Château La Lagune 2016

At five years old, the tannins are still young and holding on tight, but the blackberry and cassis fruits have both juice and depth. This is a vintage where the phenolics are high, and there is an inky depth overall. Mint and cedar smoke on the finish, with clear energy underpinning the palate. This was the first certified organic vintage. Last tasted in 2018, just after bottling, and it is still a few years away from being ready to drink, but showing excellent development. Took the audience award in the masterclass, along with the 2000.

I had hoped the 2016 La Lagune would sort itself out during élevage, but, sadly, that has not happened. The 2016 remains angular and lacking both focus and depth. This could have been and should have been a far better wine.

Medium-bodied, elegant and with a showy nose of thyme, mint, flowers, forest and red pit fruits, the wine is focused on its finesse and freshness, with a soft, silky, sweet red berry finish. Give this 7-8 years and it will be a beauty. This is the first vintage for La Lagune where they were certified as 100% organic.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, discreet brightening on the rim. Inviting bouquet, delicately floral with dark berry fruit and a hint of liquorice. Juicy, round and elegant with fine, well-integrated tannins, freshly structured, pronounced fruit and long. A multi-faceted food wine.

Elegant, floral and perfumed nose with ripe cassis, violet and dark plum notes with sage and aromatic herbs. Dense palate, a classic structure in terms of weight, muscular but polished with grainy tannin. Floral and lifted flavours with a mild spiciness, finely integrated oak and a long silky finish.

This is a great vintage for this terrific Haut-Médoc estate, and the 2016 Château La Lagune is well worth a case purchase. Complex notes of dark fruits, cedar, cigar tobacco, and hints of saddle leather all flow to a medium- to full-bodied, perfectly balanced 2016 that has sweet tannins and a great finish. It will keep for 25–30 years.

Excellent body, a long, harmonious finish with a stylish menthol note, a complex, racy wine worthy of its ranking.

Very precise and driven by a clear, radiant fruit character, the 2016 is both suave and intense. Beautiful retronasal perception of flavours on the finish and a silky texture.

Fresh red fruits, small black fruits, bramble. A fresh, elegant palate with rounded tannins and a long, fresh finish.

Bright ruby red. Youthful, fresh bouquet marked by notes of red berries and spices. I detect a hint of raspberry, pepper and cinnamon. As the minutes pass, the wine gains in complexity and expression. On the palate, the wine is rich, refined, and well supported by its tannins, which lend it power and potential for the future. At present, the wine has closed down, but what it reveals is impressive, both in power and in the persistence on the finish. It will reward patience.

The nose is fruity, fresh and elegant, with a touch of concentration, fine grain and a racy minerality. It reveals notes of crisp blackberry, crisp strawberry and, more subtly, violet and crisp blueberry, joined by small hints of cocoa/tonka bean and discreet toasty nuances (in the background). The palate is fruity, mineral and elegant, beautifully balanced, offering a lovely tangy backbone, fine tension, suavity, very nice roundness, fine grain, subtle richness/concentration, good structure, a lovely fleshiness, fine definition and refreshing lift. On the palate, this wine delivers notes of crunchy/juicy blackcurrant and crunchy/juicy red berries, then more subtly crisp strawberry and flowers, with small touches of crushed cherry, tonka bean/cocoa, gravel, licorice stick, very discreet spicy hints, and an imperceptible note of tea and caramelization.

Dark, intense, beautiful red color. Fruity nose, moderately aromatic with smoky notes. It should be aerated. It’s hard not to mistake this wine for a Margaux. The aromas and texture are there. Only the finish is a touch austere, even though the tannins are fine. Good length.

One of the big estates in the southern Médoc, this property has produced a rich, balanced wine packed with black-currant fruits and fine, elegant tannins. Drink from 2025.