Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

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Comte Flaneur
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Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Comte Flaneur »

London merchant Berry Bros held a 2016 Bordeaux tasting last night with an impressive line up of estates including some big names outside the first growths.

For someone who has been buying EP for well over 20 years you tend to follow your nose and you trust your instincts. For that you have to rely on quantitative data but more on qualitative insights from those you trust.

By the time I tasted these wines I had already committed significant sums of money to the vintage and was mindful, as one commentator noted, that these wines in their embryonic state may not travel well.

At the event there were 117 wines, so it was not realistic to pass judgement on all of them in under three hours, so here are some general and specific observations.

⁃ 2016 is a dream come true. If it is not the best vintage it is one of the most exciting because quite simply the wines seem to tick all my boxes. The 2016 vintage moves the game on from previous star vintages like 2005 (highly/too? extracted), 2009 (too opulent? and Californian?) and 2010 (too clinical and forceful?). The 2016s are generally significantly lower in alcohol and have a deftness of touch, levity, and sprightliness that these other vintages lack. Yes this has to do with the waning influence of Robert Parker. Recent vintages have been moving in that direction but the 2016 vintage really confirms it, as did several of the winemakers last night. There are some brilliant expressions of terroir on both banks, especially on the left. There is plenty of fruit and opulence in these wines, but at the same time they posses perfect equilibrium and gravitas.

What was helpful was that many of the winemakers - and what a great turnout! - brought along other vintages to benchmark along side their latest offering.

Brief impressions:

Pichon Lalande 2016 - a phenomenal wine, with amazing precision, fruit and creaminess. Astonishing quality here. I suspect that this will set a new benchmark for this estate surpassing the 1996, and who knows the 1982? Buy it. Subjective score 98-100.

Pichon Baron 2016 - it suffered in comparison but is still a fabulous wine - as you would of course expect. My lesson is than the 2016 shows the Comtessa can scale higher highs and may deserve to trade at a slight premium to Baron. Forget the comparatives this is a fine Baron, much more quintessentially Pauillac than exotic. However I would put this behind the 2010 (not tried the 2015). 5-7. Note all scores begin with a 9.

Leoville-Lascases 2016 - a wine that takes your breath away with it precision and graphite-etched mineralogy (not echoed in the Clos Du Marquis). It is so riveting. So fine so perfect, it in the UK trades at a premium to the - well perfect 2010. 8-10.

Leoville Lascases 2004 - a bit more open for business but quite a noticeable step down here to a wine that is still in no-man's land. 1-3.

Leoville-Poyferre 2016 - creamy vanilla oak, texture, very lux. A bit spoofed for sure but you can't dislike it and fabulous quality underneath: 5-7.

Leoville-Barton 2016. Even though the wine was served warm - most wines were mercifully chilled - the quality shone through. Lilian was was jovial and bullish on her 16 liking it more than her 'stern' 15. The quality, poise and gravitas of her wines should be a global benchmark. The 2016 is cheaper than the 2010 on release. 5-7

Talbot 2016 - classical and a dream wine for English claret lovers, Even though it is a wee bit skinnier, it is not thin. Very fine. 4-6

Talbot 2010 - thicker than the 16 but surprisingly open for business - was it the hot weather? but a beauty 4-6

Lagrange 2016- so classic, errs towards reticence. Very high quality 4-6

Lagrange 2003 - very mature, remarkably aged and attractive. I disliked this in its youth but it has turned out very well. 2-3

Rauzan-Segla 2016. What can you say? Another showstopper. 5-7.

Rauzan-Segla 2010. Been raring to try this and it is brilliant. But no better than the 2016. 5-7

Canon 2016 - atypically packs a considerable punch, compact, juicy, oozing quality - very fine 6-8

D'Issan 2016 - so fresh, precise, mineralogy, balanced, lifted. 5-7

D'Issan 2012 - astonishly good and ready to drink 3-5

Brane Cantenac 2016 - sweet attack, very precise wine beautiful texture in the palate with a tapestry of fruit, minerals, graphite 5-7

Beychevelle 2016 - stunning wine. Fine dilineation, graphite, cedar, lead pencil, mineral. 7-9

Beychevelle 2012 - suffered in comparison 0-2

Branaire Ducru 2016 - classic St -Julien, very complete wine 3-5

Calon-Segur 2016 - great purity and precision, sweetness and unintegrated oak 4-6

Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2016 - 50 % cab franc, 25% each cab save and merlot. Interesting, bold, unique wine dominated by cab franc. Very impressive 2-4

Figeac 2016 - wonderful precision, mineral complexity and lingering finish. 6-8

Figeac 2010 - all over the place, an amorphous smudge of a wine by comparison 0-2

La Conseillante 2016 - absolutely scintillating and drop dead gorgeous. Without doubt the best Conseillante I have tried and surely a candidate for wine of the vintage 9-10

La Conseillante 2012 - stunningly good, and already drinking beautifully. 7

Clos Fourtet 2016 - its own quirky style, just riveting 6-8

Client 2016 - one of the few that came across as a little OTT. 2-4. I preferred the glorious 2012 - 3-5

Haut-Bailly 2016 - focus, precision, mineralogy stunning quality of fruit 6-8

Haut-Bailly 2012 - stunningly good for the vintage and drinking beautifully already - a notable theme with the 12s last night 4-6

Smith Haut Lafitte 2016 rouge - perfect fruit, exhilarating wine. Gun to my head this is a nose in front of Haut-Bailly 7-9

Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2016 - I have never tasted a young white bordeaux this good 7-9

The sauternes/Barsac were excellent. My pick was Coutet.

