Author Archive

Château Lafite Rothschild has finally released their second tranche (we saw no sight of tranche one as the vast majority négociants sat on their allocations as quantities were tiny!) The combined first & second tranche price translates to a release offer of £2,925.00 IB per case of 6. We are pleased to have taken our full allocation – with potential to take more further down the line.

100 James Suckling “Even stronger and more toned than the excellent 2015, this Lafite shows incredible power yet also finesse. Full-bodied, superfine and chewy wine. Muscular yet agile. Goes on for minutes. Stunning. Perhaps the greatest Lafite since the legendary 1959?”

98-100 James Molesworth “Potentially an 100 point wine, this is a dense, serious and impressive selection. There is a classical structure to this wine, with dark tannins and acidity working in tandem. At the same time, the wine has immense, opulent fruits that are a characteristic of this vintage. It’s a wine that will last for many generations”

98-100 Jeff Leve “Silky, luscious, refined with profundity and sophistication, the fruit has the concentration, depth, structure and tannins to fill your mouth with flavor, coating your palate with deeply energetic fruits. Balanced between concentrated and fresh, this is regal but not stuck up. There is no attitude here, just pleasure. While intellectual, this does not loft past you”

99 Jane Anson / Decanter “An awesome Lafite, this is elegant to a fault. It has the classicism of the very best vintages, and the pulse of electricity that runs through it is clear from the first moment you taste it. You are absolutely in Pauillac here, the epitome of what the left bank can deliver in terms of elegance and density: menthol edged tobacco, charcoal and cassis with both a subtlety and an intensity at once. It totally expands through the palate and pulls itself out, stretching out in front of you. It’s a serious wine, but seamless. Concentrated, pure and fresh, everything is in its place.”

96-98 Neal Martin “The 2016 Lafite-Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot picked from 23 September until 12 October with the Cabernet Sauvignon (and unused Petit Verdot). It has 13.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and the IPT of 74. Matured in 100% new oak, it has a fresh and vibrant bouquet whilst retaining the classicism of this First Growth. This is more subtle than Mouton-Rothschild or Latour, which is always the case at en primeur, yet there is a brooding intensity that draws you in as it unveils some gorgeous blackberry and graphite aromas. The palate is just superb. This has more density, more vigor, more depth and you could even argue more ambition than the 2015 Lafite-Rothschild showed last year. It gently grips the mouth with unerring focus and symmetry, just a touch of spiciness developing with a long, saline finish that lingers two minutes after the wine has departed. Lafite-Rothschild always develops and meliorates in barrel during its élevage and I suspect this will ultimately turn out to be a regal Lafite-Rothschild”

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

Unquestionably, one of the great second growths, Château Montrose have released a second tranche @ £750.00 IB per case of 6.

Given the resounding praise by all the critics, the first tranche was snapped up incredibly quickly, so we are pleased to have taken 20 cases in the second tranche.

97-99 Points Neal Martin “The 2016 Montrose is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc (no Petit Verdot this year) picked between 23 September to 14 October and matured in 60% new oak. It has a very sophisticated bouquet with blackberry, briary, a touch of blue fruit and violets. Sometimes this Saint Estèphe can be a little broody at en primeur, but this certainly is more expressive, maintaining very fine delineation and precision, unfolding with each swirl of the glass and revealing a hidden graphite/marine influence. The palate is very fresh on the entry. The first facet of this wine that strikes you is the freshness that lasts from start to finish. This is an animated, vivacious Montrose that starts in almost understated fashion yet builds in the mouth towards what is almost a sensual finish, not a descriptor often applied to Montrose. It is a disarmingly and hauntingly beautiful 2016, extremely long and the aftertaste lasting two or three minutes. NB This is one example where I felt my second visit, over a fortnight after the first, revealed a wine with much greater potential, and I therefore raised my banded score accordingly”

97-98 James Suckling “A solid and tight Montrose with a linear structure of ripe tannins that gives wonderful length and energy. Full-bodied, yet reserved and toned. Stone and mineral character underneath is impressive. Beautiful center palate. The class and focus are marvelous. Better than 2015. This is what Montrose is all about.”

