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The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is pure class. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this sumptuous, spectacularly ripe Pomerol. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol all develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s textural richness and intensity that stand out most. As good as the 2015 is today, it is going to need at least 15-20 years to be at its very best. Is there anything more I can ask of the 2015? No, there is not. This is a tremendous showing.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGI was able to taste both the 2015 and 2016 grand vins, and these are heavenly, magical wines that could not be any better. Starting with the 2015 Vieux Château Certan, it shows the opulent, flamboyant style of the vintage to a T and reveals a saturated purple/ruby color, a monster bouquet of blackberries, tobacco, kirsch, dried spices, and loamy earth, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. A thrill a minute, wine doesn’t get any better, and I only wish every reader could taste this beauty. Drink it any time over the coming 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe blackberries, blueberries, oyster shell and violets are so mesmerizing. Full-bodied, focused and deep. It takes you to another space and plane. Dried flowers and dark fruit. The tannins are perfectly crafted. Keeps going as you taste it. Drink in 2023 but why wait?James Suckling | 100 JSBlended of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Vieux Chateau Certan opens with profound notes of blueberry compote, dried mulberries, black forest cake, licorice, violets and garrigue with wafts of black truffles, sandalwood and rose hips. Medium to full-bodied, very earthy/savory and beautifully layered with very plush yet present tannins, it offers lovely freshness and a very long minerally finish. So very Pomerol!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis is a beautifully fragrant wine that has power along with an elegant acidity. It has wonderful juiciness that cuts through any of the tannins to give great freshness, a silky texture and fruitiness at the end. Perfumed and stylish, this is a very fine wine.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEExpressive and alluring aromas of warm plum reduction and boysenberry puree lead off here, followed by fleshy, seamlessly layered notes of blackberry, black currant, melted black licorice and smoldering tobacco. Shows a lovely tug of dark earth through the finish without sacrificing a sense of polish or giving ground to the waves of fruit. Displays terrific latent energy through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAromatics here are a little more evolved than with the 2016, showing tar notes, Liquorice Allsorts, anise, raspberry and blackberry fruits. This is a good quality wine with impact and character and the subtle complex shades of flavour that VCC does so well. Really does need time in the glass, suggesting it will hit full stride in another two or three years. (Drink between 2023-2042)Decanter | 95 DEC

Aromas of tar, black olive skin and blackberries follow through to a full body. Ultra-fine tannins and a long, linear finish with super intensity. Well-crafted in every sense. A fabulous Pomerol for the future. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSNewly-arrived Technical Director Marielle Cazaux turned out a jewel of a wine at La Conseillante in 2015, her debut vintage. A polished and super-sophisticated Pomerol, La Conseillante is all class. Precise, lifted aromatics make a strong first impression, but it is the wine’s overall feel and sense of harmony that truly dazzle. Over the last two years, the 2015 seems to have gained in freshness, precision and nuance. What a wine! The blend is 81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc. Don’t’ miss it.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGComposed of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak, the medium garnet-purple colored 2015 La Conseillante opens with reticent, earthy notes of dusty soil, garrigue, forest floor and iron ore with a core of warm plums, cassis, cigar boxes, star anise and dark chocolate plus a hint of violets. Medium to full-bodied with decadent fruit and a gorgeous plushness to the texture, the palate features impeccable poise and compelling depth, finishing on a lingering mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPReminding me of the 2009, the 2015 La Conseillante is more overt and sexy compared to the 2016, offering a huge nose of mulled black fruits, spring flowers, chocolate and gravely/clay-like earthiness. This is a full-bodied, complex, elegant and layered 2015 that has a singular character and the class to drink well for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThis is reserved, with subtle Earl Grey tea, singed apple wood and warm fruitcake aromas opening slowly ahead of a core of dark boysenberry, raspberry and blackberry compote flavors. A lovely swath of velvety tannins carries the finish, with the fruit and spice aromas pulling together nicely. Some patience is needed here, but this is one of the elite of the AOC in this vintage. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is a perfumed wine, rich in tannins and with a good balance between the Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend. Ripe black fruits and velvet tannins give the wine elegance and charm. It is juicy and ripe, with a background of firm structure set against a crisp final texture. The wine will develop well; drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA warm, sunny vintage, giving crème de cassis flavours and a crème caramel edging. Still young, but packed with gourmet, creamy character. Very much on primary flavours right now, so more focused on plum and black cherry than black truffle, but not question that this will appear over the next few years. Traces of heat on the finish. 70% new oak. A yield of 39.5hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DEC

This is a wine that had extreme intensity of electrifying tannins and acidity, with supercharged fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and lively. It touches every taste bud on your palate. Chocolate mousse and fruit. I am lost for words. Legendary 1950 all over again. Try it in 2020.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2009’s nearly 14% natural alcohol, exquisite ripeness, and incredible complex bouquet of Asian spices, fruitcake, licorice, smoke, blackberries and black currants are to die for. A blend of 84% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it possesses a viscous texture as well as a freshness and vibrancy that are remarkable given the wine’s weight, richness and potential massiveness. This extraordinary effort is one of the finest Vieux Chateau Certans made over the last sixty years. It will undoubtedly shut down in bottle, requiring a decade or more of cellaring. It should keep for 50 years thereafter. Proprietor Thienpont thinks it is a modern day version of the 1948.As I wrote in my barrel tasting notes, the 2009 ranks alongside four of the legendary vintages of Vieux Chateau Certan’s ancient past, 1945, 1947, 1948 and 1950. It is undoubtedly a cleaner wine than those older vintages, and the selection process under proprietor Alexandre Thienpont was far more severe in 2009 than it would have been sixty years ago.Robert Parker | 99 RPThis shows gorgeous silk and polish, brimming with beguiling plum, cherry eau de vie and red currant fruit flavors laced with supple toasty vanilla and cedar hints. But in the background brews a darker side, with loam, maduro tobacco and iron notes, which take over on the finish authoritatively. This feels like it will get a lot bigger before it fully melds--and that will be a while. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2018 through 2035. 