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Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of many notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is a towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGTerrific ripeness, depth and complexity on offer here. This has a very attractive array of bright, ripe blueberries and cassis with some leafy and earthy notes. The palate has a quite deep, long and vibrant array of perfectly ripe dark plums and blueberries. So good. Best vintage this decade. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSThis offers alluring waves of ganache-tinged plum sauce, blackberry reduction and steeped açaí fruit flavors, while tobacco and singed mesquite notes hang in the background. Shows a lovely bramble echo through the finish, with the fruit easily keeping pace. This has range, distinctive mouthfeel and serious length. There’s a new player officially in the Pessac game... Best from 2023 through 2038. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSWith 51% whole-bunch fermentation for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is the highest proportion in this wine. This is just gorgeous, with a beautiful sweetness on the attack from ripe fruit and a touch of smoked caramel. It really rises through the palate, gripped by liquorice, hazelnut, dark chocolate and black cherry fruits that ripple through the palate. I loved this wine En primeur and it is absolutely living up to its billing. It has an IPT of 90, but the tannins are full of life, yielding in just the right places while still confident and keeping everything in line.Great persistency too. 3.49pH. 80% new oak, 10% Stockinger and 10% amphoras. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

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

Bottled in June of 2018, the 2016 Château La Conseillante is a beautifully seamless yet powerful version of this cuvée that has the hallmark fragrance and elegance of the estate front and center. Complex blackberries, cassis, flowers, incense, forest floor, and floral notes all soar from this full-bodied, pure, and polished Pomerol that has an undeniable class as well as wonderful purity of fruit, perfect integration of its tannins and acidity, and a blockbuster finish. It’s an incredibly complete wine that flirts with perfection and will keep for 30-40 years. The blend is 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. There are less than 4,000 cases made, but this is a wine you want in your cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe aromas of violets and dark berries with licorice and sweet black tea are so attractive. What really impresses is the sweet fruit in the dense middle palate. So attractive. At the same time, there’s plenty of plush and ripe tannins that give the wine form and brightness. And it still remains bright on the finish, as the tannins roll on. A great Conseillante. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 La Conseillante is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak for 17 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slips provocatively out of the glass with a lifted perfume of roses, candied violets and lavender over a core of warm red and black plums, chocolate box, unsmoked cigars and baked cherries with wafts of wild thyme and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate exudes polish and sophistication with bags of fragrance, freshness and energy, sporting exquisitely fine-grained tannins and finishing very long and minerally. Around 3,808 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPI love the depth and character to the fruits on this wine. Still extremely young, in a closed phase with plenty of tannic grip, but there are layers upon layers of blueberry, cassis, raspberry, mint, saffron, slate and liquorice. Clear acidity also, ensuring this succulent, juicy character to the fruits. A brilliant example of an excellent vintage in Pomerol. 70% new oak. A yield of 39.5hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024 - 2046.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2016 La Conseillante comes across ripe and generous on a nose of strawberry, blackberry, rose petal and vanilla, before more tertiary and nobler scents develop. The palate is well balanced with supple tannins and fine acidity. This is disarmingly fleshy, almost corpulent, with impressive depth, though it tightens up toward the finish. Its grace and class still come through, however. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95+ VMFeatures a terrific core of dense and winey cassis, blackberry and plum reduction notes that will need time to unfurl, during which time the flickers of alder, tobacco and black tea lurking throughout should emerge further. Shows a solid graphite element through the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038. 3,333 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSBeautifully perfumed and rich, this wine comes from the eastern edge of the great plateau of Pomerol. It shows the density and concentration of impressive Merlot. Offering powerful fruits as much as tannins, the wine also has a mineral edge plus fresh acidity to give it a lift. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Deep ruby-colored and offering a heavenly bouquet of black raspberries, toasted spiced, cured meats, licorice, and cured meats, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Combes des Fous is awesome on the palate, with a silky, seamless profile that just keeps on going. Possessing ultra-fine tannin, no hard edges, and a huge finish, it’s a phenomenal bottle of wine. The fact that it was bottled just one month ago makes this showing even more impressive.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSaturated ruby. An exotically perfumed, highly complex bouquet evokes raspberry preserves, smoky minerals, Moroccan spices and incense. Supple, palate-staining red and dark berry liqueur and floral pastille flavors show superb depth, sharp delineation and an energizing undercurrent of smoky minerality. Manages to be at once rich and lively and finishes with outstanding clarity, well-knit tannins and resonating floral and mineral qualities.Vinous Media | 96 VMFrom a single exposed hilltop parcel, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% each Cinsault and Vaccarèse. As the Syrah was aged in wood, there's a hint of campfire smoke here, plus layers of rich, voluptuous plummy fruit. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, this is more concentrated than even the Vieilles Vignes bottling, but it's not that much better in terms of overall quality or longevity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA dark and winey style, featuring intense raspberry and black currant preserve flavors coiled up with singed cedar, dried anise and rooibos tea notes. A lightly dusty, lavender-infused structure runs through the finish.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA searching, seductive nose of raspberry, loganberry and camphor, inlaid with spices. Full-bodied and opulently textured, the fruit and alcohol sweetness is matched by high acidity, while the tannins are velvety and gentle. The nose is particularly compelling, and I'd recommend drinking this young to enjoy its full impact rather than cellaring for any great length of time. A very rich style that would be better to share amongst a group rather than between a couple. 10% new oak. Drinking Window 2018 - 2026Decanter | 93 DEC