Call it confirmation bias but I am very happy with what I bought in 2016. I think 2016 moves the game on from 2010 which in my opinion was the benchmark.

These wines make you feel good...they are the opposite of lugubrious. They are exhilarating and put a smile on your face.

My top ten wines last night, 2016 unless otherwise noted

1 La Conseillante
2 Pichon Lalande
3 Leoville Lascases
4 Beychevelle
5 Smith Haut-Lafitte (rouge et blanc)
6 Clos Fourtet
7. Haut-Bailly
8 Figeac
9 La Conseillante 2012
10 Canon
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JimHow
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by JimHow »

I hate you, Comte....
I hate you.
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stefan
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by stefan »

They sound great, Ian; thanks for the report.

Is 2016 a vintage in which lesser wines will be great? And what is the drinking window for these wines?
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by dstgolf »

Another enabler in the midst. Even after saying I'm out for good I just bought a few lesser lights (Lilian Ladouys,Cantemerle,Paloumey,Belle-Vue and a couple sticky splits of Tour Blanche and Doisey-Daene) totalling 7 cases along with two magnums and a case of Jim's Tour Saint Christophe. Never had it before but ratings too good to pass up. Only time will tell. Now I'm truly done...honestly!!

Would have loved some of the top bets Ian talked about but with the Comtesse fetching $299 and Baron $275 I'll just enjoy what I have in my cellar.

Now I'm done...done I say...NO more great vintages...No more enabling...yes I'm weak..until next time!! :mrgreen: :lol:
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Racer Chris
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Racer Chris »

That's pretty exciting stuff Ian.

I sure hope the Cru Bourgeois level wines hit the same comparative highs.
I'm not spending anything en primeur, so I'll have to take whatever's left when it hits the shelves.
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brodway
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by brodway »

i agree....very disturbing notes .....my wallet is going to hurt a great deal after reading these notes.

the less known wines are great QPR in this vintage. was looking at Sansonnet earlier this week and thinking it was a great value at $34
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Nicklasss »

Don't be fooled! 2016 aren't that good. Comte is expert with British/English humor.

Come on and read ''between the lines'' : the 2016, a perfect vintage for Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon, but favorite wine of Comte is a Merlot... in that line-up...

Nic
Last edited by Nicklasss on Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Comte Flaneur »

stefan wrote:They sound great, Ian; thanks for the report.

Is 2016 a vintage in which lesser wines will be great? And what is the drinking window for these wines?
Very selfishly I got there early and targeted the top wines, starting with the Pichons and the Leovilles. So I didn't taste any of the lesser wines last night. I wish I could go back and taste them on a second round. But I strongly suspect that it is a vintage where the lesser wines will be great given the combination of a great year and the inexorable march of technology. This in my book is perhaps most conspicuously reflected in the quality of the tannins, which these days are so refined and 'sperical' - they are there in spades but so refined and unobtrusive that I would not be surprised if these wines never close down.

One of the themes from last night was how well some of the 2012s drank, but also the 2010 Talbot which was open for business, much too to the surprise of the owner, whose name I didn't catch. A lot of the winemakers suggested that these wines could be approached at age 7-8. But they also stressed they are long term wines too. So my guess is that these will have a long drinking window for ourselves, our kids and their kids.
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William P
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by William P »

Ian, let me play the part of the old retired guy yelling "get off my lawn". I'm sure your notes are spot on, but for me, the train left the station. With the cheapest being about $104 and rapidly escalating, I'm wish you buyers well.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by AKR »

Thanks for the notes. I hope to put away some of the St Estephes.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by dstgolf »

One that got away....I think. I was looking over the SAQ offerings and noticed Chateau L'If which I've never had before but owned by Thienpoint family aka Le Pin. Not sure whether pricing wrong but this is no longer listed and maybe pulled or sold out. Surprised it was offered with a 400 case production. 2015 listed in Germany at $525/bottle and SAQ 2016 $52. Has anyone had this or know the pricing. Nic I think we missed this one.

