From the British magazine Spectator:
An almost perfect claret from a 10/10 vintage. An equal blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot from the gravel, limestone and clay soil of Ch. La Cardonne previously owned by the Rothschilds of Ch. Lafite and now in the hands of Andrew McInnes and winemaker Magali Guyon, former winemaker of Ch. Lynch-Bages, it’s classic fare. We're talking heritage and pedigree here and this is a steal at a shade under twenty quid laden with dried hedgerow fruit, soft, mellow, spicy and with the longest of finishes.
And from its UK importer:
Dark crimson with aromas of dried red fruit and spice. Rich favours with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Very pure and classical in style. Magical claret from one of the two greatest vintages since 1945 and 1961 and now quite rare to find on market.
The winery says:
It’s always challenging to write about a wonderful vintage, when it follows a wonderful vintage. That said the 2016 scores higher in our minds than the 2015. The color is superb, the aromas and tannins were released without effort, and the wine is beautifully balanced.
The bud break happened in late March, following a very mild winter. Springtime was rainy, very rainy, and fortunately flowering took place during a window of dry weather in June. The very dry weather set in in July and lasted until mid-September giving the grapes a remarkable concentration with colour and tannins.
The rains arrived just at the right time to accelerate maturity, and allowed for stress-free harvesting.
We started picking the merlots on October 6th, the last cabernets were crushed on the 21st.
This year the wines were aged in a higher percentage of new oak barrels than normal, and for 16 months vs 12 months, as we occasionally do on very special vintages.
The 2016 vintage has the quiet nobility of great vintages, sure of their charm and their power.
