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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

The colour is starting to take on the brick-edged ruby that fully mature Bordeaux reaches and retains for decades in the best cases. Freshness is still very much in play, along with tobacco, cigar box and eucalyptus. 1996 was a brilliant vintage in the Médoc and it shows. This is a near perfect 20-year-old Bordeaux; there is the generous signature of Léoville Poyferré wine but at this point St-Julien balance and finesse has taken over, just relax and enjoy the results. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035Decanter | 95 DECThis fabulous 1996 was tasted three times from bottle, and it is unquestionably the finest wine produced by this estate since their blockbuster 1990. Medium to full-bodied, with a saturated black/purple color, the nose offers notes of cedar, jammy black fruits, smoke, truffles, and subtle new oak. In the mouth, there is impressive fruit extraction, a tannic, full-bodied structure, and a classic display of power and finesse. The longer it sat in the glass, the more impressive the wine became. Backward, and massive in terms of its extract and richness, this should prove to be a sensational Leoville-Poyferre for drinking over the next three decades. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2028.Robert Parker | 93 RPBlackberry, mineral and citrus fruit aromas. Full-bodied, with slightly angular tannins, but fruity, with a pleasant tobacco undertone on the finish. Just coming around.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a powerful, black ruby/purple-colored wine with cherry liqueur-like flavors, full body, loamy, earthy scents, and a terrific, long finish that suggests 20-30 years of ageability.Robert Parker | 94 RPOpenly fruity and seductive, with layers of cherry, currant and berry; extraordinary flavors and balance.--Chateau Montelena vertical. Drink now through 2012. — JLWine Spectator | 92 WSGood ruby-red. Spicy, roasted aromas of cassis, black plum, toasty oak and pepper. Lush, jammy and a bit undifferentiated; showing its baby fat today. Seems distinctly less lively than the ’95, but the tannins are quite fine for the vintage and there excellent finishing persistence.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This wine, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, is performing well after its July, 1998 bottling. It boasts an impressively saturated purple color, in addition to a backward yet intense nose of black plums, currants, licorice, and smoke. Following terrific fruit on the attack, the wine’s structure and tannin take over. There is plenty of sweet fruit, and the tannin is well-integrated, but the wine requires 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2028.Robert Parker | 91 RPGorgeous aromas of currant and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a medium finish. A little more bottle age will open it even more. Very pretty.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A great wine that has put on considerable weight and continues to show more and more depth and complexity, the dark plum/ruby colored 1996 Pape Clement has a gorgeous nose of barbecue spices intermixed with black currant, plum, coffee, and a hint of white chocolate. The wine is exceptionally rich, fill-bodied, and a fabulous success, particularly in the Pessac-Leognan sector. The tannin is sweet and the wine full-bodied, with tremendous richness and length. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Last tasted, 4/02.Robert Parker | 94 RP(Château Pape Clément) In 1996, Pape Clément was still very much a classically styled claret and the wine shows very good potential to eventually blossom from behind the substantial tannins of the vintage and turn into a lovely wine. The nose is a youthfully complex blend of black cherries, dark berries, tobacco leaf, earth, smoke, dark chocolate and just a touch of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and still quite primary, with lovely focus, very good mid-palate depth, firm, but well-integrated tannins and lovely length and grip on the chocolaty finish. This should prove to be a lovely example of the vintage and it will be interesting to see if it always retains a bit of a firm edge from ‘96s massive tannins, or if this eventually blossoms into a classic example of Pape Clément . (Drink between 2018-2050)John Gilman | 91+ JGFull ruby-red. Superripe aromas of roasted plum, black raspberry, woodsmoke and humus. Dense and rather unevolved, but with sound acidity giving it excellent vinosity. Full, quite dry and serious; the substantial dusty tannins coat the entire palate.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Wild aromas of crushed fruit, forest flower and wild mushrooms. Full-bodied, with incredibly velvety tannins that go on and on. Lovely and exciting fruit. Gorgeous, seductive wine. Hard to resist now. Better than I remember.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 94 WSProprietor Christian Moueix’s 1996s have turned out well in the bottle. The 1996 Petrus is a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine (less than 50% of the production was bottled as Petrus) will require patience. It is a mammoth example. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035Robert Parker | 92 RP

