There is grand cru breed and elegance to burn in a medium bodied, finely detailed package with good richness and compelling complexity to the concentrated and very long flavors. As one would expect from a '96, there is edgy acidity yet it appears perfectly integrated and gives real lift to the flavors. In short, this is an excellent if not truly outstanding Rousseau Clos St. Jacques that is still on the way up though it is not too far away from what should be a long plateau of maturity. Consistent notes.

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Good red-ruby. Altogether more vibrant, sexy nose combines cherry, plum, smoke, coffee, game and Cuban tobacco. Fleshy, round and elegant; a distinct step up in extract and volume. Really compelling sweetness of fruit. Very suave and very long on the finish, which features extremely fine tannins. A superb showing today.

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This dark-colored wine is produced from vines that were planted in 1920 and 1921. Profound aromas of red cherries, blackberries covered in chocolate, morel and porcini mushrooms, road tar, and toasty oak lead to an awesome explosion of densely packed fruit on the palate. Layers of juicy and plump cherries, minerals, stones, and fresh herbs are intertwined with vanilla-imbued oak in this expressive and feminine beauty. It possesses extraordinary depth, concentration, and structure. This full-bodied, velvety-textured, refined, and focused wine also possesses an extremely long and delineated finish. It should be at its best between 2003 and 2010.

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As will most of the 96s, very difficult but finally starting to come around.