Bordeaux Collector Wines

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One of the candidates for the Pomerol of this challenging vintage, Le Pin’s 2002 boasts a deep plum/purple color in addition to sweet aromas of dried herbs, roasted coffee, chocolate, plums, and sweet cherries. This luscious offering possesses terrific fruit, medium body, low acidity, and a long, heady finish. Drink it over the next 12-15 years. It is an amazing wine for the vintage!Robert Parker | 93 RPFull red-ruby. Ripe aromas of plum, dark raspberry, chocolate and espresso. Fat, lush and fruity, with a lovely pliant texture and impressive richness for the vintage; hints of espresso and roasted herbs. Alexandre Thienpont likes this wine very much but told me he gives the edge to the 2001, so I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this bottle.Vinous Media | 91 VM

This is certainly one of the stars of the vintage. With its solid tannins and dark, smoky character, it is going to be powerful, but with such elegance. The fruit flavors combine richness and freshness in fine harmony.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEIntense aromas of tar, blackberry and wet earth, with just a hint of tobacco and flowers. Full-bodied, chewy and long. Extracted, yet turns caressing and velvety in texture. Broad-shouldered and muscular for this estate. This is better than the 2000. Best after 2012. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2004 Cheval Blanc has always been a wine that I felt needed patience on behalf of the wine lover, and so it is proving to be the case. Served blind I remarked upon a surprisingly Burgundy-like bouquet with ample red cherries, candied strawberry and redcurrant scents, the Merlot clearly more conspicuous than the Cabernet Franc, at least for now. The palate is medium-bodied with just a touch of coarseness on the entry. I appreciate the weight and balance here and belatedly the Cabernet Franc begins to express itself on the latter half, lending structure and grip, a dash of spice and a bit of sinew. Whilst it will never have the persistence of other vintages and regrettably continue to be dwarfed by the 2005, it remains a very fine Cheval Blanc from Pierre Lurton and his team. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMGood bright ruby-red. Subdued but pure aromas of plum, flowers, licorice, menthol and Asian spices. Suave on entry, then dry and tight in the middle; extremely backward and shut down. Most impressive now for its finesse of texture. But today there’s little sign of the fleshiness the wine showed in the spring after the harvest. Lock this one away for a while and forget about it. This vintage has more cab franc than merlot.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

A luscious Lafite that is silky and elegant with layers of wonderful violet, berry, cherry and chocolate flavors. It’s full-bodied, with racy, refined tannins and good length. Drinkable now, but best from 1999 and through another decade. 18,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBecause Lafite-Rothschild (1) tends to lack the weight of many wines of the northern Medoc, and (2) is never a flashy, ostentatious style of wine, it is often more difficult to evaluate when young than some of its neighbors. Made from nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this dark ruby/purple-colored wine is stubbornly backward, unappealing, and severe and astringent on the palate. There is plenty of weight, and the wine possesses admirable purity, with no suggestion of herbaceousness or underripe fruit, but the wine’s personality refuses to be coaxed from the glass. The 1994 Lafite may turn out to be austere and disappointing flavor-wise, but possesses a fabulous set of aromatics (does that sound reminiscent of the 1961, another Lafite that was primarily Cabernet Sauvignon?). I am not giving up on this wine, but purchasers should be willing to wait 15-20 years before pulling a cork. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 1994 Lafite-Rothschild is a vintage that I have not tasted for some time. Poured blind, it has a healthy colour with modest signs of aging on the brick rim. Since this is 99.5% Cabernet Sauvignon (I always thought it was 100%!) it is dominated by classic aromas associated with that variety: undergrowth and tobacco, just a touch of graphite. Like the 1961, I actually miss the Merlot component because the wine does feel a little two-dimensional. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. That tannins are coarser than recent vintages, and there is a little hardness on the finish that would have been mollified by the Merlot, but this stocky Lafite-Rothschild is still going strong. Just partner it with the right dish rather than drink on its own. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the estate.Vinous Media | 90 VM

