Bordeaux Collector Wines

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Cocoa bean, bilberry, cassis, espresso, smoked earth, campfire, chunky tannins that put the emphasis on dark Petit Verdot spice. It’s a St Julien wine that has hints of Pauillac, where you feel the shoulders, the structure and the chewy tannins but there is a generosity and again this sparkle of cheer underpinning it all that Gloria does so well. Plenty of time ahead. 40% new oak, harvest September 29 to October 16. 46hl/h yield, from a year that saw both quality and quantity. Remi di Constanzo technical director.Jane Anson | 96 JASt-Julien lovers are going to be happy to see how Gloria has developed over the past decade. Cinnamon and black pepper, slivers of olive paste and crushed smoked rosemary. I love this wine; this was the time when it was starting to receive well deserved recognition after years of being in the background; and well done those who bought in En Primeur. Just coming in to its drinking window, but no rush. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 94 DECThe 2010 Gloria has a very attractive and quite intense bouquet with a surfeit of blackberry and wild strawberry scents, cedar and light seaweed coming through with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with supple but firm tannins framing the pure blackberry and bilberry fruit, laced with black pepper and clove. Very complex, very focused and very precise on the finish, this is an outstanding 2010 Saint-Julien. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2010 Gloria is an ass-kicking, fabulous value once again from this estate, which would probably be classified if the 1855 hierarchy of the wines of the Medoc were ever done again. Abundant notes of cedar wood, fruitcake, flowers, creme de cassis and kirsch are all present in this full-bodied, opulent, dense, dark ruby/purple wine. It is slightly more restrained than the flamboyant 2009, but equal in quality. This is a juicy, well-proportioned, sensationally concentrated, super-ripe Gloria to drink over the next decades. Of course, it is a sleeper of the vintage, given the reasonable price it normally sells for.Robert Parker | 93 RPA little coarse, with chewy tannins, but velvety in texture. Full body, with plenty of fruit and bright acidity. Intense and interesting.James Suckling | 90-91 JSJuicy and direct, with a relatively friendly feel to the plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit, all coated with a ganache note that hangs through the finish. Surprisingly accessible, and not quite as grippy as when tasted from barrel. Drink now through 2023.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe wine shows considerable new-wood influence at this stage. However, this wood emphasis brings out polished fruit that is deliciously smooth and blackberry-like in profile. This is likely to develop relatively quickly.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

