Barboursville Octagon 2016

Bordeaux Red Blends from Virginia, Other U.S.

JS95
RP90

750ML / 0% ABV

Other Vintages

2019

JS94
RP92

2018

JS95

2017

JS94

2015

JS93
RP90

2014

JS96
WS90
RP90

2013

JS93

2012

JS94
WS91

2010

WE91
WS91

All Vintages

Out of Stock (was $69.99)

Limit Reached

MyWine Share

Vintage Alert

Ships Thu, Oct 5

Limit 0 per customer

Sold in increments of 0

4.7 9 Ratings

Have you tried this? Rate it now

(256 characters remaining)

4.7 9 Ratings

750ML / 0% ABV

Winemaker Notes

Nearly opaque bright deep violet color; bright, roasted aromas and flavors of baked berries, coffee beans, and dark chocolate with an even, lively, dryish body; warming, complex marinated cherries and beets, nut skins, with chewy, dusty tannins and moderate oak. Very dry, old-world style.

Pair with osso buco alla veneziana, chicken braised with black olives, and walnut crusted lamb.

Critical Acclaim

All Vintages

JS 95

James Suckling

A linear and tight red with currant, spice, walnut and sweet-tobacco character. Full-bodied, refined and polished. Very driven and pretty. Lovely length. Excellent potential.

RP 90

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2016 Octagon is a blend of 46% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 16% Petit Verdot, aged for 12 months in 40% new French oak. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol. A lovely Octagon, this will one day have a beautiful expression of fruit to go with its pungent aromatics. It also has a more rounded feel to it than some high-end Virginia wines this issue. That's not to say that there is no power—there is plenty. Still, a Barboursville trademark is the ability to seem complete and perfectly balanced while still aging well. All that said, this is hardly ready to drink. It is more approachable than some other big boys in this report, but it does need a couple of years of cellaring to come into even better balance and show more expressive fruit. It should certainly do both. It should hold for around 20 years from the vintage date, maybe more. Here, unlike with some wineries, there is in fact a track record—and it is a good one.

Barboursville Vineyards

View all products

The estate winery and vineyards are located on 830 acres of beautiful rolling hills near the Blue Ridge Mountains. We presently have 90 acres of vineyards and continue to expand. Under the direction of Luca Paschina, General Manager and winemaker, Barboursville consistently produces quality wines that have won international recognition. The Zonin family of Italy, brought their strong commitment to produce quality wines to Virginia in 1976. They were the first in the state to plant and successfully establish the revered vitis vinifera vines. The four Zonin brothers, proprietors of the largest Italian privately held wine company, descend from a family that has for centuries been wed to viticulture.

Virginia Wine

U.S.

View all products

Diversity of landscape, terrain and climate make Virginia one of the most exciting American wine producing states today. Its viticultural history reaches as far back as 1607 when early settlers made the first wine from indigenous American grapes.

Thomas Jefferson imported the first French varieties to Virginia and grew the Vitis vinifera species (the European species), though not with great success.

Today, however, increased knowledge and optimal vineyard management techniques bring prosperity with a great number of diverse varieties. Virginia’s varied landscape has created seven distinct AVAs (American Viticultural Areas).

Encouraged by an enthusiastic state government, fine wine production in Virginia continues to flourish. The state achieves success with a variety of wine types and styles including sparkling wines, Bordeaux Blends, Nebbiolo, Chardonnay, Viognier and less common whites like Petit Manseng and Vermentino.

Bordeaux Blends

View all products

One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.

CUT198439_2016 Item# 708290