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This is a very solid Pomerol with a nice balance of fine, dry tannins with well-judged ripeness. But the red-fruit character is a bit shy and a couple of years are probably needed for it to open up fully. Long and complex, dry finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 La Pointe has a lovely raspberry and crushed strawberry bouquet that gently unfolds in the glass, revealing hints of lavender in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and quite elegant and savory toward the finish. Not the longest-term Pomerol on the block, but a finely made wine by Eric Monnoret and his team, and I appreciate the pepperiness on the aftertaste. Vinous Media | 92 VMContinuing a run of seriously improved vintages here, every time I taste La Pointe I’m thrilled they haven’t thrown the baby out with the bathwater in terms of drinkability - it’s not sacrificed at the alter of concentration, even though clearly there are some inky depths on offer. It’s big and tannic, and perhaps the oak is just on the edge, but there it has light and life. Very good quality. Hubert de Bôuard consults. (Drink between 2024-2036)Decanter | 92 DECThis has a sappy beam of kirsch and cherry paste notes pumping through the middle, flanked by a snap of anise and fresh apple wood detail. Just a bit square through the finish, but otherwise a solid, what-you-see-is-what-you-get style. Best from 2021 through 2029. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe 2016 Château La Pointe is an elegant, vibrant Pomerol that has good acidity, medium body, notable minerality, and a classy bouquet of black cherries, black raspberries, and spring flowers. I’d love to see a touch more oomph and flesh, but I love its balance and purity, and I suspect it will flesh out nicely with 2-4 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

This is so attractive. It has a very rich and ripe array of dark berries and dark chocolate with a long, succulent and smooth palate that delivers so much flavor and freshness. The palate has intensity and depth with very convincing fruit concentration, in the dark-plum and berry zone. This is superb. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe fruit here is more cassis and bilberry than cherry and raspberry. The sheer concentration is beautifully balanced by a seam of freshness that spirals right through you, teasing you with its precision. The tannins are just so well managed that they edge-edge-edge forward then pull back before enveloping, not smothering. Brilliantly precise winemaking, with an emphasis on slate minerality. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 Latour à Pomerol is a very beautiful wine. It is also quite a bit more reticent than most Pomerols in this vintage. Savory herb, leather, rose petal, blood orange, cedar, tobacco, menthol and dried cherry lift from the glass. En primeur, the 2016 was quite sensual, whereas today is decidedly powerful and structured. It will be interesting to see where things go in the coming years. One thing is for sure. I would not dream of opening a bottle anytime soon. Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGBlended of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the medium garnet-purple colored 2016 Latour à Pomerol is a little reticent to begin, unfolding slowly to give glimpses of warm redcurrants, fresh plums and kirsch scents plus wafts of tar, garrigue and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound, offering great freshness and a firm frame of grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is driven by its fruit for sure, offering dark fig, black currant and black cherry paste notes all having their say, but there's a really strong tug of earth detail throughout, with warm gravel and tobacco hints providing a strong backup chorus. Muscular but defined on the finish, with a little throwback groove working. Best from 2033 through 2037. 2,050 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2016 Château Latour a Pomerol (96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc) is a beautiful, classic, downright sexy Pomerol. Plenty of black cherries, currants, chocolate, and earthy tobacco notes all emerge from this medium-bodied, plump, rounded beauty that has impeccable balance, ripe, present tannins, loads of sweet fruit, and a great finish. It's a beauty.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThis rich wine, 96% Merlot, has dense tannins and equally dense black fruits that give it voluptuous power and richness. At the same time a great line of acidity freshens the palate. Wait to drink this concentrated wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Beautiful dark purple in colour. This is gorgeous, with deep damson fruits rippling with minerality. It isn’t overworked but is full of intensity. It has a lot of characteristics of the best limestone plateaux wines of St-Émilion and is one of the value picks of Bordeaux. Excellent. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2016 Les Trois Croix is blessed with a superb bouquet of vivacious red cherry and raspberry fruit laced with rose petal and graphite scents. The fresh palate is medium-bodied and well balanced, offering grippy tannin and a fine bead of acidity. The dense, solid finish suggests that this will require three or four years in bottle. A testament to Patrick Léon, who passed away the night before I tasted this wine.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis offers a vivid beam of cassis and plum puree flavors, with anise and fruitcake accents inlaid throughout. The sleek and fresh finish is framed by a judicious note of apple wood. Drink now through 2029. 5,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAnother excellent Fronsac with blackberries, blueberries and cherries. Medium body, fine tannins and a structured finish.James Suckling | 90-91 JSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Les Trois Croix features notions of baked blackberries, Black Forest cake and licorice with touches of dried herbs and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with bright, precise black fruit and savory layers, framed by grainy tannins and finishing with a refreshing lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2016 Monbrison is a Margaux that has performed splendidly this vintage, one that did not shine as benevolently as other appellations. It has a vigorous, delineated bouquet with blueberry, raspberry and crushed violets, the new oak neatly integrated. The palate is nicely structured and though there is a touch of hardness to the tannin on the entry, that will soften by the time of bottling. The acidity is well judged and there is good grip on the finish. Monbrison is often well-priced en primeur and as such, this comes recommended.