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The 2016 Hosanna has a classy bouquet of delineated black fruit laced with cedar, tobacco and ferrous notes. The medium-bodied palate features supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and lovely spiciness toward the finish. There is impressive cohesion here and wonderful length, completing a seriously impressive Hosanna that appears to be improving in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMFrom a tiny 11-acre parcel of clay soils and a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Château Hosanna is a rocking success in the vintage. Boasting a deep ruby/purple color, notes of blackcurrants, iron, smoked earth, chocolate and subtle floral notes, a layered, full-bodied mouthfeel, and sweet, building tannins, it’s a seamless, elegant, yet still powerful Hosanna that needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSuch a polished wine from the outset. This has a very deep thread of dark plums, black stones and dark cocoa powder, running from nose to palate. The finish is swathed in rich and plush tannins and delivers profound depth with unblemished fruit purity. Stunning Pomerol. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Hosanna is composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet-purple colored, it comes spilling out of the glass with the most beautiful floral perfume of lilacs and lavender over a core of black and red cherries, black raspberries and cedar chest plus hints of tobacco and chocolate mint. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegantly styled with beautiful floral and cherry layers framed by velvety tannins, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPA richly dense wine with big tannins, this is exuberant and packed with impressive fruit from an 11-acre estate. It offers structure and density along with good acidity, giving a rich wine that has great potential. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENicely rendered, with flashes of cocoa and juniper leading the way, followed by a dense core of black current, fig and blackberry preserve flavors. Dense finish, but delivers lovely polish and finesse at the same time. Best from 2022 through 2036. 850 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 94 WSAnother estate within the Moueix portfolio, Hosanna is a tiny Pomerol estate which can often be overlooked. This is a very classy 2016, smooth, refined, long and elegant. A complete package with density on the palate, rich oaky notes, ripe blackcurrant and damson fruit and fresh acidity on the long, slightly earthy finish. A distinctive Pomerol which marries glossiness with a little rustic edge.Decanter | 94 DEC

So ethereal and great on the nose with glorious fresh flowers, such as violets, together with black olives. Dark berries, too. But the archetypal Pomerol nose. Full-bodied yet, at the same time, so refined and structured. Glorious tannin tension and focus. Vibrant finish. Shows energy and focus. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe grand vin 2016 Château L’Evangile is more primordial than the second wine, sporting a deep purple color and a huge nose of blueberries, scrub brush, violets, graphite, and lead pencil shavings. Deep, massively textured, with building minerality, a brilliant mid-palate, I’d imagine this is a modern-day version of the 1982. A sexy, sexy, wine, it should drink well in 4-6 years but is capable of last for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFor me, this is going to be every bit as great as the 1989, and is a worthy follower to the 2015. It’s tight and reserved on the nose, with powerhouse Pomerol Merlot lurking behind. There’s a creamy side to the raspberry and blackberry fruits in the mouth, and the power and intensity tells you that this wine has an amazing future. The texture is silky-smooth, attesting to great freshness balanced by well-ripened fruits and seductive tannins. A serious wine. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2016 L’Evangile is made from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of plum preserves, Black Forest cake, red cherry compote and black raspberries with touches of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features fantastically ripe, velvety tannins and beautiful freshness, lifting the generous, brightly fruited mid-palate and giving bags of energy to the very long-lingering, minerally finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2016 L’Évangile is just as captivating from bottle as it was from barrel. Huge and explosive in the glass, the 2016 possesses stunning depth and textural resonance. At first a bit somber, the 2016 needs time in the glass to open up. Once that happens, all the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. Floral overtones add brightess to the dark cherry, chocolate, leather and spice flavors, while silky tannins round things out in style. Jean-Pascal Vazart describes 2016 as a late year. Harvest started on September 26, about ten days later than normal. The 2016 spent 16 months in French oak, 85% new.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGFeatures a wide swath of espresso, loam and smoldering tobacco flavors out front, followed by a tighter beam of black currant and blackberry paste. Dense and fleshy in feel, with echoes of warm earth and bittersweet cocoa scoring the finish. This wine flaunts its muscle. Best from 2024 through 2040. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSRipe black fruits and rich tannins mark out this wine, almost entirely made from Merlot. It is succulent, crisp and fresh while not losing sight of the essential richness and structure of the vintage. Drink this generous, full wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Possibly the finest vintage of this cuvée to date, the 2016 Château Pavie Macquin comes from a cooler, later terroir on the upper plateau and checks in as 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% new oak. This deep, inky-colored effort boasts a rock star bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, white truffle, graphite, and spice. Deep, rich, and powerful on the palate, yet also balanced, elegant, and seamless, with ultra-fine tannins, this seamless beauty needs a decade of cellaring and will keep for 4-5 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2016 Pavie-Macquin is an epic wine in the making. Powerful, dense and explosive in the glass, the 2016 is simply dazzling. A rush of dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice and licorice builds in a sumptuous, beautifully layered Saint-Émilion that screams with character. More than anything else, the 2016 impresses for the way it balances structure and fruit intensity. The tannins are imposing, but there is a creaminess to the fruit that renders them barely perceptible. A move towards gentler extraction paid off hugely. What a wine!Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGThis is very linear and driven with a precise and driven center palate. Full-bodied, tight and compact. Energetic and well formed. Give it at least five years. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Pavie Macquin charges out of the glass with gregarious black cherries, warm blackberries and wild blueberries scents followed up by loads of red roses, baking spices, cedar chest and unsmoked cigars sparks plus a waft of wild thyme. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, revealing layer upon layer of cherries and berries flavors and tons of savory nuances, framed by firm yet exquisitely ripe tannins, finishing very long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis juicy wine wears its alcohol lightly, contrasting the tannins and firm structure with freshness and acidity. Blackberry flavors dominate along with attractive perfumes. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEEngaging, with a gush of warm raspberry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors leading the way, while red licorice, apple wood and sweet tobacco notes strut through the finish. Nice intensity overall gives this a mouthwatering echo and pulls you back for more. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the coolest terroirs of St-Emilion, with clay and limestone at a height of 77m, on one of the highest spots of the plateau. It has a punch of cool blue fruits, with rippling tannins and a whirl of freshly cut mint on the finish. You will need to be patient, but expect to be richly rewarded. 70% new oak. A Derenoncourt-Thienpont wine. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DEC

This was the first vintage that technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet started to exclusively use 500-liter barrels for Quinault l’Enclos, decreasing the surface area to which the wines are exposed and, ultimately, the impact of the oak. The percentage of new oak is around 50%, and the blend is 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Quinault l’Enclos opens with expressive redcurrants, black raspberries and black cherries scents with savory suggestions of tapenade, dried herbs and tobacco plus a waft of cloves. Medium-bodied, the palate is fantastically bright and lively with loads of red fruit accents and a firm frame of grainy tannins, finishing on an earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2016 Quinault L’Enclos is very pretty and also intensely aromatic. Savory herb, mint, dried cherry, mocha and sweet tobacco are all lifted in this super-precise, nuanced Saint-Émilion. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2016 is precise, nuanced and exquisitely beautiful, all in the understated style that is typical here.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGAnother fresh, pretty wine from the team at Cheval Blanc, the 2016 Château Quinault l’Enclos has nuanced notes of black cherries, blackberries, leafy herbs, and saddle leather. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced and seamless on the palate, with terrific purity, it will benefit from just a handful of years in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDAttractive nose, floral notes with a hint of mint, the palate is gourmand but fresh. Stays on the fruit and is really harmonious, with a persistent finish. Delicious. Drinking Window 2021 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DECA juicy and very elegant Quinault, showing hazelnut, dark-berry and cedar character. Medium body, with a lovely, fine-tannin texture and a delicious finish. Drink after 2022.James Suckling | 92 JSThis smooth wine is still lightly woody but has great fruit that will shine strongly over the next months. Juicy black-currant flavors are right up front, giving freshness to this attractive, fruity wine. It will be ready to drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Coming from one of the coolest terroirs in Saint-Emilion, the 2016 Château Troplong Mondot is a blend of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 77% new French oak. This deep purple-hued effort offers a smorgasbord of powerful blue and black fruits, smoked earth, truffle, chocolate, and licorice. Full-bodied, deep, and opulent on the palate, it’s a truly great wine as well as one of the superstars in 2016. It should drink well for upwards of three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDLove the aromas of redcurrants and cherries with flowers. Full body and tight, finely chewy tannins that impress. Linear and focused young red. Try from 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. Powerful, dense and explosive, the 2016 has a lot to say. Super-ripe dark cherry, raspberry jam, chocolate, spice and new oak give the wine much of its lush, exotic feel. The château has moved in a totally different stylistic direction since this wine was made, but there is no denying the 2016 is striking. