I love this wine and think it great . Renowned palettes, tasters, experiences , preferences far far greater than mine tell me that I am wrong. Honest , but misguided, is my assessment they say. I have compared almost all evaluations of this wine and found it to be judged inferior to several famous wines in the same vintage. For me , outside the 1st growths , which I can neither afford , nor scrounge, this is supreme. Why disingenuous ?
Well, because I should be shouting about the beauty of this wine from the rooftops , not meekly advocating " one should have a sip ".........
This is fantastic , cedar laden , pencil rich , beautifully erotic, classic Pauillac , which if you need to look up what that means defeats so many purposes....
Getting a bit better still a bit closed off I would say will open up in a year or 2 , will save my remaining bottles will then. The nose is quite elegant reminding me of Quintessa yet the pallet not there yet.
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Slow ox for 4 hrs. So fragrant, so inviting on the nose. Expressively fruit bomb of ripe stawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, hints of violet, herbal spices. On the palate, juicy, lush, a mix of dense, creamy and bittersweet mouthfeel on mid-palate, smooth texture, beautiful silky soft tannins which is so impressive for a young GPL, sweet spice aftertaste and goes on for 20 sec. Lots of upside potential but so drinkable and delicious today. Just don't expect a fine level of balance and complexity at this stage. A minimum 5 yrs will help come together nicer. This 2016 is all about charm and liveliness.
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An exploration of Bordeaux - 2016 vintage (Le Pont, Milsons Point): Blackcurrant, cassis, a little violet, sweet spice. Very good quality oak, ripe but controlled fruit, a little plain chocolate. Juicy, fleshy, slightly grainy textured grip is based on both wood and grape, cassis, blackcurrant, a little plum and plain chocolate in support. Yum
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After two bottles of wine, we decided to sample a 2016 just to see how they are developing. A 375 ml is perfect for a sample. I think this is going to be a spectacular wine. The underlying fruit is incredible. It has some backbone and some wonderful fruit, and just the right hint of chalk, to turn into something memorable. A great early sample with friends planning our Labor Day camping trip and breaking in my new wine cellar.
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Supper with Daniel (and the girls) (E & M's in the rocks, Sydney): Biscuit, blackcurrant, cream, sweet spice, a little plum, quite puppy fat. Juicy, savoury, black hued fruits, talc textured tannins are present, slightly drying, fruit persists, long, still very primary. Nice.
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Stunning classic Pauillac - still young - what will it be like in years to come. Layers of concentrated fruit - Cherry & Red Currant with Cassis and hint of spice. Some Earthy Woody notes. Firm Grippy Tannins that mesh well with Med Acidity. Complex fruity finish with a backbone of Graphite and Stone.
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Epaulé la veille, puis double carafage le matin pour dégustation à 13h. C'est évidemment encore très jeune mais la classe est évidente avec une qualité de tanins remarquable, une allonge et une finesse qui font que mes codégustateurs partent à l'aveugle sur un St Julien, et une belle finale puissante et crayeuse. L'aromatique est classique, cassis, fruits rouges, poivron rouge grillé. Un bel avenir devant lui pour un futur grand vin qui nous (m') enterra. J'attends 7 ans mini pour la suivante.
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Lovely wine. Quite tannic, but good acidity and decent fruit to counter it a make it a very interesting and lovely wine for sipping. Probably too young, but nice to try anyway.
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Great purity immediately. Great clarity and definition next to the 2018, lots of raspberry fruit and an unassuming, almost reserved personality. Ripe, with a lovely perfumed quality, fine salinity, notes of black cherry, almond, fragrant graphite, and cassis.
Medium plus body, juicy and saline frame, notes of wet stone and stimulating, invigorating acidity. Plentiful very fine tannins, this shows a dark fruit focus and lots of spice too. There is a silky, creamy vein, great mineral drive and gorgeous fruit. Expressive, balanced, bright and long. Delicious! Oozes class.
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Over a couple of nights and a few weeks after trying v15. Red and black fruit, good intensity, good structure. Tannic backbone possibly a touch more noticeable than ‘15. Nice wine with more to come. Not a crime to try one now, but possibly better to wait a few more years. 94-96
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Of 3 2016s in a tasting (Leoville Barton and Domaine de Chevalier) I preferred this wine. Well built - still young - long finish. The Leoville was outstanding but this is my jam.
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Dark Rudy red dominant with ripe red jammy cherry, pencil lead, damp rock, 말린 고추. 과실향과, 오크숙성의 부산물 아로마는 잘 느껴지는 반면, flower 계열의 아로마는 잘 느껴지지 않는다. 달콤함이 먼저 느껴지고 아직어린 레드계열의 상큼함과 묵직하고 쌉살한 tannin으로 마무리 된다. 피뉘시가 20초 이상은 지속. 좌안의 파워풀함이 있다. Medium to full body.
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Coravin fun - Grand Puy Lacoste (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A touch more reticent than the 2015, the fruit present, slightly more baked than compote fruit (again a black hued melange; the plum more in the background behind the currant berry which are joined by a smidge of cherry), plenty of sweet oaky spice is well integrated, more cassis with time, again the palate slightly more jammy and baked than the 2015 but beautifully balanced acid, fruit and tannins; the latter showing talc textured. Medium plus length, nice, young, drops away a little quicker than the 2015
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Rather subdued at the moment but really improved with air. Very fine-grained with darkish fruits and authentic Pauillac flavors of smoked gravel and graphite minerals. Smooth, and lighter-bodied with a refined tannic finish that needs more time to resolve. 92+
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Decanted and sampled occasionally until it was returned to bottle after about 3 hours as it seemed to have opened up. The rest of the bottle was consumed over the next 3 hours. Well balanced, somewhat understated. Didn't find much intensity or nuance on the nose or on the palate. I'll wait a few years before trying again.
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2022 Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts William “Stefan” Johnson Wine of the Year
2016 Château Grand Puy Lacoste
We have always wanted to love Grand Puy Lacoste, even when it has underperformed. I have told the story several times how Nicola and I were at MacArthur’s one afternoon a few years back, in the Bordeaux section. We ran into Phil Bernstein and a discussion ensued about Grand Puy Lacoste. I think it was the 2016 vintage that was on the shelf at that time. Phil made a statement that I felt was spot on: “Grand Puy Lacoste was finally realizing the potential of its terroir.” It had been vastly underperforming its Pauillac pedigree for decades. As I understand it, a daughter took over the winemaking sometime around 2014. I don’t know whether she was involved in the wines that were produced in that great vintage, but it was the first GPL I have enjoyed since the 1995/96 vintages. I don’t think I’ve tried the 2015 vintage but by all accounts it was successful for GPL. Ian recently bought a six pack. And he ranked GPL at the top of his QPR list. I had hoped to try the 2019 vintage but it hasn't hit the shelves up here yet.
I uncorked the 2016 Grand Puy Lacoste during a Zoom dinner a few months ago with the Levys and the Johnsons. It was stunning. Beautiful, classic, just a personification of the rarefied heights that Bordeaux in general and Pauillac in particular achieved during that extraordinary vintage. 2016 is just about everything that a lot of us look for in Bordeaux: Classy, ripe tannins, structure combined with elegance. In the case of GPL from 2016, it was just a personification of classic, structured Pauillac. And the nose was to die for. The color was a deep, rich Pauillac purple… Mouton/Lynch Bages-like. I think I rated it 95 points.
