Our Bordeaux 2016 is better than 2010, says Château owner
The Margaux second growth, Château Lascombes, has fired an opening shot in the forthcoming Bordeaux 2016 during lunch with a select group of journalists in London.
Speaking at London’s 110 Taillevent restaurant, Château Lascombes’ technical director, Dominique Febve, stated that in his and long-standing consultant Michel Rolland’s view the estate’s 2016 was better than its 2010, which has gained currency as the greatest Bordeaux vintage of the century so far.
The comments indicate the level of excitement among some estates about the Bordeaux 2016 wines.
However, Lascombes and hundreds of Bordeaux 2016 en primeur wines will need to be independently tasted over the next month in order to get a better assessment of overall vintage quality.
Lascombes has a high percentage of Merlot vines and the grape makes up 50% of the 2016 assemblage. The rest is made up of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.
Febve is not alone among Bordelais in rating the 2016 vintage so highly.
Last week in London, Jean-Valmy Nicolas of Château Conseillante said that ‘our 2016 is, in my view, the best La Conseillante we have ever made. I can’t speak for other châteaux, but this is a hugely exciting vintage for us.’
Febve, who was previously technical manager at Château Lafite-Rothschild, said that a hot dry summer led onto perfect conditions in August and the autumn leading to wonderful maturity and fruit ripeness.
He praised the ‘excellent’ Cabernet Sauvignon in 2016, but both he and Rolland felt that Lascombes’ Merlot has provided the star turn in this year’s assemblage.
Read more at source: Decanter