18.0 Jancis Robinson “Very dark blackish crimson. Great, fresh, minerally savour on the nose. Lots of intensity initially. Sweet start – quite a surprise in a way – and then lots of structure. Doesn’t quite hang together yet but there is masses of potential. Sweet, fresh ink. Good raciness. Quite muscular but not at all heavy. An edge of acidity is evident without the strong stoniness of St-Estèphe. Just a little bit stringy on the end. Lots of life and freshness (clays help). Pretty glamorous. 13.2%”

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

From a longstanding favourite, Château Pontet Canet, which has been on meteoric form since 2005 and firmly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Châteaux Leoville Las Cases, Cos d’Estournel and Ducru Beaucaillou year-in-year-out and in some vintages competing with the First Growths…

Alfred Tesseron and his team have produced a superb wine in 2016 @ £645.00 IB per case of six. 

Waud Investment Wines have purchased 100 cases of Château Pontet-Canet 2016 for our various syndicates.

98-99 James Suckling “Vivid and full of energy with blackberry, currant and salt. Full body, intense and long. Harmony. Purpose. Classicism. The mineral and currant character is all year. A seamless tannin texture. Great wine. You want to drink it now”

96-99 Antonio Galloni “The 2016 Pontet-Canet has been absolutely brilliant on the three occasions I’ve tasted it so far. Exotically ripe, powerful and voluptuous, it brings together the richness of the 2009 with the structure of the 2010. There aren’t too many other 2016s where that is the case, but it is undoubtedly true here. The 2016 is a spectacular wine by any measure, while Pontet-Canet confirms its rarefied place as a true original in Bordeaux. Technical director Jean-Michel Comme added that Cabernet Sauvignon plays a slightly lesser role in the blend because the berries had less juice than normal at harvest. Comme also bumped up the new oak slightly, to 55 percent. The rest of the wine was aged in neutral oak (10 percent) and amphora (35 percent). In a word: Superb. Tasted three times.”

97-99 Jeff Leve “Cassis drenched flowers, lead pencil, clay, spice, blackberry and cigar box aromatics win you over immediately. Purity and freshness, balance and harmony with length and character, this wine sneaks up on you — it tastes and feels wonderful. The finish keeps going, building in intensity and flavor, moving from red to black fruits, leaving you with red berries, spice and minerality. The tannins are silky, the fruit is sweet and there is more than ample lift here. The wine just does not quit. Produced from blending 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine is aging in 55% new French oak barrels, 35% in amphora and the remainder of wine in one year old casks”

97-99 Roger Voss “This wine is so dense and concentrated, with magnificent fruit. The tannins are velvety, but, at the same time, the wine has a dry side that will allow it to age so well. Juicy blackberries and great tannins work in harmony. The estate is in its seventh vintage certified biodynamic”

18.0 Jancis Robinson “Very dark crimson. More savoury and sumptuous than many of its neighbours. Blackberry compote and very round and rich and satiny. Very round. Almost too sweet but that is to complain needlessly. Already rich and enjoyable but masses of tannins too. Long and throbbing. Excellent with freshness and cleanliness and round. Pretty sweet though so it’s a definite style.”

95-97 Neal Martin “The 2016 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot and 39% Merlot, less Cabernet this year because of the size of the berries. I tasted the wine on two visits to the property around two weeks apart, plus additional tastings at négoçiants. It has an intense bouquet with layers of blackberry, sloes and fresh mint, just a hint of black truffle in the background. It is certainly a little more opulent compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, a little spicier than I expected (in a positive sense) with gentle grip in the mouth. It fans out with confidence, a voluminous Pontet-Canet with an extremely persistent aftertaste, and a saline and balsamic finish. This is an extravagant Pauillac for the vintage that will age over many years.”

97 Jane Anson / Decanter “This is richly layered with seductively ripe fruit. The quality and texture of the brambled blackberries, cassis and bilberries is striking. There is a sense of lightness and juiciness but also depth and flesh – you can feel the joy of that contrast at every step as the wine stretches out in front of you, hard to resist. 2016 is another vintage where they are up at 95%+ of grand vin, this year aged in 55% new casks, 10% in one year old casks and 35% in amphorae. Feel the effects of biodynamics make Pontet Canet stand out for its energy and lush tannins, even with the concentration of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.”

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

Château Canon 2016, which has also been in extraordinary form over the past few vintages is released @ £440.00 IB per case of six. Canon has historically been the most successful wine in our portfolio, so we are pleased to have again taken our full allocation in 2016.

