Roc de Cambes 2016

The 2016 Roc de Cambes has turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with rich aromas of cassis and cherries mingled with a rich patina of dark chocolate, spices and cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, its ample, concentrated core is framed by powdery tannins and impressively lively acids. While it's unavoidably marked by its time in 100% new wood, it's the best integrated "great" vintage of Roc de Cambes I can remember tasting at such an early stage. Include it in a blind tasting a decade from now and watch it slay plenty of heavyweight Right Bank names.

The 2016 Roc de Cambes has a lovely bouquet of blackberry, dark chocolate, wilted rose petals and subtle minty top notes. The palate is medium-bodied with furry tannins. A voluminous, mouth-filling wine, revealing sage and leathery notes toward the substantial finish. This was a divisive wine at the tasting, but personally, I find it very attractive. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2022 - 2050

Roc de Cambes 2016 has a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It jumps up with exuberant scents of crushed black plums, juicy mulberries, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of iron ore, smoked meats, and cardamom with a touch of forest floor. Full-bodied, concentrated and with beautifully ripe, rounded tannins, the flamboyant fruit is offset by great freshness, finishing long with exotic spice notes coming through.

Edgy, lightly brûlée. A different character from the Dom de Cambes but not necessarily superior. Very rich.
Drink 2024-2040

Often close in quality to the same owner's top Saint Emilion, Le Tertre Roteboeuf. This Cotes de Bourg is head and shoulders the best wine of the appellation and very much a wine for those "in the know". A right bank wine, yet only 4 or 5 kilometres from Chateau Margaux as the crow flies. This vineyard is a south facing slope with well ventilated vines. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines here are over 50 years old. The blend is 20% Cabernet with the rest Merlot and a touch of Malbec. Great intensity of confection, red berries, vanilla and supple blackcberry on the nose. The palate is meaty, spicy and powerful, with a heady concentration of black bramble fruits and ripe, mouthcoating tannins, this once again punches well above its supposedly lowly appellation. Fantastic silky but persistent texture with creamy chocolat and coffee notes, spicy nutmeg and clove, and always ripe damson and black cherry through to a long finish. Once again an outstanding offering from the Mitjavilles in 2016.

The 2016 Roc de Cambes is still primordial and tough to read, showing lots of oak, yet offers serious depth and richness, tons of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry fruit, full-bodied richness, and, again, lots of oak and cedar overtones. Hide this in the cellar for at least 4-5 years. Drink 2023-2038.

Ripe fruit the nose has rich black fruits the palate sweet fleshy supple in the middle the fruit supported by fine tannins. A complex mix of rich flavours the concentred fruit on the mid palate is backed by freshness the back palate has depth with ripe damsons on the finish. 2025-38

A wine that almost seems to defy the vintage conditions in 2016, this taste more like a 2015, with rip, figgy flavours, plenty of alcohol, some tobacco and Asian spice aromas and just about enough acidity for balance. A little too like Amarone? 2020-26