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

This is a giant wine with lots of muscular tannins and rich fruit. Full and beautiful, very ‘Cabernet’ with currants and spices in the forefront. Broad shouldered, with notes of fresh mushrooms, pure fruit, souis bois, and a very long, long finish. This shows incredible class for the vintage. Robert de Luxembourg says it reminds him of the 1975 vintage with the powerful tannins. Pull the cork after 2015.James Suckling | 95 JSAromas of blackberry, tobacco and hints of oak. Full-bodied, with lots of silky and round tannins and a long finish. Lots going on here. Layered and powerful. Best after 2010. 460 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSEvery year, this estate turns in a wine which closely rivals the neighboring Haut-Brion. This year, the rivalry is just as intense. This has sweet, ripe, beautiful fruit, delicious acidity already. But wait for the tannins to kick in.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion shows more creme de cassis, plenty of cedar wood, melted licorice and charcoal in a medium to full-bodied wine. It is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Rustic tannins in the back knock down the ultimate pleasure, and the point score, ever so slightly, but there’s no doubting the complex, perfumey, noble aromatics this wine has managed to attain despite the staggering heat and drought in June, July and August. This has reached full maturity, but should hold nicely for another 7-10 years.Here’s a case where the second wine comes very close in quality to its bigger sibling, possibly because it is showing great complexity and is even more evolved than the Mission Haut-Brion. 2003 was tough in the Pessac-Leognan because of the lighter soils and the enormous heat and drought. Hence, the harvest here started in mid-August, which was historic.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the few examples of this infamous vintage that has improved in bottle, though it’s still far from a first- or even second-tier La Mission. My most recent bottle displays all the tropes of that hot summer: black cherries, fig, singed leather and cooked meats. It does not have the delineation of the best vintages. The palate is reasonably well balanced with sweet black fruit, still displaying those fennel and garrigue notes. The finish is opulent yet slightly monotone. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Made in an elegant, surprisingly low key style for La Mondotte, the concentrated, delicious, opaque purple-colored 2001 builds incrementally on the palate. An impressive bouquet of black cherries, creme de cassis, toast, and minerals is followed by a medium to full-bodied effort with nicely integrated wood, acidity, and tannin as well as a long finish. This is a brilliant wine, and one of the finest efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2017.Robert Parker | 94 RPSolid red with loads of spicy, rich berry fruit, with just the hint of spice. Full-bodied, with a well-integrated fruit and tannin structure. Long finish. Tight and firm now. Needs time. This is very serious. Best after 2006. 740 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2001 La Mondotte, which I had tasted twice before, has a pleasant bouquet of raspberry coulis and crushed strawberry scents, hints of peppermint and orange blossom emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with simple red berry fruit, maraschino cherries and touches of blueberry, fine acidity and dark chocolate and espresso notes toward the finish. This was always a more elegant style of La Mondotte, one that did not appeal to me in its youth, but does now. Cropped at 20hl/ha and matured in 100% new oak for 18 months.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A wine that continues to improve with age. Shows loads of ripe plum, almost prune, with hints of vanilla and mineral. Full, chewy and tight. Still needs time.--Lynch-Bages non-blind vertical. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Saturated ruby-red. Pure, highly perfumed aromas of black cherry, currant, plum, minerals, tobacco, leather and fresh herbs. Very ripe, suave and spicy; at once subtle and gripping. Lovely cabernet character dominating today. Very firm, long finish is youthful but not hard-edged. Showing extremely well.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Château Calon-Ségur) Along with the 2001, the 1996 vintage at Calon-Ségur is one of my favorite from the merlot-centric era at the estate, probably because the vintage favored cabernet sauvignon so clearly in the Médoc and a bit more of this grape was included in the blend at Calon in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, vibrant and youthfully precise, wafting from the glass in a mix of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, dark soil tones, a touch of curry and a gentle framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively tangy, with a fine core of fruit, currently a quite tightly-knit personality, well-integrated tannins and very, very good length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. This is going to be a lovely wine in another eight to ten years’ time and should prove to be quite long-lived. I love to imagine what the current team at Calon would have done with a vintage such as 1996 today! (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGThe 1996 may not be as profound as I had predicted from cask, but it is an exceptional wine. Dark ruby-colored, with a complex nose of dried herbs, Asian spices, and black cherry jam intermixed with cassis, it possesses outstanding purity, and considerable tannin in the finish. This classic, medium to full-bodied, traditionally made wine improves dramatically with airing, suggesting it will have a very long life. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2028.Robert Parker | 92 RPFully mature and drinking wonderfully well, the 1996 Château Calon Ségur has a classic nose of green tobacco, cedarwood, currants, and sous bois. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a wonderful sense of purity, polished tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. This is classic, focused, old school yet pure, balanced Bordeaux goodness. It has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDCurrant and fresh herbs. Full- to medium-bodied, with plum flavors and a medium finish.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This classic, powerful, firm Lynch Bages may be as concentrated (if not more so) than the 2005. It possesses a dense purple-tinged color, tell-tale cassis notes interwoven with hints of roast beef, savory herbs, spice box and subtle oak, good acidity and ripe tannin. The result is a full-bodied, fleshy Pauillac that will benefit from another 3-4 years of cellaring. It is capable of lasting 20-25 more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPYear after year, Lynch-Bages is able to produce sumptuous wines, typically rich, powerful and structured. This is solid, the blackberry ripe fruit enveloping this structure with a velvet sheen. This is developing into one of the successes of the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESlowly and confidently inching towards its drinking window, but needs another three to five years before it gets there. Deep plush fruit with tight liquorice root and menthol edging against rich blackberry coulis. Beautiful subtle tension and complexity on display. Really a huge amount that uncurls slowly in the glass. Very seductive. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Lynch Bages) The 2006 Lynch Bages was raised in eighty percent new oak, which intuitively would have seen a bit excessive in a vintage such as ’06, but the wine has worked out well and looks to be a fine example of the year. The nose is deep and lovely, as it offers up a complex mélange of cassis, black cherries, tobacco, herb tones, gravel, espresso and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full, long and suave on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, plenty of ripe, well-integrated tannins and fine length and grip on the nascently complex finish. (Drink between 2019-2035)John Gilman | 92 JGVery focused and pretty now, with currants, minerals and hints of dried flowers. Full body with super-integrated tannins and a long, long finish. Beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSBlackberry, licorice and mint aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and lots of blackberry and mineral fruit character. Shows outstanding concentration and balance. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(a blend of 79% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot; 3.54 pH; 6.03 g/l total acidity; 81 IPT; 13.2% alcohol): Fully saturated bright ruby. Currently in a slightly dumb phase and aromatically compressed on the nose, revealing cool blackberry and cassis aromas with extended aeration, complicated by notes of cola, flowers, red cherry and sweet spices. Then soft, round and ripe in the mouth, with persistent flavors of black cherry, cassis and cinnamon. A very serious wine offering impressive definition and very good balance, turning almost austere at the back, but with a pretty, pristine quality to its repeating floral and black fruit notes. Finishes with smooth, building tannins: don’t even think of opening this beauty for another eight to ten years. One of the best vintage for Lynch-Bages in recent memory.Vinous Media | 91+ VMWhile the cedary scent shows this wine’s potential complexity, the tannins bury it for now in extract. It’s as black as ATV tires ripping roots out of the earth as it lays tracks over dark, blueberry flavors. A tough vintage of Lynch-Bages, this needs time to develop past its initial reduction and allow the fruit to come up.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