A serious Haut-Brion, still very much closed. Concentrated with firm tannins, this has real depth to it, showing walls and structure. Beautiful juice starts to seep through the walls after a few moments and this has great potential. It has a tannic frame that softens as it opens, and lets the light in, showing its more elegant side. Cleverly constructed, this is great winemaking, a clear success. 72% new oak. Harvest August 31 to September 27. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECLots of subtle redcurrant and berry character, with flowers and sweet tobacco on the nose. Full body, super-integrated tannins and a light shaved-chocolate, berry and cedar character. A decadence and beauty to this that wakes you up. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe unbelievably superb 2011 Haut-Brion (a tiny production of 7,600 cases from a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 19% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a classic nose of subtle smoldering embers, warm rocks, black currants, new saddle leather, spice box and high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco. The color is a dense ruby/purple to the edge, and the wine cuts a serious as well as broad swath across the palate. The most amazing aspect of this terroir is that the wine, despite all its power and richness, literally dances on the palate, as if it were a 90 pound ballerina. This brilliant 2011 should evolve quickly, hitting its prime in 7-8 years, and drink beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis packs some serious density for the vintage, with layers of braised fig, blackberry pâte de fruit and dark currant paste, all inlaid with lively briar, tobacco leaf and roasted apple wood notes. Shows lots of energy through the finish, with the grip generating a mouthwatering feel. One of the stars of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2011 Haut-Brion has a really lovely, warm, autumnal nose with red fruit, chestnut, autumn leaves and Earl Grey scents. Very complex. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, a crisp line of acidity, maybe just a little austere on the finish, but there is fine focus with a delicately spiced, slightly medicinal finish. This is an impressive and quite delicious Haut-Brion that should give 20 years more drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis wine has an intense herbaceous quality, with fruit and nutmeg flavors. It feels and tastes powerful, with alcoholic warmth and a taut and nervy character.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Brings together the florality of Armailhac and the dense fruit of Clerc Milon, all with the volume turned up. Clear concentration and structure here, powerful Pauillac tannins and a juicy finish - easily one of the wines of the vintage in Pauillac. And despite the challenges of the vintage, it has plenty of seductive Mouton signature - touches of gourmet edging, smoke, liquorice, bitter chocolate shavings, pencil lead, a ton of Pauillac character. It is well measured and grips through the palate. Harvest 12-28 September. We were at a time here when Mouton could barely put a foot wrong, great stuff from Philippe Dhalluin. (Drink between 2023-2050)Decanter | 97 DECTight, focused and very well-built, this shows the quality of this sleeper vintage. Built on tannins that have a twinge of austerity, this offers ample flesh to the dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit. Bramble, tobacco and loam accents fill in through the finish, which has a lingering tug of dark earth at the very end. This one may never be a charmer but it has aging potential for sure.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2021 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThere is a lightness about this vintage of Mouton Rothschild. It doesn’t take away from its quality but does give the wine poise and an attractive lift. The wine is based on solid tannins, then the ripe fruit builds layers of fruitiness and freshness. It is not likely to be one of the longest-aging Moutons, but it will be delicious. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is now a little tight but shows firmness and raciness with pretty austerity. Full and tight with silky tannins and a long, fresh finish. Firm acidity is holding it back. Needs two or three years to open. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2011 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and concentrated. Plum, grilled herbs, smoke, graphite and mocha are all nicely delineated in the glass. The effects of the hot, dry weather are felt in the wine’s roasted flavors and hard tannins that reflect the heat stress of the season. I suspect the 2011 will have its day of glory once the tannins soften, but that day is a ways off in the future. Readers should expect to be patient with the 2011. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 12 and 28.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGTasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock’s tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP-NM(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2011 Mouton-Rothschild contains the highest percentage of cabernet sauvignon ever in the history of this estate, as fully ninety percent of the blend is made up of this varietal, to go along with seven percent merlot and three percent cabernet franc. The wine is very deep and nascently complex on the nose, as it offers up scents of cassis, Cuban cigar ash, coffee bean, tobacco leaf, a bit of lead pencil and plenty of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with firm, substantial tannins and a very long, primary and quite concentrated finish. This will need a long time to come around, but seems to have the constituent components in place to eventually blossom nicely. I do not know why the wine does not move me more than it does, but, at least at this early stage, the wine just seems to lack a bit of soul. Maybe bottle age will reveal its inner beauty. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 89-92+ JG

