Gigondas La Tour Sarrasine 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

‘Darker and deeper than the estate's Vacqueyras, the 2016 Gigondas La Tour Sarrasine is 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah. Ripe plum and boysenberry notes lead the way, dressed up by sexy hints of raspberry, leather and baking spices. It's full-bodied and richly textured, with a long, velvety finish. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2018-2030’ - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Aug 2018)

‘I loved the 2016 Gigondas Tour Sarrasine from barrel, and it certainly didn’t disappoint from bottle. A blend of 70% Grenache and 15% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, brought up in a mix of stainless steel and concrete, it offers a ripe, sexy, incredibly satisfying style as well as lots of complex pine forest, earthy spice, pepper, and sweet blackberry and cherry fruit. It’s well worth seeking out and will keep for over a decade.’ - Jeb Dunnuck, 93/100 (Mar 2019)

‘Notes of preserved black cherry and berry extend from nose to finish here, muted by savory tones of crushed earth, forest floor and dried rosemary. Full bodied and richly textured, it's a warming, ruddy wine accentuated by ripe, chewy tannins and sunny acidity. Enjoy now-2026.’ - Anna Lee C. Iijima, Wine Enthusiast, 91/100

‘More lift and fragrance than their Vacqueyras, although the bitterness is still strongly apparent, especially on the finish. Dry tannins. A tough, husky style. 2019-2029’ - Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com, 16.5/20 (May 2016)