I was blown away by the 2016 Château Gracia from barrel and it doesn’t disappoint from bottle. Coming from Michel Gracia’s tiny 1.83-hectare vineyard and a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in new barrels, it sports a vivid purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blackberries, cassis, liquid violets, graphite, crushed rocks, and background high-class oak. With full-bodied power, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, sweet tannins, and awesome purity of fruit, it’s another magical vintage for this estate. Hide bottles for 3-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.

This shows amazing density and excitement. Full and tight with fabulous tannins. Goes on for minutes. Same as 2015 or better. Tiny production. 150 cases. - March 2017

The 2016 Gracia is composed of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed at this stage with crushed red and black plums, black cherries, cedar chest, lilacs and truffles plus a waft of violets. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and fresh with minerally notions on the finish. Less than 600 cases produced.

The 2016 Gracia is a very appealing wine. An exotic mélange of crème de cassis, blueberry jam, chocolate, spice and leather gives the wine its sumptuous personality and striking inner sweetness. Soil-driven notes develop in the glass, but above all else, Gracia is a wine built on texture and fruit. Even with all of its richness, it has a good bit of freshness and plenty of tannic underpinning. It is also not as overdone as some other recent efforts. Jean-Philippe Fort is the consultant. Tasted three times. - vinous.com, April 2017

Another one of the original garagistes wines. This is plush, flexing its muscles through the mid-palate and managing to be hugely attractive in its black cherry, liquorice and dark chocolate abundance. One for the hedonists.

Tasted blind. Warm, ripe, black-fruit nose verging on volatile(!) but very friendly and glamorous. Tannins pushing in on the end. Wait. (JR)