1996 Clos de la Roche

How do you top this wine! When I tasted this stunning wine in November, 1997, I was blown away by its density of hugely-ripe fruit and yet it took a few minutes of tasting for me to be convinced that its powerful oak flavors and boat-loads of tannin would not present a problem. When I re-tasted it at the end of January, the oak and tannins were substantially more integrated. This dark-ruby/purple-colored blockbuster reveals intense aromas of cassis, blackberries, Asian spices, hoisin sauce, earth, and toasty oak. Its awesome full-bodied, velvety-textured, and mouth-coating personality is so densely packed with super-ripe black fruits that a knife and fork seem required to effectively taste it. This wine's power, depth, concentration, and immense length are given glorious focus by its fresh acidity. Wow! Projected maturity: 2004-2012+. Philippe and Vincent Lecheneaut produce wines that resemble them - strong, muscular, and expressive. In the past I have described certain wines as being like ballerinas, well-known actresses, football players, etc. These are rugby players, strong, rough (at first), but explosive, with considerable stamina (staying power). I tasted these wines twice, once in November, 1997, and then again in late January, 1998. At my first tasting the wines were quite backward, oaky, and tannic but two and a half months later they had softened while still displaying loads of fruit. Some of these wines are worth making every effort to locate. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.