Description
The 2016 was previously the 'premium' house red at Hotel du Vin but as it turned out we labelled rather too many of our 2016 Bordeaux Supérieur for them. No harm done and this is drinking really well now after a few years in bottle - now reduced to clear and fantastic value, we reckon, as we haven't got the space.
The back label: 'This is a classic Bordeaux blend of three quarters Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium to full bodied and partially aged in oak, it’s easy, fruity and supple enough to drink quite young. Serve with good food.' 13.5% vol.
See our nifty 'best to drink' graphic on the back label, a few pics from the vineyard below, or our 'Restaurant listings' which show you're in good company.
Nature was kind to Bordeaux in 2016. It was a bumper crop for many, a fine harvest, with red - and white - wines of exceptional quality. A wet spring was followed by a bone-dry summer, during which we had just a tenth of the normal rainfall over a 12-week stretch. The vines enjoyed some overdue refreshment thanks to heavy rain on the night of 13 September. It cleared up soon afterwards and we then had dry and sunny weather for the build-up to the harvest and for the picking itself, with just one more night of rain on 30 September during a crucial four week period. A glorious vintage and we couldn't remember a better summer for holiday makers.
Volume discounts off total order
| Bottles | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 72 | 96 | 120 | 180 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discount | 2.5% | 5% | 7.5% | 9% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 15% |
These are applied automatically.
- Expert opinion
- pics at the Chateau
Château Bauduc (Bordeaux Supérieur) 2016
This was a benevolent vintage in the region, providing volume and good quality, and the latter aspect shows here. As always it is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. In the glass it shows a surprisingly modest concentration, with a gentle claretty red hue. The nose hints at some early evolution here, with scents of spiced and degraded red cherry fruit, with a medicinal twist. The palate, meanwhile, shows a cool and supple style, with a little silky edge. I see that medicinal twist coming in again, along with notes of red pepper, red cherry and a touch of coconut. Fresh and lightly composed, and for drinking over the next few years. From a 2021 Update. 90/100
Earlier vintages:
“Wonderful plummy fruit and liquorice and leather scent. Soft, feathery tannins and just the right amount of mid weight. Not hugely complex, but presses all the right buttons for this level of Bordeaux. Very pleasurable claret.”
Richard Hemming MW, Jancis Robinson.com“Today this is a model estate for Bordeaux, the white wines clean cut and vibrant, the reds increasingly good. And yet they remain affordable.”
Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com“Red, pink and white, they are utterly drinkable, each possessing a classic, mouthwatering Bordeaux texture and easy going fruit.”
Oz Clarke