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90-92 RP-NMImpressive, ripe red-cherry and berry aromas here with appealing, brambly complexity. The palate delivers an approachable, juicy and smoothly arranged bed of ripe and vibrant tannins. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 92 JSI loved the 2016 Château Monbrison, an incredibly charming, classic Margaux. Beautiful notes of black raspberries, spicy wood, dried flowers, and incense all define this medium-bodied, floral, elegant, balanced effort. I suspect it will continue offering pleasure for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Grand Mayne features fragrant kirsch, redcurrant jelly and black plums scents with touches of garrigue, mossy bark and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with vibrant red and black fruits, it has a plush frame and very long, earth-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2016 Grand-Mayne has a refined, complex bouquet of intense red berry fruit, briar and undergrowth aromas plus wonderfully integrated oak. The palate is ripe on the entry with plush tannins, and perhaps a little more forward than its peers, yet there is plenty of charm on the lightly spiced, tertiary finish. This is Saint-Émilion with pedigree. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 93+ VMThe 2016 Château Grand Mayne is a beauty and could turn into a real superstar with 3-4 years of bottle age. This deep ruby-colored effort gives up lots of currant and cassis fruits as well as subtle new oak in its violet and mineral-driven aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, with fine tannins and impeccable balance, it’s seriously impressive. Give it a few years and it should keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDSolid density of fruit and velvety tannins to this one. Medium to full body, chewy tannins and a fresh finish.James Suckling | 91-92 JS91–93. Barrel Sample. This is a rich and balanced wine. It has generous tannins and ripe black fruits, nothing in excess. Spice and fine acidity in the aftertaste show the wine has a good medium-term future.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA restrained style, with gently mulled plum, raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors that pick up well-detailed black tea and incense accents on the finish. A light mineral edge pierces and lifts the finish a bit, adding length. Best from 2021 through 2030. 3,137 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The brightness and precision already comes through on the nose with floral, blackcurrant character. Full-bodied and very tight and creamy with polished tannins that last for minutes. Warm and intense. Needs four to five years to show all it has, yet already a beauty.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château d’Issan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, Red) Tasted over two days, and although the attack is supple, with fruit and light notes of espresso, the palate is somewhat low key in its expression of red and black fruit with overtones of spice. One notices high toned acidity, and I suspect that the wine has entered a youthful, ’closed-in’ phase. What cannot be denied: fine grained tannin and impressive length on a finish marked by freshness and tonicity. Don’t touch before 2025 at least, however. (Drink between 2025-2045)Decanter | 95 DECThis wine has an austere structure, with firm tannins. The fruit comes through slowly, revealing an attractive black-currant flavor and ample acidity. This will be a very fine wine with time; try after 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2016 D’Issan is blended of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, aged in 50% new and 50% one-year-old French oak for 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it has vibrant black cherries and blackcurrants notes with chocolate mint, beef drippings, black olives and cigar box. Medium-bodied with a well-sustained, intensely flavored mid-palate, it has a rock-solid, grainy frame and long savory finish. 10,500 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2016 d’Issan has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, violets, rose petal and light undergrowth aromas, displaying fine lift and great intensity. The medium-bodied palate offers fine-grained tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Fresh and vibrant, with a very harmonious, elegant and persistent finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMI loved the 2016 Château d’Issan and this is a certainly a wine to seek out. Made from a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot from yields of 55 hectoliters per hectare, aged 18 months in 50% new oak, it has a beautiful perfume of blue fruits (cassis, blueberries, etc.) as well as hints of graphite, subtle oak, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, with integrated acidity, a terrific mid-palate, and perfect balance, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to cruise in good cellars for 20-25 years or more. It’s a beautiful, elegant, seamless wine that’s very much in the style of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDLight pepper and savory hints lead off in this bouncy, juicy version, with bright cassis and bitter cherry fruit forming the core. Shows a light mineral edge on the finish.Wine Spectator | 88-91 WS

Blackberry, blueberry and sweet-tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, dense and layered with ripe tannins and a chewy yet polished, tannic finish. A young Bordeaux with plenty of structure and focus. A blend of 71 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 29 per cent merlot. Try after 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2016 Dauzac presents an impressive bouquet of intense black cherry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and wilted violets; the oak here is very well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and pliant in the mouth. The saline finish fans out with style. Very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Vinous Media | 93 VMOpens to a wall of tannins alongside black spicy fruits, black pepper and fresh acidity. Architectural overall. A trace of heat on the finish detracts from the successful balance but there is plenty to enjoy here. (Drink between 2025-2042)Decanter | 93 DECThe 2016 Dauzac is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot picked at 45 hectoliters per hectare, picked 13 September and over the next 21 days, which is the longest ever at the property according to estate manager Laurent Fortin. The bouquet is tightly wound at first, then gently unfolds to reveal blackberry, briary, pressed flowers and light minty aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin on the entry, quite firm in the mouth at first, but there is plenty of fresh, predominantly black fruit locked into this Margaux. It is taut and linear with a grippy finish. This is a strong follow-up to the 2015, perhaps without the same flair as the previous vintage, but I am certain that it will "loosen its tie" during élevage.