92 1996 V. Girardin Pommard 1er Cru Les Chanlins VV 1/21/06 ($50 )
12.5% alc
Color: Medium deep raspberry tea. Looks like mature Burgundy, but not overly. (3.0) Bouquet: Very aromatic and lively cola, with wet leaves, cinnamon and a little cedar and black truffle. (3.0) Body: Solid middleweight to light heavyweight with persistent fruit and complexity for its age, comes off surprisingly youthful in fact. Excellent driven acidity with smooth tannins. (4.0) Flavor: Classy, smooth cola, wet leaves and cedar. Not particularly complex, but its body and structure make it particularly satisfying. (3.0) Finish: Parallels bouquet step-for-step with the youthful drive of a great vintage. (3.0)
Overall: Very solid, but could be more impressive in the details. Its youthful vigor makes me suspect that it may get better with 1-2 more years of age. When I compare this to the ’99 Chapponieres, the difference between the two vintages becomes clear. This tastes younger than the Chapponieres in many respects even though it is 3 years older. In quality and drinkability, though, the two wines are close right now. (16.0)