I was also able to taste the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Da Capo, which comes mostly from older vines in the La Crau lieu-dit and spends an additional year in a large foudre. The 2016 vintage was truly magical for the region, and this Cuvée Da Capo is unquestionably one of the finest vintages for this cuvée ever made, in the same league as, if not surpassing, the 1998, 2003, 2007, and 2010. Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come. Traditional, classic Châteauneuf Du Pape doesn’t get better. I hate to be the guy who throws out the “best to date” line very often, but this is truly magical stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAs impressive as the Cuvée Réservée is, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo brings an extra level of intensity. Turn that volume up to 11 or even 12. Waves of black cherries, plums and chocolate wash across the full-bodied, velvety palate, lingering nearly forever on the finish. As big and bold as it is, it remains breathtakingly elegant and fine. It should evolve gracefully through at least 2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPBlack-cherry and plum flavors are ripe but pertly balanced in this Grenache blend. It’s spicy and intensely aromatic, wafting of cloves, allspice and caramel, yet revitalizing and mineral too. The finish is endlessly long, fringed by fine, taut tannins. It’s stunning now but should improve through 2036 and hold further still.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEVivid ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry, cherry preserve and licorice aromas are complemented by hints of game, exotic spices and candied lavender. Deep, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering densely packed raspberry, cola and floral pastille flavors and a strong suggestion of spicecake. Shows superb clarity and power on a ridiculously long, sappy finish that eventually leaves behind cherry liqueur and bitter chocolate notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is richly fruited, with succulent plum, boysenberry and fig preserve flavors that are seamlessly layered and laced with warm anise, black tea and smoldering tobacco notes. The long finish features well-embedded chalky grip that gives this cut to match the lush fruit. A beauty. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAll 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There’s some complexity and interest on the nose already, with aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries and a touch of tobacco leaf. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but without any heaviness, with sublime freshness and piercing acidity. This has real life, and a lightness of touch which delivers real drinkability. Very fine, abundant ripe tannins work like a lattice through the fruit. The fairly raised levels of alcohol don’t give a sense of imbalance in the wine, and it finishes on a lifted note. The best Da Capo in a long time. Real elegance. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 97 DECThis is the second year in a row that the Férauds have bottled this rare cuvée, made only in exceptional vintages. The 2016 is even more intense than the 2015, with a bright energy that makes it inviting despite its size. A blend of all 13 red-wine varieties permitted in the appellation, fermented in whole bunches with ambient yeasts in tank, it uses stemmy herbal notes to lift the masses of dark, figgy fruit, taking it into higher, fresher registers of roses and seedy strawberries, cracked peppercorns and garrigue. The tannins and alcohol are not harsh, but intense enough to suggest this is best left untouched in the cellar for five years, or even 15.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SAn impressive wine for the concentration and punchy fruit impact. Pears, melons and assertive lemon citrus weighs in on the palate. The length and purity is stunning. A gently savory, pastry-like edge to the finish. Will age superbly. Try from 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

This is a ripe and fruity yet strucutred wine that has amazing aging potential. It offers a strongly floral element that contrasts with the tense, mineral texture and dense tannins. It is an immensely concentrated wine that will not be ready until 2029. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2016 Quinta do Noval Naçional Vintage Port comes (of course) from the famous parcel of ungrafted vines. Comparing it side by side, the Naçional does not have the immediacy of the regular Noval. It is darker, more introspective, more complex and beguiling, the black fruit complemented by subtle desiccated orange and marmalade aromas. What strikes first on the palate is the fineness of the tannins. This is utterly harmonious, silky in terms of texture, and extraordinarily cohesive. You don’t know whether to drink this or stroke it. It is an understated Naçional that almost deceives you into thinking that there is not power, but that crashes across the senses in the final third and on the aftertaste. It is a Naçional with a latent effect, its virtues becoming apparent not during but after imbibing. It is a quite profound Port, even though at this juncture you are just reading the first couple of pages of a very long and engrossing novel. Drinking Window 2034 - 2080Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is distinctive from the start, with a youthfully rambunctious display of dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit paste flavors liberally spiked with bramble, Turkish coffee and ganache notes. As the fruit pumps through the finish, a tarry spine adds a bristling, mouthwatering edge. Sports more obvious grip and is a touch drier in style than most of its peers. Best from 2035 through 2055.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in with 82 grams of residual sugar. This was in bottle for only about seven weeks when seen, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. It looks super, with plenty of room to grow in the cellar. Christian Seely likes to say that this regular Noval and the Nacional are not better than one another, just different. In fact, I usually prefer Nacional, but in this vintage I make a case for equality and endorse that view.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The aromas here are so spellbinding with shitake mushrooms, wet earth and moss, as well as tree bark and, finally, dark fruit. The palate is incredible as it builds and grows with full body, but always tight and reserved. It shows so much depth and complexity. Please try not to touch this until 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Larcis Ducasse is absolutely gorgeous. Fresh, vibrant and alluring, with tremendous vibrancy, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive savory and blood orange notes add brightness to the red cherry and plum fruit, with beams of firm yet well-integrated tannins that give the wine its shape and energy. In 2016, Larcis brings together undeniable raciness and power in a complete package that is irresistibly beautiful. Give it a few years in bottle for the tannins to soften.