Is your cellar emptying as the months go by? Now’s the time to top up your cellar, with the superb 2016 offering from Bordeaux. This vintage offers wine that are at once delicious and delicate in youth and made for extended aging.
Was 2016 a good year for Bordeaux?
A paradoxal year, the 2016 Bordeaux vintage was one of striking contrasts, shaped by a challenging yet ultimately rewarding growing season. An exceptionally wet start to the year brought heavy mildew pressure, followed by a near three-month drought that tested the vines’ endurance. Cool nights and perfectly timed September showers, however, restored balance, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop remarkable depth and finesse. The resulting wines combine structure with freshness – a poised counterpoint to the richer 2015s and a pairing reminiscent of the legendary 2009 and 2010 duo.
What is the 2016 Bordeaux vintage like?
The Left Bank, particularly the Médoc and Graves appellations, shone brightest, producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon–led wines marked by precision and elegance. Many Crus Bourgeois offer excellent value, while the Right Bank’s Merlot-based cuvées are generous and expressive, if occasionally higher in alcohol. Even the more modest Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur bottlings have delivered wines of surprising quality and charm.
White wines from 2016 show ripeness and aromatic appeal, often with hints of exotic fruit, while Sauternes faced a quieter year due to limited noble rot. Though lighter in style, these sweet wines remain graceful and enjoyable in their youth. Overall, 2016 stands as a testament to Bordeaux’s resilience – a vintage where climatic adversity has been transformed into balance, elegance, and enduring promise.
2016 Bordeaux to enjoy now
Château Belle-Vue – This wine offers a rich, structured Médoc profile, blending ripe blackcurrant and plum aromas with notes of cedar and graphite. Silky tannins and a long, elegant finish reflect both the power and finesse of this outstanding vintage.
Château Maison Blanche – This Montagne-Saint-Émilion reveals an expressive bouquet of dark berries, violets, and subtle spice. On the palate, it combines freshness and depth, with fine-grained tannins and a lingering, harmonious finish.
Château Poujeaux – The 2016 Château Poujeaux displays a beautifully refined Moulis character, with aromas of black cherry, cassis, and graphite. The palate is polished and balanced, offering ripe fruit, firm yet velvety tannins, and impressive length.
Le Petit Haut Lafitte – This Pessac-Léognan wine presents seductive aromas of blackberry, plum, and gentle smoky notes from well-integrated oak. Elegant and precise, it offers a fine balance between ripe fruit, fresh acidity, and supple tannins, leading to a long, graceful finish.
Château Fonréaud (Cru Bourgeois) – This is is a classic Listrac-Médoc, revealing vibrant aromas of blackcurrant, tobacco, and cedar. On the palate, it combines freshness and structure, with refined tannins and a long, savoury finish.
La Dame de Montrose (Second wine) – The 2016 La Dame de Montrose offers a beautifully poised expression of Saint-Estèphe, with notes of ripe black fruits, graphite, and hints of spice. Silky and concentrated, it shows remarkable depth and precision, supported by fine tannins and a lingering, elegant finish.
Les Fiefs de Lagrange (Second wine) – Here is a display of enticing aromas such as blackberry and plum, with subtle floral notes, framed by a touch of cedar. The palate is supple and well-balanced, with polished tannins and a fresh, harmonious finish characteristic of this fine Saint-Julien vintage.
Château Branas Grand Poujeaux (Cru Bourgeois) – This wine reveals an alluring bouquet of ripe black fruits, violets, and delicate oak spice. Rich and velvety on the palate, it combines depth and elegance, with finely sculpted tannins and a long, polished finish.
2016 Bordeaux to cellar for at least a decade
Château Grand Corbin Despagne – The 2016 offers a refined Saint-Émilion profile, with aromas of black cherry, plum, and subtle notes of truffle and spice. Elegant yet structured, it will continue to develop beautifully and is capable of ageing gracefully for another 10 to 15 years.
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion – This is a strikingly elegant Pessac-Léognan, displaying layers of dark berries, graphite, floral notes, and a touch of smoky minerality. Complex and refined, it will benefit from patience and has the potential to evolve gracefully for 20 to 25 years.
Château d’ Yquem – A masterpiece of balance and purity, this Sauternes offers exquisite aromas of apricot, honey, candied citrus, and delicate floral notes. Rich yet ethereal on the palate, it will gain even greater complexity with time, easily capable of ageing for half a century or more.
Château Figeac – The 2016 Château Figeac is a stunningly poised Saint-Émilion, combining aromas of blackberry, cassis, cedar, and violet with remarkable freshness and depth. Elegant and finely structured, it will reach its full expression from around 2030 and has the potential to age beautifully for another 20 years or more.
Château Haut-Bailly – This wine is a model of refinement and precision, offering aromas of black cherry, graphite, tobacco, and subtle floral notes wrapped in polished tannins. Still youthful but beautifully balanced, it will begin to reveal its full complexity from around 2028 and can continue to evolve gracefully for another 25 to 30 years.
Château Léoville Barton – This 2016 is a quintessential Saint-Julien, delivering intense aromas of cassis, cedar, and graphite with a touch of spice and violets. Firm and impeccably structured, it will benefit from further ageing and has the depth and longevity to evolve gracefully for 30 to 40 years.
Château Brane Cantenac – This exceptionally elegant Margaux reveals refined aromas of blackberry, violet, and cedar with a hint of cigar box complexity. Silky yet precise, it will start to show its full charm from around 2028 and has the structure to age gracefully for 25 to 30 years.
Château Lagrange – This is a classic, expressive Saint-Julien, combining aromas of black cherry, cassis, and cedar with hints of graphite and spice. Structured yet refined, it can continue to evolve beautifully in the cellar for 25 to 30 years.
Château Branaire Ducru – The 2016 Château Branaire-Ducru is a beautifully balanced Saint-Julien, offering pure aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and graphite with subtle floral and spicy undertones. Elegant and finely structured, it will begin to open up around 2028 and has the potential to age harmoniously for another 15 to 20 years.
Hesitate no more! Browse iDealwine’s selection of Bordeaux 2016 to drink today, tomorrow and… in a few years!