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

A fine wine, this dark purple-colored effort reveals black raspberry, blackberry, mineral, and floral aromas in its complex, multidimensional bouquet. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied, with sweet, ripe fruit, firm tannin, good acidity, and a long, well-endowed, moderately tannic finish. Moreover, it will be a long-lived wine. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.Robert Parker | 91 RPExcellent ruby-red. Dark berries, licorice and minerals on the nose. Tightly wrapped and firmly minerally in the mouth, with a note of shoe polish. Extremely primary for the vintage. Plenty of richness here. Finishes with toothdusting tannins and excellent length.Vinous Media | 90+ VMPure fruit on the nose, with violet, berry and raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, polished finish. Super well done for the vintage. Drink now through 2005.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Very good deep red color. Complex aromas of black cherry, currant, chocolate, herbs, licorice and tobacco leaf. Fairly sweet and dense on the palate, with very good concentration and firm acidity for the year. This is aged in 100% new oak, but the wood is very much in the background. Finishes very long and subtle, with excellent grip and a suggestion of earthy terroir.Vinous Media | 89-93 VMOnly 26% of the crop made it into the final blend, resulting in only 15,000 cases of the 1997 Lafite-Rothschild. Readers should not ignore this wine because of the negative press surrounding the 1997 vintage. It boasts an opaque dense purple color in addition to a gorgeously sweet, expansive perfume of cedar wood, black currants, lead pencil, and minerals. What follows is a fat mid-palate, medium body, explosive fruit and richness, soft tannin, and a velvety texture. It is a beautiful, compelling Lafite-Rothschild that can be drunk young, yet promises to evolve for 15+ years. Although one of the most forward Lafites ever tasted, it is all the more captivating because of this characteristic. Don’t miss it!Robert Parker | 92 RPWonderfully complex on the nose, with licorice, spice, berry and tobacco character. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a delicious finish. Drink now through 2005.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This is a forgotten Pétrus. Good dark color, with lovely plum and light raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a fresh, fruity finish. A beauty. Fresh and long. Slightly better than when I tasted it a few years back.--Pétrus non-blind vertical. Best after 2005.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe backward 1997 (2,300 cases produced) needs 3-4 years of cellaring. The dense plum/ruby/purple color is accompanied by a closed bouquet of mocha, dried tomato skin, and black fruits. In the mouth, it is one of the most muscular 1997s, exhibiting outstanding concentration, length, intensity, and depth, copious tannin, and a fine mouth-feel. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.Robert Parker | 91 RPDeep red-ruby. Cherry, redcurrant, raspberry, toffee, minerals and iron filings on the nose. Opulent and deep, with a silky, mouthfilling texture and lovely caramel sweetness. Boasts outstanding length for the vintage. Suave and harmonious.Vinous Media | 91-92 VM

The 1998 Calon-Ségur, blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color with just a touch of brick and a very earthy/meaty nose with notions of new leather, smoked game, truffles, dusty soil, iron ore and mossy bark over a core of crème de cassis, preserved plums, spice cake and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of incense. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with spicy and earthy layers with velvety tannins, seamless freshness and great length. Give it 10 to 15+ more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Pungent aromas of ripe fruit and white truffles, turning to blueberry. Full and very ripe, with velvety tannins and a long, lightly raisiny finish. Open it and see.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 9,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA wine of beautiful purity, symmetry, and grace, this complex, dark purple-colored 1998 reveals abundant quantities of black fruits infused with notions of new oak and graphite, medium to full body, sweet tannin, admirable elegance, and beautiful richness. Anticipated maturity: now-2015Robert Parker | 90 RP

