Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château Garraud 2016 – Lalande-de-Pomerol
Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the esteemed Lalande-de-Pomerol AOC, this Merlot-dominant blend (~70–75% Merlot with Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon) captures the vintage’s hallmark: ripeness, balance, and solid structure. 2016 was an excellent year in Bordeaux, producing wines with both plush fruit and age-worthy backbone. Garraud delivers an approachable yet refined style, a softer counterpart to neighboring Pomerol but still layered and complex.
(Educational edge: Lalande-de-Pomerol sits just north of Pomerol proper—sharing similar gravel and clay terroirs, yet offering more approachable, value-driven wines compared to the iconic Pomerol greats.)

Aromas & Flavors
Plum compote, ripe cherry, and blackberry unfold with notes of cocoa, tobacco leaf, and baking spice. The Cabernet lift adds touches of cedar and graphite, giving the fruit an elegant frame.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied with velvety tannins and fresh acidity. Polished, silky, and structured—more depth than younger vintages, with a long, persistent finish carrying spice and dark fruit.

Winemaking Notes
The estate’s clay-gravel soils provide richness while oak aging (in French barrels) adds finesse and integration. With 2016’s concentration, this vintage has the balance to age gracefully for another 5–7 years.

Food Pairing
Roast duck, grilled lamb chops, or seared ribeye. Also works beautifully with mushroom risotto or semi-soft cheeses like Tomme de Savoie.

Verdict
An outstanding vintage expression of Lalande-de-Pomerol—plush, elegant, and structured. Drink now for its approachability, or hold a few more years to see added depth and nuance. Cheers! — 25 days ago

Mark Lag

10

The best wine in the world.
Wine Works Marlton. — 3 years ago

E & K G

9.1

One can never have enough Lapierre Morgon in their life. Perfect for a hot summer night, but works just as well on a cool fall evening. Bright red fruit in general but the vintages can show through nicely as well. The 18s show great fruit and a ready for drinking anytime with some earthy undertones. The quality is so consistent as well. — 5 years ago

Danny O'Brien

9.0

Decent red blend! Dark cherry and a slight hint of anise on the nose, non-offensive on the palate with decently smooth tannins — 7 months ago

Marc Fagelman

8.9

Speak easy, drink easy! What a great BBQ wine — 2 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.1

Bright, barely discernible as a red… touch of smoke, tart cherry, chewy green stem-thing but it works. Rustic, lifted, leaving just a hint of heat as it caresses on the way out. Not jammy, not lush, but great food accompaniment. — 3 years ago

Pablo Cetlinski

9.6

If wine is bottled poetry, then this is the bottle. — 5 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.4

Almost opaque, light brickish scarlet. Smokey, dried savory cherry notes…. Gorgeous balance between acid and fruit. Hard to keep from crushing the entire glass. The finish goes on for 90 seconds and makes me smile. Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese is near perfection and works so well with the mountain-grown Nebbiolo. — 2 years ago

Roger Ray

9.3

"Beautiful deep ruby in colour, the intense nose releases blackberry, raspberry, ripe plum, cranberry and hints of chocolate, vanilla and a slight earthy note. The palate delivers a complex mix of ripe red and black fruit, exotic spice but also a farm yard earthiness that works very well with the oak infused vanilla notes." — 3 years ago

Lauren Golanty

9.0

Tasty! Prototypical Italian DOC. Nothing fancy but works well with food. — 5 years ago