Ten Years On – Tasting the Iconic Wines from the 2016 Bordeaux Vintage…

January 24, 2026February 12, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

The 2016 Bordeaux vintage was nothing short of dramatic. For those tending the vines, it was a growing season shaped by an extraordinary mix of weather patterns which produced wines of remarkable balance and complexity. At the time, the oenologists echoed what many were feeling: “Bordeaux, by some miracle compared to many French wine regions, is preparing for an exceptional vintage.” Within the context of this historical pronouncement, and a surfeit of high critical scores dished out at En-primeur time, the only thing that can settle the status of this vintage once and for all is a “10 years on” tasting of bottled wines. Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.

A wet and cold winter set the stage for the 2016 vintage, with rainfall in the first six months of the growing season matching that of the entire previous year. Then, from mid-June to mid-August, the weather shifted dramatically, bringing a long, hot, and dry summer, followed by just 20mm of rain in early September. For many winemakers, that combination was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the dry heat during July and August was a worry – especially on gravelly soils or younger vines which struggled with water stress.

On the other hand, the soils that had stored the winter’s water, especially clay and limestone plots, proved their worth and sustained the vines throughout the drought. Then came a timely and gentle revival: light rains in mid-September, followed by a long Indian-summer stretch – warm days, cool nights, and slowed-down ripening.

Christian Seely from Pichon Baron and Veronique Sanders from Haut Bailly.

As a result, many of the top estates found themselves harvesting remarkably late, often stretching far into October, allowing grapes the time they needed for full phenolic maturity: deep colour, rich tannins, well concentrated flavours, but without excess alcohol or overripe jammy fruit. As Jacques Thienpont of Le Pin noted, it was the first time in the estate’s history that harvest didn’t begin until October. Overall, the vintage was characterised by a balance of fruit and high (but supremely ripe) tannins with fresh acidity and pleasingly moderate alcohol levels.

Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.

The 2016 Bordeaux Selection:

Chateau Cheval Blanc 2016, Saint Emilion

Lifted and perfumed. Silky and utterly sophisticated.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Ausone 2016, St Emilion

Dark tight and broody. More black berry intensity. Chiselled and fresh. Precise.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Red fruit, cedar, black berry. Earthy, Xmas spice. Class.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Rich, broad expansive aromatics. Black currant and graphite. Incredible depth. Very impressive.

(Wine Safari Score: 99+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Margaux 2016, Margaux

Fragrant cassis and saline black fruits. Silky, precise and fine grained.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac

More savoury and brûléed. Dense and powerful with beautifully chalky tannins. A classic Mouton.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac

Red and black berry fruits, exotic lifted perfume. Silky soft, pristine and very persistent.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Latour 2016, Pauillac

Complex salty cassis, oyster shell, graphite with a dense seamless palate, impressive power with phenomenal finesse. Bold wine. As close to perfection as possible.

(Wine Safari Score: 100/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Le Pin 2016, Pomerol

Mint chocolate chip, black berry and damson plum. Sweet fruited, generous palate and beautifully exotic.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Lafleur 2016, Pomerol

Beautifully exotic and complex, but also intricate. Brûléed, dark berries, salted cassis with a long luxurious creamy finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Petrus 2016, Pomerol

Dense, creamy and delicately lactic with chocolate praline notes, pithy graphite tannins and a cool finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Angelus 2016, Saint Emilion

Deep dense ripe black fruits, cassis, sapidity, full and powerful. Opulent and accessible.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Belair Monange 2016, Saint Emilion

Smoky chalky nose, graphite and black currant compote. Dense and compact power. Very smart.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Canon 2016, Saint Emilion

Graphite, black currant, sleek, silky, sophisticated. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Canon La Gafaliere 2016, Saint Emilion

Dark, spicy, picante intense fruit, raisined cherries and a chalky finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Figeac 2016, Saint Emilion

Fabulous oak – fruit integration. Complex and classy. Very silky and complete. Sensational.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Clos Fourtet 2016, Saint Emilion

Deep, dark and broody. Spicy mineral tannins, graphite hints and plenty of limestone grip.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau L’IF 2016, Saint Emilion

