Of the eleven wines from Pauillac shown by the MW Institute, four were absolutely stunning and amongst the best tasted on the day. One of these was Château Mouton Rothschild. No surprise there. The others where Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Château Lynch Bages and the Pichons – Château Pichon Baron and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Evidently these have all produced wines of first growth quality in 2016. On the day Château Pontet Canet, though impressive, felt slightly less fresh than the others. Amongst the rest, Château Batailley and Château Clerc Milon are very good though both felt backward. Château Lynch Moussas and Château Grand Puy-Ducasse have also produced good wines.

Château Batailley, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Mid depth; blackcurrants and cream, some savoury earthy tones; dust; mid weight on the palate; ripe tannins and texture good on the finish. Not an exuberant showing from this property and wine feels a little closed. Plenty here though. [85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 13% alc]. Drink 2026-2050. Tasted 1/12/21. 92+

Château Clerc Milon, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deeply coloured; blackcurrant; cider apple; nice purity if a little backward; inky blackcurrants on the palate; structured but feels a little angular presently and needs another two or three years in bottle. Will have a long life. [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere, 13.5% alc]. Drink 2026-2050. Tasted 1/12/21. 92+

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and dark; colour tight to rim; ripe black fruits and earth; quite firm palate with texture but shut presently; fresh and positive finish. Currently closed but good potential here. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 13.5% alc]. Drink 2026-2040. Tasted 1/12/21. 90

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and dark; lead pencil and blackcurrant aromatics; classic Pauillac; love the Cabernet purity here; clean palate with attractive blackcurrant notes; fresh acids and wonderful balance. Moreish. Nice savoury edge on the finish. Ripe tannins and lovely texture to the palate. Seamless Pauillac. [79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 13.5% alc]. Drink 2024-2055. Tasted 1/12/21. 97+

Château Lynch-Bages, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and arterial in the glass; thick; wonderful blackcurrant cassis aromatics; spices and savoury notes too; lovely pure blackcurrant fruit on the palate; textured and inky. Quite brilliant Pauillac. Like many of these wines this feels backward and need of another two to five years in bottle. Potentially very long-lived. [75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 13.5% alc]. Drink 2026-2056. Tasted 1/12/21. 97+

Château Lynch-Moussas, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Mid depth; savoury blackcurrant aromatics; spices; good texture on the palate with some depth. Grip and fresh finish. Good effort here. [83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 13.5% alc]. Drink now-2036. Tasted 1/12/21. 90

Château Mouton Rothchild, Premier Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and dark; colour tight to the rim; spicy blackcurrants; pencil shavings; very vibrant cool blackcurrant flavours on the palate; lots of extract and chew; this needs time – at least five to ten years! Plenty here though. Finishes fresh as a daisy. [83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 13.5%]. Drink 2028-2070. Tasted 1/12/21. 98+

Château Pédesclaux, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deepish; some schist and ripe black fruits; rather solid on the palate currently and lacks a bit of breadth. [48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 13% alc]. Drink 2026-2036. Tasted 1/12/21. 87

Château Pichon-Baron, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and dark; bit closed to start with; savoury blackcurrants emerge; attractive fruit; on the palate the wine is dazzling; layers of blackcurrant fruit which is super refined; lovely texture and succulent tannins. Inky blackcurrant finish. Very nicely done here. Tremendous wine. [85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13.5% alc]. Drink 2026-2056. Tasted 1/12/21. 98+

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep and dark; pure creamy blackcurrant fruit; deep, plush and very attractive; layers of cool blackcurrant fruit here; well-structured with freshness and acidity. Brilliant wine. [75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.32% alc]. Drink now-2056 Tasted 1/12/21. 98+

Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deep, dark and arterial looking; ripe and sweet blackcurrant fruits; heady and quite sublime; heady and concentrated palate with lots of inky, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit; little lacking in acidity compared with the other top Pauillacs which make this feel a little ponderous by comparison. Undoubtedly remarkable. Little worried about the freshness… [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 14.5% alc]. Drink now-2046. Tasted 1/12/21. 95+