As everyone knows, I have been very hard on Grand Puy Lacoste over the years: Not because I am just being gratuitously mean, but more so out of frustration because we have known the potential that this well-situated Pauillac estate has had, but has seldom realized. I have no agendas. If I think a wine sucks I will say so, if I think it is great I will say so. To me, when it is on, Pauillac is my favorite appellation. And in 2016, Grand Puy Lacoste was “on,” firing on all cylinders. As Phil Bernstein said, “Grand Puy Lacoste is finally reaching its potential.” And that is a good thing for us who love and are so passionate about great northern Medoc Bordeaux.
This selection also celebrates yet again the greatness of the 2016 vintage in general, a truly extraordinary year in Bordeaux.
Welcome home, GPL. Welcome home, old friend.
And so…. In my capacity as the kind and benevolent dictator of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts – the best wine website on the internet – I hereby declare the 2016 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste as the recipient of the 2022 Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts William “Stefan” Johnson Wine of the Year Award. We welcome it into the pantheon of greatness that comprises our list of past wines of the year.
BWE WINE OF THE YEAR
2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet 2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages 2002: 1995 d'Yquem 2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc 2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre 2005: 2000 Margaux 2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet 2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre 2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote) 2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild 2010: 2005 Cantemerle 2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre 2012: 2009 Giscours 2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte 2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen 2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases 2016: 2012 Barde-Haut 2017: 2014 Calon Segur 2018: 2015 Brane Cantenac 2019: 2016 Tour Saint Christophe 2020: 2016 Leoville Barton and 2008 Dom Perignon 2021: 2014 La Conseillante 2022: 2016 Grand Puy Lacoste
Elegant. Nice acidity and medium weight. Casis, graphite and blueberry. Intoxicating on the nose. Slightly grippy tanins on the finish. Very enjoyable.
Fruits fades by hour 5 and it becomes a much more mineral driven wine.
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Decanted 3 hours and on hour 4 started to fade, feel bad for not trying right away .... it has a good ballance but rather subtle and I was expecting alot more. Will try another bottle with less decant and hope it plays out better. I did get a feeling it was a bit closed , maybe need to give it a few more years.
Cedar, tobacco leaf, blackberry, currants, leafy herbs, and underbrush aromatics open the wine. Interestingly, at the moment, the wine is better on the palate with its non-stop layers of concentrated, ripe, sweet, powerful fruits. There is a rustic purity to the fruits which linger and expand in the finish. This could be the finest vintage of Grand Puy Lacoste ever produced. This is a steal for a Pauillac Classified Growth of this quality! Drink from 2028-2060.
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Waiting for the NY-Tampa Bay playoff game. Stored 62 degrees, quiet, calm cellar for the last 3 years. Cork is moist, clean with minimal penetration of wine. Gale's first response is, ""Mmm ... pretty good!" with a smile. Dark red-purple A good match with Rib eye steak medium rare. Nose opens after 45-60 minutes. Cherry, currants, red and black fruit, a hint of wood that doesn't overwhelm. Young, but very drinkable now. Very enjoyable. At 90 minutes I get a flash of something really nice, layered, across my tongue. Can't describe it, but it is nice. But, this is a tongue coated with what remains from a really good Ribeye. Undoubtebly there is some confounding of taste. But still, I like this wine a lot. No sharp edges but not velvety. There is a multitude of tastes and smells. I may have swirled this wine a hundred times and each time I do, something slightly different emerges. I'm looking for something, but I don't know what it is (do you, Mr. Jones). Nevertheless, a very good wine with food,.. an excellent wine with steak. We will see how it holds up. I am not thinking this is one to wait on for 10+ years. Its really good now. Enjoy your life now. Experience life now. After all, Its all you get.
Enjoyed a bottle of this just a couple of weeks ago, couldn't resist cracking another, alongside the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier (2 of my faves) and I'm glad I did. Did a 4 hr decant and followed over roughly 24 hrs. This bottle was similar to the last in its textbook, restrained Pauillac tones of blackcurrant, coal, camphor and graphite (pencil), but with this bottle I really honed in on a smoky ash-like scent that combined with some curry/cardamom spice notes to make it totally reminiscent of the smell of a top-notch Middle Eastern barbecue joint (lamb shawarma anyone?) that captivated me for a while. Could use a little more body/mid-palate and on day two thinned out a bit (maybe the fruit is slightly over-oaked?), but just classic older school Bordeaux, and always a great QPR estate for the region. Glad to have a bunch more. Rating: 94+
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This was decanted for 4 hrs and enjoyed over two nights (alongside the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier). Such amazing aromas on this wine from the get-go, but maybe at its best after 2 hrs in the decanter ... Juicy blackcurrants, burning coal, graphite, and with time a very pure beach rose note that totally made me think of a 2016 Pichon Baron enjoyed a month ago or so, although this wine is not the structured, unyielding wine that the PB is. There were other complex notes here that made me think of some kind of Indian curry spice blend and even a hint of incense (nag champa) and mint. Truly captivating on the nose. It was solid on the palate but not quite as full-bodied as I had hoped. Interestingly, with time open, and especially on the 2nd day, the mouthfeel got a bit thinner, with acids poking out. Still, for the aromatics alone, this is so worth the tariff. It won't make as old bones as the Pichon, and not nearly as deep, but a fun ride now or over the next 10+ years for sure. Rating: 94+
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Beautiful wine out of the bottle, nice creme-de-cassis, lead pencil, really shows the Pauillac terroir. I made the mistake of using the same glass for another wine (switching between bottles) which really didn't work with this wine - the taste was marred after I switched - not a mistake I'll make again.
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Coravin fun - Grand Puy Lacoste (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A closed and more brooding version of the 2015; perhaps more ripeness here as well. Toasted oak underpins, slight alcohol warmth to the nose. With time and agitation shows black fruit compote with a little red berry underpin. In the mouth it has medium plus intensity acidity and flavours (as per the nose), the oak and tannins both play a supporting role; the former offering a little sweet spice, caramel and vanilla, the latter some floury textured grip that travels and persists on the long finish which also shows some alcohol warmth. Very good with plenty of promise.
Maybe moving in its closure phase. Right after opening the nose is only a little bit floral, "stony", black cherries and red pepper walk across. On the palate cherry and red pepper are dominating (79% Cabernet!?), palate is a little bit tight though (maybe some call it freshness, but my definition of fresh is a different, stony and floral one - this is not a big thing here). After 2 hours on air the nose and the palate loose weight and it seems a little light weighted all through the range. The red pepper is present and very fine, but it looses the fruit it was slightly promising at the beginning. My summary is: wait at least for a few years, so that the secondary flavours can get through, then it could be a stunner. My bottle could not show its full range today (but maybe will in a few years)
The best GPL I have ever had (red and black fruit, medium body), and I gave it 96 points. GPL is making some great wines and they are reasonably priced, in my opinion.
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Opened 1 hour. Color: Very dark ruby red/purple. On the nose : Cassis, dark chocolate, espresso and plum. This is one of the more attractive noses I’ve experienced in a while. On the palate: Plum, cassis, graphite and a slight vegetal note (attractive). Finish is decently long. Good acidity. I am going back to wine store to buy more as I only bought the one bottle to buy. This is excellent.
