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Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cos Labory opens with cassis, plums and herbs with notions of black soil and pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and fresh with fine-grained tannins and nice purity, finishing long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2016 Cos Labory is a supple, pretty wine with plenty of near and medium-term appeal. Sweet tobacco, cedar, leather, scorched earth and menthol are all nicely laced together. From bottle, the 2016 is a bit more subdued than it was from barrel, while some slightly rough contours are going to need time in bottle to sort themselves out fully.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGRich and powerful, with good freshness underneath the fruit. The components of the wine are off the charts, extremely knitted down and barely budging. It has amazing silky tannins and just a slight tartness to the fruit on the finish which pulls things up abruptly. Plenty to love here. 57hl/ha yield. Matured in 50% new oak. (Drink between 2024-2040)Decanter | 92 DECThis firm wine has the classic structure of Saint-Estèphe. Dry tannins march together with black fruit to create a wine that will take a while to soften and open up. There is potential here for a rich, fruity wine, but wait until 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEPlenty of plum and smoke on this rather broad St.-Estèphe and there’s just enough character and structure to hold it on track. Soft finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 90 JS

This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSA thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Château d’Armailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D’Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis juicy red sports dark plum, fig and boysenberry fruit backed by an equally strong wave of bramble and sweet tobacco notes. The cast-iron spine pins down the finish, so give this a little time to integrate fully. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThere’s fairly high acidity on the attack here, and yet it’s well balanced by a body that’s richer and deeper than in many years of Armailhac. You can definitely feel the texture and the powerful depth of brambly fruit, and there are also some of the signature lilting floral notes, given extra charge through graphite, liquorice, cassis, and that pulsating acidity. Great quality. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECThis is a ripe wine, full of black fruits with attractive tannins. It has depth but the wine is more about fruitiness and relatively quick development. Drink this already delicious, lightly spicy wine from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

