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I do not understand the critics of Alain Vautier, who now has sole control of Ausone and is taking the estate’s quality to a higher level. Moreover, the wine is consistent, with great depth and richness on the mid-palate, without sacrificing Ausone’s 40-50+ years of longevity. As I suspected, the 1996 is beginning to shut down. I left it in the glass for nearly 30 minutes and was impressed with the nuances that developed. The color is a dense ruby/black/purple. Reluctant aromas of blueberries, blackberries, minerals, flowers, truffles, and subtle new oak eventually emerge. Elegant on the attack, with sweet ripeness, and a delicate, concentrated richness, the hallmark of this wine is subtlety rather than flamboyance. A sweet mid-palate sets it apart from many of the uninspiring Ausones of the eighties and seventies. The wine is stylish, and presently understated, with tremendous aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 1996 Ausone is a vintage that I have tasted on four or five occasions. This was similar to previous examples with a very floral and outgoing bouquet, those wilted violet petals infusing the boysenberry and blueberry fruit, quite glossy in style, one of the most modern of that decade. It certainly has more intensity than earlier vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet and ripe tannin, impressive acidity and weight although it does not revel in the complexity of other vintages, perhaps because the growing season did not favour the Right Bank. There is a touch of headiness on the finish that is a little otiose but otherwise this is a thoroughly enjoyable Ausone. Tasted at the Ausone vertical in London.Vinous Media | 92 VMComplex aromas of blackberry, coffee, cedar and lightly grilled meat. Full-bodied and very structured, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Slightly hollow center palate.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

(Château Beychevelle) In an age of global warming, the 1996 vintage may have produced the last great Beychevelle under thirteen percent alcohol, as this wine tips the scales at a very, very civilized 12.8 percent. This is a deep, pure and very classic vintage of Beychevelle and it will take plenty of time to come around. The stunning nose offers up a beautiful mélange of roasted cherries, dark berries, cigar smoke, fresh herbs, coffee, gravelly soil tones that show a bit of iron inflection and a bit of remaining cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with a rock solid core of pure fruit, a great expression of terroir, ripe, moderate tannins, sound acids and outstanding length and grip on the still quite youthful finish. The 1996 Beychevelle offers up superb potential, but it will need at least another decade in the cellar to start to stir. (Drink between 2021-2075)John Gilman | 94 JG

(Château Cantemerle) I was not travelling to Bordeaux back when the 1996s were first displayed, and my primary business at this time in the wine trade was not young claret, so I do not have anywhere near as much tasting experience with the young ‘96s as I do with the 1995 vintage. Consequently, I am always happy to cross paths with wines from this year, which is clearly very, very strong on the Left Bank. The 1996 Cantemerle is outstanding, offering up a deep and very vibrant bouquet of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, gravelly soil tones, incipient notes of chipotles and a deft base of new vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and classically balanced, with a rock solid core, fine focus and grip, blossoming refinement and excellent length on the tangy and still fairly chewy finish. This wine is going to be excellent, but it is still at least six or seven years away from primetime drinking. (Drink between 2020-2060).John Gilman | 93 JG

This is a backward, muscular, highly-extracted wine with a boatload of tannin, thus the question mark. The saturated plum/purple color is followed by an aggressively oaky nose with scents of roasted coffee, blackberries, and prunes. It is somewhat of a freak for a 1996 Pomerol given its richness, intensity, and overripe style. Medium-bodied and powerful, but extremely closed, and in need of 5-7 years of cellaring, it will be interesting to follow this wine’s evolution to determine if the tannin fully integrates itself into the wine’s concentrated style. If not, it will have a slight rusticity to its tannin and structure. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. I sense this wine will be much more controversial than I had anticipated.Robert Parker | 91 RP

The 1996 Clos du Marquis is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (lower than recent vintages), 33% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot (that usually goes into Leoville-Las Cases). Much like the 1996 Potensac that I tasted alongside at the château, the nose is youthful and backward with blackberry, freshly tilled soil, cedar and tobacco scents that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth entry, plenty of crisp and pure black fruit laced with cedar, harmonious and long. This is a great Saint Julien at 20 years of age, firing on all cylinders and, to be honest, surpassing some of the Grand Vins in this vintage. Probably still available at a decent price, this comes thoroughly recommended. Tasted July 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMBeautiful aromas of currant, lightly toasted oak and perfume. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a tight finish. Still holding back.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 91 WSDeep ruby-red. Plum and roasted nuts on the nose. Large-scaled, vinous and deep; thick fruit is given clarity by sound acidity. Very long and subtle on the finish, with serious but harmonious tannins. An outstanding second label, as good as most classified growths from St. Julien.Vinous Media | 90 VM