4,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Vieux Château Certan) The 2009 Vieux Château Certan is a great wine in the making, but it will be a rather atypical vintage for this great estate, as the rains of the 19th and 20th of September played havoc a bit with the cabernet franc vineyards here, and a much larger percentage of merlot ended up being used for the grand vin in this vintage. Consequently the ’09 VCC is comprised of eighty-four percent merlot this year, with the balance made up of equal pars of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. But despite the atypical blend, the wine is stunning, as it offers up a beautiful nose of black cherries, blood orange, tobacco leaf, really lovely minerality, espresso and a discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure, with plenty of power, a rock solid core of fruit, tangy acids, fine-grained tannins and great length and purity on the complex and beautifully poised finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 93-94+ JGThe 2009 Vieux-Château-Certan has a gorgeous bouquet with red fruit, warm bricks, just a hint of sloes and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with tarry red fruit, firm tannin and well judged acidity. It tapers in slightly towards the finish where I would like a little more roundness but there is persistence here. Readers know I am huge fan of Alexandre Thienpont and this property, but I aver that this growing season never suited them. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This captures the magic of Lafleur and is utterly moreish. It is so silky, with hints of truffle, tobacco and sweet blackberry fruits from the first sip, opening up to violet flowers and drawn-out finely spun tannins. It’s at a beautiful moment for drinking now, but clearly has a long life ahead of it. 2001 was a vintage that suited the Merlot grape and tasting this as a pairing with the 2002 is a brilliant way to explore the two sides of Lafleur’s personality. The vintage was not released en primeur as it came along during the handover of ownership from the Robins to the Guinaudeaus, which is why there is still wine at the estate to share during the vertical. Drinking Window 2019 - 2050.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2001 Lafleur was tasted directly from bottle with Baptiste Guinaudeau. It opens gradually to reveal scents of brambly red fruit, black truffle, mint and touches of iron and sage. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins, and very ferrous in style, the Cabernet Franc definitely in the driving seat. Residues of black pepper and white pepper linger on the slightly savory finish. Poured at Café Cuisine with Baptiste Guinaudeau.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis wine starts out very tight, with fresh herb and tobacco character, but then it opens to ripe plum, berry and chocolate character. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Impressive. Lafleur is always outstanding. Best after 2009. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSPerforming slightly less impressively from bottle than it did from cask, this wine’s Cabernet Franc element has come forward, revealing a distinctive herbal, bell pepper, vegetal character that kept my score from going higher. Nevertheless, there is plenty to like about this 2001 Pomerol. It possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, powerful aromas (kirsch liqueur, raspberries, and blackberries), an earthy, muscular, chunky character, and the most tannic personality of any Pomerol I tasted. While not the huge blockbuster Lafleur can often produce, it is well-built. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.Robert Parker | 92 RP

Beautiful aromas of plums, soy, black currants, black raspberries, espresso, and spring flowers jump from the glass of this perfumed, dense plum/ruby/purple-tinged Pomerol. Medium to full-bodied and pure with sweet tannin and impressive extract, it will benefit from 2-3 more years of bottle age, and should last for an additional two decades.Robert Parker | 93 RPThere’s no denying the dense, rather massive core of raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry confiture flavors here, but the core is already showing a lightly dried edge. The finish picks up mulling spice, cocoa and melted licorice notes that compensate for that, but I feel like this is burning the candle at both ends, relying more on oomph than precision.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 2,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Seven years ago I said this was a monumental wine, and at two different recent tastings, it was a true star of the vintage. Its stunning dark plum color offers up notes of caramelized red and black fruits, toffee, smoke, Asian plum sauce, sweet cherries, chocolate, and espresso. Its spectacular aromatics do not disappoint on the palate, as this multi-dimensional, highly complex, opulent wine seems to have hit a magical point in its evolution. Full-bodied, and concentrated, there is no issue with drinking this dazzling effort now, but those who own it can certainly cellar it for another 15 or more years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 96 RPThis is a ripe and intense red with a layered and intense character of chocolate and dried tomatoes. Full-bodied, layered and spicy with cloves and dried thyme. Very flavorful.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is rather dramatic, with lush, layered blackberry puree and mocha notes that just keep going and going, picking up juicy black licorice and Black Forest cake flavors along the way. This has the spine to pull it off but is really for the all-hedonism-only crowd.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 1,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFull ruby-red. Superripe, alluring aromas of raspberry, cherry liqueur, mocha, coffee, game, violet and truffle. Thick, concentrated and sexy, with perfectly integrated acidity giving the wine uncanny vivacity and lightness of touch considering its great ripeness and richness. Underlying minerality contributes to the impression of precision. Very intensely flavored and long on personality. An utterly captivating drink.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This wine displays plenty of black raspberries, black currants, espresso roast, Asian soy and plum sauce along with some mocha and chocolate. Beautifully rich, firm, and full-bodied, with sweet but abundant tannins, this is a classy, noble style of wine that should be forgotten for at least 5-7 years and drunk over the following 20. Remarkably, the alcohol, like most of the wines in the J. P. Moueix stable of Pomerols and St.-Emilions, hit 14.5%.A tiny production of only 1,000 cases in 2010 (versus 1,500 in most vintages), its proprietor Christian Moueix has turned out a more tannic, structured, backward style of Hosanna than the 2009 or, for that matter, the 2008.Robert Parker | 96+ RPBeautiful nose with ripe strawberries, red apple and vanilla. Wonderful floral notes too. Sumptuous ripe red fruit and juicy acidity on the palate with finely knit tannins. Full-bodied and very juicy with a soft silky texture and good length. It's hard not to drink it now. But much better in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSA fleshy, alluring style, with strong structure, displaying plum, fig and boysenberry fruit laced with incense, Lapsang souchong tea and violet notes. Almost creamy, this features a thread of charcoal lending extra drive and depth on the finish. Seems to expand rapidly in the glass, boding well for cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2030. 1,000 cases made, 212 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSHigh-quality, 40-year-old Cab Franc planted on fine gravelly soil gives Cheval Blanc-like results. The 2010 is the best Hosanna ever, offering fragrant raspberry, blackcurrant, espresso and soy notes. Power in spades! Drinking Window 2025 - 2050Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Hosanna) The 2010 Hosanna is one top Pomerol that seems better in 2010 than it did in 2009, as this is an impressively tight, complex and refined example of this rather exuberant vintage. The bouquet is deep, classy and nicely reserved out of the blocks, delivering a blend of dark berries, black cherries, cigar smoke, gravelly soil tones, a touch of espresso and a stylish framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and very refined, with the inherent power of the vintage felt here as great intensity of flavor at the core. The ripely tannic and well-balanced finish delivers excellent grip, and this wine should be absolutely stunning with a decade’s worth of bottle age. (Drink between 2020-2070)John Gilman | 94 JGThis is a wine that is all tannin at this young stage. It is firmly dry and structured with a tight, dark texture. It has the concentrated fruit to sustain this initial severity, but will need many more years to show its power.