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.

This shows aromas of chocolate and tar. It’s medium- to full-bodied with subdued, balanced fruit. The wine has mellowed and is velvety and in good shape, but will continue to evolve favorably. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

The 2016 Nénin has another intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, white pepper and a touch of singed leather. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a juicy, quite structured entry. A touch of cracked black pepper, impressive build, with ample grip towards the finish. Very peppery on the aftertaste, this is a wonderful '16 that should continue to drink well. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

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

Rosemary, freshly cut herbs, salted cracker against bright berry fruits, the dark fruit character that is so typical of the estate shines through, this is very good quality, ready to go with a good long carafe, with another decade or more ahead of it.

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.