This big, bold wine has generous black fruits. With tannins now well integrated, the wine is solid, dense and succulent. Fruit weight is given elegance by the acidity and spice. Drink the wine now.

The 2016 de Valois has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, oyster shell and light loamy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and gentle grip, and quite saline in the mouth, displaying a touch of hardness that will soften with bottle age. Fine.

Warm plum sauce and blackberry preserve flavors form the core, infused with ganache and black tea notes, backed by a singed apple wood accent on the finish. Shows depth but remains shy on freshness and cut in the end. Drink now through 2021. 2,500 cases made, 475 cases imported.

A firm, straight, focused effort that could use a touch more generosity, the 2016 Château de Valois offers lots of mint, charcoal, forest floor, and blue fruit-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc brought up in 45% new oak, give bottles another 2-3 years and hope it softens up and shows a touch more charm.