I’m running out of superlatives. Château Margaux 2016 is a wine to match the perfect 2015. It does justice to the legacy of the great Paul Pontallier. The aromatics are spectacular; the power and scale hidden behind the beauty and purity of the fruit. If only I could afford this wine. The real marvel is Pavillon Rouge. Representing only a quarter of the harvest, this looks to me to be amongst the best produced. Made from plots that formerly went into the grand vin, this is glossy, voluptuous Margaux that exhibits the most caressing and silky fruit. Great stuff.

The pleasures of Bordeaux 2016 continue at Château Palmer, the Margaux appellation’s ambitious overachiever. The property has been on a roll for over a decade. Palmer 2016 is amongst the very best that the vintage has to offer. It rivals first growth Château Margaux [again]. If 2015 was all power here, the 2016, by comparison, is beautifully aromatic, with wonderfully plush fruit and velvety tannins. There is freshness too with a nice spine of acidity. It is a fantastic wine, difficult to imagine Bordeaux being any better to be honest. The purity is fantastic. Pricing, however, is once again firm shall we say and in sterling terms at least this is the most expensive Palmer yet released. Alter Ego, the other wine produced at the property – not quite a second wine, more a different, fruit driven interpretation of the terroir – is succulent and appetising.

I’ve missed out on tasting Château Durfort-Vivens for the past few years during primeurs. I’m very sorry that I have. Durfort-Vivens is now biodynamically farmed and their 2016 looks to be a fantastic wine in the making. The emphasis is on the most beautiful aromatics. The delicacy of the wine on the palate is alluring. Yet this intriguing combination also hides power and scale. It is the best wine I have had recently from this property that has superb terroir adjacent to Château Rauzan Ségla, Château Palmer and Château Margaux. Château Ferrière and Château La Gurgue also looked very good indeed when tasted at the property. They have that beautiful Margaux perfume.

2016 is generally an excellent vintage for the wines of the Haut-Médoc. It’s a broad generalisation of course. Geographically the appellation covers a very wide area on the left bank. It stretches from close to St Estèphe in the north, down to Ludon in the south, and from beside the Gironde, to fairly deep inland. Nevertheless, 2016 is a pretty homogeneous vintage here, despite the variation in terroir. The tannin has wonderful texture, the fruit tones are ripe and plush and there is freshness too. Château La Lagune, wonderfully seductive, leads the appellation. There are some seriously intense wines too. Château Belgrave and Château Cantemerle are extremely so. All three are up there in quality with 2009 and 2010 vintages. I was really impressed by the wines from Château Arnauld, Château Beaumont and Château Malescasse. I think these wines are the best yet from these properties. That’s also true of Château de Camensac to. It is beautiful in 2016.