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGFrom one of my favorite estates in Bordeaux, the deeply colored 2016 Château Larcis Ducasse is comprised of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 50% new French oak. It offers a huge bouquet of black, black fruits, smoked herbs, forest floor, graphite, and underbrush that builds beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, opulent and expansive on the palate, with building tannins, it’s a rich, layered Saint-Emilion as well as another incredible wine from this estate. Give it a few years if you can. It’s capable of keeping for three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Larcis Ducasse sashays gracefully out of the glass with beautiful Black Forest cake, red cherry compote, raspberry preserves and blackberry pie scents plus hints of cigar box, Ceylon tea, dried lavender and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers gorgeous red and black fruit preserves flavors with a wonderfully plush texture and very long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPFeatures a lovely profile, with caressing edges but a very focused feel, as cassis, plum reduction and blueberry preserve flavors stream through together, flanked by dark tea and singed apple wood notes. A bolt of chalk emerges steadily through the finish, keeping this well-grounded. This will need some time to unwind fully. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAs you would expect from a young wine in such a brilliant year, this is still closed yet powerful, rich and layered, displaying again the two faces of concentration and freshness that Larcis captures so well. It has precision tannins that, even at three years old, are layered and supple and the emphasis is on densely knitted cassis fruits with a slate minerality and menthol uplift. 60% new oak was used. Drinking Window 2025 - 2044.Decanter | 95 DECThis perfumed wine is rich in black fruits bursting with juicy berry flavors and acidity. A dry core promises both good aging potential and great fruitiness. The silky structure is developing well and the wine should be ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2016 Le Dome is a brilliant, brilliant wine that does everything right. Sporting a saturated purple color, it has a huge perfume of blueberries, spring flowers, graphite, wet stone, and camphor. Incredibly layered and complex, with full body, building, ultra-fine tannins, a multi-dimensional texture, and a monster finish, it’s unquestionably one of the most flamboyant, sexy, opulent wines in the vintage yet stays ethereal, elegant, and weightless. Coming from a site not far from Angélus and a unique blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot from tiny yields, aged in 80% new oak, it has the class and fruit to shine even today but will be better with 3-4 years of cellaring and I suspect capable of lasting for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis 80% Cabernet Franc wine may be massive, but it is also perfumed with swathes of opulent black fruit. It comes from a great year for Cabernet Franc, which forms 75% of this vineyard. Juicy acidity gives the wine a velvet character that is enticing. It needs time, , so wait to drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThe 2016 Le Dome is comprised of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, aged in 80% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it slips sensuously out of the glass with compelling notions of red roses, candied violets, chocolate box and Chinese five spice with a core of kirsch, blackberry tart, warm plums, black raspberries and cloves plus wafts of cigar box and orange peel. Full bodied—the palate is positively electric with energy—it gives layer upon layer of perfumed black raspberries and mineral sparks, framed by super ripe, firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing very long and very fragrant. It has 15% alcohol, but so beautifully harmonious you would never guess it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPWith ripe berries and decadent undertones, this wine is really alluring on the nose. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a very, very pretty and energized finish. Yes. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Le Dôme is absolutely gorgeous. Even thought the 2016 is very much tightly wound, it is still super-expressive. Crushed rocks, gravel, smoke and lavender add delineated, energy and nuance to this dark, full-bodied wine. Le Dôme is a rare Cabernet Franc-dominate Saint-Émilion that deftly balances richness with vibrancy. I find it the most complete and arrestingly beautiful wine in Jonathan Malthus' range. Today, it is positively thrilling.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe flagship wine for Maltus, made up of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, with a fairly high for the vintage pH of 3.81. This majors on muscular, powerful and slightly austere tannins, with fleshy cassis and strong liquorice flavours. This is a little old-school in its interpretation of the vintage, but there is no doubting the quality. Drinking Window 2027 - 2045.Decanter | 94 DEC

2016 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany and, according to Stefano, the best in 20 years. The cool night temperatures allowed for beautifully precise aromatics and perfectly ripe, harmonious tannins. This wine expresses the vintage beautifully and is the best Redigaffi I have tasted - simply stunning! Complex and tightly wound, it carries its 15% alcohol really well. There are hints of roasted coffee beans and green herbs on the nose, while the palate is super-concentrated yet beautifully balanced, with very fine-textured tannins. Blackcurrant, smoky plum and liquorice flavours are joined by a lovely freshness. A beauty. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 100 DECThe aromas of violets, roses and lavender are captivating. Turns to spices and hazelnuts. So complex. This full-bodied wine grows and grows on the palate, yet it remains agile and fresh. Plenty of energy in the palate. More powerful than the perfect 2015. We will see which is better in the end. Great wine. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Redigaffi is another absolutely compelling wine in this range. Explosive and opulent, the 2016 manages to be both spectacularly rich and yet also retain tremendous freshness. Blueberry jam, lavender, crushed rocks and sweet oak all build as this sumptuous yet structured Merlot shows off its considerable personality. In 2016, Redigaffi is energetic, persistent and also very classy. Drink it over the next decade or so.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis vintage hits it out of the ballpark. The Tua Rita 2016 Redigaffi is everything you should expect in terms of complexity, depth and the quality of its bouquet. The wine is especially balanced and focused with pinpoint aromas of dark cherry, plum, spice, tar and dried garden herb. The mouthfeel is generous and rich, but it also offers very silky and long tannins that give the wine its long, persistent mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage is an icon, and the wine has many long years of aging ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSupple, featuring pure black cherry, plum, wild herb, spice and licorice flavors that mesh with the well-integrated structure. Harmonious, remaining defined and juicy on the lingering finish. Though concentrated, this stays fresh and energetic, showing finesse and poise. Merlot. Drink now through 2033. 