(Château Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) As with many of the wines from 1998 that I have tasted recently, the Latour was surprisingly open and approachable. Today the wine has a smoky, almost roasted nose with black plum and fig fruit, hints of smoke, leather, and an undercurrent of ground coffee. The texture is surprisingly open and soft but not falling apart. It is drinking well today and doubtless will hold for another 10 to 15 years but is probably not one for long-term ageing. The spring and the growing season were hot and dry, and although there was rain at harvest the grapes were able to resist rot and dilution due to their thick skins. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 96 DECNo written review provided. | 96 W&SThe 1998 Latour was in fact the first vintage I ever tasted en primeur at the château. It was an early vintage after budburst on 20 March and the picking began on 20 September until 5 October, the Grand Vin a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot (compared to around 9% these days), 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot. It has an open-knit bouquet with notes of black fruit, iron, undergrowth and autumn leaves. You cannot help noticing its rusticity compared to present-day Latour. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced, a tang of soy marking the entry, brambly red berry fruit and an almost Graves-like, tertiary, slightly short finish. It is a mid-weight Latour, one that I cannot envisage improving further but it will cruise at this level for the next decade. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMNot a blockbuster, the 1998 possesses a dark garnet/purple color in addition to a complex bouquet of underbrush, cedar, walnuts, and licorice-tinged black currants. Although medium to full-bodied and moderately tannic, it lacks the expansiveness in the mid-palate necessary to be truly great. Moreover, the tannin is slightly aggressive, although that is hardly unusual in such a young Latour. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPPlenty of raspberry, dark chocolate and mint on the nose. Full-bodied, with licorice and sweet tobacco character and a cedar undertone. Outstanding. Pop the cork.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 19,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

No written review provided | 95 W&SA definitive Pauillac, the dense purple-colored 1998 Pichon-Baron offers up a sweet bouquet of licorice, smoke, asphalt, blackberries, and creme de cassis. In the mouth, the wine is elegant rather than full-blown, with medium body, sweet fruit, nice texture on the attack and mid-palate, and moderate tannin in the long finish. No, this is not as profound as the 1996, 1990 or 1989, but it is an outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.Robert Parker | 90 RP

There’s a firm, juicy pinot noir at the core of this rosé, a bold young wine that’s packed with citrus acidity and intensely concentrated fruit. If you open it now, the wine will need food to bridge its power, whether roast quail with chanterelles or a steak with sautéed wild mushrooms. Or cellar it, relying on the exceptional balance and depth of flavor to sustain the wine as it ages.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 95 W&SExotic notes of toasted coconut and rum spice accent this fresh and elegant rosé, while flavors of macerated cherry and plum, pastry and pomegranate ride the delicate texture. Graceful, with a mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 93 WSCopper-pink with a frothy mousse. Smoky strawberry and cherry aromas are complicated by buttered toast, blood orange and dried flowers. Deep and chewy, with vivid red berry and bitter cherry flavors underscored by dusty minerals. Gains power on the broad, focused and gently nutty finish. Already complex, and ready to drink.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru from Hudelot-Noëllat personifies the vineyard with some style. It has a stunning, pure, elegant and effortless nose that maybe expresses that essence of pinoté better than more than a dozen other Richebourg wines present at this tasting. Raspberry coulis, wild strawberry and cold stone soar from the glass with great focus. The palate is tensile, the red berry fruit laced with orange zest that lends vivacity and energy. To be banal, this is just a Richebourg so well crafted that you want to just drink it rather than intellectualize over its virtues. That’s the sign of a great wine. Drink from 2015-2030.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM(Richebourg- Hudelot-Noëllat) The 1999 Hudelot Richebourg is much more together out of the blocks that the RSV, delivering a complex and compelling bouquet of red plums and cherries, milk chocolate, smoke, venison, minerals, herb tones, hints of forest floor and a stylish coating of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, lush and potentially quite opulent, with excellent focus and polish, packed with fruit at the core, and excellent length and grip on the moderately tannic finish. This does not quite possess the nascent complexity of the Méo Richebourg, but it matches it every step of the way for breed, focus and delineation, Another ringing success for the vintage. While this will be approachable in a few years, I would give it at least eight or nine years to fully open and start hitting on all cylinders. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2010-2040)John Gilman | 94 JG (aged in about 40% new oak, a bit less than in recent vintages): Medium red with modest saturation. Aromas of black raspberry, leather and earth are less pristine than those of today’s wines. Creamy-sweet and spicy in the mouth, with a slightly high-toned quality to its fat flavors of red berries, red cherry, underbrush and leather.Vinous Media | 93 VMClassic Hudelot style with its discreetly elegant nose of spice and beautifully proportioned flavors displaying outstanding richness and perfect acid/fruit balance. Very fine, very long and a Richebourg that delivers finesse rather than power though this is by no means a shrinking violet. In short, this is a complex, long and perfectly balanced effort that has largely reached its apogee.Burghound | 93 BH

