Pessac-Léognan Rouge 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

‘Aromas of blackberries, red and dark plums, cedar and gravel, as well as red flowers and brown-leaf tea. It offers a very sleek and powerful array of ripe dark fruit and a very plush, focused and elegant bed of fresh, fine and powerful tannins. Plenty of aging potential, this is still quite tight. A blend of 55 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 35 per cent merlot, five per cent cabernet franc and five per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.’ - James Suckling, JamesSuckling, 97/100 (Feb 2019)

‘Rich, round and beautiful, there really is distance between red and white this year. This has all the signature welcome and power of the very best vintages of Domaine de Chevalier, one of the 'clue' châteaux you should follow to track the quality of reds and whites in Bordeaux in any given vintage. Here you see that 2016 hits it out of the park with the reds. Rich damson, deep black cherry, slate, wet stones and curls of cold ash - this has beautiful complexity and texture. Stunning. 2027-2050’’ - Jane Anson, Decanter, 96/100 (Apr 2017)

‘The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with expressive warm plums, blueberry compote and cassis scents with suggestions of sandalwood, baking spices and potpourri. Medium-bodied and delicately styled yet with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins, it sports restrained earth-laced fruit and a long finish. 2021-2039’ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 94+/100 (Nov 2018)

‘Tasted blind. Toasty note and then creamy and fresh. Hardly distinctive but ticks the boxes! Slightly too sweet. 2025-2037’ - Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com, 16/20 (Feb 2020)