Bordeaux Collector Wines

wines

Wonderfully rich and still holding back. Beautiful plum, toasted oak, berry and tobacco character. Firm with a full body. Drinkable now; better with time.--The Bordeaux 50.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild has an opaque garnet-purple color. WOW—the nose explodes from the glass with powerful blackcurrant cordial, black raspberries, blueberry pie and melted chocolate notions, plus suggestions of aniseed, camphor, lifted kirsch and the faintest waft of a subtle floral perfume in the background. Full-bodied, concentrated, bold and totally seductive in the mouth, it has very fine-grained, silt-like tannins, while jam-packed with tightly wound fruit layers, finishing in this wonderful array of mineral sparks. Magic.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPA towering, thrilling wine, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild is unbelievably beautiful today. Aromatics, fruit density and vertical structure all come together. In the glass, the 2016 is remarkably vivid and powerful, and yet a gentler, more feminine side emerges with time in the glass. The intense, mineral, savory profile recalls the 1986, but the 2016 has more grace, inner sweetness and sophistication than that wine. Even so, the 2016 is going to need at least a number of years in bottle before it starts drinking well, although it won’t be the bruiser the 1986 remains to this day. This is breathtaking wine from Mouton, Tecnical Director Philippe Dhalluin and his team.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGAlong with the Château Lafite, the 2016 Château Mouton Rothschild is the wine of the vintage from the Médoc and is a truly profound, magical, blockbuster wine in every sense. It’s based on 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in new French oak. Boasting a saturated purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of thick black fruits, lead pencil shavings, new saddle leather, and burning embers, with just a hint of its oak upbringing, this beauty hits the palate with a mammoth amount of fruit and texture yet stays fresh, pure, and light on its feet, with a thrilling sense of minerality as well as building tannins on the finish. It’s one of the most profound young wines I’ve ever tasted, and while it will probably keep for three-quarters of a decade, it offers pleasure even today. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDark ruby, purple color. Aromas of blackcurrants, black truffle, crushed stone, licorice and hints of tar. Full-bodied, deep and vertical on the palate, drawing you in and down. The structure is very tannic and powerful, yet the tannins are folded into the wine. One of the most powerful Moutons ever for me. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 100 JSA higher level of acidity than is usual for Mouton is buttressed by waves of fruit and tannin. It’s a modern take on 1986 that shows the most wonderful precision of creme caramel, liquorice, blackcurrant, creme de cassis and cedar. it’s opulent but also has great tension through the palate - a monumental Mouton that for me has gained in stature over the past two years of ageing. The idea of a drinking window almost feels like a mirage - the perfect moment is likely to recede into the distance time and time again. It could be drunk in the next decade perhaps, but it’s going to take 20 years or more to really get into its stride. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, for me this is showing even better than during en primeur. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking Window 2028 - 2045.Decanter | 99 DECA generous, pure and lush ball of Cabernet, with wave after wave of unadulterated cassis and blackberry puree flavors rolling through. Features notes of roasted apple wood and sweet tobacco, offset by a long tug of sweet earth, but that’s all background music to the impressive core of fruit, which steams along like a cruise ship with enough stores in reserve to go around the world twice without stopping. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe rich fruit in this wine nearly envelops the tannins. Flavors of black plums, blackberries and blueberries meld with intense acidity to mask the power and concentration of the polished tannins. With this structure, will age for many, many years. Do not drink before 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

