St-Emilion GCC 2016: Panel tasting results

JP Moueix bought this 26ha estate next to Château Ausone in 2008. The château was previously known as Bélair, and Christian Moueix added Monange – his grandmother’s maiden name – to pay tribute to the family’s roots in St-Emilion. In 2016 the blend was 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Expressive nose of dark chocolate and coffee beans. Vibrancy, dark fruit – serious and sultry, but has excellent acidity that gives a thrilling edge to the fruit. Vincenzo Arnese: Elegant nose, perfume, power and depth. Figs and ripe blackcurrant, dark cherry, great intensity and richness. Integrated tannins are so smooth. Divine. Arthur Coggill: Plum tomato leaf aromas, clove spice and delicate cedar, understated. Soft and silky, oaky with rich, plentiful black cherry and woody mocha.

This is strikingly intense on the nose, with exquisite and perfumed blackcurrant fruit that is clear and pure. The attack is fresh and highly concentrated, though not to excess, and the sílky palate is marked by its zest, energy and great precision. The tannins are polished and the finish very long, with exemplary balance. A classic St-Emilion with a great future.

Run by Philippe Castéja, CEO of his family négociant house Borie-Manoux who bought the estate in 1947. An unusually large proportion of the 12ha vineyard, on the limestone plateau, is planted to Cabernet Franc – in 2016 the blend was 53%, with 45% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Supple and focused, this has great energy. Juicy, firm tannins with high acidity and fresh fruit, precision and clarity, and really easy to drink. I love the salty mineral edge on the finish. Vincenzo Arnese: Elegant nose of fresh plum and bramble. Rich, intense and structured, refined with smooth tannins and good acidity. Arthur Coggill: Vibrant dark cherry and silk nose. Tightly wound. The palate is gentle and supple with red berry and crunchy acidity. Generous raspberry leaf and bilberry. The flavours go on and on.

A premier grand cru classé A in the St-Emilion Classification since 2012, Angélus removed itself from the controversial system before the 2022 rankings. A family estate since 1910, it was managed from 1985 by seventh-generation Hubert de Boüard de Laforest and since 2012 by his daughter Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, with Michel Rolland consulting. In 2016 the blend was 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Juicy and fresh on the nose. Power, concentration and structure with a vein of mouthwatering freshness. Needs a bit more time for the edges to soften but shows great promise for a long life. Vincenzo Arnese: Elevated dark cherry, and intense figs and plum. Ripe and warm palate, tannins showing good structure, with liquorice on a persistent finish. Arthur Coggill: Nose of wildfire smoke and steel, sweet plum and damson jam richness, very inviting. Supple with firm but finegrained tannins, great structure.

Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse is the ninth generation at this estate, in the family since 1847. In 2021, when 30 other family shareholders wanted to sell, she joined forces with Prisca Courtin-Clarins to buy them out. The two have jointly run it since. In 2016, Nicolas Thienpont managed the property, supported by consultant winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt. The blend was 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in 55% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Gorgeous smooth texture. Tannins slightly grippy and firm for a crushed velvet but also chalky sensation. Soft liquorice, dark fruit purity. Layered and ultra-charming. What a wine. Vincenzo Arnese: Elegant nose, developed aromas of candied blue fruit. Rich, intense, great structure, persistent and elegant. Arthur Coggill: The nose has such strong pungent plum, it almost smells tropical. The palate features oodles of chewy cherry juice, backed by very firm tannins.

One of the early micro-wineries, named after the surname of Murielle Andraud, co-founder with her husband Jean-Luc Thunevin. From their purchase in 1991 of a 0.6ha vineyard in the Fongaban valley (the ‘Val’ in the name) and a garage where they made wine, they now have 9ha on the clay limestone terroir of St-Etienne de Lisse. In 2016 the blend was 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and was aged in 100% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Expressive full, rich nose. Granular texture, grippy but with soft edges so you get a plump, almost plush feeling. Sophisticated and refined with dark, sultry black fruits. Vincenzo Arnese: Nose is ripe and intense with good aromas of plum followed by coffee and tobacco leaves. Clean and fresh with smooth tannins, a very elegant finish. Arthur Coggill: A glossy, staining black compote appeal. Inviting nose of gently sweet blackcurrant and damson. Dense mouthfeel with crunchy acidity. Banging.

