CHÂTEAU GRAND PUY LACOSTE

The 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a powerful, exciting wine. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to be patient, as the 2016 shows very little of the upfront appeal that was so evident when it was in barrel. In the glass, the 2016 is sumptuous, vivid and incredibly detailed, with generous super-ripe red fruit and floral notes that develop with time. The wine's concentration and vibrancy lead me to think it will enjoy a very long life. Wow! Drinking range: 2024 - 2041 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)

The 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot that matured in 75% new oak. It has 13.3% alcohol this year. It has an extraordinarily pure bouquet with blackberry, briary, touches of pencil shaving and cedar aromas--quintessential Grand-Puy-Lacoste, basically. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. Gone are the days when this Pauillac was as hard as nails for the first decade. The tannins are nowadays much finer and the acidity lends this tension and plenty of freshness. There is an effortless quality to this Pauillac with wonderful length and such finesse on the finish that you immediately want to go back and re-taste it. Like so many others, this improved with aeration, gaining ever more harmony and precision. What a brilliant wine. It is classic Pauillac to its core. Drinking range: 2024 - 2050 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Ripe, but sleek and very focused, featuring racy iron and savory notes coursing alongside the core of black currant and black cherry fruit. The fresh finish keeps everything in lockstep. Well-built. Rating: 94-97 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)

This is all about the finish with a sweet-tobacco, berry and light milk-chocolate character. Full body, very fine tannins and a juicy finish. Love the intensity and finesse at the end. Lots of energy. Could better the exquisite 2014. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

This has a spicy, almost toasted edge, perfectly balanced depth and a retraction of the tannins through the mid-palate that springs back again on the finish. This vintage sees the addition of 15 new small 80hl stainless steel vats in the cellar, allowing for more precision during fermentation. There is plenty of hidden power going on in this wine, with a tannin index of 79IPT, similar to the 2010. The silky tannins make this large-structured wine deceptive right now, but it is extremely well handled, particularly in the teasing out of mineral, wet stone touches flicking through the dark berry fruits. I expect it will close down a little more than some this year. Drinking range: 2027 - 2045 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)

One of the successes of the vintage, the Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous. Racy, forward and incredibly inviting, the 2016 makes a strong first impression and then never lets up. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, white pepper and floral notes give the wine its brightness and aromatic nuance. Deep, fleshy and utterly exquisite on the palate, yet light on its feet, the 2016 exudes finesse. The flavors are remarkably vivid, but in the end, it is the wine's sublime balance that places it among the highlights of the vintage. Don't miss it! Rating: 93-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

It’s up against stiff competition, but this is my pick of the Pauillac Fifth Growths in 2016. It’s a perfumed, high-toned, structured red with savoury, fine-grained tannins, a core of piercing cassis and wet stone-like flavours and haunting sweetness. Bravo! Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 97 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)

The 2016 Grand Puy-Lacoste has a clean, precise bouquet with nicely detailed blackberry, briar and tobacco aromas, touches of mint emerging with time, all utterly charming. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, conveying a sense of symmetry throughout and leading into a deft, quite persistent finish. This is very classy, and it should age with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2023 - 2055 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 1899)