This is still youthful in appearance with dark ruby color. It sets an excellent example for the 1994 vintage with a spicy, toasty nose showing lots of black currants and tar. It’s full-bodied, refined and chewy. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSAfter less than persuasive performances in two potentially great years, 1989 and 1990, Mouton-Rothschild appears to have settled down, producing fine efforts in recent vintages, culminating with the enormously promising, unquestionably profound 1995. The 1994 appears to be the finest Mouton-Rothschild made following the 1986 and before the 1995’s conception. The wine exhibits a dense, saturated purple color, followed by a classic Mouton nose of sweet black fruits intermingled with smoke, pain grillee, spice, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, with outstanding concentration, a layered feel, plenty of tannin, and rich, concentrated fruit, this wine is similar to the fine 1988. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. By the way, the Dutch artist, Appel, has created a gorgeous label for the 1994. Although Mouton-Rothschild can be among the most inconsistent first-growths, when this estate gets everything right, the wine can be as compelling as any produced in Bordeaux.Robert Parker | 91 RPDark-colored, with intense aromas of blackberries, tar and spice, and toasted oak notes as well. Full-bodied, with very silky tannins and a chewy, ripe fruit-accented finish. An impressive Mouton. Better in 1999.Wine Spectator | 91 WS1994 Mouton Rothschild: Sexy smoky, gingery oak, along with a hint of herbaceousness. Fruity and vinous, with good inner-mouth perfume, but the level of extract seems rather low for this wine. Finishes with slightly harsh tannins and some caramel oak. Lacks real precision and class. Not a strong performance for Mouton.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMThe great Michael Broadbent MW noted ’this is what my friends from across the pond would describe as a proper, classic luncheon claret’. Elegant and lighter on the palate, the fruit character here is more subdued with a cool, leafy edge. Toasty wood and spice notes in evidence but the acidity is more dominant than with the other vintages. Feels just a bit stringy and lean. At its best. Harvested 19 September to 1 October. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2021)Decanter | 90 DEC

