Bordeaux 2016 Revisit

Bordeaux 2016 Revisit
9.5 stars
24 August 2019

I tasted many Bordeaux 2016 wines in the summer of 2017, and I was persuaded it’s a great vintage for the decade. Thus when the opportunity to re-taste some Bordeaux 2016, I did not hesitate to sign up. After the wines developed in the bottles for roughly 2+ years, it’s a good revisit to see how it progressed.

Below is the margaux appellation rating, only d’Issan I’d say it’s decent effort, and I was very disappointed that Giscours was downgraded severely after only a short 2 years apart. Hard to say what the reason is, perhaps a poor bottle, as I noted Giscours was sourish and lean on the body in 2019, while just 2 years ago it was very ripe and very forward.

Flight of Margaux
d’Issan 9.25/10
Lascombes 9.25/10
Rauzan Gassies 8.5/10
Kirwan 8.75/10
du Tertre 9/10 rating remained the same as 2017
Giscours 9/10 downgraded from 9.5/10 rated in 2017
Brane Cantenac 8.75/10

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St Emilion
La Gaffeliere 9.5/10 Very good effort here, impressive
La Tour Figeac 8.75/10

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I must give credit to Beychevelle. I tasted it in 2017 after the wine was barely bottled 3 months old. In 2017, I really detected the fruity and chunky fruit style, with very refined oak. In 2019, the wine has become more evolved, almost cooked stewed fruits, very ready, very forward, and best of all, very pleasant to drink. Beychevelle 2016 has improved leaps and bounds.

St Julien
Lagrange 9.75/10
Beychevelle 9.5/10 Was upgraded from 2017 rating of 9.25/10
Leoville Barton 9.5/10
Branaire Ducru 9.25/10
Langoa Barton 9.0/10

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For Pauillac, these are wines that I’ve tasted, and I was so impressed with Pichon Lalande 2016 that I gave a perfect score for it! The nose was so elegant, along with chunky fruits and wooden crates, very addictive. Body, a sip and I fell in love with it, lovely, soft and feminine, super quality! I can see this lovely wine outshining many others in 30 years time, I hope I’m still alive to taste it and verify the accuracy of my scores by 2049!

Even the Reserve de la Comtesse didn’t fail to impress me. Even though the body was slightly hollow, not as compact as the big brother, it still give a very good flavour, and extremely value for money in terms of Quality Price Ratio.

Pauillac

Pichon Lalande 10/10
Reserve de la Comtesse 9.5/10
Croizet Bages 9.0/10