Allen Meadows - Score: 95 (2006 October)

The '96 is a great example of how deceiving light color can be with fine Burgundy as this is not much darker than a typical Beaujolais yet the wine offers penetrating, lively, in fact textbook Clos des Ducs aromas of dried rose petals and sour cherries plus fresh pinot fruit of uncanny, laser-like focus. The purity here is really sensational as there is an intensely tactile impression of stones on the palate and outstanding precision. The wine is quite structured but the structure is subtle, almost hidden as though it were simply a background nuance rather than the framework within which the rest of the components are allowed to express themselves. More obviously acidic than the '97 or '98 yet the '96 remains impeccably balanced with superb finesse and a finely wrought interplay of acid and fruit that continues into the long, silky finish. Quite simply, this is a dazzlingly good young Clos des Ducs. Consistent notes.