Wines from 1996

• Bordeaux. A classic Left Bank vintage: the cabernet sauvignon in Pauillac and Saint-Julien ripened superbly. The Right Bank was more uneven.
• Burgundy. Fresh, lively wines with high acidity and tension. The whites and Chablis are especially praised.
• Champagne. A legendary year, with the rare combination of high ripeness and high acidity.
• Italy. In Piedmont, powerful, taut Barolo with long ageing potential.

Also in 1996: Dolly, the first cloned mammal, is born in Scotland.