2016 Pomerol Report Tasting Notes, Ratings, Harvest Info, Buying Guide

At its best, 2016 Pomerol are stunning wines blending precision, purity and decadence. A few estates created the best wine in the entire history! Other vineyards with a firm, structured, tannic, broad shouldered profile. In the hands of the best producers, the top 2016 Pomerol wines are stunning!

It is natural to compare 2015 with 2016 Pomerol. On a stylistic, and perhaps overall quality measurement, 2015 Pomerol gets the nod. The wines are beyond decadent in many cases. But 2016 is not a weaker vintage. 2016 Pomerol is just different. The wines are full bodied, fresher, lower in alcohol and have more structured. They are not going to deliver the same opulence or velvet drenched experience. Instead, the wines will deliver a fresher, more precise, purity based wine with just a bit less opulence that can age for decades! At the end of the day, choosing between 2015 and 2016 Pomerol is going to come down to a personal, stylistic preference in many cases. Its going to be fun comparing both vintages back to back, over the next few decades.

To make a successful 2016 Pomerol, you needed the water retentive, clay soils. All the vineyards at the peak of the plateau shared not only the famous blue clay, but they also had enough old vine Merlot to pull off this nail biting vintage. As you probably know from reading our reports, 2016 Pomerol was the product of an extremely dry summer. By the end of the summer, before the grapes were fully ripened, growers feared the stress was going to force the vines to shut down, making an already late season, even later. The wines were getting ready to shut down hard. But that is not the entire story of 2016 Pomerol.

The vintage was saved by 2 days of late season rains. From that point forward, things were starting to look up and 2016 Pomerol was for some chateau, a vintage of stunning quality. For more detail on the 2016 Bordeaux growing season and harvest report: 2016 Bordeaux Harvest and Growing Season Report

This is the seventh in a series of reports covering the best 600 wines from the 2016 Bordeaux vintage. The next report will continue our look at the Right Bank as we delve into St. Emilion and then Sauternes.

 

2016 Pomerol Wine Tasting Notes, Ratings

 

2016 Beauregard – With a nose that offers a field of spring flowers, gently ripened plums and wet earth, the wine is fresh with round tannins, medium/full body and a black cherry core of fruits on the palate and in the finish. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 Bel-Air-Pomerol – Delicate, feminine, soft and approachable, a nice Pomerol for early drinking pleasure. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 Bon Pasteur – Truffle, chocolate-covered plum, anise, dark cherries and espresso bean open the show. In the mouth, the wine displays a lustrous texture. The fruit is ripe with density and lift, leaving you with black plum liqueur, earth, cherry, mocha and spice. The wine is made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. 92 – 94 Pts

2016 Bonalgue – Medium bodied with soft, polished plums, cocoa and cherry, there is freshness and early drinkability with an open, fruity personality. 88 – 90 Pts

2016 Bourgneuf – Medium bodied, sweet and tart, dark plums with bitter chocolate in the nose and on the palate, the wine finishes with plummy fruits and smooth textures. It was produced with 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Certan de May – This wine is floral, sensuous, medium bodied, elegant and refined. Instead of weight and density, you’ll find more purity, stylishness and clarity. The tannins are silky and there is lift in the finish. 91 – 93 Pts

2016 Clinet – Style and grace in a long, dark cloak, velvet in texture, lush yet masculine. There is depth, length and power. The tannins are refined yet the acidity is quite present, giving the wine true lift, but the fruit is so ripe and sweet, all that tannin is buried deep. From a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reached 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.71 and is aging in 70% new, oak barrels. The harvest for the Merlot took place from September 22 to October 3 and the Cabernet Sauvignon on October 4. The Grand Vin consists of 70% of the harvest. 95 – 97 Pts

2016 Clos-de-la-Vieille-Eglise Pomerol – Forward in style with a spicy, red cherry core, this wine is pleasant but lacking in depth and concentration. 84 – 86 Pts

2016 Le Clos du Beau Pere – Dark in color with vanilla, smoke and black cherries in the nose and plums and milk chocolate in the finish, the wine is soft, forward and willing. You can enjoy this on release. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 Clos du Clocher – Silky, soft, polished plums, earth and cocoa with supple textures and a tasty, plummy finish. 91 – 93 Pts