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

The 2016 Chateau D’Yquem is pure magic and dessert wines don’t get much better. Offering a pale gold color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of honeyed tangerines, tart apricots, liquid rocks, white flowers, and honeysuckle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an opulent texture, vibrant acidity, and again, an incredible sense of minerality, despite having no shortage of sweetness or richness. The 2016 is a classic blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon that hit 14.2% alcohol with 135 grams of residual sugar. It’s already complex and approachable yet will keep for 3-4 decades. (Drink between 2019-2054)Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA very classic Yquem. Breathtakingly wide spectrum of floral honey, exotic fruit (passion fruit, mango and pineapple), caramel and marzipan aromas. But none of this is a jot too much. In fact, the wine is extremely precise and finely nuanced. Wonderful freshness and textural complexity, in spite of the considerable concentration and extravagance. Very suave and sensual finish that goes on and on. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSContaining 135 grams per liter of residual sugar, the pale lemon-gold colored 2016 d’Yquem leaps from the glass with honeyed apricots, pineapple, green mango, crushed rocks, candied ginger, coriander seed and citrus peel with hints of orange blossom. The palate is very tightly wound, vibrant and refreshing with layer upon layer of minerals and spices, finishing with epic poise and persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPDespite a rich botrytis character, this balances impact with delicacy. Clear citrus on the nose with a hint of flint and smoke, allowing the soft white flowers and lime blossom to steal up on you slowly. There are caramel notes through the mid-palate and great persistency, as ever. Extremely elegant. This was the driest summer since 1898, and the harvest at Yquem lasted a full two months, from 4th September (for the dry white Y d’Yquem) through to 4th November for the final selection of botrytis berries. The final yield is 20hl/ha, the highest in recent years against their average of 9hl/ha, with 40% going into the grand vin compared to 50% last year. 135g/l residual sugar and 3.9pH. 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2015 will be released this September. (Drink between 2025-2050)Decanter | 97 DEC95–97. Barrel Sample. The bouquet opens with aromas of honey and citrus, offering richness and freshness at the same time. The mouthfeel is opulent, with honeyed flavors. There is some acidity underneath, although decadence and concentration are its defining attributes. It will age for decades.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 Yquem was picked from 27 September until 4 November after drought-like conditions in the summer. It has an attractive nose with white chocolate, chamomile and Chinese white tea infusing the honeyed fruit. Very well defined and focused with more cohesion than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening that demonstrates a little more weight than the 2015, a fine bead of acidity and touches of ginger and lemongrass enlivening the finish. I feel this has gained a bit more complexity in recent years. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is exotic, with very lush and seductive notes of coconut, honeysuckle, creamed white peach, glazed pear, mirabelle plum and yellow apple, all woven together seamlessly. Beautifully caressing in feel, with a long acacia echo on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2016 Boca captures the purest essence of the appellation so well. Medium in body, with striking precision and tons of energy, the 2016 is just fabulous today. Blood orange, mint, spice and sweet red cherry, they all meld together in a wine of remarkable elegance and finesse. All the elements are so well balanced. Don’t let the wine’s weightless feel fool you, there is plenty of depth. The 2016 is exceptional. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGA fragrant blend of Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina, this linear, focused red has aromas of rose petal, alpine herb, new leather and underbrush. On the racy, medium-bodied palate, notes of white pepper and star anise accent ripe Morello cherry before a savory saline finish. Tightly wound fine-grained tannins and a backbone of firm acidity provide the ageworthy framework. Drink 2026–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a thrilling wine. Dense and beautifully layered, the 2016 is also quite a bit richer than it usually is. Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and structure pulse through the wine. The red-toned fruit is incredibly primary at this stage. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2016 for at least a handful of years. It has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAs to the reds, the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc that saw an extended maceration, malo in barrel, and 18 months in just 35% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts a powerful bouquet of tobacco smoke, damp earth, gravelly, rocky minerality, wood smoke, and loads of dark fruits. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated yet incredibly elegant and seamless on the palate, it’s a legendary Chevalier in the making. While I rated this as high as 99 points on one of the four separate occasions I was able to taste it, I’m being conservative with the score. it has some upfront charm but needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAromas of blackberries, red and dark plums, cedar and gravel, as well as red flowers and brown-leaf tea. It offers a very sleek and powerful array of ripe dark fruit and a very plush, focused and elegant bed of fresh, fine and powerful tannins. Plenty of aging potential, this is still quite tight. A blend of 55 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 35 per cent merlot, five per cent cabernet franc and five per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe core of fruit flavor here is sappy and dense, with lots of kirsch, raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction notes, yet this stays fresh and racy overall, with a bright iron spine, flashes of tea and tobacco and a long finish that shows a wonderful infusion of alder and tobacco flavors. Offers a lovely combination of prodigious fruit details, with a tug of earth. Best from 2024 through 2038. 12,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis elegant wine wears its firm tannic structure lightly. It is densely textured, just starting on its road to maturity. Black-plum and berry fruits give the wine its weight as much as the tannins. It will age well over many years. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis is so young right now, which seems crazy to say for a white wine, I know. But at two years old it has hardly begun to gather us to its side, let alone reveal its secrets. This will clearly have plenty to show in a few years’ time - white peach and pear flavours, and a gorgeous texture of slate caught against saline minerality. This is going to age, and then some. It has closed down since 2016 En primeur. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with expressive warm plums, blueberry compote and cassis scents with suggestions of sandalwood, baking spices and potpourri. Medium-bodied and delicately styled yet with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins, it sports restrained earth-laced fruit and a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