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90-92 RP-NMThis is a frankly ripe and somewhat showy style, with waves of fleshy plum, blackberry and fig preserve flavors rolling along, laced with licorice and singed tobacco notes. Stays refined throughout, despite the showy fruit, with a light mineral edge peeking in on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2032. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis rich wine comes from one of the most southerly estates in Margaux. Although structure is certainly there, it is cushioned by rich black fruits. Juicy acidity at the end offers a fresher view of this ageworthy wine. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA fleshy, front-end loaded, flamboyant Margaux, the 2016 Château Dauzac gives up ample blue and black fruits as well as tons floral nuances. It’s not the most structured wine out there, but it just glides over the palate with a seamless texture, a soft, fleshy mid-palate, and outstanding length. Drink it any time over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

A warm wine rich in tannins and with succulent berry fruits, this is both powerful and elegant. Its density doesn’t detract from the fruitiness that shines out of the wine and balances with the structured aging potential. Drink the wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis is really decadent and rich with great aromas of earth, spice, frost flowers and fresh mushrooms that follow through to a full body, firm and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very, very serious from here. A blend of 70 per cent merlot and 30 per cent cabernet franc. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThis was delicious En Primeur and is even better now with three years under its belt. It’s had time to bed down and is fully set for the long term. Wonderfully rich, intense dark fruits are joined by grip and supple tannins through the palate. It has hints of dark chocolate, and a floral edge from the Cabernet Franc. Be in no rush to open this, because it’s clearly going to deliver over the next few decades. As of this vintage, we are seeing the blend that the estate hopes to maintain (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc). Drinking Window 2025 - 2044.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 La Gaffelière is superb. Vivid and precise, with layers of nuance, the 2016 is a wine of real clarity. Blood orange, lavender, rose petal and mint add brightness to this stunningly beautiful Saint-Émilion. La Gaffelière is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, and it is the Franc that gives the wine so much character and complexity. This is just an irresistibly captivating Saint-Émilion. Stéphane Derenoncourt and Simon Blanchard consult.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 La Gaffeliere opens with compelling wild blueberries, freshly crushed plums and kirsch scents plus hints of garrigue, underbrush, rose hip tea and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant with a soft, velvety texture and seamless freshness carrying the multilayered fruit to a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis has a suave, cashmere feel, with waves of blackberry and plum reduction rolling through, infused liberally with dark tobacco and black licorice notes. A black tea accent smolders on the finish, complemented by a faint floral echo. This should age into a charmer. Best from 2022 through 2037. 7,917 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Made with consulting advice from Michel Rolland’s team, the 2016 Château Cote de Baleau is a plump, sexy, fruit-loaded beauty that gives up tons of ripe black fruits, charred meat, and earthy, herbal aromas and flavors. Textured, upfront, and ready to go, drink it any time over the coming decade or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThis has good intensity with dark berry and plum aromas, as well as alluringly spicy oak influence. There’s a dense and juicy core of very attractive, concentrated red plums and berries, framed in well-judged tannins. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 92 JSOwned by Mathieu Cuvelier since 2013, this has rich, silky bilberry fruits and tight tannins. It's a little high in acidity but this places focus on the salinity that's evident on the finish. Clear potential. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 91 DECThis has a fun, juicy feel, with waves of plum sauce, raspberry puree and cherry preserves running through, while singed vanilla and red licorice notes wrap up the finish. It's a fruit-friendly style but has enough grip to stay honest. Best from 2021 through 2031. 6,317 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Exotic aromas of blackberries, truffle, earth and cedar follow through to a full body, rich and layered tannins and a long, long finish. Shows so much here. Exotic. Give it at least three or four years of bottle age. Exuberant. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Le Gay has a rock star nose of flamboyant Black Forest cake, crushed redcurrants and lilacs scents with underlying nuances of yeast extract, wood smoke, iron ore and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate truly struts its stuff with generous black and red fruits and a fantastic line of super ripe tannins, building to a very long, seductively perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2016 Le Gay is terrific. Rich, explosive and vertical in feel, the 2016 is a wine of pedigree and real class. Inky blue and purplish fruit, licorice, lavender all race across the palate. From bottle, Le Gay is more a wine of subtlety and vibrancy than pure power. As good as it is, my impression today is that the fruit is a bit dried out. I liked the 2016 more from barrel.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis has alluring waves of frankly ripe plum, blackberry and açaí fruit flavors that caress as they move along, pulling flickers of anise, smoldering incense and Christmas pudding along. Showy and hedonistic, but this has structure and definition as it drapes itself on the finish. A lovely wine. Best from 2022 through 2035. 1,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAs with the La Violette, the 2016 Château Le Gay shows a slightly more elegant, structured style yet still packs rocking levels of fruit and texture. Mulled dark fruits, new saddle leather, camphor, and tobacco all give way to a full-bodied Pomerol that has building tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s still holding things close to its vest, and while I miss some of the sheer opulence found in vintages such as 2005, 2009, and 2010, this is still going to be brilliant. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and it should shine for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDTouches of heat are evident on the attack, but the palate is quickly deepened by lashings of black fruits. There’s plenty to like here and the texture is gorgeously silky, but just be aware it has broad and fairly inflexible shoulders. Drinking Window 2022 - 2036.Decanter | 90 DEC

