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Bordeaux 2016: Vieux Chateau Certan (97-100 AG) & Lafite (100 JS)
We now have the final releases of the campaign... Vieux Chateau Certan and the second Tranche of Lafite which allows us to average our price and offer for the first time.
LAFITE ROTHSCHILD at £5,850 makes it cheaper than every physical vintage prior to 2011 and with critics scores that rank it alongside the very best vintages. The 2016 is an impressive showing built for the long term. Lafite is always the most popular Chateau for export markets and still has a huge following in the Far East.
VIEUX CHATEAU CERTAN is now available at £2,360 per 12 which is a reasonable discount to the the 2009 (£2650, 99 WA) and 2010 (£2900, 99 WA). Similar in style to the 2010 but the Thienponts think it could be even better! Antonio Galloni believes this could be perfection (97-100) calling it "a wine of extraordinary beauty". Power but no excess weight and incredibly harmonious, VCC is a wine to follow every year."a wine that seduces you with every sip - already" James Suckling
"a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish" Neal Martin
"a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish" Neal Martin
LAFITE - £5,850 per 12 / £2,925 per 6
98-100 Decanter "An awesome Lafite, this is elegant to a fault. It has the classicism of the very best vintages, and the pulse of electricity that runs through it is clear from the first moment you taste it. You are absolutely in Pauillac here, the epitome of what the left bank can deliver in terms of elegance and density: menthol edged tobacco, charcoal and cassis with both a subtlety and an intensity at once. It totally expands through the palate and pulls itself out, stretching out in front of you. It's a serious wine, but seamless. Concentrated, pure and fresh, everything is in its place."
96-98 Neal Martin "a fresh and vibrant bouquet whilst retaining the classicism of this First Growth. This is more subtle than Mouton-Rothschild or Latour, which is always the case at en primeur, yet there is a brooding intensity that draws you in as it unveils some gorgeous blackberry and graphite aromas. The palate is just superb. This has more density, more vigor, more depth and you could even argue more ambition than the 2015 Lafite-Rothschild showed last year. It gently grips the mouth with unerring focus and symmetry, just a touch of spiciness developing with a long, saline finish that lingers two minutes after the wine has departed. Lafite-Rothschild always develops and meliorates in barrel during its élevage and I suspect this will ultimately turn out to be a regal Lafite-Rothschild."
100 James Suckling "Even stronger and more toned than the excellent 2015, this Lafite shows incredible power yet also finesse. Full-bodied, superfine and chewy wine. Muscular yet agile. Goes on for minutes. Stunning. Perhaps the greatest Lafite since the legendary 1959?"
96-98 Neal Martin "a fresh and vibrant bouquet whilst retaining the classicism of this First Growth. This is more subtle than Mouton-Rothschild or Latour, which is always the case at en primeur, yet there is a brooding intensity that draws you in as it unveils some gorgeous blackberry and graphite aromas. The palate is just superb. This has more density, more vigor, more depth and you could even argue more ambition than the 2015 Lafite-Rothschild showed last year. It gently grips the mouth with unerring focus and symmetry, just a touch of spiciness developing with a long, saline finish that lingers two minutes after the wine has departed. Lafite-Rothschild always develops and meliorates in barrel during its élevage and I suspect this will ultimately turn out to be a regal Lafite-Rothschild."
VIEUX CHATEAU CERTAN - £2,360 per 12 / £1,180 per 6
98-99 James Suckling "The balance and finesse to this wine are really beautiful with ultra-fine tannins and beautiful fruit. It's full and structured yet so long and intense. It's a wine that seduces you with every sip - already. Great selection here. Quite simply turbocharged at the end."
95-97 Neal Martin "There is plenty of dark berry fruit laced with hints of earl grey and bay leaf, a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish. This is another outstanding wine from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont."
97-100 Antonio Galloni "a wine of extraordinary beauty. Rich, seamless and voluptuous in the glass, it exudes sensuality in all of its dimensions... A rush of dark cherry, inky blue/purplish fruit, crushed rocks, lavender and rose petal infuses the creamy, voluptuous finish. The 2016 manages to be dense and rich, but with no excess weight. It is quite simply a remarkable wine."
95-97 Neal Martin "There is plenty of dark berry fruit laced with hints of earl grey and bay leaf, a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish. This is another outstanding wine from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont."
To place an order, please contact us at sales@albanyvintners.com