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2010 Hosanna shows much more ripeness on the nose compared to its peers, more red fruit with perfumed cherries and bergamot tea aromas, rose petal and sage. The palate is silky smooth with what feels like a fair proportion of Cabernet Franc. It does not quite kick on towards the somewhat oaky finish, though this is very seductive. Unlike other Pomerols, you could broach this now. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A monumental wine is the 2015 Hosanna and it’s 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc raised in (I suspect) all new barrels that’s from a single parcel of older vines. One of those rare wines to pair incredible opulence with off the charts elegance and purity, it’s up with the top handful of wines in this vintage and readers should do whatever they can to taste this beauty. Loaded with notions of blackcurrants, black raspberries, toasty oak, truffles, graphite, and spice-box, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an ethereal, seamless texture, perfect balance, and a huge finish. It’s unquestionably one of the superstars in the vintage and should last for 25-30 years. Hats off to the Moueix team!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis has the wow factor; it’s very impressive. The nose is saturated with dark, rich plums and wet-earth aromas, not to mention the roasted-coffee and crushed-violet undertones. The palate has polished, lustrous appeal, and dark plums and ripe blueberry flavors abound. Long, deep-set tannins with incredible depth. This has x-factor depth and elegance. Best from 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Hosanna had a medium garnet-purple color, charging out of the glass with an exotic perfume of smoked meats, truffles, sandalwood and Indian spices over a compelling core of cherry cordial, blackberry tart and blueberry compote plus suggestions of garrigue and rose hip tea. The full-bodied palate is absolutely laden with taut, muscular black and blue fruits, with a solid frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with languidly lingering licorice and spice flavors. Incredibly seductive and just plain delicious right now, hedonists can enjoy this captivating wine while it’s relatively young, while traditionalists can wait ten years and drink it over the next 25 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA dense, powerful Pomerol, the 2015 Hosanna hits the palate with a huge center of fruit and layers of flavor that open up effortlessly in the glass. Hosanna is easily the most exotically ripe, flamboyant wine in the Mouiex range. Dense, powerful and also quite structured, with huge tannins, Hosanna is going to need at least a number of years before it is at its best. Hosanna is also one of the darkest and most potent Pomerols readers will taste in 2015.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis wine with its dense and dusty tannins has considerable power as well as concentration. The small 10-acre vineyard has produced a wine packed with both tannins and luscious black fruits. Acidity complements all this richness with its own freshness and balance. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEFleshy and inviting, featuring warm fig, boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit notes laced with ganache and tobacco accents. Long and especially velvety through the finish, with waves of fruit and ganache in lockstep. This will have fans for sure. Best from 2022 through 2035. 1,030 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSignature spicy, smoky, coffee, dark chocolate and damson; deep, brooding and earthy with a lingering freshness and a long finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 91 DEC

A big, backward, full-bodied Pomerol, the 2000 Gazin appears to have added weight as well as structure. Still young, it exhibits beautiful notes of sandy, loamy soil intermixed with mulberries, black cherries, cedar, and licorice. Tightly wound, powerful, and rich, with noticeable oak, it needs another 3-5 years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades.Robert Parker | 92+ RP

Stunning aromas of blackberries, black olives, brown sugar and dried flowers. Tar. Full-bodied, dense and layered. Superfine tannins, yet this is muscular and long. An amazing wine reminiscent of the great L’Evangiles of the 1950s. Straight track. Goes on and on. Truly great wine. Try in 2024.James Suckling | 100 JSIn the running for the most opulent, sensationally textured, massive wine in the vintage is the 2015 L’Evangile and if tasting this beauty doesn’t make your heart rate increase, I don’t know what will. Made from 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc brought up in plenty of new oak, its ruby/plum color is followed by an awesome bouquet of blackberry jam, smoked meats, licorice, truffle, and hints of chocolate. Thick, opulent, super ripe, and decadent, with a full-bodied mouthfeel that needs to be tasted to be believed, it still stays balanced and fresh on the palate and is already impossible to resist. It’s going to keep for 3+ decades. This is one of those wines I wish every reader could taste!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2015 L’Evangile is composed of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). Deep garnet-purple in color, it absolutely leaps from the glass with complex, gregarious notes of blackberry pie, plum preserves, smoked meats/charcuterie, mocha and licorice plus suggestions of cloves, black soil and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and jaw-droppingly sexy, it has beautifully plush yet firm tannins with a lively backbone and a very long, spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPFull of class and distinction, high in alcohol but barely perceptible because it is so packed out with layers of fruit. This has a lovely density and power, very ripe but not excessively so. It is closed right now, but this is going to grow into one of the great vintages at L’Evangile. 100% new oak, but already melted into the overall structure of the wine.Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2015 L’Évangile is a powerhouse. Rich, deep and ample, the 2015 shows the richer, more potent side of the year. Black cherry, plum, new leather and spice build as this extroverted Pomerol shows off its flamboyant personality. There is not a whole lot of subtlety here. It will be interesting to see if more nuance develops over time. For now, the 2015 is dense and vibrant, that much is obvious. I would give the 2015 at least a few years in bottle to shed some baby fat.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDark and dense, with a brooding personality, offering a mix of warm tobacco, espresso, dark earth, well-steeped black currant and fig fruit flavors. Finishes with a broad loamy swath of fruit and tobacco, showing a strong echo of mocha and tar. This packs some serious punch. Best from 2024 through 2040. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDensely tannic, this wine displays considerable power and concentration. With 84% Merlot it exhibits jammy, rich black-plum and blackberry fruit and powerful tannins. This is an enormous wine, still very firm. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Caramelized fruit, coffee bean, espresso, black cherry liqueur, licorice and spice aromas jump from the glass of this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. Concentrated and silky-textured, this full-bodied, voluptuous wine is a brilliant example of the 2011 vintage. Give it 2-4 more years in the bottle and enjoy it over the next 15 or more.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is extremely bright and exotic, with crushed berries, flowers, orange peel and strawberries. Full body with a super-refined tannin structure and gorgeous, subtle chocolate, coffee and orange peel with red fruits. You want to drink it now, but better in 2016.