The 2011 Pavie is composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (14.3% alcohol). It possesses a certain approachability, which is somewhat disarming for the big, robust, super-concentrated and ageworthy style Pavie has favored since 1998. The opaque purple-hued, full-bodied 2011 offers a sweet kiss of kirsch, blackberry, cassis and licorice, but no evidence of toasty oak despite the fact it is bottled about six months after most other premier grand cru classes in St.-Emilion. One of the most complete wines of the vintage, this superstar possesses gorgeous texture and opulence, and can be drunk in 3-4 years, or cellared for two decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPVery solidly built, with dark plum, boysenberry and red currant paste flavors forming the core, all harnessed by ample grip. This shows classic Bordeaux cut, with grippy yet ripe tannins. Delivers serious graphite and tobacco elements on the back end that should evolve with more time. This has less sizzle than some of the other vintages but just as much steak.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 7,330 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSReally fresh and bright with a linear and precise palate. Dark berries and chocolate powder. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a silky finish. Just starting to come around now.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2011 Pavie has a distinctly earthy bouquet, well-defined with some expressive Cabernet Franc. A little savory, with dried blood developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with heavily-extracted tannins, tightening up on the mid-palate, good structure, grippy with a graphite-tinged, Cabernet-driven finish. This could actually benefit from more bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92+ VMBarrel sample. Here is a ripe and juicy wine that pushes forward with delicious blackberry fruits. There is a tense edge of acidity that then brings out denser tannins, but juiciness characterizes this wine. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Lafite’s second wine is much closer to a balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that the first wine. It’s also a properly rich, satisfying wine that is as much fruit as structure. Packed with blackberry fruits, it has a fresh character that dominates the firmer tannins and touch of bitter chocolate. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEPerfumed and pretty aromas of blackcurrants, mineral and stones. Full body, very structured and intense. Tannic and muscular. Serious. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 92 JS(Carruades de Lafite) The 2012 Carruades de Lafite has turned out really well this year, though it was the recipient of most of the merlot that the estate harvested and decided to keep for one of their first two wines. The cépages is fifty-three percent cabernet sauvignon, forty-two percent merlot, three percent cabernet franc and two percent petit verdot. It shares with its grand vin a lovely purity and superb acidity for the vintage, as it offers up a deep and classy nose of cassis, dark berries, cigar smoke, espresso, gravel, a touch of violet and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very suave, with a fine core, moderate tannins, lovely complexity and a long, focused and tangy finish. This is an utterly complete young vintage of Carruades and it is really not far off the quality of the grand vin in 2012! (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 91 JGThis has a streamlined feel, offering dark cherry and steeped currant fruit flecked with tobacco and dark anise accents, carrying through a smoky finish. Shows a notably silky edge for the vintage. Drink now through 2022. 20,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Easily the top wine of Pessac-Léognan, the 2012 from Haut-Brion has extraordinary flesh and intensity, with an unctuousness and thickness that is almost hard to believe for a dry white wine. The high proportion of Semillon in this blend has given the wine an almost liquid mandarin orange note intermixed with caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, fig and crushed rock. This absolutely profound dry white wine is full-bodied and capable of lasting 40-50 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThis wine encompasses all the star qualities of white Bordeaux. Lemon and grapefruit tones are balanced by ripe yellow fruit and spicy toastiness. Everything is in harmony in this wine that is sure to age well. Drink from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis displays an impressive profile, with rich white peach, salted butter, macadamia nut, tangerine and warm brioche notes that show superior cut and definition, thanks to a terrific quinine accent that ripples on and on through the gorgeous finish. Should be rather long-lived, too. Best from 2017 through 2030. 574 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFine lemon-yellow, floral, more white than yellow fruits with a lifted, taffeta elegance compared to La Mission white, the Chevalier to La Mission’s Batard and both of them of Montrachet standing, a beautifully expressive wine of great length and finesse. Drinking Window 2015 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECThis is soft and round textured yet shows bright and lively acidity. It’s full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Sandalwood, dried apples and lemon rind. Layered and dense. Give it two or three years of bottle age.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Haut-Brion Blanc is utterly captivating from the very first taste. An intensely mineral-infused bouquet makes a strong opening statement. Gunpowder, graphite, lemon oil, sage and mint open up with time in the glass. Rich and expansive on the palate, the 2012 possesses remarkable depth and nuance. It should drink well for several decades. Today, the 2012 is superb, but it should be even better in another few years.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMBy Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else.Decanter | 96 DECBay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWonderful aromas of flowers such as roses, violets, strawberries and a hints of wet earth. Wet stones as well. Full to medium body, very firm tannins and a long, racy finish. Minerals and chalk on the aftertaste. Needs three to five years to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Château Margaux has a refined bouquet with blackberry, briary, light cedar scents and a touch of leather. Not quite as well-defined as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not amazingly complex, and at this level, I would have expected more weight on the finish. This is a fine Château Margaux and yet it deprived the concentration and complexity of a top vintage and is challenged by its peers. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Margaux) The 2012 Château Margaux was made up of only thirty-four percent of the crop this year, with fully eighty-seven percent of the blend comprised of cabernet sauvignon, and the balance a mix of ten percent merlot, two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot for good measure. The yields here were thirty-nine hectoliters per hectare and the wine tips the scales at an utterly classic thirteen percent alcohol. So why is this wine so unmoving? Paul Pontallier waxed eloquently for quite some time about how much he likes the 2012 Margaux, but I was left with the impression that this is a wine which is very much crafted in the cellar, rather than born in the vineyards, and I long for something more here these days. The cool and reserved nose offers up scents of mulberry, cassis, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, lovely gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a polished attack, a fine core and a fair bit of chewy tannin perking up the long and beautifully focused finish. All of the constituent components here tell my brain I should like this wine a lot more than I do, but it just seems to be missing that spark and the whole does not seem greater than the sum of its parts in 2012. This is a very well-made wine that is just a bit overly slick for me. (Drink between 2023-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JG