A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). The 2008 should be relatively drinkable in 6-10 years as it is already showing remarkable complexity and breed, and will last for 30-35 years...at the minimum.Robert Parker | 98 RPElegance in a glass, this is very upright in structure with enticing acidity and black berry fruits. It has weight as well as richness. No question about the aging potential of this superb wine. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis vintage had the bottle engraved with the Chinese symbol for 8, to commemorate the planting of the Penglai vineyards in China. Just starting to really open up, it has the sappy, lean and savoury character of Cabernet Sauvignon from classical years where terroir speaks so strongly. I like this hugely – subtle, beautiful. A smoky edge, cold ash or gun smoke rather than cigar, flint, a menthol finish. Still just settling in, this is starting to offer up its more subtle aromatics, and the pencil lead, cedar edge against spicy cassis notes delivers the refined classified Médoc character that makes these wines so sought after year in year out. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc.Decanter | 95 DECMinerals, tar and sous bois with dark fruit. Sweet tobacco. Black licorice. Full and chewy with lots of fruit but very reserved. So much mineral and sweet tobacco. It is all there. Give it four to five years of bottle age before beginning to explore the wine.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2008 Lafite Rothschild put in a strange showing at the previous horizontal just a few weeks earlier. This bottle is much better. It has a deep color with little ageing on the rim. On the nose there is ample fruit, blackberry and bilberry with notes of pencil lead and sage, but overall there is just more intensity than the previous bottle. The palate is well balanced with fine grain tannin and good density, a facet occasionally lacking in Lafite-Rothschild. There is just a touch of brown sugar and sage towards the finish that fortunately does not attenuate like the previous bottle. This is much more representative and whilst not the best First Growth of the vintage, it certainly shows more sophistication and class even if it does not match its more stellar showings just after bottling. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2008 Lafite-Rothschild is one of the few wines that’s still obviously closed and backward, yet nevertheless shows incredible potential. Made from a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc (which is more Merlot than normal), it offers textbook Lafite elegance and class in its perfume of lead pencil, cedarwood, cigar smoke, and mineral-laced black fruits. Playing in the medium to full-bodied spectrum, it’s deceivingly concentrated and powerful due to its perfect balance and purity as well as weightless texture. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy this classic Lafite over the following 30 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDSupple and harmonious already, with inviting, almost plush blackberry, plum and fig fruit notes carried by fine-grained, lightly cedary structure. Black tea and sandalwood flash on the finish. Poised now, but has the stuffing for more time in bottle.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Very enticing sweet tobacco, cedar, tar and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of black mushrooms and violets. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are still slightly chewy, but show poise and focus. Juicy finish with a berry, iodine and walnut aftertaste. Just a touch of austerity at the end. Savory. Clearly one of the top wines of this very difficult vintage, along with Margaux and Lafleur. Drinkable now, but better in 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSFirst things first - there is an undeniable enjoyment in finding a vintage of Latour's grand vin that doesn't need to be put away for a few decades, and it is smart of the estate to release this wine now, at eight years old, because 2013 is unquestionably a year that lacks the intensity and structure to allow long ageing. I tasted it both on its own, just opened from bottle, and over lunch to see how it held up. Smoke, floral notes and spice are the three main lines that you are going to find, and each one has its appeal. Expect raspberry, blueberries, cassis bud and cherry pit - all markers of a cooler vintage - together with a seductively intense level of retro-olfaction that brings in waves of peony, smoked tea, tomato leaf and rosemary aromatics. The Latour tannins build slowly over the palate, although they are finer than you find in most vintages, and overall there is a successful emphasis on precision and finesse. 31% of the total production. At the time around half of the main L'Enclos vineyard was in organic and biodynamic farming, and this was the last year with Penelope Godefroy as winemaker, before she headed over to the newly bought (and now re-sold) Right Bank estates of Vray Croix de Gay and Le Prieuré. Around half the usual production, no more than 5,000 cases, because the final yield came in at 25hl/ha. In my view, one of the wines of the vintage. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECComposed of 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, the 2013 Latour offers an open-knit, fragrant nose of licorice, sandalwood, rose petals and cigar box over a core of Black Forest cake, stewed plums, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus a waft of cast-iron pan. The elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate (13% alcohol) fills the mouth with intense red and black berry preserves layers, framed by evolved, soft-textured tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and spicy. This vintage does not have the power and backbone of an outstanding vintage of Latour, but it is aging gracefully and, still possessing a lot of discernible fruit with plenty of tertiary pizazz, is absolutely delicious to drink right now. This sweet-spot stage is likely to continue for another 5-7 years, before the wine plateaus at a maturity peak and holds for a further 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2013 Latour is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, the 2013 is lighter in body than the norm here, but striking aromatics and silky tannins more than make up for that. A wine of total breed and class, the 2013 is a real pleasure to taste today. Naturally, the lighter structure of the year is impossible to escape. Even so, at eight years of age, the 2013 is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic nuance, and yet it remains a young wine. The spread of botrytis led to an early harvest, with the exception to some blocks on the western side of the enclos that were more resistant to conditions and were therefore picked later. This is a remarkable showing considering a little more than 2/3rds of the vineyards (for the Grand Vin) were farmed biodynamically back then. I can't wait to see how the 2013 ages. My opened bottle stayed fresh for a number of days.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThis delivers a very tightly focused beam of red currant, pomegranate and bitter plum fruit flavors that streak along thanks to finely beaded acidity, showing a hint of graphite through the finish and a beguiling black tea accent. Reveals a lovely sense of precision, maintaining cut through the sneakily long finish. Best from 2017 through 2025. 5,625 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe flagship 2013 Chateau Latour comes from a much more challenging vintage and is 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot, and a 0.4% Petit Verdot. It shows its more Cabernet dominated blend with a more compact, tight, reserved style that opens up nicely with time in the glass. Revealing a healthy ruby/plum color, it has classic Latour notes of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and licorice. It doesn't have the depth, richness, or expansiveness to be considered a great Latour but is medium-bodied, has a focused, elegant texture, ripe, silky tannins, and a narrow yet lengthy finish. Given the difficulties in the year, this is certainly a success as the purity of fruit is spot on, the tannins are sweet and polished, and it has plenty of classic Latour character. It should drink nicely over the coming 10-15 years and have a gradual decline.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Rather ethereal and so refined with finesse, focus and brightness that provides incredible energy and pedigree. It’s full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that go on and on. Superb presence with tannins that melt into the wine. This is 12.8%. I love the wine. Lots of dark fruit and fresh tobacco. Lead pencil, too. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 99-100 JSThe 2020 Château Lafite-Rothschild checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in roughly 90% or more of new French oak. It’s a deep, inky-hued Lafite boasting incredible notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, crushed stone, and gravelly earth-like minerality. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with terrific purity of fruit, it has ripe tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It should surpass the 2015 and 2017 and be in the same realm as the 2018 and 2019. Despite its richness and depth, it hit just 12.8% alcohol, with an IPT of 72 and a pH of 3.5. It’s going to be just about immortal.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDDisplaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Lafite Rothschild takes a little swirling and coaxing to unlock scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, boysenberries and spiced plums, followed by emerging nuances of red roses, raspberry preserves, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, with a waft of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance and finesse, featuring tightly wound layers of red and black berries and loads of mineral sparks, framed by finely grained tannins and well-poised tension, finishing with fantastic length and the most stunning perfume. Magnificent achievement. This 2020 is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, coming in at 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.9.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThis is a complete wine, with its layers of fruit and tannin in total harmony. Concentration comes easily backed by a palate that shows salinity, as well as impressive black currant fruits. The wine is certainly destined for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2020 is a super-classic Lafite-Rothschild of grace and finesse. A reticent introvert, Lafite impresses with its vertical lift and palpable energy. It is a wine of regal bearing that does not feel the need to say much, and yet everything is very clearly there. Bright acids and strong, saline notes come alive in the glass as the long, persistent finish unfolds with remarkable grace. The 2020 is simply exquisite. It’s a fabulous showing from the team led by Technical Director Eric Kohler.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM(Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) This is pretty much as close to entirely Cabernet Sauvignon as Bordeaux gets (92%) and yet it has an incredibly fine, gentle richness to the tannins. They build up pretty quickly though, so that by the end of the palate you start to feel the closing in and tightening, deftly underscoring how well this will age. The kaleidoscope of flavours and aromatics that Lafite does so well is fully on display, nothing trying too hard, a velvet texture to the tannins where the cassis fruit, earth, crushed stone and graphite is held in from beginning to end. Impressive that even in dry vintages like 2020 with the real concerns over global warming, the top Bordeaux estates can still produce wines of this quality. (Drink between 2028-2046)Decanter | 97 DEC

