2016 was a superb year for Bordeaux of all budgets

Tasting tannic young claret and assessing its future can be a tough job, but at a tasting of the most recently-bottled 2016 Bordeaux, winemerchants and sommeliers were all in agreement that the wines were an absolute pleasure to sample even at this stage.

“It was a perfect vintage,” says Edouard Moueix, whose family owns Chateaux Petrus, Trotanoy and La Fleur Petrus in Pomerol and Belairmonange in St Emilion.

“The wines are all aromatic and complex with wonderful fruit concentration, acid balance and reasonable alcohol at 13 per cent. What is most impressive about 2016 is how consistent this vintage is across the board in Bordeaux. In a great year like this, vintages tend to erase terroir, whilst in tricky years terroirs will take over,” says Moueix.

This is great news for claret lovers at every budget. An even consistency of quality means great wines at every level – from top classed growth chateaux in prestigious appellations of Pauillac, Margaux and St Julien at more than £100 per bottle – down to the smallest petit chateaux in little-known areas like Côtes de Castillon, Côtes de Francs or Premières Côtes de Bordeaux at under £10.

What also struck me was their readiness to drink. Some 2016s need at least 10 years to start their drinking peak like my favourite classed growths at the tasting: Château Pichon Lalande (Pauillac), Château Brane Cantenac (Margaux), Château Calon Segur (St Estephe) and Château La Fleur Petrus (Pomerol).

But some of the Cru Bourgeois like Château Cissac (Haut Medoc) and humbler Bordeaux Superieur like Château Grand Village were approachable and almost ready to drink right now.

So why is 2016 vintage so perfect?

“The winter of 2015/2016 was very warm, but the spring cool and wet. From the end of May onwards into June, July and August it was hot and dry, but the vines still had

water reserves to cope and the fruit had set well – and this good weather carried on until harvest. It was one of the driest periods on record,” says Julie Guinaudeau of Château Lafleur.

What resulted was, as her husband Baptiste Guinaudeau commented: “Wines with pure fine tannins with beautiful texture and depth of fruit.”