Still not great wine but significantly improved from a few years ago when my first bottle seemed unfocused, a bit dull like many other 1997s. This time, it has begun to take shape with a gentle, rounded acidity and a subtle but noticeable mineral top note. These were purchased not as trophy bottles, instead for celebrating anniversaries. Quite enjoyable now and it seems there will be good upside development as the fat drops away and these develop additional character. Very fine sediment required decanting, and this was better over the first hour or two than later.

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Very floral and nicely spicy with elegant, relatively fine flavors that display solid intensity though less body and sappiness than the '98. There is very good supporting acidity which tends to highlight the lighter but nicely focused, medium weight flavors. A very good rather than great La Tâche.

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Dark-colored, the aromatically tight 1997 La Tache reveals Asian spices, pepper, cherries and black currants. This is a velvety-textured, expansive, and massively ripe wine boasting flavors reminiscent of licorice and blackberry jam. It has superb depth of fruit (particularly for this sometimes 'simple' vintage), medium-to-full body, and admirable length to its supple finish. (PR)

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Full red-ruby. Expressive, slightly roasted aromas of strawberry, plum, currant, licorice, roasted nuts, game, mocha and smoke. Big, round and complex; thick and ripe. Like a couple of the preceding wines, the fruit is somewhat suppressed today. But this offers the most texture of the DRC '97s to this point. Finishes ripe and very long. (ST)

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