The 2016 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Proprietary Blend is a red wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington, USA. Produced by Andrew Will, this wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged for 18 months in 25% new French oak and has an alcohol content of 15.1%.
Jeb Dunnuck of jebdunnuck.com awarded this wine an impressive score of 97 points, describing it as "one of the finest examples of this cuvée I’ve tasted." He notes the wine's "thrilling notes of blueberries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and bouquet garni," and praises its "remarkable purity and elegance." He also mentions that the wine is currently young and full-bodied, with significant aging potential, suggesting it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and could last for 2-3 decades.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave the wine 94+ points, highlighting its "rich and ripe expression of dark, dusty fruit interlaced with supporting oak tones on the nose." Reviewer AM describes the wine as medium to full-bodied with flavors of "dark cherry, black plum, and cassis," and notes its structured focus and mineral tension. The reviewer finds the mid-palate grippy with firm tannins and appreciates the long, complex finish. The review also points out that only 498 cases were produced, indicating its rarity and potential for aging.
Vinous awarded the wine 92+ points, with Stephen Tanzer noting its "bright ruby-red" color and aromas of "blackberry, cassis, and bitter chocolate." Tanzer describes the wine as densely packed and rather tight, with a higher pitch and more penetration than the Ciel du Cheval blend from the same producer. He mentions flavors of "dark berries and black cherry accented by licorice and bitter chocolate," and observes that the wine may need more time for its firm, dusty tannins to soften.
Overall, the 2016 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Proprietary Blend is a well-regarded wine with strong reviews highlighting its complex flavors, structural integrity, and significant aging potential.