Moueix - Napanook 2016

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is a flamboyant red that offers hazelnuts, dark berries and a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied with round and soft tannins. So fresh. So rich, enticing and layered. A blend of 84 per cent cabernet sauvignon, nine per cent petit verdot and seven per cent cabernet franc. Delicious now. Drink or hold. April 2019 release. "

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Very deep purple-black in color, the 2016 Napanook Proprietary Red Wine is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc aged in 20% new oak. A beautiful perfume of violets, aniseed, truffles and lavender is just starting to emerge over a core of warm cassis, blackberry preserves and ripe plum plus hints of cedar chest, chocolate box, rare beef and cardamom. The palate is medium to full-bodied and firmly textured with very ripe tannins, gradually revealing layers of black and blue fruits plus loads of earthy sparks, finishing with amazing freshness and depth. 3,500 cases produced."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Moving to the 2016s, this was a more abundant year for this estate and the vintage was compared to 2006 by the winemakers. The 2016 Napanook is another terrific wine and has a more elegant, pretty, seamless style than the 2015, with the purity of the 2016 vintage front and center. Classic red and blue fruits, spring flowers, and tobacco leaf notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced red that will keep for 10-15 years."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Rustic at first, with pepper, game and savory notes peeking through the core of steeped blackberry and cassis flavors. The fruit slowly unwinds to take the upper hand, with cassis and plum preserve elements winning out in the end. Reveals a tug of humus at the very end. Relatively approachable in style, but there's no rush. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2020 through 2028."