I have never tasted such an impressive Clos Fourtet. I had it on three different occasions, and it was consistently brilliant. The stunning black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of sweet blueberry/blackcurrant fruit interwoven with wet steel/mineral-like scents, and subtle oak. Hugely concentrated, yet only medium-bodied, this dense, thick, gorgeously pure, well-balanced wine is the finest Clos Fourtet made in the last 3-4 decades. Although there is plenty of tannin, it is sweet as well as beautifully integrated, so I suspect this wine will evolve more rapidly than many wines of this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.Robert Parker | 90-92 RP

The 1996 Duhart-Milon-Rothschild is aging in wonderful fashion, to wit, a straight down the fairway Pauilliac. Now at 20 years of age, it has developed a fresh and very brine-scented bouquet with plenty of undergrowth and bell pepper aromas. You could almost imagine a bit of Loire Cabernet Franc in here! The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip on the entry, impressive body and backbone, likewise more than enough freshness on the structured finish laced with white pepper and bell pepper. Very classic in style, this is a Duhart for traditionalists, but I for one appreciate its style. It is drinking perfectly now but will continue to offer pleasure for another 20 years. Tasted July 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

(64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot; IPT 74; 13% alcohol): Dark ruby. Deep, brooding nose hints at dark plum, blackcurrant, coffee and lavender accented by cinnamon and nutmeg. Enters bright and fresh, then turns richer in the middle, with accessible plum, herb and coffee flavors persisting nicely on the peppery finish, which features chewy tannins. This is at once more herbal and more forward than the 1995. It’s also better than I remember it, and although still quite young it offers plenty of appeal. The wine’s harmonious acidity makes it seem lighter-bodied than it is. About 40% of the malolactic fermentation was carried out in barriques, compared to a normal one-third. Note that the label states 12.5% alcohol, but the data given to me by the estate shows 13% alcohol.Vinous Media | 91+ VMViolet, blackberry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a medium finish. Ready.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Château Eglise Clinet Pomerol 1996: It's agreed among most Bordeaux wine lovers that Right Bank, more specifically Pomerol, made good quality but not great reds in 1996. The 1995 was much better for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. So this 1996 Eglise Clinet came as a big surprise when I tasted it. The red shows wonderful complexity and beauty now. It's full body yet refined with black olive and berry character. It's so balanced and fine now. Very pretty. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSOne of the few profound Pomerols in 1996, l'Eglise-Clinet turned out an uncommonly rich, concentrated wine that is performing well from bottle, even though it is displaying a more tightly-knit structure than it did from cask. The dark ruby/purple color is followed by notes of charcoal, jammy cassis, raspberries, and a touch of sur-maturite. Spicy oak emerges as the wine sits in the glass. It is fat, concentrated, and medium to full-bodied, with a layered, multidimensional, highly nuanced personality. This muscular Pomerol will require 3-5 years of bottle age. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 1996 l’Eglise-Clinet has always had an open and Burgundy-like bouquet, pure but like many Pomerol crus in this vintage, not particularly complex. The palate is well balanced with slightly grainy tannin. This is a more masculine and introverted wine compared to the 1995, a little too serious perhaps and needing more flesh toward the linear finish. Not bad at all although it just lacks the fireworks. Tasted over a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 90 VM

(Château Lagrange) The 1996 Lagrange is a deep, pure and beautifully made vintage for this property. The bouquet is complex and classy, as it offers up a lovely mélange of pure black cherries, a touch of plum pudding, tobacco, fresh herb tones, a lovely base of soil and a touch of toasty oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, long and rock solid at the core, with a suave personality, ripe, well-integrated tannins, sound acids and fine grip on the long, palate-staining finish. This will be a terrific Lagrange in due course. (Drink between 2015-2050).John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 1996 Lagrange has long been my favourite vintage from the 1990s. It was picked from 26 September to 11 October. This is a level up in quality over the previous vintage with far more delineation and complexity: blackberry, wild hedgerow, sandalwood and light dried blood aromas. The palate is fully matured with firm tannin, but sufficient fruit to back it up. This is well balanced with plenty of freshness, tart cherries, allspice and light Moroccan spice notes on the harmonious and persistent finish. Excellent. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMWonderful aromas of blackberry, light spices and currant follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Still tannic and tight.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008. 24,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis impeccably run, Japanese-owned property has fashioned a superb 1996. Opaque purple-colored, with a backward yet promising nose of classically pure cassis intermixed with pain grille and spice, this medium to full-bodied, powerful yet stylish wine possesses superb purity, a nicely-layered feel in the mouth, and plenty of structure. It will not be an early-drinking St.-Julien, but one to lay away and enjoy over the next 2-3 decades. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2022.Robert Parker | 90 RP

