| Critic |
Score |
| James Suckling |
94/100 |
| Vinous (Antonio Galloni) |
93/100 |
| Decanter |
93/100 (later review) |
| The Wine Advocate |
92/100 |
| Wine Enthusiast |
92/100 |
| Jeb Dunnuck |
91/100 |
| Wine Spectator |
90/100 |
| |
|
Review Highlights
James Suckling – 94 points
- Praised the wine's aromas of summer berries, slate, and toasty oak.
- Noted ripe red plum and berry fruit, plush tannins, and a long finish.
- Recommended drinking from 2021 onward.
Vinous (Antonio Galloni) – 93 points
- Described it as deep, luscious, and layered.
- Highlighted dark cherry, spice, tobacco, licorice, and floral notes.
- Viewed it as forward and appealing with excellent immediacy.
Decanter – 93 points
- Characterized 2016 as a classic Bordeaux year combining concentration and balance.
- Mentioned blackberry and bilberry fruit supported by a strong tannic framework and smoky spice notes.
Wine Advocate – 92 points
- Found earthy aromas of forest floor, currants, tobacco, bay leaf, and garrigue.
- Noted a medium-bodied palate with freshness, soft texture, and juicy fruit.
Wine Spectator – 90 points
- Highlighted dark plum, cassis, and cherry compote flavors with cocoa, tobacco, and alder nuances.
- Suggested a drinking window through approximately 2031.
Consensus
The critical consensus places Château Marquis de Terme 2016 in the 92–94 point range, making it one of the estate's strongest modern vintages. Reviewers consistently note:
- Ripe black and red fruit
- Tobacco, graphite, and earthy Margaux character
- Plush but structured tannins
- Earlier accessibility than many classed-growth Bordeaux wines
- Capacity for continued aging over the next decade or more
Drinking Window
Based on the critics' recommendations and the wine's development trajectory, a reasonable drinking window is:
2021–2035+
It is already approachable with decanting, but should continue to gain complexity through the late 2020s and early 2030s.
Chateau Marquis de Terme began life as part of the Rauzan estate. In 1762 the property was the dowry of Elizabeth de Ledoulx d’Emplet, who was to be married to François de Peguilhan, the Marquis de Terme. In 1886, Frederic Eschenhauer purchased the property. He kept it for a short time before selling to Jean Feuillerat in 1898. The property changed hands for the last time in 1935 when Pierre Seneclauze purchased the Chateau.
The 40 hectare vineyard of Chateau Marquis de Terme is planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Since 2017, they have been certified Organic.
| Wine Spectator: 90 |
| Warm in feel, with dark plum, cassis and cherry compote flavors forming the core. Generally open in feel, with light cocoa, tobacco and alder notes adding spine and texture to offset the tasty fruit. |
| Wine Advocate: 92 |
| Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose of the 2016 Marquis de Terme is earthy with damp soil and forest floor over a core of black and red currants, tobacco and bay leaves plus a waft of garrigue. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and softly textured with juicy fruit. |
| Decanter: 91 |
| The firm tannins and fresh acidities of the vintage are fairly pronounced here at this stage. There are silky black fruits lying in wait underneath, but they're not expressive yet. It's a well constructed, confident wine, a reflection of the strides taken by this estate in recent years. |
| Wine Enthusiast: 92 |
| This relatively little-known estate is now performing well. In this vintage the wine has gained weight as well as blackberry fruits and rich tannins. Its balance is already there and the wine should develop to be drunk by 2023. |
| Vinous: 93 |
| The 2016 Marquis de Terme is a deep, luscious wine, just as it was at en primeur. Dark red cherry, spice, tobacco, licorice and floral notes fill out the wine's layered frame effortlessly. Plush, forward and racy, the 2016 offers quite a bit of immediacy and overall appeal. |
| James Suckling: 94 |
| Impressive aromas of fresh summer berries, slate and toasty oak. This has a very succulent array of ripe red plums and berries and delivers a smooth, long and appealingly grainy edge of very plush, flavorful tannins. A lot to like here. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Try from 2021. |
| Jeb Dunnuck: 91 |
| The outstanding 2016 Château Marquis de Terme is an attractive, elegant wine that has classic Margaux character. Black cherry and blackberry fruits, hints of graphite and smoke earth, and plenty of tobacco leaf all emerge from this medium-bodied effort, which has some firm tannins and a great finish. Give bottles 3-4 years to let these tannins chill out, and it should drink beautifully for 15+ years. |
