Bright deep red. Intoxicating aromas of raspberry, smoked meat, underbrush and oak char, plus an almost exotic sweetness. Sweet, pure fruit began a bit reticent but exploded with aeration to show great thrust and pinot tang. Despite its substantial volume, this wine's fresh berry flavors are sharply delineated. Sweetly oaky in the mouth and on the suavely tannic, very long finish. Finishing note of cinnamon.

The 1996 Chambertin Clos de Beze, here tasted blind, has wonderful delineation on the nose that displays a slightly ferrous scent that becomes accentuated with time. Later, there are suggestions of oxtail and briary. The palate is medium-bodied and is at full maturity, There is an autumnal haze around this Clos de Beze, with a leathery finish that demonstrates good persistency, if not nearly the class of the Chambertin '96. I would drink this over the next decade.

Robert Parker''s Wine Advocate 31/08/1998 This dark ruby-colored wine exhibits a nose of charred oak encrusted with blackberries, cassis, and stones. It has a full-bodied, expansive, highly-defined, complex, and silky-textured personality that possesses black cherries, iron, minerals, gravel, and cassis. This firm and highly structured wine will require cellaring. Projected maturity: 2005-2012. As far as the 1996 vintage is concerned, Rousseau''s comments were bluntly candid - "the North wind is concentration. It saves a harvest, prevents rot, concentrates color and sugar, concentrates everything we want. 1996 is better than 1990, it may be too early to say, but there, I said it." With that, Rousseau picked up one of the tastevins hanging on the wall (these are the small, wide, shallow, and traditional silver utensils used for tasting. As far as I know he is the only Burgundian who continues to use them on a regular basis), and the tasting began. ()

Incredibly vinous, pure, pretty and exquisite aromas of dark fruit, spices, indeed positively kaleidoscopic in breadth followed by tannic, sappy, intense, remarkably complex flavors whose only deficit is a bit of density. Fresh, long and beautiful and this should age for a very long time as the balance here is first rate.

Blackish ruby. Transparent. Something very slightly mouldy on the nose. Lots of acidity and very tough with a hint of Fruitella candy. Not pure I’m afraid. A bit dead on the finish. Drinking range ?? (JR)