The 5th growth Pauillac, Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste, has produced one of the most unforgettable wines of 2016. This is a wine of incredible finesse and poise. The ultra fine, silky nature of the tannins combined with the vintage’s hallmark freshness have combined to produce one of the most seductive GPLs that we’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting at this early stage.
To Grand Puy Lacoste’s legions of fans its success won’t come as too much of a surprise. This notable chateau, owned by Francois-Xavier Borie, has long been recognised as one that consistently outperforms its classification. In 2016 however, we feel that this year, it is just off 1st growth quality level and offering unrivalled value by way of comparison at £735 per 12 in bond.
Ch Grand Puy Lacoste 5ème Cru Pauillac 2016
£735.00 per 12 bottles IB
£745.00 per 6 magnums IB
Perched on a small rise in Pauillac, this superb property belonging to François-Xavier Borie is currently one of the most consistent in the appellation. A luxuriously deep purple, this wine is scented with the wisp of smooth, smoky oak. A rich, dark fruit spectrum dominates the concentrated palate that flows along gorgeously silky tannins. A brilliant wine with impressive length. Drink 2024-2035. 93-95 points, Goedhuis & Co
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. Drink Date 2024 – 2050. 95-97 points, Neal Martin
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! 93-96 points, Antonio Galloni
François-Xavier Borie told me that his Cabernet berries were full of ‘thick juice’ as opposed to being made from smaller grapes than usual, which other properties reported, and this is the reason for the amazing concentration in this wine. The intensity of fruit is incredible with rare depth and traction on the tongue and this is also a vehicle for superb, grainy tannins. The oak is more obvious on the nose than usual and it is clear that this is a wine to keep for a long time. Powerful but also relatively lithe in terms of structure and weight, this is an amazing wine and a perfect counterpoint to the more exuberant 2015. The style and accuracy paraded by GPL in 2016 is a model for the commune and I anticipate it outliving the more flamboyant 2015, too. 19++ points, Matthew Jukes
