2016 L'Ecole No 41 Ferguson Vineyard
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Tasting notes
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec. The 2016 vintage opens with complex aromas – a mix of fruits, spices, flowering herbs and wet stones. There is a pleasing range of flavours from lots of up-front fruit showcasing red plum, spiced plum, fresh and flowering resinous herbs, graphite and tobacco leaf. The palate feels a little more open and the tannin has good structural integrity but is also less tight than the 2015 and 2014. The wine is simply a little more approachable. There is plenty of flavour to the 2016, but it is also less densely packed than the 2015. Where the 2014 and 2015 were deeply dark and brooding, the 2016 offers some red-fruit highlights as well. The 2015 is a serious wine. The 2016 is a little more about pleasure, approachability and deliciousness. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Ferguson Vineyard is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Beginning with dark blackberry tones with slightly tart red plum on the nose, the wine has aromas of dusty bell pepper and cherry blossom in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a tannic grip upfront with tart red fruit flavors that sway with notions of oak and finesse before lingering with a focused and complex finish. Give this one more year in bottle before popping. It’s a lovely wine and will last for a decade, on. Approximately 1,300 cases made.
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec. A nice perfumed nose and well-judged fruit, some violet notes as well. Elegant and rich at the same time. Chewy and well put together and a lovely freshness to the wine. A nice linear finish. (AC)
Incorporating the most Cabernet Sauvignon of the three top tier releases, the 2016 Estate Ferguson Vineyard is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Malbec, all aged in 50% new barrels. It's a full-bodied, powerful wine that has a distinct salinity and a marine-like note in its red and black fruits, spice, crushed rocks, and cedar aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, concentrated, and structured, it nevertheless has the charming, balanced, layered style of the vintage front and center. It too has good acidity and is going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age.