Playing with the search function, I came across a thread from 12/19 entitled “My concerns my 1995 Bdx would never come around were unfounded”:
Some interesting and reassuring reading in there for those of us waiting on our 95s.
Also, a 95 vs 96 showdown back in 2016, where 95 acquitted itself quite well:
http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6393&p=49660&hilit=1995+Pichon+Lalande+Poyferre+corked#p49660
FWIW a Bordeaux buddy and I last year enjoyed both the 90 & 96 Margaux together at a dinner. While the 90 was at its peak, full, round and generous, delicious really, the 96 was on a whole other level. It was beautiful, high-toned, crystalline, with a purity and youthful exuberance you rarely find in a 24 year old wine. To me this was the hallmark of the best left bank wines. And it’s noteworthy that all of the 1st growths excelled as well as most of the usual suspects below them as well. This rarely is the case, even in most good vintages.
To me 96 is a supremely great vintage for Cabernet on the left bank. I think the top wines are just entering their long peak drinking window. The 95s, on the other hand, not so much. They are certainly more inconsistent, and I’m not sure how they will evolve further from here. I didn’t buy right bank 95s but I am holding out hope on the top lefties I have ie. Lafite, Mouton, Latour, LLC and PL.
This thread has awakened a keen desire to start some serious post-COVID cellar Bordeaux tastings! 
Thanks, Pat, for those links…that does indeed brighten my hopes for the eventual 95 outcome!
Very amusing: “The hype over the 1996 vintage in Bordeaux has been amazing, despite the overwhelming superiority of the 1995 vintage.”
Sucking gave only 9.6% of the '96s scores over 90, compared to 38% of the '95s.
'Nuf said.
(Keith - Do you have a stash of 20-plus-year-old Spectators?)
I kept some old ones for sentimental value. That issue was the first wine mag I ever bought! You should see the prices in some of the ads.
Deleted.
I think I still have the issue of barrel tastings of the 86 Bordeauxs where most classified growths scored in the 70s or low 80s. A year later, they were revised up 10 points or 20 points.
That’s awesome, Keith. I remember seeing that issue on the shelves in wine shops.
First, Suckling in 1998 on 1995 Bordeaux: “Bordeaux this young should not taste this good…”
And then Parker’s report a year later, where he called the 1996 cabernet the ripest in 50 years.
TBH, I’ve stopped thinking about when classed growths are enjoyable (lol, it always seemed like never). As I only have a smattering of '96 2nds, I figured I’d start to check in at 25+ years and more likely 30 as of now. I’d be quite surprised if they were dead at that point.
Regret i didn’t buy more 95 those days.
Sure they will develop nicely in next 10 up to 20 years to come. Some are ready to drink already, most will be i’m sure. If you plan to sell yours let me know please, i’m a buyer.
The comparison to 1970 is a good one imo.
1996 is a good, but not an excellent vintage in Medoc with exception of a few stunning excellent wines from the northern part of Medoc like i.e Chateau Latour, LLC, Lafite, Ducru to name a few.
Most of middle range crus drink nicely for some years already und will for 10 more years+.
Won’t buy more of 96 cause own a lot and 00, 05, 10 and 16 waiting in my cellar and will be more than a substitute in times to come.
Interesting topic, thanks for starting and for others to chime in, especially with at the time reviews.
I bought, cellared, and drank a lot of these wines only because of circumstances. At the time I had the cellar space + disposable income, with no marital spending oversight, nor pets breaking my stemware! And fortuitously for those vintages, the wines were dramatically cheaper then. Even if they felt somewhat more expensive compared to the prior few years of low prices (and low quality). I remember grousing about the 95 l’Evangile compared to the 93 l’Evangile (a 3 pack for $100).
Watching the 95 Medocs sort of evolve over the years - in real time - must have been how older enthusiasts felt about 66, 75, and 86 - years that were real vin de garde. I have few left - maybe none? - and much preferred the right banks that year. I still have a few Libournias left, and for the most part, they have been lovely for the last 15+ years. In my youth, and with no foresight of how fast the prices could/would rise, I drank some of the better right banks way too young.
