Saint Pierre St-Julien 2016

97 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc). The most effortlessly brilliant vintage in St Julien, and Saint Pierre is right up there with the best of examples you can find. Smoky and sculpted, still chewy tannins, firm but confident, liqourice and campfire smoke that displays welcome and generosity - makes you want to pull up a chair next to the embers and grab a friend to share it with. The fruits are brambled hedegrow and crumbled blackberry, with touches of bioche and cream, along with bitter chocolate that adds definition. Mineral tingle to the acidities, and another wash of smoke as it opens. 50% new oak, harvest September 29 to October 17. Alcohol 13.5%. Drink: 2026-2046. (2/3/22)"

96+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "Coming from 50-year-old vines and a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is in the same ballpark as the 2015 yet shows a slightly more elegant, classic feel, which is very much in the style of the vintage. Beautiful notes of crème de cassis, black raspberries, crushed rocks, tobacco, and lead pencil shavings as well as some smoky notes with time in the glass all flow to a deep, full-bodied, concentrated Saint-Julien that has fine tannin, flawless balance and integration, no hard edges, and a great finish. This brilliant wine from winemaker Jean-Louis Triaud will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 25-30 years. Drink: 2023-2053. (2/28/19)"

96 points James Suckling: "This is fantastic, offering lots of fresh tobacco and blackcurrants and undertones of hazelnuts and chocolate. Full-bodied with firm and chewy tannins, yet ever so polished and refined. One of the most structured St. Pierre’s in years. A blend of 73 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 21 per cent merlot and six per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2024. (2/3/19)"

96 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Aromatically I find this wine presents a quite sweet fruit profile, with red cherry, pomegranate, black raspberry and smoke. A very attractive palate, with a creamed fruit confidence, fresh and bright, with the texture to match it. Some beautiful integration and texture here, with darker fruit than the nose suggested, with praline and toast wrapped around a taut and confident tannin. There is a long, charged and confident finish, one laced with vanilla and black bean. What an impressive result for Saint-Pierre, surely one of the best wines I have tasted from this estate in many years. (Dec 2018)"

95 points Decanter: "Highly coloured in the glass, with aromas of violets spiralling through. On the palate this is more bilberry and blueberry than tight cassis, with slate and bitter coffee ground notes. There's very little light peeking through the tannins at this stage, and again I get the architectural feel of a 2010. Monumental and extremely accomplished, this is easy to recommend, living up to its early promise. Matured in 50% new oak, with malo partly in barrel. Drinking Window: 2024-2040. (Oct 2018)"

95 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Saint-Pierre has an intriguing bouquet of baked black cherries, dark chocolate, espresso and gamy notes, the oak regime more prominent compared to its peers within this Saint-Julien flight. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, and the oak is more assimilated here than on the nose. Nicely detailed and very poised, although there is a touch of dryness right on the finish. I suspect there will be improvement with bottle age. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Drink: 2024-2048. (Aug 2020)"

95 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Concentrated, full-bodied and with a touch of oak on the nose and palate the wine has depth, flesh and round tannins, with a nuanced, ripe pit fruit and espresso filled finish. (Sep 2019)"

94+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Aged for 14 months in 50% new and 50% one-year-old French oak and blended of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Saint-Pierre leaps from the glass with exuberant Black Forest cake, blackberry compote and cassis with hints of cigars, earth and violets with a waft of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm frame of grainy tannins with fantastic energy and depth, finishing on a lingering chocolaty note. Drink: 2021-2046. (Nov 2018)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "This is packed, with a ganache frame wrapping up a dense core of blueberry, black currant, fig and açaí berry reduction flavors that will need time to stretch out. While they do, they'll meld with the warm tar and sweet tobacco notes that line the fruit in spades. In the end, there's a plushness here that is distinct from St.-Julien's typically brambly grip. Best from 2025 through 2040. (3/31/19)"

94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) is a powerful, brooding Saint-Julien. Smoke, game, licorice, menthol and grilled herbs add to a feeling of gravitas and pure power. Huge on the palate, with tremendous depth and exceptional balance, Saint-Pierre is once again one of the Sleeper wines of the Left Bank. Don't miss it. Tasted two times. Drink: 2024-2046. (Jan 2019)"
94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2016 Saint-Pierre is deep garnet in color. It soars from the glass with expressive scents of cassis, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, plus hints of pencil shavings, tilled soil, and black truffles. Medium-bodied, the palate is packed with juicy black fruits, supported by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, with an earthy finish. Alcohol 13.5%. Drink: 2023-2040. (12/8/22)"