Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Thalabert, 1996

I have tasted so many great Thalaberts from the 1980s and early 1990s that I was ready to be disappointed by this 1996, which was not the greatest vintage and produced at a time when many changes were taking place at the estate. But Domaine Thalabert never disappoints me.

Medium light crimson, a solid cork and very little sediment. For an hour or so, the bouquet is a bit muted, but the flavors are classic Thalabert. The scents that emerge over time are well worth the wait. Red and black fruits, grilled tomatoes, a hint of black pepper. Acidity that keeps the lovely flavors moving down the tongue from front to back. Comes at you from many directions, twists and turns, highs and lows. Teases and pleases. Of course, it does not measure up to the 1983, 1990, 1988 or 1991, but it is still top of the line red Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage. I love it.