1996 Corton Le Rognet
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Tasting notes
Produced from yields averaging 28 hectoliters/hectare (5 bunches per vine according to Ambroise), this dark-as-night wine is spectacular. Aromas of Peking Duck laced with plum sauce, black fruits, spices, and roasted oak are followed by a massively ripe, mouth-coating, full-bodied, and broad-shouldered personality. This monster is hugely-extracted, concentrated, juicy, fresh, chewy-textured, and densely packed with dried cherries, blackberries, cassis, raw meat, stones, and minerals. Its awesomely long finish reveals loads of supple, well-integrated tannins wrapped in even more sweet fruits and vanilla-imbued oak. Wow! Projected maturity: 2003-2009. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.
Critic scores
Average Score
Pierre Rovani
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Purple-ruby. Sappy, slightly jammy aromas of black raspberry and roast coffee. Lush and layered; a massive wine with huge material and toothfurring tannins that coat the entire mouth. Really packed with flavor. But, again, more like a California cabernet than a pinot noir in structure. My score is a comment on this wine's bottomless fruit and assumes that it will remain in reasonable balance as the tannins melt away.