2016 La Dominique (St-Emilion)

The 2016 La Dominique was tasted on several occasions. Deep in color, it has a blackberry and bilberry-scented bouquet, a touch of oyster shell developing in the glass. There is intensity here, but it is tightly coiled. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, showing more freshness at the Rolland Laboratory tasting than elsewhere, a dash of spice with a structured, saline finish. This was more promising than recent vintages that I have tasted and hopefully augurs for what is in bottle. There was some variation here, hence the question mark against my banded score. 91-93? points

Restrained and elegant on the attack, this has plenty of dense, dark black fruit to back it up. The palate opens to show complexity and intensity of fruit, and totally delivers on its opulent and silky billing, with lovely touches of spice to pick up the finish. Well constructed. It is planted to 80% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 70% new oak with Michel Rolland as consultan t. 49hl/ha yield, 3.75pH. 94 points