2016 Charmail

From a 28.5-hectare vineyard overlooking the Gironde River on the northern side of Saint-Estephe, the 2016 Château Charmail is one of those hidden gems in the vintage that should be snatched up by readers. It’s a medium to full-bodied, elegant, classic wine that offers lots of darker fruits (cassis and blackberry), spice, new saddle leather, and leafy herbs as well as a kiss of damp earth. It has terrific balance and is going to keep for 15-20 years. The blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in one-third new French oak. A total of 80% of the production went into the grand vin.

The 2016 Charmail has turned out beautifully. Dark cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, leather, tobacco and spice give the 2016 notable richness and density. Powerful and very ripe in style, the 2016 has so much to offer. The 2016 is a big wine with tons of character and sheer personality.

The 2016 Charmail is blended of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot aged for 12 months in roughly one-third each new, one-year-old and two-year-old French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it delivers intense scents of crème de cassis, cedar chest and pencil lead with touches of yeast extract and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of chewy tannins and plenty of mint-laced fruit, it finishes just a little woody at this youthful stage but should dial that in beautifully with another year or two in bottle.