Graves Rabion is a Saint-Emilion on a steep upward curve.
The 2009 vintage was very good, and the 2010 even better. But in 2011, a difficult vintage, Graves Rabion really turned the corner, making a richer, riper, fuller wine than in both previous (top) years. And every vintage since has been richer, fuller and more concentrated than the last.
Culminating in this terrific 2016. Indeed, in Parker’s best Saint-Emilion vintage since 2005, Graves Rabion earned its first ever Gold Medal at the prestigious Macon wine competition.
Here, by the way, is what Vinous says of the 2016 Saint-Emilions:
The 2016s are absolutely remarkable wines. The word that comes to mind, unfortunately so often overused, is balance. In technical terms, the 2016s boast off the charts tannins that in many cases exceed those of wines from massive vintages such as 2010. And yet, the best 2016s are absolutely harmonious, with the tannins barely perceptible at all. The 2016s also have tremendous energy and bright, acid-driven profiles, with many wines playing more in the red-fruit area of the flavor spectrum. One of the results of the unusual growing season is that alcohols range from 0.5% to 1% lower than what has been the norm in recent years.
A description that fits this 2016 to a T.
