Bordeaux Collector Wines

wines

A complex nose of subtle menthol intermixed with black currants, cherries, spice box, cedar, and herbs emerges from this fully mature 1990. It is a fleshy, round, generously endowed Margaux with silky tannins, low acidity, and beautiful purity. Drink it with great pleasure now, or cellar it for another decade. Release price: ($300.00/case)Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 1990 Rauzan-Ségla is another vintage that I have not tasted for some time. It was picked from September 17 to October 7. Now at 28-years of age it shows some maturation on the tawny rim, the core a little lighter in colour than the 1998 for example. The bouquet has certainly matured in recent years: blackberry, strawberry pastilles, touches of garrigues, clove and fennel, and freshly tilled soil. It is very...1990! There is little oak presence here (the new oak was in fact just 40%, so unsurprising.) The palate is medium-bodied with grainy, slightly rustic tannin. I love the flavor profile here: dark chocolate, leather, clove, oregano and a touch of soy that is, for me, quite Saint-Julien in style. One can tell that this 1990 will not improve with continued bottle age however, it has great depth and you come away with the sense that it wears its heart on its sleeve. Tasted at the Rauzan-Ségla vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 93 VMVery concentrated. Dark garnet color. Pretty licorice, plum and currant aromas. Full-bodied, with velvety, ripe tannins and a long black licorice and cherry aftertaste.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2004. 11,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This is a big upgrade for this spectacular micro-cuvee, a true garage wine from a 4.4-acre vineyard. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, I always find Gracia to be reminiscent of Ausone. The dense, rich 2000 reveals notes of a spring flower garden intermixed with smoky barbecue meat, blackberries, black currants, and crushed rocks. The extraordinary perfume is followed by a wine of great depth and richness, full-bodied power, and not a hard edge to be found. This velvety blockbuster is just beginning to strut all its stuff, and should age easily for another 15+ years.Robert Parker | 96 RPBright medium ruby. Superripe, slightly medicinal kirsch aroma, complicated by licorice, earth and exotic oak tones. Plump and smooth, with impressively concentrated flavors of liqueur-like black raspberry and black cherry. Finishes with big, dusty, late-arriving tannins and a note of roast coffee. Considerably less primary than the 2001 and 2002 vintages, but undeniably sweet and fat.Vinous Media | 91 VM

(Château Mouton-Rothschild) This was the last vintage to be made by the Baron de Rothschild, and I have always had a sneaky suspicion that the 1987 may have been made a bit more memorable by the inclusion of some of the 1986 or 1988 bookends that may have been laying around, as the wine utterly transcends the vintage in terms of depth and power. Regardless of how the quality of the wine was ultimately arrived at, it is the finest 1987 Medoc that I have ever tasted, jumping from the glass in a blend of red berries, spices, coffee, eucalyptus, a touch of walnuts and the traditional Mouton nicely toasted new oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full, complex and à point, with excellent focus and fine length on the shapely finish. This is a lovely, commemorative bottling that still has plenty of life ahead of it. (Drink between 2003-2012)John Gilman | 91 JGOctober 2002 at a mad Swiss collector’s house at 10am. Light brick core. Tawny rim. Delicate leaf/minty nose. Quite earthy and mature on palate. Well-balanced, better than Lafite. Moderate concentration but quite austere and classic. Drink soon. Tasted amongst in a collectors gnome garden in Switzerland at 10am! Tasted again at the SuperBOWL and making perfect sense with a leg of lamb. A slightly diffuse, tobacco scented nose followed by a palate of moderate concentration with cedar and tobacco. Quite a soft texture but with vibrant acidity. A gentleman’s claret. Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP-NM

