A few 96’s of late have really shown well.
1996 D’Angerville Volnay ‘Clos des Ducs’:Opened a magnum of this about 8 hours before serving and it was humming. It is so pure and rocky with terrific earthy detail. There are crisp red and black fruits and wonderful balance and proportion. It has a core of deliciously sweet fruit and finishes with superb cut.
Cheers
Jeremy
agreed. showing real well.
I’ve also noticed reports on 96 being surprisingly open.
A 96 Dujac Echezeaux was also showing well.
Hope a 96 Drouhin Musigny does the same.
of course Mr. Holmes’ title could also be taken the opposite direction 
My last two 96s, though village, have been great. Still very primary.
1996 Vogue CM Premier Cru drank great on Saturday night at our mid vintage dinner at Fermentasia, great to see Jeremy even has his great looking mugshoot on the menu (must be a first)… and the past couple 96 Vogue’s have been a little disappointing
MT
Michael, if you walked the 100 metres down the main street and ate there every week they would put a picture of you on the menu as well.
Been saying it for the last year or so.
'96s are coming on. Loving the vintage right now.
That Ducs sounds great, Jerermy.
96 Rousseau chambertin recently was amazing.
I’ve followed the vintage since it was new, and learned a great deal. When it was ten years old the fruit often seemed stewed and old while the structure showed no sign of yielding at all. If one had believed the nonsense about evolution being a fight between fruit and tannin one would have given up at that point, as many foolishly did. Many wines are starting to show wonderfully well in the kind of genuinely youthful way that I really enjoy and I fully expect the vintage,along with 95, to provide decades of joy.
When I tasted the 96ers from barrel ( and also when just bottled ) , I loved them for their purity , freshness and vibrancy . Then they started to shut down completely , showing an almost steely character , no sweetness , hard wines , almost severe . I will still wait till 2016 before I taste them again . But this is good news .
Fourrier clos st. jacques and chevillon vaucrains are both in fabulous drinking windows.
96 Gros Freres Grands Echezeaux yesterday was just singing. So colorful and vibrant.
Yes, some 1996s are coming into kind of drinkability - and can (soon?) be enjoyed by people who like their Burgs on the younger side.
However, I had several wines from 1995 and 1996 - or 1996/1997 - or all 3 side by side over the last months, and the most enjoyable vintage for now is 1997 (provided fine producers and Crus).
Even 1995 seems to be closer to maturity than 1996 most of the times, but the harshness, forthcoming acidity and tannic bite that was typical for 1996 even in Village wines and lesser 1er Crus seems to soften and develope into a certain harmony with time.
Still there are some top Crus that are not really mature - and I don´t see any necessity to hurry with the 1996s in general, almost all will be better in 3-5 years, and many only really ready in 10+ years. If you like your Burg with real sweetness and open depth: be patient (unless you still have a full case of a certain wine).
As is so often the case, Jeremy, we agree. I love a lot of 96s I have had over the last couple of years. Had a D’Angerville Volnay Premier Cru a couple of years ago that was just beautiful. Try 96 Jadot CSJ.
Tom,
I had the same experience with 88s. Learned my lesson then.
1996 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Haut Pruliers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (3/15/2013)
Very translucent brick-red. A billowing, beautiful nose of fresh cherries and loam, the aromas striking me as very typically Burgundian. The mouthfeel is soft but retains a little rusticity. The palate’s attack is ripe cherry fruit while the mid-palate thins out showing the wine’s pleasing acidic structure. The finish brings back cherries and tartness, fading away like mist in the sun. (90 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
The Rion PC 1996s have always been delicious, and have never shut down. I bought three cases ten years ago at auction, and we have been slowly getting through them. Always a pleasure, never shut down, easy meat and potatoes Burgundy.
Dujac CSD recently was superb, the Truchot had a little shrillness, but it did settle down. Some Ecard Savignys were very good, and last month I had my final bottle of the Serpentieres, which was really strutting.
Thanks for reminding Jeremy - just dug out a 96 Savigny 1er for the evening…
+1 on this, for sure, Herwig. I am happy to make my bets on a vintage when tasting it in barrel…every vintage I’ve tasted that way, especially 1988, 1990, 1993, and 1996 have gone through lots of odd stages, but…as they’ve come out the “other end”, they’ve only confirmed what they showed in barrel.
I’ve not thought much about this issue, but when I see a post like yours…it does confirm what I’ve always suspected about the best way to get a handle on and really assess a vintage’s character. Takes lots of work and effort…but…it does make the patience pay off, while the wines get their unpleasant growing pains resolved.