The 2016 Clos du Roy has a tightly wound bouquet with abundant black fruit waiting to unfold once in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded but firm tannin, engaging blackberry and bilberry fruit mixed with mineral and a very refined and persistent finish that is the best I have encountered from this Fronsac estate. Bon vin! Très bon vin!

Lots of blackberry, blueberry and black-licorice aromas. Full body, chewy tannins and a hazelnut, dark-fruit and walnut aftertaste. A blend of merlot and cabernet franc. Needs two or three years of bottle age to soften. Try in 2022.

This estate has turned out a vivid purple-hued 2016 that is a blend of 90% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its saturated color is followed by a ripe, dense, beautifully concentrated Fronsac that has loads of ripe plum and blackberry fruits, medium to full body, a stacked, layered mid-palate, and ripe yet present tannins that emerge on the mid-palate. It's a beautifully balanced, powerful 2016 that should benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for a decade or more.

The 2016 Clos du Roy is deep, inky and voluptuous, with plenty of blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate and spice character. Silky tannins, soft contours and voluptuous fruit give this tasty Fronsac plenty of near- and medium-term appeal.