2016 Montlabert

The iodine and dark-fruit aromas are very enticing. Medium to full body that builds on the palate with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Lots of ripe tannins at the end. Needs four to five years to soften. Try in 2023.

The 2016 Montlabert is a powerful, intense wine. Spice, espresso, cedar and mocha add striking aromatic intrigue as this mid-weight, expressive Saint-Émilion opens up in the glass. Dark cherry, chocolate, leather and licorice appear later, adding further shades of nuance. Resonant, broad and deeply layered, the 2016 is a fine, modern Saint-Émilion that offers plenty of near and medium term appeal. Tasted two times.

The 2016 Montlabert is done in a very ripe, racy style. Succulent black cherry, kirsch, lavender espresso and spice notes abound, but there is also a good underpinning of tannin that gives the wine its shape. A kick of brightness on the finish rounds out this soft, mid-weight Saint Émilion. Hubert de Boüard is the consulting winemaker