(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

I’m not sure you need me to recap the weather conditions in 2005 as it’s such a famous, and relatively recent, year. Suffice to say, it was pretty close to a perfect year, with spots of heat but generally cool evenings that maintained a sense of freshness and poise. The colour difference is quite remarkable in comparison to the older vintages in the tasting, and even with nearly 15 years of age we are fully in primary colours with this 2005 - rich, purple-reds, not inky but full of life and intensity right through the body of the wine. On the palate you find touches of caramel and sweet, ripe fruit that’s handled expertly. It’s more gourmet than any other on display, but still with gorgeous freshness and traces of black pepper spice that give focus to the finish. It has an effortless balance that just makes you so happy to be drinking this wonderful vintage, from an estate that’s in no hurry to reveal its riches. Outside of the world of Bordeaux wine, Angela Merkel became head of the German government, following on from Gerhard Schroëder. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045Decanter | 94 DECWith its big fruit, and hearty tannins, this is a powerful, ripe wine, having great sweet blackberry flavors, a touch of smoke and a black fruit core. Round and opulent, this is a generous wine already.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEComplex aromas of chocolate, currants, berries and sweet tobacco. Full body with fully integrated tannins that give a silky texture. Lovely tannins, fruit and acid balance. Just opening now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2005 Talbot was picked from 22 September until 10 October. Having tasted this several times, this might be the best bottle. Deeper in colour than other vintages, it offers much more fruit: blackberry, bilberry and raspberry tinged with cedar and a faint estuarine tang. These aromatics just have more substance than other vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity. It is not the most complex 2005 Saint-Julien but there is grip and matière, notes of soy and black pepper lining the finish that will benefit from another two or three years in bottle. Very fine. Tasted at the centenary Château Talbot vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 92+ VMSweet tobacco, berry and currant aromas follow through to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a fresh, racy aftertaste of currant and mineral. The texture of the tannins is very beautiful. Best after 2016.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