Extremely deep and ripe on the nose with dried-berry, chocolate and plum aromas that follow through to a full body, round and soft tannins and a flavorful finish. A rich and soft-tannin structure to the wine. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSPartnered with Château Giscours as far as the winemaking team is concerned, this estate has created its own style. This wine shows a hint of initial austerity before opening out with rich fruits and structure. It needs time and the wine will not be ready to drink before 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPowerful, intense and concentrated, those tannins are big in quantity and quality. This is a sombre, intellectual wine in the way that many 2016s are. It has a good texture of silky black fruits through the palate, suggesting this will age well, while a white pepper crescendo gives a spicy kick on the finish. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend, with the wine aged in 50% new oak.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2016 du Tertre has a refined bouquet of black fruit infused with loamy, sous-bois scents, gradually evolving more intensity with aeration. The medium-bodied palate is well-defined, with lithe tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a detailed, quite precise finish. This just requires a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMFresh damson plum, bitter cherry and savory notes are seamlessly layered together, with fresh tobacco and a flash of iron checking in on the pure, silky, persistent finish, where the slightly high-pitched fruit plays out nicely. Best from 2021 through 2032. 13,333 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2016 Du Tertre is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot picked from 27 September until 19 October. Estate manager Alexandre van Peek told me that this represents one of the highest levels of Cabernet Sauvignon in recent years. Matured in 35% new oak, it has a harmonious bouquet with pure blackberry, raspberry and mineral scents that are neat and well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, quite saline on the entry, understated at first, but gaining weight in the mouth and delivering a precise and minerally, classic Margaux finish. All it’s missing is the persistence on the finish. It just seems to rush out the exit door before you’ve really gotten to know it. Hopefully it will develop that side during barrel maturation.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90-92 RP-NMAn outstanding Margaux with its classic perfume of sweet red fruits, dried flowers, balsam wood, and spice, the 2016 Château du Tertre is medium-bodied, elegant, and seamless on the palate. This is one of those wines that grows on you with time in the glass, and while it plays in the elegant, pretty end of the spectrum, it has wonderful fruit. It should keep nicely for 15 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

Incredibly deep and complex nose with a slew of black fruit, plus savory and bitter-chocolate notes woven subtly into the extraordinary tapestry of aromas. Titanic concentration, but it still remains so incredibly fresh and poised. Such a pure finish that goes on and on and on. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Figeac is simply extraordinary. A wine of pure energy and vitality, the 2016 pulses with a real sense of drive. Lavender, mint, crème de cassis and cedar start to develop in the glass, but what is most remarkable about the 2016 is its total sense of harmony. There is natural tension, a sort of push and pull, between the wine’s intense fruit and structural underpinnings that makes the 2016 a marvel to taste and contemplate. It was positively stunning in two separate tastings. Technical Director Frédéric Faye and his team made an epic Figeac in 2016.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGAnother brilliant wine from the genius of Frédéric Faye, the 2016 Château Figeac checks in as 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that spent 19 months in new French oak. Roughly 75% of the production made it into the grand vin. This deeply colored beauty is a legendary wine in the making and offers ultra-pure aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, dried herbs, chocolate, truffle, and graphite. Showing more violets notes with time in the glass, it builds incrementally on the palate, with flawless balance as well as incredible elegance, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. Readers will have a blast comparing the 2016 and 2015 vintages over the coming 3-4 decades and this estate is firing on all cylinders. This will most likely merit a triple-digit rating in 7-8 years and keep for 4 decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDA testament to the work being undertaken at Figeac in recent years, this has depth and intensity while retaining the smile of the fruit. Richness combines with gorgeous length and intensity, every bit as impressive as it was during en primeur. Touches of violet and a silky texture precede hugely precise slate walls that pull the fruit into place through the palate. It takes its time in the glass to fully open, only slowly revealing the black olives, pungent white pepper and rosemary aromatics. Bottled in late July. 100% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 - 2045.Decanter | 98 DECThis aromatic wine is magnificent in its balance and richness. With its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (38%), it is so typical of this estate. The tannins are velvety while packing a firm punch. Dark and concentrated, it is a great wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2016 Figeac is comprised of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is a little broody and reticent at this very youthful stage, slowly unfolding to reveal profound plum preserves, crème de cassis, black raspberries and star anise with hints of moss-covered bark, truffles and tilled loam plus a waft of red currants and raspberry leaves sparks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is practically quivering with energy, offering glimpses at tightly wound black fruit and mineral/ferrous layers, framed by very firm, ripe tannins and wonderful tension, finishing long with the spices coming through. This will need a good 7-8 years to come round and then should cellar for 40+ years. Very serious, beautifully poised and sophisticated personality this vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA gutsy, fully endowed wine, brimming with dark currant, warm fig and steeped blackberry notes, as well as waves of smoldering tobacco and warm gravel. Features a serious bass line, but everything works together, while flecks of savory and iron dart in and out. Best from 2025 through 2040. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2016 Fombrauge has come together beautifully during its aging and is now a much more refined wine than it was from barrel. Sweet red berry fruit, mocha, espresso, mint and floral notes all grace this exquisite, mid-weight Saint-Émilion. The 2016 is simply impeccable, not to mention incredibly delicious. There is not much more to it than that. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThere’s a very rich and powerful core of red-plum and mulberry aromas and flavors here, delivering an assertive and very shimmery, polished palate. Great tannin texture. Long and regal. Every bit as good as the 2015, but more lively in 2016. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThis is a perfumed wine, likely thanks to a dollop (7%) of Cabernet Franc. It has ripe fruit characters, pleasant richness and a firm structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEMedium garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Fombrauge sings of lively kirsch, baked black cherries and warm plums notes plus touches of potpourri, cigar box and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with decadent red and black fruit preserves, structured by velvety tannins and finishing with fantastic length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPBig and broad in feel, with a cocoa lacing from start to finish that weaves around dark fig and blackberry preserve flavors. Roasted apple wood and tobacco notes score the finish, leaving a touch of woodsy grip echoing. Best from 2022 through 2032. 24,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLeafy herbs, black fruits, and damp earth notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Fombrauge, which is 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in 45% new oak. Falling under the Bernard Magrez umbrella, it’s a totally charming, forward, medium to full-bodied 2016 that has notable complexity, good (not great) mid-palate depth, no hard edges, and loads of character. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThere is a lot of energy to engage with on this powerfully built Grand Cru Classé from Bernard Magrez. Ripe blackberry and black cherry kick things off with warm baking spice and tobacco debuting next on this medium-bodied, well-structured, full-finish wine. (Drink between 2022-2032)Decanter | 91 DEC

