Tasting Notes
Vinous 96
Good dark red; not crystal-clear. Very ripe, musky, multidimensional nose combines blackberry, raspberry, violet, earth, game, black pepper and herbs, plus a positive vegetal nuance. Plush, silky and very ripe but not particularly sweet, with concentrated dark fruit, spice and pepper flavors complicated by a hint of prune. ("More fruit ripeness than the ’15," noted Aubert de Villaine just moments after we had tasted the ’15 La Tâche) Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a note of licorice. Not particularly high in acidity but this extremely complex wine is still just short of its peak drinking window.
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2039
JancisRobinson.com 19.0
Very deep blackish ruby – much deeper than most red burgundies. Actually overnight dregs in an open bottle did not hold up in terms of freshness as well as those of the Mugnier Amoureuses 2001 tasted alongside. Very massive wine that’s still brooding and probably needs a few more years to show its best but it’s certainly impressive! Great throat warming stuff with real structure and vibrato fruit in the middle. Not to be ignored!
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035
Robert Parker 100
Tasted at the La Tâche vertical at The Square. Having not tasted the La Tâche 1999 since it had been bottled, I was intrigued to see how it was developing. Monumentally, is the correct answer. First and foremost this is a seriously long-term La Tâche that is maturing at a glacial pace. Indeed, I left most in my glass and waited for it to open. An hour later and it was firing on all cylinders. It is blessed with an incredibly intense, powerful nose that loses its broodiness with aeration and eventually unveils a crystalline set of mineral-soaked aromatics that sport a decadent, almost exotic floral note-wilted violets and potpourri. The palate has a quite astonishing structure, but it is more the symmetry that makes this one of the greatest vintages of recent years. It unfolds with daring passion to reveal layers of plush but focused dark plum and cassis fruit that just seem to flow and flow on the never-ending finish. It is a multifaceted, multidimensional masterpiece that really needs another decade in bottle.
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2060
