1996 Romanee St Vivant Les Quatre Journaux

The excellent, and potentially outstanding Romanee-St.-Vivant is medium-to-dark ruby-colored and reveals profound aromas of black raspberries, violets, and cherries. Its medium-to-full-bodied, elegant, and velvety-textured personality has delicious red and black berries intermingled with roses and fresh herbs. Its long finish reveals plenty of soft and supple tannins. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2005. I have rarely been enthusiastic about Maison Latour's reds, vastly preferring their whites, but found myself quite impressed with their efforts in 1996. The score, on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel. Louis Latour is represented by a different importer in each state.