This big, rich wine offers dense tannins as well as sumptuous black fruits. Fruit and acidity come together to create a wine with both richness and juicy black-plum flavors. Drink this powerful wine from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAlmost more like a Pauillac in its expression of graphite and cassis, along with blackberry. The powerful, yet refined and racy tannins are a good sign for longer term ageing and although one can enjoy this today, it would be better to keep in your cellar for another three to five years for it to become more supple. Long finish. (Drink between 2026-2045)Decanter | 94 DECThere’s fragrant charm here with purple flowers and a swathe of ripe, juicy dark berries. This has a firmish overall feel with sturdy tannins, driving ripe and fresh, red and dark berries long. The oak is very nicely played.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2016 Kirwan has an attractive, well-defined bouquet of blackberry, crushed violet and light crushed stone aromas that gently unfurls in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a lightly spiced, peppery finish. I absolutely love this Margaux, and it should age with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Kirwan is scented of red plums, cassis, redcurrants, earth and cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied, lean, chewy and lively with an earthy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPBright damson plum, bitter cherry and rose petal notes lead the way in this fresh and focused version, with light rooibos tea and mineral accents underlining the silky, elegant finish. Sneaky long too. Best from 2021 through 2031. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 9,167 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WSOne of the more finesse-driven examples of this cuvée that I can remember, the 2016 Château Kirwan offers up a medium ruby color to go with notes of smoke tobacco, gravelly minerality, graphite, and sweet cassis fruit. Medium-bodied, elegant and supple, if not a touch lean, it’s not a blockbuster but has outstanding purity and notable elegance. Drink it over the coming 15 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

A dense and layered red with ripe plums and blueberries, as well as hints of wet earth and moss. Full-bodied, velvety and layered with fantastic fruit and creamy, velvety tannins. Plush and deep. Great wine. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSMade of 100% Merlot on clay and limestone soils, the 2016 Bellevue is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and charges out of the glass with enthusiastic notions of crushed red and black plums, kirsch, ripe blackberries and rose petals plus touches of yeast extract, black olives, aniseed and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness lifting the densely packed, multilayered fruit to a good, long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPMade from 100% Merlot and cooler limestone and clay soils, the 2016 Château Bellevue shows a beautiful minerality and freshness in its black raspberry, crushed rocks, graphite, and dried flower aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied, focused, and precise on the palate, with fine yet certainly present tannins. Give this beauty 3-5 years and it will cruise for two decades. (Drink between 2022-2042)Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2016 Bellevue is dense and powerful, but also quite reticent following its bottling this past June. Dark and virile, the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. The intensity and volume the wine showed en primeur are very much in evidence, but also presently enshrouded by a wall of potent tannins. Gravel, smoke, game, leather and tobacco give the 2016 much of its savory character. I loved Bellevue from barrel, but it is far less showy from bottle.Antonio Galloni | 93+ AGLush and inviting, with warm cassis and plum sauce flavors that glide through, laced with anise and rooibos tea hints while sweet toast and wood spice notes stays nicely buried through the finish. A delicious, fruit-driven example. Drink now through 2035.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThere is a lovely creamy texture to this wine, joined by attractive spice notes. It’s ripe but not overly so, showing good persistency and juicy fruit that fills out the tannins. Organically farmed. (Drink between 2024-2040)Decanter | 93 DECThis wine offers intensity and concentration. If it is one-dimensional it also has layers of acidity, tannins and juicy freshness that are immediately delectable. Drink this wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2016 Dame de Montrose is also gorgeous, and the second wines of Bordeaux continue to gain in quality. A blend of 52% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 30% new oak, this beauty has impressive amounts of creme de cassis, graphite, violets, and damp earth that give way to a medium to full-bodied, layered, pure, and seamless beauty that has real class. It’s well worth seeking out and will hopefully help you to keep your hands off the grand vin for at least a few years. (Drink between 2019-2039)Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDExtremely perfumed and beautiful with bright, violet and plum aromas. Full to medium body, very fine and firm tannins and transparent fruit. Linear and refined with a very long finish. Second wine of Château Montrose. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2020 Sauvignon Blanc is bright, crisp and full of varietal character. Lemon peel, sage, mint, white flowers and crushed rocks all grace this exquisite, crystalline Sauvignon Blanc from Spottswoode. The 2020 should age gracefully for a number of years.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGTannins are very present in this dense wine. But so are vibrant, crisp black-currant flavors and acidity. The combination of tannins and fresh acidity will drive this second wine of Château Montrose forward. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA gorgeous second wine in this vintage. It’s almost seductive, with deep, rich spice and fruit flavours on the palate, along with plenty of vibrancy and aromas of violets, plums and smoke. La Dame represents 42% of the estate’s production – and is a real bargain for the quality. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 91 DECThe 2020 Sauvignon Blanc opens with vivacious lime juice, yuzu peel and grapefruit scents, followed by notions of lemongrass and wet pebbles. Medium-bodied and intense, it has racy citrus flavors and a steely finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Tasted on four separate occasions where this wine rated 97+, 98, 98, and 99, the 2016 Château Léoville-Poyferré is a brilliant bottle of wine and is certainly in the same league as the 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2010. Made from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak, this brilliantly concentrated, full-bodied, opulent beast of a wine offers a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco leaf, and ample crushed rocks. It’s certainly one of the most flamboyant and opulent wines in the vintage, yet it remains perfectly balanced, with masses of polished tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. It will be drinkable in 3-4 years yet keep for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD(Château Léoville Poyferré, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) What a wine - such class from the excellent 2016 vintage. A touch of meatiness to the nose with bacon, green peppers and black pepper. So expansive in the mouth while at the same time seeming a little closed or perhaps on its way to closing down. Soft tannins, fine grained giving real presence but they’re well integrated. Sophisticated and broad shouldered, this has a soft attack but giving such depth on the mid palate. Bold, powerful and well presented. A classic expression of claret and the St-Julien signature characteristics of minerality, graphite, slate, wet stone and juicy blackcurrant and plum. Closer to the style of 2010, still very tannic with the chalky, mineral texture standing out. Lovely definition and concentration all while being so refined. This will age for decades. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Harvest 5-20 October. (Drink between 2027-2048)Decanter | 98 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Léoville Poyferré hits the ground running with intense cassis, violets, dark chocolate, menthol and fragrant earth notions complemented by nuances of cigar box and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energetic, super intense black fruit and floral layers, beautifully supported with super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness. This liquid is simply alive in the mouth, culminating in an epically long finish that will leave your mouth practically tingling. WOW!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2016 Léoville-Poyferré is fabulous. Rich, ample and dramatic in bearing, the 2016 possesses striking intensity and vertical lift. The tannins certainly need at least a few years in bottle to soften, but there is so much to look forward to. Graphite, menthol, lavender and licorice complement the inky blue/purplish fruit beautifully. The bottled wine has a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon and less Merlot than the en primeur sample. I tasted the 2016 three times. It’s least favorable showing was at the château. For readers and proprietors who think wines always taste better on site...they don’t.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGRichly layered, with a core of well-steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors cruising through, flanked by ganache, sweet tobacco and warm tar notes. There’s a plush, toasty coating but the wine’s energy and nearly unbridled fruit will easily soak that up. A last echo of violet is further evidence of a lovely evolution ahead.Wine Spectator | 97 WSWow. The power and depth to this wine is super with a full , fleshy palate. Yet, it’s so tight and integrated with panache and energy. Chewy tannins, yet seamless and melted into the wine. Extremely long and beautiful. Very polished now. This needs at least five to six years to resolve the steely tannins that run through this wine. Take a look from 2024. A blend of 61 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 27 per cent merlot, eight per cent merlot and four per cent cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97 JSRipe, bold fruits mark out this opulent wine. Its rich tannins are typical of the estate and of the vintage. Serious concentration is balanced with good acidity to give a generous wine that also has the structure for aging. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Another wine of importance from La Spinetta, this is a well-structured and compact expression with lots of dark fruit and ripe berries buried within. The 2016 Barbaresco Valeirano Vürsù, sporting a fittingly hefty rhinoceros depicted on the front of the bottle, is heavier and denser than the others from this line. There are dry and astringent tannins, and like the pachyderm on the label, this wine will live to a ripe old age—if it isn’t poached from the cellar beforehand. Some 7,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2016 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is the most refined wine I have tasted from this site in Treiso. The tannins, always forbidding in Valeirano, are wonderfully polished, and yet convey the essential feeling of structure that is such a central part of what makes Barbaresco so compelling as a wine. Dark wild cherry, incense, graphite, spice and dried flowers add shades of dimension to this virile, potent Barbaresco that captures the essence of this site, but with an added touch of sophistication that is quite welcome. I can’t wait to see how the 2016 ages. In a word: Superb!Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDistinctive aromas of rose, black currant and raspberry mark this taut, intense red, which is sleek and firmly structured, with lively acidity and dusty tannins mingling with fruit, savory and mineral elements on the long aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2038. 583 cases made, 200 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 94 WSDark peaches, glazed cherries, Christmas cake, orange peel and wet earth. Full-bodied and very structured on the palate, where chewy tannins carry dried red berries long and spicy. Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JS