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Le Pin) The 2011 Le Pin is a very good wine, but it is not in the top division of Pomerols this year. The deep and primary nose offers up a lovely mélange of dark plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, fresh herbs and a fine base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with a sappy core and a fair bit of firm, well-integrated tannins on the long finish. This will need at least a decade to blossom, and should drink well for thirty or more years. Good juice, but without quite the personality of the best 2011 Pomerols. (Drink between 2025-2050)John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2011 Le Pin is a vintage that I tasted in barrel but inexplicably never in bottle. It was picked on September 12 and 13 at 35hl/ha and, significantly, it was the first vintage to be vinified in the new winery. I gave it a tepid reception back then, and almost a decade later, though Jacques Thienpont clearly has a soft spot for the 2011, I cannot confess to being as taken with it as the 2012 or 2014, for example. It has retained a Burgundy, quasi-Musigny bouquet of red berry fruit infused with mocha and black truffle, the mocha element becoming pronounced after three or four hours. You might describe it as comely, yet far from profound. The palate is medium-bodied with fine cohesion. I would not call the 2011 a complex Le Pin, although it has developed an appealing rounded body and slightly granular texture. The red fruit is infused with brown spices and mocha, a subtle gamy/ferrous note emerging with aeration. But it never quite kicks in like the finest vintages, content to remain a “very pleasant Pomerol” rather than a “knock ’em dead Le Pin.” It is at its peak now and is best drunk over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This is the essence of Le Pin with incredible silk texture and beautiful fruit. A berry, sweet-tobacco, chocolate and dusty undertone. It reminds me of many wonderful and underrated Le Pins of the 1980s like 1985 or 1986. What a wine. Better in 2018. But who can wait? Cystal clear. It’s like the 2001 that was always better than 2000.James Suckling | 97 JSIntense raspberry confiture notes drive along, with ample dark spice, anise and singed wood accents. Shows lots of flesh, especially for the vintage. A light twinge of savory at the very end gives this nice lift. This has settled in nicely and is one of the stars of this Right Bank–favored vintage.—Non-blind Le Pin vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2030. 502 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSTasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, 2012 Le Pin put in a very strong performance. It has a strict, graphite-infused bouquet that is strangely Pauillac-like (not a trait I have noticed on other vintages; I wonder whether it is just a passing phase?). This is earthier than its peers, with hints of leather in the background and sous-bois aromas becoming more and more accentuated by time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, elegant and understated in style with a fine line of acidity, harmonious and thankfully not screaming and shouting towards the stylish finish. This is an outstanding wine from Jacques Thienpont that might well be unfairly over-shadowed by the 2009 and 2010. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMA compelling, totally arresting wine, the 2012 Le Pin boasts superb texture, unctuousness and pure voluptuous beauty. The 2012 is effortless in the way it opens up in the glass, with generous sweet red cherry, plum, iron, smoke and licorice. Perhaps not as rich as some previous vintages, the 2012 is nevertheless racy and quite expressive, even at this early stage.Vinous Media | 95 VMA really elegant Le Pin. Fine, fresh, floral nose. Silky texture and tannins. Discreet but has length, depth and plenty of energy. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Le Pin) Monsieur Thienpont had his two teenage sons assisting in hosting the tasting this year, as both boys were home from school for the Easter holidays, with the older son particularly vivacious and funny and livening up the banter around the table. The 2012 Château Le Pin was harvested between October 1st and October 3rd, and comes in at a very civilized 13.5 percent alcohol this year. The bouquet is deep and youthful, offering up a classy blend of black cherries, blackberries, cigar smoke, a touch of tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and nutty, luxuriant new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and refined, with a fine core, ripe tannins, very good acidity and lovely length and grip on the focused and youthful finish. This will be a fine, fine vintage of Le Pin. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 93 JG

A ravishing red that pours out aromas of crushed raspberries, blueberries and dried flowers. Black truffle skins and undertones of violets. Full-bodied yet so tight and refined with incredible finesse and polish. The beauty and chic runs on for minutes on the finish. A truly endless and breathtakingly harmonious wine. It just rolls off the palate. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSThis features a remarkable display of fruit, both fresh and steeped--primarily raspberry, but with notes of blackberry and boysenberry as well--all gliding through seamlessly while light anise, Lapsang souchong tea and roasted mesquite details underscore the finish. The texture is equally sublime. Best from 2020 through 2040. 348 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSTypical Le Pin. Almost Burgundian, berry-fruit fragrance. Delicate sweetness on the palate. Elegant texture with finely woven tannins. Persistent, fresh finish. Elegant, balanced and digestible. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2014 Le Pin has a really quite lovely bouquet. Tasted alongside its "cousin" Vieux-Château-Certan, it is more exotic and outgoing, yet it maintains fine delineation and complexity with upfront blueberry and black cherry fruit, quite a noticeable menthol note emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet and embracing entry, caressing in texture thanks to the succulent tannin, though these are counterpoised by the silver bead of acidity. There is just a touch of salted licorice that pops up on the finish. To quote Alexandre Thienpont (since Jacques and Fiona had to be in Belgium), this is a "classic" Le Pin, though I feel it will be overshadowed by the 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMThe 2014 Le Pin has a powerful and quite showy bouquet with ample red berry fruit, black truffle, singed leather and a light marine influence that comes through with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, fresh and lively with fleshy red cherry, crushed strawberry and white pepper notes on the satisfying finish. It is a fine Pomerol even if it does not quite match up to recent vintages from Jacques Thienpont. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM

One of the unquestioned stars of the vintage, the 2014 Vieux Château Certan soars out of the glass with aromatic intensity, bright acids and finely sculpted fruit. Cool, intense but very much reserved in the style of the year, the 2014 exudes class. The flavors are intense and vibrant throughout. Dark red and purplish-hued stone fruit, lavender, mint and spice lead into the striking finish. The 2014 is just as impressive today as it was from barrel. As always, Vieux Certan has the rare ability to confer power without excess weight. The 2014 is a magical bottle. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The blend is back to classic proportions of 80 % Merlot and 20 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGThe 2014 Vieux Château Certan is glorious stuff that has more personality and sexiness than just about every other wine in the vintage. Kirsch, black cherries, flowers, forest floor and exotic spice characteristics all emerge from this ethereally textured, elegant, beautifully rich 2014 that has notable acidity, sweet tannin, and a great finish. With an almost Burgundian elegance and purity, it’s already drinking nicely, but will be even better in another 3-4 years and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is so gorgeous with black truffles, stones and subtle blackberries. Black mushrooms, too. Full-bodied, so dense and deep with very silky tannins and an endless finish. The density of fruit is superb. Truly irresistible. Drink in 2022 but already wonderful to drink.