1993 La Romanee

Bouchard's recommended 1993s do not totally avoid the hard tannin of the vintage. The wines generally exhibit solid colors, firm, medium-bodied, albeit austere personalities, and sound ripeness. Such unrecommended wines as Chambertin, La Romanee, and Vosne-Romanee-Aux Reignots tasted excessively tannic. They are unlikely to ever come into balance. Importer: Palace Brands Co., Hartford, CT; tel. (800) 729-3372

Tasted at the La Romanée vertical at Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair. The 1993 La Romanée Grand Cru was a Bouchard Père et Fils bottling. It is deeper in colour than the 1995, though the nose is less attractive: brambly red berry fruit, stewed black tea and a touch of mandarin. But it feels a little curmudgeonly and does not possess the joie-de-vivre of the best 1993s. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, good depth of fruit, sinewy tannin wrapped around a "blocky" and slight saline finish. It is an enjoyable wine that has lasted the course but it lacks grand cru class. Tasted June 2015. eRobertParker.com.July, 2015

Bouchard's recommended 1993s do not totally avoid the hard tannin of the vintage. The wines generally exhibit solid colors, firm, medium-bodied, albeit austere personalities, and sound ripeness. Such unrecommended wines as Chambertin, La Romanee, and Vosne-Romanee-Aux Reignots tasted excessively tannic. They are unlikely to ever come into balance. Aug 1995, www.robertparker.com