2016 Clos LEglise – Fertile, intense, opulent, dark chocolate-covered plums, this wine is fat and sassy with freshness, fruit and length, leaving you with a lavish sensation in the finish. The wine comes from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% with a pH of 3.7. 94 – 96 Pts

2016 Clos Rene – This is almost dark purple, which is not something you expect with Clos Rene. Silky tannins, ripe, dark red fruits and a blend of blackberry and licorice in the finish make this the best ever produced from this estate. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 La Conseillante – Dark in color, the wine pops with scents of blackberry liqueur, violets, spice box, truffle, licorice, smoke and plums. On the palate, the wine has a richness and density seldom found here, but don’t let that scare you because, as you would expect, the wine is fresh, elegant and refined. Nothing is different; there is simply more raw material. The fruit is perfect, the tannins are ripe and the liqueur and licorice remain with you for close to 50 seconds. The wine was made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Starting with the young vines, the Merlot was harvested from September 21 to October 13, representing the longest harvest in the history of the estate. The Cabernet Franc was picked on two dates, October 12 and October 17. The wine reached 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.65 and will be aged in 70% new French oak barrels. 98 – 100 Pts

2016 Duo de Conseillante – Medium bodied, fresh, forward and on the ripe, early drinking, red berry side of the style range. The wine has freshness, ripe cherry and plum tones, with hints of truffle and thyme. Drink this, while waiting for its big brother, the Grand Vin to age. 88-90 Pts

2016 Domaine-de-LEglise – Black raspberries dripping with juices, budding floras, anisette and earthy scents take no effort to discover. Medium bodied, succulent, honed and high-toned with spicy plums and soft tannins in the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 LEglise Clinet – Blackberry, floral, earth and smoke aromatics get you going. Not a showy wine, this is more of an intellectual experience. Still, there is no denying all the layers of ripe, dark red fruits, lush textures, concentration, richness and density. This will be one of the longest aged wines from Durantou, as it will not show well young, but with proper cellaring there could be more complexity than previous vintages. Blending 90% Merlot, which was picked from September 21 to October 4 and 10% Cabernet Franc, harvested October 6, the wine reached 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.60 and will be aged in 80% new French oak barrels. Showing his typical sense of humor, when asked how many cases were produced, Denis Durantou replied, “too few”. 96 – 98 Pts

2016 La Petite Eglise – Floral notes are what you notice first, followed by sweet black raspberries. Medium bodied with a focus on the combo platter of freshness, sweetness of fruits and acidity. The wine was produced using 100% Merlot and leaves you with cherry pie. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Enclos Tourmaline – Produced from 100% Merlot and completely vinified in barrel, the wine shows a deep intensity of color. Intense floral notes combined with black raspberries, plum and earth with the right of chocolate in the finish, giving the wine more of a fat, sensuous, opulent nature. The fruits are sweet, with a strong sense of purity, freshness and energy. Open and expressive, this vintage shows the wine is a vintage on the upswing. The harvest took place October 4 and October 5. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.8. 94 – 96 Pts

2016 LEvangile – Incredibly deep in color, the truffle, the flower, the dark chocolate and black cherry liqueur aroma is impossible to avoid. Dense, rich, and full-bodied, this wine has crossed over to the dark fruit side of the style range. It’s masculine, powerful and tannic. The freshness is there, the fruit is there and the long finish is packed with black fruits, fig, plum and chocolate. This is the most powerful and concentrated wine I’ve ever experienced here – this could be a legend in the making. That being said, consumers will need patience as this is going to demand a decade in the cellar. Made from a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, this is the highest amount of Merlot used in the history of l’Evangile. The wine is 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.8 and the harvest took place from September 26 to October 10. 97 – 99 Pts

2016 Fayat – Licorice, smoke and cherry liqueur scents on the nose bring you to a medium bodied, red berry, olive-oriented wine. With a quick touch of herbs to complicate matters. The wine was made from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and reached 14% alcohol. 89 – 87 Pts