97-99 Neal Martin “The 2016 Canon makes it a double slam-dunk for head winemaker Nicolas Audebert and his team, as it is the second of two ethereal wines that will put the estate right at the top of the Saint Emilion tree. This year is a blend of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc picked from 22 September until 10 October at 45 hectoliters per hectare. It delivers 14.02% alcohol and an IPT of 65. Matured in 65% new oak, it has a compelling bouquet with intense black cherry and blueberry fruit, a tincture of oyster shell, all with exquisite definition. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, and again, there is stunning, almost ineffable precision. It is attired in a seamless texture with real density yet weightlessness on the finish. The persistence on the aftertaste is extraordinary. I composed this entire tasting note after spitting out the wine, but I can still feel my mouth tingling now. The 2015 was magnificent, but could this 2016 surpass that? “The 2016 is more Canon in style, more classic,” commented Nicolas, and he could be right, although intuition tells me that the 2015 might be a hair’s breadth better. I would not refuse either if they were opened before me”

98 Jane Anson / Decanter “This vintage delivers a beautiful, classic style of Canon that is right at the top of what St-Émilion can offer. Compact and dense without being hard, it is finely structured both in terms of the texture of the cassis and blackberry fruits and in the shape of the tannins. It demonstrates a clear minerality and a feather-brushing of violet notes. This is less obviously sexy than 2015, but is a wine that offers a masterclass in what limestone terroir can convey – salinity, succulence, hints of austerity and reserves of power. I retasted it a few times, and the main take away of what to expect is layers of flavour and huge persistency. The details of how they worked the vintage are an added bonus to understanding how they achieved this result. When it started getting hot and dry, they left all green cover on the vines, and did no green harvesting except tidying up in September. The result was loading the vines to avoid over-concentration. 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, with the final blend aged in 70% new oak. 3.6pH.”

18.5 Jancis MW “Lively dark crimson. Very smart and complex on the nose – distinctively different. Really focused and rich but not sweet. Real lift and drive. So complete! Opulent on the nose but nothing remotely simple and sweet. Throbs with excitement.”

96-97 James Suckling “Very intense aromas already of pure berry, mineral and spice. Full body yet refined and tight with gorgeous linear and refined character. Beautiful and classic beauty.”

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

Cult favourite Château Rauzan Ségla 2016 has been in phenomenal form and their 2016 is very special too. Released at the back end of last week @ £367.50 per case of 6, we are pleased to have taken our full allocation.

96-97 James Suckling “A solid red with currant and blackberry character. Full body, soft tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows richness and excitement. Juicy and sexy undertone to this.”

95-97 Neal Martin “The 2016 Rauzan-Segla (Rausan-Segla) is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot picked between 20 September and 15 October at 45 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is being aged in 60% new oak for 18 months. It has 13.2% alcohol. It has a very powerful and intense bouquet with layers of blackberry, kirsch, cedar and a touch of mint. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of fruit concentration: layers of ripe blackberry and boysenberry, segueing into what feels like a very spicy and peppery second half that seems to calm down and attain more nuance with aeration in the glass. It is a wonderful follow-up to the 2015 last year, although not quite with the same audacity and bravado. Tasted twice with consistent notes”

94-97 Galloni “The 2016 Rauzan-Ségla is a more-than-worthy follow-up to the stellar 2015. The flavors are dark and boldly sketched, with stunning intensity to fill out the wine’s vertical, soaring frame. A deep, complex wine, the 2016 Rauzan-Ségla is built to deliver pleasure for many decades to come. This is stunning, multi-dimensional wine of the highest level. Wow”

17.0 Jancis MW “Really lifted, savoury nose. Well mannered. Nothing out of step. Could do with a bit more acidity and drive? A bit too diplomatic on the palate?”

95 Jane Anson / Decanter “This is a Rauzan-Ségla with a powerful, streamlined throb. The two Rauzan neighbours (Ségla and Gassies) give very different takes on the vintage and each has its own charm. This is sleek, poised and well controlled, demonstrating deep extraction with clear cassis notes. Nicolas Audbert takes more risks with the wine than his predecessor John Kolasa did, and the opulence, finesse and forward motion is clear. Big-framed for the vintage, this resembles the 2015, even the 2010, and is a wine for long ageing”

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

A big announcement today as Château Mouton Rothschild release with one of the most highly anticipated wines of 2016 @ £2,592.00 IB per case of 6. We have taken as much as we can get our hands on and will push for another allocation later in the campaign.

All the critics agree, this is a sensational wine, with Neal Martin giving it his joint highest score for a First Growth of 98-100. James Suckling scores it a straight 100, hailing it as, “The new 1986 but better”.