Rich and ripe Pinot Noir, black in color, thick in texture, pumping out the flavors. Silky midpalate reveals the pedigree of this wine. Loaded with sweet blackberry character that goes on to a long finish. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBright, deep ruby-red. Complex nose melds violet, bitter chocolate, earth, meat and a hint of medicinal austerity. Dense, rich and thick; a wine of compelling richness and sweetness, but also solidly structured despite its accessibility today. Finishes with lush but firm tannins and exhilarating notes of cassis and violet. Lovely pinot noir.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Extremely ripe with powerful black fruit, wood toast and Vosne spice aromas with tannic, robust flavors yet good finesse on the long finish. This makes a firm statement and has good size to go with the penetrating fruit. (Drink between 2009-2016)Burghound | 90 BH

Deep plum, currant, and mineral notes emerge from the concentrated, beautifully balanced, pure 1999 Haut Brion. It seems to be cut from the same mold as years such as 1979 and 1985. There is a hint of graphite in the abundant fruit. The wine is medium to full-bodied, nuanced, subtle, deep, and provocatively elegant. It is made in a style that only Haut Brion appears capable of achieving. The finish is extremely long, the tannins sweet, and the overall impression one of delicacy interwoven with power and ripeness. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 1999 Haut-Brion is a very fine vintage from the estate, although it is probably overshadowed by the overachieving 1998. This bottle has the sensuality on the nose that I have observed before but is a little more opulent than I recall, yet very delineated with black truffle, cedar and cigar humidor infusing the black fruit. The palate is well balanced with soft, almost velvety tannin. There is a sweet candied core of fruit in situ, laced with orange peel and black cherries. It fans out nicely toward the finish, which is generous rather than complex. Perfect to drink now, though I can envisage this giving another 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMDelivers cooked berries, with light cream aromas that turn to tobacco and cedar. Full-bodied, featuring big, yet well-integrated tannins and a chewy finish. Needs time still to mellow. Serious.—’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Best after 2011. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAromas of tobacco, hints of forest floor. Full-bodied, open and flavorful. Herbs and spice. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JS

Christian Moueix gave the celebratory name Hosanna to Château Certan Guiraud after he purchased it in 1999. He has now made his mark on the property, combining elegance and power. The style of the property seems to hone in on structure and tannins, but the fruit, dense and black, is also there. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis sexy, lush, complex, perfumed Pomerol exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color as well as a knock-out nose of black fruits intermixed with menthol, saddle leather, licorice, and minerals. It is fleshy, silky, and voluptuous in its elegant, feminine style. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RP

