The 1998 Richebourg Grand Cru likely made for quite dramatic drinking in its youth, but today, it comes across as rather stylized, its aromas of dark cassis fruit competing with lavish applications of toasty new oak that contribute prominent aromas of caramel, vanilla and spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and ample but not terribly harmonious, with unresolved oak tannins poking out on the back end. This was a challenging vintage, of course, but the 1996 Richebourg has not aged especially gracefully.