2016 K&L Discovery Series Bordeaux, St-Estephe

Our Discovery Series has arrived! At the core of this program is a mission to showcase wines of impeccable quality, unmistakable regional typicité, and exceptional value. As I often say, we’re not just placing a label on someone’s latest release—we’re curating standout selections from our deep, trusted network of sources. Each wine must rise above its peers, often outperforming bottles at multiples of the price. Only those that meet this high bar make it into the lineup. For many, including myself, 2016 is the “Goldilocks” vintage in Bordeaux—everything in just the right proportions. It will long be remembered as one of the great reference-point vintages for the region, but perhaps even more distinctly in the Northern Médoc, where nearly every top château produced an epic bottling. That is one of the many reasons I fell so deeply for this wine. The other is its source: a producer we’ve long admired, making a wine I would happily feature at full price. As part of our Discovery Series, it stands out as an extraordinary value. Now, at nearly ten years past the vintage, the wine is in full voice. Aromatically, it shows a floral and mineral lift surrounding layers of dark red fruit. On the palate, it is textured and generous, with enough structure to express the typicité of St-Estèphe, while remaining open and approachable. With striking precision, impressive depth of flavor, and a vivid expressiveness right from the first sip, this is a brilliant expression of Bordeaux—and still a bargain at twice the price. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.