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 has attractive, glossy, ripe red-plum and licorice aromas with cedar, flowers and red berries, as well as a stony edge. A very fragrant, cabernet-driven nose. The palate has elegance and grace with sleek and charming, balanced style and a discreet tannin structure that holds the finish long and fresh. A blend of 81 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 19 per cent merlot. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThis nearly 200-acre estate lies in the south of the Margaux appellation. The wine is another great success in a series of superb years. It is rich but the structure and finely textured fruit give it style and longevity. Drink the wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 Giscours is complex, aromatically intense and beguiling, with myriad layers of flavors that unfold with time in the glass. Black cherry, sage, leather, smoke and menthol add plenty of intrigue, but above all else, it is the wine’s balance and sense of harmony that make the deepest impression. Under the leadership of Alexander Van Beek and his team, Giscours has been on a roll over the last few years. The 2016 is another fine vintage.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGConcentrated autumnal fruit offers a hawthorny bramble of blackberry and bilberry. Big-framed, muscular tannins are joined by plenty of acidity - it’s very clearly built to last and confident in its ability to reward those with patience. Matured in 50% new oak. Axel Marchal and Valerie Lavigne consult. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 94 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Giscours gives up aromas of cassis, chocolate, earth, tar, pepper and hoisin with touches of flowers and a meaty nuance. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a great core and a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2016 Château Giscours is fabulous stuff, offering a beautiful, complex (and classic Margaux) perfume of smoke tobacco, black currants, truffly earth, and spring flowers. Finesse-driven, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it has ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, and is already drinking beautifully. Nevertheless, it’s going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-25 years or more. The blend of the 2016 is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot and it’s well worth a case purchase.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThis is on the darker side of the ledger, with well-melded black currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit, infused with brambly energy and allied to a graphite spine on the anise-tinged finish. Features a light woodsy echo at the very end, but there’s plenty of flesh here. Best from 2022 through 2032. 34,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2016 Valpolicella Classico Superiore is wild and exotic in the glass, with a spicy burst of citrus and hints of graphite that give way to crushed blackberries and incense. This is a juicy and vibrant interpretation of Quintarelli Valpolicella, with a wave of mineral-tinged wild berry fruit that washes across the palate, guided by stimulating acidity. It tapers off on a note of refinement, still quite mineral and classically dry, with a coating of fine tannins that add a pleasantly crunchy sensation. Since no Amarone was produced in 2016, the Valpolicella received a percentage of that fruit, propelling this beauty to the next level.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is well built and powerful, not exactly subtle, but then none of these wines are. Instead you get complex, layered and concentrated inky fruits, with some aniseed too. The balance and elegance of St-Julien comes in through the tailored and fine tannins on the finish, but while these tannins may be fine, there are lots of them. 80% new oak. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 Gruaud Larose is blended of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with notes of red and black cherries, warm plums and freshly crushed blackcurrants plus hints of violets, oolong tea, aniseed and tilled soil with a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate struts tons of elegantly fragrant red and black fruit flavors with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSo much sweet-tobacco and currant character with some earth on the nose. Full body, firm and chewy tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Closed and complex still, but a typically beautiful Bordeaux. Try after 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSThis is a dense, smoky wine with powerful tannins. It follows the line of richness set since the 2014 vintage and balances rich black fruits and concentrated tannins cut with final acidity. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2016 Gruaud Larose has a surfeit of red berry fruit laced with rose petal and light crushed stone aromas on the generous, open nose. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and underpinned by a fine bead of acidity. It comes across sedate and nonchalant, not determined to become the greatest Saint-Julien, but so supple and lithe that you cannot help falling for its charms. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis has a wide range of red currant, blackberry, black cherry and açaí berry fruit flavors forming the core, with a very sleek iron note lurking underneath it all. The finish uses a fine singed wood stitching to pull the fruit and minerality together. Lovely. Best from 2023 through 2038. 12,200 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 93 WS