Medium red-ruby. Confectionary aromas of raspberry, cocoa powder, mocha and sexy oak; more evolved than either the '99 or '98, even considering its extra year of age. Fat, sweet and harmonious; offers lovely balance but just misses out on the density and depth of a great year. Finishes with firm but very suave tannins; this must be one of the longest '97s.Vinous Media | 91 VMUndoubtedly a success for the vintage, this immensely charming, dark ruby/purple-colored wine exhibits floral, black currant, and smoky, toasty oak aromas. There is admirable richness, excellent ripeness, not a great deal of density, or superb concentration, but plenty of finesse, suppleness, and character. It can be drunk young, or cellared for 12-15 years.Robert Parker | 90 RPAll in finesse, with berry, currant and light vanilla character. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely, long finish. Gorgeous core of fruit in this wine. Drink now through 2004.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2001 Ausone has put on even more weight than I anticipated. The “wine of the vintage,” this inky/purple-colored 2001 boasts a provocative, floral perfume of crushed stones, raspberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and smoke. What makes it so sensational are the layers of flavor and nuances that unfold as the wine sits in the glass as well as on the palate. This is an extraordinarily intense effort, but remarkably elegant and well-balanced. It ideally needs another decade of cellaring; it should last for 4-5 decades! Alain Vauthier is a perfectionist, which is evidenced by what he has produced over the last half dozen vintages at Ausone. Kudos to readers lucky enough to find a bottle or two ... and live long enough to enjoy them in their prime.Robert Parker | 98 RPYou have to love the beautiful plum, berry and vanilla character in this wine. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish. Very refined and beautiful. Not the 2000, but classic just the same. Best after 2007. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMedium ruby. Tarry black fruits and minerals on the nose. Began extremely tight and austere, with penetrating black fruit and mineral flavors. With aeration, this showed more flesh and complexity, hinting at blackberry, graphite, espresso and sexy oak. For such a vibrant, juicy, minerally wine, the tannins are extremely fine. This may well merit an even higher score 12 to 15 years down the road.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

Extraordinary nose of berry, chocolate and flowers. Amazing, jaw-dropping quality. Full-bodied, with supersilky, seductive tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. Out of this world. Best after 2014. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSOne of the great successes of 2003, and a surprise given the problems with Merlot in Pomerol. This is a powerfully huge wine, but its fruit is so rich, so superb that the tannins have just become part of a complete whole.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEAn early September harvest in this hot year produced a 2003 that has reached full maturity. It offers notes of roasted coffee, melted chocolate, figs and black cherry jam. There are some rustic tannins in the finish, but this expansive, rich Petrus displays far more intensity and complexity than most expected given the difficulties in Pomerol in 2003. It should be consumed over the next 4-6 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2003 Petrus was born in a difficult vintage for Pomerol, although its blue clay a.k.a “smectite” soils probably gave Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet a slight advantage given its propensity to retain moisture and prevent hydric stress. That said, I would not mark it down as a top tier Petrus. After a timid opening it settles down with attractive mulberry, wild strawberry and clove scents, quite rich but not overpowering. I would argue that it is not as detailed as other vintages. The palate is very well balanced and surprisingly well defined considering the heat of that summer. Rich and opulent for Petrus (maybe the most opulent that Jean-Claude Berrouet ever made) and yet it retains a sense of symmetry and freshness on the finish that I think is unique to this Pomerol. Who says there is no such thing as terroir? Tasted in London with a Bordeaux merchant.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carraudes ever. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSOf course, the wine to buy in order to get a look at the Lafite Rothschild style and personality is their second wine, Carruades de Lafite, which has become very fashionable in Asia, causing the prices to soar. A very strong effort, the 2009 Carruades de Lafite may be the finest Carruades since the 2003. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals lots of sweet cassis intermixed with subtle smoke and forest floor, undeniable lusciousness and full-bodied hedonism. The wood component is pushed to the background, and the wine is extremely viscous, round and delicious. Additional complexity should continue to emerge over the next decade and this 2009 should keep for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPVery soft wine, with ripe Merlot dominant. There is a rich character along with fresh tannins, very juicy, licorice and big, firm fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis has a lightly firm coating of cocoa powder and roasted cedar, with the core of red and black currant and fig paste held at bay for now. Stays taut through the finish, but good cut and weight and an alluring tobacco note make this worth waiting out. Best from 2014 through 2024.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Carruades de Lafite) Carruades has gotten very expensive in the last several years, which at least allows the good folks at Lafite an ample budget for expensive, luxury grade new wood to lavish on the wine. This they clearly do, but never go over the top and let the wood dominate the wine. The 2009 Carruades is impeccably made and will delight fans of this bottling, as it offers up a deep, pure and seductive nose of cassis, blackberries, coffee bean, lovely soil tones, cigar smoke and plenty of nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and seamless, with impeccable balance, plenty of fine-grained tannins and excellent length and grip on the complex and utterly classy finish. A superb Carruades. (Drink between 2016-2035)John Gilman | 88-90 JG