The 2019 Mouton Rothschild has come together beautifully since I tasted it from barrel. Today, it is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and statuesque in its beauty, Mouton is remarkable in every way. Layers of dark-toned fruit confer seriousness and intensity that builds with time. All of the finesse I saw in barrel is still present. Since then, the 2019 has gained flesh and vibrancy. Magnificent!Antonio Galloni. | 99 AGThis is incredibly complex, with all the cabernet descriptors, from mint and lead pencil to blackberry, blackcurrant and menthol. It changes all the time in the glass, just as in the nose. Yet, it remains cool and classy. Full-bodied with very fine, tight tannins that run the length of the wine, carrying on and on and on. Well-framed and compact wine. Never-ending procession of currant, berry and black cherry fruit, together with licorice, earth and just a hint of black truffle. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Give this until 2028 to show its true greatness.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Mouton Rothschild is the most dramatic of the Médoc first growths, soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries and violets mingled with rich aromas of cedar, cigar wrapper, licorice, loamy soil and spices. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s deep and powerful, with huge levels of concentration and an ineffably complete, seamless profile, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Plenty of ripe tannin is hidden by its ample core of fruit, and despite its youthful polish, this will require plenty of bottle age to realize all its potential. This blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot tastes in many respects like the 2016 Mouton’s more sun-kissed cousin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPPlows straight ahead, with a rather towering display of cassis as well as cherry and plum reduction notes that are pure, defined and deftly supported by a seamlessly embedded iron spine. Features light savory, floral and red tea notes that flash in the background, while the fruit glistens through the extremely lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2019 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and it hit a relatively normal alcohol level of 13.5%, which is higher than the 2009 and shows the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the vintage. It shows the new, modern style of Bordeaux in its purity, elegance, and finesse while still being an incredibly concentrated Pauillac, and where some vintages of Mouton can just about jump out of the glass, this is a more seamless, streamlined, elegant beauty that builds with time in the glass and is just about impossible to fault. Gorgeous crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, forest floor, licorice, damp earth, and graphite, as well as some espresso nuances, emerge on the nose, and it’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is pure haute couture in Bordeaux that unquestionably offers pleasure today (again, just about all modern Bordeaux from a great vintage offer pleasure in their youth) but will require a solid decade to hit maturity, and it should evolve for 20, 30, 40 years or more. This is not an unformed beast of wine that demands bottle age, and I suspect it will have a broad, forgiving drink window that consumers will love.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDGorgeous nose with a soft sweetness to the fruit aromas - a quality of the cooler year with freshness and vibrancy to the fruit profile. A great core of black fruits - blackcurrant, plums and cherries, balancing power but also succulence in the best way. Muscular but refined and finessed, feels so well constructed with harmonious tannins. The texture is smooth, deep and coursing but with such elegance to the overall frame. Deep and concentrated, but I love the touches of sour cherry and then smoky, liquorice aspects with a mineral freshness. It feels as if when it’s ready it will expand and just give and give. I love it. Drinking Window 2028 - 2050.Decanter | 98 DECMade from 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a sumptuous and powerful wine that is built by considerable tannins and immensely rich fruit. At the same time, there is a perfumed charm that balances all that power. The wine’s structure and richness are harbingers of enormous aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

