Romanée Conti, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1996

This is backward to the point of being almost inexpressive though with extended airing, subtle aromas of black fruit, hoisin, spice, underbrush, anise and violets frame understated, refined, elegant and classy flavors of incredible breed and fantastic complexity. This will live for decades and it is so young that it hasn't even begun to reveal what it will ultimately be capable of delivering. And like the 2001 version, the transparency here is nothing short of remarkable. In short, opening a bottle anytime before 2012 will indeed be egregious infanticide and as the drinking window suggests, patience is required, or if need be, at least three hours of in a decanter. Consistent notes.