is a classic. Vintage 2004 has given beautifully ripe Merlot, perfectly poised, but also showing the dryness and power. It is hugely intense, structured, bringing in blackberry flavors, fresh acidity and complex wood, perfumed and rich, concentrated. The aging potential? At least 20 years.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WENo written review provided | 95 W&SThe dark plum/ruby-tinged 2004 Petrus possesses high acidity as well as copious amounts of sweet cherries and black currants intermixed with hints of cola, earth, and truffles. Deep, medium-bodied, concentrated, ripe flavors are excruciatingly firm and tannic. This backward, structured, muscular Pomerol requires a decade of cellaring, but it possesses the potential to be the longest lived wine of the vintage, lasting 30-40 years. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.Robert Parker | 93 RPOffers crushed berries, with chocolate and light vanilla. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit, silky tannins and a caressing texture. Very harmonious and pretty, with a balanced palate. Best after 2008. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2004 Petrus is not one of the strongest wines of the decade, though it remains a fine Pomerol. The bouquet does not hold back with splendid fruit concentration: floral top notes with pressed violets and shaved black truffles, traits I observed in previous bottles. The palate is gracefully moving into its secondary phase with touches of tobacco and warm gravel infusing the red fruit. However, there is a conservative element to this Petrus that opts to play it safe. You do not feel as if it will evolve into something more, which begs the question whether you should continue cellaring it? I see no harm in pulling bottles now, larger formats later. Vinous Media | 92 VM

Impressively dense, dark flavored wine, very rich and quite extracted. But it still keeps the elegance and some of the freshness of 2004, and there is plenty of blackberry flavor to push the wine along. Heavier than many 2004s, it still shows that great acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEOne can’t say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the “Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien.” An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Also tasted: 2004 Croix de Beaucaillou (88; $25.00)Robert Parker | 93 RPAgainst my expectations, this is not quite as appealing as the 2003 to drink right now, a little more foursquare although extremely classic with plenty of St Julien finesse. The tannins are tight and firm, and this still feels extremely young - you certainly see the majestic ageing ability of Ducru in both the 2003 and 2004. The fruit character is dark, rich and powerful, with a menthol edge growing bright through the palate along with a ton of liquorice root. Extremely good, but lacks the thrill of the 2003. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 93 DECGorgeous aromas of crushed blackberry and currant. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is a Ducru with reserve and lots of finesse. Best after 2011. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis Ducru is such a harmonious wine, with cedar, berry and truffle character. It’s full-bodied with gorgeous tannins and a pretty finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSNo written review provided. | 92 W&SDeep ruby-red. Reticent nose hints at violet, menthol and spicy oak. Sweet and lush on entry, then broad and classically dry in the middle, with slightly edgy acidity currently dominating the wine’s precise berry and licorice flavors. Finishes with serious, broad tannins that reach the incisors. This is long but the 2006 is longer.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

The 1998 Calon-Ségur, blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color with just a touch of brick and a very earthy/meaty nose with notions of new leather, smoked game, truffles, dusty soil, iron ore and mossy bark over a core of crème de cassis, preserved plums, spice cake and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of incense. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with spicy and earthy layers with velvety tannins, seamless freshness and great length. Give it 10 to 15+ more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

