2016 La Vieille Cure

From one of the top terroirs in Fronsac and made with the help of talented Jean-Luc Thunevin, the 2016 Château La Vieille Cure is 80% Merlot and 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, all aged in 50% new oak (a small part is also brought up in tank). This deep purple-colored effort got a big “Wow” in my notes and boasts a head-turning bouquet of cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with notes of dried flowers, vanilla bean, and leafy herbs. With remarkable purity, medium to full body, silky tannins, and a great finish, it’s a thrilling Fronsac that I suspect might be one of the best to date. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.

The 2016 La Vieille Cure has a ripe, opulent bouquet of layers of black cherries and bilberry fruit, quite glossy in style but retaining commendable definition. The palate is smooth in texture with plump ripe tannins. Toasty but with sufficient freshness percolating through the spicy black fruit on the finish, which leaves a hint of cough drops on the aftertaste. Recommended.

A riper style with some darker-plum and mulberry aromas, framed in lightly spicy and cedary oak influence. The palate has good depth and silkiness with a wealth of fine, plush tannins and a smooth, fresh and flavorful finish. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Try from 2022.