2016 Feytit-Clinet – Using 93% Merlot with 7% Cabernet Franc, this wine offers that great mix of truffle, flowers, cocoa, cherry and earth. Polished with silk, there is a heavenly sweetness in the fruit, feminine tannins and a freshness that piques your interest and pulls you deeper. Once again, Feytit Clinet remains the best value of any wine from Pomerol. 93 – 95 Pts

2016 Gazin – Flowers, plum liqueur and cherry blossoms reach your nose with little effort. There are sweet, ripe, sensuous fruits with hints of black licorice, silky yet dusty and powerful tannins and a long, sleek finish. The wine is made from a blend of 87% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine 14.25% alcohol with a pH of 3.69 and is aging in 45% new, French oak barrels. The Merlot was harvested September 22 to October 10 and the Cabernets were picked October 17. This was the longest harvest period and the latest vintage in the history of Gazin. 94 – 96 Pts

2016 Gombaude Guillot – Medium bodied, bright and dark plums along with hints of flowers, cherry and cocoa, the tannins are round, there is good freshness but beware a bitter note in the finish that takes away from the wine. That being said, this is the best wine I recall tasting here and much of that credit is due to their new consultant, Thomas Duclos. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Hosanna – Flowers, black cherry, boysenberry, truffle and dark chocolate pop right up in the perfume. Kind of an earthy Pop-Tartt. Deep ruby in color, this is all those things you associate with a sophisticated wine. The tannins are doing a little black cherry jig on your palate long after the wine has traveled on. 94 – 96 Pts

2016 La Cabanne – Chocolate-covered plums dusted with cayenne arrive on the palate, they bring along flowers, black raspberry and a little more spice on the nose. Medium bodied with a freshness, this wine was made from a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc and is 14.8% alcohol with a pH of 3.65. 91-93 Pts

2016 La Clemence – Flowers and black raspberry combine to produce a forward, early drinker with black cherry and earth in the endnotes. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 La Croix de Gay – Medium bodied, forward, soft and focused on cherry with a licorice whip, this is an agreeable, early-drinking Pomerol. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 Croix du Casse – Salty, mineralesque tannins, medium bodied with sugar-glazed plums — bright, red and black — in a whisper finish. Give this just a year or two of aging before consumption and it should be even better. The wine was produced from a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 La Croix St. Georges – A nose full of vanilla and an opulently textured, fresh bowl of cherries, the wine is already open. Lush layers of dark, ripe plums, chocolate, licorice, smoke and espresso are impossible to miss. The tannins are polished, the fruit is very ripe and there is a note of spice in the sweet finish that adds an enjoyable edge to this wine. It was produced from 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.8% alcohol. 91 – 93 Pts

2016 La-Croix-Taillefer – Made from a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the forward, medium-bodied, softly textured wine offers its earthy, cherry and cocoa profile with ease. You should be able to enjoy this once it hits the stores. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 La-FleurPetrus – A parfait of roses, plums, chocolate, truffles, smoke, spice and cherry blossoms creates the nose. Draped in silk, sensuous with lambskin tannins, the wine is the flossy librarian with her hair down — an intellectual Pomerol that also delivers sensuality. 94 – 96 Pts

2016 La Grave Pomerol – A finesse styled, early drinking charmer, fruit forward, soft, polished with a plummy cherry core and a dash of cocoa in the finish. 88 – 90 Pts

2016 La Patache – Made from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine shows good color, a medium body and a sweet, plummy character with elegant tannins and freshness. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 La Pointe – Polished, soft plums and chocolate with earthy black cherry to complicate matters, the fruit is juicy, medium bodied and shows dark chocolate in the finish. 88 – 90 Pts

2016 Lafleur – Deeply colored with a purple tint that shines at the edge, chocolate mint, flowers, black raspberry and plum liqueur notes are immediately dancing in your face. On the palate, there is serious weight and density yet the wine feels light on its feet. Fresh and refined with length and purity, the finish remains with you for more than 60 seconds. During that time, the wine moves from red fruit to black fruit taking on truffle and spice. It’s an intellectual vintage for Lafleur with a unique profile. The wine was produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and reached 14% with a pH of 3.65. The Merlot was harvested From September 24 to September 30, which is the second longest harvest in the history of the estate. 97 – 99 Pts

2016 Pensees de Lafleur – Showing a bit more depth of color than usual, the wine pops with flowers, mint and black plums. This wine is buxom, fresh with seductive, dark red fruits tucked into its cleavage and an earthy presence that sticks with you from start to cherry finish. The wine was made from a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, interestingly, the exact opposite of Chateau Lafleur! The Merlot was harvested September 30 and the Cabernet Franc, October 12. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 Lafleur-Gazin – Fresh, soft, open, medium bodied, elegant with charm and early drinkability, this is going to best in its youth. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Lagrange Pomerol – A forward, correct Pomerol with musky plums and cherries fashioning its character, this wine is medium bodied and already open. In the mouth, a dab of cocoa and cherry greet you amid the soft red fruits and spice. This is a wine to enjoy on the young side. 88 – 90 Pts

2016 Latour a Pomerol – Soft, polished, medium bodied and forward, with silky tannins, freshness and ripe, sweet, juicy, red fruits topped off with black licorice. Give this a few years of age to further develop and it should be a beauty. 91 – 93 Pts

2016 Le Chemin – A forward, round, oaky, medium-bodied wine with dark plum jam in the finish. Easy drinking charm here. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 Le Gay – This will need time to develop before the deeply-colored wine comes together and you can enjoy the layers of concentrated boysenberry, plum, black cherry, earth, truffle and flowers it has to offer. Structured to age with purity of fruit and ripe, firm tannins, this is going to reward cellaring. The wine was made from a blend of 90% old vine Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% alcohol. The harvest took place from September 29 to October 14. 95 – 97 Pts

2016 Le Moulin – Medium bodied, light in fruit, forward with a simple, red fruit character for early drinking. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 Le Pin – Produced from 100% Merlot, the wine offers citrus, roses, plum, cocoa and wild cherries as soon as your nose draws close to the glass. Silky, sweet, polished, this is not a wine of density. It is a wine of purity, refinement, complexity, elegance, opulence and with time, it may border on decadence. The harvest took place from October 4 to October 8. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.72. 98 – 100 Pts

2016 LEnclos – With more depth of color than usual, the wine offers black raspberry, vanilla bean and earth. It is soft, sweet and fresh with a supple, dark, red berry finish. Made from a blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, the wine is 14% alcohol. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Maillet – A smoky fruit basket of plums and cherries, a bramble of wild roses and a terrestrial sampler of aromatics hurdle right out in front. On the palate, glistening fruits and melted chocolate feel great as they linger. The wine was made from 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 93 – 95 Pts

2016 Marzeyres – Easy to drink with a fresh, ripe, dark black cherry center that will offer its truffle and plum character early. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 Montviel – Flowers and black raspberry create the perfume, medium bodied, soft and forward, the wine offers elegant, polished, sweet black raspberries and spice on the palate and in the finish. You can drink this in just a year or two or age for pleasure. The wine was made from blending 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Nenin – Earthy, dark cherries, plum and licorice in the nose and on the palate, the wine is smooth and curvy, medium/full bodied with freshness and length. You’ll find juicy black and dark red plums with spice on the back end. The wine was made from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc and reached 14.47%. 92 – 93 Pts

2016 Petit Village – Here you’ll find a little bit of truffle, licorice, dark cherry and earth, medium bodied with ready, sugar-glazed cherry and plum in the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 77% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 Petrus – Roses, lilacs, Cuban cigar wrapper, dark plums and wild cherries permeate the bouquet. There is a combination of structure and elegance with silky tannins, intensity and concentration. Not that any Petrus is for early drinking, but this one will need a long time to show its array of complexities. Finesse, intricacy and harmony with decadent textures and a beautiful purity of fruit, this wine was produced from 100% Merlot. The harvest started September 28, finishing October 11. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.5. 99 – 100 Pts

2016 Plince – Medium bodied, silky, soft and polished, this is a respectable wine with lots of ripe plums, earth and freshness. 89 – 91 Pts

2016 Rouget – Floral and black raspberry notes are the first things you notice here. This lush, silky, medium-bodied wine is satisfying with fruit-infused cocoa in a round finish. 91 – 93 Pts

