And expensive, but we can dream, can’t we?

When I was in New York two weeks ago, I was invited to a tasting that debuted the splendid 2005 vintage for Faiveley, the venerable Burgundy house — founded in 1825 and still in the same family — with enviable holdings in Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards up and down the Cote d’Or. The selection of new wines was select indeed: Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru 2005; Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru ‘05; Nuits-Saint-George “Les Saint-Georges Premier Cru ‘05; Gevrey-Chamberton “Clos de Beze” Grand Cru ‘05; Chambolle-Musigny “La Combe d’Orveau” Premier Cru ‘05; and Corton “Clos de Cortons Faiveley” Grand Cru Monopole ‘05. I won’t reveal the prices or availability yet.

The event took place in the new and elegant Gordon Ramsey restaurant in the London hotel and featured exquisite hors d’oeuvres and a horde of well-dressed people clamoring for, jostling for and even demanding sips of wine. Well, they were great sips.

We wet our whistles with a glass of Faiveley’s white Mercurey “Clos Rochette” Monopole 2004 — “monopole” means a rare instance in Burgundy when a house owns an entire vineyard — a tremendously clean and fresh chardonnay, very earthy and bracingly minerally, like drinking liquid limestone electrified by vibrant acid, with delicious roasted lemon and lemon curd flavors nestled in a texture that was taut yet almost talc-like. A lovely wine that costs about $24 a bottle. While you’re saving your pennies for the following wines or trying to float a loan, you would be happy knowing you had scored a coup with this bargain. 600 cases imported. (The importer is Wilson-Daniels in Napa Ca.)
OK, here are six Big Guns.

*Domaine Faiveley Chablis “Les Clos” Grand Cru 2005. 100% chardonnay. Exquisite and serious, the epitome of a Grand Cru Chablis in its unerring precision and boundless expansiveness. The acid cuts like a knife honed on the wine’s own limestone and quartz outcroppings, yet the texture takes the opposite approach toward creamy lushness that knows exactly when to exert its spareness and elegance. Roasted lemon and lemon curd flavors are infused with orange and lime peel, dried baking spice and a profound earthy element, all of these qualities drawn out through a long, sleek finish. One of the best Chablis I have ever tasted. Exceptional. About $88. 150 six-bottle cases imported.

*Domaine Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2005. 100% chardonnay. A brilliant wine, amazingly complex, with awe-inspiring detail and dimension. The bouquet offers toasted hazelnuts, spiced and roasted lemon, jasmine and honeysuckle, limestone and a whiff of grapefruit. The size and weight are spectacular, yet the wine never feels lead-footed or obvious, possessing inherent limpidity, an elevating crispness and acidity. The wine is, however, very dry, very earthy, almost tannic. Try from 2010 to 2015 or ‘18. Exceptional. About — one blushes — $273 a bottle, of which 50 six-bottle cases were imported.

*Domaine Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Saint-Georges” Premier Cru 2005. 100% pinot noir. This delivers penetrating aromas of crushed raspberry, black cherry and cranberry permeated by exotic spice, potpourri and clean, damp earth. I mean, it’s all sandalwood and lavender, violets and plum dust, finely-milled tannins (and lots of ‘em), polished oak and minerals. It would be almost pretty if it weren’t so brooding. Try from 2010 or ‘12 to 2015 or ‘16. Or tonight with a grilled veal chop, plenty of rosemary. Excellent. About $146, with 30 six-bottle cases imported to the United States.

*Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos de Beze” Grand Cru 2005. 100% pinot noir. The seductive bouquet of ripe and dried black cherry, raspberry and currant is buoyed by violets and lavender and anchored in an earthy character that’s almost mossy and musky (meaning that this is good and desirable). It’s very dry and large-framed in the mouth, with deep foundations of earth and minerals, new leather, dense oak and slightly austere tannins. Try from 2010 or ‘12 to 2015 to ‘18. Excellent, and a pinot noir of immense character and dignity. About — giving one pause — $350 a bottle, of which 130 six-bottle cases were imported.

*Domaine Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny “La Combes d’Orveau” Premier Cru 2005. 100% pinot noir. Have mercy, this wine is huge! Not just huge but reticent, not just reticent but brooding, without, thank goodness lapsing into truculence, being saved by glimmers of deep, dark black fruit flavors, exotic spice and a mineral quality that’s almost scintillating. Obviously made for the long-haul, this should be given from 2010 or ‘14 through 2015 to ‘20. Excellent. About $176 a bottle, of which 30 six-bottle cases were imported.

