Black fruits, cedary spice, tobacco, and some chocolate notes emerge from the 2016 Château La Dauphine. it's a powerful, medium to full-bodied Fronsac that delivers the goods. With sweet fruit, ripe tannins, and outstanding balance, drink it any time over the coming decade.

A firm and chewy red with dark-berry, chocolate and walnut character with some salty, mineral undertones. Full body. Dense and driven for the vintage. A blend of 90 per cent merlot and ten per cent cabernet fran

The 2016 Chateau de la Dauphine was cropped at 31hl/ha, lower than the previous vintage, between 26 September and 23 October. It was matured in 30% new oak for 12 months. It is slightly more opulent than the 2015 with black cherries, Dorest plum, black truffle and liquorice scents, seductive if not quite exuding the same breeding as the prior vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is cohesive and velvety smooth, a fine bead of acidity here with a judicious touch of white pepper mixed with clove towards the finish. It finishes with a little more elegance than the nose suggests. A good, solid, quite delicious, upstanding Fronsac.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 de la Dauphine reveals notes of baked black cherries, dried mulberries, spice cake and tobacco with a core of blackberry compote and mincemeat pie plus a touch of dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers loads of savory accents to compliment the ripe black fruits, framed by rounded tannins and finishing on an herbal note.

This wine is structured, dark and concentrated. With powerful tannins, it is going to be a dense and solidly constructed wine. There is power here in the abundance of rich fruit and spice flavors.