Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle.

Wine Advocate (90)

As I suspected, the 1996 Lafleur is a painfully backward, austere wine that represents a modern day clone of this estate's 1966. It possesses a backward, tannic, Medoc-like character, with none of Pomerol's hallmark generosity. The wine exhibits a saturated dark purple color, as well as a distinctive mineral, black raspberry, and berry-scented nose with the steely, mineral Lafleur character well-displayed. Powerful, long, and rich, but excruciatingly tannic, this wine may or may not resolve all of its tannin. In short, it is an impressively constituted wine that is no sure thing. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.

Wine Advocate (99)

A hot, dry August produced very concentrated grapes in 1996. However, it turned a bit rainy in mid-September through early October, making the vintage less consistent on the Right Bank and in Graves. But as the weather turned glorious from early October on, it was an amazing year for later-harvested Cabernet in the Médoc. There was new ownership at Latour by this time, and a new vat room was completed just prior to the harvest this year. The 1996 Latour is medium to deep garnet in color with a profound earthy, meaty, gamey nose with hints of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with muscular fruit, with a firm, ripe, grainy backbone and epically long finish. Showing much more youthfully than the 2000 tasted on the same day and still possessing bags of youthful fruit in the mid-palate, this beauty is going to go on and on!

Wine Advocate (93)

The 1996 Leoville Barton appears more youthful than the 1996 Langoa Barton in the glass with a healthy deep garnet core. The aromatics unfurl gracefully in the glass revealing briary, wild hedgerow, black truffle and sandalwood scents -- firmly in secondary aroma stage but with appreciable presence and intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin that form its firm and classic structure, spice, white pepper and cloves infusing the slightly animally red berry fruit. This is an adorable Léoville Barton that is occupying a very happy place at the moment -- superb precision, old school claret at its best. Decant for an hour no more, then enjoy. Tasted July 2016.

Vinous (93-96)

Deep ruby-red. Liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, smoke, licorice, spice and earth, Thick, dense and sweet; a wine of uncanny volume and richness but extremely closed today and very hard to taste. Potentially great, but no fun right now.

Vinous (93-96)

Deep ruby-red. Liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, smoke, licorice, spice and earth, Thick, dense and sweet; a wine of uncanny volume and richness but extremely closed today and very hard to taste. Potentially great, but no fun right now.

Vinous (91-94)

Deeper color. Sappy, spicy, liqueur-like aromas of framboise and creme de cassis Sweeter, lusher and more textured than the Fremieres; also a bit reduced. Very subtle, spicy and complex. At once dense and delineated. Fruit-driven Chambolle, not as obviously mineral as the '95, but very long and fine.

Wine Advocate (95)

The saturated ruby/purple-colored 1996 Clos de Vougeot has profound red cherry, rose, raspberry, and cinnamon aromas. Its medium-to-full-bodied, satin-textured personality is highly structured and youthfully firm. This wine's flavor profile is composed of bright black raspberries, cherries, blackberries, and copious spices. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2012+.

Vinous (91-95)

Superb ruby-red. Extraordinarily fine, pure, high-pitched aromas of black fruits, violets, minerals and fresh blood. Extraordinarily sweet and pure in the mouth, with a juicy, sharply defined flavor of crystallized dark berries. Powerful acidity gives the wine a wonderful lightness on the palate. Very firm finish begins almost tough and then opens slowly and builds. Today I get a stronger impression of soil character here than in the Clos de la Roche.

Vinous (88-91)

Rather reduced nose is quite ripe but is dominated by a meaty quality today. Lovely floral note on the attack, then sweet and silky, with bright acids and very good length. The tannins are more apparent here. Lacks the complexity of the best wines in this cellar but boasts excellent body and power for a village wine.

Wine Spectator (92)

Amazing aromas of crushed berries and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with wonderfully velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This wine has wonderful texture and length. What a second wine!--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008. -JS

Decanter (95)

Deep plum in colour, holding its Pauillac character perfectly at 25 years old, opening up to show cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco, graphite, cassis and touches of raspberry purée. This is very much in the drinking window, with waves of camphor, charcoal, woodsmoke and tobacco adding complexity and interest. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Vinous (92+)

Good deep red. Precise, highly aromatic nose of cherry and licorice. Pure, penetrating flavors demonstrate impressive clarity. Structured and firm but not at all dry. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and subtle length. This is lovely, cellarworthy Volnay.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The last time I tasted the 1996 Mouton Rothschild (maybe a couple of years ago?), I recall it was a bit broody and closed. This showing was anything but! Deep garnet in color, it sashays out of the glass with lavishly dressed, gregarious crème de cassis, baked blackberries and plum pudding scents plus touches of menthol, fenugreek, star anise and sandalwood with fleeting glimpses at dried rose petals and oolong tea. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited, opulent and oh-so seductive, with bags of youthful black fruit and lovely finely grained tannins, finishing with fantastic freshness and length. This was tasted from jeroboam in September 2019.