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

A successful wine for the vintage, this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot boasts complex notes of menthol, black currants, plums, licorice, and a hint of cappuccino in its stunning aromatics. Dense, medium to full-bodied, with high levels of tannin in a big, full-bodied style (much in the spirit of such classic Bordeaux vintages as 1966, 1986, and 1996), this wine possesses superb purity and serious length, but should be purchased only by those with considerable patience and a good, cold cellar, since it will need plenty of time. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.Robert Parker | 94 RPRich aromas of vanilla, chocolate and berry follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ultrafine tannins and a long, silky finish. Very fine indeed. Palmer shows power with finesse here. Best after 2007. 8,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSGood bright ruby-red. Sweet, penetrating aromas of raspberry, currant, flowers and sweet oak. Tight today but not hard, with burnished oak notes sweetening the dark berry and floral flavors. Finishes long and firmly tannic, with cabernet-dominated floral and minty notes.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

Troplong Mondot’s 2003 is a brilliant success in this vintage, largely because of the limestone soils and incredibly low yields. There are nearly 70 acres of vines in production, yields were tiny, and the harvest was early. Nevertheless, there is an opulence and youthfulness in this wine that suggest it has at least a decade of life left. A luxurious effort with high glycerin, loads of blueberry, mulberry, black currant, licorice and charcoal ember-like notes, full body, low acidity and sweet tannin, this beauty is close to full maturity and can be drunk now as well as over the next decade.Robert Parker | 94 RPRed-ruby. Sappy aromas of very ripe redcurrant, tobacco and minerals. Fat, sexy and deep, with flavors of redcurrant, plum, tobacco and spice lifted by the wine’s mineral component. Wonderfully rich, full-blown wine, finishing with serious toothcoating tannins that call for at least four or five years of patience. This is close to 14% alcohol, but even this vintage of Troplong-Mondot has more acidity than the 1990.Vinous Media | 92 VMBeautiful plum, berry and raspberry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with refined tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very nicely done. Best after 2009. 3,915 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Supple yet strong willed, this is mature enough for drinking now, with chocolate, cherry, violet, vanilla and raspberry notes.--Mouton-Rothschild vertical.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This wine continues to get better and better and is certainly one of the great successes in what is a profound vintage for Bordeaux. While the wine still tastes young, it is already complex, with so much sweet tannin and lavish fruit that it is impossible to resist, even though it probably will not hit its plateau of maturity for another 5-6 years. A stunning nose of licorice, earth, cedar, Provencal herbs, black currants, asphalt, and cherries soars from the glass. Full-bodied, opulent, with fabulous concentration, a seamless texture, and remarkable stuffing and power, this low-acid, thick, almost viscous wine can be drunk now or cellared for at least another two decades. For trivia buffs, this was the wine President Chirac served former President Clinton when he hosted Clinton in Paris at the famous Parisian bistro L’Ami Louis in June, 1999. I know, because several days later President Chirac gave me the Legion of Honor. In his speech, he acknowledged the fact that President Clinton only wanted to “drink a wine rated highly by Robert Parker.” Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, 9/02.Robert Parker | 96 RPAn estate known for its long ageing, and here it has softened at 31 years old, but still offering silky tannins and autumnal fruits with cedar smoked oak, marzipan, dried leather and gentle truffled spice. A thoroughly enjoyable Gruaud Larose showcasing old-school St-Julien balance. Clear crushed mint leaf on the finish, utterly moreish. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend; 33% new oak. (Drink between 2021-2035)Decanter | 94 DECBright medium red with a reddish-amber rim. Pungent notes of cinnamon, quinine and rosemary complicate red cherry on the enticing, aromatic nose. Juicy and fresh on the palate, showing good density to the red fruit, peppery plum and herb flavors. Offers very good texture and chewy but noble tannins, with precise mineral-tinged fruit flavors lingering nicely on the peppery, flinty finish. A real step up in concentration from the 1989, and unlike that vintage this will still improve with further bottle age, though it’s drinking well now. Very well done.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A dense, traditionally crafted wine for those with patience, the 2000 Calon-Segur rivals the estate’s finest wines of the last two decades, the 1995, 1988, and 1982. But be forewarned, this wine has already closed down, something totally in character with all top vintages from this estate. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc exhibits a plum/purple color along with gorgeous aromas of creosote intermixed with spring flowers, black cherries, cassis, licorice, and stony, liquid minerals. A powerful, tannic, full-bodied and opulent wine, it possesses considerable structure that is reasonably well-concealed by considerable glycerin and intensity. Look for it to be at its best between 2012-2040. Patience, patience, patience!Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2000 Calon-Ségur still appears quite youthful on the rim. The well-defined nose offers brambly red fruit, red currant, crushed strawberry, rose petals and cedar, and some sous-bois just loitering in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins. This has mellowed since I tasted it in London five years ago, and touches of tobacco and tart red cherries enliven the finish. I have always loved this millennial Calon-Ségur and now it is à point and drinking beautifully. Aged in 50% new oak and 50% one-year-old for 12 months (less than nowadays.)Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is a solid, huge wine, with rich but very dry tannins. With its dense, almost black color, and its sense of brooding power, it promises long aging. It will never be in the opulent Bordeaux camp, despite its prominent new wood flavors, but will probably outlive all but a handful top wines.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2000 Calon-Ségur is a very closed, very grumpy wine at the present time, and this is a characteristic that it shares at the present time with a great many wines from this vintage. The blend here included forty-two percent merlot in 2000 and the wine offers up a very deep-pitched and adolescent bouquet of black fruit, inky tones, damp, dark soil, dried eucalyptus, coffee grounds and cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, closed down and quite dense at the core, with a gritty edge to its firm and chewy tannins, little generosity at the present time, but also with impressive grip on the closed, but very, very long finish. The length on the backend here really gives me some hope for the future of this wine, but it is really in a very difficult place for current assessment and I do not have a strong sense of whether or not this wine will always be a bit charmless, or if this is simply a passing phase and it will blossom to deliver some of Calons’ inherent breed with sufficient bottle age. (Drink between 2025-2065)John Gilman | 88-92+ JGThis shows a noticeable leafy edge, with tobacco, light cedar, bay and worn leather notes holding sway over a core of lightly mulled red currant and plum fruit flavors. Not as dense as the top examples, but everything pulls together nicely through the fine-grained finish.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A spicy Bordeaux with berries and hints of currants. Full, super round and soft –surrounded by vanilla and blueberry pie. Lovely. Just coming around now. Delicious.James Suckling | 93 JSThe beautiful 1999 Mouton Rothschild may be a modern day clone of their 1962 or 1985. Its saturated ruby/purple color is followed by sumptuous aromas of cedar wood, creme de cassis, wood smoke, coffee, and dried herbs. The wine is forward, lush, and full-bodied. It is already complex as well as succulent, fleshy, and long. Tannin in the finish suggests more nuances will emerge in 4-5 years. It is a complex, classic Mouton. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 93 RPStill showing some vibrant red/black fruit notes, this has some primary characters and firm, grippy tannins which should allow the wine to age for at least another five years. An elegant Mouton with intriguing herbs and spices on the nose, with blackcurrant flavour coming through on the medium-bodied palate. Restrained and understated, although lacking the density of the top vintages. Harvested 24 September to 2 October. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 60% of production used for the Grand Vin. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 93 DECThe 1999 Mouton-Rothschild, which Philippe Dhalluin told me was harvested in one week, has a forward, showy bouquet with more upfront black fruit than the 1999 Lafite-Rothschild I tasted an hour earlier. Blackberry mixes with hints of star anise and light tobacco notes, conveying energy and fine delineation if not the profundity of the greatest vintages. There seems to be a lot of extraction and/or vin de presse here. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and quite dense and grippy in the mouth. There is presence but not the same sophistication that Dhalluin imparts nowadays. A pleasurable Mouton-Rothschild that tries everything to appeal, whereas nowadays it is more effortless. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMDelivers sweet tobacco and plum aromas, with a lovely richness. Full-bodied, featuring lots of cedar, tobacco, chocolate and berry character. Long and silky in the palate. There is no sense in waiting; this is so delicious now.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 20,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Aromas of coffee bean, dried flowers and blackberry follow through to a full body, with very sweet and ripe fruit. Long and flavorful, with dark chocolate, tobacco and plum. Complex and fascinating. Will improve for many years.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. — JSWine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Trotanoy) The 1988 Château Trotanoy is a really lovely example of the vintage, with decidedly “cooler” fruit tones that are on the black fruity side of the ledger, as well as the notes of fresh herbs and gravel of less ripe vintages at this estate. The super bouquet is a blend of dark berries, black cherries, cigar ash, gravel, coffee, tobacco leaf, fresh herbs and a deft framing of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still a bit on the young side, with a superb core of fruit, moderate tannins, good acids and excellent focus and complexity on the long and black fruity finish. Not a classic vintage of Trotanoy, but a classic example of Trotanoy from a cooler year. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 92+ JG