Touch stewed, raisined black berries. Fleshy, ripe expression. Exuberant.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Gaffeliere 2016, Saint Emilion

Rich and textured. Plenty of ripeness and power. Black fruits are slightly raisined on the finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Mondotte 2016, Saint Emilion

Warm toasty aromatics, plush and creamy, full throttle but beautifully fresh. A great success.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Pavie 2016, Saint Emilion

Dense and dark, packed with blue and black berry fruits. Chewy tannins, dry grippy limestone length. Serious.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Pavie Macquin 2016, Saint Emilion

Dusty limestone, liquor and creme de cassis. Cool and supple, elegant and vibrant. This is classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Quintus 2016, Saint Emilion

Earthy savoury black fruits. Polished but slightly baked black berry compote style on the finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint Emilion, 15.5% Abv.

Broody black fruited nose, the palate silky, tangy and super vibrant. Very seductive.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Valandraud 2016, Saint Emilion

Earthy savoury black fruits. Dense, mineral grip. Slightly austere on the finish. But classical power.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Conseillante 2016, Pomerol

Brûléed, exotic enticing nose. Creamy and cool, packed with blue and purple fruits. Simply sensational.

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau L’Evangile 2016, Pomerol

Silky, opulent and utterly seductive! Very polished example.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Lafleur-Gazin 2016, Pomerol

Ripe savoury black berry fruits, pithy, ripe. Chiselled tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Hosanna 2016, Pomerol

Salty, picante black berry fruits. Oyster shell, cassis and a long creamy finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Fleur-Petrus 2016, Pomerol

Graphite, wood smoke and creasote on the nose. Broad creamy palate with polished tannins, silky drying finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Trotanoy 2016, Pomerol

Broody black currant fruits, creamy and mineral. Power packed. Wow.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau La Violette 2016, Pomerol

Blue black fruits, effortless concentration, light and airy but still substantial.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Clinet 2016, Pomerol

Silky, complex, very complete wine. Cool and mineral. Textured but such class!

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, 14.5% Abv.

Juicy red and black berry fruits, graphite, limestone and mineral lift. Dense, creamy and very classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Haut-Bailly 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Lovely melange of savoury earth and black berry. Compact, dense, silky but plenty of power.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Intricate, perfumed and exotic, very enticing. Compact but sleek. Silky tannins, fresh and elegant. True class.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Savoury, truffle, exotic and complex. Creamy and intense.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Domaine de Chevalier 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Ripe red berry fruits, graphite and limestone, densely textured, compact and true class. Wow.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Earth, truffle, savoury black fruits. Fabulous creamy depth, intricate acids, and true class.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Clarence de Chateau Haut Brion, 13.5% Abv.

Supple, silky and soft, plenty of earthy minerality, with a taut grippy finish. Punches way above its price point.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau D’Issan 2016, Margaux

Plenty of brûléed black fruit, creamy tannins and earthy black currant compote finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Palmer 2016, Margaux

Cool, pure black fruits, impressive intensity and length. Very elegant with underlying power.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Leoville Barton 2016, Saint Julien

A dense, compact wine with impressive depth and power, tantalisingly structured for the long haul. Yes please!

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2016, Pauillac

This is super juicy, vibrant and textured with a tangy acidity, fabulous saline crème de cassis depth. Really lovely opulence.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Les Forts de Latour 2016, Pauillac

Complex layered wine with tilled earth, black berries and wet tobacco. Super serious.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Carruades de Lafite 2016, Pauillac

Medium weight, elegant and silky with black currant, damson plum and black cherry depth.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Le Petit Mouton 2016, Pauillac

Creamy black fruited depth, graphite, tilled earth with delicate mint and milk chocolate nuances.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Pichon Baron 2016, Pauillac

Dense, compact, powerful expression full of earthy black berry fruit, sweet tannins. graphite and cedar spice. Plenty of stuffing for the long haul.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

FOR MORE INFORMATION… contact Bordeaux Index Private Client Sales: Ellie.Roberts@bordeauxindex.com

Revisiting the Exciting Boutique Bordeaux Wines of Chateau de Malherbes…

April 17, 2025April 22, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The viticultural scene of Bordeaux is an ever-evolving landscape with new boutique chateaux blossoming out of older historical sites, many within appellations that are slowly but surely rising in prominence as greater technology and knowhow is applied in new and unique ways to differing terroirs that are now being rediscovered, being capable of producing some exceptional classical Bordeaux reds and whites. One such boutique winery is Chateau de Malherbes, located in the Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux appellation that was historically incorporated into the Bordeaux Cotes group of appellations under the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux regional umbrella.

Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux is now climbing in prestige and significance as quality focused pioneering boutique chateaux like Chateau de Malherbes slowly but surely focus on growing exceptional quality Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on the varied soils of the plateau that rises up from the Garonne River, offering a variety of favourable terroirs situated on gravelly or calcareous terrain where clay predominates, making the vineyard sites perfectly suited to growing premium Merlot grapes.

The spacious modern tasting room at the chateau.

More uniquely, Chateau de Malherbes is a leader in redefining the wider “Bordeaux wine experience” producing not only exciting premium wines but also offering visitors, customers, and merchants a unique winery experience involving not only approachable immersive wine tourism but also a more educational involvement, something Bordeaux chateaux have long been criticised for neglecting in the past.

With the Chateau de Malherbes winery project only coming to fruition as recently as 2014, co-owner Julia Lindholm Bereshchanskaya has focused on reshaping the winery’s brand image, wine tourism offering, gastronomy, and vision of excellence, while wine director Christophe Bedouet, who has been involved with the project since its inception in 2014, focuses on managing a skilled team of viticultural and oenological staff to produce a vibrant, quality focused range of chateau wines. Having worked in the USA for many years, Christophe brings a modern, forward-looking outlook to this boutique chateau where the winemaking team focuses on producing quality wines that showcase the finest elements of the estate’s terroir.

A view into the barrel maturation cellar.

I first visited this impressive modern winery in September 2023 just as the harvest was starting to come in and was seriously impressed by not only the high-tech cellar and its beautiful surrounding vineyard scenery, but also by the quality of wines being produced from this less internationally lauded region. I recently took the opportunity to retaste several of the chateau’s current releases available to the market and was suitably impressed by what I tasted.

Chateau de Malherbes 2018, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, 14% Abv.

The 2018 Malherbes is a seductive blend of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc that was aged in a selection of new and older French oak barrels for 12 months. In the glass, this youthful blend is deep, dark, and opaque retaining a garnet-purple hue. One sniff of the perfumed aromatics suggests this is indeed a serious effort, with an expressive bouquet of pressed violets, sweet oak spices, cinnamon stick, plum liquor, crème de cassis, black cherry compote and subtle hints of mulberry, crushed rocks and a delicate but alluring vanilla pod dusting. The palate is ripe yet beautifully poised, tight grained but reassuringly giving after some time in the glass, where more textured layers of earthy black currant, tilled earth, salty black liquorice and baked black berries resonate across a long, fresh tangy finish. Powerful in essence, but also impressively supple and textured offering well managed creamy tannins that combine with impressive oak integration. Tasted seven years from vintage, this wine is still approaching its peak and whilst offering a depth of drinking pleasure now, this wine will reward another 5 to 6+ years of further cellaring.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau de Malherbes 2016, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, 14.5% Abv.

The reputation of this vintage precedes any wine release and this impressive 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, with the components aged in new and aged French oak barriques for 12 months. Sourced from the best fruit of this 12-hectare estate on gravel and clay limestone soils, the aromatics burst out the glass with a rich, ripe expressive array of black berry, black plums, and savoury black cherry notes before hints of chargrilled meats, tilled earth, graphite and charcoal embers add to the complexity. True to the characterful and established quality of the vintage, the concentration is notable with rich intense black berry compote nuances that combine with black liquorice, toasted oak, crème de cassis and a long, textured savoury length embellished by hints of sweet cherry tobacco and vanilla pod spice. A dense, compact wine with plenty of dry extract, creamy soft spicy tannins but also an energetic freshness and polished mouthfeel. A serious wine that really does open up with decanting to reveal a quite compelling personality. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau de Malherbes Grand Vin 2015, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, 14.5% Abv.

