Chateau Le Bosq Saint Estephe Cru Bourgeois

Wonderful aromas of crushed, fresh flowers and berries. Fantastic. Full body and round, velvety tannins. Deep and glorious. This delivers way above its price level. A blend of 48 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 47 per cent merlot and five per cent petit verdot.

The 2016 Le Boscq, owned by Vignobles Dourthe, is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot and was picked 29 September until 20 October. This represents a move towards Cabernet Sauvignon and away from Merlot in the final blend. It has a very ripe, opulent bouquet that does not quite convey its terroir with the same aplomb as say, the Phelan-Ségur. It translates more of the winemaking than the terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, crisp acidity and quite an elegant finish. It is in the second half of this wine that the quality of the vintage shows through. Hopefully the aromatics will gain more composure and it will live up to the finish it currently displays. One to watch.

This is good quality, creamy in texture with ripe fruit that feels ready to drink now but should also age for at least another decade. One of my favourites of this line-up, not hugely concentrated but elegant and highly enjoyable. Carries the vintage well.

The 2016 Le Boscq has a tightly wound bouquet that gradually opens in the glass to reveal black cherries, a hint of sloe jam and crushed violets, all quite pure and attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a velvety-smooth texture and just a touch of vanilla coming through on the finish. This shows better than it did at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in September 2018.