Grand Puy Lacoste 2016

Pauillac, Fifth Growth

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Tasting Notes
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. Score: 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 August 2020
The 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a superb, vibrant, tobacco-infused bouquet that soars from the glass; it is extremely well defined and classic, just as you expect from this Pauillac. The medium-bodied palate displays succulent tannin that hides the backbone supporting this wine. It is more approachable than the Grand Puy Lacoste of a decade ago, yet retains the essence of its terroir. This is one of the most elegant GPLs of recent years. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 January 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. Score: 95 - 97 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024-2050 28 April 2017
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! (95+) Score: 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2041 01 January 2019
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! Score: 93 - 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017
The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste gives up pure kirsch and red and black currants with violets and baking spices. Medium-bodied, firm and grainy, it's very expressive with good concentration and length. Score: 94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021-2039 30 November 2018
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. Score: 94 Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2045 20 April 2017
A complex nose of pure ripe black currants fruit with striking lift and minerality and graphite. Ripe and classic, with blue fruit at the core, sleek tannins and a lovely glycerol texture all the way to the very fresh powerful finish. Superb balance. A great Pauillac. Score: 95 - 97 Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot. Harvested 28 September to 13 October. 45 hl/ha. Very dark crimson. Very ripe and fresh. Pretty glorious expression of the vintage on the nose. Slightly dry finish but really very energetic and may be a fairly good buy. Slightly dry on the end very British claret! Score: 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2025-2040 18 April 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. Score: 94 - 97 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 06 April 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. Score: 96 - 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

Tasting Notes

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.

Score: 97

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 August 2020

The 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a superb, vibrant, tobacco-infused bouquet that soars from the glass; it is extremely well defined and classic, just as you expect from this Pauillac. The medium-bodied palate displays succulent tannin that hides the backbone supporting this wine. It is more approachable than the Grand Puy Lacoste of a decade ago, yet retains the essence of its terroir. This is one of the most elegant GPLs of recent years.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2055 01 January 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.

Score: 95 - 97

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024-2050 28 April 2017

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! (95+)

Score: 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2041 01 January 2019

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!

Score: 93 - 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017

The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste gives up pure kirsch and red and black currants with violets and baking spices. Medium-bodied, firm and grainy, it's very expressive with good concentration and length.

Score: 94

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021-2039 30 November 2018

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.

Score: 94

Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2045 20 April 2017

A complex nose of pure ripe black currants fruit with striking lift and minerality and graphite. Ripe and classic, with blue fruit at the core, sleek tannins and a lovely glycerol texture all the way to the very fresh powerful finish. Superb balance. A great Pauillac.

Score: 95 - 97

Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017

79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot. Harvested 28 September to 13 October. 45 hl/ha. Very dark crimson. Very ripe and fresh. Pretty glorious expression of the vintage on the nose. Slightly dry finish but really very energetic and may be a fairly good buy. Slightly dry on the end very British claret!

Score: 17

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2025-2040 18 April 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.

Score: 94 - 97

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 06 April 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.

Score: 96 - 97

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

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