This impressive Grand Vin from the Chateau de Malherbes is a blend of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc that was aged for 18 months in specially selected new oak barrels from premium coopers Radoux and Seguin Moreau. On the nose, this opulent 2015 shows an impressively lifted and intricately perfumed aromatics brimming with violets and white blossom, black cherries, ripe blueberries and black currant nuances. The palate weight is sleek and sophisticated, supple, and elegant with a weightless concentration of black and blueberry fruits, earthy red currants, and tangy fresh mulberry notes. The classy oaking is beautifully integrated, melting into the concentrated berry fruits before hints of graphite, bitter cocoa, and pithy black berry compote shine on the finish. A beautifully classy wine that really shows the true pedigree of this boutique estate’s terroir. Drink now to 2038+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Chateau de Malherbes wines are available to merchants direct from the Chateau. Please contact Christophe Bedouet for current vintage availability and ex-cellar pricing.

vignoble@chateaudemalherbes.fr

The Great Schalk Burger Senior Presents Some New and Old Welbedacht Estate Releases in London with Importer Sporting Wine Club…

October 12, 2024October 12, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Schalk Burger and Sons Welbedacht Wine Estate is found in the stunning region of Wellington where wine making and grape cultivation has been an essential part of the landscape for decades. It is also home to the Burger family, one of the country’s most recognized sporting names with both father and son having long illustrious careers playing Springbok rugby as loose forwards.

While the Welbedacht farm was bought in 1997, the original historical farm dates back as far as the 1830’s. In 2000, Schalk Senior decided to pursue his dream of producing his very own range of wines and the 1,200 ton Welbedacht cellar was completed in time for the 2005 harvest. Since then, the estate has produced some of the finest quality grapes in the whole of Wellington and their wines are now among the quality leaders for the region.

Enjoyinge a glass of the Welbedacht 1861 Cabernet / Merlot 2018 Blend that celebrates 50 years of the Richmond Heavies, part of the Richmond Rugby Club.

Schalk Burger Senior was recently in the UK to play in the Dunhill Pro-Am golf tournament in Scotland and kindly hosted an enjoyable wine dinner on his way back through London with his importer, The Sporting Wine Club.

Schalk Burger & Sons No.6 Shiraz 2016, WO Wellington, 14% Abv.

The rugby legend of the great Burger sporting dynasty lives on in the form of the Schalk Burger & Sons No.6 red Rhone blend, a true tribute to the legendary No.6 loose forwards of Schalk Burger Jnr. & Snr. Syrah based with splashes of Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Grenache, Pinotage and Viognier, the aromatics scream opulence, verve and vigour, packed full of sweet black berry compote, bramble berry spice, sweet earthy cassis, black olive tapenade and a seductive salty melted liquorice depth. Full, rich and creamy on the palate, the structure shows the same power and stature of its Welbedacht namesakes with ripe sweet tannins, bright tangy acids and a long, salty, maritime note on the finish. A textural masterclass that’s simply delicious. Drink now and over the next 5-8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Welbedacht Wine Estate Pinotage 2023, WO Wellington, 14% Abv. (Tank Sample)

An early preview of the soon to be released Welbedacht Estate Pinotage shows why this Wellington property is so suited to producing premium examples of this cultivar. The 2023 offers up fresh, ripe aromatics of red cherry, toasted macaroons, bramble berries, tannery leather, and red plum jelly with a kiss of vanilla herbal spice. Already fleshy and open-knit, the palate shows a sumptuous breadth and depth of dark cherries and sweet black plums with a subtle hint of earthiness over exotic Christmas spices. Voluptuous and medium to full bodied, the showy concentration is accompanied by soft fine grained tannins and succulent acids on the long, persistent finish. A delightful Pinotage from the vintage. Drink on release and over 8-10 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Wines of the Welbedacht Estate are imported into the UK by The Sporting Wine Club.

http://www.sportingwineclub.com

Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira Launches a Collaboration Wine with Holden Manz Estate in Franschhoek…

July 11, 2024July 23, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Ahead of the second Springbok rugby test against Ireland, I thought I’d review a wine for all the devout rugby and wine connoisseurs out there. Tendai Mtawarira is a Zimbabwean-South African retired professional rugby union player who last played for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby and previously for the South Africa national team and the Sharks in Super Rugby, becoming one of the most capped front rowers for the Springboks ever.

