2016 Gruaud, La Mission, Reserve de la Comtesse, Lagrange
A few significant releases this week are lending the campaign some momentum.
On Spring Bank Holiday Monday came one of our favourites in St-Julien. Unlike many Gruauds of old, the 2016 is charming and approachable, elegant and precise. Alas, unlike many Gruauds of old, it's not cheap but canny buyers should take a look at Sarget, which is a second wine very much in the spirit of the first but less than a third of its price.
Yesterday belonged to Prince Robert de Luxembourg and his Domaine Clarence Dillon. Haut-Brion has sold out to pre-orders and regular purchasers but we still have a small amount of the even more highly rated (and less expensive) La Mission Haut-Brion. This is a wine that left even the eloquent Neal Martin 'reaching for the thesaurus looking for superlatives… I thought the 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion flirted with perfection [but] the 2016 has that extra edge.'
After that came Reserve de la Comtesse. I sometimes feel that Pichon's second wine doesn't justify its price tag but not in 2016; this is excellent. CEO and winemaker Nicolas Glumineau says this is the best vintage he's made - either here or (previously) at Montrose. "What a wonderful wine this would be for an airline first class," say Jancis Robinson - and she should know!
A small volume of Calon-Segur has been released today. We don't have enough for a general offer though we do have the second wine, Marquis de Calon. High scorers Malescot St-Exupery and the excellent - and well-priced - Lagrange are also available, the latter already selling fast:
'The 2016 Lagrange is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that is matured in 50% new oak. The yield came in at 46.5 hectoliters per hectare, lower than in 2015. It has a very well defined bouquet with intense black cherry, red plum, touches of cedar and with continued aeration, a hint of blueberry. It certainly is one of the most expressive Lagrange that I have tasted (and I write that having tasted them all back to the early 1980s). The palate is extremely well balanced with tensile tannin, vibrant and animated with blackberry, crème de cassis, a hint of orange zest. This is a great Lagrange, one that almost 'zings' around the senses, barely able to contain the energy. A superior Lagrange to the 2015, this may well rank as the finest produced. 94-96 points' - Neal Martin, robertparker.com
Finally, a special mention for an inexpensive St-Emilion satellite appellation wine, Guibot La Fourvieille. Independent, family-owned and farmed organically, the 2016 has an impressive 90-92 points from Neal Martin, 'what a superb Puisseguin Saint Emilion' he says. /AR
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available 2019
