Château Puy-Blanquet 2016, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Magnum 1.5L

Château Puy-Blanquet is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, east of the town of Saint-Émilion, where the vineyard sits on a clay-limestone ridge overlooking the Dordogne valley. Some 20 hectares are planted with around 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with vines averaging about 25 years old. The soils are worked several times a year, the vines are green-harvested and leaf-thinned in summer, and the grapes are picked by hand. Vinification is traditional, in temperature-controlled concrete vats, followed by around 12 months’ ageing, partly in oak barrels, of which about 10% are new. This bottle is a magnum, a format in which the wine matures more slowly and gracefully.

In the glass it is a dark ruby colour. The nose shows red fruit with smoky notes. The palate is expressive, fresh and generous, with ripe, sweet fruit, good balance, round tannins and a lively structure.

Serve at around 16–18°C, decanting for an hour or so beforehand. A magnum is ideal for a dinner party or celebration, with roast beef or lamb, game birds such as pheasant or duck, and hard cheeses. It is drinking well now and over the next few years.

Château Puy-Blanquet is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru estate in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, on a clay-limestone ridge overlooking the Dordogne valley, east of the town of Saint-Émilion. In the 19th century it was regarded as one of the leading Grand Cru estates of the appellation. From 1958 it was owned by the Jacquet family and run by estate director Pierre Meunier, a former trainee of Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, with strong respect for tradition. In 2020 the estate was bought by the Malet Roquefort family, owners of Château La Gaffelière, returning it to a family that had previously owned it for nearly 150 years. Some 20 hectares are planted, mainly with Merlot, alongside Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.