Advice on Prieure Lachine (1996)

I have acquired a bottle (just one) of chateau Prieure Lichine 1996 (Margaux) Has anyone else tried this wine in this vintage? I'm finding mixed reviews as to maturity levels/drinkability now. I am about to make a drive over to Napa (where I have rented a wine locker) so I need to decide whether to put it away for a couple of years-or drink it soon. Help!

Brian,

I think you can trust Robert Parker's opinion that it is open-knit and not a long-term keeper. He has rarely if ever steered me wrong in his front-end plateau analyses. He often thinks Bordeaux are over the hill long before I do, however.

If by "just acquired" you mean the bottle has traveled recently, I would let it rest a few weeks before drinking it; but you are probably well aware of that aspect.

Covert

Thanks. No glamorous travel involved, except perhaps from the distributor's warehouse. Vacaville has a new BevMore store (first in my County), and I had to check it out. My Visa is still weeping.

The clerk implied that it shoul be drunk pretty soon, so....this year, for certain.