Bordeaux 2016
In late 2018, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent Jane Anson reassessed this classic vintage when she tasted extensively across the region’s recently bottled wines
Jane Anson revisits the year in bottle, recommending top wines and value picks
The officiAl AssessmenT of the 2016 Bordeaux vintage, when delivered ahead of the en primeur tastings in April 2017, noted that it was ‘always somewhat risky to announce a second great vintage in a row without appearing unduly optimistic’. it then boldly went on to state: ‘however, 2016 is unquestionably remarkable in Bordeaux, combining quality, quantity, and a very classic style’.
The reasons for this confidence were certainly underlined when i tasted the 2016 samples that April. But tasting a pre-bottled wine is a tangle of angles, corners and edges. in large-framed, concentrated years in particular – like 2016 – much of a taster’s work comes in projecting forward, assessing the construction and fruit quality, and trying not to be thrown off track by the wall of tannins and acidity.
This first assessment en primeur becomes fascinating and hugely instructive 18 months later, when tasting the wines after they have been bottled. This is the moment that you really can start to see the whole picture, and to understand whether any early issues have been ironed out by the extra ageing process.
The wines will still not be ready to broach, and may need another five or 10 years before really getting into their drinking window, but châteaux should nevertheless expect that some buyers will open them early. At the very least, the barrel ageing should mean that stringent tannins have softened a little, and the wine as a whole should have settled down and become more stable.
in late 2018 i retasted almost all of the 2016 classified growths of the left and Right Banks (my full report and tasting notes of more than 400 wines are on Decanter Premium). And i’m pleased to say the vintage does largely live up to that initial promise.
i give the left Bank 5 out of 5 on the Decanter vintage rating for 2016 compared to 4 out of 5 on the Right Bank. it’s definitely a year for lovers of classic, long-ageing médocs, where many estates have made their best wines since 2010. The highest concentration of great wines have been in Pauillac, st-Julien and st-estèphe, with Pomerol boasting many brilliant wines close behind, as well as parts of the limestone plateau of st-emilion. many of these are of course premium in terms of price, but there is value to be found throughout the médoc, particularly from good cru bourgeois (see right).
The long, slow end to the 2016 growing season meant alcohol levels stayed relatively low compared to years like 2015 and 2009 – very few were more than 14% and the vast majority come in between 13.5% and 14%. consequently, many wines don’t fit the profile of a traditional ‘blockbuster’ vintage, answering better to ‘classic’, but at the very pinnacle of that word.
With the abundance of acidity, fruit and tannin on display, many wines are going to need several years to open. it is almost certain that the 2015s will be ready first, and very likely the 2017s also. But there are plenty of 2016s to get excited about, so stock up your cellar!
‘It’s a vintage for lovers of classic, long-ageing Médocs, where many have made their best wines since 2010’