Unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, the 1996 Côte Rôtie La Turque is sheer genius from this team and has more depth, density, and opulence than just about every other wine in the vintage. Still ruby/plum-hued with almost no lightening at the rim, this stunning effort offers a concentrated, full-bodied, yet focused, structured mouthfeel as well as that classic gamey, floral, red, blue, and black fruit character that's always present in this cuvée. It's oak, acidity, and tannins are perfectly integrated, it's flawlessly balanced, and it still has another two decades of longevity if it's been well stored.

Wine Advocate February, 2001

The 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque possesses a dark, saturated ruby/purple color, aromas of caramel, vanillin, and smoked cherry jam, medium to full body, outstanding ripeness, a plush, surprisingly soft finish, and loads of glycerin. This effort should be drunk over the next 12-15 years.

The 1996 Cote Rotie La Turque possesses a dark, saturated ruby/purple color, aromas of caramel, vanillin, and smoked cherry jam, medium to full body, outstanding ripeness, a plush, surprisingly soft finish, and loads of glycerin. This effort should be drunk over the next 12-15 years. Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153

Deeper ruby-red. Lively aromas of black cherry, spice, tar and grilled ham. Outstanding depth and sweetness of fruit, if less sharply delineated today than the Mouline. Comes across as quite oak-spicy on the aftertaste today; indeed, I found this wine rather dominated by the wood a year ago as well. Enticing brown spices and very lush tannins on the firm finish.