Château Le Boscq 1996

A very good, flavorful ’96, with berries and milk chocolate on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, with medium tannins and a vanilla and fruit aftertaste. Best after 2000. 6,250 cases made.

Deep, saturated purple. An intoxicating amarena bouquet, scented like a truly great Barbera, yet with clear, very ripe cassis notes behind. Juicy, moreish palate, rum-pot nuances in the extract, long finish. Shows its slightly exotic peak form as an up-and-coming Cru Bourgeois.

97: Barrel sample (17/20): intoxicating licorice bouquet, lots of ripe fruit, with nicely accompanying roasted notes. On the palate, plenty of charm and substance, again a great mouth aromatics, peppery extract, persistent flavors. An absolute new discovery in the Saint-Estèphe area. 99: Deep, dense purple. Intoxicating amarena bouquet, smells like a great Barbera, but with a clear, very ripe cassis note behind it. Juicy, easy-drinking palate, rumtopf nuances in the extract, long finish. Shows its slightly exotic top form as a rising Cru Bourgeois. 04: Rich bouquet with nut and cinnamon aromas, behind that plums and impressive depth. On the palate, plush, already showing round, full tannins. Tremendous fun. 17/20 to drink – 2016

Fruity, medium-intensity bouquet. Full palate with good tannins. Medium-length finish. 16/20

Dark red color. Good intensity. Lively. Lovely. Nose of medium intensity. Discreet. Quite fresh. Spicy, with a rather lovely and elegant combination of fresh fruit/spice/wood. Juicy on swirling. Fresh. Very blackcurrant. Pure and delicate. Fresh, soft, and very fruity attack developing into a savory structure, constantly full of freshness and fruit. The body is good and the whole quite tannic, but with elegance and plenty of aromas on the finish. Perhaps the grain could prove more refined in other vintages. Long finish. A wine for aging.