Pierre Andre Bourgogne Chardonnay, 2005

Traditionally, white Burgundies--even those from basic appellations--can be expected to improve in the bottle for 8 to 10 years. Since the 1995 vintage, however, even some of most expensive and sought after Burgundies have been plagued by what wine lovers call "premox"--premature oxidation. There are many theories as to what causes "premox," but the end product is easy to spot: an affected wine will turn color before your eyes in the glass and will have the musty, acrid smells and flavors of oxidation. I have found "premox" mostly in Chablis wines from 1996 and 1997--wines that theoretically should have aged well for at least two decades. But "premox" can presumably set in much sooner, and experienced tasters say that wines from vintages as recent as 2004 and 2005 could start showing the signs. I suspect that's the problem with this Pierre Andre Bourgogne Blanc that has given me a great deal of pleasure over the past couple of years. There are decent scents of pears, green apples and minerals, but they are muted compared to previous bottles and the finish is a bit hard and short. This bottle could be slightly corked, but my wife--who can spot a corked wine from across the room--says no. This bottle, for whatever reason, is just not very good.