2016 Château Poesia St.-Émilion Grand Cru 750 ml

Beautifully expressive of its Right Bank terroir, made to exacting artisanal standards, the seamless 2016 Château Poesia is a Bordeaux that many have been content to cherish among themselves. But with each passing vintage, it gets harder to keep this plush, deeply mineral St.-Émilion Grand Cru under wraps.

Operated by the same family that owns Pomerol’s stellar Clos l’Eglise, the 2016 Château Poesia is only the fourth vintage from the estate, but the critics are already catching on.

“Possessing medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, terrific concentration, and a great finish, it’s another incredibly classy Saint-Émilion from the Garcin-Lévêque family,” declared Jeb Dunnuck in a rave 96-point review. Dunnuck also ranked it #7 on his Top 100 Red Wines of 2019, while Vinous called the bottling “gorgeous.”

Situated on the highest limestone plateau in the appellation, the vineyard experienced the best conditions of the great 2016 vintage, and it shows in the ripe, juicy aromas of black cherry, black plum, and cocoa powder. Its intensity is matched by richness on the palate, with an unctuous mouthfeel supported by super-firm, grainy tannins throughout. This is decadence on pointe shoes.

The 97-point 2016 Clos l’Eglise, at $159, is a knockout worth every penny. But for bargain hunters, three bottles of the 96-point Poesia can be had at the same price, with the stuffing to age for 20 years. 

We first met owners Hélène Garcin and her husband and partner Patrice Lévêque at a dinner for one of their properties in Bordeaux—in addition to Poesia and l’Eglise, they operate Barde-Haut, located in St.-Émilion as well. The two are a powerhouse couple: Hélène brings her boundless energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge to all aspects of winemaking, while Patrice is a stoic farmer-type whose intelligence has made him one of the most respected growers on the Right Bank.

Their passion for Poesia is immediately evident, and it begins with the terroir. Hélène drove past the estate one day and couldn’t understand why such a beautiful vineyard wasn’t being harvested. It turned out that ownership fragmented among over 100 shareholders, and the property was essentially bankrupt. Realizing the rare opportunity, she tracked many of them down by plane and train, made personal connections, and won out over other bidders.

On the high plateau, you can actually see the solid limestone through the thin clay soils. The toughness of the land makes for complexity in the grapes: The roots sink into the fissures of the rocks, protected by the sponge-like limestone. The vines are around 30 years of age on average, with the oldest reaching 70, delivering high-powered concentration. Hélène and Patrice harvest on the early side, believing that gains in maturity tend to mean a loss in identity. That philosophy is how they achieve this wine’s brilliant balance between ripe fruit and tannins, rounded out with toasty oak.

In the land of big châteaux, Poesia is the real thing—a wine of the land made by hand, with an irresistible price-to-point ratio.