Decadent and rich, with wild mushrooms, plum and hints of citrus fruit. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Complex, with toasted oak, coffee and ripe fruit. It goes on and on. Wonderful. Big surprise. Get it. One of the best Right Bank wines in 1996.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. JS

Good medium-dark red. Vinous aromas of redcurrant, tobacco and smoky, nutty oak. Silky but penetrating in the mouth; an elegantly styled wine with good extract and a light gamey nuance. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and very good persistence. This and the '95 will make a fascinating pair of vintages to follow: the '95 is denser and more merlot-dominated, while this is downright suave.

Tasted from bottle at Mark Walford’s annual lunch at Waterside Inn. Alexandre Thienpont produced a commendable VCC in a difficult vintage. It has an open-knit, inviting bouquet with dark plum, cherry and roasted chestnuts emerging with time. There is still just a tincture of brettanomyces here, although less evident compared to other bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, clean line of acidity. The fruit profile is black rather than red with notes of Chinese tea and a touch of mint on the finish. Very fine, although I cannot see it improving from here.

Tasted three times from bottle in January, the 1996 merited a slightly higher score on one occasion, but my policy is to go with the more conservative rating. The wine exhibits a dark plum color, and a complex nose of roasted herbs, Asian spices, earth, and sweet black cherry fruit. A refined claret, with excellent concentration, a sweet mid-palate, and moderate tannin in the finish, it is a finesse-styled Pomerol.