Big cassis fruit with nice, toasty and vanilla oak, draw you into the full and almost silky palate, where the tannins only slightly show their hand right at the end. Second wine of Château Talbot. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2016 La Fleur de Gay is a wine of real personality and class. Dark cherry jam, mocha, espresso, blood orange and rose petal give the 2016 an exotic quality that is hugely appealing, while beams of supporting tannin provide the framework. In the glass, the 2016 is rich, dense and remarkably vivid, all of which make it absolutely compelling. This is a fabulous showing.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe colour is still almost a primeur purple, rich, vibrant and violet-edged. The nose is youthful but majestic and full of promise, with smoky caramel, liquorice and dark chocolate. Gorgeous floral notes spiral out of the glass after five minutes. That the wine is full of inky depths, generous but withholding at the same time, showcases the ability of Pomerol to taste good young without sacrificing an ability to age. This is one of the great wines of Pomerol. 100% new oak. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 94 DECRipe and showy, showing a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit flavors infused with black tea and anise notes, all backed by a well-integrated roasted apple wood spine. Offers solid drive through the finish, with a flash of smoldering charcoal detail adding intrigue. Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhere is that Peking duck? Ripe and rich with a solid structure, this is a serious and substantial Pomerol with a very satisfying balance of ripe and savory character, the tannins building nicely at the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Château La Fleur de Gay reveals a saturated purple color as well as a complex style in its notes of new saddle leather, lead pencil, graphite, tobacco leaf, and sweet red and black fruits. It’s a medium to full-bodied, sexy Pomerol that has moderate tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a plush, polished, elegant texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s a beautiful wine. Drink it any time over the coming 15-20 years. (Drink between 2019-2039)Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 La Fleur de Gay has cedar, toast, cloves and cinnamon scents with a core of redcurrants, black cherries and stewed plums plus a waft of cigars. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, finishing very oaky.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

This is a very sexy, soft Barbaresco with chocolate, earth and pure fruit, from strawberries to cherries. Medium -o full-bodied with elegant tannins that give form to this wine. It’s fine and lovely in the mouth. Exciting. A fine, granular-textured red. Drinkable now, but better in 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSI tasted this wine next to the 2017 vintage, and the differences between the two growing seasons are remarkable. The 2017 expression is open, more accessible and singing from the glass. However, the Bruno Giacosa 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is certainly more reserved and timid if tasted now. The wine opens to beautiful richness, saturation and concentration. There is plenty of dark fruit and bright cherry with ample textural richness that is followed by sweet tannins and an attractively tight or firm structure. Saline or mineral notes give the wine sharpness and added dimension. It has all its cards in place for long aging, and the wine most certainly needs more time in the bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPElegant and graceful, this offers cherry, strawberry, rose, tobacco, iron and spice flavors on a linear frame. The steely structure and tension deliver plenty of grip. Balanced in the end, with a chalky feel on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2045. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is very nicely done. It offers up an enticing mélange of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, licorice, sage, tobacco and menthol, all in a relatively mid-weight, light style for this site. The 2016 won’t make Giacosa fans forget about the 2001 or 2004, but it is certainly very nicely balanced. Overall, the 2016 is a bit light for Rabajà, but attractive if taken on its own terms. It should drink well for another decade or so.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2016 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPIn my last sighted review of the 2016 Cos d’Estournel, I wrote: "I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth." Perhaps it is already beginning to shut down, because though this wine was deeply impressive, it fell just a notch short of ethereal previous bottles, despite its "pixelated black fruit" on the nose and "sublime balance" on the palate. I tasted the wine twice thereafter, though this time with a 4-6 hour decant, and this revealed the Cos d’Estournel that has amazed since I first tasted it out of barrel.Vinous Media | 100 VMThis is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThe grand vin 2016 Cos d’Estournel checks in as 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. One of the more seamless, pure, elegant versions of this cuvée out there, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a monster nose of pure crème de cassis, gravelly, rocky minerality, tobacco leaf, crushed violets, and lead pencil shavings. One of those “iron fists in a velvet glove” wines, with full-bodied richness and beautiful structure that’s covered by thrilling levels of fruit and texture, it stays tight, compact, and incredibly focused on the palate. It’s already brilliant given its purity of fruit and balance, but it deserves a decade of bottle age and will keep for 4-5 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis is a little tight right now, as are so many of the 2016s. The fruit is deep, dark and concentrated, with fierce tannins that will take a long time to come around but will age well. There’s no question that this is a monumental Cos, with the walls of slate ready to be scaled, joined by a rosemary and black olive tang, juicy liquorice root and lashings of cassis. I tasted this wine both en primeur and again during a vertical at the property in July, and have felt thrilled to recommend it each time. Aymeric de Gironde was still the director at the time, before leaving in 2017. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThis has a core of slightly exotic loganberry, plum and boysenberry fruit laced with singed spice, savory, lilac and incense notes, while a buried chalk-edged minerality sits in reserve. Very sleek, with a wonderfully long finish that lets the fruit and other elements shimmer. Best from 2025 through 2040. 