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Oh My, one wine, 37 tasting notes; do they all describe the same wine? An interesting look at taste perception, tasting descriptors, scoring. I find many notes I can cite but completely out of order. Forgive me my eccentricities: smoky expresso crushed oysters salined on a bed of acidic ripe violet cassis.
Not a classic Bordeaux, prefer never to taste again.
Kleur: Diep en helder robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Weelderig maar indit stadium beperkt expressief aroma, op en top klassiek. Tonen van donker fruit, vleesjus, een hint van rode paprika. Natte bosgrond. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige en jeugdige Pauillac. Zachte zuurgraad, krachtige en rijpe tannines in combinatie met een klassiek alcoholpercentage zorgen voor een uitstekende balans. In dit stadium ontbreekt het deze wijn nog aan (de in potentieel aanwezige) gelaagdheid en complexiteit. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie klassieker, op dit moment al prima drinkbaar. Maar wat mij betreft in dit stadium te jong om ècht indruk te maken. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Color: Deep and bright ruby red Aroma / bouquet: Lush but at this stage limited expressive aroma, thoroughly classic. Tones of dark fruit, meat gravy, a hint of red pepper. Wet forest soil. Taste / Finish: Powerful and youthful Pauillac. Gentle acidity, powerful and ripe tannins in combination with a classic alcohol percentage ensure an excellent balance. At this stage, this wine still lacks (the potentially present) layering and complexity. General / potential: Beautiful classic, already perfectly drinkable at the moment. But in my opinion too young at this stage to really impress. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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Mine was from a half bottle and I found it to be more approachable than I was expecting. I didn't find any oak/pencil chips floating in my glass and definitely didn't find the more modern style to be an impediment to my enjoyment. Maybe the question should be when does this style work for Lacoste and when doesn't it? Some vintages will be more amenable to this balls to the walls approach than will others. Not sure if I would call this over extracted but it was definitely on the fuller side. Plenty of good dark fruits and some nice graphite and stone. And I think that the acids will be an attribute in the long run as the fruit/tannins balance play out. I think the big question here is will this puppy have a long shutdown phase or will it be approachable in under six or seven years? I sure hope so and will be looking for more bottles in the meantime. 93 plus now but definitely much more potential in the long term.
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91 today, 92-93 with a lot of time? so a 91-92, that I round down as I'm not as much a fan here ... From a 375ml. Plump blackberry mixed with notes of bitter espresso. Nice balanced acidity. A little bitter harsh alcohol on the finish. Medium+ finish. Not as good as other '16s I have slowly been pinging in 375ml format. Not in love with the flavor profile as it is a little too bitter at this young age, but more importantly, the alcohol had some rough edges on the finish (not overtly, but enough to detract for me.. would suggest drinking cooler than usual).
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Not decanted. Consumed over 2,5 hours. From small bottle. This bottle was much more impressive than my last one (91pts). More depth and complexity. A very good wine. This will only get better with more age. 93(-) pts at the moment.
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Decanted 2+ hours. From small bottle. A pretty good wine but it was not as good as other 2016 Bordeaux I tried so far. But I guess time will help. 91(+) pts.
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(GG Wine Tasting, 1 Glass) - Second ranked wine for me of the night. Mocha, smooth elegant, incredibly balanced and still traditional in style. The eldest daughter, Emeline Borie managed the tasting stand and was wonderful to talk to (in stark contract to the rep at Leoville Barton). Need to think about getting some of this and interesting that Emeline spoke highly of the 2017 which she thinks will be a steal.
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Langtons Chateaux of Bordeaux (Luna Park, Milsons Point): Blackcurrant tending to cassis backed by plums, cedar, biscuit...In the mouth there is juicy acid freshening black fruits, cassis, chalky tannins. Yum for me but needs time.
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This is no joke. 2nd time with this bottling. My first pour of this lovely wine, there was a small floating piece of something? Weird. Swirling around this smells so fresh and tasty, cardamom and pencil lead and cassis, true pauillac Bordeaux. This thing is bothering me. I swirl around my glass to the point it finally sticks to the side of the glass. Pull it out with my pinky. No joke, this is a piece of a pencil shaving. Wood, with a lead edge. Wtf, my glass was empty.
Great wine - even if they are stuffing it with pencil shavings !
I wanted to try this to see if I needed to get more and it looks like I do. This has a lot of the characteristics I normally find with this producer - a tannic spine along with some creme de casis and ample led pencil, but there is an added dimension of acidity/freshness to this vintage that takes it to another level. This is lithe, effortless, dances on the palate. What a beauty. I had the '12 a while back which was completely closed down and awkward compared to this which is singing even now. Could be best ever from this estate.
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79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. 13.3% alcohol.
Really pronounced intensity on the aromas with more raw and fresh feeling with darker red currant fruit, this arch-classic tobacco pipe, bonfire, dark chocolate and espresso. Good full bodied wine with classic tightness and yet with a delicate expression. Darker fruits, plums and tobacco. Lovely freshness throughout. Perfect structure. Missing some details comparing with the legends, but this is a very good Pauillac built for 20 years in the cellar. 94 points.
From Coravin. Aromas of cedar, jubey black fruits, cassis, polished oak. Sweet spice, touches of violet. Juicy acid, medium plus intensity flavours of black fruits and polished oak. lots of time required here.
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Expressive right away with scents of pencil fillings and gravel. It's deceptively easy-drinking, smooth and supple but infused with plenty of tannin. It's also infused with a cigarette smokiness so evocative that it starts feeling like a wine you'd drink in some seedy bar in a film noir while a neon "no vacancy" sign flickers overhead till you catch the eye of a dame in a long dress who spells nothing but trouble. Except that it's not entirely in B&W film stock because it does have a very fresh and pure impression of mildly zingy currant and raspberry behind that smoky gauze.
Dewy and succulent cassis, smoke, tobacco, cedar wood and blackberry aromas pop up with just an easy swirl or two. Refined, polished, elegant with a medium-bodied personality, ending with loads of sweet, dark fruit. This vintage from GPL has the structure to age, coupled with the silky-mouth feel that its loyal tasters enjoy. From a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, the harvest took place September 21 to October 5.
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A tense and nervy showing, even after 3 hours in the decanter. Linear and primary, but pure and fresh, the delivery on this youngster is lock-jawed at the moment. Red berry notes dominate, with cranberry, pomegranate, red cherry, purple plum, and some limestone flavors. Finishes with hints of promise, but it’s gonna be at least 5-7+ years before it likely starts showing its full hand.
Seeming sophistication and class lurk here, but mostly hidden behind a wall of grippy acid. Not biting at all, with no abrasive alcohol or palate-torquing imbalances. It’s just plain ‘ol young and primary. Best advice is to hold until after 2025 at minimum. Drink your Dalem or Capbern throwdowns if you must cook off a 2016. Let this GPL have a few winks in the cellar for now. 93++ points in its current state, with definite multiple point upside in the future.
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From the moment I caught the aroma of this wine pouring into my glass, I knew I was going to like it. Very, very good today, I hope to be around to taste it in 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Garnet colored, nice long, slow moving legs. A touch of cedar, cassis, tobacco, powerful but smooth and silky. Better with every minute it is open. Sweet Cabernet based, complex, drinkable young but built for a much longer ride. Classic nose. Not sure I can have too much of this wine.
