Saint-Émilion 2016

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Wine Cellar, fine wine merchants. His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Wine Cellar thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

David celebrated the variation of vintage but also took advantage of great vintages. Over the last 10 years the 2016s have proven to be one of the greatest modern-day Bordeaux vintages, on par or superior to the likes of 2010, 2009 or 2005. Across Bordeaux, the wines are structured and pure combining exotic notes and sweet fruit. As part of our annual 10-year auction, we showcase 2016 Bordeaux vintage which will delight over many decades, especially in large format. David also bought the highly regarded Italian vintage, which produced exceptional wines in Piedmont and Tuscany especially.

For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@winecellar.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.

Critics Ratings

‘The 2016 Laroque is blended of 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines more than 50 years old and aged in 50% new French and Austrian oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly unfurls to reveal a beautiful core of redcurrants, Morello cherries, wild blueberries and fresh plums with touches of lilacs, oolong tea, chargrill, bay leaves and yeast extract plus a hint of wet slate. Medium to full-bodied, taut and finely textured with ripe, grainy tannins, it has bold freshness cutting through the densely packed red and black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note. 2020-2036’ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Mar 2019)

‘The 2016 Laroque, now under the direction of David Suire, who works with Nicolas Thienpont (only at Beausejour Duffau and Larcis Ducasse, to be fair), is clearly a Saint-Émilion on the upswing. This latest bottled vintage is a joy. It delivers a substantial, complex bouquet, a mixture of black and blue fruit with a discreet warm gravel note evolving over the course of an hour. The palate is well balanced and impressively structured, presenting well-judged acidity and a classically styled, mineral-driven finish. Everything is in place for a great wine, but it deserves a minimum of five years in the cellar. 2023-2045’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100 (Dec 2018)

‘Blueish tinge to the deep crimson. Rich and polished even if a little sinewy. Dry finish and not just a sweet fruit bomb, for which it deserves praise. Definitely fresh even if not that complex - yet? 2023-2035’ - Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Jun 2019)