*Domaine Faively Corton “Clos des Cortons Faiveley” Grand Cru Monopole 2005. 100% pinot noir. My first notes are “tremendous — HUGE — god, what a nose!” I guess that sort of tells you everything you need to know, except that for a wine of such amazing heft and substance and power, it remains remarkably light on its feet, with a delicacy of dried and fresh roses and violets, like lace on a midnight black velvet dress, and intense and concentrated black fruit scents and flavors. The tannins, though, are broad, scrunchy, austere. A monument that requires some polishing from 2010 or ‘12 to 2015 or ‘18. Excellent. About $195 a bottle, of which 200 six-bottle cases were imported.

So, why mention these wines except that, as with Everest, they’re there?

Well, that’s one reason, of course. The other is to allow readers who, like myself, mainly concern themselves with everyday drinking wines, the opportunity to expand their awareness of the possibilities of wine even vicariously, the way we look at expensive watches or automobiles or rare books. The Faiveley wines reviewed here, rare and costly, will end up on the wine lists of high-ticket restaurants and in the cellars of a few collectors. So be it. They still represent the epitome of what the world’s ancient heritage of wine-making — and Burgundy’s — is all about: authenticity, integrity, eloquence.
Faiveley does offer far less expensive wines than these Premier and Grand Cru wines, which represent a fraction of the house’s production. In addition to the Mercurey Clos Rochette Monopole 2004 mentioned above, look for the white Faiveley Montagny “Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet” 2004, about $21, the red Mercurey “Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet” 2004, about $21, and, always a reliable label, Faiveley’s appealing “Georges Faiveley” Bourgogne Chardonnay 2004, about $17.

Printer's Alley, the long-running late-late-night/early morning Midtown dive, is looking for bands to play in the earlier hours. They are planning to provide a PA system. Contact Tyler to offer your band's services.

EP Delta Kitchen & Bar has opened its spacious rooftop for a weekly Thursday party poised to compete with the long-running Peabody affair. Expect music from the house band G3, along with chill selections by DJ Josh Swee and dance-party fare from Doughboy. (6 p.m. till late; $5 cover after 8; drink specials)

Tiger coach Tommy West bemoaned his offense's lack of "want-to" in Friday's 83-play scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Still, there were some numbers that were hard to dismiss.

Quarterback Martin Hankins, firmly entrenched as the starter, went 8-of-11 for 120 yards and a touchdown. On a 12-play scoring drive early in the scrimmage, he went 5-of-6 for 47 yards and would have been perfect had a play not been busted. Hankins' one incomplete pass during the 65-yard drive struck an unsuspecting receiver in the back.

Also, backup Will Hudgens went 10-of-16 for 114 yards and a TD, exhibiting a touch on short passes that he previously had lacked. He hooked up with Steven Black for a 35-yard score on a perfectly lofted toss to the right corner of the end zone.

And speaking of Black, the junior college transfer continues to be a playmaker. On the scoring pass, he deftly shielded cornerback LaKeitharun Ford on the play to haul in the TD. Black caught a scrimmage-best five passes for 76 yards. He and Duke Calhoun (four catches, 99 yards, 1 TD) could give the Tigers a potent 1-2 receiving punch.

Not sure if Miguel Barnes can nudge his way into gaining more playing time than starting running back Joe Doss, but Barnes has the make-you-miss moves and the breakaway speed that no other back possesses. He showed it on several runs Friday.

As a young man, Alex Edward Plasschaert danced professionally with Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers and Debbie Reynolds.

He was a musical chimney sweep in "Mary Poppins" with Julie Andrews and a rhythmic waiter in "Hello, Dolly!" with Barbra Streisand. He was a choreographer on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," and he worked on the stunts in such movies as "Logan's Run" and "The Omega Code."

Coordinating the cast of zanies on the "Laugh-In" set probably was a chore, but could it have been any more difficult than arranging the movements of the 350 performers who may be onstage at any given time during Bellevue Baptist Church's "Singing Christmas Tree" pageant?

A sort of corn mash mash-up of Jim Varney, "Re-Animator" and "Forbidden Planet," the Memphis-made "The Importance of Being Russell" - dubbed "an adventure of redneck proportions" by its makers - has picked up another award.

Be sure to pick up your newspaper today: Inside is one of the most sought-after special sections we do, the annual guide to Summer Camps. This year there's also a search tool on CA.com, which has a new camp -- with map -- featured each time you open it, and gives you a way to search for camps in the categories you're looking for. The search works best if you have some idea of what kind of camp you're looking for already.

I'm thinking of giving Camp Invention a try this summer -- anyone tried it and liked it? And my other burning camp question is: How old does your kid have to be to go to sleepaway camp? My second grader is dying to go ... when did you send your kids, and what happened?