Château Teyssier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2016

93 points, “Shows excellent potential.” – James Suckling

91 points, “The 2016 Teyssier has turned out beautifully. Soft, floral and silky… a terrific introduction to the vintage… Once again, Jonathan Maltus and his team have done a fabulous job with their most visible wine.” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous

91 points, “Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives up loads of fresh, vibrant black fruits with a velvety texture and great freshness, finishing long with plenty of earthy sparks.” – Wine Advocate

Packed with jammy Merlot and the freshness of Cabernet Franc, Château Teyssier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru displays boisterous black cherry, plum crumble and blackberry fruit, streaked with notes of wooden pencils, clove, dried herbs, sandalwood and mocha. Dense and luscious, this beautifully offbeat Bordeaux is big Harvey Nichols favourite, particularly on cold nights.

Château Teyssier has a long history dating back to the 1700s, but things got really interesting when it changed ownership in the early 90s. Jonathan Maltus sold his engineering company and bought this Saint-Émilion Grand Cru property in 1994. He completely renovated it and grew it from around 5 hectares to over 50. This maverick Brit and lover of Cabernet Franc quickly earned the moniker “garagise” and “cult winemaker”, particularly for the “super-cuvées” he produces on the estate. These include Le Dome, which was awarded 99 points and 100 points by Robert Parker in 2009 and 2010 respectively and hails from plots near Châteaux Canon, Beau-Séjour Bécot and Angèlus, Les Astéries and Le Carré (next to Clos Fourtet), Vieux Château Mazerat (neighbouring to Angèlus) and Clos Nardian (a dry white wine). He also makes wine in Napa under the World’s End label and is the man who selected our very own Harvey Nichols Bordeaux Supérieur. However, his most well-known wine is Château Teyssier – a wonderful Saint-Émilion that has played no small part in earning Jonathan Maltus his OBE.