Community Tasting Note

Cailles wrote:

Saturday, September 4, 2021 - Bordeaux 2016 - 5 Years On - 8 Top Reds: All wines tasted single blind. This tasting proved again that 2016 is an amazing vintage. Compared to many other recent vintages, the 2016s show no excess in any category (especially beneficial for right banks these days) but wines that are still fully ripe. The aromatic complexity and precision are off the charts and structural frames are luxurious. Compared to the more solar 2015s wines we tasted last year, the 2016s will need more time to integrate and open up and might be a tad less charming at this point, but the potential is immense. Group winner was an incredible Ausone, ahead of the Pichon Lalande and an incredible and singular Montrose (which for me was a tied #1 with the Ausone).

TN: Right after opening this was a deep brooding wine, very powerful and masculine, just hinting at all the potential. Double decanted and 4 hours later the wine had changed completely. Very inviting, fully expressive nose with ripe and very pure dark red and dark fruit, herbs and minerality. Incredible on the palate as it shows incredible concentration with layers upon layers of fruit, minerality, herbs, earthy notes, coffee - all delivered in UHD but at the same time the wine has no weight, super airy and light texture and feel, ultra soft tannins, superb freshness, very long and expanding finish. It strongly reminded me of the Le Pin 2000 we had a few weeks earlier. Wow.

Decanting: A double decant a few hours before consumption was right. It needed it but not more.

Group rank: #1 out of 8 wines
Group score: 96.9 pts

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