1996 Chassagne Montrachet Les Embrazees
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Tasting notes
The 1996 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Embrazees, aged in 30% new oak barrels, is one of the finest Embrazees I've tasted from Bernard Morey. It combines the depth and power generally associated with this vineyard to this vintage's trademark acidity, creating a profound wine with outstanding ripeness, elegance, refinement and focus. Aromatically it reveals earthy floral scents and its medium-to-full-bodied flavor profile is packed with minerals, white flowers, pears, and anise. This silky-textured, complex, and concentrated wine has great balance and a pure, delineated finish. Projected maturity: 2001-2006. I was tremendously impressed with the quality of Morey's 1996s. While I generally had a slight preference for most vignerons' 1995s because of that vintage's extraordinary concentration, I feel that 1996's crisp, focused, and vibrant profile married admirably well with Morey's rich, plump, and ripe winemaking style. These are some of the finest wines I have tasted from this consistently first rate estate. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Pierre Rovani
More reviews and scores
Complex nose combines lime oil, truffle, a mealy nuance and smoky, charred oak; quite ethereal for this wine. Fat and silky, but sharply delineated thanks to thoroughly embedded, ripe acids. This cuvee's tendency toward exotic fruit has been nicely counterbalanced by the vintage's racy acidity.