Community Tasting Note
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PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 99 points
May 10, 2018 - Château Margaux vertical dinner (Taberna Del Alabardero): What a gorgeous wine! Paul Pontallier's notes on this vintage are so on target to the bottle we enjoyed this evening: "The Cabernet Sauvignon has seldom achieved such a perfection of style and such good balance," he wrote. After the 1995, the nose already seemed to exude such ripe but such cooler fruit. The palate? Far more finesse than the 1995, which seems a bit “hotter” on the palate - going back and forth between the two. In this flight of three 95-96-99, going back from the charming 1999, the 1996 has riper mint aspects, and riper earth, too, as it shows touches of tertiary. The texture is oh so smooth and nuanced, and the finish lasts for at least 40 seconds. Pontallier ended his notes for this vintage as "a dream of a Margaux". I agree.
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2 Comments
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D'Yquembe Mutumbo commented:
5/10/18, 8:31 AM - Great note Panos. Would you say that this wine is fully ready to go or would it benefit from another decade or so in the cellar?
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PanosKakaviatos commented:
5/11/18, 3:28 PM - Cheers! Thanks for writing. If you have a case, why not enjoy one this year. If you have six bottles, wait another five years. If you have three or less, best to wait about another decade. The 1996 is in a fine (early) drinking window!