1996 Le Montrachet
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Tasting notes
The 1996 Montrachet, while not quite at the level of this estate's 1995, is a spectacular wine. Its refined, ripe, and beguiling nose of flowers and minerals is followed by an intricate, highly-delineated, silky-textured, and full-bodied personality. Complex and concentrated flavors of gravel, minerals, red currants, earth, chalk, and honeysuckle are found in this defined yet broadly structured offering. Its admirably long and focused finish revealed traces of sweet oak spice. It should be at its plateau of maturity between 2003 and 2012. Bravo! The score, noted on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel. I was extremely impressed with Prieur's three top wines, the Meursault Perrieres, Corton-Charlemagne, and Montrachet, which are at a level only attained by the very best Burgundian estates. Imported by William Deutsch and Sons, Armonk, NY; Tel. (914) 273-1221.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Pierre Rovani
More reviews and scores
Highly aromatic nose of dried peach, deep spices and vanillin oak. Dense, huge and powerful; sheer volume and superripeness make this easier to taste today than the last two wines. Explosive, very fresh finish goes on and on. As powerful as the aftertaste is, there's also a distinct hint of austerity that suggests this wine will develop slowly over a decade or more. Compared to Prieur's other '96s, this is positively liqueur-like.