Vintage Claret 2016
It is made by Esmes good friend Jonathan Maltus, the first British winemaker awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. It is now approaching full maturity and is as good as it gets for everyday drinking claret. The wine is selected, blended and bottled for us by Jonathan only in the very best years like 2016 (and 2015 before it) when the vineyards from Saint-Émilion and its neighbouring appellations meet his exacting standards.
The blend is predominately merlot with rich and elegant soft fruit flavours that makes for superb everyday drinking now and over the next 3-4 years. Whilst we have good stocks here in the UK, there is not much left in Bordeaux of this vintage so our rather obvious recommendation is to fill your boots!
How does the wine taste?
Our Vintage Claret from the great 2016 vintage is now approaching its peak. It is in a word delicious and as good as it gets for everyday drinking claret. My notes read "rich, succulent merlot-driven
fruit with that distinctive limestone
minerality, perfect with game, all meats
and Stilton cheese (Cropwell Bishop or
Colston Basset are the best) too good to
be everyday drinking claret." Esme
What do the critics say?
"Made by Jonathan Maltus he of Le Dôme and Château Teyssier, and famously the first Englishman
to get a perfect 100/100 score from Robert Parker its full of ripe, juicy, bramble fruit and boasts a
wonderful softness thanks to its luscious Merlot-dominant fruit."
Jonathan Ray, The Spectator
"From a very good vintage for Bordeaux, this Merlot-dominated blend is bright and perky, the bold and juicy fruit to the fore in a buoyant, youthful style. In the mouth, more of the same with rounded Merlot softness driving the picture, fairly straightforward stuff, but good balance and nicely quaffable stuff." (Previous vintage)
Tom Cannavan, wine-pages.com