Wine Advocate (94)

This is one of the finest Opus Ones to date, offering a dark ruby/purple color, as well as a striking, intense bouquet of sweet licorice intermixed with blackberries, cassis, plums, and saddle leather. This seamless, full-bodied wine is more velvety-textured, opulent, and succulent than past vintages. The mid-palate is expansive and chewy. The long finish is filled with glycerin, ripe fruit, and sweet tannin. Drink this impressive, user-friendly yet richly concentrated effort over the next 15 years. Tel. (707) 963-1979; Fax (707) 944-9357

Wine Spectator (94)

Much more expressive on the nose than the '97--and darker and thicker--adding to the evidence that '96 is a better vintage in the northern Rhône. Delivers a round, clean, pure mouthfeel of vibrant, focused red berry and blackberry flavors. Superb balance, as it walks a tightrope among the relatively high acidity, ripe tannins and delicious fruit. Worth cellaring.--La Chapelle vertical. Best from 2003 through 2015. -PM

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (92)

Opaque black-ruby. More brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and smoky oak, plus stony and mineral nuances; slight hint of exotic fruits. Lower-pitched than the '97, but with penetrating flavor and terrific vivacity. A floral note and a suggestion of chalky terroir contribute to the wine complexity. Finishes with firm but even tannins. Showing considerably more fruit complexity and personality than last year, when I tasted this wine in its several components. Thienpont expected to lightly fine this wine but not to filter it. Should age slowly and gracefully.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

Full red-purple; concentrated, ripe, cassis and blackberry fruit leaps from the glass, with oak present but trailing behind. The palate is as rich, ripe, succulent and concentrated as the bouquet suggests, redolent with cassis, and long, lingering tannins.

Wine Spectator (94)

Wild aromas of crushed fruit, forest flower and wild mushrooms. Full-bodied, with incredibly velvety tannins that go on and on. Lovely and exciting fruit. Gorgeous, seductive wine. Hard to resist now. Better than I remember.

Wine Spectator (94)

Wild aromas of crushed fruit, forest flower and wild mushrooms. Full-bodied, with incredibly velvety tannins that go on and on. Lovely and exciting fruit. Gorgeous, seductive wine. Hard to resist now. Better than I remember.

Vinous (90+)

Good deep red. Deeper aromas of black cherry, raspberry, pepper and licorice. Broad-shouldered but very closed, showing less sweetness today than the '96 Pignan. Red fruit flavors complicated by notes of leather, licorice and herbs. Strong acid/tannin backbone for aging. But tough going today.

Vinous (96)

Ruby-red. Sauvage aromas of black raspberry, blood orange, purple flowers, licorice and Worcestershire sauce; lifted by a suggestion of grapefruit. Thick, lush and seamless, but given razor sharp precision by penetrating acids. At once creamy and solid yet amazingly bright. Strong violety flavor carries through to the explosively long finish. Ripe tannins are inundated by velvety fruit. This is really amazing juice.

Honoured with a place among Napa Valley's finest, the Schweiger Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 showcases brilliant artistry and consistent excellence. This exquisite vintage is crafted by the Schweiger Vineyards, a family-owned property located in upper Spring Mountain. The fruit is sourced from a high altitude microclimate offering terrain-driven intensity, enhanced by hand-harvesting techniques. Its expert maceration on the skins strengthens its rich tapestry of flavours.

Experience the symphony of black fruit variants interlaced with hints of cedar and leather. The maturation for 20 months in custom French oak barrels endows it with an eloquent expression of spice and a fine-grained velvety structure. An enduring finish bears the testament to its outstanding quality. Indeed, the Schweiger Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 is a remarkable depiction of the vintage, reflecting the dedicated craft of winemaker Andrew Schweiger. This wine serves as a perfect toast to the classic Napa style and the passion that flows into every bottle.

Honoured with a place among Napa Valley's finest, the Schweiger Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 showcases brilliant artistry and consistent excellence. This exquisite vintage is crafted by the Schweiger Vineyards, a family-owned property located in upper Spring Mountain. The fruit is sourced from a high altitude microclimate offering terrain-driven intensity, enhanced by hand-harvesting techniques. Its expert maceration on the skins strengthens its rich tapestry of flavours.

Experience the symphony of black fruit variants interlaced with hints of cedar and leather. The maturation for 20 months in custom French oak barrels endows it with an eloquent expression of spice and a fine-grained velvety structure. An enduring finish bears the testament to its outstanding quality. Indeed, the Schweiger Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 is a remarkable depiction of the vintage, reflecting the dedicated craft of winemaker Andrew Schweiger. This wine serves as a perfect toast to the classic Napa style and the passion that flows into every bottle.

Vinous (97)

Taittinger’s 1996 Comtes de Champagne is another highlight. The flavors are only now beginning to show elements of complexity, a great sign for aging. Gently spiced and buttery notes suggest the 1996 is about to enter the early part of its maturity, where it is likely to stay for another decade or so.

Vinous (93)

Palish straw-yellow color; less bright than some vintages in this tasting. (I've seen published tasting notes on this wine dating back as far as a decade that described it as distinctly golden in color, but not this bottle!) Rather wild aromas of hawthorn, acacia flower, chalk and cedar, plus a hint of truffle; not about fruit. Powerful, large-scaled and penetrating on the palate; densely packed but a bit disjointed owing to its combination of sweetness and bracing acidity. Conveys a rare impression of solidity for Chablis, suggesting that it will live on in bottle for many more years. But will it ever truly be fun to drink? Dauvissat noted that there was not a lot of juice in the press in '96, and the wine is clearly high in dry extract. This wine actually finished its malolactic fermentation after the '97 Clos did, and it was bottled later than that wine. (Dauvissat described this wine as le monstre--a bit special for its combination of huge alcohol, gras and very high acidity; he picked what he described as a normal crop on September 23 with potential alcohol ranging from 12.5% to 14.5% and the wine finished with between 5 and 5.5 grams per liter acidity)