This is a young red with great intensity and vision that starts off slowly and builds with energy and verve. It’s so minerally with salty, chalky and spice undertones to the cool and vibrant, purple and subtle-fruit flavors. The tannins are wonderfully toned and polished and build on the palate to deliver something very special.James Suckling | 98-99 JSDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Le Gay erupts from the glass with scents of molten licorice and dark chocolate, giving way to a tantalizing core of baked black cherries, prunes and blackberry preserves, plus a hint of cardamom. The full-bodied palate is rich and decadent, featuring layers of black fruits and exotic spices with a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. A hedonic powerhouse!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (94-96)+ RPOne of my favorite estates in Pomerol is Château Le Gay, and their 2020 looks to be a gem, offering a ripe, forward, medium to full-bodied style as well as classic cassis and assorted darker fruits intermixed with white flowers, tobacco, and violets. It has plenty of background oak, sweet tannins, beautiful overall balance, and outstanding length on the finish. I don’t think it has the density of the 2016, but it still shows plenty of concentration as well as the fresh, elegant, incredibly pure style of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDThe 2020 Le Gay offers up a heady concoction of blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, licorice and new oak. Inky and deep, with tremendous sheer textural opulence, this is one of the most explosive, intense Pomerols readers will come across. A delicious wine, but not subtle in any way.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM(Château Le Gay, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Careful and seductive oaking, this develops and builds in power and finesse over the palate, and is a seriously enjoyable Pomerol, just packed full of appellation typicity. A yield of 35hl/ha, vinified in new oak barrels, and will stay in barrel for 18 months. (Drink between 2028-2042)Decanter | 94 DEC

Blackberry and graphite with dark fruit and violets on the nose. Very complex. Full-bodied with lovely, fine tannins that are lightly chewy. Extremely long and polished. Really refined. Integrated tannins. Wonderful length.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe second wine of Château Margaux is beautiful, smoky with acidity that is intense and yet integrated with the perfumed fruits. The wine’s freshness is very much a product of the vintage, giving the tannins a fine lift. Of course the wine will age.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge is composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The alcohol weighs in at 13.6%. Deep purple-black in color, the nose slowly unfurls to reveal gorgeous floral notes of lilacs and red roses, leading to a core of blackcurrant cordial, Morello cherries and minted blackberries, plus wafts of crushed rocks, forest floor and tilled loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is a mouthful of pure vinous seduction, slowly releasing layers of perfumed black fruits and mineral accents within a frame of achingly plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and a whole array of fragrant earth sparks.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge shows just how compelling the vintage is. Rich red berry fruit, red plum, cedar, spice and licorice meld together in a sumptuous, racy yet impeccably balanced wine that is flat-out delicious. It displays tremendous reserve, freshness and nuance, and clean veins of salinity that refresh the finish. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The Pavillon Rouge represents 31% of the harvest.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge checks in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It has a beautifully pure, classic Cabernet style in its cassis and blue-tinged fruits as well as notes of violets, tobacco, and chocolate. With medium to full body, ripe yet polished tannins, and a great finish, it shows the fresh yet concentrated style of the vintage beautifully. It’s going to evolve nicely for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 92-94 JDSinewed muscle, nuanced aromatics, graphite, gunsmoke, fresh tobacco leaf and blackberry puree. Great purity of fruits, a ton of lift and freshly crushed mint leaf aromatics that grip and curl out of the glass. One of the really successful second wines in the vintage. 31% of the overall blend. 2% of Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC

This is really minerally with crushed stones and dark berries. Some licorice. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a beautiful, tight and focused finish. Such energy, delivered down a straight line.James Suckling | 94-95 JSA blend of 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 0.8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Les Forts de Latour is deep garnet-purple in color and strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of plum preserves, warm cassis and pencil shavings with nuances of mulberries, pencil lead, Indian spices and forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate packs a lot of fruit into a very elegant, tightly knit palate, delivering expressive blackberry and spicy flavors with a firm frame of grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long with a peppery kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSmells lovely, really aromatic and shining out of the glass, forward and expressive with clarity and precision on the nose full of red fruit and floral scents. Sleek and crisp, this has energy and lifeforce, I love the shape and straightforwardness but it’s the texture that’s so captivating - slightly firm but dense and chalky tannins give the bounce and cushioning on the palate while the fruit is lean and well defined. So well worked, feels careful, controlled, refined and polished. Sophisticated and just so seamless. Extremely young right now, coiled and tense still, direct from start to finish, it needs to slow down and soften and relax. Lovely pure and perfumed red fruits raspberry and blueberries alongside a slightly sharp, bitter grapefruit edge to the tannins as well as graphite and slate which lingers on the tongue and gives the mighty grip that doesn’t let go. Stylish and enjoyable. 64 PIT, 6.7% press wine. 45.4% production. Harvest 11 September to 4 October. Technical director Hélène Genin. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.Decanter | 94 DECThis bold, structured wine is packed with blackberry fruits and ripe tannins. Freshness and structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon are very present, giving a crisp edge to the solid backbone. This is a wine for aging. Don’t drink before 2023. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 94 WEBright and fresh, featuring floral, cassis and plum aromas and flavors allied to a sleek, iron-tinged frame. Racy tension through the finish lets the fruit play out while the minerality blossoms. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA step up, the 2017 Les Forts De Latour includes more Cabernet Sauvignon and is 65.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and a splash of Cabernet Franc. Creme de cassis, unsmoked tobacco, damp earth, and a touch of cedar pencil all emerge from the glass, and it’s beautifully textured and medium to full-bodied, with terrific purity and a great finish. While it’s a second wine, I suspect it will evolve for 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2017 Les Forts de Latour conveys airiness on the nose, reflecting the relatively lightest vintage in recent years. Graphite and sous-bois infuse black fruit, offering a slightly welcome herbaceous/undergrowth tincture. The palate is very well-balanced and will appeal to those seeking a sleeker, lighter style of Pauillac. Not lean by any account, but this Les Fort de Latour is understated, with appealing black pepper and tobacco notes emerging on the finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 92 VM

This the greatest Pavillon Rouge ever made. Aromas of flowers, smoke, currants and raspberries follow through to a full body, with super silky tannins and a long, long finish. This is balanced and refined with wonderful depth. Hard to believe it’s a second wine. Better after 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is lovely, with a powerful backdrop of graphite and tar, harnessed by flavors of velvety plum, steeped fig and black currant preserves. The long incense- and black tea-filled finish completes the seduction. Refined, defined and poised. Best from 2014 through 2025. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA serious tone to the nose with inviting meaty, smoked black pepper and perfumed aromas. Succulent and supple on the palate, generous and full in the mouth yet also quite streamlined and linear. Lots of flavour but directed in one straight line at the moment with concentration and tension. This is extremely well structured with a pristine focus yet also a liveliness that makes it so enjoyable to taste. One that is giving pleasure now but will continue to age gracefully.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2010 Pavillon Rouge has a delightful, elegant bouquet with wild strawberry, blackberry and cedar aromas, very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, veins of blue fruit emerging with time in the glass and with just a touch of salted liquorice towards the finish. This could be à point. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMDeep garnet in color, the 2010 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux offers up scents of blackcurrant cordial, wild thyme and fertile loam with hints of cedar chest, pencil lead and tar. Medium-bodied, the palate is just a tad lean with chewy tannins and bold freshness, finishing on an herbal note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

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

I loved this wine from the moment I tasted it from barrel in 1995. This is showing beautifully. Balanced and refined, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. Medium-bodied, with chocolate, berry and mineral flavors. Wonderful and subtle. Will improve with age too.--Le Pin non-blind vertical. Drink now. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSTasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 1994 Le Pin has always been one of Jacques Thienpont’s great successes. It has a broody nose of mulberry, cola, tobacco, mint and undergrowth that feels just a little static at first, but begins to loosen up in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and focused, fully mature but with more than enough freshness, segueing into a structured and lightly spiced finish with dry tobacco lingering on the aftertaste. There is weight and intention here, a Pomerol undiminished by time and a quite brilliant wine in the context of the vintage. The 1994 is the "insiders’ choice." Tasted December 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMVery good deep red. Intensely spicy blackberry, black raspberry, licorice and violet aromas reminiscent of Vosne-Romanée. Creamy and thick in the mouth, but strong extract gives the fruit an urgent quality and very good freshness. Quite solidly structured for this wine. Finishes very long and subtle.Vinous Media | 91-94 VM