L'IF

L'If
“This is incredibly refined and long with super finesse and length. Full-bodied, deep and beautiful. Subtle chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. Pure Merlot this year. Sexy and sophisticated at the same time.”
www.jamessuckling.com

AGING
POTENTIAL2021-2038

750 ml $52
ES : 94-96 | WA : 93-95 | WS : 92-95 | V : 93-96 | JS : 96-97
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by jckba »

Ian,

Great impressions and to the point where I feel as if I was there! And you are really making me rethink my stance regarding not buying en primeur.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by DavidG »

Dammit Ian, you are my new Robert Parker.
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marcs
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by marcs »

So how does 2016 compare to other recent "low alcohol" more "classic" vintages, such as e.g. 2014 and 2015? Particularly interested in the comparison to 2014 as it seems like a solid vintage and the prices are much better.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Marc - I think I am right in saying that 2016 is, on average, significantly lower in alcohol than 2015, which is quite high in alcohol. I am not sure how it compares to 2014. Alex recently wrote up some notes on 2014s and his notes came across as somewhat mixed and underwhelming. I don't have a strong view on 2014s but I am yet to buy any. I remain to be convinced but I am convinced by some 2012s - see above.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by greatbxfreak »

Ian,

We have an event like that every year in September with every chateau bringing new vintage and an older one. So I look forward to retaste many 2016s among these several I bought en primeur. I am a little bit surprised that you value La Conseillante higher than Pichon Comtesse and not give higher score for Canon and Carmes Haut Brion. Did you taste Petit Village 2016?

2014 is great vintage with remarkable acidity, but suffer a little in ripeness of tannin and aromatic intensity compared to 2015 and 2016. I guess alcohol levels were are a bit higher in 2014 than in 2016.

The first words I wrote about 2016s were noble, distinguished, sensual. I bought about 25 bottles (1-2 bottles of each wine) of 2016.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Hi Izak

Yes I did try Petit Village 2016 and it was excellent...one of the few I did not put in the review, because it was near the end and I was flagging a bit...

On the RBs...I was expecting to get swept off my feet by Figeac and Canon, and I was, but on the night La Conseillante left them both in the shade...it was not just because Marielle Cazaux was so charming...I remember getting excited by the ten La C...this was even better because it had that ballerina lightness of touch while the tens are plodding by comparison...

On Carmes while I commend the winemaker for his audacity on going out on a limb, my score reflected what I thought was the total dominance of the Cabernet franc...fabulous wine, but qualitatively I think the Haut-Bailly and SHL were on a higher plane. Pape Clement didn't show up for the gig.

Pichon Lalande what can you say? On the night a podium silver...but who knows it could be a modern day 1982? Better than the 1996 for sure!

P.S. your description of the vintage is 100% on the money...
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by robert goulet »

Bobby and I had the 2012 Carmes Haut Brion this past weekend..not bad but nothing great..sure too young, but that classic Carmes is loooong gone now.
In it's place is a creamier, heavier handed, low acid Carmes...ok, they had to go this direction because all the money they put into the purchase of this estate...so something had to change and there was only one direction they could go. The 2016 Les Carmes HB looks to be an easy pass, the ph is 3.55...isnt that a desert wine?????...high 90's score :shock: ? LMFAO

Classic or die
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greatbxfreak
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by greatbxfreak »

robert goulet,

Did you taste 2016 (which I seriously doubt) or are you joking with pH. 3.55, desert wine? Classic LCHB? It has underachieved before arrival of Guillaume Pothier in 2012. Many wine critics agree with me - 2016 LCHB is the best ever vintage from this property.

Ian,

I'm glad you liked PV. What a turnaround for this property in 2015 and 2016 vintage thanks to Diane Garcia-Berrouet, who replaced Marielle Cazaux in summer 2015. Only old vines for Grand Vin and separate vinification of different parcels.

La Conseillante 2016 is great and surpasses to big extent 2015 from same property.

Haut Bailly is much more mineral than LCHB and Smith Haut Lafitte more modern.

PIchon Comtesse is just phenomenal....

Did you taste La Lagune?
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robert goulet
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by robert goulet »

No I didn't taste it and I was exaggerating, but I am not sure I like the current direction (seemed heavier handed and lower acid) except for the change in amount of Cab Franc which is increasing.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by greatbxfreak »

robert goulet,

The winemaker came from famous wine producer in Rhone, Chapoutier, and he is trying to add some more elegance and floral scents to the wine. There's always been a big percentage of CF in this wine. I don't find LCHB overly concentrated and I don't think low (?) acidity is a negative thing.
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Comte Flaneur
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Izak

I didn't taste La Lagune because it wasn't there. If it had been I definitely would have done and reported back. It is one of your top QPRs unless I am mistaken?

On Carmes I have had limited experience but I'd did but a case of 1996 which I drank a long tine ago, and I found it very forward, not very substantive and too low in acidity.

The 2016 was very impressive, unique and only modern in the sense of being very well made, rather than being spoofed. But the reason why it got a relatively modest score in my notes is because in the final analysis the Cabernet Franc of LCHB could not compete with the Cabernet Sauvignon at SHL and Haut-Bailly.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by greatbxfreak »

Ian,

Yes, La Lagune is my top QPR, I gave app. 50 Euros per bottle for 2016 with all taxes paid. I love this wine.

I bought LCHB and H.Bailly in 2016 as well. Pichon Comtesse of course. Several others too.

I agree 100% with your description of LCHB 2016 but disagree with Cabernet Franc versus Cabernet Sauvignon battle.
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Re: Impressions of 2016 Bordeaux

Post by stefan »

Thanks, Izak; I was wondering about La Lagune. I've seen it for around $50, which looks low unless they screwed up, which you say they did not. But probably I'll wait to buy until it is released because of the problems of shipping to Texas.
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