2016 Marquis de Terme

Love the depth to this wine, cold cocoa, rose petals, graphite, liquorice bud, cassis, raspberry leaf, slate and pumice stone. Great quality, just starting to open up and will power through for a few decades from here. 50% new oak for ageing, Diam cork, cold soak, natural yeasts, punching down, no added SO2 during fermentation, harvest September 29 to October 14. Laurent David estate director, Sénéclauze family owners.

The 2016 Marquis de Terme, picked from September 29 to October 14, is pure on the nose with lifted blackberry and iodine scents, wonderful delineation, and seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip, but there is real backbone in this Margaux, and it feels more backward than the preceding vintage, with a dash of white pepper on the aftertaste. Excellent, but more classically in style. Tasted at the Marquis de Terme vertical.

The 2016 Marquis de Terme is quite perfumed on the nose, as you would expect from a Margaux, with crushed violet and incense infusing the vivacious black fruit. The lightly spiced, medium-bodied palate features supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a pinch of white pepper on the finish. Elegant and cohesive, this is a fine Margaux that has improved in recent months. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.