2016 Château Saint-Pierre

The most effortlessly brilliant vintage in St Julien, and Saint Pierre is right up there with the best of examples you can find. Smoky and sculpted, still chewy tannins, firm but confident, liqourice and campfire smoke that displays welcome and generosity - makes you want to pull up a chair next to the embers and grab a friend to share it with. The fruits are brambled hedegrow and crumbled blackberry, with touches of bioche and cream, along with bitter chocolate that adds definition. Mineral tingle to the acidities, and another wash of smoke as it opens. 50% new oak, harvest September 29 to October 17.

Tasted at home on a quiet (there were a lot of them this year) Saturday night early in the year, when we knew it was crazy to open a five year old St Julien but we just couldn't wait. The first year with new cellars, this is luscious (a word I use to describe Saint-Pierre more than pretty much any other St Julien except perhaps Léoville Poyferré), with ripe, finessed blackberry and cassis fruits, Cabernet dominant with pencil lead and eucaplyptus on the finish, along with freshly cut herbs. Harvest September 29 to October 17. 50% new oak.

The 2016 Saint-Pierre has an intriguing bouquet of baked black cherries, dark chocolate, espresso and gamy notes, the oak regime more prominent compared to its peers within this Saint-Julien flight. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, and the oak is more assimilated here than on the nose. Nicely detailed and very poised, although there is a touch of dryness right on the finish. I suspect there will be improvement with bottle age. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.