Chateau Saintayme 2016
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Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
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Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of blackberries and blueberries with licorice. Medium-bodied, juicy and delicious with lots of succulent fruit and a hazelnut and berry aftertaste. Delicious already. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as all Merlot and made by Denis Durantou (of l’Eglise Clinet), the stunning 2016 Saintayme knocks it out of the park. Deep purple-colored with a rock star nose of plums, black raspberries, crushed violets, and some obvious minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant texture, good mid-palate concentration, and a great finish. It’s complex, elegant, and powerful. Bravo! Readers should snatch up this beauty and enjoy bottles over the coming decade.
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Decanter
The impressive thing with Denis Durantou is the accomplishment shown across his entire range and the precision of his work with tannins. These are not insubstantial wines, and here there is a richness and shape to the structure as it moves through your mouth. Black cherry fruit is accompanied by a lovely freshness and chewy but extremely well placed tannins that hold, hold, hold, before backing off for a lift on the finish. 100% Merlot from 9ha, picked between 9th and 15th October and yielding 50hl/ha. Aged in 30% new oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Saintayme has a medium garnet-purple color and opens with cedary scents over a core of black and red plums, kirsch and unsmoked cigars plus a touch of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied and packed with savory layers, it has a solid frame of grainy tannins and a nice, long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Solid, offering a core of steeped plum and cassis flavors inlaid liberally with warm tobacco and roasted cedar notes. Features a fleshy, rounded feel through the finish, with the toasty side lingering. Drink now through 2028.
Other Vintages
2021- Decanter
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
- Vinous
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Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
- Decanter
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Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.