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Roc de Cambes 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Côtes de Bourg
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

Often close in quality to the same owner's top Saint Emilion, Le Tertre Roteboeuf. This Cotes de Bourg is head and shoulders the best wine of the appellation and very much a wine for those "in the know". A right bank wine, yet only 4 or 5 kilometres from Chateau Margaux as the crow flies. This vineyard is a south facing slope with well ventilated vines. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines here are over 50 years old.

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Label

Tasting Notes

The 2016 Roc de Cambes has turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with rich aromas of cassis and cherries mingled with a rich patina of dark chocolate, spices and cigar wrapper. Full-bodied, deep and muscular, its ample, concentrated core is framed by powdery tannins and impressively lively acids. While it's unavoidably marked by its time in 100% new wood, it's the best integrated "great" vintage of Roc de Cambes I can remember tasting at such an early stage. Include it in a blind tasting a decade from now and watch it slay plenty of heavyweight Right Bank names.

93
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (259), February 2022

Roc de Cambes 2016 has a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It jumps up with exuberant scents of crushed black plums, juicy mulberries, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of iron ore, smoked meats, and cardamom with a touch of forest floor. Full-bodied, concentrated and with beautifully ripe, rounded tannins, the flamboyant fruit is offset by great freshness, finishing long with exotic spice notes coming through.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

Edgy, lightly brûlée. A different character from the Dom de Cambes but not necessarily superior. Very rich.
Drink 2024-2040

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2017

The 2016 Roc de Cambes is still primordial and tough to read, showing lots of oak, yet offers serious depth and richness, tons of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry fruit, full-bodied richness, and, again, lots of oak and cedar overtones. Hide this in the cellar for at least 4-5 years. Drink 2023-2038.

91+
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2019

Ripe fruit the nose has rich black fruits the palate sweet fleshy supple in the middle the fruit supported by fine tannins. A complex mix of rich flavours the concentred fruit on the mid palate is backed by freshness the back palate has depth with ripe damsons on the finish. 2025-38

90/93
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

A wine that almost seems to defy the vintage conditions in 2016, this taste more like a 2015, with rip, figgy flavours, plenty of alcohol, some tobacco and Asian spice aromas and just about enough acidity for balance. A little too like Amarone? 2020-26

92
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.