storage and bottle conditions make a big difference in the way they show, at least in my opinion. I've had so many heat affected bottles of Burgundy that I almost gave up on buying anything but pristine bottles on release. I do dabble in the auction market a little. I'm a storage fanatic. Yes, I'm a capsule spinner, too.

Which recent vintages with target prices should I look out for? MacArthur Beverages has the '03 for $35 (pre-arrival) and Wine Legend has the '99 for $45.

What about the '02?

Wine Legend also has the '00 Ecard Narbatons (different bottling from the Jarrons obviously) for $30.