(Château Rausan-Ségla) Popular claret culture, in the wake of Robert Parker’s pronouncement many years back that the 1986 vintage of Château Rausan-Ségla was the first top flight vintage here in a generation, tends to ignore the wines made here in the first half of the decade of the 1980s. However, I have been very impressed previously with both the 1983 and 1985 versions, and had higher expectations than any of my guests for the 1982 Château Rausan-Ségla in our lineup. Happily, my expectations were born out with a superb bottle and this has to be one of the finest wines made in the commune in 1982. The bouquet is beautifully complex and quite exuberant, jumping from the glass in the property’s signature blend of black raspberry, black cherry, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, a beautiful spread of spice elements, just a hint of nutskin and a discreet framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and really has an excellent core of fruit (particularly for a 1982 Margaux, as this commune is not as universally successful as most others in this vintage), with excellent focus and balance and still a bit of suave tannin adding backend grip to the long, complex and utterly satisfying finish. This is a bit more sappy at the core than the classical 1983, and has a bit less silky elegance of the 1985, but these three vintages at least prove that the reports of Château Rausan-Ségla not starting its renaissance until the 1986 vintage were a bit tardy! Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JG

Ripe and fresh. Just what it should be. Deep ruby with red hue. Loads of chocolate, vanilla, tobacco and ripe fruit. Full bodied with lots of velvety tannins and a long finish.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2004. 12,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSMedium healthy red. Expressive aromas of smoky oak, toffee, redcurrants, and a trace of herbs. Thick, velvety and smooth, with substantial fat. Broad more than intense right now. Lingering, sweet finish; ripe tannins are substantial but currently buried in fruit.Vinous Media | 90 VM

At this point in Palmer’s history, the estate was being run by Peter Sichel, and was under the ownership of, as today, the Sichel and Mahler-Besse families. You can clearly tell that the heatwave in July, and the hot dry harvest (although with a damp August and ealy September) suited these grapes. The aromatics are still sedutively rich, the colour more brick-tinged than the 1983. Soft end of summer raspberries, along with clear iodine notes that give a saline lick on the finish. 3% Petit Verdot finishes the blend. Harvest September 15 to October 5. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECFull, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I’ve tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015.Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Palmer) The 1982 vintage at Château Palmer produced a very good wine, and though it is not one of the legendary examples of either the vintage, or the last quarter century at this outstanding property, it has never stopped me from immensely enjoying my bottles of the ’82 Palmer. This most recent bottle is fully mature, complex, perfumed and beautifully balanced, wafting from the glass in a refined blend of mulberries, cherries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, violets and summer truffles. On the palate the wine is plush on the attack, full-bodied and easy-going stylistically, with slightly low acids, good, but certainly not great depth at the core, but lovely focus and grip on the complex, meltingly tannic and immensely satisfying finish. This is just a whisper fluide at the core compared to vintages like 1983 or 1989, but it is still a lovely example of this inimitable terroir and a very worthy wine. (Drink between 2017-2040)John Gilman | 92 JGTasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the magnum of 1982 Château Palmer is one of the best examples that I have tasted, even if it is no match for the 1983. It is a little curmudgeonly at first, perhaps slightly pinched, but it unfolds nicely and reveals quite mineral-rich, soy-tinged black fruit interlaced with graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin lending this backbone. It is missing some weight towards the finish, but as it opens in the glass, it reveals hidden facets such as tobacco and tertiary notes, allied with poise and finesse. Granted, it falls short of what could have been given the benevolent vintage and quality of its peers, however this magnum suggests that in larger formats might be worth seeking out. Tasted May 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMA well-crafted red with beautiful structure. Dark ruby-garnet in color, with a lot of violet and earth aromas. Full-bodied, with loads of silky tannins and a long, sweet fruit finish. Has always been outstanding.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS