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Bordeaux 2016: 30 top-scoring and best-value wines

A recent tasting of the Bordeaux 2016 vintage held by the Institute of the Masters of Wine in London gave Andy Howard MW the chance to re-appraise the much-applauded vintage selecting a top 30 including ten 'value' picks.

The Institute of the Masters of Wine (IMW) held its annual Bordeaux tasting at Vintners’ Hall on Wednesday 1st December. The focus this year was the great 2016 vintage, although the normal timetable of events had been drastically altered by the pandemic.

The IMW historically looks at around 100 wines four years after the vintage, ranging from leading red Bordeaux through dry-white wines and a selection of Sauternes/Barsac.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top 30 recently-tasted Bordeaux 2016 wines 


The 2016 tasting had been due to take place in November 2020 but was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, despite the 1,000+ wines for the tasting already having been delivered.

As a result, the tasting was a year out of kilter, with the Institute planning to catch-up by holding the 2017 vintage tasting in March 2022 and the 2018 vintage next November. The IMW also runs a slightly scaled-back version of the tasting in the US and Australia – dates currently TBC.

Samples were organised through Le Conseil des Grand Crus Classés en 1855, whilst Dourthe in Bordeaux assisted with the logistics.

The 103 wines at the tasting ranged across the Cru Classés, together with St-Emilion, Pomerol, dry white and sweet wines.


See Andy Howard MW’s tasting notes and scores for 30 top-scoring and best-value Bordeaux 2016 wines


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