The 2016 Olivier has an attractive bouquet of blackberry, briar, sous-bois and cedar aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and fine acidity, fresh and cohesive, leading to quite a persistent finish. This is a lovely wine – not a showstopper, but maybe beginning to improve in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2023 - 2045
A solid column of pretty cool fruit with blackcurrants and stones. Full body, polished and chew tannins and a juicy finish. Hints of asphalt and smoke to the dark fruit at the end. Drink in 2022.
The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Olivier features Black Forest cake, kirsch, dried herbs and warm cassis with hints of garrigue, tapenade, forest floor and truffles. Medium-bodied with an elegantly styled palate, it has a solid foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and great freshness lifting the long earthy finish. Drink 2019-2030.
The 2016 Château Olivier doesn’t match the quality of the white, but it does offer attractive herbal, earth notes, plenty of red and black fruits, and medium-bodied richness and depth. With a firm, focused style and bright acidity, drink it over the coming 10-12 years. Drink 2019-2031.
The 2016 Olivier feels a little stilted on the nose at first and needs encouragement from the glass. It eventually settles down to reveal brisk, earthy red fruit and hints of tobacco and autumn leaves, though I would have liked more precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and it is here that the quality finally shows through. The finish is silky-smooth with seamlessly integrated oak. Hopefully there will be some improvement in the nose with bottle age. We shall see. Drink 2022-2040
