The 2016 Château Dauzac, a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, presents blackberry, briary, and minty aromas with a rich, dense structure. Medium-bodied with crisp tannins, it offers black fruit flavors and a taut, linear profile. This vintage, marked by a long harvest and ideal weather, showcases exceptional acidity and balance, with good aging potential—best between 2023 and 2040. It pairs well with red meats, game, and cheese.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 94
Published: Jan 25, 2019

Blackberry, blueberry and sweet-tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, dense and layered with ripe tannins and a chewy yet polished, tannic finish. A young Bordeaux with plenty of structure and focus. A blend of 71 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 29 per cent merlot. Try after 2022.

Decanter | D 94
Published: Oct 9, 2018
Drink: 2024-2040

Yet again it's the richness and confidence of the construction that's clear here. Sweet fruit and high aromatics take their time to unfurl in the glass, revealing a clear pliability to the tannins. It's good quality, if a touch sombre (we tried two bottles of this as there were queries over volatile acidity in the first one). A great reflection of the investments and attention to detail going on at Dauzac.

Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.00%
Body: Medium
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot

The Wine Advocate | RP 90-92
Published: Apr 28, 2017
Drink: 2023-2040

The 2016 Dauzac is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot picked at 45 hectoliters per hectare, picked 13 September and over the next 21 days, which is the longest ever at the property according to estate manager Laurent Fortin. The bouquet is tightly wound at first, then gently unfolds to reveal blackberry, briary, pressed flowers and light minty aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin on the entry, quite firm in the mouth at first, but there is plenty of fresh, predominantly black fruit locked into this Margaux. It is taut and linear with a grippy finish. This is a strong follow-up to the 2015, perhaps without the same flair as the previous vintage, but I am certain that it will "loosen its tie" during elevage.

Chateaudauzac.com

Extremely rich and precise without being excessive...

71% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot

Tasting notes
The 2016 vintage is extremely rich and precise without being excessive, revealing bright fruit and a dense and complex raw material. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives it an exceptional acidity/alcohol balance that is an indication of a great vintage.

Weather
The climate at the beginning of the year was oceanic; there was then a long period of sun and heat until September 13, when precipitation allowed the vines to reach full maturity. An Indian summer in October resulted in the longest harvest in the history of Château Dauzac (21 days), enabling us to pick the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at peak maturity. The 2016 vintage is extremely rich and precise without being excessive, revealing bright fruit and a dense and complex raw material. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives it an exceptional acidity/alcohol balance that is an indication of a great vintage.

Ageing potential
At its best between 5 and 10 years of age, can keep up to 15-25 years.

Our suggestions
White meat, poultry, red meat, game, cheese.