2016 Bordeaux En Primeur

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019

92-93 Points - James Suckling "Love the stone, tar and black currant in this. Full and tight with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Spicy, too. Can’t wait to see how this evolves. Serious."

90-92 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2016 Capbern is racy, bold and savory, with tons of energy from the Cabernet that drives the blend. Crushed rose petal, mint, dried herbs, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that open up in the glass. Medium in body and gracious, this deceptively mid-weight Saint-Estèphe has a lot to offer. Time in barrel seems to have given the 2016 a bit more spine and tannic edge, which adds to an impression of freshness. What a gorgeous wine it is. Tasted three times."

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019

95-96 Points - James Suckling "Tight and chewy with a solid tannin structure and depth of fruit. Full body and lots of depth and texture. A Barton with lots happening already. Develops beautifully on the palate. Should be better than the 2015."

94 Points - Decanter "Still extremely young, the construction here is clear in that you can feel the architectural hand of 2016 with St-Julien balance. This is rich and deep with intense, concentrated and juicy cassis fruits joined by a touch of sweet liquorice, dark chocolate and charred oak edging. I like the balance here. Matured in 60% new oak."

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019

92 Points - Decanter "A wonderfully rich, expressive wine that is absolutely full of liquorice, baked vanilla bean, cassis and bilberry notes, with tannins that are taut yet integrated. It’s thrillingly young at this stage but a clear path towards enjoyment is already emerging. This is going to age well and points to a more refined style of Larrivet than some other vintages, without sacrificing any impact. A lovely seductive red Pessac-Léognan, with oak notes that are clear but not uncomfortable; this has been well handled during ageing. 65% was used in grand vin production in this year."

16.5 Points - Julia Harding MW (JancisRobinson.com)  "Fragrant, lively and pure-fruited. Cassis and cedar and almost floral. Sweeter and more oak-marked on the palate, with spice and milk chocolate. Chewy but generous and long. Needs time to gain elegance but all the parts are there."

92 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2016 Larrivet Haut-Brion is one of the sleepers of the vintage. Iron, cedar, blood orange, chalk and smoke give the 2016 an incredibly expressive upper register of aromatic depth to match its distinctly feral personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. The 2016 spent 16-18 months in barrel, 33% new. Tasted two times."

96 Points - Decanter

I love this - there's concentrated cassis on the nose with a strong, smoky edging. On the palate the coffee and dark chocolate is clear, a little bitter in an extremely attractive way, leaning against the rich, sweet black fruits. There's no question those tannins are in full play. An excellent wine with a great life ahead. Matured in 60% new oak.

17.5 Points - Jancis Robinson

Bright dark purple. Straight-backed, classic nose with nuance and balance. Glossy and pure. Very fine tannins in a rather beautiful whole. Much more appealing than Langoa this vintage. Long and layered.

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019

93-94 Points - James Suckling "Powerful and structured with lots of blueberry, blackberry and currant character. Full-bodied, tight and tannic yet polished and beautiful. Fantastic. Juicy."

92-94 Points - Neal Martin "The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked from 28 September until 12 October. It has an impressive bouquet: blackcurrants, boysenberry and crème de cassis, all with very well integrated new oak. There is a lot of panache here, a word perhaps I have not associated with this Saint Estèphe in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a lovely grainy texture, quite pure with lovely blackberry, melted tar and slightly savory, almost meaty notes. Harmonious right to the end, this is an excellent Les Ormes de Pez that seems to revel in the 2016 vintage. This might be one of the best wines from the estate. Drink 2022 – 2045."

93 Points - Decanter "Beautifully rich in colour, this has a wonderful depth to it, with blueberry notes, a touch of cinnamon, and gorgeous clarity of fruit. Tender tannins with a salted butter finish. This is made entirely from Château Montlandrie’s own vines, including production from all of the newly planted areas, whereas the 2014 vintage was missing perhaps 10% of the new vine plantings. 2016 was also the first year that the wine was fully barrel aged, using 40% new oak, although it is still vinified in stainless steel. This is a new step for Montlandrie. Not yet bottled at the time of tasting."

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Very deep crimson. Intense nose. Sweet start and very dramatic. This should be worth looking out for over the next few vintages. Real improvement this year."

92 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2016 Montlandrie is laced with the essence of inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice. Pliant and fruity, with striking depth, the 2016 is another gorgeous wine in this set of new releases from Denis Durantou. The 2016 is irresistibly beautiful, exotic and beguiling. It's as simple as that."

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Bright crimson. Racy and very rich and polished. Lovely tannins. Very juicy. Some tannin and potential underneath. Firm structure but no austerity. GV"

92 Points - Antonio Galloni "The 2016 Potensac is a huge overachiever. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice, leather, licorice and lavender flesh out in this striking, deeply flavored Médoc. Inky, racy and super-expressive, the 2016 is a wine of pure and total seduction. Jean-Hubert Delon's entire portfolio is impressive in 2016, but the wines from Potensac are especially of note. Tasted two times."

90 Points - Decanter "This is such classic Médoc - the freshness is clear, perfectly underpinning the crunchy red and black berry fruits. It's super-seductive and easy to drink despite being closed right now, as you would expect at this stage, but the weight of tannins suggests that it will open back up fairly swiftly, and a second bottle I tasted was even more juicy. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend."

92-93 Points - James Suckling 

This is very dense and beautiful yet it’s agile and exciting. Blueberries, chocolate and walnuts. Full to medium body and beautiful length. Juicy center palate of fruit.

88-90 Points - Neal Martin 

The 2016 Saintayme was picked from 9-15 October, cropped at 50 hectoliters per hectare and matured in 30% new oak. It has a pretty blueberry-scented bouquet with just a faint touch of iris, the oak nicely enmeshed with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of white pepper on the entry, lacking a little depth on the mid-palate but nicely detailed on the finish. This is a lovely, early-drinking Saint Emilion from Denis Durantou.”

En Primeur 2016 - Available for delivery Spring / Summer 2019