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a rich, finely structured wine. It is highly perfumed, packed with black fruits and has a dark, firm texture. At the same time, the acidity is intense and the structure tight, suggesting a wine to age. Beautifully endowed with great fruit, it will take time to develop. Drink from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked in three stages: 19-20 September, 29 September to 2 October, and 7 and 8 October. The yields came in at 38.7 hectoliters per hectare with 13.4% alcohol. It was one of my stars of the vintage and now in bottle, I find no reason to change that. It is endowed with an exquisite bouquet, really one of the best I encountered throughout my tastings: perfumed blackberry, wild strawberry, cold stone and wilted rose petals. Like in barrel, it is not powerful, yet it is blessed with wondrous precision. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and fine tannin, a slightly masculine VCC due to its linearity and precision. There is tension here from start to finish, a sophisticated and cerebral Pomerol that transcends the growing season. It is a totally different kettle of fish to the 2015 (and doubtless the pre-natal 2016). This is unashamedly classic in style, fanning out towards the mineral-rich finish with great frisson and energy. A cellar without the 2014 Vieux-Château-Certan would be a great pity.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMGorgeous, with a core of remarkably pure blackberry, raspberry and black currant fruit wrapped up in a fresh tobacco leaf accent. Everything is carried by silky yet persistent tannins, while the finish lets suave warm stone and singed juniper details fill in. Shows some coiled-up energy, which should make for fun cellaring. Best from 2020 through 2035. 3,167 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 96 WSEnjoyably full of rich dark fruits, pretty serious in feel and in tannic hold that supports without crushing the fruit. Overall the layers are starting to peel back and show cassis, blackberry, earth, cigar box and tobacco smoke. Plenty of pleasure on offer here. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC

The 2018 La Conseillante is composed of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with a 3.65 pH and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to lure out the youthfully shy, incredible perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries, ripe plums and cinnamon toast, leading to notions of lilacs, clove oil and forest floor, plus a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is a jaw-dropping exercise in finesse, slowly unfurling in the mouth to reveal layer upon layer of bright, crunchy red and black fruits, supported by a rock-solid frame of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and with an impressive mineral and exotic spice firework display. It’s an incredible expression of Pomerol that cannot fail to inspire a resounding "WOW" from whoever is fortunate to drink it. Tempting to broach now (albeit with a lot of air), try to keep your hands off it for a good 5 years and then drink it over the next 30 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 La Conseillante is a regal and utterly exquisite Pomerol from the very first taste. Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team turned out a jewel of a wine. Silky tannins and lifted, precise aromatics make a strong first impression. Inky dark fruit, pain grillé, lavender, spice, menthol and a kiss of new French oak all flesh out over time. More than anything else, what comes through is the new emphasis at La Conseillante on freshness and verve. The 2018 is a Pomerol of tremendous precision. It is, in a word: dynamite!Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA dense, layered Pomerol with lots of chocolate, walnut, and plum character. Some coffee undertones. It’s full-bodied with chewy, polished tannins and a structured, muscular finish. Solid. Elegance with power. 2018. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSA beautiful expression of this terroir, which always seems to yield a more elegant, complex style of wine, the 2018 Château La Conseillante is based on 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. A brilliant perfume of blueberries, currants, spring flowers, violets, and graphite gives way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol with flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It closes down rather quickly with time in the glass (I followed the bottle for multiple days), and it isn’t for the instant gratification crowd, but it’s unquestionably a gorgeous Pomerol. Give bottles a solid 8-10 years of bottle age, and it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThis is beautiful and powers through the palate showing depth and concentration to the brambled fruit. It has an excellent mid palate, the truffle of Pomerol comes through at this young stage in a way that was not evident in the 2015 even, but here has a lovely seductive kick. Spicy vanilla bean and black pepper alongside touches of cinnamon, this is very good quality. A yield of 32hl/ha. 70% new oak, 3% in amphora for the first time. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThe elegant structure that backs up this wine is impressive in its restraint. While the wine has plenty of black fruits and dark tannins, it conveys a calm character that sees long-term aging as its goal.The wine will take its time. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENicely packed, with a mix of dark plum and black currant preserve flavors wrapped with licorice root and warm earth notes. Tobacco and bay fill in on the finish, adding energy and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 3,299 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSOne of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou’s 2018 Château L’Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won’t hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L’Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented by notions of wild mushrooms, mossy tree bark and crushed rocks, giving way to a core of black raspberries, plum preserves and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lavender and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering slow-releasing black fruit and earthy layers, framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic tension. It finishes with epic length and subtlety. It is already so evocative and beautifully expressed at this youthful stage that is tempting to broach straight away, but give it another 5-6 years to really fan its feathers, and drink it over the next 40 or more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 L’Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L’Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It’s a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy over the next several decades.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGLush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Score rangeWine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis is plush, with touches of chocolate shavings, olive paste, clove, rosemary and sage right from the opening beats. Blackberry and raspberry layer up flavours that lift out of the glass, then the aromatics take over with soft smoke and grilled almonds. Seductive, a reminder of Durantou’s ability to tease layers and nuances out of even warm vintages. Austere on the finish, with chalky tannins at this stage - this is knitted down and will reward patience. Low temperature fermentation at around 22C. A yield of 45hl/ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DEC