A terrific wine for the vintage, Latour’s 1993 reveals an opaque purple color, a backward, cedar, black walnut, cassis, and earth-scented nose, medium to full body, gorgeously rich, concentrated fruit, moderately high tannin (but no astringency), and a sweet, long, powerful finish. The wine does not possess any of the vegetal, green pepper characteristics of the vintage, nor any hint of hollowness or harshness. This wine may prove to merit an even higher rating. Is this vintage the modern day clone of the 1967 and 1971? Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. Last tasted 1/97Robert Parker | 90 RPSlightly oxidized with a coffee and spice character, as well as fruit. Medium body. Tea, tobacco and some fruit.James Suckling | 90 JS

Outstanding quality from a weak year. Good darkruby color. Intense aromas of chocolate, berry andcedar. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a longfinish. Starting to show some bottle bouquet, butgood backbone and firmness. Textbook Latour from adifficult vintage.--Latour vertical. Best after 2004.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1999 La Conseillante is probably unfairly over-shadowed by the superb 1998. It has a less expressive bouquet than the previous vintage, yet it remains fresh and vital with red fruit, iron piping, truffle and wilted rose petal aromas that discretely unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and very harmonious. The acidity is just right, allowing the lightly spiced, truffle-tinged fruit to express themselves. It does not possess the depth and length of the 1998 and yet there is an effortless quality to this La Conseillante that means it gives so much pleasure. Very fine. Tasted at La Conseillante vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On horizontal. A dark garnet colour, this has a lovely nose, a deep well of dark berried fruits with superbly integrated oak. Very fine delineation with touch of raspberry and crushed strawberry, an underlying mineralite really coming through. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, real backbone here with strong Cabernet Franc lending touches of bell pepper and leafiness towards the long, complex finish. Still very tight, this will benefit from further bottle age.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThe 2001 l’Eglise-Clinet is a wine that I have encountered many times both from bottle and magnum. It is a superb Pomerol with a crystalline bouquet that exudes pure red berry fruit laced with smoke and truffle, almost Burgundian in style with immense precision. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful harmony and precision thanks to its filigree tannin. Such is the elegance on display here that it belies the power and length, ferrous notes, even a hint of curry leaf furnishing the finish. Superb.Vinous Media | 94 VMWild and exotic on the nose, with blackberry, meat and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, with super well–integrated tannins and a lovely balance of fruit and spice on the finish. This is really a beauty—a seductive young wine. Just a few notches below the 2000. Best after 2008. 1,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDrank this at Robuchon restaurant in Macau. The three-star Michelin restaurant is amazing and has one of the best wine lists in the world. This res is so sexy. Look for 2001 Pomerol. A wine with layers of aromas of licorice, dark chocolate and berries. Violets. Full to medium body with very fine tannins and a long finish. Just coming around. Pure pleasure.James Suckling | 94 JS

