1996 Gevrey Chambertin Les Combottes
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Tasting notes
The wine could possibly be described as tannic. It is a saturated, medium-to-dark-colored wine. Aromatically revealing blackberries, cassis, violets, and Asian spices dusted with cinnamon, this backward, tightly-wound, and introverted wine is a bruiser. It is powerful, highly-structured, massively-concentrated, foursquare, full-bodied, masculine, and jam-packed with stewed blackberries, plums, earth and rock-like flavors. It should be at its peak between 2004 and 2010. Importers: Martine's Wines, Inc., San Rafael, CA; tel (415) 485-1800, and Paterno Imports, Chicago, IL; tel (847) 604-8900.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Pierre Rovani
More reviews and scores
Very deep ruby-red. Reticent blueberry and mineral nose offers an intriguing saltiness. Wonderfully intense, juicy and penetrating on the palate. Extremely unevolved and wrapped up in its own structure. With a bit less density and buffering extract, this comes across as harder today than the Clos de la Roche. This, too, will require extended cellaring.
About the producer
For many, Domaine Leroy represents the pinnacle of fine Burgundy. Owned and run by the legendary Lalou Bize-Leroy, the domaine in Vosne-Romanée is one strand of the Leroy empire, along with Maison Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay.