Bordeaux Collector Wines

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A major success of the vintage. The wine exhibits extreme richness of the fruit, with all its sweet blackberry flavors. It also has underlying firm structure, density and solid tannins. Bring in the acidity at the end, and this is both impressive and ready for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEMeasured and confident tannic hold with subtle grilled oak notes, a ton of ripe cassis and blueberry fruits, liquorice and eucalyptus on the finish, and a mouthwatering, moreish construction overall. This is a powerful St Julien, but with clear and present finesse. 60% new oak. A standout wine from this property, and a wonderful showcase of the slow burning brilliance of St Julien. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECA super-classic St.-Julien that only has a hint of the opulence of the vintage. The beautiful cassis fruit and elegantly dry tannins push briskly through the long and graceful finish. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2009 Léoville-Barton has a much better bouquet than the Langoa with better definition and focus: blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and touches of graphite that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced with a graphite infused finish that feels very persistent. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is powerful Cabernet, with gutsy weight, but also polished feel to the fresh plum, warm blackberry sauce, bittersweet ganache and roasted apple wood notes. Long and tarry through the finish, but still invigorating despite its heft. Needs some time to round fully into form. Best from 2017 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 21,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Leoville Barton gives up expressive cherry cordial, warm cassis and blackberry tart scents with nuances of menthol, cigar box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and elegantly played with loads of freshness and soft tannins, it has a long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

(Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. A return to a more classic profile, with silky, dark damson and cassis, more structured tannins and great persistence. A lovely, extremely accomplished 2006, although it is still quite closed and backward right now. (Drink between 2017-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThere’s a great dark color to this, with intense aromas of cedar, wood, new leather and crushed blackberry. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit and a firm, powerful palate. Long and mouthpuckering. A muscular baby. Best after 2015. 18,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRight at the top of its form, this 2006 is one of the finest wines to come out of the vintage. The wine is structured and dense, but with such heartwarming ripe fruit that the tannins are almost submerged. There is just a hint of wood, but juicy black currant continues right through to the end. In a year, the fruit will lessen, and long aging begin.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WETasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Léoville-Barton has a surprisingly rich and opulent bouquet at first, although it calms down with aeration, offering crushed violet and black cherry scents, reminiscent of a fine Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip in the mouth. Here the class begins to appear with fine balance and poise, but like the Langoa, it lacquers the mouth with tannins and feels very backward, surprising given the vintage. Cellar this for another decade, folks. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker | 92 RP-NMGood bright ruby-red. Pretty aromas of black cherry, cassis, tobacco leaf, minerals, licorice and violet. Chewy, rich and deep, with good dense mid-palate fruit and excellent concentration. Fuller and sweeter than the Langoa. Finishes long and delineated, with powerful tannic clout and terrific mineral thrust. A serious 2006 for the cellar.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

Extremely lively palate, really quite bright, bold, powerful, chewy tannins fill the mouth but you get such power and concentration here. Feels more alive, slightly linear than the 2008, real tension still, so lively with energy that shoots across the palate. Such depth and just so drinkable. Tannins are mouth filling no doubt, they completely cover the mouth but so expressive, and elegant. Such refinement here but also such power. Only just at the start of its drinking window but one to carry on ageing, . First vintage with Didier Thormann as cellar master. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot.Decanter | 97 DECVery clear and translucent with currants, blueberries and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that are layered and beautiful. Together and polished with plushness and beauty. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis wine’s heady rush of flavor gave one taster goosebumps. She called it sexy. ’Formidable.’ Other technical descriptions included ’the shazam,’ ’has zazz,’ and ’unprintable. That’s some serious s#¡†.’ At the en primeur tastings, this ap­peared to be chunky and superripe. Now it’s massive, with dark extract and exotic spice, a sophisticated wine that ends on sweetness, bitter chocolate and dark berry fruit. With all the flash, it will give a lot of pleasure as a young wine, but it has the plump Poyferré terroir drive to sustain that pleasure for years to come.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SHugely concentrated and packed with tannins, this wine shows considerable amounts of dark, extracted fruit. It wins out on impressive power, driving the fruit through the tannins, giving great richness.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELéoville Poyferré’s dense ruby/purple 2005 is soft, round and juicy, with lots of blackcurrant fruit, plum and Asian spice. It is medium to full-bodied and, along with Léoville Las Cases and Saint-Pierre, probably one of the best St.-Juliens I tasted in this retrospective. It is surprisingly supple and accessible. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2005 Léoville-Poyferré really needed a number of hours to come together. An old school, powerful Saint-Julien, the 2005 Léoville-Poyferré packs a serious punch. Inky dark red fruit, iron, smoke, cedar, mint and white pepper lend striking aromatic depth. This virile, tannic Saint-Julien is a bruiser, but it is also pretty impressive. Tasting it feels like taking a step back in time.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGDark ruby red in color, with aromas of currant, blackberry, toasty oak and light cappuccino. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a beautiful, caressing aftertaste. Touches every part of the palate. Outstanding, but slightly disappointing after such a great showing from barrel. Best after 2009. 18,915 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Dense aromas of licorice, tobacco, cedar and currants. Subtle yet complex. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a rich, long finish. Very pretty. One of the best from Pauillac this year, and clearly better than 2001. One of the surprises of the vintage. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBlack fruits and cherry interlaced with pleasant notes of mint, anise, and truffles. On the palate, the fine, precise tannic structure seems quite delicate but provides excellent length on the finish. This provides another example of stylistic evolution toward greater precision along the lines of that of the 2001, possessing as these two wines do both vivacity and weightlessness on the finish. Even if this bottle has reached its apogee, it remains very elegant. (Drink between 2022-2030)Decanter | 92 DEC

Intense blackberry and cherry, with hints of currant. Toasted oak and sweet tobacco too. Roses and other flowers, such as lilacs. Full-bodied, with masses of tannins yet incredibly long and seductive. Best after 2012. 18,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2003 Léoville Barton was sensational on release, closed down slightly for 4-5 years, and is just now starting to emerge from its adolescence and is on the early side of its drink window. Possessing a saturated purple/ruby color as well as a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, charcoal, lead pencil shavings and damp earth, it’s full-bodied, gorgeously concentrated, balanced and long. While from a freakishly hot vintage, it has terrific purity as well as complexity. In short, it’s a blockbuster yet classic wine from Anthony Barton that’s going to provide incredible amounts of pleasure over the coming 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA spectacular success, the opaque plum-colored 2003 Leoville Barton is still on the young side of its plateau of maturity. It exhibits a striking bouquet of forest floor and black currants as well as a full-bodied, exuberant, youthful style, an opaque plum/ruby color, a lot of complexity, and striking depth and richness. This is a profound, stunning effort from Anthony Barton and his team. Bravo! It should continue to provide immense pleasure for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPSomehow Barton has overcome the heat of the 2003 vintage and has come out with a new wine that is rich and elegant. There are generous tannins, ripe black currant fruits, balancing acidity, all in an ensemble that is so much more than the sum of its parts.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEGood medium ruby. Explosive nose of black raspberry, coffee and leather. Hugely rich, dense and sweet, with deep flavors of currant, plum and chocolate complicated by underlying minerality. Wonderfully dense and full on the back end, with broad tannins and palate-staining length. Today, the 2005 comes off as dry by comparison. A standout of the vintage, and likely to be long-lived in the context of the year.Vinous Media | 93 VM69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Majoring on gourmet chargrilled black cherries, you feel the heat of the vintage, but in its exotic expression rather than a dusty one –there is clear integrity in the fruit, which is helped perhaps by the estate’s location close to the river. Luscious, with exotic spices; elegant and holding together well. Ready to drink now but will hold on. Drinking Window 2017 - 2032Decanter | 93 DECCurrants and plums with mint on the nose follow through to a full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a new wood, ripe fruit aftertaste. Tight and firm, but wait until after 2012 to pull the cork.James Suckling | 92 JS

The completeness of 2001, with its miraculous balance, is present in this wine. The acidity, ripe blackcurrants sit comfortably on top of dry tannins, the fleshiness of the fruit taking the edge off the tannins. It seems to bring out the structure, the fruit and the refreshing acidity of great Cabernet.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is one of the best vintages of the past 30 years, utterly and absolutely gorgeous. It was first vintage made with Isabelle Davin as the in-house oenologist. Rich and welcoming fruit structure, effortless in how it makes its presence felt, with a mouthwatering finish of charcoal and slate that tempers any suspicions of over-ripeness. This is floating out of the glass, it’s currently at that moment when the great Médoc wines take flight. Even with the gloss of Léoville Poyferré there is no mistaking those Médoc tannins. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 94 DECThe 2001 Léoville Poyferré, which I had not tasted for a decade, is very harmonious on the nose and features slightly darker fruit than the 2000, offering blackberry, cedar, fresh tobacco and smoke aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, lithe tannins, fresher than the 2000 and more backward. It has a disarming velvety texture and turns spicy toward the finish. Hints of clove and bay leaf linger on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SSweet notions of plums, black currants, caramel, and spicy oak are provocative and alluring. Subtle but substantial, layered, and textured, with medium body as well as sexy, up-front flavors, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this beauty is among the most evolved and flamboyant of the appellation. Nevertheless, it should age well. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RPSmoky and rich with lots of spice and berries. Medium- to full-bodied, with very good tannins with soft and silky texture and a medium finish. Not as impressive in bottle as barrel, but outstanding. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This is a magnificently solid wine, initially even a bit severe. At this young stage, the tannins dominate, but it’s also full of black fruit notes. Very dense and concentrated, this is a wine that’s even better than the legendary 2005. The structure tells of its extraordinary aging potential: don’t even attempt to drink this for 10 years.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WELove the depth and the power of this, it grips the walls of the glass. These tannins are muscular and yet ready to roll and still so powerful that you can’t help but smile. The cassis fruits are concentrated and layered with tobacco, slate, pencil lead and smoked earth. Hard not to recommend this wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 97 DECAromas of pure blackberries and violets follow through to a full body, with super velvety tannins and a delicious balance of sweet fruit, light vanilla and nuts. Really savory and beautiful. Superb wine. I like this better than 2009. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSTakes a modern approach, with dark mocha- and espresso-infused toast leading the way, featuring an extra ganache kicker before dark currant preserves and roasted plum fruit strides in. Dense and extracted through the polished finish, this features a charcoal spine that gives rise to extra blueberry and pastis notes. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2018 through 2038. 13,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2010 Léoville Barton is cut from a very different cloth to the Langoa this year with more amplitude on the nose and more red fruit. It is very well delineated, very intense with almost honey-like aromas emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins. This is a multi-dimensional Léoville-Barton with tobacco-infused black fruit gripping the finish and not letting go. Afford this wine another few years in bottle. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2010 Leoville Barton is deep garnet in color, and the nose is a little tired, with notes of stewed plums and dried cherries over hints of balsamic, tobacco, spice box and fried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid backbone of firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the mature fruit, finishing spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

A wine that could easily be mistaken for a First Growth, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is an incredibly powerful, full-bodied wine by this estate’s standards, yet it nevertheless holds onto a terrific sense of elegance as well as perfect balance. A huge nose of blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco, lead pencil, and spice give way to a concentrated, blockbuster styled Margaux that has thrilling depth of fruit, masses of ripe tannins, and great length and finesse on the finish. This brilliant wine is just now seemingly on the edge of its drink window and offers immense pleasure, yet it has another 30-40 years of life ahead of it. Along with the 2015 and 2016, it’s the greatest wine made at this estate in the past two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep garnet in color, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is youthfully reticent and closed to begin, slowly unfurling to offer notions of underbrush, black truffles, smoked meats and tar over a core of baked black cherries, prunes and crème de cassis plus touches of iron ore and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with savory/earthy fruit, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPOne of the top Margaux wines, this is in top form, finely balanced and as elegant as it is powerful. It is darkly structured, dense yet balancing tannins with ripe black plums. It expresses the complexity of the vintage. A wine for serious, long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Rauzan-Ségla has a wonderful bouquet, very pure and engaging with wild strawberry, blackberry, rose petals and boysenberry jam. It just feels very focused and beautifully delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with lively red and black fruit laced with cracked black pepper and cedar. It is extremely balanced, almost symmetrical, with a precise and persistent finish. Bon vin. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMFlashy style of Margaux, with alluring warm cocoa and black tea aromatics followed by cashmere-textured plum sauce, steeped fig and blackberry confiture notes. The well-integrated structure makes this seem almost accessible now, but the ample length and a smoldering tobacco note make a case for cellaring. Best from 2014 through 2030. 9,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThere’s a wonderful deep and dark fruit to this second wine from Rauzan Segla, with hints of soft tannins. Lovely ripe fruit and a chocolate, light raisin at the end.James Suckling | 90-91 JS(Château Rauzan-Ségla) The 2010 Château Rauzan-Ségla is another fine example of the vintage, but much like the 2010 Château Rauzan-Gassies, a completely traditional approach once again in the cellars here would pay dividends in terms of even more profound expression of terroir. The bouquet on the 2010 is a very classy blend of cassis, dark berries, tobacco, gravelly soil tones, classy new wood and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and sappy at the core, with fine focus and a fair bit of firm, slightly dry-edged tannins on the long and bouncy finish. A touch of the tannins here seem derived already from the new wood, but the overall balance is splendid and this wine should have no difficulty carrying its wood over the long haul. A very successful, ever so slightly “overly-polished” example of the vintage. (Drink between 2020 - 2050)John Gilman | 90+ JG

Detailed and delicate, this has a seductive charm to it, slowly displaying scented blueberries and raspberries, before layers of salty minerality, liquorice, and cooling blue fruits come into play as well as tobacco and liquorice adding a savoury touch. It’s not immediately upfront - more calm and collected, slowly growing in stature and presence. Tannins are fine but mouthcoating, giving the structure, this isn’t a light wine, but it’s supremely elegant and excellently textured. Impressive complexity and drama here, still very serious but it’s sublime too. A luminous wine I’d love to own.Decanter | 98 DECA lovely softness and texture to this wine with a medium to full body, plenty of fruit and fine velvety tannins. It’s lovely to taste now and will age beautifully. Really seductive. Hard not to drink now but one for the cellar. Best to try after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Gruaud-Larose is a powerful, dense wine. Super-ripe dark cherry, kirsch, menthol, licorice, rose petal and espresso infuse the palate with tons of intensity. Unctuous and flamboyant, the 2020 also offers a good bit of energy to keep things in balance. The 2020 is very much an extrovert, a gorgeous extrovert at that. Sweet floral and spice accents, along with a kick of sweet French oak, linger.Vinous Media | 95 VMRock-solid, with a core of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors held together with cedar, savory, tobacco and monkeyd apple wood notes that add texture and energy through the finish. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2040. 9,250 boxes made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The top wine, the 2021 Château Léoville Poyferré is a beauty and certainly makes the most of the vintage. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 14% alcohol (with an IPT of 78 and a pH of 3.85), its dense purple hue is followed by a rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied Saint-Julien that has terrific purity of fruit, notes of cassis, violets, and spicy wood, ripe tannins, and remarkable overall balance. It brings more richness and depth than most in the vintage and is unquestionably going to offer tons of pleasure over the coming 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-97 JDThe 2021 Léoville-Poyferré has developed into a fabulous wine. Surprisingly rich, the 2021 possesses notable depth. Kirsch, blood orange and wildflowers open first, lending a decidedly exotic, perfumed quality. On the palate, the 2021 is fleshy and expressive. There’s a bit of new oak that needs to integrate. Otherwise, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. Tasted two times.Vinous Media | 96 VMExcellent depth and complexity with a nice modern touch of cocoa powder to the black olives, pencil shavings, cassis, violets, black mushrooms and dark earth. Full-bodied palate with fresh, vertical tannins and lots of juicy fruit that seamlessly dissolve into the flavorful, persistent finish. Refined power with real length. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSA rich, ripe toasted nose, clearly concentrated. Good fruit density, underlying power and sense of structure. This has personality, it does feel a tiny bit pushed on the palate with acidity opening the expression but the fruitiness fades quite quickly and is replaced by the tannic structure and menthol, herbal Cabernet aspects. It’s smooth with a long length. Nice bones for ageing, so give this a few years.Decanter | 94 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Leoville Poyferre slowly expands from the glass, revealing notes of warm cassis, blackberry pie, and black cherry preserves, followed by hints of menthol, pencil lead, red roses, and charcoal. Medium-bodied, the palate offers great intensity of youthful black fruits with firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and peppery. The blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested between 28 September and 12 October, is to be aged 18-20 months in French oak, 80% new. The wine has a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 78.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWIThe 2021 Léoville Poyferré opens in the glass with notes of minty berries, dark berry compote, pencil shavings and toasty oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and dense palate that’s quite muscular and extracted, built around a chassis of sweet, abundant tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish. This will require a bit of patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Very, very impressive for the vintage with a dark fruits and impressive spice and mineral undertones. Full body, chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Tight and layered. Needs two or three years to open.James Suckling | 94 JSPowered by its structure and texture, this complex wine is dense, structured and firm. Plenty of dry and taut tannins dominate at this stage, but it is also full of fruit. The wine will age over many years while not being one of those vintages that will mature forever: the fruitiness will see to that. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEBlended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2013 Cos d'Estournel opens with notes of sautéed herbs, roast beef, potpourri, eucalyptus and crushed rocks over a core of redcurrant jelly, crushed blackcurrants, kirsch and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers lovely freshness and a good amount of depth, textured by a chewy frame and finishing long and mineral tinged.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPRich colour, fragrant nose with fine aromatic complexity to come, robust and slightly spicy on the palate, leaner than usual, good long-term. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DECThis offers up some lovely fruit, with lilting aromas and flavors of plum, cassis and red currant, while black tea and lilac notes form an alluring backdrop. Very polished, with admirable length for the vintage, this only lacks a touch of stuffing in the end—but that's 2013 for you. Best from 2017 through 2022. 12,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A very strong effort for Gruaud Larose, possibly eclipsed by what they have done in 2009, this is a pure, full-bodied Gruaud Larose with plenty of new saddle leather, cedar wood, black currants, cherries, licorice, and Provencal herbs. Spicy, earthy, full-bodied, and rich, it has hit its plateau of full maturity, where it should stay for another 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPNo written review provided. | 94 W&SThere’s nice richness here, with velvety-textured blackberry, fig and boysenberry confiture flavors rolling through, edged by a graphite note that slowly takes over on the finish. This has serious spine, with tar and ganache echoes hanging in the background, boding well for continued development.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 18,750 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSFully mature (yet I’d say in the early stages of its drink window), the 2000 Château Gruaud Larose offers a ripe, powerful, medium to full-bodied style as well as lots of currant and darker fruits followed by cedarwood, tobacco, iron, and assorted meaty, spicy nuances. It’s a rich, almost chunky effort with a great mid-palate, still present yet ripe tannins, and a great finish. It lacks some of the purity and precision of today’s wines yet is a satisfying, rich, impressively textured Saint-Julien to drink over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2000 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that I have not tasted for some 10 years. It has a somehow sedate bouquet of dark red berry fruit, cola and tobacco scents, ever so slightly smudged with age. The mellow, soy-tinged palate is medium-bodied with soft tannins and fine acidity but maybe just a little sauvage on the ferrous, slightly bretty finish. I feel this had more pep several years ago.Vinous Media | 91 VM

I love the nose of blackberries, blueberries, flowers and citrus. Hints of stones and wet earth. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are so long and seamless. Incredible length. A wine that you want to drink now.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a great wine. It has all the elements in place to produce a wine that will last for years: powerful fruit, rich tannins and a structure that is built to last. This is elegant, impressive and concentrated. Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape gives the wine its fruit and its tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA brilliant effort, the 2014 Léoville Las Cases is a tightly wound classic that will delight purists. Mingling aromas of dark berries and cassis with hints of bitter chocolate, sweet spices, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and sweet new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids and a deep, firm mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, the only missing ingredient is time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPReaders will have to be patient with the 2014 Léoville-las-Cases, as it is not likely to show well for a number of years. Tightly wound but also medium-bodied and classic in its construction, the 2014 is going to need quite a bit of time to come together. Léoville-las-Cases is so often a wine of power, but here the refined site of the vintage is very much in evidence. The 2014 is a Las Cases built on finesse.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDensely packed, with cassis, steeped plum and blackberry coulis notes that are compressed with layers of cold charcoal and graphite. Very pure, giving this a long, sleek and racy feel, while an iron underpinning drives the finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFragrant density from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fine, chalky tannins and great purity and depth – severe in the Las Cases style but a wine of great class. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Leoville Las Cases is a terrific blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, and it’s one of the more backward, tight, age-worthy wines in the vintage. Offering sensational purity in its crème de cassis, graphite, licorice and subtle background oak, it hits the palate with a tight, focused, yet impressively concentrated profile that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will shine for three decades. It’s another incredibly classy wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JD