He was born in Zimbabwe and qualified for South Africa on residency grounds, before later acquiring South African citizenship. Mtawarira, known by the nickname Beast, became the most capped prop ever for the Springboks with 117 test caps. Not only is he the most capped prop in South African history, he is also currently the fourth most capped Springbok of all time behind Blue Bulls legend Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Eben Etzebeth.

I recently caught up with Beast and ex-England rugby international, Simon Halliday, the UK importer of Beast’s wine, to see what all the fuss was about!

The Beast Wine Collection Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah 2016, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

Shows a dramatically fragrant aromatics of exotic sweet scented incense, Middle Eastern spices in a souk, with notes of rose water, Turkish tobacco, pomegranate, blood orange and deliciously mouthwatering black berry and saline creme de cassis nuances. Silky soft with sweet ripe tannins, the palate shows a creamy, opulent and generous texture with seamless Cabernet and Syrah integration through masterful blending, and a really sumptuous long finish. Really quite a fine tuned and classy wine with an understated power.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Wine is available from The Sporting Wine Club for circa £40 per bottle in a case of 6.

Tasting the First and Second Wines of the Jacky Lorenzetti Bordeaux Stable with Sporting Wine Club…

May 22, 2024May 22, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

As owner of one of Europe’s foremost rugby squads, Racing 92, together with four quality Bordeaux wine chateaux, Jacky Lorenzetti has many commitments on his time, but his love of wine and sport always manages to shine through the pressures of a larger business empire. As President of Racing 92 rugby club, he changed its name from Racing Metro back in 2015 and helped establish it further as one of the most successful clubs in the French Top 14 rugby championship.

Jacky Lorenzetti has always had a fine appreciation of the great wines of the Médoc region. Jacky and his wife Françoise first purchased Chateau Lilian Ladouys and its 46 hectares in 2008, and then went on to purchase Château Pédesclaux in 2009. In 2013, Jacky teamed up with Emmanuel Cruse taking over 50% of Chateau d’Issan, a fine 1855 Margaux Grand Cru Classé certified winery.

Château Lilian Ladouys – Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel – St Estephe: In 2008, Jacky and Françoise Lorenzetti acquired the estate after falling in love with it. When tasted, Lilian Ladouys always reveals a rich and crisp structure with ripe tannins and refined oak which melts into an explosion of fruit. It has the opulence and length of a Saint-Estephe fine wine. Thanks to the appellation’s limestone-clay subsoils, its power is balanced out by a wonderful sensation of freshness. The recent upgrade to Exceptionnel has catapulted Lilian Ladouys into wine lovers’ consciousness all round Europe.

Chateau Lilian Ladouys Le Devise de Lilian 2017, St Estephe, 13% Abv.

Soft silky very elegant, supple red fruits, red currant pastille, black currant and red plum. Exotic and easy going with silky tannins. Great drinkability for an accessible vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2016, St Estephe, 13.5% Abv.

Earthy, raisined black cherry, liquorice, savoury plummy aromatics. Super slky and soft textured with supple tannins, cedar spice and delicate weightless cherry fruit concentration. A serious effort from a blockbuster vintage in Bordeaux.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Château Lafon Rochet – Grand Cru Classé en 1855 – Saint Estephe: Lafon-Rochet is a close neighbour to Lilian Ladouys and is among the greatest terroirs of St-Estephe. The vineyards are mainly located around the château in a large contiguous plot, not far from Cos d’Estournel, Cos Labory, and across the stream in Pauillac, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.

Chateau Lafon Rochet Les Pelerins de Lafon Rochet 2019, 14% Abv.

Dark black broody aromatics with smokey black berry, graphite, and blue berry nuances. Palate shows exotic sour cherry fruits, black currant, parma violets and a delicate, soft textured weightless intense finish. Very classy indeed.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Lafon Rochet 2016, St Estephe, 14% Abv.

