Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very transparent with fine-grained tannins. Medium-bodied, refined and focused. Shows focus and tension. A blend of 92 per cent merlot and eight per cent cabernet franc. Better after 2021.
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Decanter
A good quality, rich wine with a sense of drama. It's a touch strong on the extraction but is well held together by the acidity. Plenty of brambly fruit floats through the palate, and it will open up very attractively in a few years' time.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of tank and wood, the 2016 Château Alcée sports a deep ruby color as well as a beautiful bouquet of black raspberry, spice box, new leather, white truffle and salty minerality. Nicely concentrated, medium-bodied, balanced, and long, it’s unquestionably an outstanding wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Alcée shows well and reveals an abundance of cassis, iris, violet and dark berry aromas overlaid by a nuance of smoke. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a fleshy texture and fine tannins, concentrated and supple; it’s a seamless wine that benefits from the experience of Nicolas Thienpoint and his team.
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.
Though the region is larger than many of its Right Bank neighbors, it is one that consistently produces high quality, well-valued red wines. In fact, Cotes de Castillon can almost be considered a geographical eastern extension of St. Emilion, producing similarly-fashioned reds based on Merlot.
Vineyards in the region’s clay, limestone and sandstone soils produce sturdy red wines. On alluvial terraces, in vineyards closer to the Dordogne River, wines tend to be more supple and fruity. In either case, a great Cotes de Castillon red will be bursting with raspberry, plum and blueberry, have an enticing bouquet of dried flowers and a finish that is plush and opulent.