Chateau Pedesclaux 2016

Pleasant spiciness; on the palate it’s round like a ball, juicy and fruity; approachable, excellently made, with a guarantee of fun.

An extroverted style, with bold plum and blackberry compote aromas and flavors, infused with anise accents and backed by an alluring finish of toasted vanilla, violet and mocha. On the showy side, but has enough latent drive to keep it honest. Drink now through 2030. 15,167 cases made.

Blueberry, blackcurrant and crisp violet notes. Impressively fresh and sturdy with a lean structure, supporting fleshy bramble fruit, liquorice, cedar spice and cooling graphite. Clean, precise finish.

So aromatic with crushed currants, raspberries and blackberries with hints of graphite and pencil lead. Full-bodied and very tight with beautiful tannins and a long, flavorful finish. The tannins really build at the end of the palate. Try from 2024.

Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Pungent and not 100% clean on the nose. Voluptuous rather than structured. Rather oddly styled with more acid than tannin. (JR)

One of the more obscure Classified Growths deserves far more attention because this is a very good wine. Good levels of concentration give you a rich bite of juicy, dark red fruits with every sniff and sip. The fruit has lift and crunch. The tannins are both soft and firm, and the finish tastes as good as it feels. There is length, structure, energy, and the ability to age and evolve for at least 2–3 decades.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, subtle brightening on the rim. Floral bouquet with fresh cassis, a hint of blackberry confit and fresh tangerine zest. Medium body, fine fruit sweetness with red berries, integrated tannins, mineral and long. A freshly structured food wine.

An estate that’s unquestionably on the upswing, the 2016 Château Pédesclaux is made from 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 60% new oak. In the past, the wines from this estate have been slightly chunky, but that started to change around 2014, and I think this 2016 is the best yet. Beautiful blue fruits, violets, spicy oak, and a touch of minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied Pauillac, which has fine, polished tannins, a seamless texture, and a great finish. With purity and finesse as well as richness and depth, it’s already reasonably approachable today, but it’s going to evolve for three decades or more.

48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Extremely dark purple with a garnet sheen at the rim. Dense blackberry bouquet, backed by plenty of violet, roasted notes and wild berries. On the palate, juicy and elegant, a muscular body with a finely crumbly texture; there’s a touch of flesh missing on the bones, but the potential is there. Can still improve. This is the first time four grape varieties are in the blend! 17.5/20

Kunz barrel sample 17: (45% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 54 hl/ha, 13.3% alc.) Powerful, sweet, velvety bouquet, cassis cream, caramel, mocha, tobacco, a hint of eucalyptus. Dense, opulent, creamy palate with ripe, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, creamy structure, complex sweet aromatics, long, full finish.

(45% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 54 hl/ha, 13.3% vol. alcohol) Powerful, sweet, velvety bouquet, cassis cream, caramel, mocha, tobacco, subtle eucalyptus. Dense, opulent, creamy palate with powerful, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, creamy structure, varied, sweet aromatics, long, full finish. 18/20 2023 - 2038

The 2016 Pedesclaux is deep garnet in color. It features scents of baked cherries, tar, and boysenberries, before opening out to the crème de cassis core, followed by hints of cedar, kirsch, and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is chock-full of juicy black fruits with a soft texture and a refreshing lift on the finish.

From one bottle to the next, this wine can vary, but our latest tasting shows a stylish, elegant wine with nicely integrated oak, and a touch more supple than its peers.

2016 gave birth to an intense, solid Pedesclaux that only lacks an extra touch of refinement. The ripe fruit is generous, and the finish shows tight tannins.

Fresh red fruits, vanilla, morello cherry. Supple palate, very long, soft and elegant tannins, a saline touch. A fine success.

A great deal of finesse and subtlety in this bouquet! It unfolds slowly, step by step, immediately signaling its grandeur. Precise, well-defined character on the palate, where the tannins emerge gradually with remarkable precision and relevance. They deliver a serene, measured power that leaves a meaningful imprint across the entire palate. A well-crafted and convincing wine.

When it was presented En Primeur, I called it the greatest wine ever made. And now that’s no longer true! Blend: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The nose is highly aromatic, fruity, fresh and lively. The palate is slender, flavorful, long, sapid and perfumed. It’s that returning aroma on the finish that most captivates my interest. Ideally, it should be paired with a tighter tannic weave, which happens in the following vintages as the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon increases.