I think we can officially declare 25 years as being the sweet spot for Léoville Las Cases - at least in slow-ageing vintages such as 1996, which is so perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon. Still full-bodied and concentrated even now, but generous also, with cassis, tobacco and cigarbox smoke softening the edges of flint-chiselled tannic frame... Las Cases can be almost Burgundian-like in how elusive it is (in this case because of how stubborn and tannic it can prove), but when you get the one bottle that sings, it’s all worth it. This more than proves the point. Michel Delon owner at the time.Jane Anson | 100 JAHaving previously rated it nearly perfect, I was apprehensive of a letdown about tasting the 1996 Leoville Las Cases once it had been bottled, but that concern was quickly dismissed once I put my nose in the glass. A profound Leoville Las Cases, it is one of the great modern day wines of Bordeaux. This wine’s hallmark remains a sur-maturite (over-ripeness) of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Yet the wine has retained its intrinsic classicism, symmetry, and profound potential for complexity and elegance. The black/purple color is followed by a spectacular nose of cassis, cherry liqueur, pain grille, and minerals. It is powerful and rich on the attack, with beautifully integrated tannin, massive concentration, yet no hint of heaviness or disjointedness. As this wine sits in the glass it grows in stature and richness. It is a remarkable, seamless, palate-staining, and extraordinarily elegant wine - the quintessential St.-Julien. Despite the sweetness of the tannin, I would recommend cellaring this wine for 7-8 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035.Robert Parker | 98 RPSaturated bright, dark ruby. Perfumed, vibrant, very youthful aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Dense and powerful, with great clarity of flavor thanks to a terrific spine of acidity. Almost painfully structured wine but not at all hard. Finishes very long and gripping, with a note of bitter chocolate. Drink 2012 through 2040.Vinous Media | 96+ VMIncredible nose of blackberry, mineral, cedar and currant. Full-bodied, with silky and refined tannins and a medium caressing finish. It’s a beautiful wine that begs to be drunk now but will age and improve for a long time.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The standout wine of the tasting (as expected). Opulent, concentrated with intense cassis notes on both the nose and palate, with a deep-purple hue in the glass (although not quite as deep as the 1995). Mint, cool, menthol on the nose with restrained oak hovering in the background. The palate is ultra-elegant with a freshness from the acidity and perfectly-ripe tannins, combined with subtle oak and intriguing spicy, cedary notes. A wine that is drinking beautifully now but still has one (or possibly two) decades to go. Harvested 27 September to 9 October. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 98 DECThe last time I tasted the 1996 Mouton Rothschild (maybe a couple of years ago?), I recall it was a bit broody and closed. This showing was anything but! Deep garnet in color, it sashays out of the glass with lavishly dressed, gregarious crème de cassis, baked blackberries and plum pudding scents plus touches of menthol, fenugreek, star anise and sandalwood with fleeting glimpses at dried rose petals and oolong tea. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited, opulent and oh-so seductive, with bags of youthful black fruit and lovely finely grained tannins, finishing with fantastic freshness and length. This was tasted from jeroboam in September 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPIncredible nose of ultraripe fruit, it’s yet subtle and complex. Full-bodied, with very ripe, almost sweet fruit and a long, long caressing finish. Superb. This is edging out the 1995.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 1996 Mouton-Rothschild is the high point of what in retrospect was an inconsistent decade for this First Growth. It has a very attractive, classic Pauillac bouquet: predominantly black fruit laced with cedar, freshly rolled tobacco and light graphite scents. It is not lavish, but tightly controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not as fine as recent vintages under Philippe Dhalluin. There is satisfying density and gentle grip toward the finish, which feels fresh and contains enough energy to suggest that it is only just reaching its plateau. Tasted from an ex-château jeroboam at the Palace of Versailles charity dinner.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe bottle I opened was fabulous on the nose with aromas of currants, cedar, sweet tobacco, incense, and flowers. It was full-bodied, with very fine silky tannins and similar flavors as the aromas. However, a slightly green undertone came thorough on the palate. It didn’t bother me, but the Italians seemed annoyed with it – even disappointed. Regardless, I scored the wine.James Suckling | 94 JS

The second bottle, from an estate I know like the back of my hand, was the 1996 Pontet Canet. One or two people had suggested that this might be past its best; after all, it predates the innovations and application of biodynamics overseen by Alfred Tesseron by several years. On the contrary, it has aged beautifully. Cedar, scorched earth and mint blossomed on a nose that is firmly into its secondary phase, yet laden with more fruit than expected considering both its age and the austere style of Left Bank 1996s. The palate might be nearing the end of its drinking plateau, so don’t hold back if you own a few bottles. But I admired its balance and density, its structure and classicism, and the typical Pauillac traits of cedar and a touch of mint toward the finish. I savored it down to the last drop.Vinous Media | 93 VMI was shocked by how backward the 1996 Pontet-Canet was on the three occasions I tasted it in January. This wine possesses superb potential, but it appears a decade's worth of patience will be necessary. The color is a saturated dark purple. With coaxing, the wine offers aromas of black currant jam intertwined with minerals, sweet oak, and spice. A full-bodied wine, it possesses layered, concentrated, sweet fruit, with an elevated level of ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035.Robert Parker | 92 RPAromas of black licorice, currant and toasted oak. Full-bodied, with silky, refined tannins and a medium finish. Holding back still.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 91 WS