Thanks! I have had a lot of West Coast pinot and really enjoy them but the really good bourgogne's (05' Arnaud Pere & Fils Bourgogne is my current favorite) and village burgundy's that I have had just seem to have more to them. I also agree, the intrigue of the region holds a certain fascination as well. I can only imagine how some of these 1er Crus will be.
I've accumulated several bottles so far:
96' D. Rion Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes
96' D. Laurent Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers
99' d'Angerville Volnay Les Friemiets
02' N. Rossignol Volnay Les Chevrets
05' R. Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques
05' Hospices de Beaune Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Arthur Girard
05' P. Bouley Volnay Clos des Chenes
The older bottles were all from MacArthurs and had good fill levels, no seepage, the caps turned freely etc. etc. I have read that Laurent uses a lot of oak and have seen a lot of his wine still on shelves but several people have recomended him... it may be an interesting bottle.
I have been trying to gather a variety of different wines from a variety of producers and regions around the Cote D'Or to try to hone in on what I like. I'm trying to get a spread of vintages so that I will have a few bottles to drink here and there while I wait for the '05s to age (hopefully I will still love wine in 10 years!). From what I have read, the Volnays and Vosne-Romanees may be the most compatible with my tastes but of course only actually tasting the wines will confirm that.
I can't wait to try these... now all I need is a bigger cellar and more $$!