So attractive on the nose with blackberry, black olive and a hint of brown sugar. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that flow across the palate. Rich, intense and flavorful finish with flavors similar to the aromas. Fleshy and toned at the end. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JS(Château L’Évangile, Pomerol, Red) You feel the density and power straight off the nose here - this is really silky, sexy and smoky wine with a ton of complex flavours combining berry fruits with spices swirling through, and finishing up with liquorice bean and coffee grounds on the finish. There’s less lift perhaps than the 2016, but you feel the concentration, the depth to the flavour, and the balance. It has a beautiful texture and feels very classically Pomerol but with elegance and persistency. A small production in 2018 but a very beautiful one. 75% new oak used. (Drink between 2027-2044)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 L’Evangile is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes barreling out of the glass with explosive scents of boysenberries, stewed plums and baked blackberries with hints of lilacs, candied violets, Indian spices and garrigue, plus a touch of black truffles. Full-bodied, rich and powerful in the mouth, this blockbuster coats the palate with layers of black fruit preserves and exotic spices, framed by plush tannins and wonderful energy, finishing long and savory. Decadently approachable now, give it 4-5 years in bottle for maximum impact and drink it over the next 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPMade in the more lively, elegant style that seems to be favored these days, the 2018 Château L’Evangile is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with the Cabernet Franc playing a much more lead role than normal. Beautiful blue fruits, green tobacco, violets, white truffle, camphor, and damp earth notes all flow to a gorgeously layered, full-bodied Pomerol with sweet, silky tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. While I prefer the more opulent renditions of this cuvée, this is nevertheless a brilliant wine that has wonderful concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, and the class to evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2018 L’Évangile is flamboyant, spectacularly beautiful. Mildew in June took out fully 50% of the potential crop, resulting in a dense, opulent wine that is going to need many years to shed some of that baby fat. The 20% Cabernet Franc is the highest on record. The 2018 is an epic, modern-day Évangile. Raspberry jam, mocha, licorice, spice and chocolate come together as the 2018 blossoms with time in the glass. Made with 80% new oak. Both hedonistic and intellectual, the 2018 is a total pleasure bomb. Don’t miss it. A real wow wine - huge!Antonio Galloni | 96 AGOwned by the Rothschild family of Lafite-Rothschild, this estate has produced a richly delicious wine. The power of Merlot is tempered and perfumed by ripe Cabernet Franc. Tannins and acidity both point to aging potential. The wine’s weight, cut with black fruits, is just right and well in balance. This wine needs time, so drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDark and winey, with a burly tobacco edge framing a core of steeped black currant, blackberry and fig paste flavors. Strong tug of warm earth through the finish, where bay, leather and chestnut notes also chime in. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Lots of cedar, tea-leaf and hazelnut character and ripe fruit aromas. Citrus peel, too. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Smoky undertone. This is structured and so complex. Drink in 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSA straight up smokin’ red from this vintage is the 2015 Château Gazin and it’s a big, powerful, stacked 2015 that’s for those with patience. Made from almost all Merlot (I think it’s 100%), my notes on this beauty start - and end - with “love it.” Cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, forest floor, and tons of minerality all soar from the glass of this sensationally rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied 2015 that has building tannin, a seamless texture, and a blockbuster finish. Forget bottle for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Gazin is scented of baked plums, Christmas cake, mincemeat and plum preserves with hints of chocolate box, coffee, tapenade and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied with mouth-filling baked berries and savory layers, it has firm, chewy tannins and a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2015 Gazin has a fragrant bouquet of blackberry, briary and truffle; a whiff of bonfire smoke emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite edgy and tensile with a fresh, graphite and tobacco-laced finish that is classic in style. Superb, if missing the same horsepower of 12 months ago. This might well be closing down. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMPlush and warm, with fig, boysenberry and blackberry confiture notes inlaid with light charcoal, black tea and fruitcake hints. The fleshy finish lets the charcoal element lead the way. Best from 2022 through 2032. 6,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm with spicy, generous tannins, this is a wine that is showing both ripe black fruits and wood aging flavors. The wood will temper as the ripe, full black fruits develop. It has good aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE(Château Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Youthful blackcurrants, damsons and berries with cedar, coffee and liquorice notes; compact and well-constructed with a silky texture. (Drink between 2023-2033)Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is blended of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with pristine, vivid notions of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry compote and mulberries with fragrant touches of raspberry leaves, crushed rocks, licorice, cumin seed and yeast extract plus a waft of red roses. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully elegant, the palate builds from a quiet intensity to an incredibly well-sustained aria of crunchy red and black cherries notes plus tons of floral undertones, framed by exquisitely soft yet firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with lingering mineral and floral sparks. How does this 2016 compare to the also amazing 2015 vintage? Stylistically they are very different, as my notes on each should convey, but beyond this I am struck by the incredible harmony and seamlessness of the 2016 along with its amazing depth and energy this year. Bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPJust as good, yet in a different style, the 2016 Vieux Château Certan shows cooler notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, underbrush, graphite, violets, and crushed rocks. Deep, incredibly full-bodied and powerful, yet like the 2015, weightless and sensationally textured, it glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. Expansive, deep, beautifully concentrated, and flawlessly constructed, it builds incrementally on the palate and has a finish that lasts for over a minute. It’s another legendary wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2016 Vieux Château Certan has a perfumed, floral bouquet of red fruit infused with violet and incense; hints of iodine and seaweed emerge with time. This is certainly very complex, bordering on profound. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and layers of red fruit laced with cedar and desiccated orange peel, leading to a persistent and utterly spellbinding finish. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 99 VMThe ripeness in this wine is incredibly balanced and perfect with plum and orange-peel character, buttressed by the ripe seeds of the grapes that give a hazelnut and coffee undertone. Turns to violets. Full body with firm and very sexy tannins that are perfectly balanced and polished. Some chocolate and dried black tea-leaf character in the aftertaste. Wonderful finish. Needs five to six years to soften, but already a joy to experience. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JS(Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Poised between velvet tannins, supple juice and powerfully concentrated fruits; a punch of liquorice and chocolate and damson. Clear evidence of ageing ability, and a slow stretch out of flavours and aromatics in the glass, with just the slightest trace of hot spice on the finish. It’s official, 2016 is a powerhouse. 70% new oak. (Drink between 2024-2045)Decanter | 98 DECThis big, rich wine has perfumed Cabernet Franc flavors to give shape to the dominant Merlot. It is a well-structured wine, elegant and with juicy acidity. It displays power and concentration along with restraint and style. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEA horse of a different color among its peers in this vintage, featuring an extremely vivid core of pastis-soaked plum, cassis and blackberry fruit streaming forth. Muscular yet imbued with racy cut, the finish ripples along the edges, with sweet tobacco, warm gravel and ganache notes. A violet hint glistens here and there for added effect. Power and vivacity make a thrilling combo. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

