Château Nénin 2016

Features a core of dark boysenberry, açai berry and blackcurrant fruit that is direct, pure and polished, carried by solid but integrated tannins through a slightly muscular finish. Offers a lingering liquorice snap accent and a nice twang of iron-edged minerality. Well built. Best from 2023 through 2033. 2,500 cases made.

Intriguingly, part of the Delon (Léoville-Las Cases) empire since 1997. Soils here are deep gravel and sand, with nine hectares on the higher plateau used for the grand vin. Since 2015, yields have been reduced and this is reflected in a high-quality 2016 Nenin. Dark in colour, there is plenty of rich, ripe fruit here with density and softness on the palate. Classy and balanced – should age well.

Aromas full of crushed blackberries and blueberries with fresh mushrooms and sandalwood. Full-bodied, very tight and focused, with fabulous fruit density in the centre of the palate and a long, flavourful finish. Shows strength and, at the same time, finesse. Try after 2023.

The 2016 Nénin is a gorgeous Pomerol. Supple and inviting, the 2016 offers quite a bit of immediacy. There is lovely freshness to the dark plum and blackberry fruit, while beams of supporting tannin give the wine its shape, focus and overall feel. There is a lot to like in the 2016. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from four hectares of vineyards on the plateau across the road from Trotanoy that were replanted a few years ago. Nénin is another terrific wine from Jean-Hubert Delon in 2016.

Already showing a hint of truffle, the wine offers ripe plums and liquorice on the nose and on the palate. Most of the oak has been completely integrated into the wine. Round, smooth, curvy and full-bodied, you experience a delicious burst of juicy red fruits and spice on the palate and finish. The wine was made from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby with purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Black cherries, liquorice, hints of spice, and candied orange zest. It is juicy, with elegant texture, ripe cherries, integrated tannins, fresh acidity, and a mineral aftertaste. Very animating. Certain ageing potential.

earthy nose with wild berries and dry spices. Medium weight, still youthful and restrained with a firm tannic core. The palate offers crushed plum and red berries, rather long finish still a bit restrained needing time. -

Deeper coloured, with a saturated purple colour, the 2016 Château Nenin is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, matured in 35% new French oak. It gives up a terrific bouquet of black cherries, cassis, graphite, and some gravelly minerality and damp earth notes. These carry to a medium- to full-bodied, concentrated yet elegant wine that has fine tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. It's just a classic, beautifully balanced, elegant wine that does everything right.

75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc. Dense purple with a garnet hue at the rim. Very complex, blueberry-driven bouquet with plenty of violets and blueberries, followed by iris and blackcurrants. On the powerful palate, there is fine astringency, muscle and powdery tannins. Fragrant blue berries on the finish; liquorice and perfumed pipe tobacco also come through. Doesn’t quite match the previous vintage, which had a touch more tension.

Kunz Fassprobe 17: (75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 37 hl/ha, 14.47% abv) Velvety, deep, elegant bouquet: blackberries, black cherries, chocolate pralines, subtle liquorice. Velvety, dense, well-balanced palate with plenty of fine tannins, a creamy, dense structure, powerful, sweet fruit, opulent aromatics, and a long, fresh finish with a sweet aftertaste.

(75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 37 hl/ha, 14.47% ABV) Velvety, deep, elegant bouquet: blackberries, black cherries, chocolate praline, fine liquorice. Velvety, dense, well-balanced palate with plenty of fine tannins, a creamy, dense structure, powerful, sweet fruit, opulent aromatics, long, fresh finish with sweet aftertaste. 18/20 2024 - 2040

Velvet texture to the fruit here, building on the creaminess that you find in the 2010 vintage but with more depth and width. Blackberry, blueberry and damson fruits compete with smoked earth, espresso, black truffle and saffron spice. Of course you can wait, this is very young right now, but it's already pretty irresistible, showcasing why Nenin might be a quiet Pomerol in its early years, but it is not to be underestimated – there is pure delight on display here. 3.56ph, 40% new oak.

A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Nenin is deep garnet in colour with a remaining hint of purple. It’s a little broody and closed to begin, opening out to reveal notes of preserved plums, baked blackberries and liquorice, followed by hints of Sichuan pepper, charcuterie and mossy tree bark, with a waft of fertile loam. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed with blackberries and layers of exotic spice, it has a firm backbone of rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with great length.

Attractive black fruit, red plum, vanilla. A clean, direct attack, crunchy, juicy fruit, ample tannins, good substance, a sapid finish.

Purple with violet hues. Tasting this Nénin 2016, I can’t help but think of the Cazes family and the exceptional work that has been accomplished on this estate in recent years. I write this with a pang, but also with great joy at the results. The bouquet is exceptional for its finesse, complexity and its ability to bind together the different elements so well. The entry is succulent, creamy and expressive. This expressiveness is, of course, present across the whole palate, thanks to a structure that is juicy, lively and in tune with the tannins. These are generous, powerful and perfectly integrated. A moving, convincing and promising wine. Bravo to the whole Nénin team.

Cork logo: inverted T (Trescases) Beautiful bright red, dark and intense. Highly aromatic nose, with fruit that is both ripe and fresh. Caressing on the attack, juicy and very flavoursome on the mid-palate, the wine builds to a dynamic, streamlined finish—rich, complex, noble—with no angular tannins whatsoever. Long and very good. This is the best Nenin ever made.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Made by the winemaking team of Léoville las Cases in Saint-Julien, this is a densely structured wine, rich in generous fruit while also having balanced acidity. Drink after 2027.