2016 - La Chenade, Lalande de Pomerol

The 2016 La Chenade, the Lalande de Pomerol from Denis Durantou, was bottled at the end of May 2018. It has a beautiful, well-defined bouquet that offers charming scents of wild strawberry, red currant and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with an almost Burgundian tannin profile. This La Chenade is silky in texture and perfectly balanced, revealing palpable mineralité at its core. A stupendous wine from Durantou that oozes class and will give at least a decade’s worth of drinking pleasure.

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, 2016 La Chenade is medium to deep garnet in color. It skips out of the glass with cheery scents of Morello cherries, rose oil, black raspberries, and Sichuan pepper, plus a touch of wood smoke. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegantly styled, sporting bright red berry and savory layers with a chewy backbone, finishing with a compelling lift.

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 La Chenade exhibits aromas of plum, rose petals and spices followed by hints of oak. It’s medium to full-bodied and supple, with delicate tension on the finish. This wine is slightly more imposing than the 2019 vintage but seduces with its supple and velvety tannins.

Tasted blind. Juicier than most of its peers. Good core of interesting fruit and flesh. Tannins well managed and possibly GV. (JR)