Gaillard, Cote Rotie other_regions_australia The 1996 Branaire-Ducru is a

The 1996 Branaire-Ducru is a delightful vintage and represents the pinnacle of that decade

which resulted in high skin-to-juice ratios

full and nicely round on the concentrated mid-palate underpinned by dense but fine tannins with more obvious depth and length

and mineral already very clearly in evidence

Shows a sappy

Gaillard, Cote Rotie other_regions_australia The 1996 Branaire-Ducru is aBought en primeur from The Wine Society. Discreet nose, somewhat coy in a closed phase? There's faint black pepper and restrained black cherry. The palate is a bit meatier, with very soft tannins and moderate but refreshing acidity. Length is okay, although it isn't as expressive as the appellation should be, arguably. A church mouse style, and less memorable than when I tasted it en primeur. A few days later, however, the rest of the bottle was