Château de La Dauphine 2016

The property of the Moueix family until 2000, this handsome 1750 château is now owned by the Labrune family. The black-fruited nose is complex, with spicy oak and a light floral character too. Rich and velvety, very concentrated and spicy, it doesn’t quite conceal the high alcohol. Spicy and vigorous, it’s imposing and has enough acidity to provide drive and persistence.

Full bottle 1,310 g. Hand painted label. Deep crimson. Very concentrated and vigorous nose with a fair amount of ripe tannins but lots of energy. Fresh fruit and concentration. Only slightly exaggerated on the extraction front. Almost more like a tincture than a wine. (JR)

The 2016 La Dauphine is fabulous. Exotic, super-ripe and flamboyant to the core, the 2016 has tremendous depth and tons of personality. Blackberry jam, plum, chocolate, espresso, spice and licorice give the 2016 its distinctly dark personality. The extracted style brings out darker shades of fruit and heavy torrefaction notes at the expense of fruit brightness and freshness, which is a stylistic choice. I would prefer to drink the 2016 over the next few years.

Still dark in color, the wine is floral, fennel-filled and fruity. Rich, silky, elegant and deep, it offers fruit, freshness, length and character, and the best part is, the wine is easy to find and it is affordable too!

Deep, dark ruby, firm core, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. On the nose, an inviting fine oak note, black berry fruit, and fresh orange zest. On the palate, juicy, elegant, well balanced, with fine cherry fruit and integrated tannins. It has charm and is a versatile wine.

Inky dark purple colour. Pure and fragrant nose offering ripe dark fruit, blackberry, cherry, tobacco and fine oak. The palate has dense fruit and young but ripe tannin, fresh and pure fruit flavours with integrated oak. Polished, elegant and persistent finish.

Black fruits, cedary spice, tobacco, and some chocolate notes emerge from the 2016 Château La Dauphine. It’s a powerful, medium- to full-bodied Fronsac that delivers the goods. With sweet fruit, ripe tannins, and outstanding balance, drink it any time over the coming decade.

Purple with a violet rim. Compote-like, blueberry-driven bouquet with plenty of violets. Plush palate with a sandy texture, plum skin and fine-grained notes on the finish. Rounded!

Fine, slender, bright, with great noble tannins, refined texture, good potential.

This 2016 is a fine success for Fronsadais, combining typicity, depth, and appetence. Floral notes, ripe black fruit, and sweet spices dominate the nose. The palate is smooth, full, rich, and lifted by citrus freshness.

Dark, intense and beautiful color. Moderately aromatic, fruity nose with a hazelnut backdrop. Delicious, melting, perfumed palate, with the finest touch I’ve known from it so far. Probably a major shift in winemaking and aging. Lovely length. Blend: 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Deep dense purple with violet highlights. Plenty of freshness on the nose of La Dauphine, with notes of mint and a mineral edge through hints of chalk. With a bit of air, I also pick up notes of cocoa beans and cherries. On the palate, the wine shows tension and good aromatic intensity. The structure gives it verve while the tannins provide solid backbone. Fruity, juicy finish. I initially scored this wine 90/100, but during a second tasting the bouquet had gained in complexity, which is why I rated the wine again.

90–92. Barrel Sample. This wine is structured, dark and concentrated. With powerful tannins, it is going to be a dense and solidly constructed wine. There is power here in the abundance of rich fruit and spice flavors.