Provenance

Private Client

Critics Ratings

'"Warm, but not crazily so," is how Luke O'Cuinnegain describes the 2016 vintage, which has produced a Lady May that is plusher and a little more open than the 2015 was at the same stage but still comparatively firm and youthful. Combining Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it has damson, blackcurrant and tobacco leaf flavours, grippy tannins and polished oak. 2024-30' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 94/100

'The 2016 Lady May has a very high-toned and floral nose, to the extent that blind, I might incorrectly guess this was a Syrah! The medium-bodied palate is well-balanced, with ripe red berry fruit laced with white pepper and licorice and a pliant, silky-smooth finish. Quite classy and well-crafted. I would afford this a couple more years in bottle.' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 91/100 (Jul 2021)

'While both bottles I sampled had a run on the cork, the nose and palate still offered a sincere expression. The 2016 Lady May provides a green, herbal edge with elegant notes of brown baking spices that lift the dark red and black fruit essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still tight, with elements of bitter black tea and dark chocolate followed by a soft notion of blackberry skin and dark plum on the mid-palate. While this is still a touch too young to consume at present, it will undoubtedly drink better in the next couple of years with additional bottle age and should drink gracefully until its 15th birthday.' - Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 91+/100