1996 Vosne-Romanée, Cros-Parantoux, 1er Cru, Emmanuel Rouget, Burgundy

The 1996 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1er Cru should be considered a success for the vintage for Emmanuel Rouget, delivering pure redcurrant intermixed with kirsch and orange blossom. Some background VA never really interferes. There’s fine delineation here—in fact, the aromatics gain precision with aeration—alongside an agreeable peaty scent. The palate is very well balanced with fine-boned tannins. Soy-tinged red fruit segues into blacker, tarry fruit toward the finish, which has a slight rambunctiousness you occasionally find among 1996 Côte de Nuits. This coheres beautifully in the glass. À point.

94/100, Neal Martin (February 2025)