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Arvi Standing Bordeaux 2016 Tasting
Dolder Grand, Zurich
Tasted November 7, 2018 by sirpat00 with 573 views
Introduction
Arvi hosted a Standing Bordeaux 2016 tasting as a 2 hour add-on to the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux tasting for gastro and wholesale.
Given time constraints I only managed to squeeze in ~20 samples, but overall this cross section showed the intensity combined with early accessability and elegance of the 2016 vintage. Having finished my reviews I quickly went back to my notes from the 2015 Arrivage event and found that my average score then was 94.2 which compares to 93.5 now. However, there is massive sample bias here given a stronger line-up for the 2015 including Yquem (100) and Palmer (98). Comparing notes on wines I tasted at both events I scored the 2016 usually equal or one notch above the 2015 (Leoville Barton, Figeac, SHL all +1) with only Client down one notch.
The wine of the event was Figeac which came in at a score 98, just ahead of Les Carme Haut-Brion, Smith Haut Lafitte and Pichon Longueville (all 97). The lowlight was d'Armailhac, at 85 well below other pundits' scores.
But there was more! Not included in the above was another shining 98 point star: Château de Fargues (Sauternes) - this was a barrel sample I, let's say, stumbled across which won't be available in early 2019... But read for yourself.
Flight 1 (19 notes)
Red
2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
97 points
Lots of herbal aromas. Dried black tea leaves but also sweet touches of vanilla and licorice. Dark, ripe cherry. Voluminous, full texture and a long finish. Still a decent bag of tannins in there, but rather velvety and well integrated. There is lots of personality as well as versatility. A character wine you‘ll either love or hate. I love it.
5 people found this helpful
Comments (1)
White
2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
94 points
Only dry white I tasted at the event. Mineral and herbal, dry and salty with stone fruits. The palate surprised with kiwi and convinced with the right amount of freshness.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Domaine de Chevalier
94 points
Fruit forward with ripe, almost jamy berries evidence of a bit more extraction than most of the other 2016s I tasted. A tad bitter and greenish on the palate which kept me below the 95 mark. But otherwise good balance and a firm structure, should provide for a great drinking experience once everything falls into its place.
4 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Haut-Bailly
94 points
Came across quite closed initially (the only one of twenty tasted) and hence with a below medium intensity which made it hard to find flavours beyond a darkish fruit and leathery notes. Not yet balanced with wild acidity and tannins leaning towards rough, but a rock-solid structure already heralds immense potential!
2 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Pape Clément
95 points
Intense and slightly medicinal notes. Dark and blue fruits / berries with discreet leather. Palate showed great balance and layered complexity with a long finish similar to the Smith Haut Lafitte - in a stand-off the latter wins, however.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
97 points
Intense, dark fruit and lots of herbs initially reminding of - brace yourself - cannabis. Great delicate texture, layered complexity on the palate with various shades of berries. Still lots of tannins that will need to integrate. The SHL is an excellent advocate for the 2016 vintage combining intensity, elegance and freshness.
4 people found this helpful
Comments (2)
Red
2016 Château Figeac
98 points
A flora bouquet full of violets (although if you want to max this out you'll want to try the L'Evangile 2015) and a profound fruit. Also leather and sweet spices. Great balance already with no excess acidity. An exceptionally long finish riding a wave of floral notes, hints of smokey oak and bright strawberry fruit. This is fabulous and the wine of the night of twenty 2016 Bordeaux tasted, outflanking Pichon Longueville, SHL and Les Carmes Haut-Brion.
2 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Pavie Macquin
94 points
Fresh fruit with some floral aromas. Quite stunning and elegant nose, but lacking a one to one continuation on the palate. Nothing wrong and good balance, but quite tannic - definitely more so than other right bank cousins.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Clinet
93 points
Red berries surrounded by a bit of fine earthy notes. Elegant, soft and round but lacking a bit the complexity I was hoping for after the 2015 came in as one of my favourites when the 2015s arrived in bottle.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Gazin Pomerol
95 points
Sexy fruit, violets, some leather and horse stable with hints of vanilla. Fine tannic structure. Elegant and pushing the senses.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Rouget
90 points
Intense fruit bordering jamy and appearing a bit over-extracted. Hints of leather. Lacks elegance due to harsh tannins and excess acidity which require years of bottle age in my view.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Brane-Cantenac
94 points
Sexy and intense fruit, more herbacious than average of my small sample of 20. Fine cedar wood which drops through nicely to the palate. Tannins showing surprisingly velvety, but the balance is a tad distroted by a notch too much acidity I find.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château Giscours
92 points
Clearly dark fruit but also ripe red cherry, some horse stable and leather. Hints of mint. Leaning towards high acidity and harsh tannins. Comes across a bit clumsy to be honest, but absolutely fine overall.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Labégorce
92 points
A medium+ intensity fruit of blackcurrant, a bit of green, fresh herbs and hints of eucalyptus / mint. On the palate fresh and not quite ripe tannins, but a medium+ finish and pretty good balance. Given the undemanding price tag this was actually quite impressive. No harm in storing a few in the cellar.
6 people found this helpful
Comments (1)
Red
2016 Château Léoville Barton
95 points
Intense, precise and distinct blackberry fruit within a fine oaky and leathery frame. Still pretty rough tannins.
This doesn‘t do it justice, but this was nummer 18 an I just couldn‘t be bothered to take more notes...
This doesn‘t do it justice, but this was nummer 18 an I just couldn‘t be bothered to take more notes...
6 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2016 Château d'Armailhac
85 points
Super high intensity with a quite obtrusive medicinal overlay masking other flavours. Super wild acidity and and a mine field full of tannin. Am i being way too harsh? Would appear when looking at fellow reviews. Maybe I fail to see the beauty underneath such a wild stallion. Happy to revisit in 5 or probably better 10 years...
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
97 points
Clearly one of the highlights of the 2016 Bordeaux line-up. Tobacco and dry leather, raspberry fruit and bit of herbs. Granular to silky tannins already, super freshness and great balance - everything just appears to be in the right place already! Good thing I subscribed already early on...
4 people found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2016 Château Bastor-Lamontagne
89 points
Beautiful nose with lots of honey, quince marmelade, almonds. Unfortunately the palate comes across flat as there seems to be a quite significant lack of acidity to balance the sweetness which otherwise proved convincingly aromatic.
1 person found this helpful
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White - Sweet/Dessert
2016 Château de Fargues
98 points
After the event had already ended and I was still scavenging through the rows of tables in search of unfinished bottles (I know this sounds pathetic - but you weren't there!), I found in an unguarded cooler an open bottle with a "barrel sample" sticker and a note indicating release in Sept 2019. Naturally, I couldn't resist and the contents of said bottle changed their container faster than you can blink comfortably ending up in my glass.
Lots of freshness, a bit mineral and a broad range of fruits, like a sweet fruit salade topped with honey. Also no lack of nuts and spices. Already shows great balance and more, highly welcome freshness. This was terrific and in my opinion Yquem-grade material! Can't wait for this piece of art to hit the market!
Lots of freshness, a bit mineral and a broad range of fruits, like a sweet fruit salade topped with honey. Also no lack of nuts and spices. Already shows great balance and more, highly welcome freshness. This was terrific and in my opinion Yquem-grade material! Can't wait for this piece of art to hit the market!
2 people found this helpful
Comments (1)