1996 Burgundy Retrospective - The First Session

Last year, Bryan J. held a comprehensive 1996 Burgundy Retrospective in NYC. Bryan and I decided to organize a similar event over five meals, following 60 to 70 wines from the 96 vintage. This was the first event. Bryan generously offered all the wines.

Six of us gathered at Clarity's private room. The chef/owner Jon Krinn loves wine and really took great care of us. The tasting menu was well thought out and perfectly executed to complement the wines. The wine service was very good.

Combing the 96 vintage and the provenance, the wines remain incredibly youthful in general, other than the Coche and the Tollot-Beaut which were a bit tired. Most of the wines still need a decade or more to reach peak as even after two decades, not much sous bois and other tertiary notes were developed.

The Leflaive showed beautifully. The Coche was slightly tired.

• 1996 Maison Leroy Meursault Les Narvaux 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

  Initially, thinking slightly corked but perhaps a smell of dirty damp cellar. Very youthful but straightforward nose displaying apple, fresh lemon, a hint of oxidized apple peel and oyster shell. Medium concentration, fully integrated palate, apple and a hint of slightly oxidized apple peel, good acidity, medium mineral and a medium, slightly dirty, finish. IMO, Maison Leroy whites are not better than other negoce whites. I would avoid in lieu of the current lofty price.

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• 1996 Domaine Bernard Morey et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embrazées 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  En magnum, not surprisingly the freshest wine of the flight. Very youthful rich nose displaying pineapple, apple, lemon curd, smoke, light butter and wet stone. Very good concentration, rich concentrated yellow fruit, good acidity, wet stone mineral and a medium to long youthful fat yellow fruit driven finish. This is rich, fat and a bit straightforward. Nevertheless, it is a perfectly aged Burgundy that is drinking beautifully. Very good showing.

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• 1996 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Perfectly mature energetic nose displaying ripe yet precise yellow citrus fruit, light caramel, a hint of matchstick, sesame, spice spices and limestone mineral. Beautifully integrated palate, finely layered concentrated sweet yellow fruit, exceptional precision and focus, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with matchstick and sesame at the end. Almost identical expression as the bottle from 2016.

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• 1996 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  Having had a great magnum in 2012, I am looking forward to drinking it again. A bit advanced but still enjoyable showing a lot of butterscotch and caramel. Being a label whore that I am, I am still enjoying it.

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They were all solid and remained very youthful.

• 1996 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Very youthful nose displaying ripe red fruit with a hint of black, strawberry and rhubarb tart, cranberry sauce, tar, charred steak, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, nicely layered slight dry red fruit, round yet slightly masculine due to coarse tannings, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral and a medium to long concentrated red fruit driven finish. Still not showing much of sous bois. There is enough fruit to improve further. I am not a big fan of the earthy note in red Burgundy and my rating reflects my preference. Nevertheless, my wine of the flight.

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• 1996 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Another very youthful nose displaying ripe red fruit with a hint of black, raspberry, blackberry, a hint of cherry compote, soy, cumin, animal and strong earth. Excellent concentration, concentrated slightly dry red fruit, precise and linear, round yet masculine like the Ducs, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral and a medium to long concentrated red fruit driven finish. There is a bit more soy and game compare to the Duc. Another very earthy masculine expression. Still needs time to develop sous bois and other tertiary notes.

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• 1996 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru

  Feels more modern and clean compare to the Lafarges. Another youthful nose displaying ripe black fruit with a hint of red, blackberry jam, black cherry, cranberry, very floral, caramel, sweet spices and limestone mineral. Excellent concentration, concentrated sweet black fruit, rich and round yet also masculine due to slightly coarse tannins, bright acidity, strong mineral and a medium to long sweet black fruit driven finish. I like clean and generous fruit expression. Others seem to strongly prefer the Lafarges. Needs time to develop sous bois.

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The Tollot-Beaut was a bit advanced. The other two were very youthful and can easily improve for two decades or more.

• 1996 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, La Romanée Grand Cru

  Incredibly youthful nose displaying ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, black cherry, dark spices and mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, rich and opulent, slightly chewy yet also silky, bright acidity, good limestone mineral and a long intense black fruit driven finish. Initially a bit one dimensional. With air, becomes more complex. Not showing much Vosne spice. The palate is very appealing but the nose is not terribly complex, especially considering the pedigree. This may develop nicely in another decade. Even if this develops beautifully, I am not sure it deserves the current lofty price.

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• 1996 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  The most mature red of the evening. Fully mature nose displaying subtle yellow cherry, strawberry water, dry fig, toffee, strong soy, cola, sous bois, iron and earth. Fully resolved palate, delicate red fruit, very fluid, bright acidity, fully resolved tannins and a medium to long subtle red fruit driven finish. For me, it is showing too much soy. Others like it more.

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• 1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  En magnum, incredibly youthful big scale nose displaying rich red fruit, cherry pie, raspberry and blackberry concentrate, dark spices, rose and earth. Exceptional concentration, packed intense red fruit, dense, mouth puckering acidity, still quite noticeable but not too coarse tannins, and a long concentrated ripe black fruit driven finish. This particular magnum is clean and not oaky. This still needs another decade or two in this format.

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I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Jadot was.

• 1996 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Very youthful expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe sweet red fruit with a hint of black, cherry compote, black cherry, blackberry, light caramel, coconut, a hint of sweet spices and limestone mineral. Beautiful harmonious palate, very finely layered concentrated sweet red and black fruit, silky, polished and fluid, bright acidity, nicely resolved tannins and a long dark cherry and mineral driven finish. I have often found the 90s Jadots to be a bit rustic and murky but not here. It remains very youthful and can easily improve for another decade or more. Excellent showing.

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• 1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated ripe red fruit, cherry pie, raspberry preserve, blackberry, caramel, a hint of toasted oak, spicy spices and iron mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated red fruit, rich and full yet fluid and polished, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long ripe red fruit driven finish. It remains very youthful not showing much tertiary notes. Considering the fruit concentration and structure, this can easily improve for two or three more decades. Promising but perhaps slightly less enjoyable than the Jadot version at the moment.

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• 1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares 97 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Decisively the darkest wine of the evening. Incredibly youthful nose displaying intense black fruit, black cherry, blackberry, rose, perfume, caramel, dark spices and iron. Exceptional concentration, very finely layered perfectly ripe sweet black fruit, rich, round and fluid, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with rose and caramel at the end. This is all about the sensual rich palate. It is not showing much tertiary notes. This can also easily improve for two decades or more. WOTN by all.

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Based on the evening, the 96s remain incredibly youthful and still need time. My sincere gratitude goes to Bryan for offering these gems. A great time was had by all!