6 bottles per lot
Details
Château Margaux--Vintage 1996
Margaux, 1er cru classé
Tasting Note: The Grand Vin was 85 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot 10 and Petit Verdot 5 It is always a joy to taste at Margaux and in April 1997, I tasted the '96 alongside the '95, which was totally different in style. The '96 was opaque, of course ; low-keyed but with classic fruit ; lovely flavour, lean, spicy tannic finish. I added 'clearly a wine of finesse, like a champion lady swimmer, sinewy, streamlined, shapely, with firm, rippling pectoral muscles'. In April 2000 at the chateau where Paul Pontallier told us that it was one of his favourite vintages. Mouthfilling, very tannic, great potential. Late that autumn, extremely high marks at the Mw tasting. Perfect colour ; nose developing sweetly and on the palate a soft entry and fragrant finish. At Rodenstock's blind tasting of first growths it earned, with Chateau Cheval Blanc, my highest mark. But what was extraordinary was the closeness of everyone's points. I noted it as the sweetest of all, wonderful fruit, masked tannins. March 2001 **** M.B.
6 bottles per lot
Margaux, 1er cru classé
Tasting Note: The Grand Vin was 85 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot 10 and Petit Verdot 5 It is always a joy to taste at Margaux and in April 1997, I tasted the '96 alongside the '95, which was totally different in style. The '96 was opaque, of course ; low-keyed but with classic fruit ; lovely flavour, lean, spicy tannic finish. I added 'clearly a wine of finesse, like a champion lady swimmer, sinewy, streamlined, shapely, with firm, rippling pectoral muscles'. In April 2000 at the chateau where Paul Pontallier told us that it was one of his favourite vintages. Mouthfilling, very tannic, great potential. Late that autumn, extremely high marks at the Mw tasting. Perfect colour ; nose developing sweetly and on the palate a soft entry and fragrant finish. At Rodenstock's blind tasting of first growths it earned, with Chateau Cheval Blanc, my highest mark. But what was extraordinary was the closeness of everyone's points. I noted it as the sweetest of all, wonderful fruit, masked tannins. March 2001 **** M.B.
6 bottles per lot