1996 Horizontal Tasting

David's House - Kitchener, ON
Tasted Friday, December 26, 2014 by Dave Canada with 372 views

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 1996 Château Rayas Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette Cuvée Syrah 93 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

    This was an absolute stunner...
    Olive brine, creosote, minerals, flowers, bacon fat, ginger...nose is so pretty and so rays-esque. Love the typicity.
    Palate is so elegant, refined and refletive of its lineage. I love wines that show real typicity. Similar flavours from the nose repeat...olive, creosote, minerals, ginger and fat. There are some definite vegetal notes as well...this is cool climate syrah.
    Finish is long, layered and pretty.

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  • 1996 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 88 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Tonnes of herbs, tobacco....more like green tobacco that has just been harvested right off of the field. There is also some ash tray, cigarette ash, woodiness, red pepper and green chilli.
    Palate is dominated by pyrazene and augmented by tobacco, tart cherry and ash. This is quite lean and angular and showing little fruit.
    Finish is medium.

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  • 1996 Château Pape Clément 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Polished....but still a bit of brett....which I love...wow.
    Pure dark fruit, cedar, leather, burning ember, briar, flowers, cassis and pyrazene.
    The palate has such pure polished blackfruit with cedar, leather, campfire, flowers cassis, pyrazene and ember also in the mix...then comes the brett again....a little earth, poop and shit...which is awesome and adds further complexity.
    Finish is medium+ and quite complex.

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  • 1996 Château Margaux 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Liquified flowers.....that is what this wine is. I haven't had a wine this floral since the 1983 Chateau Palmer from magnum.
    So floral....violets, lavendar, cedar, spice, vanilla, black currant, cassis, leather and a hint of earth.
    Palate is so pure and focused....plum, cassis, flowers, raspberry, cedar, leather, spice, blackberry and lavender.
    Finish is singular....yet so complex all at the same time. This is in a tunnel of flavour, power and complexity that just explodes in sheer complexity and power. Love this wine....awesome.

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  • 1996 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    This is so typically Paulliac....
    Pencil lead, graphite, pyrazene, casks, tobacco, mineral, and cedar.
    Palate is lush and polished with everything in order. Pure fruit that is augmented by leather, cedar casks, tobacco, mineral, pencil lead, granite and most importantly....liquified love :)
    Finish is long, layered and lush. wow.

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