Stunning aromas of black truffles and blueberries, with Valrona milk chocolate undertones. Full body, with a wonderful core of fruit. This just dances on your palate. A wine that makes you smile. Superb. Best Valandraud ever? Try in 2002.James Suckling | 97 JSDeep garnet colored, the 2009 Valandraud is truly strutting its stuff right now with a bold, flamboyant nose of Black Forest cake, molten licorice, blackberry preserves and baked plums plus touches of kirsch, candied violets, star anise, unsmoked cigars, incense and a compelling waft of smoked meats. Full-bodied, the palate is a pedal-to-the-metal, fruit-n-spice blockbuster with a full-on sexy texture of beautifully plush, rounded tannins and tons of freshness to lift the very long, very perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPShowing beautifully, the 2009 Château Valandraud has shed considerable baby fat and reveals an incredibly classic, balanced, nuanced style today. Textbook notes of blackcurrants, white truffle, lead pencil, balsam wood, and hints of chocolate emerge from the glass. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated Saint-Emilion with a layered, multi-dimensional texture, sweet tannins, and just a sexy, opulent, undeniably delicious style that’s a joy to drink. It’s rock star stuff today yet has another 10-15 years of prime drinking, after which I suspect a gradual decline.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2009 Valandraud has a ripe and opulent bouquet with precocious red fruit, fig and rose petals, a little warmth of alcohol blurring the edges and becoming more tarry with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent plush, saturated tannin. This is sleek and modern in style, heady and concentrated with a decadent finish. It conveys a sense of purity. The bottle tasted in 2017 showed a tad more precision on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMRacy and beautifully defined, with a sleek graphite frame to the mouthwatering loganberry, blackberry and linzer torte flavors. Shows lots of toasted spice on the finish, but is well-integrated, with a gorgeous mouthfeel. This has ample fruit, but remains very suave. Best from 2013 through 2025. 1,080 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSBig, floral, ripe and juicy, this epitomizes the richness of the 2009 vintage. It offers firm tannins and generous, forward fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Aromas of iron, rust and hot stones with currants and dark berries follow through to a full body, firm and ultra-silky tannins and a long and polished finish. Racy and driven. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSComposed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.9% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Les Forts de Latour needs a fair bit of air to unlock a profound, powerhouse nose of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberries, plum preserves and dark chocolate, with suggestions of Chinese five spice, clove oil, violets and crushed rocks. The palate packs an absolute flavor wallop, bursting with rich, ripe black fruits and loads of spicy sparks, while framed by beautifully plush tannins, finishing long and minerally. Not at all heavy, on the contrary, the Les Forts is both expansive AND tantalizingly refreshing. In terms of evolution, it has barely budged since I last tasted it in 2017. While it’s drinking very well right now, it easily has a good 20 years of cellaring ahead, maybe more. Impressive.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2015 Les Forts de Latour is silky, perfumed and wonderfully nuanced from the very first taste. Crushed red berry, cedar, tobacco, mint and blood orange lend striking aromatic nuance. Ample and resonant in feel, yet with mid-weight structure, the 2015 is a total pleasure to taste today. All of the natural radiance of the warm year comes through in the wine’s generous, inviting personality. Drink it over the next 15 years or so.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe true second wine of the estate is the 2015 Les Forts De Latour and it’s slightly more Cabernet dominated with 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, and then less than one percent each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This ripe, sunny vintage delivered loads of terrific wines and the 2015 reveals a vivid purple/opaque color as well as fabulous cassis and jammy currant fruits intermixed with lots of cedarwood, leafy herbs, earth, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and nicely structured, it has a wealth of fruit, building yet sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a stunning Les Forts de Latour that can be drunk today or cellared for 20-25 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the nose you get a full array of floral aromatics, and a gorgeous exuberance. The gourmet edge that is never far away from the surface in the 2015 vintage is very much in play, along with touches of truffle, cigar box and an earthy openness even at six years old. A smoked caramel note comes in on the end, as does a hit of mouthwatering salinity. It’s not as intense as Forts in vintages like 2010 or 2016 but it has an ease to it that is hugely appealing, and can be drunk from now and for at least another 15 years. 0.5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend (the last vintage to contain even a slice of this grape, as it has now been pulled up). 40% of overall production. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 94 DECThere is a velvet touch to this smooth, rounded wine. With some dark tannins as well as blackberry fruits, it is rich with some concentration. At the same time, the acidity shoots through the wine to give a really fruity after taste.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery pure and focused, with black currant and black cherry fruit flavors showing lovely freshness, while light graphite, singed black tea leaf and violet hints check in through the silky finish. Best from 2019 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