100 James Suckling “This is a phenomenal, muscular red that shows incredible power and depth. Full-bodied and with great concentration of tannins but this remains agile and polished. The form to this is stupendous. Such precision and clarity. The new 1986 but better”

98-100 Neal Martin “The 2016 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the latter two co-fermented, picked from 26 September and finished on 14 October. As usual, it is being matured in 100% new oak. It has a very intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cold limestone and crushed violet aromas that if anything, appear to gain vigor with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, juicy tannin. There is a lot of fruit packed into this Mouton-Rothschild and therefore one can feel the weight in the mouth, yet the acidity keeps everything on tip-toes. The finish has superb precision and opulence, completing a Mouton-Rothschild that will rivet you to the spot. Tasted on two occasions, the second confirming that this is simply a magnificent wine. Whichever artist eventually designs the label is going to be drinking well”

18.5+ Jancis MW “Exceptional crimson. Real lift and transparency. Quite a soaring dry style with great texture and refreshment. Very strong style statement. Infusion of Cabernet. A sort of amalgam of cassis and tar in that very Mouton way but with 21st-century lift and transparency. Quite brave in a way. Bone dry and utterly embryonic compared with most of the 2016s (with the notable exception of Las Cases).”

98 Jane Anson / Decanter “For the 2016 vintage, Philippe Dhalluin and his team have wrought a big, rich Mouton full of seductive grilled coffee bean, slate, graphite, tight cassis and bilberry. This has depth and impact and closely approaches the 2010. Astonishing! Clearly powerful but with the beauty and flourish of Mouton. It is a long lasting wine, just stretching out endlessly in front of you. The tannins are ever present and precise with a sweetness to them and a satin edge. This is 100% new oak, but has that 2016 trick of seeming perfectly integrated already. A wine to age then sink into on some happy future date. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot (the last two were co-vinified, unusually).”

95-98+ Galloni “On first impression, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild is incredibly reminiscent of the 1986, especially in its aromatics. On the palate, the 2016 naturally reflects the more finessed personality of the year as well as 30 years of continual refinements in vineyard and cellar work. Graphite, grilled herbs, smoke, crème de cassis, bittersweet chocolate and ripe plums are some of the many flavors that flesh out in the glass in an utterly captivating, exquisite Mouton that I had to taste twice and then directly from barrel because of its pure allure. Although it is early, the 2016 Mouton is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage”​

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516

We are now off and running and have taken a position with Château La Mission Haut Brion that was highly recommended @ £1,995.00 IB per case of 6.

98-100 Neal Martin “The 2016 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 57.5% Merlot and 42.5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 19 September and 14 October, one of the longest ever. “We had to be patient and wait for each plot,” Jean-Philippe Delmas told me. “It took longer than usual.” As is customary, I allowed my sample, and likewise all the wines poured at this tasting, around 40-45 minutes to open since they always transform in the glass. It has a clean and precise, quite understated bouquet with fine mineralité, cold stone aromas infusing the black fruit. This has incredible precision, perhaps even more pixelated than the “gaff over the road” Haut-Brion. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and lithe tannin. I appreciate the line of acidity here, the smoothness and harmony that takes your breath away. Every atom is infused with life-affirming freshness. It is a wine bridled with incredible focus and delineation. I thought that the 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion flirted with perfection. The 2016 has that extra edge, a “je ne sais quoi” that leaves you reaching for the thesaurus looking for superlatives”

96-97 James Suckling “The texture to this is very beautiful with chewy yet very polished tannins. Full-bodied, tight and mouth-filling. Starts very slowly and then takes off. Love the energy in this”

18.5+ Jancis MW “Glowing deep crimson. Very intense and ripe. Snazzy and spicy. Polished and racy. Very firm and lots of ripe tannins – very much à La Mission. Super-sophisticated. Inky and fresh and so ripe and confident. A dry style but great. Racy but tannic.”

98 Jane Anson / Decanter “Wonderful La Mission this year, graceful but with an unmistakable sense of controlled power. The wine just expands outwards and upwards in your mouth – insistent but terribly polite about it. It is deep and silky, shot through with coffee grounds, damson and soft cassis on a creamy mid-palate, utterly beautiful. There is a real energy and vitality here, with a caressing texture to the tannins and huge persistency on the finish. Dense, and yet so finessed that you could almost drink it today. Wow!

For all Bordeaux En Primeur enquiries, please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com or call +44 20 7940 5516