2016 Ormes de Pez, Picque Caillou, Laroque, Branaire, Alter Ego

Today we have a flurry of releases from Bordeaux, including three great value buys. As we've already noted, 2016's a good vintage for the clay-limestone terroirs of the northern Medoc, and all the critics agree that the Cazes family (of Lynch-Bages) has produced one of the finest Ormes de Pez to date: 'for a drinking wine it is going to be hard to beat this year,' according to Jane Anson on Decanter.com.

From Pessac-Leognan, we have Picque Caillou, an excellent, 21-hectare property located just to the west of Haut-Brion and Carmes Haut-Brion, in the heart of the Pessac gravels. A lot of work has been done here over the last decade and the wines today show purity and elegance that belies their price tag. Sadly, the chateau is one of those hit by the 27 April frost which makes this 2016 all the more compelling.

Chateau Laroque, apart from being one of the largest properties on St-Emilion's limestone plateau, is one of the least known. Historically they've not joined the en primeur circuit but a few years ago they decided to massively upgrade the quality of their wine and hired David Surie of Larcis Ducasse. He has made significant tweaks in vineyard and chai to make, in his second vintage here, a fabulous 2016.

Yesterday saw the release of our first St-Julien of the vintage, the Maroteaux family's supremely elegant Branaire-Ducru. Today we have Alter Ego, silky and full of finesse in its 2016 incarnation. Yields were just 29 hl/ha as the vineyard rebalances after conversion to biodynamics and only half the normal volume will be made. /AR

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available 2019