Needs coaxing out of the glass, as is true with so many 2005s even at 16 years old, but straight off the first nose you get the most beautiful nuance and turmeric-strewn spice. It’s exotic if subtle, with a creamy texture, grilled oak, black chocolate shavings, cassis and raspberry, all with the most beautiful sense of tiptoing through the palate, holding the line. Exceptionally well balanced, slate and smoked earth, giving signature St Julien finesse. You have really had to be patient for this wine, but it is utterly spellbinding, and starting to show its potential. Harvest September 20 to October 10. This one really does benefit from being carafed, because it keeps so much of itself hidden (I tasted it once in a carafe and once straight from the bottle). Brilliant, full of flavour. Harvest September 20 to October 11, 35% new oak.Jane Anson | 98 JAThis tastes of great Cabernet Sauvignon, with its black currant, cedar and herbs and fresh, juicy acidity. It is as fresh as it is rich, but it has a structure of dense tannins that balances the wine. This is one of the best wines from Gruaud-Larose for several years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAromas of blackberry, meat and earth follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a rich finish. Decadent, balanced and very approachable already. I thought it would have been a little better than this. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 91 WSLicorice spice and tough black tannins form tight boundaries around this wine. Within them, sweet red fruit lends a gracious impression, gentle and refined. Age will allow the wine to expand as the tannins relent, but this offers impressive drinking now, particularly if decanted with steak.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&SGood red-ruby. Redcurrant, leather and game on the expressive if slightly rustic nose. Sweet and concentrated but a bit youthfully aggressive, and not showing the refinement or definition of the 2006. Strong nutty oak component. Finishes with substantial tannins that are a bit richer and more fully buffered by the wine’s middle-palate material than those of the 2006. It will be interesting to compare these two vintages in ten years or so.Vinous Media | 90 VMThe 2005 Gruaud Larose has a deep ruby/purple color, excellent concentration, and clean, pure black and red currant fruit, licorice and spice. It is medium to full-bodied, lush, and very soft and round. I’m surprised how drinkable it is already, although it is certainly capable of lasting 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Dark and brooding in bearing, the 2021 Pichon Baron is a somber, mysterious wine. It is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. Graphite, leather, spice, mocha and dried herbs meld together in a wine of power, precision and contemporary classicism. It’s one of my early favorites in this vintage. I won’t be too surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis wine’s fruitiness is its star quality. Rich black Cabernet Sauvignon fruits and dark tannins are lifted by the wine’s vivid flavors. At the same time, dense structure gives power to the wine. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2021 Pichon-Longueville Baron is showing very well in bottle, unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, sweet berries and violets mingled with subtle hints of orange zest and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with good depth at the core, bright acids and sweet tannins that assert themselves on the gently structured finish, its serious, slightly reserved profile reflects the unusually high (89%) percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 concluded its élevage in large wooden vats for a month and a half, saw a touch less racking than normal, and was only fined with a small amount of gelatin, not egg white, as has been the rule at this address for several years now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAs to the Grand Vin, the 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot that’s a selection of 50% of the total production and is resting in 70% new barrels. This straight, pure, incredibly focused and impressive 2021 has deep blue fruits as well as notes of cassis, graphite, chalky minerality, and hints of tobacco. It’s elegant and balanced, with ripe tannins as well as good acidity and density.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDThe highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the blend at 88% completed by 12% Merlot. Cool red and blue fruits on the nose, smells so welcoming with blueberry, vanilla and cola notes. A soft succulence straight away so you know there is good acidity but the structure and the delicate tannins take over and fill the mouth, giving great Cabernet savoury and herbal aspects, filling and expansive while delivering the crystalline purity on the tongue in terms of texture. Tannins are so fine, but this is rich in its depth yet still so focussed and straight. The mid palate has weight but there’s such drive and energy. The lick of stone is welcoming, giving the salinity and yet another element to taste and contemplate. Mighty, thrilling and a joy to taste. Elegant and classic in the best way - this will need some time but will be excellent.Decanter | 95 DECBlack currant, violet, lemon blossom and black berry aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and tobacco, black fruit and cedar undertones. It’s tight and chewy, suggesting it needs some bottle age. Some iodine. Oyster shell. 88% cabernet sauvignon. Give this four to five years. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 95 JSThis nicely rendered red unfurls nicely, offering notes of cassis, plum and black cherry puree gilded with violet and lilac hints. A long, sleek iron note stays embedded throughout, while late accents of black tea and warm earth help fill out the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,504 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Pichon Baron needs a lot of swirling to conjure notes of ripe raspberries, fresh boysenberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of tree bark, violets, and fertile loam with a hint of cardamom. Light-bodied, the palate has a racy line and chewy tannins supporting the lithe, electrically charged fruit, finishing with compelling freshness. At 88% Cabernet Sauvignon to 12% Merlot, this is the highest-ever proportion of Cabernet in the blend, which will be aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 70% of them new.The Wine Independent | 90-92 TWI