The velvety texture is clear even on the nose, with truffle and chocolate shavings giving a mouthwatering opener. This is a lighter-framed Petrus than the 1998 but still one that pulses with intensity and complexity of expression. The tannins are finely boned, gently laid out to cushion the olive paste, plum and blackberry fruit, and it shows no sign of slowing down at 21 years old. Jean-Claude Berrouet remembers that the vintage needed more vigilance in the cellar than the 1998, with the need to resist over-extraction that would artificially fill in any gaps, and the result is a balanced and lyrical wine. A vintage that shows the virtue of clay, and the virtue of Pomerol, in that its wines ripened earlier and were therefore not affected when the weather turned rainy later in September (harvest here was September 15, 16, 17 after what had been an early-ripening year overall). 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThis wine is turning out much in the style of such wonderful Petrus vintages as 1967 and 1971. Although not as outstanding as either the 1998 or 2000, it displays beautiful intensity and finesse in a more evolved style than one normally expects from this estate. The wine has a dense, nearly opaque ruby/purple color, sweet black cherry, mulberry, truffle-infused fruit, full body, low acidity, admirable purity, and sweet tannin. It should be ready to drink in 5-6 years, and will last for two decades. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. Only 2,400 cases were produced.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 1999 Petrus was made by Jean-Claude Berrouet (his son Olivier was training at Haut-Brion at the time) and harvest was in early September. This has the best aromatics of any Pomerol that I have tasted alongside Lafleur, featuring lovely red berry fruit and black truffle, almost Burgundian in style and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of freshness and definition, touches of black truffle and sage infusing the red fruit. Perhaps the limitations of the growing season impinge upon the finish, which feels a little conservative in style, but this still ranks among the better Pomerols of the vintage. “Fine and delicate,” Oliver Berrouet remarked during the tasting, and I concur. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMA pretty, fruity red with beautiful tobacco, berry and cedar. Medium-bodied, with good soft tannins and a pretty finish.--Pétrus non-blind vertical. Drink now. 2,080 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

2001 was a vintage that very much suited Pomerol, and the Merlot here takes precedence over the Cabernet Franc, expanding sideways, juicy and smiling. This is a show stopper of a wine, from the very first moment that you pour it. Concentrated and powerful, it gathers pace through the palate with flavours of truffle, cinnamon, toasted almonds, rich plum and damson. The texture is of cashmere and silk, the fruit palate varied and balanced. You can open it now, but there’s no rush, even at close to 18 years on. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035.Decanter | 100 DECThis wine possess great beauty, it is almost Burgundian with its soft tannins and sweet fruit. Pure class and finesse in this, it is round and thick, long and very yummy. No need to wait on this, pull the cork. This vintage had more Merlot than the 2000 and you can tell. A subtle wine.James Suckling | 96 JSNo written review provided. | 95 W&SThe 2001 Vieux Château Certan is one of Alexandre Thienpont’s favorite vintages, and it is easy to see why. It has a classy bouquet, brambly red fruit, quite luscious in style and aromatics that are determined to seduce. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm backbone that will guarantee this as a long-term Pomerol. There is wonderful tension from start to finish, less sinewy than the 2000, more agile and one could say, "athletic". It is a wonderful wine that is now nipping at the heels of the previous vintage. Tasted from a bottle taken from my own cellar bought on release.Vinous Media | 94 VMA brilliant effort from Alexandre Thienpont, this blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc is a deep purple-colored, fleshy, layered effort offering a sweet nose of creosote, incense, Christmas spices, plenty of red and black fruits, and hints of licorice as well as new oak. Rich, medium to full-bodied, with tremendous purity in addition to nobility, give it two more years of cellaring and drink it over the next following 15-18 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThis is grippy and earthy at first, with tobacco, warm stone, mulled currant and fig fruit notes. Settles down with time in the glass, showing more polish and a pretty violet detail through the finish.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2027. 4,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

All elegance and fine texture. Beautiful aromas of milk chocolate and ripe berries. Full- to medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a sweet fruit, chocolate aftertaste. Hard to resist now.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2000.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

(Château Léoville Poyferré, St-Julien, Red) Didier Cuvelier had taken over in 1979 and was undertaking a huge replanting programme, so the 1980s at this estate were a time of serious change that slowly but surely came through in the wines. At this point in time the consultant was still Emile Peynaud - Michel Rolland didn’t arrive until 1994. It has sweet plum fruits with some hedgerow and bramble notes through the mid-palate, leading to a eucalyptus finish. Fermented and aged in 50% new oak, with malo in barrel - Poyferré was pretty much the first château in the Médoc to do this. (Drink between 2019-2036)Decanter | 94 DEC