Personally I have liked how the 96 Medocs have been, even if many of those now (for me) are mature, or starting to fade. They do taste leaner than modern climate change affected years though. I never bought more than a handful of the 96 right banks (and mostly by accident) and even those were sent packing at some point. Hard wines I thought.
It felt like in the 90’s enthusiasts generally regarded 1995 as the more complete, all around vintage, and it seemed to have some marketplace regard. Even if critics suggested that collectors might be better off with 96 Medocs and the 98 Libournaise if they were not slavish to the year on the bottle. I actually did mostly take the latter path, but it wasn’t obvious/consensus at the time, and some of that was just luck/timing/money.
For everyone beating up on 1996…please try some Pichon Lalande! It feels like its hardly missed a beat over the years. It’s little brother drank amazingly well too for a decade.
My overall view is that the 1995 Medocs underwhelmed, 1995 right banks did better than expected while the 1996 Medocs were as promised. I didn’t think collectors expected much from 1996 right banks, but I suppose if they were in the right names, it must have workedout. It wasn’t the 96 Medoc’s fault that latter years ended up being so much bigger.
'96 Margaux is my favorite of the vintage. I think the only left bank '96 of the better wines that I’ve tasted that disappointed is Cos.
I also agree with Jeff . The 1995 vintage is not a great vintage ( there are some great wines like Lafite and Haut Brion ) . In 1996 , Medoc was much better and I like wines like Mouton , Montrose and Margaux . The hype came from the fact that 91 , 92 , 93 and 94 were average at best .
Still waiting.
I was going to write just that and leave it. But why not jump in.
My view is Bordeaux drinkers are much better served by drinking their 1990s and earlier (and 2000), and giving the 1995s and 1996s more time. Pat, I don’t think 1986s were ready by 2008. Some are still not really ready. 1989s are just grumpily starting to really go.
If even 1978s can seemingly take a leap forward as I feel they have in the past 5 years or so, if 1975s can soften after 35-40 years, etc., etc., I’m confident in the patience route. There’s nothing wrong with wines that take 30 years before prime drinking. That was the expectation for Bordeaux with firm tannins at the time. History had shown that. The 1989s had just recently shut down hard when 95 and 96 were being hyped.
As for hype that occurred in 1996-1998 for what was on sale then, honestly, I just don’t care. I certainly bought some wines off that hype. And sold some of them long after (e.g., 1995 Lynch Bages) and bought others (e.g., 1995 Calon Segur, 1995 VCC and Magdelaine). There are very good wines in both vintages.
Because of this, I didn’t have an option in the poll I could choose.
Let’s revisit this topic after the 30 year tastings.
I also strongly prefer 1996 vs. 1995 in the Medoc. The only exception in my (limited) tasting is Calon Segur for which the 1995 has shown well.
Herwig - fixed it for you… you’re giving way too much credit to 91/92/93 if using a modern lens. 
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Regards,
Peter
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The only '95’s that we have left are the Pichon Comtesse and Ducru, and both are excellent, IMO. We have much more 1996 than 1995 cellared. We have had a few side-by-side (Both Pichons, Lynch, Leoville Barton, Ducru and Cos) and always thought the 1996 wines were better, at least for this small sample size.
Ed
Bought more 1995 than 1996 and wish it was the other way around. However I have enjoyed bottles of both vintages and remain hopeful that both vintages will improve with more time in the cellar.
Cheers,
Doug
Thanks for the thread! 1995 and 1996 were about 10 years before I started drinking wine and 20 years before I started drinking French wine but I did just pick up a '96 Ducru and a '95 LLC since I’ve never tried any aged classified Bordeaux before and I’m curious what I should expect. Interesting to hear the different thoughts.
Has anyone had the '95 Latour recently?