Winemaker Notes
Deep and brilliant cherry red with violet highlights. Expressive, rich and complex nose mixing black berries (blackcurrant, black cherry) and well balanced spicy and minty notes. Harmonious, well balanced full, fine and elegant with ripe tannins. The aftertaste is rich and aromatic (fruity, spicy with a hint of vanilla and tobacco notes).
Blend: 48% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc
Perfect with red meat (especially lamb), duck breast and all fine cheese. Try with Pyrenees cheese, black cherry jam and walnut bread.
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Classic dark plum, lead pencil and black fruit nose and palate. Deep, resonant and structured palate with ample fine-grained tannins, lots of power and a lingering complex finish. Anyone who loves Bordeaux will love this.
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James Suckling
Some very attractive and intense dark berries with cassis, together with a wealth of nicely arranged, spicy oak and subtle, earthy nuances. The palate has a well placed, red-fruit core with a smooth bed of fine, ripe and silky tannins. Poise and charm here. Try from 2022.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Château Magnol is a remarkable Haut-Médoc value. This wine competes well with wines twice its price. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and fresh with aromas and flavors of black fruit, savory spices, and sandalwood. Enjoy it with a well-seasoned, roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: March 4, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
This richly fruity wine comes from the southern part of the Haut-Médoc, close to the city of Bordeaux. Its density and concentration give it the ability to age. With its black fruits and ripe tannins, it will likely be ready to drink from 2022.
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.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.