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Well .......well this GPL, is a brute; it is muscular , overpowering, tense and yet just somehow inviting. I have no idea how this wine will pan out ; if it stays firm, if the tannins don't mellow , it will be a run of the mill stern Pauilllac, good for food but really quite unenchanting. A restaurant wine. If it resolves , the pure fruit bang already present will be front and centre, and make this a really special vintage.I can't believe even the real fans of GPL know for sure which way this wine will turn. I so hope it is memorable , but right now is so so tannic ( as per history) for me it is a guessing game .....
I need more of this, period. Quintessential Cabernet on the nose. Textbook perfection of sweetness and pencil shavings and cassis. Medium yet rich texture, pretty full palate but light in its feet , with a solid finish. 95-96 now with upside
Quiet on the nose, but plush, polished, and deep. The palate tells a different story with an explosive, pure, fresh, invigorating currant, blueberry, pencil profile. Lots of substance and depth but still with beautiful elegance. This finishes very well indeed.
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Dark, virile and super classic, with notes of tobacco, cassis, cedar wood, licorice, spices, also some graphite. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent depth, medium-high tannin that is super silky, high acidity and excellent length. A superbly classic, old-school GPL but compared to earlier vintages it seams more approachable and the tannin is silkier. Excellent. (95+)
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Tasted during SPEC's Bordeaux tasting in Houston. This wine is a very good contender for high end QPR and in my opinion beats out their 2010 vintage. It has immense structure, depth, fruit, with a touch of oak with a very long finish. A wine truly built for the long haul but will definitely hit above its weight considering the price. Didn't get to taste any of the pauillac first growths but my favorite Pauillac wine of the vintage after Pichon Lalande. 93 Pts for now with an easy upside of 3-4 additional points at its peak. A very strong buy for ~$80.
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Another super effort here. The wine is spicy, long, fresh, character driven and concentrated. There is a depth of flavor, ripe tannins and all the tobacco, cedar and ripe red, juice filled fruits you need. The wine is firm, and joyous.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 Vintage Tasting (Las Vegas, NV): Intense aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberries, Asian spices, lavender and espresso characterize this opaque crimson, full-bodied wine. Beautifully fresh and without alcoholic heat, it is nicely dense in the middle and is impressively structured by virtue of its plentiful silky-textured tannins. Finishing smooth and long, this is an elegant Pauillac that is clearly classic in quality. Drink 2024-2046.
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UGC San Francisco: the 2016 Bordeaux: Ok, I didn't like this much. Too overripe, with a sickly rounded feel that several Pauillac showed. Hard to judge.
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GPL has a blueprint on how to make highly extracted, cassis dominated, 12 cylinder wines. This one is clearly meant to age and is going to be a star in the years to come. For me it was the the most powerful wine, next to Lynch Bages in my 2016 samples. Reminiscent of the 2010...Again like the Lynch Bages. DOUBLE HOLD
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UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Complex array of black fruits and roasted meat that starts out as forward and fleshy, then gets more powerful and robust towards finish, but also gets backward. Impressive 93-94 point potential in a decade+.
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This one had classic Pauillac flavors. Left bank lead pencil shavings, blackberry fruit and earth. Loved it and would highly recommend putting this away for the next decade.
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At a tasting last month where we compared over 40 2016s. Tasted en primeur a year ago and rated 93. Same typical sea breeze/ crushed oyster shells nose. Good weight and soft tannins with very long finish.
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Northern Médoc sweet spots: pricey and not so pricey (The Médoc): And this one goes to 11. Indeed, it was the 11th Pauillac in a blind tasting of classified Pauillacs last month, from bottle - and it proved to be among the very best of this tasting, exuding a firm “Pauillac expression”, straight from the textbooks. What impressive tannic grip and power! Letting it sit in the glass, you get suave elegance, as well. Dominated with nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has aged in 75% new oak so well integrated. Firms up on the finish, so it really should rest in your cellar for at least 10 years, and then you would be able to start enjoying it. OK, prices have been inching upwards, but under $90 for this is still a relatively nice deal… Bravo! Château Grand Puy Lacoste*. 96+ For more info, pics and video: http://wine-chronicles.com/blog/northern-medoc-2016-bottle/
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Full-bodied, concentrated and loaded to the gills with its black fruits, cedar chest and tobacco nuances, the wine is powerful, refined and long. There is density that never feels heavy due to all the freshness and sweet fruits. This has the potential to be the best vintage of Grand Puy Lacoste produced yet.
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At Lords en primeur tasting. Sweet nose, very soft and balanced, a touch missing mid palate but could fill out in time, Trademark sea breeze and oyster on a very long finish. May warrant a higher score in time. Second time around, caramel nose, still needs to fill out a little.
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Dewy and succulent cassis, smoke, tobacco, cedar wood and blackberry aromas pop up with just an easy swirl or two. Refined, polished, elegant with a medium-bodied personality, ending with loads of sweet, dark fruit. This vintage from GPL has the structure to age, coupled with the silky-mouth feel that its loyal tasters enjoy. The wine was made from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. The harvest took place September 28 to October 13.
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3/20/2024 - ESCO wrote: 95 Points
Disingenuous ; that's how I feel .
I love this wine and think it great . Renowned palettes, tasters, experiences , preferences far far greater than mine tell me that I am wrong. Honest , but misguided, is my assessment they say. I have compared almost all evaluations of this wine and found it to be judged inferior to several famous wines in the same vintage. For me , outside the 1st growths , which I can neither afford , nor scrounge, this is supreme. Why disingenuous ?
Well, because I should be shouting about the beauty of this wine from the rooftops , not meekly advocating " one should have a sip ".........
This is fantastic , cedar laden , pencil rich , beautifully erotic, classic Pauillac , which if you need to look up what that means defeats so many purposes....
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12/14/2023 - preid Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear red colour. Pepper, cedar and pencil svavings. Balanced and nice wine. Medium length. Still young with some tannins, but really good wine.
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12/5/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Not as stacked and packed as the last couple I had. Maybe it's going through a down phase.
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10/29/2023 - Kozakofthewest Likes this wine: 92 Points
Getting a bit better still a bit closed off I would say will open up in a year or 2 , will save my remaining bottles will then. The nose is quite elegant reminding me of Quintessa yet the pallet not there yet.
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10/19/2023 - SARED wrote: 92 Points
91-92 can still feel that sharpness on the finish. Otherwise very classy.
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9/23/2023 - Winsip Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slow ox for 4 hrs. So fragrant, so inviting on the nose. Expressively fruit bomb of ripe stawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, hints of violet, herbal spices. On the palate, juicy, lush, a mix of dense, creamy and bittersweet mouthfeel on mid-palate, smooth texture, beautiful silky soft tannins which is so impressive for a young GPL, sweet spice aftertaste and goes on for 20 sec. Lots of upside potential but so drinkable and delicious today. Just don't expect a fine level of balance and complexity at this stage. A minimum 5 yrs will help come together nicer.
This 2016 is all about charm and liveliness.
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8/30/2023 - chatters wrote:
An exploration of Bordeaux - 2016 vintage (Le Pont, Milsons Point): Blackcurrant, cassis, a little violet, sweet spice. Very good quality oak, ripe but controlled fruit, a little plain chocolate. Juicy, fleshy, slightly grainy textured grip is based on both wood and grape, cassis, blackcurrant, a little plum and plain chocolate in support. Yum
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8/17/2023 - A&C Likes this wine: 95 Points
After two bottles of wine, we decided to sample a 2016 just to see how they are developing. A 375 ml is perfect for a sample. I think this is going to be a spectacular wine. The underlying fruit is incredible. It has some backbone and some wonderful fruit, and just the right hint of chalk, to turn into something memorable. A great early sample with friends planning our Labor Day camping trip and breaking in my new wine cellar.
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6/19/2023 - chatters wrote:
Supper with Daniel (and the girls) (E & M's in the rocks, Sydney): Biscuit, blackcurrant, cream, sweet spice, a little plum, quite puppy fat. Juicy, savoury, black hued fruits, talc textured tannins are present, slightly drying, fruit persists, long, still very primary. Nice.
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6/16/2023 - pommieba@cox.net Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning classic Pauillac - still young - what will it be like in years to come. Layers of concentrated fruit - Cherry & Red Currant with Cassis and hint of spice. Some Earthy Woody notes. Firm Grippy Tannins that mesh well with Med Acidity. Complex fruity finish with a backbone of Graphite and Stone.
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6/11/2023 - steko78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Epaulé la veille, puis double carafage le matin pour dégustation à 13h. C'est évidemment encore très jeune mais la classe est évidente avec une qualité de tanins remarquable, une allonge et une finesse qui font que mes codégustateurs partent à l'aveugle sur un St Julien, et une belle finale puissante et crayeuse. L'aromatique est classique, cassis, fruits rouges, poivron rouge grillé. Un bel avenir devant lui pour un futur grand vin qui nous (m') enterra. J'attends 7 ans mini pour la suivante.
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5/27/2023 - Neras Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine. Quite tannic, but good acidity and decent fruit to counter it a make it a very interesting and lovely wine for sipping. Probably too young, but nice to try anyway.
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5/25/2023 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 94 Points
79% Cabernet Sauvignon
21% Merlot
Near opaque appearance.
Great purity immediately. Great clarity and definition next to the 2018, lots of raspberry fruit and an unassuming, almost reserved personality. Ripe, with a lovely perfumed quality, fine salinity, notes of black cherry, almond, fragrant graphite, and cassis.
Medium plus body, juicy and saline frame, notes of wet stone and stimulating, invigorating acidity. Plentiful very fine tannins, this shows a dark fruit focus and lots of spice too. There is a silky, creamy vein, great mineral drive and gorgeous fruit. Expressive, balanced, bright and long. Delicious! Oozes class.
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4/25/2023 - Gdubya Likes this wine: 94 Points
Over a couple of nights and a few weeks after trying v15. Red and black fruit, good intensity, good structure. Tannic backbone possibly a touch more noticeable than ‘15. Nice wine with more to come. Not a crime to try one now, but possibly better to wait a few more years. 94-96
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3/5/2023 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Of 3 2016s in a tasting (Leoville Barton and Domaine de Chevalier) I preferred this wine. Well built - still young - long finish. The Leoville was outstanding but this is my jam.
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3/4/2023 - Wine Lover 916 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark Rudy red dominant with ripe red jammy cherry, pencil lead, damp rock, 말린 고추. 과실향과, 오크숙성의 부산물 아로마는 잘 느껴지는 반면, flower 계열의 아로마는 잘 느껴지지 않는다. 달콤함이 먼저 느껴지고 아직어린 레드계열의 상큼함과 묵직하고 쌉살한 tannin으로 마무리 된다. 피뉘시가 20초 이상은 지속. 좌안의 파워풀함이 있다. Medium to full body.
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1/21/2023 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super balanced from the first sip. Aroma has jasmine tea, floral, and match stick
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1/8/2023 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Grand Puy Lacoste (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A touch more reticent than the 2015, the fruit present, slightly more baked than compote fruit (again a black hued melange; the plum more in the background behind the currant berry which are joined by a smidge of cherry), plenty of sweet oaky spice is well integrated, more cassis with time, again the palate slightly more jammy and baked than the 2015 but beautifully balanced acid, fruit and tannins; the latter showing talc textured. Medium plus length, nice, young, drops away a little quicker than the 2015
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12/26/2022 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rather subdued at the moment but really improved with air. Very fine-grained with darkish fruits and authentic Pauillac flavors of smoked gravel and graphite minerals. Smooth, and lighter-bodied with a refined tannic finish that needs more time to resolve. 92+
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12/25/2022 - racerchris Likes this wine:
Decanted and sampled occasionally until it was returned to bottle after about 3 hours as it seemed to have opened up. The rest of the bottle was consumed over the next 3 hours. Well balanced, somewhat understated. Didn't find much intensity or nuance on the nose or on the palate. I'll wait a few years before trying again.
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12/14/2022 - JimHow Likes this wine: 95 Points
2022 Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts William “Stefan” Johnson Wine of the Year
2016 Château Grand Puy Lacoste
We have always wanted to love Grand Puy Lacoste, even when it has underperformed. I have told the story several times how Nicola and I were at MacArthur’s one afternoon a few years back, in the Bordeaux section. We ran into Phil Bernstein and a discussion ensued about Grand Puy Lacoste. I think it was the 2016 vintage that was on the shelf at that time. Phil made a statement that I felt was spot on: “Grand Puy Lacoste was finally realizing the potential of its terroir.” It had been vastly underperforming its Pauillac pedigree for decades. As I understand it, a daughter took over the winemaking sometime around 2014. I don’t know whether she was involved in the wines that were produced in that great vintage, but it was the first GPL I have enjoyed since the 1995/96 vintages. I don’t think I’ve tried the 2015 vintage but by all accounts it was successful for GPL. Ian recently bought a six pack. And he ranked GPL at the top of his QPR list. I had hoped to try the 2019 vintage but it hasn't hit the shelves up here yet.
I uncorked the 2016 Grand Puy Lacoste during a Zoom dinner a few months ago with the Levys and the Johnsons. It was stunning. Beautiful, classic, just a personification of the rarefied heights that Bordeaux in general and Pauillac in particular achieved during that extraordinary vintage. 2016 is just about everything that a lot of us look for in Bordeaux: Classy, ripe tannins, structure combined with elegance. In the case of GPL from 2016, it was just a personification of classic, structured Pauillac. And the nose was to die for. The color was a deep, rich Pauillac purple… Mouton/Lynch Bages-like. I think I rated it 95 points.
As everyone knows, I have been very hard on Grand Puy Lacoste over the years: Not because I am just being gratuitously mean, but more so out of frustration because we have known the potential that this well-situated Pauillac estate has had, but has seldom realized. I have no agendas. If I think a wine sucks I will say so, if I think it is great I will say so. To me, when it is on, Pauillac is my favorite appellation. And in 2016, Grand Puy Lacoste was “on,” firing on all cylinders. As Phil Bernstein said, “Grand Puy Lacoste is finally reaching its potential.” And that is a good thing for us who love and are so passionate about great northern Medoc Bordeaux.
This selection also celebrates yet again the greatness of the 2016 vintage in general, a truly extraordinary year in Bordeaux.
