TN: 2016 Chateau de Lamarque, Haut Medoc - Classic, Excellent QPR

I admit that I did not know this Chateau.

And yet, it’s a real Chateau. Actually, a castle. A castle built in the 1300s, with some sections, even earlier.

Appellation Haut Medoc, located just north of Margaux according to Leve’s website. The cepage, 45% Cabernet, 35% merlot, 15% Cab Franc and 5% petite verdot.

And shockingly, Jeff and I completely agree on this wine, in this vintage, where he notes with a 90-score:

With charm, fresh, dark red fruits, espresso and earthy aromas, the wine has lift and a fine tobacco and red fruit character in the finish.

Neal Martin is even bigger on this Medoc classic. Spurrier is as well, calling Lamarque, “a bastion of tradition: vinification is in stainless steel and cement vats, each plot fermented separately . . . With 15% new oak.”

What it does not have is an overt presence of new oak, extraction or elevated alcohol. It reminds me of a pre-Bouard Lanessan in a year like 2010, starting a bit hard with high acid and dryness, but eventually opening into a really lovely wine. Earth, forrest floor, cassis and dark red fruits, fresh roast coffee grounds, with firm, chalky tannins. Lots of structure to this wine, evocative of its castle. I grabbed a case of this to split with a buddy, with a Total Wine BTC price of $22 per bottle. Pardon the pun, a Total steal. I’m going back for more.

If you like Lanessan and Cambon La Pelouse from a vintage like 2010, grab this wine. TW has it on the shelves for $26.99, but as we all know, wait for the 20% coupon.

While I like rustic young wines like this, it really could use some years to integrate and soften.

(90 pts.)

Interesting note. Thanks! In earlier times, I occasionally bought de Lamarque, but I never became a fan of this Haut-Médoc. Fruity wines, sometimes a bit chunky, with a rather meaty, herbaceous character, but not enough balance and elegance to be exciting for me. About twenty years ago, I gave up. Maybe it’s time to try it again.

Thanks for the tasting note.

My experience is a little like Rudi’s, but I have found the wine to be more a little thin.
I concur: definitely a herbaceous character in the vintages I am acquainted with.

However, things can change and I thank you for this head’s up. I will make a point of tasting recent vintages the next chance I have.

Alex R.

Thanks for the note, very interesting. Now that’s a name I’d lost sight of - like Rudi, I used to buy it a lot until the late 90s - funnily enough the 97 was one of my favourites for a while, because it had a dusty elegance that offset the chunkiness. I’ll look out for some.

This 2016 is neither thin nor herbaceous. It’s not elegant, but I sorta like some rusticity in my wines. It’s worth all three of you trying, based on what I know of your palates and our alignments. Hard to pass on the price.

Two of your descriptors are consistent with herbaceousness: tobacco and forest floor.
This seems like a wine I should look more closely at too since I already buy a lot at TW, although its $27 in my area.

Thanks for the head’s up. (Heads up?) Shame TW has not started requiring 8 bottles to get the 20% (here at least).

It depends on the TW coupon. Sometimes it is 6 bottles, but I think that the current coupon is 8 bottles.

Shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see OP’s tastes aligning with Jeff Leve’s after that California trip to Ovid.

last half dozen I have received have been 8. Hope it goes back to 6; 8 would require something really special for me.

Our lexicon might be different, but I get what you are saying. When I use the term herbaceousness, right or wrong, I think green. On reflection, I see that tobacco and forest floor can go green or go dry. I was using them more in the dry sensation. I should be clearer.

I got two last week, one with 20% off 6 and another $10 off any bottle over $50.

you’re obviously special

Greenness in my notes is usually designated by the term vegetal, or more specifically green pepper or green bean if I think they apply.
The 1988 Ch. de Fieuzal I drank recently was way into the green bean spectrum.

This was a pretty good read:

I think we all use terms that may differ from how those terms are used by others.

Incidentally, I really liked the 89 Fieuzal, which threw very dark and rich tobacco notes. I have not tried the 88.

Alfert - we need to spearhead a Bordeaux trip…that would be a hoot

Agreed. I bet Alex could set up some cool stuff.

My best friend just did a cycling trip in and around Bordeaux with his wife. They had a blast.

My wife and I went there for our honeymoon, a beautiful place.

I’m serious - never been, and should go.

Oh, just learned today that our friendly Brit, Russell Faulkner, lives there now. He posted his cycling ride today on Strava, just to rub it in. I’m bringing my bike.

Well, let’s start on the planning. I’m sure between Alan and me we can get plenty of locations lined up!