A vibrant example of the region. Very attractive creamy texture, almost like milk chocolate, velvety and sweet. On the palate there is a wild, garrigue type character with oregano and spice, and a leathery, tobacco finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DEC

Bottled end of February/early in March, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is incredible stuff, and while I suspect it’s the best vintage to date, it’s going to be great comparing it to bottles of the 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2015 over the coming 15+ years. This beauty offers a thrilling blend of kirsch, blackberries, smoked earth, graphite, and licorice on the nose. It's full-bodied, deep, pure, ultra-fine, and powerful on the palate and flirts with perfection. It’s a tour de force in Grenache that readers need to snatch up!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe terrific 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin has lived up to my expectations from last year's visit. It's 100% Grenache, includes some parcels planted back in 1912, and half was vinified with stems. From sandy sites, it showcases the ability of Grenache to ripen fully yet retain a sense of elegance and lightness. It's full-bodied and velvety but also vibrant, with black cherry fruit and hints of chocolate balanced by incredibly silky tannins and freshness on the finish. Really impressive stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis is a profound expression of grenache with brambly, red fruit wrapped in wild herbs and flowers. Fresh, yet deeply ripe and expressive. The really succulent, deep and fresh tannins are a feature. Power with elegance! Brilliant. Pure grenache on sandy soil, from three parcels of vines, aged between 80 and 100 years. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSLurid ruby. An expansive, complex bouquet evokes cherry liqueur, blueberry, incense and candied flowers, along with a smoky mineral nuance that builds in the background. Shows outstanding depth and energy to the red and blue fruit and spicecake flavors, which become more lively and gain sweetness with aeration. Closes on a suave lavender pastille note, offering rounded, even tannins and emphatic, blue-fruit-driven persistence.Vinous Media | 95 VMDelightful plum, raspberry and blackberry compote flavors form the core, with racy, graphite-edged structure running underneath. Dark anise and tobacco notes check in throughout. The long finish lets the fruit linger. Best from 2020 through 2034. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape XXL has only been made previously in the 2007 vintage, and there are around 400 cases of this beauty in 2016. Coming from old vines near Beaucastel, La Crau, and Saumade, which are all rolled stone terroirs, it’s mostly Grenache (there’s 10% Mourvèdre) brought up primarily in demi-muids. This incredible wine is deep ruby/purple-colored with a massive nose of black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, incense, and pepper. Deep, hugely concentrated, pure, fine and yet still elegant, it's a magical, heavenly wine that's going to keep for 3-4 decades. While the style at Janasse has shifted to one of slightly more freshness and elegance since 2007, this is much more in the style of the old days and is guaranteed to make your blood pressure jump about 10 points or more!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDOnly the second vintage of this cuvée ever to be produced (the other is 2007), the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape XXL is about 75% Grenache, with the rest a mix of permitted varieties. It incorporates "a lot" of whole clusters and matured in demi-muid. It was bottled in May but will likely only be released in November, says Christophe Sabon. Classy aromas of crushed stone, pencil shavings and baking spices start it off on a terrific note, while ripe raspberries and stone fruit unfold on the full-bodied palate. Contrary to the implications of its name, this wine boasts incredible finesse, elegance and length and is in fact more impressive for those qualities than its overall size, power and richness. It will certainly open a few eyes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP

The current 2016 Jesús Yllera is floral and perfumed and is evolving nicely and absorbing the oak, coming through as both elegant and powerful, with fully developed flavors and a polished palate. It’s sleek and balanced. 145,000 bottles were filled in July of 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

There’s an attractively young and modern style on the nose with a deep and juicy, red and dark-fruit edge, as well as flinty mineral notes. The palate has terrific concentration and richness and a long, driving finish. A blend of 75 per cent merlot, 20 per cent cabernet franc and five per cent cabernet sauvignon. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThis grand cru classé wine is packed with potential. From a great vintage, it has density and layers of tannins for aging. It also offers weight and hints of future succulent blackberry fruits and richness. Drink this wine that is still developing from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA tight, backward Saint-Emilion, the 2016 Château La Couspaude has plenty of spicy oak as well as medium to full-bodied richness, good concentration, a tight, vibrant mouthfeel, and beautiful cassis and violet-tinged purple fruits. It’s an impressive wine that’s mostly potential at this point. Give bottles 3-4 years in the cellar and it’s going to drink nicely for 10-15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91+ JD

Fragrant and spicy, ripe and juicy with a ton of crushed berry character. The generous, supple tannins nicely support the full body and long, silky finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 La Fleur de Boüard is blended of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is a little youthfully reticent to begin, giving way to provocative crushed rocks, tilled soil, mossy bark and cigar box scents over a core of blueberry compote, black raspberries and blackberry pie with a waft of dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the earth-laced palate is positively charged with energy, framed by very fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2016 La Fleur de Boüard is gorgeous. Sweet, floral notes lift the red berry fruit in this gracious, mid-weight wine. Raspberry, wild flowers, mocha, spice and mint all run through this lithe, silky wine. The 2016 possesses notable silkiness, nuance and finesse. This is a terrific showing.Vinous Media | 92 VMA blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Château La Fleur de Boüard comes from the de Boüard family of the famed Château Angélus and was brought up in 75% new French oak. It shows the subtle change in style at this estate and is fresher and more elegant, with a pretty bouquet of black raspberries, crushed flowers, and hints of tobacco. It fleshes out beautifully on the palate and offers medium body, silky tannins, and a beautiful finish. It’s a seamless, beautiful wine well worth buying and cellaring. It’s going to keep for 10-15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThis is delicious, a perfect example of how the vintage balances ripe fruit and great acidity. 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 75% new oak which just melts right in.Decanter Magazine | 90 DEC

