2016 Bordeaux: the final left banks

2016 Ducru, Las Cases, Poyferre, Pichons, Pontet, Haut-Bailly, SHL…

Unlike another campaign which has just culminated, there are no surprises with 2016 Bordeaux. As we get to the highest rated and most sought-after releases, prices are generally just a little higher than our worst fears.

We now have the final releases from all the major left bank chateaux. From St-Julien, that means the impressive and massively ageworthy Ducru-Beaucaillou and Leoville-Las Cases (which should prove to be one of the longest-lived wines of a vintage of long-lived wines), as well as our favourite 2016 Leoville, Didier Cuvelier's beautiful Poyferre.

Thursday brought AXA Millesimes's Pichon-Longueville which prompted Friday's release of the Rouzaud family's Pichon Lalande. Nicolas Glumineau told me that this is the best vintage he's made in all his time in charge of a chateau - and that includes his time at Montrose. When it's at its best, Pichon Lalande is one of the greats; this should rival the best Pichons of recent decades, as well as the best wines of the vintage. Then came Pontet-Canet, no stranger to controversy in recent vintages, and one of the most opulent Pauillacs style-wise.

At Haut-Bailly, Veronique Sanders couldn't have looked happier. Since 2012, the team has been fine-tuning the pruning and now each vine is pruned according to its individual needs. The 2016 is a wine of breathtaking power, freshness and elegance, "perhaps the best that I have tasted in almost 20 years of tasting at this estate," according to Neal Martin. Smith-Haut-Lafitte completes 2016 Pessac-Leognan, another outstanding red.

On the right bank, late Friday afternoon brought L'Evangile and then this morning we have tiny amounts of Ausone and La Petite Eglise. There is also a second tranche of Montrose available at £750 per six. /AR

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available 2019