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis is stunning. Troplong never has trouble conjuring up wonderfully rich fruit, but here it is plump and dense without being pumped up. The tannins are chewy rather than chalky, but the elegance of the vintage is unmistakable, and the rich chocolate flavours are dusted with mint. There is a very pretty salinity on the finish that lasts for minutes. I had a fascinating visit here at the start of the week, and retasted several times as this is a wine that I sometimes have trouble understanding. My main takeout is that the majority of the richness here is found naturally in the terroir - limestone on the plateau but with cool clay over the top, which explains why they are such late harvesters. But there are always winemaking and viticultural choices coming into play in any wine, and here there are adjustments being made to bring out a more finely wrought version of what is always a high impact and successful wine. Yields are higher this year, up at 48hl/ha, which helps, as does the style of the vintage and quieter extraction in the cellar, but Troplong remains true to itself. 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050.Decanter | 95 DECAged in 77% new and 23% one-year-old French oak barrels and composed of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet-purple color and comes bursting out of the glass with bold preserved plums, Black Forest cake and Indian spices scents plus suggestions of espresso, black olives, cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich, plushly textured and oh-so-decadent, it packs in the spiced black fruit layers and finishes with fantastic persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPRipe and focused, with a pure, unadulterated beam of raspberry and cherry preserve flavors that is both wide and deep, gilded prettily with a lilting violet note and infused with subtle chalky minerality through the finish. Beautiful. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis wine has power and a rich character that almost overwhelms. Intense tannins along with dark-chocolate flavors and huge concentration give a massive wine that shows some of the alcohol in its edge of pepper. The wine will calm and soften although it will always remain huge.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Gazin features a beautifully perfumed nose of violets, Ceylon tea, cigar box, sandalwood and fallen leaves over a core of plum preserves, kirsch and blackberry preserves plus a waft of aniseed. Medium-bodied and elegant, with compelling restraint, it has a seductively plush texture, finishing with bags of poise, perfume and persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis sophisticated Pomerol slowly creeps up on you, then suddenly you’re in the deep end. The complex and delicate, floral and mangosteen aromas are married to a great tannin structure and nothing about this wine is a jot exaggerated. Long, mineral and spice finish with a weightless quality. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA rich and elegant Gazin, cohesive yet still extremely young. You can taste the Cabernets coming through strongly, an elegant, stately expression of cassis with a silky texture and nice balance. The palate is intense and concentrated but with a real sense of lift. It’s always a wine that takes its time to show its colours as it’s a touch austere in its first five to eight years, but this is going to age beautifully. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2016 Gazin has developed into a super-refined wine. Silky tannins and floral aromatics add to an impression of total finesse. Blood orange, sweet red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal and mint are all finely knit in this gracious, subtle Pomerol. More importantly, the 2016 has grown into an absolutely striking wine that is even more expressive and complete than it was from barrel.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThis is fresh in feel despite some frankly ripe cherry compote and plum pâte de fruit notes, with light floral and tea nuances imparting lift. Silky overall, with some sneaky grip at the very end adding length. Offers lovely, seductive fruit. Drink now through 2029. 7,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAlmost pure Merlot, this dense wine is rich and packed with black fruits. Its concentration and density are massive, with tannins that are almost velvet in character. Drink this wine from 2023. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2016 Château Gazin is outstanding, but it’s firm, straight, and closed, and would certainly be better with more flesh and opulence. Vivid ruby/purple-colored, with notes of cassis and black raspberries as well as spring flowers, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, firm tannins, terrific purity, and a clean finish. The blend is 87% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Cabernet Franc. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15+.Jeb Dunnuck | 91+ JD

This is very fleshy and deep with so much texture and richness. It’s full-bodied yet fresh. The tobacco, white truffle, licorice and dark fruit are so impressive. It’s so exuberant and wild. It just goes on for ever. Spellbinding. Very muscular and powerful. Agile and energetic. Please give this time. Needs eight to ten years. Try from 2029.James Suckling | 100 JSOpaque purple-black colored, the 2016 Petrus slips effortlessly out of the glass with sanguine, seductive notes of kirsch, warm black plums, blueberry compote, red roses, Ceylon tea, violets, dark chocolate-covered cherries, licorice and cinnamon stick with wafts of iron ore, pencil lead, unsmoked cigars and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, profound and absolutely edifying on the palate, the densely packed, beautifully perfumed red and blue fruit layers possess a charge like defibrillators stimulating your heart to beat faster, each delivering achingly subtle floral and spice sparks, perfectly framed by very firm, very grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with incredible length and taking you to depths that extend to a provocative ferrous undercurrent. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPOne of the top wines in the vintage is unquestionably the 2016 Chateau Petrus, which is, as always, all Merlot aged in just over half new French oak. It's more reserved and subtle compared to the 2015, yet it’s unquestionably in the same ballpark, offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a classy bouquet of crème de cassis, black cherries, graphite, smoke tobacco, spring flowers, and subtle spicy oak. This is a wine that builds with time in the glass and delivers a full-bodied, multi-dimensional texture, present, ripe tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. It’s haute couture at its finest, and as I wrote multiple times in my notes, simply pure class. Hide bottles for at least 7-8 years (10-15 would be even better) and it will keep for half a century.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Pétrus is magnificent. There is a sense of total completeness in the 2016 that is hard to capture with words. A regal wine of total presence, the 2016 simply has it all. Beautifully layered in the glass, with stunning aromatics and endless, layered fruit, the 2016 is utterly captivating. Once again I am struck by the wine's purity and total class. Technical Director Olivier Berrout and his team turned out a magnificent Pétrus in 2016. Total time in barrel was 19 months, with 50% new oak.Vinous Media | 99 VMThe nose jumps right out, then the palate starts tunneling down through an array of dark fruit and cut herb expressions, before slowly flattening out on the mid-palate then rising vertically on the finish. An architectural expression of the vintage, ripe and precise but with great freshness. Harvest here took place between 28th September and 11th October, and the challenges of the vintage meant they had to be precise and rigorous at every moment, never letting down their guard. No green harvesting. 40hl/ha yield, 55% new oak. Lots of anthocyanins. This is soft and caressing and majors in those deceptively soft tannins that slowly but surely build up to remind you that this wine has no intention of going away for many, many years.Decanter | 98 DECThis is a silky-smooth wine. However, that silkiness masks the generous, ripe tannins and juicy black fruits. It has great structure, full of serious firmness. Give it time and this wine will explode in a series of wonderful fruits, while keeping the classic Bordeaux structure. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThere are both lush and structured elements working here, with velvety cassis, raspberry puree and plum compote notes intertwined with tobacco, alder and cocoa accents. This pulls together steadily through the finish, showing superb focus and a tight-grained feel, while fresh acidity imparts rippling energy. The raspberry note hangs longest through the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

A deeply intense and plush Pomerol with immaculately ripe fruit and tannins. So well executed with aromas of truffle, dark stones, coal smoke and intense dark plums and cocoa powder. The palate has an immaculate texture with very bright, velvety tannins, carrying rich dark plums. Plum pudding and Christmas cake to close. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Certan de May is a powerful, dense wine, just as it was en primeur. A blast of grilled herbs, leather, smoke, tobacco, licorice and dark-fleshed fruits makes a strong opening statement. Potent and strap in feel, Certan de May shows the more virile side of Pomerol. The profile is decidedly sepia-toned. Readers should plan on being patient with the 2016. It is a jewel of a wine that just needs bottle age to be at its best.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGGrilled rosemary, blackberry, and cassis flesh, this is full of character and just clings on. A ton of complexity at work here, subtle and juicy and really one to own. A little more open at this stage than some of the other 2016s in this extremely impressive line up but full of slate and chocolate pleasure. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA blend of 65% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium garnet-purple colored 2016 Certan de May offers up notes of wild blueberries, black cherries and raspberry leaves with hints of black tea, roses and tar. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a wonderful quiet intensity of blue, red and black fruits plus a fine-grained backbone and superb freshness, delivery and very long, mineral-tinged finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPPoised and elegant, this wine comes from a 13.5-acre estate within stone-throwing distance of Pétrus. Its richness is sublimated by pure red-berry fruits and acidity to give a balanced wine with stylish tannins. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery inviting, with a creamy feel to the mix of damson plum, raspberry and black cherry preserve flavors backed by light anise and floral notes. Delivers a dusting of wood spice and floral hints through the finish. Drink now through 2031. 1,650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2016 Château Certain de May is a structured, firm, backward effort, yielding some herbal, cassis, and smoky, earthy aromas, medium body, good, not great concentration, and present tannins that emerge on the mid-palate and finish. Tight and backward, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and should keep for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JD