Château Loudenne 2016

Forceful nose, with dense aromas of black cherry and blackcurrant. Rich and full-bodied, this has a suave texture, supple tannins, and sufficient grip and acidity to sustain it. There’s weight here, but it has attractive length, too.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot. Very dark crimson. A slightly green note alongside the cassis. Stalky. Rather severe on the palate. The tannins are fine but a bit dry without more fruit ripeness. (JH)

The 2016 Loudenne feels overdone and smudged on the nose, perhaps over-macerated in the winery? The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, good depth, grippy and firm with a solid sappy finish. This will require a couple of years in bottle. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.

Kunz barrel sample 17: spicy, bitter bouquet, blackberries, charcoal, leather. Medium-bodied palate with a fine, tight core, sweet aromatics, good fruit, fine sandy tannins, powerful aromatics, and a long, bitter finish.

Spicy, herbaceous bouquet, blackberries, charcoal, leather. Medium-bodied palate with a fine core, sweet aromatics, good fruit, fine sandy tannins, powerful aromatics, long, bitter finish. 17/20 2023 - 2034

A beautiful, well-crafted bottle that truly reflects its terroir. The nose is powerfully fruity and spicy, with a broad, deep texture, delicious flesh, richness, fruit and harmonious tannins. The balance and potential are clearly there.

Garnet red with violet highlights. Loudenne’s bouquet needs time to come into its own. After aeration, I detect a touch of oak élevage, cinnamon, cocoa beans, and dark berries. On the palate, the wine shows density and perfectly integrated tannins. There is richness, structure, and breed. Overall, the wine is a bit too marked by its élevage, but given the structure on the palate, I think the situation could still evolve.