This château was the site of the English surrender in 1453 at the end of the Hundred Years War. Owned since 1997 by JeanFrançois and Dominique Quenin, it is the only St-Emilion grand cru classé to grow all six permitted red Bordeaux grapes on its 42ha, including Malbec, whose historic name is Pressac. In 2016, the blend was 72% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec and 2% Carmenère, aged in 65% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Gorgeous red berry fruit with a bite, and slight strictness to the tannins. Not yet ready to drink, but sleek and stylish. Concentrated and muscular, excellent pure acidity, and salty minerality, too. Vincenzo Arnese: Good structure, vibrant with good intensity and ripeness. Tannins are integrated and oak is well blended. Good finish. Arthur Coggill: Spicy, aromatic, inviting nose, touches of clove and wild bilberry. Juicy, succulent, full-on redcurrant and damson. Grippy but delicate tannins dominate for now, so leave a few years.

Owned by the Gratiot-Attmane family since 1893, Nicolas Thienpont has managed this estate, which abuts Pavie, since 2002, supported by winemaker David Suire and Julien Lavenu of Stéphane Derenoncourt Consultants. While 20% of the 12ha of vineyards (10% on the plateau, 55% on steep terraces and 35% on lower slopes) are Cabernet Franc, in 2016 the blend saw just 5%, with 95% Merlot, aged in 60% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Fragrant, upfront nose. Agile, lithe palate. Supermineral, salty graphite tang to the tannins which give structure then almost melt away. Still tense but it offers a glimpse of the playfulness coming. Vincenzo Arnese: Good style, has power and intensity and shows notes of plum and dark cherry. Tobacco and nutmeg notes from the oak, ripe body and a vibrant finish. Arthur Coggill: Deep, powerful, rich and sweet nose; some maturing prune aromas, but generous. Sultry palate with more of that maturing prune. Fresh acidity and grippy tannins, needs time.

A monumental Pavie. Incredible aromatic intensity, depth and energy; alive, bright and beautifully poised. Packed with power, precision and tension, yet silky smooth, sharp and racy, with muscle and sinew in perfect balance. Not ready yet, but this is seamless and thrilling: a racehorse of a wine. Cherries, blackcurrants, plums and blueberries with a touch of liquorice and wet stone on the finish. A fantastic, flawless 2016 that shows the best of its terroir and winemaking.

A 15ha estate owned by the Corre family, descendants of Albert Macquin, who bought the property in 1887 and was the first in St-Emilion to replant his entire vineyard on to phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks. Nicolas Thienpont has managed the estate since 1994, Stéphane Derenoncourt consulting since 1990. In 2016 the blend was 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 70% new oak. Georgie Hindle: Perfumed, dark fruit aromatics. Juicy, supple, lively and fresh, just gorgeous. On the plusher, more high-toned end, but very well constructed and presented. Vincenzo Arnese: Aromas of coffee beans and mocha, followed by toasted chestnut and integrated wood. Nice structure and good ripeness. Long finish. Arthur Coggill: Nose morphs between aged fruit and lacquer, settling on blackcurrant. Really smooth, juicy palate, gentle mouthfeel, red cherry, plum and mocha, with chewy, grippy tannins.

Smoked cherries, dark chocolate spice, black cherry and currant with liquorice aromas. Supple and generous with great freshness and persistence. Plumy richness with blackcurrant leaves and savoury, salty stone flavours give way to bold tannins with a bitter chocolate and espresso bean finish.

Ripe, fragranced black fruit with coffee beans and dark chocolate on the nose. Juicy, bright and vibrant with a core of dark, bramble fruit. Liquorice, graphite and spiced minerality on the palate. Delicate, yet powerful with wood spiced tannins and minty freshness on the finish.

Jammy with sweet spice, blackcurrant and tomato leaves on the nose. Plum, wild raspberry, strawberry and cherry fruit core. Layers of fruit, acidity, fine tannins and freshness. Chewy, with lovely tension and focus. Stony, chalky, creamy, charming and well constructed.

Blackcurrant, dark cherry and prune with notes of coffee and cedar on the nose. Supple, bouncy, juicy and friendly with an iron tang, fig and raisin chew with a generous fruit-forward palate. Minerality, with sour cherries and strawberries layered with salinity. Ripe tannins complete the fresh and complex finish.

Smoke, tobacco, cigar box, graphite, mingle with coffee, dark chocolate, and bright cherry fruit. A touch meaty, with fragranced purple flowers and ripe dark berry fruit on the nose. Dark and sultry in style with sweet redcurrant fruit. Rich and full in the mouth, deep and ripe, with excellent texture. Smooth, with a slightly grainy grip to the tannin. Bold and big, but juicy and charming at its core. Fresh with a vein of salty crushed stones on the finish.