1,150 cases made, 90 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2016 Prieuré-Lichine is all class. Floral, silky and nuanced to the core, the 2016 is a wine of pure and total seduction. Freshly cut flowers, vibrant red fruit and creamy tannins all add to the wine’s undeniable allure. In 2016, Prieuré-Lichine is all class, not to mention one of the sleepers of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark fruit notes are more evident here than in the 2015 vintage, with spice moving from cinnamon to black pepper, alongside damson and lots of pure cassis notes. The oak, 45% new, is extremely well integrated with grilled almond notes. This is another vintage that showcases the energy and generosity of Prieuré-Lichine in recent years, capturing the generosity of the fruit without sacrificing the elegance of Margaux. Drinking Window 2026 - 2046.Decanter | 95 DECWith vineyards in the southern Margaux village of Cantenac, this estate has produced a deliciously juicy wine. The structure follows a straight line between the tannins and the intense fruit and acidity. The wine should age well, ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA very suave, polished Margaux that delivers iodine and dark-stone aromas and a wealth of ripe, plush dark fruit that follows through to the palate in attractive, fleshy and juicy mode. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Prieure-Lichine has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a bold, intensely scented nose of warm blackcurrants, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of cedar chest, tobacco, dried herbs and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has bags of class with lovely, vibrant black berries flavors and earthy sparks framed by ripe grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA restrained style, with a beam of cherry, cassis, lilac and sandalwood flavors, revealing a good fleshy feel and solid depth throughout. Light perfume and tobacco hints give the finish some added range. No fireworks here, just balance and focus. Best from 2021 through 2032. 19,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Beautifully fresh, lifted and disarming on the nose, you react with a smile without thinking, like with so many of the best 2016s. At this stage there's liquorice, a little black pepper and some floral overtones alongside a little grilled toast. It's full-bodied, you feel the sun in the wine, and it's so concentrated. Tannins are wonderfully glossy and fine, the wine is saturated with them, they coat your mouth. Long finish with real persistence. Perfectly balanced, utterly harmonious, this will be a panoramic Châteauneuf when it's ready. Not overblown or overextracted - perfectly pitched. Drinking Window 2023 - 2070.Decanter | 100 DECThe flagship is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, 75% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and the rest Counoise, brought up all in foudre. Blueberries, Peking duck, new saddle leather, black cherries, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of minerality all flow to a massive, concentrated, pure, perfectly balanced 2016 that is a prime example of the old saying, “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” It's a heavenly, perfect wine that's going to live for 30-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA more savory, moody, strong expression. Deeply rich nose with minerals, flowers, wild herbs, tar, toasted spices and pepper. The dark berries have a smoky edge. Minerally edge, too, thanks to the 60 per cent mourvèdre. The palate has glossy, ripe and super-fine tannins in sheets. Deep-set, dark plums and blueberries in the finish. Noble tannins. Age-worthy.James Suckling | 100 JSTasted three weeks after bottling, I couldn't quite bring myself to give the elusive three-digit score to this admittedly super wine. Perhaps once the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin has been in bottle a bit longer, as Mourvèdre seems to go into a bit of a funk when recently bottled. For now, it's merely profound, packing in savory, mossy nuances, hints of exotic dried spices like star anise and cardamom and layers of rich, plummy fruit that manage to be full-bodied and deliciously intense without being weighty or overwrought. Creamy, lush, intense and long, it's a tdf (tour de force) in CdP.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDeep vivid magenta. A highly complex bouquet displays candied black and blue fruits, incense and musky earth aromas; violet, licorice and Indian spice notes build in the glass. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, mineral-laced blueberry, cherry compote, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors that are given spicy lift and bite by a late peppery flourish. Tightens up slowly on a strikingly long, chewy, floral-driven finish framed by dusty, steadily building tannins.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis delivers a torrent of lively raspberry pâte de fruit and plum reduction notes, infused liberally with anise, fruitcake and black tea nuances. Ripe and dense, yet lively, defined and fresh in feel, coursing over graphite and leather accents on the well-structured finish. Best from 2021 through 2045. 52 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot from this picture-perfect property above Lake Hennessey, Colgin’s 2016 IX Estate is a stunning effort. Subtle herbal nuances, including hints of of licorice, intertwine among bunches of black cherries and pencil shavings to form a dusting atop baskets of cassis. Complex and intense, this full-bodied wine is almost creamy in texture, with tannins so fine-grained as to almost be liquid in feel, then becoming silky on the elegant, lingering finish. Wow.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother perfect wine is the 2016 IX Estate, which is made from 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, all from the hillside vineyard at the estate, high up on Pritchard Hill. It’s another ethereal, pure, seamless wine that does everything right. Huge notes of crème de cassis, ground herbs and tobacco, graphite, chocolate, and spring flower notes all emerge from this full-bodied 2016 that has building tannins, incredible depth of fruit, no hard edges, and a terrific finish. I wrote “wow” three times in my notes on this beauty. Hide bottles for 3-5 years if you can, and it’s capable of lasting for 3-4 decades. It’s another magical wine from winemaker Allison Tauziet that just could not be any better.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAromas of blackberries, black truffles, burnt orange peel, forest floor and blueberries. Decadent. Full to medium body. The tannins are so tight and dense with super fine and caressing texture. An amazing, mesmerizing wine. Drinkable and glorious, but better after 2022.James Suckling | 100 JSFounded in 1992 by art expert and auctioneer Ann Colgin, Colgin makes three tiny production wines of which their IX Estate (pronounced Nine Estate) is the best known. IX Estate is located in the eastern mountains at about 1,200 feet. In warm vintages, the wines are powerful, lush, and textural. In slightly cooler years, they can take on incredible beauty and precision. The 2016 (which also includes a small amount of petit verdot) is darkly savory, spicy, and minerally, with a compelling lit-from-within quality. What winemaker Allison Tauziet called herbes de Napa adds a complex subliminal note of mountain bay laurel, sage, and chaparral.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2016 IX Estate is a total knock-out. A wine of exceptional balance and harmony, the 2016 is stunning from the very first taste. Nothing really stands out. Instead, it is the wine’s sense of proportion that makes the most lasting impression. Seamless, layered and voluptuous to the core, the 2016 has so much to offer. Bright Pritchard Hill acids and minerality are felt on the persistent, beautifully sculpted finish.Vinous Media | 97+ VMLush and warm in feel, with gorgeous fig, black currant and dark plum fruit that rolls through in harmonious waves against a backdrop of loam, alder and smoldering cast iron notes. Not shy on power, latent cut and inner freshness, this just needs time to unwind fully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2038. 1,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

