91+ 1996 Henri Gouges Nuits St. Georges Les Vaucrains 6/21/09 ($55)
13% alc
Color: Medium, mature Burgundy with some onion skin and clearing, but far from old. Looks ready. (3.0) Bouquet: Black truffles, gray clay, wet leaves and beef broth nuances complementing sweet black cherry fruit. Rich and full, yet elegant. (3.5) Body: Light heavyweight with perfect balance of fruit-to-acid-to-tannin. Combo of tannin and fruit coat the mouth. Tannin is still slightly austere. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but more restrained with some tight tannins. (3.0) Finish: Long and full, but the nuances are not totally open and slightly chalky tannins linger. (3.0)
Overall: The structure and balance here are impressive, but it still needs time to open totally. Forceful, yet elegant with interesting, developed nuances of black truffles and wet leaves, complementing black cherry fruit. Shows impressive tannic structure for its age and should continue to gain complexity with time. Probably needs another 2-4 years to be at its best. If drinking now decant for 2 hours. (16.0)
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