Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet in colour, the 2016 vintage reveals powerful, complex notes of violets and dark fruits, together with hint of spice. After the initial attack, the wine gradually gains in intensity on the palate, underpinned by its very fine-grained and silky tannic structure. The fleshy character, fruit and concentration, all in perfect harmony, bring great potential to the Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac.
Blend: 69% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of violets and crushed berries follow through to a medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a delicious finish. Very fine and well defined red. A blend of 71 per cent merlot and 29 per cent cabernet franc. Better after 2022, when the tannins will have melted more into the wine, but already so pretty.
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Decanter
A smoking curl of oak on the first nose leads to a palate offering plump fruit and silky tannins. It has great St-Emilion typicity, not overdone but not shying away from the glossy side of the appellation either. The Cabernet Franc is key to the balance, giving freshness and lift that allows them to go all-out on generosity with the Merlot. It has softened over ageing but is still young and needs a few more years.
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.