Not far off the magical 2015, the 2016 La Mondotte comes from a tiny vineyard of clay and limestone soil located next to Pavie Decesse. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this behemoth boasts a deep purple color as well as a brilliant array of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, crushed rocks, and graphite. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, with liquid minerality emerging with time in the glass, this legendary Saint-Emilion in the making needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will keep for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2016 La Mondotte is gorgeous in this vintage. Over the last few years, Stephan von Neipperg has gradually started to pick earlier. Nowhere is that more evident in his wines than at La Mondotte, which in 2016 impresses for its power, tension and energy. Much less obvious than it has been in the past, La Mondotte is arrestingly beautiful at this stage. Bright floral and mineral notes run through a core of dark red and purplish fruit in this stunningly beautiful, expressive Saint-Émilion. In a word: tremendous. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGSo much black truffle and blueberry on the nose. Decadent and aromatic. Wet soil. Indian ink. Full-bodied, polished and so velvety with fantastic depth of fruit and ripe tannins, yet powerful and fresh. Slightly minerally and salty underneath.James Suckling | 97 JSThis shows a dark, toasty style at first, with notes of ganache and plum reduction, but it unwinds steadily and slowly, revealing pure cassis, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors gilded liberally with violet and anise accents. The long finish is laced with a superfine chalky minerality that imparts mouthwatering cut even as the fruit gains steam. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,250 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 96 WSMade by the winemaking team of Canon la Gaffelière, this wine is stylishly elegant, restrained in its structure and tannins. Its intensely juicy character is already attractive, giving the wine almost a refreshing character. This balanced wine will be ready from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 La Mondotte is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc this year, picked between 29 September and 15 October and matured in 70% new oak. The alcohol level is around 14.5%. It has a lucid purple hue in the glass. The bouquet is very perfumed, very pure with luscious red cherries, blueberry and a hint of sloes, the new oak discrete and allowing the terroir to shine through perhaps more than the 2015 last year. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, but underneath the bonnet, there is considerable tannic backbone that certainly can be felt more towards the finish that exerts a light grip. In a strange way, it reminds me a little of Château Canon! Give this 4-5 years once in bottle.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93-95 RP-NM

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 La Prade bursts boldly from the glass with notions of chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry compote and plum preserves with suggestions of eucalyptus, espresso, licorice and cedar chest plus a waft of violets. Full-bodied, rich and plushly textured, the decadent black fruit and spicy layers deliver a very long, impactful finish. This is so tempting to drink right now, but it will age beautifully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2016 La Prade hits the palate with serious depth and intensity. A rush of inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, menthol, crème de cassis, and bittersweet chocolate melds together in this unctuous, super-expressive wine. Creamy, silky tannins enrobe this decidedly rich, flamboyant Côtes de Bordeaux. The 2016 finishes with terrific weight and substance. All of the elements are nicely fused together. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGStately and restrained, this has a clear sense of minerality and salinity. An enjoyable wine matured in 33% new oak of both 225’ and 500l sizes. Great quality. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECBold tannins and ripe fruit are the hallmarks of this rich wine from the Nicolas Thienpont range. A solid structure backs up the ripe black-currant flavors. The wine will certainly age well, so wait until 2021.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThis is integrated and lightly chewy with dark berries and light chocolate and some hazelnuts. Medium body. Fresh finish. A blend of 88 per cent merlot and 12 per cent cabernet franc. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

This is a rich wine, packed with tannins that contrast the fresh acidity and black currant fruit. It’s a solid wine that’s constructed to age.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a deep rich ruby colour with powerful dark fruit aromatics. It’s smooth, rich and extremely good quality, with an oak smokiness evident but well integrated. It feels at the very beginning of its life, with everything in place but a little overly tight on the finish, although lovely menthol notes come through. The fruit is optically sorted, and following fermentation is aged in 30% new oak. Michel Rolland consults. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECFor a Haut-Médoc, this has an impressive depth of blackberry and blueberry character, together with a fine vanilla-oak note that beautifully complements the supple and finely nuanced, medium body. I love the crisp and delicately herbal, dry finish. A blend of 60% merlot, 37% cabernet sauvignon and 3% cabernet franc. Better from 2020.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 La Tour Carnet is fabulous. Rich, dense and voluptuous in the glass, the 2016 exudes intensity in every dimension. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, menthol, licorice, pomegranate and spice give the 2016 a decidedly exotic character that is hugely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 la Tour Carnet has an earthy nose with tobacco and underbrush over a core of warm plums, kirsch and tea. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing, elegant, juicy and soft with a savory finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPJuicy, offering a mix of dark currant and blackberry fruit flavors inlaid with hints of ganache, tobacco and licorice root. A nice grippy feel shows through the fruit while the fruit keeps pace. Drink now through 2029. 50,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WSFrom a terrific estate that always delivers the goods, and usually for a great price, the 2016 Château La Tour Carnet has good ripeness and exhibits ample black and blue fruits, hints of violets and flowers, medium-bodied richness, and outstanding balance. It shows the vintage beautifully and will keep for 10-15 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

