1995 Clos de l'Oratoire

An impressive, possibly outstanding wine, the 1995 Clos de l'Oratoire is a sleeper of the vintage. This dense ruby/purple-colored offering possesses attractive, meaty, sweet cherry fruit in the nose, intertwined with smoky, toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied, spicy, and layered on the palate, the wine reveals fine delineation, grip, and tannin in the long, heady, impressively-endowed finish. Some bottle age is warranted. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2015. This property has come of age now that it under the administration of Comte Stephan de Neipperg, the well-known proprietor of Canon-La-Gaffeliere, and more recently, the super-luxury micro-estate of La Mondotte.

Intense aromas of crushed fruit and black licorice, with just a hint of mineral. Full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit, yet cool and reserved. Needs time to come out. Still fresh and racy.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2009. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2007

An impressive, possibly outstanding wine, the 1995 Clos de l'Oratoire is a sleeper of the vintage. This dense ruby/purple-colored offering possesses attractive, meaty, sweet cherry fruit in the nose, intertwined with smoky, toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied, spicy, and layered on the palate, the wine reveals fine delineation, grip, and tannin in the long, heady, impressively-endowed finish. Some bottle age is warranted. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2015. Feb 1998, www.robertparker.com