2016 Sacre Coeur – Truffle, black raspberry, espresso bean and earth are already showing their colors. Round, forward, lush with a juicy, dark cherry, oaky profile, a few years of age will add a lot to this wine. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 Saint Pierre Pomerol – Character and style with soft tannins and a rich, dark, red, fruity finish. The wine is medium bodied and earthy — hearty black cherry, licorice and hints of truffle notes abound. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 Tour Maillet – A medium bodied, round textured, open style of Pomerol with a cherry, licorice and oak personality that should drink well for a decade or so. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 Trotanoy – Deep ruby in hue with distinctive floral, spice, incense, boysenberry, plum and cherry blossom aromas, the wine is pure silk with cushy tannins. There is a delicacy (which you should not confuse with being light) that leaves you wanting another sip to discover even more. Not decadent, but still quite sexy 97 – 99

2016 Vieux Chateau Certan – Grab fresh flowers, buy truffles, pick a bushel of fresh plums from the market and you get the idea of the aromatics. Full bodied, silky, plush and sensuous, the wine shows freshness coupled with ripe, juicy, fresh, dark fruits and concentration. Even with the concentration and tannins, the wine is a dancer — light on its feet, balanced and fresh-faced. Blending 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.77. Picking took place October 3 to October 18, making this latest harvest in the history of Vieux Chateau Certan. 97 – 98 Pts

2016 Vieux-Taillefer – Medium bodied, plummy and soft with a forward attitude, the wine exhibits succulent cherries and earth in the finish, though a touch too much oak for the fruit ratio. 86 – 85 Pts

2016 La Violette – Made from 100% old vine Merlot planted in clay soils, the first thing you’ll notice is the distinctive floral bouquet. Wet earth, dark plums, black cherry and dark chocolate are next in line. This wine is ripe with silky but firm tannins, spicy, pure fruits and a long, juicy, slightly masculine finish. Give this time to develop and you’ll experience a deep and complex Pomerol. The harvest took place from October 4 to October 7. Only 400 cases were produced. 96 – 98 Pts

2016 Vray Croix de Gay – Luxurious textures, fresh, sweet black plum, earth, cocoa and licorice are all over the place. Rich and with silky tannins, this is the best wine I’ve tasted from Vray Croix de Gay. 93 – 94 Pts

2016 Lalande de Pomerol Tasting Notes

2016 de Bel-Air – Roses, chocolate and plum notes open on the nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh, soft, forward, medium bodied and ends with a refined plum and cocoa note. 87-89 Pts

2016 Chambrun – Medium bodied, soft and plummy with a forward personality but lacking in depth. Probably best to drink young. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 La Chenade – Produced from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine serves up a floral, dark cherry nose. Medium bodied with a sweet, full plum finish, that will drink well early. 87 – 89 Pts

2016 La Fleur de Bouard – Sensuous with a candied, dark cherry core of fruit, this medium/full-bodied wine has a fresh, red berry, dark cocoa, cigar wrapper and thyme filled finish. Produced from a blend of 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is 14.5% alcohol. 92 – 90 Pts

2016 La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus – Two dozen long-stemmed roses and a cup of cocoa, cherry blossoms, espresso, licorice and spice on the nose. Polished tannins, silky, lush, textures, freshness and vibrancy, the finish is all juicy, dark plums and even dark chocolate. Made from 100% Merlot and reaching 14.8% alcohol, the wine is aging in 100% new French oak. 93 – 95 Pts

2016 La Graviere – Medium bodied with sweet, wet, dark red fruits, licorice and espresso, the wine is forward, soft and perfect for early drinking pleasure. 86 – 88 Pts

2016 Les Cruzelles – Using 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine shows a rich, ruby color. On the nose, dreamy chocolate-covered black raspberries followed by dark juicy plums and just the right amount of cocoa and floral accents in the endnote. 90 – 92 Pts

2016 Sabines – With a kiss of oak, dark, red pit fruit and flowers, this wine is medium bodied, forward and fruity with a dusty finish. 88 – 90 Pts

2016 Siaurac – A bouquet of flowers, a box of Valrhona, silky tannins and soft, ripe, plummy fruit create a nice character that will only get better with a few years of age. 90 – 92 Pts

We are making progress. St. Emilion is set to be published tomorrow and it’s our biggest report of the year, with more than 150 tasting notes! If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to share.