Speechless here. I thought the 2015 was already perfect but this is perfect, too. But in a different way. It is so structured and multidimensional. Full-bodied, powerful and intense with incredible tannin backbone and depth. The dark-berry, wet-earth, oyster-shell and mushroom flavors are phenomenal. 20% less production than 2015. Give it four or five years to come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSI fussed over scoring this wine more than I'd like to admit—tasting through three samples under different conditions at various intervals and testing my impressions blind against wines in its peer group. Most importantly, I tasted this 2016 vintage against the 2015 vintage over and over again. I confess to a few nights of restless sleep as a result. Ultimately, my decision to award 100 points to the 2016 Solaia came on impulse and with the most natural sense of purpose. I had also given the 2015 vintage a perfect score, and intellectually, it seemed impossible not to pick a favorite among these two stunning expressions. I will also state, outright, that the wines are very different, principally because the 2015 vintage shows more overall opulence and sweetness that extends to the pronounced textural richness of the mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage, on the other hand, is more chiseled and sharp with mineral shadings of campfire ash and graphite at the rim of its dark fruit. The mouthfeel is more streamlined and tight at its core, suggesting that the wine will unfold and soften beautifully with time. I feel like 2015 is the Dolce & Gabbana of the situation and the 2016 is the Armani Privé. The personalities of the two wines are distinct, yet my admiration for each is identical.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLike Tignanello, the 2016 Solaia is a wine of extraordinary nuance and finesse. Super-ripe blackberry, plum jam, espresso, menthol, licorice and sweet spice build as the sublime 2016 shows off its personality and breeding. The 2016 somehow manages to be incredibly deep and also light on its feet. Sweet floral and spice notes add the closing shades of nuance to an exotic, beguilingly beautiful Solaia endowed with an eternal finish and mind-blowing beauty. The 2016 is an epic Solaia. That's all there is to it.Vinous Media | 99 VMThe summer of 2016 at Marchesi Antinori’s Tignanello estate featured warm but even temperatures, without the heat spikes of 2015. The result is one of the most expressive and nuanced vintages of Solaia we have ever tasted. High-toned scents of lavender, menthol and bay leaf leap from the glass and continue on the palate, enlivening flavors of crunchy plum, blackcurrant and licorice. The tannins feel refined and silky, and the wine emanates a brightness and energy that propels the flavors outward, creating a three-dimensional impression. If the 2015 Solaia was a powerhouse, this wine is sheer elegance, its precise flavors and lifted aromas creating a thrill factor that is impossible to resist.Wine & Spirits | 99 W&SThis red leads off with a slight oaky edge, featuring vanilla and resin accents that meld with the black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors on the palate. This is all about purity and finesse, featuring a vibrant structure that fits harmoniously with the flavors. Cedar, iron, tobacco and fruit elements converge on the finish, which is very long, fresh and satisfying. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAromas of cassis, warm spice and camphor form the nose. Made with 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 7% Cabernet Franc, the vibrant, linear palate shows great finesse, offering cranberry, blueberry and crushed mint alongside white pepper. It's smooth and balanced, with bright acidity and polished tannins. The best is yet to come, so hold for more complexity. Drink 2023–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEFirst produced in 1978, Solaia comes from a 20-hectare south- to southeast-facing plot at Antinori's prized Tignanello estate. The stony, well-drained soil is a mix of galestro and alberese. Coconut, black tea and ripe blackberry are interlaced with a fragrant herbal and earthy undertow. It is a bit austere at the moment but the acidity is positively racy. Velvety-smooth tannins are seamlessly integrated and the finish is jam-packed. This will need a few years to come around. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2016 Cheval Blanc is blended of 59.5% Merlot, 37.2% Cabernet Franc and 3.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is incredibly youthful yet not so shy as some other 2016s at this stage, giving wonderfully intense scents of red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries and violets with nuances of star anise, cinnamon stick, rose hip tea, cigar box and wood smoke plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping elegance and depth, offering up layer upon layer of fragrant red and black fruits plus an extraordinary array of mineral sparks, supported by a rock-solid grainy texture, finishing with epic persistence and an edifying perfume. This is a very different style from the rich, opulently hedonic 2015, yet this wonderfully fragrant, beautifully poised and intellectually compelling 2016 is equally extraordinary.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2016 Cheval Blanc is one of the most beguiling wines of the vintage. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2016 is at once wonderfully refined and yet also quite powerful. Dark cherry, espresso, spice, leather, tobacco, mint and lavender give the 2016 tremendous aromatic presence. On the palate, the 2016 is rich, exotic and persistent, with real staying power and captivating balance. Pierre Lurton, Pierre-Olivier Clouet and the team at Cheval Blanc turned out a masterpiece in 2016. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis just keeps on going and going, the oak is perfectly integrated but holding everything in place. It has race, depth, complexity and feels true to the personality of the estate. It’s deftly put together and feels grown-up, as Cheval Blanc so often does, with wonderful fresh mint notes and clear tannic structure. It’s a bit like putting together a puzzle in your mouth, with a different piece fitting snugly into place every minute. It doesn’t try too hard to impress, like so many others. This is the first year since the early 2000s to have some Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Drinking Window 2026 - 2046.Decanter | 98 DECThis has turned into a very dense wine, with waves of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry paste forming the core. Wrapped tightly in layers of tobacco and loam for now, while singed alder, incense, black tea and bergamot notes peek in here and there. The finish rumbles like thunder for now, with the swath of tannins, and there’s just a twinge of drought-induced austerity. But there’s acidity and drive too, and this will cruise in the cellar for some time. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe grand vin 2016 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as 60% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in new barrels, and this is the first year a replanted block of Cabernet Sauvignon has made the top cuvée. Compared to the 2001 by Pierre Lurton, it displays stunning aromatic fireworks with notions of blackcurrants, forest floor, iron bar, graphite, and spice all soaring from the glass. It develops more floral nuances with time in the glass and, as always with this cuvée, it’s all about complexity and elegance. More medium to full-bodied, with beautiful tannins and perfect balance, it’s a decidedly classic, focused, elegant wine from this estate that will keep for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDRich, smoky and with powerful fruit, this structured wine also has an impressive perfumed character. Spice, blackberry fruits and rich tannins give wonderful firmness that will allow the wine to age well. Drink this already beautiful wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEOn the nose, the restrained black fruit aromas are interwoven with a striking leather note and some spice. A very classical Bordeaux with a self-confidently dry personality. Long and ripe finish that feels more mature than most of the wines of this vintage. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 94 JS

Another perfect wine is the 2016 La Joie, which is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot sourced all from the estate vineyards in the Pocket Peak portion of the Alexander Valley. This full-bodied, powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon couldn’t be better and has incredible purity, layers of crème de cassis, white flowers, tobacco leaf, and flowers, a deep, multi-dimensional texture, and loads of ultra-fine tannins. I’d confidently put this up against any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. As with the La Muse, it has the balance, purity, and class to drink spectacularly well even today, but it’s another wine that will benefit from a decade of cellaring and keep for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2016 La Joie (a barrel sample) has a very deep purple-black color and is a little closed at this nascent stage, slowly unfurling to reveal crushed black currants, blackberry coulis and Christmas cake notes with touches of cigar box, pencil lead, bay leaves and espresso plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied and packed to the gills with tightly wound black fruit preserves, floral and spicy layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long. 3,200 cases will be made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPWonderful purity of cabernet on the nose with blackcurrants and fresh lavender. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and great beauty in the texture and flavors. It changes all the time. Extremely complex. 84 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot and five per cent petit verdot. So approachable, but needs at least three to four years to come together completely.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 La Joie soars out of the glass with stunning Cabernet Sauvignon red berry fruit, wild flowers, mocha, spice and mint. Elegant and refined, with striking depth, La Joie is pure and total finesse in 2016. It is one of the most sublime, nuanced wines I have tasted from Vérité.Vinous Media | 97 VMThere's opulence to spare on the nose, which is superripe but not overblown, with juicy cherry and blackberry aromas. Concentrated of course, but also sumptuous and juicy, with a good deal of spicy oak. This shows vigour despite the richness, and it's vibrant and persistent. Very long. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038Decanter | 95 DEC

Including the highest percentage of Merlot (at the moment anyway), the 2016 La Muse checks in as 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec that spent 15-16 months in roughly 90% new French oak. This magical wine shows how good Merlot (and Sonoma) can be and offers extraordinary notes of crushed violets, spring flowers, scorched earth, graphite, black cherries, and crème de cassis. As elegant and seamless as they come, it’s full-bodied, perfectly balanced, has an incredible spine of acidity and tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It has the class and purity to drink well even today, but it’s not going to hit prime time for at least another decade and will keep for 3-4 decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 La Muse is composed of 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. Wow—it comes strutting out of the glass with flamboyant crème de cassis, ripe plums and black cherries notes followed by nuances of aniseed, chocolate box, wild thyme, violets and chargrill plus a fragrant suggestion of potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the densely packed perfumed black fruit layers are beautifully framed by perfectly ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically knit freshness. It finishes long with the most incredible display of mineral sparks. 2,300 cases were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis is a fabulous, merlot-based red with blackberries, blueberries and rust. Ink, too. Medium to full body, round tannins and a juicy finish. 93 per cent merlot with the rest in cabernet franc and malbec. Drink after 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSThe most approachable of the three Verité wines right now. This is richly textured with plush raspberry and grilled damson, high floral aromatics, and plenty of tannic structure that becomes more apparent as you give it time, and the weight of the mid palate asserts itself. There is a serious side to this wine that will become clearer as it ages and the welcoming puppy fat of young fruit trims down. This is Merlot dominated, and is exceptionally successful. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 La Muse is a brooding, somber wine, just as it was en primeur. Black cherry, gravel, savory herbs, smoke, game, licorice and incense add a real feeling of gravitas that comes through in the wine's tannic heft. La Muse is often more showy when it is young, but the 2016 is going to require quite a bit of patience.Vinous Media | 94 VMDense, smoky and powerful, featuring notes of freshly ground coffee to the roasted plum and dried blackberry flavors. Hoisin sauce accents show on the tannic finish, with green herbal shadings. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2025. 