<p>Among the wines tasted for this article, this is the first vintage where things fall into place, with greater fruit purity – autumnal red berry – and pencil lead coming from the Cabernet Sauvignon. The vintage has the lively acidity of 2011 and 2014, but is riper and with a slightly longer finish than that of the 2012. The estate began to use fewer sulfites, which could explain the superior fruit purity. And yet, there is still a sense of oak-derived, drying tannin on the medium finish, however.</p>

Seriously fragranced and aromatic, with cassis, dried fig, prune and raisin. Cedar and clove spice gently mask the bright, red berry fruit. Dense, supple and lively. Black tea, liquorice and mocha on the palate with textured tannins that are just short of grainy. The tannins lend strictness to the palate, making this wine sharp and well-defined. Salty stoniness puts you in St-Emilion.

Second label. Vibrant with black floral fruit and sweet spice aromas, intense and powerful. Juicy, fresh strawberries and cherries with layers of liquorice and clove. Grainy and grippy tannins with austerity in the acidity and finely spiced oak. Solid with a minty, fresh finish.

Lovely, elegant ripe fruit on the nose with perfumed bramble, redcurrant and floral spice aromas. Chestnut and tobacco leaves are layered with plump cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit. Integrated oak with chew, grainy tannins, and acidity gives focus and a sense of austerity. Perfectly ripe with a velvety finish.

Dark bramble, blackcurrant, liquorice, plum and cedar spice on the nose. Lithe, supple and juicy on the palate, so mouthwatering but also a touch dry with the weight of tannin heft. Raspberry leaf and juicy redcurrants are nuanced with delicate precision and balance. Fresh with cinnamon and aniseed on the finish.

A bouquet of roasted plum, blueberry, shaved almond and vanilla reflect the richness and coolness of the 2016 vintage. With a broad attack, the palate is larger-scaled and more nuanced than the 2015 vintage, albeit still recalling on the finish especially the extraction of 'garage style' Right Bank wines earlier this century with overripe and jammy notes, along with oak-derived tannin. Considering what one expects from a grand cru classé from the magnificent 2016 vintage, this wine lacks needed complexity to get a higher score. On the plus side, it has noteworthy palate depth and body compared to the 2015 and (especially) the 2014 vintages, leading to more confidence that cellaring will result in more nuance with a possible higher score, even if you can enjoy it today, either on its own or with risotto and mushrooms.

Perfumed, lifted blueberry, blackcurrant and sweet spice on the nose. Smooth and supple, succulent, almost sweet - like blueberry jam. Mocha and dark chocolate with a hint of tobacco - so well balanced, creamy and chalky. This wine is concentrated with charming finesse.

Smoky sweet spice with juicy, ripe red berries on the nose. The core of liquorice and star anise is supported by plump, fleshy vibrant loganberry and raspberry fruit. Fresh, chewy fig on the finish. Youthful and classy.

Woody spice with perfumed roses, violets, dark chocolate, and blackcurrants. Sleek and refined, this has a lovely texture with mocha hits, dark cherry and plum. Concentrated and muscular with layers of graphite minerality. Beautiful, just needs time.

Potent blackcurrant and black cherry, dark cocoa and cedar nose. Supple and lifted with blueberry and wild plum, redcurrant, menthol and graphite. Nicely controlled and weighted in the mouth with lots of liquorice and freshness on the finish.

Heady and ripe, dark fruits, cassis, liquorice with clove spice and blackcurrant aromas. Juicy but quite savoury, liquorice, clove, and toasted oak flavours mingle with redcurrant and damson fruits with a hint of hazelnut. Well-defined with a balanced structure. A wine built to last.

Open and expressive with notes of smoke, black fruits and heady floral aromas. Racy and vibrant, with an intense richness of black and blue fruits. The palate is coated with a crushed velvet texture. Chewy, powerful and fresh. It needs time but is well-structured.

Black fruit and red cherry with lifted spice and cedar smoke on the nose. Raspberry coulis and loganberry with a salty, graphite, pencil-lead tang on the palate. Supple, rounded with grippy tannins and lingering freshness. Harmonious, the wine feels sophisticated and finessed.

Ripe plum and sweet spice with hints of smoky wood and black cherry on the nose. Crunchy, bright and vibrant on the palate. Fleshy, with a chewy bite. Lovely freshness, length and structure, poised and elegant.

Second label. Inviting aromas of ripe black fruit, floral, raspberry leaf and wet stone. Red fruits dominate the palate with a soft, juicy and chewy sensation. Concentrated but lifted. Retains a sense of direction and finesse.

Ripe, heady, full and rich with Christmas cake and nutty caramel on the nose. Delicate blue fruits, blackcurrant with textured, chalky, grippy tannins. Concentrated and juicy with a weighty mouthfeel, warm spice lingers on the finish. This wine will only improve with time.