2016 Le Plus de la Fleur de Bouard

The 2016 Le Plus (100% Merlot) has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and rocks up with a flamboyantly-scented nose of Morello cherries, warm black plum, blackberry preserves and chocolate box with a touch of bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with open-knit black fruit preserves, sparked by dried herbs and textured with soft, rounded tannins, finishing with a lively lift.

The special cuvée that sees an extended élevage and is 100% Merlot, the 2016 Château La Fleur de Boüard Plus is slightly deeper colored and has more power and depth, with beautiful blackberry and kirsch notes intermixed with ample smoked herbs, hints of chocolate and white flowers. This medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless beauty builds on the palate, has fine, silky tannins, no hard edges, beautifully integrated oak, and a great finish.

The 2016 Le Plus de la Fleur de Boüard had not been bottled when I tasted it. It is similar on the nose to April 2017, featuring precocious black cherries, crème de cassis and violet aromas; glossy and very modern in style, but missing a sense of personality. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, plenty of new oak still to be subsumed, and a lightly spiced finish. Not bad, but it needs more spring in its step.