Tasting Notes
Vinous 86
Palish cherry red. Pungent aromas of tart red berries, framboise, eucalyptus and rhubarb. Sweet, fleshy and smooth, but offers only modest clarity and thrust for a ’96. Finishes with rather light tannins and a suggestion of heat. Quite gently extracted.
Robert Parker 89
This dark-colored wine may earn a score at the top of the range, if it gathers some more depth during its elevage. It displays a deep nose of super-sweet black cherries, and a pleasing, seductive, and medium-to-full-bodied character filled with delineated and pure flavors of candied raspberries and cherries. This spicy, silky-textured, expressive, and elegant wine concludes with a long, satiny finish. Projected maturity: 1999-2005. As far as the 1996 vintage is concerned, Rousseau’s comments were bluntly candid – “the North wind is concentration. It saves a harvest, prevents rot, concentrates color and sugar, concentrates everything we want. 1996 is better than 1990, it may be too early to say, but there, I said it.” With that, Rousseau picked up one of the tastevins hanging on the wall (these are the small, wide, shallow, and traditional silver utensils used for tasting. As far as I know he is the only Burgundian who continues to use them on a regular basis), and the tasting began. Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel (212) 355-0700.
Anticipated maturity: 1999-2005
JancisRobinson.com 15.0
Light ruby. Not especially expressive – a bit lacking stuffing. Lean and not 100% clean. Pretty chewy. Very light. A whisper rather than a song. Dry finish.
Anticipated maturity: 2003-2007
