2016 Château de Lamarque, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

2016 Château de Lamarque, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

Product: 20168016467
 
2016 Château de Lamarque, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

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Description

The Property

Parts of the approach to the château by a straight horse-chestnut and poplar-lined drive are reminiscent of that of Château Margaux and the building is, in a different way, arguably even more impressive. It is a superbly preserved medieval fortress, established nearly one thousand years old, the oldest in the Médoc and, astonishingly, the property is still owned and lived in by the direct descendants of the founder, encompassing 25 generations, today represented by Pierre-Gilles Gromand-Brunet d’Evry and his wife Marie-Hélène.

Both are hands on, with Pierre-Gilles supervising the winemaking and Marie-Hélène managing the vineyards, for which there are records for the château since the 15th century. The château and its three parcels of vineyards are close to the Gironde, situated in the buffer of Haut-Médoc land that sits between Margaux and St-Julien, lower-lying with deep gravel over clay and sandstone. Pierre-Gilles’ father loved his vineyards but seems to have had little commercial motivation.

Since taking over in 1987, the couple have slowly and methodically improved all aspects and now, with the well-connected Eric Boissenot as consultant, they are making the property’s best wines of its extensive history, notably since 2014.

The 2016

The colour is deep, with intensity but not brooding. The bouquet is benchmark Left Bank, with the graphite notes of Cabernet Sauvignon in the ascendant. The style of 2016 gives the wine classically proportioned lines, with a tense freshness and sapid tannins holding in the gravelly and slightly earthy fruit notes in suspension. With air (ideally an energetic decanting) the wine relaxes almost immediately, with more woodland, incense and coffee notes emerging.

Not to be treated as a Cru Classé manqué, this is a wine that honestly expresses its provenance but simultaneously delivers everything that is appealing about delicious Red Bordeaux, both in its personality and its ability to refresh. Another couple of years in bottle will see the tannins retreat a little, but wine’s charm and appeal is already fully apparent.

Drink now to 2025.

Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Director (December 2020)

wine at a glance

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Critics reviews

Neal Martin, Vinous91/100

The 2016 de Lamarque has an intense blackberry, cedar and gravel-scented bouquet that needs a little encouragement from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, and quite saline and spicy. The generous, concentrated finish needs to develop a little more finesse.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous (December 2018)

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Jancis Robinson MW16/20

Mid cherry red. Dusty, smoky black fruit with just a hint of vanilla sweetness. Firm, chewy, something to get your teeth into but not just yet.

Drink 2024 – 2030

Julia Harding MW, Jancis (October 2018)

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Decanter89/100

This is rich and deep, for me one of the few wines in this appellation that errs towards over-extraction. It's good though, and it's hard to complain about the power and depth of fruit on display, but it lacks the elegance and sculpting of some this year. The Petit Verdot ripened extremely well in 2016, although it did better in the northern than southern Médoc.

Jane Anson, Decanter (April 2017)

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Jeb Dunnuck90/100

The 2016 Château de Lamarque displays a plump, sexy, forward style as well as beautiful plum and blue fruits and notes of tobacco. With plenty of fruit, medium-bodied richness, and the purity that’s the hallmark of the vintage, drink it any time over the coming 10-15 years.

Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (February 2019)

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About this WINE

Chateau de Lamarque

Chateau de Lamarque

Ch. de Lamarque is an estate in the Haut-Médoc appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. The château itself is a superbly preserved medieval fortress, established nearly one thousand years ago; it is the oldest in the Médoc. The property is still owned and lived in by the direct descendants of the founder, encompassing 25 generations.

Today, husband and wife Pierre-Gilles and Marie-Hélène Gromand-Brunet d’Evry are at the helm. Both are hands on: Marie-Hélène manages the vineyards and Pierre-Gilles supervises the winemaking.

There are records of vines here since the 15th century. The estate and its three parcels of vineyards lie close to the Gironde, in the buffer of Haut-Médoc land between Margaux and St Julien. This is lower-lying land with deep gravel over clay and sandstone.

Since taking over in 1987, Pierre-Gilles and Marie-Hélène have slowly and methodically improved all aspects of the estate. Now, with the well-connected Eric Boissenot as consultant, they are making the best wines of the property’s extensive history.

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Haut-Medoc

Haut-Medoc

Despite being as visually unprepossessing as the rest of the Médoc (despite its grandiose châteaux) this large red-wine appellation of Haut-Médoc is home to some of the world’s greatest wines. Its 4,500 hectares of vineyards form a largely continuous strip that follows the Gironde from St Seurin-de-Cadourne, just north of St Estèphe, to Blanquefort in the northern suburbs of Bordeaux.

All the great communes of the Left Bank fall within its boundaries: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe, as well as the up and coming Moulis and Listrac. These are labelled under their own, more illustrious and expensive appellation names. Châteaux labelled simply as Haut-Médoc rarely reach such heights, but nevertheless offer consistently good quality and offer some of the best value in Bordeaux.

Haut-Médoc wines tend to be firm and fine with generous fruit and a nice minerality – what many would consider ‘classic Claret’. They come from loftier vineyards and offer higher quality and more complexity than those labelled simply as ‘Médoc’. Almost all wines are a blend of the principal varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – which helps producers hedge their bets if the slightly capricious climate causes one variety to fail. Small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec and even Carmenère are also used.

The higher proportion of sand and gravel to the south tends to produce finer wines, while the heavier clay and gravel north of Margaux yields sturdier examples. The best Haut-Médocs are found north of Ludon, a village just below Margaux. These include five classified Growths: Third Growth Ch. La Lagune, underperforming Fourth Growth Ch. la Tour Carnet and Fifth Growths Ch. Cantemerle, Ch. Camensac and Ch. Belgrave – as well as a number of fine Cru Bourgeois. Ageing ability varies but the lesser wines are usually delicious after three to four years, lasting around a decade, while the Cru Classés have a drinkability window of around six to 15 years.

Recommended Châteaux (labelled as Haut-Médoc): Ch. Beaumont, Ch. Belgrave, Ch. Cantemerle, Ch. Peyrabon

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Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.

The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.

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