I apologise for the delayed response - I’ve been frantically trying to find a flat in Paris for our second daughter - nightmarish.
Thanks for the info on La Tour de By. Sounds like my sort of wine! I noticed the other day that they have a “superior” cuvée called L’Excellence - did you try it by any chance?
Lovely photos of Issan! What an amazing place.
I quite agree about 2016 - with a couple of exceptions, who didn’t get the message about fresher, crisper wines, all those I have tried from the Médoc have been wonderful and yes, I would certainly agree that it’s the best vintage in that period.
As a general guide, most Médocs are around 13.5%, whereas most RBs are at least 14%, with Trotanoy a surprising 15% I believe.
The only LBs I know to be less than 13.5% are Gruaud, Batailley, Pedesclaux and Giscours, which are all 13% (but there are probably more). The lowest I have is Clos du Jaugueyron at 12.5%. Obviously, the figures given by châteaux are always to be taken with a pinch of salt. The main point is that, again with a couple of exceptions so far, the wines all taste fresher than most previous “ripe” vintages, the most significant contrast being with 2009, which was the Spinal Tap of RMP-influenced vintages - “turn that luxury oak and those gobs of fruit up to 11!”.
It’s a vintage where you - almost - can’t go wrong, if you like ripe but fresh and crisp, sometimes quite sappy wines, at least on the Left Bank. I shied away from the Right Bank because of the higher ABV levels and bad previous experiences. I’ve opened a few looking to buy more and my only disappointments have been Labégorce and Mauvesin Barton, which were a bit gloopy. Ones I have liked are:
Margaux: Issan, Desmirail, Marquis de Terme, Ferrière, Durfort
Pauillac: Pichon Baron, Les Griffons, Pichon Comtesse Réserve, Lynch-Moussas, Pédesclaux, HBL Duhart
St.Julien: Langoa, Léoville-Barton, Talbot, Clos du Marquis
The good thing is that prices have not gone up much (over here, anyway).
None of the wines tasted have been tight and inaccessible, so for me at least, they’re already enjoyable. It’s hard to generalize, and that’s always dangerous, but I would say that 2016 is like an improved, riper 2014. Mostly nothing gloopy, but not over-tannic like 05. My notes are always crappy and tend to repeat themselves, but if you really want to read any of them you’ll find them on CT.
