Château La Tour Blanche 2016

Soft and forward, with a mix of creamed peach, mango, apricot and orange cream flavors gliding through, backed by a honeyed finish. Drink now through 2030. 2,333 cases made.

Rich and creamy, this opens slowly but beautifully. It has a great silky texture with a creamy character throughout, and flavours of apple tarte tatin. There is good persistency, but it's a touch heavy on the finish.

A slew of dried mangoes and candied citrus, a full, succulent body and a long, clean finish, give this Sauternes plenty of appeal. Drink or hold.

Tasted blind. Great stuff! Perfect balance and liveliness. Maybe not the sweetest, but so beautiful! Creamy and pure. GV (JR)

Focused on buttery pineapple with tropical fruits and vanilla, all coated in honey, you find a rich, lushly textured, honey-soaked treat.

Deep yellow colour. A fine botrytis touch with honey and yellow tropical fruit aromas, and candied orange zest. On the palate, juicy, ripe yellow peach, some pineapple and honey, opulent yet still harmonious. A versatile wine.

One of the top Sauternes in this report is the 2016 Château La Tour Blanche, and while 2016 was not a great vintage for the sweet wines of Sauternes, this beauty makes the most of it. Fabulous notes of honeyed peach, tangerine, flower oil, and honeyed citrus all give way to a sexy, full-bodied, flamboyant effort that’s already impossible to resist. Drink it any time over the coming two decades.

Deep yellow with golden highlights. An exotic fruit basket with papaya, lychee and mango, followed by bitter orange and mandarin oil. On the palate, a creamy, oily texture, pomelo and acacia honey in a finely structured finish. This year, it lacks the emotional tension to compete at the very top.

Kunz barrel sample 17: velvety, dense, opulent bouquet, mirabelle plum jam, honey, Turkish nougat, raisins, vanilla. Lush, dense, fruity palate with a creamy texture, pronounced sweetness, fine acidity, diverse aromatics, long, dense finish. Has room to improve further.

Silky, dense, opulent bouquet with mirabelle plum jam, honey, Turkish delight, raisins, and vanilla. Lush, dense, fruit-driven palate with a creamy texture, pronounced sweetness, fine acidity, layered aromatics, and a long, concentrated finish. Still has room to improve. 18/20 2024 - 2050

Beautiful, deep nose marked by a subtle note of pastry and candied fruit. The palate is dense and deep, carried by a liqueur that brings great breadth, with slightly sticky fruit. The terroir certainly plays its part. The quality of the fruit is to be applauded.

Golden yellow. The bouquet of La Tour Blanche reveals itself subtly and delicately. It shows shy notes from ageing, citrus and minerality. On the palate, the wine is broad, creamy and endowed with a lively structure that brings not only freshness but also pedigree. The finish is ideally supported and persistent. A characterful, charming and balanced wine with the structure needed to age.

Pale yellow color. Very fruity nose. Smooth palate, developing candied flavors with a touch of richness, leading to a good, flavorful length.

94–96. Barrel Sample. Structured and concentrated, this is a rich wine that is also fruity and packed with botrytis and acidity. Its texture and tangy edge are impressive and will certainly allow it to age.