Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 2016

Exotic, with a range of well-steeped raspberry, plum and boysenberry flavors that have a compote feel, while anise, wood spice and roasted apple wood notes step in on the finish. They wind up dominating a bit in the end, but in the short term there's enough fruit detail here to manage it. Best from 2021 through 2030. 7,833 cases made.

Forward and open with blackcurrant, clove and dark cherry intensity on the nose. Fleshy and powerful, but the fruit is lean and slightly angular. Good tension, well-balanced and very harmonious. Graphite and bramble fruit on the finish. Delicious and easy to drink.

Attractive violet-like flowers and fresh plums lead to a palate that has a juicy and succulent core of ripe red plums. Right at the limit of ripeness and balance. A blend of 85 percent merlot and 15 percent cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2022.

Elegant, fresh and silky, the wine focuses on its sweet, red cherries and brightness. Medium-bodied and finesse in style, if you like young, red fruits, try it young. If you prefer more softness and earthy nuances, age it for around 5 years.

Spice, black cherries, leafy herbs, and underbrush notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne, which is based on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. This charming, relatively straightforward effort has medium-bodied depth and richness, rock-solid balance, and light tannins, all making for an already delicious Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming decade.

Kunz barrel sample 17: Medium, austere bouquet, red berries, wood, red licorice. Medium-bodied palate with light fruit, finely sandy tannins, spicy, light aromatics, austere finish. Has room to improve.

Broad, light bouquet with strawberries, red cherries, wood, baking chocolate. A firm, medium-bodied palate with sandy tannins, good fruit, muscular structure, light aromatics, and a dry finish. 16/20 2023 - 2035

This 2016 shows a nose anchored in smoky, bacon-like aromas and a palate still restrained yet remarkably concentrated. The vintage suits this château well, drawing on its resources to give momentum to this great age-worthy wine.

Fresh red fruits, vanilla. Full and sapid palate, with round, elegant tannins, good substance, long finish.

Precise, complex bouquet marked by black-berry aromas followed by chalky nuances. The wine is dense, creamy, vibrant, and perfectly supported by its acid structure. This ensures freshness and tension and promises a bright future for this excellent wine.

The nose is elegant, fruity, racy, offering lovely delicacy as well as intensity. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry, crushed small black fruits and, more subtly, fleshy blueberry, along with touches of strawberry and toasted hints, plus accents of minty licorice and almond, very discreet hints of vanilla, and a subtle note of sweet blond tobacco. The palate is fruity, delicate, balanced, harmonious, well-managed, and offers good definition, lovely finesse, power, a tangy backbone, and a touch of juiciness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, crushed blackcurrant and, more lightly, fleshy strawberry, combined with fine hints of almond, toast, violet, and vanilla, as well as a subtle hint of chocolate (in the background). The tannins are elegant and finely firm. Good length.

Very dark red color, intense, bright, and purple. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity, spicy, and a touch oaky. Delicate on the attack, very, very fruity on the palate, aromatic; the wine gains body mid-palate and finishes on an upward, long trajectory, with a strong presence on the finish. Long and very good.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Powerful tannins and ripe fruits are the main characters here. With a solid, foursquare character, it is generous and opulent. Tannins and concentration are all there, resulting in a wine with serious aging potential.