1996 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

While it's the Médoc that tends to steal the limelight in this vintage, the 1996 Haut-Brion, the fruit of a strict selection, is a brilliant wine and comparatively underestimated today. Wafting from the glass with aromas of tobacco leaf, sweet currant fruit, loamy soil, cedar box and camphor, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and intense, with a deep core of fruit, sweet tannins and a long, sapid finish. Drink 2023 - 2046.

96/100, William Kelley, Wine Advocate (December 2023)