Is the 2019 Château Margaux the wine of the vintage? A strong case in its favor could certainly be made. Soaring from the glass with aromas of blackberries, raspberries, rose petals, violets, pencil shavings and vine smoke, it’s full-bodied, layered and sensual, with a strikingly vibrant core of fruit that’s framed by ripe, powdery tannins and bright acids, concluding with a penetrating, mouthwateringly saline finish of almost interminable duration. Complex, elegant and utterly compelling, this is a brilliant Bordeaux that anyone with the requisite disposable income is going to want to own.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother utterly heavenly wine from this estate is the 2019 Château Margaux, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot coming from a selection of just 37% of the total production. Deep purple, with an incredible array of ripe currants, blueberries, sweet tobacco, sandalwood, and toasted spices, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, powerful, yet incredibly sexy mouthfeel, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. As I wrote in the barrel review, it reminds me slightly of the 2016, but has a touch more sun-kissed profile. It already offers incredible pleasure yet deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will blow you away any time over the coming 40+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAmazing aromas of crushed stones and wet soil with fresh mushrooms, then going on to violets and other flowers. Dark fruit, too. Full-bodied, yet agile and fine, with a linear flow of tannins that run through the center of palate. The finesse of the tannins is exceptional, like raw silk and changing all the time. Cool and energetic, yet reserved. Zen-like. 37% of the production and 90% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. So well balanced that you can drink it now, but this is one to leave for a decade and more. Ethereal.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2019 Château Margaux possesses off the charts richness to go along with plush contours and mind-blowing balance. All the elements are so wonderfully woven together. It’s as if all the Château Margaux signatures are dialed up to eleven, but without losing any of the classic Margaux character. The purity of the red-toned fruit is just breathtaking. The Merlot was picked early, but then rain during harvest delayed the ripening of the Cabernets, which turned out to be a huge advantage.Estate Manager Philippe Bascaules and his team turned out two spectacular wines in 2019. Bascaules describes 2019 as an easy vintage. Flowering was normal and set was good. Yields came in at a healthy 47 hectoliters per hectare, more than 2017 or 2018, the summer heat spikes notwithstanding. Bascaules opted to pick the Merlot early and gave those lots very gentle extractions at low temperatures, whereas the Cabernet Sauvignon vinifications were a much more typical 20-22 days at 28-30 degrees Celsius. In tasting, the 2019s have more tannins than any other vintage, with the exception of 2018, and yet the wines don’t show that at all. The bottled wines are every bit as impressive as the barrel samples.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThis wine, packed with Cabernet Sauvignon, is dense but shows a majestic structure. By contrast and equally stunning, it has such perfumed fruits that are poised between power and elegance. The balance of this magnificent wine is there, bringing together black currant fruit and rich, sumptuous tannins. There is amazing aging potential here.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEWonderful aromas on the nose, quite dark and concentrated contrasting the palate which is abundant, juicy and immediately mouthwatering, giving a rush of bright red cherry and strawberry flavour. But it’s the texture here that is so captivating - soft, light, bright, then deep and layered, the velvet tannins coming into support but harmoniously and effortlessly, nothing feels too much. A direct wine from start to finish with great drive and persistency offering a wonderful balance of having an immediate drinking appeal but also the structure, power and density to age. Sculpted, elegant and nicely framed. 37% of total production. Drinking Window 2030 - 2051.Decanter | 98 DECPretty gorgeous, with a cashmere feel right from the get-go as pure, unadulterated cassis, plum reduction and blackberry preserve notes sail through. The finish is laced with alluring red and black tea, violet, incense and savory notes, with a subtle mineral hint lingering to the very end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. Better after 2020 but so wonderful now.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It’s combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down - vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMThe 2012 Mouton Rothschild comes across as quite dark and ripe in this vintage. One of the richest, most powerful 2012s readers will come across, the Mouton boasts striking aromatics and overall density. Mocha, chocolate, graphite, smoke, licorice and dark-fleshed fruits all meld together in the glass. I imagine the 2012 will need a good decade before it starts drinking well. Slightly roasted notes and copious new oak stick out today, but these wines have a way of coming together in bottle. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGWonderful expression of ’patrician’ black fruits, the expected exotic seduction of Mouton, a perfect blend of power and elegance. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DECThis is starting to mellow already, featuring dark fig and blackberry notes infused liberally with black tea and smoldering tobacco accents. Shows a light loamy echo through the finish, with a flash of menthol. Offers ample flesh throughout, with a slightly grainy edge to the tannins.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2012 Château Mouton-Rothschild is a very good wine, being comprised of fully ninety percent cabernet sauvignon, eight percent merlot and two percent cabernet franc. It was raised in only seventy percent new oak this year- not a concession to the more elegant style of the 2012 vintage, but rather because the new chais includes new large wood fermentation tanks and these were also new oak this year. The wine is complex and classy on the nose, but just a touch overly slick for my pedestrian tastes, as it offers up a blend of cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, a dollop of licorice, dark soil tones and plenty of spicy, smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with really lovely raw materials very much in evidence. The core is deep, the focus and balance here are very fine indeed and there are plenty of ripe, chewy tannins adding grip and potential longevity on the finish, and yet, for some reason, I am left with the impression that the whole this year is a bit less than the sum of its parts. This is a very well-made wine, but it seems to me to be a bit overly sculpted to ever really reach greatness. I miss the more effortless impression of a wine like the 1985 Mouton- which the 2012 vintage might have been able to reproduce flawlessly! (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 92 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

