2016 Château Nenin

This shows aromas of chocolate and tar. It’s medium- to full-bodied with subdued, balanced fruit. The wine has mellowed and is velvety and in good shape, but will continue to evolve favorably. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

The 2016 Nénin is more youthful in appearance than the 2015. It has a perfumed and much more floral, almost Saint-Émilion nose with violet petals coming through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins; it's much more precocious than the 2015 and has more plushness and harmony on the finish. This is described as the “rebirth of Nénin” at the estate, and that is obvious from tasting this wine as it nudges ahead of the previous vintage.

Velvet texture to the fruit here, building on the creaminess that you find in the 2010 vintage but with more depth and width. Blackberry, blueberry and damson fruits compete with smoked earth, espresso, black truffle and saffron spice. Of course you can wait, this is very young right now, but it's already pretty irresistable, showcasing why Nenin might be a quiet Pomerol in its early years, but it is not to be underestimated - there is pure delight on display here. 3.56ph, 40% new oak.