Rich earthy savoury nose with a warming feel of ripeness and depth with hoisin plum sauce, freshly tilled earth, with a beautifully intense and tangy fresh palate with creamy black currant, blueberry muffin, silky tannins, and a sweet savoury polished finish. Very classy from this impressive Bordeaux vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Château Pédesclaux – Pauillac: The Chateau classified in 1855 is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Pauillac, and in the world of the great Pauillac, Château Pédesclaux is the image of its terroir: complex and powerful. In this mosaic of soils, clays promote power and bold expression of elegance. Emmanuel Cruse, co-owner of Château d’Issan, is General Manager of Pédesclaux, and his lineage coming from a long line of proprietors and merchants that have been present in the Medoc since the 18th century, make his expertise in the Bordeaux market very well recognized and respected.

Chateau Pedesclaux Fleur de Pedesclaux 2016, Pauillac, 13% Abv.

A delicious Pauillac with an unusually high 67% of Merlot supported by Cabernet. Nose shows mint chocolate, cocoa, creme de cassis, red currant and sweet vanilla oak spice. Plush and loose knit with creamy soft tannins and tangy acids, this is a deliciously forward fleshy wine with black currant, dried herbs and minty, purple grapey candied menthol nuances on the finish. Simply delightful.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Pedesclaux 2014, Pauillac, 14% Abv.

Earthy and savoury with violets, cigar wrapper, graphite, and menthol cassis nuances. Sweet fruited, elegant and soft textured with fruit purity, salty cassis, thyme, Cabernet blackberry, menthol black currant cough sweets and a delicate, succulent finish. Lovely precision and purity for an almost 10-year-old wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau d’Issan Moulin d’Issan 2019, Haut Medoc, 13% Abv.

Made from fruit sourced from Chateau d’Issan’s Haut Medoc property, this is a 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. A wonderfully soft, plush expression with a fleshy, supple concentration, sleek spicy tannins and a delicious red currant, black berry, and plummy mouth coating breadth. Really pretty, archetypal Bordeaux, with impressive precision and focus and a lovely Merlot dominated fleshy finish. A deliciously affordable all-rounder.

(Wine Safari Score: 90+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau d’Issan Blason d’Issan 2016, Margaux, 13% Abv.

Officially the second wine of Chateau d’Issan, the classy 2016 shows lovely leafy, sweet cassis notes with hints of black currant, sweet black plum, peach tea and subtle dried violet and potpourri notes. Compact and plush, dense and creamy with sweet tannins, opulent fleshy fruits and a deliciously elegant, savoury, plush mouthfeel. Really classy with classical Margaux power and precision.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Jacky Lorenzetti stable of Bordeaux fine wines are imported into the UK by Simon Halliday at Sporting Wine Club and are available for retail by the bottle from specialist fine wine merchants like Museum Wines.

www.sportingwineclub.com

www.museumwines.co.uk

What Does a £10’er Get You In a UK Supermarket…?

July 9, 2017 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I don’t tend to write much about branded supermarket wines primarily because I rarely buy them and rarely drink them. But of course I’m no wine snob, so occasionally I am required to delve into the supermarket aisles … to pick up a bottle of something interesting if at all possible.

With my wife being very partial to a well made Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, I decided to “trade up” from the regular Villa Maria, Brancott Estate and Nautilus brands in favour of a more premium wine who’s label suggested it offered something more complex and sophisticated.

I’m also a big fan of well made Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, regularly drinking Dog Point, Seresin, Cloudy Bay, Mahi, and Jules Taylor just to mention a few names. So today, I was hoping that this branded offering would at least deliver something close to these other, more boutique Sauvignon styles.

Brancott Estate Terroir Series Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Marlborough, 14 Abv.

I have drunk the regular Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2016 on several occasions, and it’s safe to say it does exactly what it says on the tin, and does it well. But for a couple of pounds more, £10 precisely, you get this more distinctive, terroir driven wine. The nose is more expressive, nuanced, bristling with tart green apple, crunchy gooseberry, lemon grass, lime peel, dried basil herbs and crushed gravel mineral lift. The aromatics feature some tropical notes of green melon, guava and passion fruit, but overall the wine has more phenolic complexity, dusty minerality and a complex nettle spice. The palate too is impressively intense and concentrated, with more revealing aromatic grip, intense peppery green fruits, and a fine, palate tingling acidity. Thoroughly refreshing, and very enjoyable to drink. If you are buying a branded Sauvignon Blanc, its very hard to fault this wine and it is probably worth the extra money to trade up.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Accolades: