Blueberry and blackberry character with hints of stones and minerals. Medium to full body and firm and silky tannins. Wonderful tannin quality here.

From a 28.5-hectare vineyard overlooking the Gironde River on the northern side of Saint-Estephe, the 2016 Château Charmail is one of those hidden gems in the vintage that should be snatched up by readers. It’s a medium to full-bodied, elegant, classic wine that offers lots of darker fruits (cassis and blackberry), spice, new saddle leather, and leafy herbs as well as a kiss of damp earth. It has terrific balance and is going to keep for 15-20 years. The blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in one-third new French oak. A total of 80% of the production went into the grand vin.

The 2016 Charmail has a generous bouquet with black cherries, boysenberry and discrete floral scents. The oak is nicely integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, a lovely bead of acidity, an impressive precision and persistence on the finish. This Charmail revels in a great Bordeaux vintage – wonderful. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.

The 2016 Charmail is blended of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot aged for 12 months in roughly one-third each new, one-year-old and two-year-old French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it delivers intense scents of crème de cassis, cedar chest and pencil lead with touches of yeast extract and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of chewy tannins and plenty of mint-laced fruit, it finishes just a little woody at this youthful stage but should dial that in beautifully with another year or two in bottle.