While Bordeaux 2016 was a superb vintage overall, certain pockets, particularly the Left Bank communes of Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien, stood out from the crowd. The obvious exception to that trend was the stunning Smith Haut Lafitte from Pessac-Leognan, situated south of the city of Bordeaux.

Two years ago, I tasted barrel samples of the 2016 vintage, presented by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, the trade organization that most Bordeaux chateaux belong to, at the 2017 En Primeurs tastings in Bordeaux. I studiously avoided First Growths and other uber-expensive Bordeaux, choosing to focus instead upon the wines that, though expensive, continue to be within reach of the average wine enthusiast.

My ratings are given with a four-point spread, allowing for the likelihood of some variation as the wine aged in barrel for another year and a half before bottling. The following wines are my most highly rated reds:

Chateau de Chantegrive, Graves — Blue and red fruits, good concentration and firm tannins. Excellent potential. 90-93

Chateau Coufran, Haut-Medoc — Spicy white pepper, good concentration, red and dark fruits. Excellent long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau La Lagune, Haut-Medoc — Pretty red fruits, good concentration, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau de Lamarque, Haut-Medoc — Spicy white pepper, good concentration, good depth and length. Excellent long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau La Tour Carnet, Haut-Medoc — Pretty red fruits, good concentration, medium body. Excellent long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Angludet, Margaux — Good concentration, floral note, red and black fruits, fine tannins. 90-93.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux — Floral note, good concentration, suave tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Durfort-Vivens, Margaux — Pretty black fruit and floral nose, excellent concentration of fruit, good balance and fine tannins. Excellent near-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Kirwan, Margaux — Good concentration, white pepper, red fruits, fine tannins. Good long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Labegorce, Margaux — Good concentration, layered red and black fruits, spicy. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Lascombes, Margaux — Good concentration, excellent balance, suave palate, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux — Excellent concentration, spicy, layered black fruits, firm tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 92-95.

Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Margaux — Excellent concentration, layered black fruits, full-bodied, rich and long. Excellent long- term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Siran, Margaux — Excellent concentration, layered red and black fruits, rich and dense, firm tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau du Tertre, Margaux — Good concentration, layered red and black fruits, fine tannins, good richness. Good long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Maucaillou, Moulis — Pretty floral note, bright red fruits, power in the glass, good concentration, firm tannins. Good long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Poujeaux, Moulis — Good concentration of black fruits, firm grape tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau d'Armailhac, Pauillac — Excellent concentration, balanced, red and black fruits, good length, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Batailley, Pauillac — Good concentration, layered fruits, fleshy, soft tannins. Good near-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Clerc Milon, Pauillac — Good concentration, layered fruits, fleshy, fine tannins, good length. Excellent near-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Croizet-Bages, Pauillac — Good concentration, fleshy black fruits, fine tannins. Good medium-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac — Excellent concentration, layered black fruits, well-balanced, outstanding length, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac — Good concentration, layered black fruits, fleshy and firm, fine tannins, excellent long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Carbonnieux, Pessac-Leognan — Good fruit concentration, an inviting floral note and nicely integrated grape tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Leognan — Excellent concentration, good fruit purity and a wonderful tannin structure that already seems integrated. 94-97.

Chateau Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Leognan — Good concentration, pretty black and red fruits, extremely firm tannins. Long term potential. 92-95.

Chateau La Louviere, Pessac-Leognan — Good concentration, dark fruits, firm tannins, excellent freshness. Long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan — Suave even at this early stage, red fruits, floral notes and firm grape tannins. 91-94.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan — Suave and sleek, red and black fruits, notes of floral and spice and a long finish. Excellent long-term potential. 95-98.

Chateau Beauregard, Pomerol — Suave, rich, good concentration and beautiful tannins. 91-94.

Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Good concentration, richness and length on the palate without being over-extracted. Potential to blossom. 90-93.

Chateau Dassault, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Excellent concentration, pretty red fruits, integrated tannins, an element of suave. 91-94.

Chateau La Dominique, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Good concentration, pretty black and red fruit complexity, elegant tannins. 90-93.

Chateau Grand Mayne, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Pretty wine, suave, good concentration, integrated tannins, complex layers. Excellent long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Latour Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Rich and bold, fleshy ripe fruit and firm tannins. Good long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru — Excellent concentration, dense and rich, firm tannins, black and red fruits. Excellent long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Cos Labory, Saint-Estephe — Excellent concentration, well balanced, firm tannins, black fruits. Excellent long-term potential. 92-95.

Chateau Beychevelle, Saint-Julien — Excellent concentration, layered black fruits, good richness and flesh, good length, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien — Excellent concentration of black fruits, layered, fleshy, outstanding length, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Gloria, Saint-Julien — Nice floral note, excellent concentration, soft tannins. Bood medium- to long-term potential. 90-93.

Chateau Gruaud-Larose, Saint-Julien — Good concentration, flowery, red and black fruit layers, fine tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Lagrange, Saint-Julien — Good concentration, good richness, layered black and red fruits, soft tannins. Excellent medium-range potential. 90-93.

Chateau Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien — Excellent concentration, well balanced, medium body, good length, soft tannins. Excellent medium-term potential. 91-94.

Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien — Excellent concentration, exquisite balance, layered fruits, good length, suave tannins. Excellent long-term potential. 94-97.

Chateau Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien — Pretty floral note, good concentration of fruit, layered and rich but firm. Excellent medium- to long-term potential. 93-96.

Chateau Talbot, Saint-Julien — Good concentration, fleshy but firm, good length. Good medium-term potential. 90-93.

Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. Email Robert at [email protected].

Photo credit: at Pixabay