The 1999 Griotte is a bit more obviously ripe and generous than the cooler fruit-toned 2001, but it too will make an outstanding bottle of wine at full maturity. It will be interesting to keep tabs on the progress of the 1999 vis à vis the 2001 Griotte over the coming decades, as it is not clear which of these will ultimately be the superior bottling (though I give both vintages the nod over the potential of the 2002 at this early date). The bouquet on the 1999 Griotte is quite beautiful, as it offers up notes of black cherries, a touch of plum, chocolate, grilled meat, a lovely base of soil, woodsmoke and a delicate hint of cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and round on the attack, with a lovely black fruity core, ripe, buried tannins, sound acids and fine length and grip on the very long, meaty finish that closes with a note of bitter chocolate. A most impressive vintage of Griotte from the Drouhins, and one that should still be given another five or six years to fully blossom. Excellent juice. (Drink between 2014 - 2045)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe candied bing cherry-scented 1999 Griotte-Chambertin has a zesty, lively nose as well as a medium to dark ruby-colored character. It is packed with layers of raspberries, blueberries, and jammy cherries whose seamless flavors last from the attack through its supple finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2010.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPWhile there are subtle secondary notes present, this remains largely primary and still quite fresh with mostly red berry fruit that is cut with nuances of earth, roasted cherry and stone hints. There is moderate austerity to the relatively precise and energetic medium-bodied flavors that are presently somewhat lean and while not hard, it’s clear that this is not yet ready for prime time drinking. Save for one recent bottle that was hard to the point of being unpleasant, I have had consistent notes.Burghound | 92 BHPalish red with a brick rim. Mellow, soil-driven scents of coffee, faded rose, mocha, cedar and truffle, with red berry notes in the background; comes across as complex and mature. Quite suave but a bit peppery and lean on first pour, showing moderate flesh but surprising energy thanks to its firm acidity and minerality. Initially seemed a bit lacking in intensity (perhaps from the vintage’s generally high yields) but gained in suppleness and volume with aeration. Finishes with a firm spine of dusty tannins that avoid dryness. I find this quite sexy now with some aeration and would certainly want to drink it within the next several years. Incidentally, Jérôme Faure-Brac did not start vinifying at Drouhin until 2005.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 1999 La Conseillante is probably unfairly over-shadowed by the superb 1998. It has a less expressive bouquet than the previous vintage, yet it remains fresh and vital with red fruit, iron piping, truffle and wilted rose petal aromas that discretely unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and very harmonious. The acidity is just right, allowing the lightly spiced, truffle-tinged fruit to express themselves. It does not possess the depth and length of the 1998 and yet there is an effortless quality to this La Conseillante that means it gives so much pleasure. Very fine. Tasted at La Conseillante vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The black/purple-colored 1999 Montrose offers up notes of pure black fruits intermixed with minerals, smoke, and earth. It is extremely concentrated, surprisingly powerful and dense, with moderate tannin. Its size, strength, and medium to full-bodied personality are atypical for the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 1999 Montrose is a vintage that I have tasted several times over the years. To be frank, there is not much between the Grand Vin and Deuxième Vin at 20 years, with similar blackberry and graphite aromas on the nose. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple black fruit and a fine line of acidity, but clearly not the complexity of more recent vintages. It still has that Pauillac-like finish, but what is missing is a sense of excitement and personality. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A spicy Bordeaux with berries and hints of currants. Full, super round and soft –surrounded by vanilla and blueberry pie. Lovely. Just coming around now. Delicious.James Suckling | 93 JSThe beautiful 1999 Mouton Rothschild may be a modern day clone of their 1962 or 1985. Its saturated ruby/purple color is followed by sumptuous aromas of cedar wood, creme de cassis, wood smoke, coffee, and dried herbs. The wine is forward, lush, and full-bodied. It is already complex as well as succulent, fleshy, and long. Tannin in the finish suggests more nuances will emerge in 4-5 years. It is a complex, classic Mouton. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 93 RPStill showing some vibrant red/black fruit notes, this has some primary characters and firm, grippy tannins which should allow the wine to age for at least another five years. An elegant Mouton with intriguing herbs and spices on the nose, with blackcurrant flavour coming through on the medium-bodied palate. Restrained and understated, although lacking the density of the top vintages. Harvested 24 September to 2 October. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 60% of production used for the Grand Vin. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 93 DECThe 1999 Mouton-Rothschild, which Philippe Dhalluin told me was harvested in one week, has a forward, showy bouquet with more upfront black fruit than the 1999 Lafite-Rothschild I tasted an hour earlier. Blackberry mixes with hints of star anise and light tobacco notes, conveying energy and fine delineation if not the profundity of the greatest vintages. There seems to be a lot of extraction and/or vin de presse here. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and quite dense and grippy in the mouth. There is presence but not the same sophistication that Dhalluin imparts nowadays. A pleasurable Mouton-Rothschild that tries everything to appeal, whereas nowadays it is more effortless. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMDelivers sweet tobacco and plum aromas, with a lovely richness. Full-bodied, featuring lots of cedar, tobacco, chocolate and berry character. Long and silky in the palate. There is no sense in waiting; this is so delicious now.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 20,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

No written review provided. | 92 W&SThe stunning1999 Pape Clement is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot. The wine is performing better from bottle than it did from cask. There is a fabulous bouquet of smoke, blueberries, raspberry cassis, and liquid minerals. This is a medium to full-bodied, layered, concentrated wine with no hard edges. As it sat in the glass, additional aromas of cedar wood, graphite, and cigar smoke emerged. This is a classic, sexy, knock-out Pessac-Leognan with a surprisingly dense, rich style for a 1999. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.Robert Parker | 91 RP