Welcome home, GPL. Welcome home, old friend.
And so…. In my capacity as the kind and benevolent dictator of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts – the best wine website on the internet – I hereby declare the 2016 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste as the recipient of the 2022 Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts William “Stefan” Johnson Wine of the Year Award. We welcome it into the pantheon of greatness that comprises our list of past wines of the year.
BWE WINE OF THE YEAR
2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle
2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre
2012: 2009 Giscours
2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte
2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen
2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases
2016: 2012 Barde-Haut
2017: 2014 Calon Segur
2018: 2015 Brane Cantenac
2019: 2016 Tour Saint Christophe
2020: 2016 Leoville Barton and 2008 Dom Perignon
2021: 2014 La Conseillante
2022: 2016 Grand Puy Lacoste
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com
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12/13/2022 - EricU Likes this wine: 94 Points
Elegant. Nice acidity and medium weight. Casis, graphite and blueberry. Intoxicating on the nose. Slightly grippy tanins on the finish. Very enjoyable.
Fruits fades by hour 5 and it becomes a much more mineral driven wine.
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10/28/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:
Has the stuffing to get much better with time. But today, so primary, lacking complexity. Revisit in 2025+
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9/6/2022 - Kozakofthewest Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hours and on hour 4 started to fade, feel bad for not trying right away .... it has a good ballance but rather subtle and I was expecting alot more. Will try another bottle with less decant and hope it plays out better. I did get a feeling it was a bit closed , maybe need to give it a few more years.
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7/8/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Cedar, tobacco leaf, blackberry, currants, leafy herbs, and underbrush aromatics open the wine. Interestingly, at the moment, the wine is better on the palate with its non-stop layers of concentrated, ripe, sweet, powerful fruits. There is a rustic purity to the fruits which linger and expand in the finish. This could be the finest vintage of Grand Puy Lacoste ever produced. This is a steal for a Pauillac Classified Growth of this quality! Drink from 2028-2060.
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6/11/2022 - Cincinnatus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Waiting for the NY-Tampa Bay playoff game. Stored 62 degrees, quiet, calm cellar for the last 3 years. Cork is moist, clean with minimal penetration of wine. Gale's first response is, ""Mmm ... pretty good!" with a smile. Dark red-purple A good match with Rib eye steak medium rare. Nose opens after 45-60 minutes. Cherry, currants, red and black fruit, a hint of wood that doesn't overwhelm. Young, but very drinkable now. Very enjoyable. At 90 minutes I get a flash of something really nice, layered, across my tongue. Can't describe it, but it is nice. But, this is a tongue coated with what remains from a really good Ribeye. Undoubtebly there is some confounding of taste. But still, I like this wine a lot. No sharp edges but not velvety. There is a multitude of tastes and smells. I may have swirled this wine a hundred times and each time I do, something slightly different emerges. I'm looking for something, but I don't know what it is (do you, Mr. Jones). Nevertheless, a very good wine with food,.. an excellent wine with steak. We will see how it holds up. I am not thinking this is one to wait on for 10+ years. Its really good now. Enjoy your life now. Experience life now. After all, Its all you get.
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3/29/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed a bottle of this just a couple of weeks ago, couldn't resist cracking another, alongside the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier (2 of my faves) and I'm glad I did. Did a 4 hr decant and followed over roughly 24 hrs.
This bottle was similar to the last in its textbook, restrained Pauillac tones of blackcurrant, coal, camphor and graphite (pencil), but with this bottle I really honed in on a smoky ash-like scent that combined with some curry/cardamom spice notes to make it totally reminiscent of the smell of a top-notch Middle Eastern barbecue joint (lamb shawarma anyone?) that captivated me for a while. Could use a little more body/mid-palate and on day two thinned out a bit (maybe the fruit is slightly over-oaked?), but just classic older school Bordeaux, and always a great QPR estate for the region. Glad to have a bunch more. Rating: 94+
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3/10/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 94 Points
This was decanted for 4 hrs and enjoyed over two nights (alongside the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier).
Such amazing aromas on this wine from the get-go, but maybe at its best after 2 hrs in the decanter ... Juicy blackcurrants, burning coal, graphite, and with time a very pure beach rose note that totally made me think of a 2016 Pichon Baron enjoyed a month ago or so, although this wine is not the structured, unyielding wine that the PB is. There were other complex notes here that made me think of some kind of Indian curry spice blend and even a hint of incense (nag champa) and mint. Truly captivating on the nose.
It was solid on the palate but not quite as full-bodied as I had hoped. Interestingly, with time open, and especially on the 2nd day, the mouthfeel got a bit thinner, with acids poking out. Still, for the aromatics alone, this is so worth the tariff. It won't make as old bones as the Pichon, and not nearly as deep, but a fun ride now or over the next 10+ years for sure. Rating: 94+
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1/18/2022 - John McCabe wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine out of the bottle, nice creme-de-cassis, lead pencil, really shows the Pauillac terroir. I made the mistake of using the same glass for another wine (switching between bottles) which really didn't work with this wine - the taste was marred after I switched - not a mistake I'll make again.
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12/6/2021 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Grand Puy Lacoste (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A closed and more brooding version of the 2015; perhaps more ripeness here as well. Toasted oak underpins, slight alcohol warmth to the nose. With time and agitation shows black fruit compote with a little red berry underpin. In the mouth it has medium plus intensity acidity and flavours (as per the nose), the oak and tannins both play a supporting role; the former offering a little sweet spice, caramel and vanilla, the latter some floury textured grip that travels and persists on the long finish which also shows some alcohol warmth. Very good with plenty of promise.
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10/4/2021 - Chrysostomus wrote: 92 Points
Maybe moving in its closure phase. Right after opening the nose is only a little bit floral, "stony", black cherries and red pepper walk across. On the palate cherry and red pepper are dominating (79% Cabernet!?), palate is a little bit tight though (maybe some call it freshness, but my definition of fresh is a different, stony and floral one - this is not a big thing here).
After 2 hours on air the nose and the palate loose weight and it seems a little light weighted all through the range. The red pepper is present and very fine, but it looses the fruit it was slightly promising at the beginning. My summary is: wait at least for a few years, so that the secondary flavours can get through, then it could be a stunner. My bottle could not show its full range today (but maybe will in a few years)
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9/30/2021 - rthpal Likes this wine: 96 Points
The best GPL I have ever had (red and black fruit, medium body), and I gave it 96 points. GPL is making some great wines and they are reasonably priced, in my opinion.
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2/5/2021 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened 1 hour. Color: Very dark ruby red/purple. On the nose : Cassis, dark chocolate, espresso and plum. This is one of the more attractive noses I’ve experienced in a while. On the palate: Plum, cassis, graphite and a slight vegetal note (attractive). Finish is decently long. Good acidity. I am going back to wine store to buy more as I only bought the one bottle to buy. This is excellent.
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1/26/2021 - xyc wrote: 89 Points
Oh My, one wine, 37 tasting notes; do they all describe the same wine? An interesting look at taste perception, tasting descriptors, scoring. I find many notes I can cite but completely out of order. Forgive me my eccentricities: smoky expresso crushed oysters salined on a bed of acidic ripe violet cassis.
Not a classic Bordeaux, prefer never to taste again.
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1/26/2021 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Kleur: Diep en helder robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Weelderig maar indit stadium beperkt expressief aroma, op en top klassiek. Tonen van donker fruit, vleesjus, een hint van rode paprika. Natte bosgrond. Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige en jeugdige Pauillac. Zachte zuurgraad, krachtige en rijpe tannines in combinatie met een klassiek alcoholpercentage zorgen voor een uitstekende balans. In dit stadium ontbreekt het deze wijn nog aan (de in potentieel aanwezige) gelaagdheid en complexiteit. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie klassieker, op dit moment al prima drinkbaar. Maar wat mij betreft in dit stadium te jong om ècht indruk te maken. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Color: Deep and bright ruby red Aroma / bouquet: Lush but at this stage limited expressive aroma, thoroughly classic. Tones of dark fruit, meat gravy, a hint of red pepper. Wet forest soil. Taste / Finish: Powerful and youthful Pauillac. Gentle acidity, powerful and ripe tannins in combination with a classic alcohol percentage ensure an excellent balance. At this stage, this wine still lacks (the potentially present) layering and complexity. General / potential: Beautiful classic, already perfectly drinkable at the moment. But in my opinion too young at this stage to really impress. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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1/2/2021 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mine was from a half bottle and I found it to be more approachable than I was expecting. I didn't find any oak/pencil chips floating in my glass and definitely didn't find the more modern style to be an impediment to my enjoyment. Maybe the question should be when does this style work for Lacoste and when doesn't it? Some vintages will be more amenable to this balls to the walls approach than will others. Not sure if I would call this over extracted but it was definitely on the fuller side. Plenty of good dark fruits and some nice graphite and stone. And I think that the acids will be an attribute in the long run as the fruit/tannins balance play out. I think the big question here is will this puppy have a long shutdown phase or will it be approachable in under six or seven years? I sure hope so and will be looking for more bottles in the meantime. 93 plus now but definitely much more potential in the long term.
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8/2/2020 - SARED Does not like this wine: 91 Points
91 today, 92-93 with a lot of time? so a 91-92, that I round down as I'm not as much a fan here ... From a 375ml. Plump blackberry mixed with notes of bitter espresso. Nice balanced acidity. A little bitter harsh alcohol on the finish. Medium+ finish. Not as good as other '16s I have slowly been pinging in 375ml format. Not in love with the flavor profile as it is a little too bitter at this young age, but more importantly, the alcohol had some rough edges on the finish (not overtly, but enough to detract for me.. would suggest drinking cooler than usual).
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7/25/2020 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Guy at ECC on the patio with dinner from mag. Surprisingly approachable with black fruits and lavender. Very nice.
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7/14/2020 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not decanted. Consumed over 2,5 hours. From small bottle. This bottle was much more impressive than my last one (91pts). More depth and complexity. A very good wine. This will only get better with more age. 93(-) pts at the moment.
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7/4/2020 - Traxx wrote:
Great bottle of wine. Bought to see about buying more, will do so.
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4/12/2020 - Romol Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2+ hours. From small bottle. A pretty good wine but it was not as good as other 2016 Bordeaux I tried so far. But I guess time will help. 91(+) pts.
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3/10/2020 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 94 Points
(GG Wine Tasting, 1 Glass) - Second ranked wine for me of the night. Mocha, smooth elegant, incredibly balanced and still traditional in style. The eldest daughter, Emeline Borie managed the tasting stand and was wonderful to talk to (in stark contract to the rep at Leoville Barton). Need to think about getting some of this and interesting that Emeline spoke highly of the 2017 which she thinks will be a steal.
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3/7/2020 - chatters wrote:
Langtons Chateaux of Bordeaux (Luna Park, Milsons Point): Blackcurrant tending to cassis backed by plums, cedar, biscuit...In the mouth there is juicy acid freshening black fruits, cassis, chalky tannins. Yum for me but needs time.
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2/27/2020 - Wine G Likes this wine:
This is no joke. 2nd time with this bottling. My first pour of this lovely wine, there was a small floating piece of something? Weird. Swirling around this smells so fresh and tasty, cardamom and pencil lead and cassis, true pauillac Bordeaux. This thing is bothering me. I swirl around my glass to the point it finally sticks to the side of the glass. Pull it out with my pinky. No joke, this is a piece of a pencil shaving. Wood, with a lead edge. Wtf, my glass was empty.
Great wine - even if they are stuffing it with pencil shavings !
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2/17/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 95 Points
I wanted to try this to see if I needed to get more and it looks like I do. This has a lot of the characteristics I normally find with this producer - a tannic spine along with some creme de casis and ample led pencil, but there is an added dimension of acidity/freshness to this vintage that takes it to another level. This is lithe, effortless, dances on the palate. What a beauty. I had the '12 a while back which was completely closed down and awkward compared to this which is singing even now. Could be best ever from this estate.
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11/28/2019 - Andre Brattland wrote: 94 Points
79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. 13.3% alcohol.
Really pronounced intensity on the aromas with more raw and fresh feeling with darker red currant fruit, this arch-classic tobacco pipe, bonfire, dark chocolate and espresso. Good full bodied wine with classic tightness and yet with a delicate expression. Darker fruits, plums and tobacco. Lovely freshness throughout. Perfect structure. Missing some details comparing with the legends, but this is a very good Pauillac built for 20 years in the cellar. 94 points.
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11/24/2019 - chatters wrote:
From Coravin. Aromas of cedar, jubey black fruits, cassis, polished oak. Sweet spice, touches of violet. Juicy acid, medium plus intensity flavours of black fruits and polished oak. lots of time required here.
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10/8/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Expressive right away with scents of pencil fillings and gravel. It's deceptively easy-drinking, smooth and supple but infused with plenty of tannin. It's also infused with a cigarette smokiness so evocative that it starts feeling like a wine you'd drink in some seedy bar in a film noir while a neon "no vacancy" sign flickers overhead till you catch the eye of a dame in a long dress who spells nothing but trouble. Except that it's not entirely in B&W film stock because it does have a very fresh and pure impression of mildly zingy currant and raspberry behind that smoky gauze.
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9/21/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Dewy and succulent cassis, smoke, tobacco, cedar wood and blackberry aromas pop up with just an easy swirl or two. Refined, polished, elegant with a medium-bodied personality, ending with loads of sweet, dark fruit. This vintage from GPL has the structure to age, coupled with the silky-mouth feel that its loyal tasters enjoy. From a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, the harvest took place September 21 to October 5.
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9/6/2019 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
A tense and nervy showing, even after 3 hours in the decanter. Linear and primary, but pure and fresh, the delivery on this youngster is lock-jawed at the moment. Red berry notes dominate, with cranberry, pomegranate, red cherry, purple plum, and some limestone flavors. Finishes with hints of promise, but it’s gonna be at least 5-7+ years before it likely starts showing its full hand.
Seeming sophistication and class lurk here, but mostly hidden behind a wall of grippy acid. Not biting at all, with no abrasive alcohol or palate-torquing imbalances. It’s just plain ‘ol young and primary. Best advice is to hold until after 2025 at minimum. Drink your Dalem or Capbern throwdowns if you must cook off a 2016. Let this GPL have a few winks in the cellar for now. 93++ points in its current state, with definite multiple point upside in the future.
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8/28/2019 - Cincinnatus Likes this wine: 95 Points
From the moment I caught the aroma of this wine pouring into my glass, I knew I was going to like it. Very, very good today, I hope to be around to taste it in 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Garnet colored, nice long, slow moving legs. A touch of cedar, cassis, tobacco, powerful but smooth and silky. Better with every minute it is open. Sweet Cabernet based, complex, drinkable young but built for a much longer ride. Classic nose. Not sure I can have too much of this wine.
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8/28/2019 - ESCO Likes this wine:
Well .......well this GPL, is a brute; it is muscular , overpowering, tense and yet just somehow inviting. I have no idea how this wine will pan out ; if it stays firm, if the tannins don't mellow , it will be a run of the mill stern Pauilllac, good for food but really quite unenchanting. A restaurant wine.
If it resolves , the pure fruit bang already present will be front and centre, and make this a really special vintage.I can't believe even the real fans of GPL know for sure which way this wine will turn. I so hope it is memorable , but right now is so so tannic ( as per history) for me it is a guessing game .....
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7/28/2019 - Wine G Likes this wine: 95 Points
I need more of this, period. Quintessential Cabernet on the nose. Textbook perfection of sweetness and pencil shavings and cassis. Medium yet rich texture, pretty full palate but light in its feet , with a solid finish. 95-96 now with upside
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6/19/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Quiet on the nose, but plush, polished, and deep. The palate tells a different story with an explosive, pure, fresh, invigorating currant, blueberry, pencil profile. Lots of substance and depth but still with beautiful elegance. This finishes very well indeed.
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3/9/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted @ bigger Bordeaux 2016 arrivage tasting.
Dark, virile and super classic, with notes of tobacco, cassis, cedar wood, licorice, spices, also some graphite. It‘s medium-full bodied, with excellent depth, medium-high tannin that is super silky, high acidity and excellent length. A superbly classic, old-school GPL but compared to earlier vintages it seams more approachable and the tannin is silkier. Excellent. (95+)
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2/19/2019 - sung251 Likes this wine:
Tasted during SPEC's Bordeaux tasting in Houston. This wine is a very good contender for high end QPR and in my opinion beats out their 2010 vintage. It has immense structure, depth, fruit, with a touch of oak with a very long finish. A wine truly built for the long haul but will definitely hit above its weight considering the price. Didn't get to taste any of the pauillac first growths but my favorite Pauillac wine of the vintage after Pichon Lalande. 93 Pts for now with an easy upside of 3-4 additional points at its peak. A very strong buy for ~$80.
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2/10/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Another super effort here. The wine is spicy, long, fresh, character driven and concentrated. There is a depth of flavor, ripe tannins and all the tobacco, cedar and ripe red, juice filled fruits you need. The wine is firm, and joyous.
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1/28/2019 - alanr wrote: 91 Points
UGC SF - Medium depth red fruit, touch softer, elegant, decent structure.
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1/26/2019 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 Vintage Tasting (Las Vegas, NV): Intense aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberries, Asian spices, lavender and espresso characterize this opaque crimson, full-bodied wine. Beautifully fresh and without alcoholic heat, it is nicely dense in the middle and is impressively structured by virtue of its plentiful silky-textured tannins. Finishing smooth and long, this is an elegant Pauillac that is clearly classic in quality. Drink 2024-2046.
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1/25/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. (Metreon, San Francisco, Ca.): UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX 2016 VINTAGE SAN FRANCISCO. Nose of allspice, cassis, and black berry, same on the palate, medium/big body, medium amount of tannins, rich fruit, lovely fruit, needs 4 years to show well.
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1/25/2019 - blanquito wrote:
UGC San Francisco: the 2016 Bordeaux: Ok, I didn't like this much. Too overripe, with a sickly rounded feel that several Pauillac showed. Hard to judge.
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1/25/2019 - Woodbridge Brad wrote:
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting of the 2016 Vintage (Metreon San Francisco): Moderate color, buttery nose, very, very hard biting tannic edges. I don't agree with the other scores at all this wine is too tannic and very over extracted, based on 45 plus years of experience it will not age out nicely.
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1/25/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:
Selective Sampling of the UGC Tasting of 2016 Bordeaux (Metreon, San Francisco): Lovely combination of cedar, spicy fruit, and perfect weight. Lively and fine. Truly excellent.
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1/25/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 96 Points
GPL has a blueprint on how to make highly extracted, cassis dominated, 12 cylinder wines. This one is clearly meant to age and is going to be a star in the years to come. For me it was the the most powerful wine, next to Lynch Bages in my 2016 samples. Reminiscent of the 2010...Again like the Lynch Bages. DOUBLE HOLD
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1/23/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Complex array of black fruits and roasted meat that starts out as forward and fleshy, then gets more powerful and robust towards finish, but also gets backward. Impressive 93-94 point potential in a decade+.
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1/21/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Zachys Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 (New York City, NY): One of those wow wines. I scratched my head at not having had this beauty before. It followed the poor showing of Puy Ducasse.
This one had classic Pauillac flavors. Left bank lead pencil shavings, blackberry fruit and earth. Loved it and would highly recommend putting this away for the next decade.
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1/21/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 91 Points
2016 Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (NYC): The 2016 GPL is beginning to shutdown so it is a bit hard to judge at this stage. Closed nose, heavy tannins, savory finish.
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11/23/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
At a tasting last month where we compared over 40 2016s.
Tasted en primeur a year ago and rated 93. Same typical sea breeze/ crushed oyster shells nose. Good weight and soft tannins with very long finish.
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11/12/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 96 Points
Northern Médoc sweet spots: pricey and not so pricey (The Médoc): And this one goes to 11. Indeed, it was the 11th Pauillac in a blind tasting of classified Pauillacs last month, from bottle - and it proved to be among the very best of this tasting, exuding a firm “Pauillac expression”, straight from the textbooks. What impressive tannic grip and power! Letting it sit in the glass, you get suave elegance, as well. Dominated with nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has aged in 75% new oak so well integrated. Firms up on the finish, so it really should rest in your cellar for at least 10 years, and then you would be able to start enjoying it. OK, prices have been inching upwards, but under $90 for this is still a relatively nice deal… Bravo! Château Grand Puy Lacoste*. 96+ For more info, pics and video: http://wine-chronicles.com/blog/northern-medoc-2016-bottle/
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5/13/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Full-bodied, concentrated and loaded to the gills with its black fruits, cedar chest and tobacco nuances, the wine is powerful, refined and long. There is density that never feels heavy due to all the freshness and sweet fruits. This has the potential to be the best vintage of Grand Puy Lacoste produced yet.
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5/20/2017 - wineforth Likes this wine: 93 Points
At Lords en primeur tasting. Sweet nose, very soft and balanced, a touch missing mid palate but could fill out in time, Trademark sea breeze and oyster on a very long finish. May warrant a higher score in time.
Second time around, caramel nose, still needs to fill out a little.
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4/29/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Dewy and succulent cassis, smoke, tobacco, cedar wood and blackberry aromas pop up with just an easy swirl or two. Refined, polished, elegant with a medium-bodied personality, ending with loads of sweet, dark fruit. This vintage from GPL has the structure to age, coupled with the silky-mouth feel that its loyal tasters enjoy. The wine was made from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. The harvest took place September 28 to October 13.
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