From a dinner of leg of lamb with friends that started with an excellent bottle of Pol Roger NV:
1996 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (1/16/2010)
There is a reason first growths are first growths. This is just beginning to reach its plateau of maturity and defines what makes a site great. 1996 didn't reach its heights in Graves, and this is not a big wine. Only medium bodied and not overly fruited. But it has an intoxicating nose that kept shifting and gaining depth. Tannins are integrated with perfect balance, the finish was persistent and linear. It tasted like Haut Brion. (94 pts.)
1996 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (1/16/2010)
Definitive Lynch Bages. Lots of ripe black and red fruit, tannins on the back end that are becoming well integrated, and the sense of strong BDX. Like a slightly less complex 1989. Will keep improving for a while, but all about power and not grace. (92 pts.)
Two extremely good wines, where I would pick the Haut Brion every day of the week and I suspect most people, especially people who aren't wine geeks, would pick the easy access and size of the Lynch Bages. Give me complexity every time.
I don't remember ever tasting the Haut Brion, but I recall disliking the 1996 La Mission. That wine was so tannic and unyielding I didn't think it would be ready in my lifetime. I'm glad the Haut Brion did it for you Ed.