2,205 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This is the debut vintage of this wine from the esteemed Bordeaux owner, Alfred Tesseron, who bought the property in the Napa mountains in 2016. Aromas of plums, wet earth, fresh herbs and tobacco. Some green olives. Turns to blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet reserved and layered with chocolate, walnuts and plums. Firm yet polished tannins give a framed sense to the wine. Savory. Racy and beautifully structured, it’s extremely drinkable already. Real wine.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pym-Rae displays a deep garnet-purple color and reveals wonderfully fragrant notes of candied violets, wilted roses, damp soil and black tea over a core of red and black currants, black cherries and warm blackberries plus touches of cigar box and camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is evocatively singular, offering that rock-solid structure of mountain fruit, yet these are wonderfully ripe, silt-like tannins that beautifully support the elegant red and black fruit layers, finishing very long and very perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae) The 2016 Pym-Rae continues to show well, with a rich, meaty, powerful style as well as loads of chocolaty black fruits, tobacco, black olive tapenade, and leather-like aromas and flavors. It’s beautiful on the palate, with massive concentration and depth as well as terrific balance. This gorgeous, deep, opulent beauty is going to benefit from another 4-6 years of bottle age and live for 3-4 decades. (Drink between 2025-2067)Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

Tasted on four separate occasions, the 2016 Château Clinet is another brilliant wine from this estate. Showing slightly more freshness and purity than the 2015, its saturated purple color is followed by a thrilling array of crème de cassis, graphite, ground herbs, and a terrific sense of minerality. Deep, full-bodied, with building tannins, and a magical sense of purity and elegance paired with real density and depth, it needs short term cellaring and will keep for three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Clinet is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged using the Oxoline system, in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels for 16 months. It has a deep garnet-purple color with cedar and smoked meats on the nose giving way to black and red plums and earthy notions with wafts of cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is medium to full-bodied, elegant, polished and vivacious with loads of red and black fruit layers and an earthy finish. Around 4,416 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis is a wine that makes you want to slow down, take your time and let those flavours envelop you. It’s a little subdued right now, but the texture pulls you in and holds on tight. There is Cabernet in the DNA here and you feel it: a touch of austerity in the first breath, then an intense punch of dark, tight cassis fruits with a liquorice and dark chocolate finish. It’s taken on more flesh on the bones during ageing, with the aromatics blossoming through the glass and revealing floral, violet-stained edging and a silky smooth tannic frame. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECBeautiful blue fruit and earth with hints of black truffle, this has a violet and fragrant edge, too. Really complex, youthful impression here. The palate has mouthwatering fruit flavor and terrific sense of fresh energy and cut on the finish. A blend of 90 per cent merlot and ten per cent cabernet sauvignon. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2016 Clinet has a gorgeous bouquet of copious red berry fruit mixed with truffle and undergrowth scents, all fresh and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and, like the L’Evangile that preceded it at this blind tasting, displays noticeable acidity. However, it is more knitted together than that wine, and it fans out wonderfully on a long, spicy, quite firm finish that prompted me to score lower than I might have done, because it remains a very fine Pomerol in the making. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94+ VMWarm and fleshy in feel, showing dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry sauce flavors infused with mulling spice and black tea notes. Singed alder and tobacco hints flicker on the finish, adding texture. This delivers an encore of fruit detail on the finish too, with some sneaky length. Seductive. Best from 2021 through 2034. 4,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 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

Plenty of menthol, blackberry and blackcurrant aromas in this elegant, medium-weight Haut-Médoc that’s got as much freshness as ripeness and a long, clean, mineral and herbal finish. An incredibly food-flexible wine! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSWell-integrated tannins give this wine a rich, velvet character that is underlined by the blackberry fruits. The aftertaste is dense, concentrated and rich. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2016 Cantemerle has developed beautifully with élevage. Pliant, silky and exceptionally balanced, the 2016 has the pedigree and complexity to allow for a number of years of very fine drinking. Moreover, the 2016 delivers serious flavor intensity without being at all heavy. Smoke, iron and cedar add character to a Haut-Médoc that has a lot to offer.Vinous Media | 92 VMSweet fruit on the nose is joined by plum and touches of vanillin. It has a southern Médoc feel, with almost-jammy fruit and a gourmet, damson streak. Edgy tannins hold the appealing, generous fruit, and the acidity is pretty high, but that’s a signature of the vintage. A blend of the two Cabernets, Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, aged for 12 months in oak, 40% new. Eric Boissenot consults. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECStarts with a violet note but turns darker quickly, with dark currant and black cherry preserve flavors forming the core. Nice fresh tobacco and iron details carry the mouthwatering finish. Not big, but focused and tasty. Drink now through 2030. 33,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Hot crushed stones and dark berries jump out of the glass. Full body, very dense fruit and powerful tannins, yet it remains agile and bright with beauty and energy. So muscular and toned. Truly outstanding Clerc for the future. Unwavering nature to this. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSI was able to taste the 2016 Château Clerc Milon on multiple occasions and it was always brilliant, showing a deep ruby/purple color as well as sexy aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, new saddle leather, spicy oak, and graphite. Deep, powerful and beautifully concentrated, it’s a rock star of a Pauillac that’s going to keep for 30 years or more. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Carménère, all aged 16 months in 50% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis fifth growth, bought by Mouton-Rothschild in 1970 has been revitalised by the Mouton team in the past decade, especially in the vineyard, and now performs well beyond its classification. Clerc-Milon owns some 41 hectares and in 2011 opened a new, elegantly designed modern winery. A huge majority of the vines are more than 50 years old. In 2016 picking took place from 26 September to 15 October, and the blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carmenere. The wine is dark, mineral and polished, very sophisticated, precise and pure, with intense ripe fruit and liquorice aromas, and a particularly silky texture. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045Decanter | 95 DECThe Cabernet Franc was fantastic this year, so it was all used in the grand vin. The final blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Clerc Milon leaps from the glass with beautiful scents of chocolate-covered cherries, plum preserves and crushed blackcurrants with suggestions of lilacs, cardamom, underbrush and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm frame of finely grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a nice long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA fresh and stylish version, with chalky minerality running from start to finish. Succulent plum and cassis fruit flavors coil around this and absorbs this easily at first. Then pretty violet and lilac notes guild the finish, with the minerality taking a slightly firmer stand. Best from 2023 through 2035. — JMWine Spectator | 94 WSDark and concentrated, this wine offers depth and intensity. It has great ripeness as well as fine tannins that are integrated into the fruit. It is so juicy and exuberant that it’s hard to remember the tannins that will allow the wine to age. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2016 Clerc Milon is striking. Here, the interplay of dense fruit and supporting structure make for a wonderfully complete and expressive wine. Dark blue stone fruit, licorice, lavender, spice and menthol are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The aromatic and structure of both Cabernets come through with notable energy and precision. The 2016 has enough density and pedigree to drink well for many years to come.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The aromas are very decadent with white truffle, dark berries and wet earth. Dense raspberries. Full-bodied, it grows on the palate with fantastic chewy tannins that are polished and intense. Like a beautifully formed wave in texture. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Clos de l’Oratoire is dense, resonant, but also quite closed in on itself. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice and smoke all meld together in this super-expressive, layered Saint-Émilion. In 2016, Clos de l’Oratoire is quite understated and shows more of an emphasis on freshness than in the past, typical of all the Stephan von Neipperg’s wines today. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGFresh, bright and engaging, with damson plum, raspberry and cherry pâte de fruit notes bouncing along, laced with red licorice details and backed by a light Black Forest cake accent on the juicy finish. This seems like it’s all fruit but the lovely cut and floral persistence through the finish imparts an elegant hint. Drink now through 2033. 5,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFrom the team at Canon-la-Gaffelière, the 2016 Clos de L’Oratoire is a winner based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc raised in 45% new French oak. It’s a ripe yet structured Saint-Emilion that has terrific minerality in its black raspberry and cassis fruits as well as notes of chocolate, tobacco, and subtle oak. A terrific wine, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age to shine, but is capable of keeping for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2016 Clos de l’Oratoire is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 10-17 October and matured in 45% new oak. It has a fresh, perfumed and floral bouquet, with pressed rose petals infusing the red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit. There is a sense of airiness here that I like. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly grainy tannin, hints of tobacco and leather complementing the black fruit with a welcome soupçon of austerity towards the masculine finish. Excellent.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91-93 RP-NM

The 2016 Clos Fourtet is vivid, explosive and simply captivating. Inky blue/purplish berry fruit, lavender, spice and white flowers are all vivid in the glass, but it is the wine’s silky, seamless personality that elevates it into a place among the wines of the vintage. In 2016, Clos Fourtet is stunningly beautiful and utterly compelling. This is a tremendous showing from proprietor Matthieu Cuvelier and consulting winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGOne of the gems in the vintage that should be snatched up by readers is the 2016 Château Clos Fourtet. Coming from a magical 20-hectare vineyard located on the upper, limestone-driven plateau just outside Saint-Emilion and a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc from small yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare, it spent 16 months in 60% new French oak (and a small portion of the blend saw malo in barrel as well). Its saturated purple color is followed by a monster bouquet of ripe blackberries, cassis, graphite, and crushed rocks, and it picks up more blue fruits, truffle, and limestone minerality with time in the glass. This deep, full-bodied, powerful Saint-Emilion has some similarities to Canon yet is deeper and richer, with a more powerful yet still elegant style. It’s a brilliant bottle of wine to hide for 4-5 years and drink over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDLove the dark-berry and intense black-olive and chocolate aromas that follow through to a full body and firm and chewy tannins that deliver a rich and delicious finish. Such polish and, at the same time, finesse. But one of the cellar. A blend of 90 per cent merlot, seven per cent cabernet sauvignon and three per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 97 JSThis showcases why Clos Fourtet is such a confident, powerful wine. It gets the balance right between the sappy, saline quality of its limestone terroir and yet reflects the ripeness and flashiness of Merlot that makes St-Émilion such a well loved appellation. Excellent, serious quality, cerebral but sexy. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050.Decanter | 96 DECThis structured wine shows a classical Bordeaux balance between fruit and acidity on the one hand and tannins and firm structure on the other. It also offers generous black-currant fruit and a fresh aftertaste. Drink this wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Clos Fourtet is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal notions of warm black cherries, crème de cassis, blackberry compote and dark chocolate with hints of garrigue, bay leaves and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm yet beautifully ripe frame of fine-grained tannins with a lively line lifting the concentrated, multilayered fruit to a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPLively, with a juicy, mouthfilling mix of loganberry, black currant and bramble flavors pumping through, laced liberally with licorice snap and roasted apple wood notes. Tobacco and savory accents provide detail, while a beautifully fine chalky thread adds length. Best from 2022 through 2038. 4,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

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