15,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSPowerful tannins show strongly in this elegant, structured wine. Rich black-currant and black-plum flavors are lifted by acidity. The wine has weight and concentration, but also is poised and fresh. This combination will allow the wine to age for many years. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2016 Grand Puy-Lacoste has a clean, precise bouquet with nicely detailed blackberry, briar and tobacco aromas, touches of mint emerging with time, all utterly charming. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, conveying a sense of symmetry throughout and leading into a deft, quite persistent finish. This is very classy, and it should age with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMA neoclassical edition of Grand-Puy-Lacoste, this has cedar, graphite, deeply integrated cedar and spicy-oak influence and a very fresh array of ripe blackberries, dark cherries and cassis. The palate is so seamless. It builds beautifully and delivers a long, seamless array of perfectly ripe dark fruit, swathed in fine, firm, ascending layers of tannins. As good as we have seen in recent vintages, this is a star of the vintage. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThis has a punch of mouthfilling dark cassis fruits and lots of complex tobacco, liquorice and truffle. Layer upon layer of flavour is joined by tight tannins, but with air and life in between. It’s young and well balanced, easily equal to the power of a Lynch Bages or a Pichon Baron. I loved it en primeur and love it again here. Consultant is Eric Boissenot, technical director is Christel Spinner. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECThe deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste gives up pure kirsch and red and black currants with violets and baking spices. Medium-bodied, firm and grainy, it’s very expressive with good concentration and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPA lively style, with lots of briar and tobacco notes out front, backed by punchy plum and black currant paste flavors. Has a shot of sweet tobacco lining the finish, with echoes of savory and hints of iron giving this range and length. Best from 2023 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSJuicy and jammy, this wine is already smoothly textured. Its black fruits add a fresh touch and give a ripe feeling. Likely to develop quickly the wine will be ready to drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2016 Haut-Brion is quite possibly even more magnificent from bottle than it was from barrel. Powerful and rich, yet not at all heavy, the 2016 is a wine of nearly indescribable beauty. Haut-Brion is often a thrilling wine, but it is rarely this finessed in its youth. Gravel, cure meat, tobacco and cedar are some of the many nuances that develop with air, but it is an extraordinary sense of harmony that really stands out. What a wine! Antonio Galloni | 100 AGStunning black fruit with plenty of forest berries in there, the whole picture cool and very delicate, also on the concentrated and highly structured palate. The tannins are very fine-grained, but decisively austere and, together with the vibrant acidity, they propel the finish out towards infinity and leave a breathtaking final impression. A blend of 56 per cent merlot, 37.5 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 6.5 per cent cabernet franc. Very long aging potential, but you could try it in 2023.James Suckling | 100 JSImmensely tannic, this is a great Haut-Brion, one of the finest for many years. It shows the severe side of this estate, with a dense structure to match the powerful black fruits. Rich with berry flavors and lifted by enough acidity, the wine will age for many years. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WELarge and in charge, this has a prodigious core of steeped plum, black currant and loganberry fruit flavors that show both compote and coulis aspects. While that steeps, this delivers a sturdy frame of roasted mesquite, smoldering tobacco and incense, surrounding a muscular spine of worn cedar and tar. Still rather backward, this will be showing well when most others from the vintage have had their day. Best from 2025 through 2045. 11,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAs to the reds, the 2016 Haut Brion is a prodigious, legendary wine in the making, although it’s not for those seeking instant gratification. Deeper colored and more concentrated than the La Mission Haut Brion, it reveals a purple/ruby color as well as a sensational bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, cigar tobacco, cold fireplace, violets, and lead pencil. Deep, masculine, structured, and mineral-laced, it has a stacked mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a firm, blockbuster styled finish that lasts for close to a minute. A wine for the ages, don’t even think about opening bottles for at least 7-8 years. It should keep for half a century. The blend in 2016 is 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDAnother glorious wine from the Dillon group. Massively dark in colour, the palate is a wonderful mix of dark fruit, exoticism, violet and lilac flowers on the nose, supremely glossy tannins and polished oak. Some meaty, red earth notes are just starting to emerge. This full-bodied first growth still feels very young but will undoubtedly be a great Haut-Brion for drinking over the next 30+ years. (Drink between 2025-2055)Decanter | 97 DEC

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lynch Bages comes charging out of the gate with pronounced cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and menthol notions, backed up by scents of garrigue, tilled soil and a waft of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fantastically concentrated, the generous fruit is superbly framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins with tons of pepper, cinnamon and cloves layers coming through on the finish. Truly, a legendary Lynch Bages!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2016 Lynch Bages has a wonderfully perfumed bouquet of intense black fruit laced with pencil lead, cigar box and incense aromas that soar from the glass, all displaying impressive delineation. The taut, focused palate is very well defined, with a fine line of acidity and great depth and concentration on the sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. Bon vin! Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is built for the cellar, with a generous core of kirsch, raspberry paste and plum preserve flavors waiting to unfurl. Will take time, due to the licorice snap, roasted apple wood and sweet tobacco elements draped over the fruit. Should meld with age, as the structure is invigorating in feel, showing both acidity and tannins in lockstep with the fruit. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 97 WSVery rich and exotic with blackberry, black-tea, graphite and lead-pencil aromas. Full-bodied, dense and structured with lots of ripe tannins and a long, flavorful finish of currants and forest floor, combined with fresh mushrooms and bark. Needs four to five years to show its true potential. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSHarvest started a week later than in 2015, allowing a longer, slowing ripening as Pauillac fully benefitted from the conditions of the vintage. Touches of reduction for the first minute emphasise the redcurrant notes in with the cassis and bilberry. The acidity is clear, and the layers of fine tannins build to show an extremely impressive construction: thickly sliced black fruits, fresh menthol, toast, tobacco and grilled, almost tarry almonds. 2% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Eric Boissenot consults. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 96 DECThe flagship 2016 Château Lynch Bages is a powerhouse, checking in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot raised in 75% new French oak. This deep, concentrated, powerful 2016 is going to be one for the ages, but if you’re looking for instant gratification, this isn’t for you. Saturated purple-colored, with thick black fruits, graphite, and scorched earth aromas and flavors, it fills the mouth with fruit, has masses of tannins, and beautiful overall balance. Don’t even think about opening bottles before 7-8 years from now, and it’s going to have 3-4 decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDRich, jammy and powerful, this wine is all about concentration and firm tannins. Ripe black-currant flavors add great juiciness at the end. The wine has magnificent potential. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Wild nose. Impressive, deep hue and a wealth of fresh, violet-like aromas, as well as cassis, graphite and dark cherries. The palate has a very sleek, fine, powerful core of tannins that bring a lot of depth and deliver rich dark-fruit flavor. A classic Meyney. Best since 1961! Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Meyney has a very deep color. The bouquet is a stunner, delivering intense, mineral-rich black fruit pixelated to the nth degree. This is extremely focused and conveys the energy of a tightly coiled spring. The extremely well-balanced palate offers fine-grained tannins and superb acidity. Very pure and focused, with a harmonious, vibrant finish that lingers in the mouth. You can feel this lingering 45–60 seconds after the wine has exited. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Château Meyney, St-Estèphe, Red) Rich and full, this is very St-Estèphe: round through the mid-palate, with an amazingly tasty balance of richness and freshness leading to salinity and minerality on the finish. It will need another five to eight years before being ready to drink, but it has to be one of the value picks of the vintage. (Drink between 2021-2036)Decanter | 94 DECSolidly built, with a dark and juicy core of currant, plum and blackberry reduction flavors, inlaid with charcoal and smoldering tobacco notes. Offers a pleasant loamy tug through the finish. Gutsy wine. The better of two bottles tasted. Best from 2022 through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and matured in 60% new oak for 18 months, the 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very deep garnet-purple color, opening with sensuous scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie, star anise and fragrant lilacs with hints of chocolate box, cigar box and pencil lead plus wafts of truffles and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive, it completely fills the palate with perfumed black berry preserves and superbly plush tannins, finishing epically long and beautifully layered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte is flat out stunning. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous energy and tension to play off the wine’s dark, rich fruit. I am not sure I have ever tasted a young Smith Haut Lafitte with such extraordinary balance. In 2016, the Grand Vin is tense and pulsing with energy. Hints of lavender, spice, menthol and crème de cassis open up in the glass, but the 2016 stands out for its feel and exceptional harmony. The combined effects of picking a bit early, vinifiying more gently and reducing the impact of oak are having a profound effect at Smith Haut Lafitte. Thinking of some of the highly regarded wines of the last decade here, the 2009 and 2010 in particular, well, the 2016 is on another level. This is magnificent showing from proprietors Florence and Daniel Cathiard, and their team led by Technical Director Fabien Teitgen.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGQuite ripe, with lush waves of cassis, cherry preserve and raspberry puree flavors gliding through in no hurry, but maintaining definition and cut along the way as bramble, tar and melted licorice snap notes slowly emerge throughout. The finish features an intense echo of pastis and sweet tobacco, showing serious latent grip. Best from 2023 through 2038. 8,333 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 97 WSMoving to the reds, the 2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 60% new oak. It’s undeniably a more elegant, reserved style from this estate, yet it still offers full-bodied richness and depth, with a classic perfume of cassis, black currants, cold fireplace, wood smoke, and tobacco. Deep, nicely concentrated, seamless, and, again, incredibly elegant, it’s going to flesh out nicely with short-term cellaring and keep for 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe blackcurrant and blueberry aromas are lifted and beautiful. Lots of flowers, too, together with some mushroom and dried-flower undertones. Full-bodied with firm and very silky tannins giving a lovely texture. Bright acidity lifts the finish and gives it drive and force. Better after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThis hugely dense wine is complex and full of juicy, succulent, smoky Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are at the service of the fruits. The wine still has a long way to go before maturity. Don’t think about drinking it before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDaniele and Florence Cathiard continue to drive Smith Haut-Lafite forward, with the 2016 a particularly fine year for them. Matured for 18 months with 60% new oak, this is a lovely Pessac-Leognan which rivals the top names. Intense, dark, pure fruit interwoven with notes of star anise, a hint of shellfish and iodine and subtle, smoky oak. Very long ageing potential. (Drink between 2023-2045)Decanter | 96 DEC