1996 Domaine Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Clos St. Jacques"

“Very saturated red-ruby. Bright, sweet black raspberry and cassis nose. Very sweet and intensely flavored, but bracing acidity gives the wine great dynamism and cut. Really explosive in the mouth. Very long, vibrant finish. Grand cru quality. (ST)” (03/1998)

“The ’96 Jadot Clos St. Jacques is a fair bit more backward than the Estournelles St. Jacques, but it also shows an extra dimension on both the nose and palate in comparison to that very good wine. The bouquet is deep, complex and very classy in its mélange of black cherries, dark berries, a touch of mint, woodsmoke, incipient grilled meats, espresso and a profoundly complex base of black minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very intensely flavored, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent focus and balance, moderate tannins, tangy acids and simply superb length and grip on the still fairly primary finish. A fine, fine wine in the making, I would give this at least another six years in the cellar before thinking about broaching it in earnest.” (10/2011)

“This wine is often of grand cru quality. Medium-to-dark ruby-colored and offering lovely aromas of roses, currants, and raspberries, this wine is admirably expressive yet introverted - it's made for the long haul. It is a feminine, highly-structured, and vibrant wine filled with super-sweet red and black fruits. This focused, defined, and classy offering also possesses an extraordinarily long finish. (PR)” (08/1998)

“A fresh and cool nose requires a considerable amount of air to really open before revealing discreetly earthy and spicy dark berry fruit aromas that display only hints of secondary development. There is good vibrancy to the detailed and overtly mineral-driven flavors that possess good depth on the mouth coating finish. There is still a firm acid spine that isn't really aggressive but is sufficient to dry the finish slightly and as such, cuts it shorter than it would otherwise be. While it certainly could be held without risk, I would advise beginning to drink this now. Another bottle was more advanced but more complex and ultimately more interesting. Both bottles were from the same case.” (06/2013)