Unauthorized

I had not been to Lucerne since 1972, and it was wonderful to get back to this beautiful Swiss town with its medieval atmosphere and gorgeous lakeside views. It was even better to be there on a crisp, cold January day with light snow falling. My wife and I, along with some friends, went to the Brasserie Bodu, which is just off the lake's edge, and enjoyed some spectacular weinerschnitzel with homemade french fries. With that we drank two glorious 1996 Bordeaux that performed even better than I remembered. The 1996 Pape Clément, a château that is clearly on a mission to make first-growth quality wines, exhibited a deep ruby/purple color along with notes of licorice, scorched earth, black fruits, and chocolate. This full-bodied 1996 can be drunk now or cellared for 15 more years. The dark blue/purple-colored 1996 Angélus offered wonderfully sweet black fruit characteristics intermixed with notions of smoke, espresso roast, and blueberries. Rich and concentrated, it was showing surprisingly well since this was a vintage that favored the Médoc's late picked Cabernet Sauvignon more than the right bank appellations. This terrific wine will last another 10-15 years.