Dense and chewy with very firm and silky tannins. Full-bodied and powerful. Better than the 2015.James Suckling | 93-94 JSSituated in one of the northern sectors of Margaux, this estate was created in the 13th century. This sumptuous wine has enormous power that is mitigated by the taut, mineral texture and black-currant flavors. It is a finely wrought wine that will take time to age. Drink from 2024. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEHere we are stepping up a gear for this estate, with careful but not shy fruit extraction, some real intensity to the silky raspberry and bilberry flavours, and tannins that cradle without overpowering the fruit. Brilliant value for money in a wine where you get a hint of the floral silkiness of Margaux. Owned by CA Grands Crus, the same group that owns Grand Puy Ducasse, Tour de Mons is benefitting from recent investments together with the sure touch of technical director Anne le Naour. 56% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot, (Drink between 2023-2035)Decanter | 91 DEC

Currant, lead pencil and fresh rose-petal aromas follow through to a full body, round and nicely chewy tannins and a long finish. Balanced and polished. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThis is an ambitious take on 2016, pushing the vintage but successfully so, going for a cerebral 2010 feel rather than the generosity of 2009. Classic liquorice and slate, tight cassis fruits and an extremely well paced delivery of fresh tight tannins lead into a gorgeous, lifted juicy fruit finish. From a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. I like this a lot. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 91 DECMedium garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lanessan offers cassis and plums on the nose with a core of cedar, earth and herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is firm, grainy and lively with good expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Beautiful aromas of flowers and berries, intermingled in fresh and brambly mode with a cedary edge. This is very fresh. The tannins carve an exceptionally deep, long line through the dark berries and cassis and deliver a very powerful, unwavering finish. This is in great form. Very powerful and focused. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSSappy and dense, with kirsch, plum reduction, mulled açai berry and warmed fig fruit showing impressive range, while licorice snap, ganache and roasted apple wood notes jostle behind them. Mouthwatering acidity should give this plenty of time to round into form. Best from 2025 through 2040. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 7,667 cases made. Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2016 Langoa Barton is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and opens with cedar, red and black currants, kirsch and menthol with smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and packed with youthful, energetic fruit, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2016 Langoa Barton is succulent, racy and inviting, with striking textural richness and depth. Ripe dark plum, tobacco, cedar, licorice and spice are all generous in this racy, pliant Saint-Julien. The 2016 is an especially fine edition of Langoa-Barton and one of the sleepers of the vintage.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGLangoa is vinified and aged in the same way as Léoville Barton, the difference being the terroir and varietal blend – even that is not strikingly different. Vibrant and stylish nose, with blackcurrant, black fruits and liquorice. Juicy and full-bodied, it displays swagger, robust tannins and concentration, but not to excess. Vigorous and long finish. (Drink between 2023-2042)Decanter | 93 DECBig and packed with spice and smokiness, this wine is full of rich black fruits and juicy acidity. Wood aging adds a light touch of toastiness at this stage but will integrate to give a ripe wine ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEAnother beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2016 Château Langoa Barton reveals a saturated purple color to go with ample black, plummy, cherry fruits that are balanced by notes of scorched earth, licorice, and earth. This sexy, plump, chewy effort doesn’t give up too much elegance, yet it packs tons of fruit, character, and delicious charm. Drink it over the coming two decades or more. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc, and it’s well worth having in your cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD