2016 Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux
NYC
Tasted Monday, January 21, 2019 by jgreco with 330 views
Introduction
- A 1/3 of the wines, with a higher % on the left bank, showed a lot of green stems.
- Wines lean toward the red fruit side of the spectrum. There was also quite a few perfumed wines this year, especially on the left bank.
- St Julien and St Emilion were standouts. Margaux and Sauternes were disappointing. The Pauillacs might just be going through a dumb phase now. There is a massive tannin structure there for aging.
- A lot of the right bank wines are accessible and an absolute joy to drink today
- My favorite wines of the night: Canon (!!), Clinet (!), Pavie Macquin (!), Pape Celment, Brane-Cantenac, Branaire-Ducru (!), Langoa Barton, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferre, Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pichon Lalande (!)
- For such young wines, the balance is incredible.
- Like the 2009s and 2014s, this vintage is going to offer a lot of medium-term drinking pleasure.
- I can’t think of a comparable vintage from the last decade in Bordeaux. This is very unique.
- The mid-range wines, especially in Medoc and Haut-Medoc were meh. Often green and stemy, I found them very inconsistent. For 2009 and 2010 you can buy almost anything and it is fantastic—Not so with this vintage.
- Should you buy? Perhaps selectively in St Julien & St Emillion. There are some bargains to be had, especially compared to the California Cabs I collect. Lots of tempting 2009 and 2010 inventory to put your money into though ...
2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
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2016 Château Balestard La Tonnelle 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
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2016 Château Canon 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
The wine or the night for me in a 2016 Bordeaux tasting. I was struck by the incredible balance of the wine at this stage. Everything is in harmony. A nose of perfumed red fruits and great tension and energy on the palate.
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2016 Château Pavie Macquin 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This is stunning. A little vegetal and peppery on the nose, but not in an overpowering way. Like many of the 2016 right bank wines I tasted, I am struck by the incredible balance and poise Pavie Macquin has at this stage. A great finish that brings out the Cab Franc in the blend.
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2016 Château Clinet 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Clinet was another one of my favorites from the 2016 Bordeaux tastings. A powerful red fruited nose with notes of green stems and pepper. The palate is perfumed red fruit. Overall, incredible balance makes this a joy to drink even at such a young age.
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2016 Château Belgrave 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Juicy red fruity with notes of green stems. Not a tremendous amount of depth to the wine, but it’s bargain.
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2016 Château Brane-Cantenac 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Brane-Cantenac was the standout from Margaux in our 2016 Bordeaux tasting. The wine feature a lovely perfumed nose and an elegantly floral palate. So smooth and balanced for such a young wine. Wraps up with an elegant and lengthy finish.
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2016 Château Cantenac Brown 86 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
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2016 Château Giscours 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
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2016 Château Rauzan-Ségla 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A perfumed nose and palate of red fruits and pink flower. Of concern is a mid-palate that is lean and found in a lot of the Margauxs this year.
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2016 Château Beychevelle 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
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2016 Château Branaire-Ducru 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
One of my favorite wines of the 2016 Bordeaux tasting in which the St Julien was the standout AOC. A cool expressive nose of raspberry jam with notes of pepper. Tremendous harmony and balance on the palate that make this a joy to drink young. An energetic and spicy finish.
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2016 Château Gloria 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Green and peppery nose. The red tastes too under-ripe, which is surprising for a St. Julien this year. Perhaps it was just the bottle. There are also serious tannin management issues. Chateau Gloria is always a budget favorite, but I think you can find much better for the price in the 2016 vintage.
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2016 Château Gruaud Larose 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
This was quite lovely and another wine that benefited from the tremendous conditions in St. Julien during 2016. This is drinking quite well for such a young wine with the tannins mostly in check. Plums and light green stems on the nose and palate with a solid peppery finish.
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2016 Château Langoa Barton 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A total stunner at the 2016 Bordeaux tasting. Red fruited and fennel nose. The palate is incredibly layered well balanced. The finish goes on forever. You can drink this now with a decant, but there's enough structure here that this should age well.
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2016 Château Léoville Barton 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Another standout from St Julien. The 2016 Leoville Barton has a lovely permed nose of red fruits cinnamon. The palate is elegant and refined, featuring tremendous harmony among the components. You can pop one today, but that would be a waste as it has the structure to go the distance. Bravo.
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2016 Château Léoville Poyferré 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
St. Julien was blessed this year with so many standout wines and the 2016 Leoville Poyferre is no exception. Not too much of a nose at this point (probably in the process of shutting down). On the palate, the 2016 you taste the perfumed black berries and sweet cassis.
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2016 Château Talbot 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A very savory and seductive wine with notes of light green stems and black pepper. Warm finish.
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2016 Château Clerc Milon 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A very floral nose. I was surprised as to how light and easy to drink this was for a Clerc Milon which I usually find to be a tannic beast in its early days. A long savory finish.
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2016 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is really well done. The wine has incredible energy in it that reminds me of Napa Valley. It has the stuffing to age beautifully.
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2016 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
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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2016 Château Lynch-Bages 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Dark cherry, cedar, and a few green notes that were common among the Pauillacs I tasted. This is a tannic beast and currently the components are not vert well integrated. Give this a decade ... or two.
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2016 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Spicy, blackberry nose. Like a lot of Pauillac's in 2016, this is a bruiser with heavy tannins. Give it another couple decades. Incredible savory finish.
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2016 Château Doisy-Daëne 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
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2016 Château Guiraud 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
White flowers, orange blossom, and honey.
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