It has been several years since I last tasted the 1985 Vieux Chateau Certan. Back then I remarked that I would not cellar it too long, although this bottle suggests that there is some mileage left yet. Served blind, I remarked that it was a 1985 due to the fragrant perfume on the nose, still almost Burgundy-like, though the presence of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc lent it subtle earthiness. The palate is mellow, fully mature but very harmonious. Whilst it does not have the depth or the flamboyance of the top Pomerols from this vintage, there is a sensuality to this 31-year-old wine and there is beguiling purity on the finish. It is just a joy to drink. Tasted December 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMThe 1985 Vieux Château Certan is perhaps nearing the end of its drinking plateau. The mellow, loam-scented nose is a little loose-knit, and perhaps it can be seen as a lesser version of the 1989. I want more intensity, but make do with gravel and dried blood aromas that develop with aeration. This is not a deep or powerful Pomerol, but it conveys a sense of warmth, with a hint of black truffle on the finish and melted tannins. The 1985 is perfect to drink now, I would not be inclined to keep it too much longer.Vinous Media | 90 VMSoft and graceful, featuring smoky plum and cassis aromas and flavors, fles hy texture, complexity and length, with a hint of chocolate on the finish.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Very rich and lush, but also extremely refined, this has a lightness of touch that some top Pomerols of the vintage lack. That has a lot to do with the stunningly fine tannins that glide through the long super-fine finish. Better than ever. Drink or hold (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 100 JSExceptional purity and a blockbuster nose of mocha, black cherry liqueur, mulberries and plums are followed by an extravagantly rich wine that seems to have a nearly endless finish. Truly haute couture of Merlot, so to speak, this wine has a finish that goes well past a minute, with wonderfully sweet tannins and a provocative, concentrated, broad mouthfeel that is remarkably luxurious. This is amazing stuff! It should drink well for 20-25 years.This is undeniably the greatest Le Pin I have tasted at such an infantile age. There are about 500 cases of this wine, which is made by the Thienpont family, the owners of Vieux Chateau Certan. One hundred percent Merlot, it continues to possess the exoticism of previous vintages, but the oak at present is far better crafted and integrated than in the debut vintage of 1979.Robert Parker | 100 RPThis is still very expressive, as is the vintage in general, with a core of glistening warm raspberry puree laced with anise, black tea and mineral notes. Brighter in profile than the ’10, and just as long. Harder to resist now, too, and just missing that little extra something through the finish that sets the ’10 apart. That’s splitting hairs though.--Non-blind Le Pin vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2035. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2009 Le Pin has a very gorgeous, mellow bouquet with plenty of red fruit infused with leather, mocha and light Cuban cigar aromas. This is not a million miles away from Petrus. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannin, slightly lower acidity than its peers yet remaining balanced. Gains depth and complexity towards the finish with touches of cedar and sage. I love the way this fans out and lingers in the mouth. Not a perfect wine, but an outstanding Le Pin. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMVoluptuous and silky, this is deceptively soft and open yet with singing acidity flowing through it, giving it grip. It’s extremely ripe and generous in fruit, with notes of ground coffee and cappuccino and great persistency. It manages to combine hedonistic appeal with thought-provoking moments, demanding that you slow down rather than gulping the whole glass. It manages to seduce without overpowering, but is certainly signature Le Pin. Drinking Window 2019 - 2046Decanter | 97 DEC(Château Le Pin) This will be the last vintage of Le Pin made in the quaint old chais in the middle of the vineyards, as plans are in place to modernize the facilities in the very near future. The 2009 Le Pin is a very good example of the vintage, as it offers up scents of ripe black cherries, black raspberries, chocolate, woodsmoke and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, fairly complex and impressively tangy, with a great core of fruit, plenty of ripe tannins and fine length and grip on the long and palate-staining finish. Le Pin has always had one hundred percent of its malo done in barrel, and it seems to me that one of the differentiating characteristics between this wine and the very greatest Pomerols such as Trotanoy or Vieux Château Certan is the less impressive signature of soil that seems to emanate from wines such as Le Pin in which all of their malos are done in barrique. This is certainly a superb wine, but it does not come close to moving me the way some of the other top estates in Pomerol have done with their monumental 2009s. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 92-93 JG

A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSFor whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDDark in profile, featuring a steeped core of fig and blackberry fruit that melds with roasted apple wood and ganache notes through the finish. Shows plenty of muscle, but the refined structure leads to a very long finish, boding well for the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 4,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2014 Clinet is a wine that left me "perplexed" when I tasted it multiple times both from barrel and in bottle. The litmus test is how it shows blind... Here it has a lifted bouquet with truffle and smoke-infused red fruit, a subtle hickory note coming through with aeration. One or two attendees at the tasting suggested brettanomyces. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, spicy in the mouth with a dash of white pepper towards the firm, quite masculine and angular finish. Two bottles tasted with consistent notes. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A pure, creamy and well-structured yet very fine Evangile. Long and caressing. Very fine tannins. Lots of fresh dark fruit and savory, mineral character. Understated and classy. 69% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe 2021 L’Évangile is one of the triumphs of the year, especially considering L’Évangile is now farmed biodynamically. Sharply reduced yields—20 hectoliters-per-hectare versus upper 30s for the rest of the appellation—produced a deeply sensual wine. The 2021 spent 18 months in barrel, 40% new (significantly lower than in the past), with 15% of the wine aged in terra cotta. Those are only details though. What is most encouraging about L’Évangile is how far the property has come in the last few years. Superb. The 2021 L’Évangile is a model of contemporary excellence. It marries classicism with modern approaches to farming and winemaking.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe Grand Vin 2021 Château L’Evangile includes more Cabernet Franc and is 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 50% new French oak, with 15% amphora. Beautiful blue fruits, violets, chocolate, and some gravelly earth define the bouquet and while it’s a medium-bodied, more mid-weight L’Evangile, it has a wonderful purity of fruit, ripe, present, silky tannins, outstanding balance, and a great finish. It’s another vibrant, elegant, seamless Pomerol that will drink nicely with just short-term cellaring yet have 20 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDUnfurling in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with notions of licorice, black truffle, rose petal and iris, the 2021 L’Evangile is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a broad and textural attack that segues into a charming, succulent mid-palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. This saw only two rackings, and some 15% matured in amphora, with the rest in barriques that are less toasty than in the past; the result of these and other initiatives is a much more timeless expression of this property. Bottled in May 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSmells concentrated and quite bold, more of a heady nose, dark fruits and gorgeous perfumed Cabernet aspects. Succulent and juicy, a really appealing and charming palate, juiciness but density too, you get plump fruit here rather than a piercing focus giving more of a mouthful than some others but still with a detail to the fine tannins, the ripe fruit, cherry and blackcurrant and plum with a long finish. Sustained on the palate, this doesn’t let up, slowly building from start to finish giving a cool, delicate, refined palate but still with grippy maintaining attention. You can tell they got full ripeness here, but there’s also this lovely cooling, slate aspect - the soft chalkiness that comes in on the finish. I like this - the initial intensity, directness of black fruit and then the chalk texture. Feels nicely complete and one of the larger, more dense wines this vintage. A yield of 20hl/ha with all the Cabernet Sauvignon going into the grand vin. Juliette Couderc technical director. First year certified organic.Decanter | 94 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 L’Evangile comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of cloves, cinnamon stick, red roses, and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness (pH 3.6) finishing long and minerally. The blend is 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging 15% in amphora, 50% in new oak, and 35% in 1-year barrels. The first Merlot was picked on 21 September, then the harvest continued for Merlot and Cabernet Franc until 4 October. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 8 October.The Wine Independent | 91-94+ TWI

The 2021 La Conseillante is bright, fresh and fruity, with lovely red fruit character and fine balance. Crushed berries, rose petal, lavender, chalk, mint and spice are beautifully delineated. In 2021, La Conseillante is a Pomerol of tension, nerve and delicacy more than volume. Time in the glass brings out bright floral notes that extend the finish. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in French oak—70% new, 27% once-filled barrels and 3% amphora. The 2021 is such a classy wine. I can’t wait to see how it ages. The 2021 possesses a Burgundian sense of structure, for lack of a better term. Harvest started on September 28 for the Merlots, very late by recent standards, through October 1. The Cabernets were picked on October 6 and 12. The alcohol (13%) and pH (3.6) readings are those from another era.Vinous Media | 96 VMBlackberry, lavender, dried violet, and sandalwood follow through to a medium body, with very fine and velvety tannins that give a polished and caressing texture. Fresh and vivid. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 La Conseillante unwinds in the glass with aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with vine smoke, rose petals and spices, framed by a discreet touch of new oak. This is medium to full-bodied, suave and enveloping, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, multidimensional palate that’s framed by ultra-refined tannins and animated by ripe acids. Long and perfumed, this has turned out beautifully. It was bottled in June, seeing three rackings and a very light egg-white fining during élevage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2021 Château La Conseillante showed beautifully, and while it’s not going to match the all-time greats here, it’s a quintessential, elegant, seamless Pomerol in the making. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a spectacular nose of pure cassis, ripe tobacco, damp earth, and ample floral nuances, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It’s a remarkable effort in this challenging vintage. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, still aging in 70% new barrels, that hit 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDIris and raspberry notes on the nose, delicately floral but fresh and lively - just shy of mouthwatering acidity - but enough to create such a lift on the first taste which has a juicy effect. The acidity is nicely balanced but this has such a gentle charm, a suaveness and sensuality to it, tannins are sleek and agile with some bitter dark chocolate and slate edges while the fruit is full of black cherry, plum and blueberry touches. But it’s the texture and the aromatic display that are so captivating - having density and weight but no heaviness. You get the ripeness in the flavour but the overall feeling remains cool and refreshing with tension and terroir on show in the wet stone nuance underpinning the fruit. Just pure grace and precision. An exceptional effort for the estate’s 150th vintage. ’The worst thing on the label is the vintage’ says general director Marielle Cazeaux "because people think it’s bad, but this is really the DNA of La Conseillante". 3.6pH. Merlot picked from 28th September to 1st October, Cabernet Franc on the 6th and 12th October.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 La Conseillante is a blend of 85% Merlot, harvested from 28 September to 1 October, and 15% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 6 to 12 October, with a yield of 39 hl/ha. It is aging 70% in new oak and 3% in amphora. Deep garnet-purple color, it strides confidently out of the glass with notes of fresh blackberries, ripe raspberries, cracked black pepper, and lavender, plus vibrant accents of roses, cinnamon stick, and pencil shavings, Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and quivering with tension, delivering a vibrant core of bright red fruit and subtle spicy sparks, leading to a long minerally finish. pH 3.6.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWI

This starts off a little jammy with hints of raisin that develop into black currants. Full body with silky tannins and fresh acidity. It’s integrated yet ethereal.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 1983 Lafleur is the vintage that alerted me to the pedigree of this Pomerol growth back in 2004, so I have a sentimental attachment to it. A recent encounter served blind in Hong Kong confirms that the Lafleur ranks alongside the 1983 Cheval Blanc as the best Right Bank of the vintage. It is quite precocious and generous on the nose with sorbet-like red fruit tinged with peppermint and truffle oil. It has lost a little cohesion in recent years but offers more secondary scents of leather and sage. The palate has wondrous balance and poise: hints of iron infusing the supple red fruit with a complex and detailed finish. Well-stored bottles will continue giving immense pleasure. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 96 VMFull mature, yet still in far better condition than most 1983 Pomerols, Lafleur’s 1983 has a medium ruby color with considerable pink at the edge. A very exotic, almost kinky nose of Asian spice, licorice, truffle, and jammy kirsch is followed by a medium to full-bodied, plum, fleshy wine with sweet tannin, and low acidity in a very evolved style. Certainly among the very good vintages of Lafleur over the last 20 years, this is the most evolved and drinkable. Anticipated maturity: Now-2015. Last tasted, 8/02.Robert Parker | 92 RPPort-like. A monster. Extremely ripe, exaggerated style with loads of berry and earth character. Full-bodied and tannic. Still needs time; try after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50.Wine Spectator | 91 WSI used to adore the 1983 Château Lafleur, which is a wine that I owned quite a bit of at one time, but I drank my cache of the wine up in earlier days and I had not crossed paths with a bottle of this wine in more than a decade. Much like the 1982, the 1983 has gotten quite a bit more marked by notes of sur maturité on both the nose and palate as time has gone by, with the bouquet now defined by notes of prunes, fruitcake, chocolate, dried eucalyptus, cigarette ash and soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, powerful and very soil-driven in personality, with a firm core, still plenty of tannin and now a bit of uncovered alcohol starting to poke out on the long and chewy finish. This is not a great time to be drinking the 1983 Lafleur, which seems to have gone into a bit of a closed period, but the combination of overripe aromatics and flavors, as well as some backend heat, makes one seriously wonder about its long-term prospects. This wine has to be well over fourteen percent alcohol, and it has not aged with anywhere near the grace I would have imagined, given how superb it was in its relative youth. I have never seen wines in this style come back from the brink, but perhaps the ’83 Lafleur can prove the exception. (Drink between 2017 - 2040)John Gilman | 86-91+ JG