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

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. Roasted currant, lead pencil, grilled nuts, tobacco and minerals on the nose. Smooth, vinous and concentrated, with lovely depth of flavor and ripe acidity for the vintage. Finishes with even tannins and excellent length. A very successful ’97.Vinous Media | 91 VM

At first the tannins keep this pretty tight, but as it opens up there is an elegance and finesse, along with a subtle floral expression that is clearer in the Château Margaux than the Pavillon. Juicy on the finish, and as it opens further you get a gourmet, dense expression to the raspberry and cassis fruit. Aromatically it is finely knit and uplifting. The iris and peony aromatics of Château Margaux are really to the fore, it’s a great vintage to show off this side of the estate. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.6pH. 38% of overall production in the first wine. One of the earliest harvest on record, all finished by end of September which is extremely rare at Margaux. Drinking Window 2021 - 2044.Decanter | 96 DECA solidly structured wine, it is both elegant and intensely powerful. It is disclosing its fruitiness slowly, at the moment dense and concentrated. A restrained edge provides complexity and balance. It will need aging, so don’t drink before 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis has a restrained core of steeped plum, blackberry and anise, studded with tobacco and roasted cedar notes. The structure is silky but persistent, with an almost-succulent feel through the finish, while warm bergamot, singed cedar, vanilla and sanguine hints define the finish. Discreet today, but shows the balance and precision to unfold slowly with cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFabulous aromas of flowers with hints of strawberries and currants. Extremely aromatic. This is full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a racy finish. It is very finely structured but chewy and austere. I like the tension to this. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe renowned Chateau Margaux’s 2011 boasts a dark ruby/plum color as well as a fragrant perfume of spring flowers, sweet, supple, well-integrated tannins, medium body, and the elegance and nobility expected from a great first-growth. Although it is not as powerful or concentrated as the 2009 or 2010 (no 2011s are), it possesses finesse, elegance, purity and suppleness. The wine is surprisingly approachable already yet should keep for 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2011 Château Margaux is a vintage that I have not encountered since just after bottling. Still youthful in colour, it has a strict, conservative, pencil lead and cedar-scented bouquet, very 2011 in style, a touch of smoke developing with aeration. What it lacks is a little flair. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannin. This has become a little more peppery and spicy since being incarcerated in bottle. There is pleasing depth towards the finish. Never a flamboyant Château Margaux, not a vintage that exuded flair, but there is respectable persistence with a fine, pointed finish. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2011 Château Margaux has the highest level of measured tannins ever in the history of the estate. The nose is quite bright for the vintage, offering up scents of black raspberries, cassis, dark chocolate, violets, soil and a suave base of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is not quite as good as the nose suggests, with its full-bodied, backward and reserved profile decidedly short on personality and a touch sinewy. The wine has a long, very firmly tannic finish, with tangy acids and rather blunt balance. I really am not wild about the equilibrium here and could very easily imagine this wine drying out, rather than blossoming with bottle age. But, beyond the wine’s overall balance, I get a strong sense that this was a wine made by decision-making that was completely risk averse, and the wine’s resultant lack of personality will shadow it all the way through its long (or short- depending on how the tannins are eventually resolved) life. One expects and should receive more from a First Growth! If the tannins do manage to resolve, then this will be a pretty good wine and a disastrous value. If they do not, well, even at thirty euros a bottle it would be too expensive, and we can rest assured it is not going to be priced out the cellar door at thirty euros! (Drink between 2025-2065).John Gilman | 87-90+ JG

All of the Left Bank firsts are tasting excellent, but Margaux stands out for the tightness and clarity of its sweet cherry and cassis fruit expression, the menthol grip on the finish, and the perfume that runs through the palate. This is a vintage that could almost be ready to drink with a good carafing, but the layers of graphite and the finesse to the tannins suggest it could also go longer. A great example of the subtle crafting possible in 2007.Decanter | 95 DECBright, dark red. Knockout nose combines redcurrant, blackberry, spices, flowers, tobacco and sexy sweet oak tones; complex and aristocratic. Then sweet, suave and seamless, with lovely inner-mouth perfume and noteworthy finesse to the flavors of blackberry, cherry and flowers. Finishes long and sweet, with noble tannins for the year. Not a big wine but one of the classiest examples of the vintage.Vinous Media | 93 VMSilky wine, fresh and light, balanced with high acidity cutting through black berry fruits. The structure has some substance, but this is a light, aromatic wine, developing fast, already delicious, and only for medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe elegant 2007 Chateau Margaux’s purity, depth of fruit, and overall equilibrium are impressive. A dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of spring flowers, black currants, and blackberries, a soft, lush, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and delicacy allied to impressive depth, texture, and length. Already drinkable, it should continue to offer exceptional pleasure for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 92 RP

No written review provided. | 91 WS

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

Surprisingly lively and fresh, this is still a seriously impressive wine. The high proportion of Semillon is now coming to dominate the Sauvignon, to give a wine that is finely shaped, full of creamy flavors of wood and some white peach. In 10 years, this will still be fresh, in 15 just mature.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEComplex aromas of blackberries, tobacco and cedar follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ripe, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very beautiful. Best after 2009.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGood ruby-red. Redcurrant, plum, tobacco and flowers on the nose. Suave and light on its feet, with excellent integrated acidity framing and extending the flavors. Classy and classic wine, finishing with ripe, building tannins. This would be perfect with a cigar. Today Delmas and Masclet prefer this 2002 to the 2001 Haut-Brion, but for La Mission they give the edge to the 2001.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

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

Dark ruby color. Decadent aromas of meat, figs and ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with a very good, compacted, fruity structure and a long, long, ripe fruit and earth finish. This is a seriously good bottle. Great value. Love it.Wine Spectator | 91 WS