From a great, great vintage for all of Bordeaux, the 2010 Pavie Decesse is based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that emerges from a vineyard sitting just above Chateau Pavie and was raised in new French oak. This inky beauty is still a baby yet offers incredible opulence in its huge nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, scorched earth, woodsmoke, chocolate, and graphite. With a distinct sense of minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, good acidity, and a monster of a finish, it is accessible today in a youthful sense yet needs another decade at a minimum to approach maturity. It will be a 50-60+ year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis is fascinating with a nutty, dried herb, spices, berry and hints of toasted character. Full body, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. This has a wonderful density of fruit and length. Amazing. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 97 JSA Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% natural alcohol, the higher percentage of Merlot in this wine than in the Pavie gives it a stunning opulence, thickness and luxuriousness. Opaque purple, with notes of mulberry and kirsch liqueur leaning toward blacker fruits, subtle smoked meats and some lead pencil and vanillin, this is another brawny, full-bodied, yet remarkably precise and fresh style of wine despite its sensational extract and power. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30-40 years.This vineyard has shrunk, as part of it was incorporated into its more famous sibling, Chateau Pavie. It is now 8.5 acres sitting slightly higher on the slope above Pavie.Robert Parker | 96 RPHedonist alert—dense, fleshy layers of fig sauce, warm cocoa, dark currant confiture and exotic spice fill this red, which also shows plenty of grip, with a smoldering wood note on the back end.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WS(15% alcohol): Saturated dark ruby. High-toned aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and crushed-rock minerality. Layered and powerful on the palate, but with highly concentrated cassis, black raspberry and dark chocolate flavors energized by pungent chalky minerality and strong acidity. One feels the 15% alcohol in the wine’s sheer size and chewy texture but the impressively long finish shows more tangy energy than heat. Needs five or six years of patience, but this comes across as considerably less tanninc and forbidding than the Pavie.Vinous Media | 94 VM

For the first time ever, Angélus is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot in 2021. There’s terrific density and power, especially within the context of the year. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, menthol and lavender all build nicely in the glass. The 2021 has quite a bit of richness, and its 14% alcohol, a bit lower than the recent norm, works quite well in this vintage. All it needs is a bit of time to help soften some of the raw contours that are present today.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMThe Grand Vin 2021 Château Angélus is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot that was brought up in new barrels, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc raised in 30 hectoliter foudres. It offers a ruby/purple hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of pureed cassis and black raspberry fruit, as well as spice, spring flowers, and chalky, almost salty minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has wonderful purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDBeautiful depth here, with currants and blackberries, as well as hints of fresh herbs and wet earth. Medium-to full-bodied, layered and long, with depth and beauty. Savory. Impressive for the vintage. Persistent.James Suckling | 95-96 JSComposed of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the 2021 Angelus is deep garnet-purple in color. Slightly closed to begin, considerable coaxing reveals scents of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and fresh blackberries with suggestions of crushed rocks, tar, truffles, and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastic intensity and energy, with very finely pixelated tannins and wonderful tension, finishing on a persistent ferrous note.The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWIBlackcurrant purée on the nose, so seductive and heady, concentrated and intense but lively too with some wild flower scents. Succulent on the first sip, you get the mouthwatering red cherry and raspberry fruit but this then turns serious and direct. Linear, focused, driving with layers of flavour giving this both a density but also an aerial element to it. In some ways, there’s a shyness here, a discretion, such sleek silky tannins that softly frame the flavours which are to the fore right now. Red cherry, plum and damson sit alongside clove, cedar, black chocolate and liquorice coming from the Cabernet Franc giving a spicy tang sustaining the wine - the highest amount of Cabernet Franc ever used in the grand vin at 60%. Each element is so well positioned and in high definition, you feel the muscles and backbone but this has exceptional finesse with all the tiny details on show. An excellent effort in 2021. 100% new oak. The first full vintage with technical director Benjamin Laforet.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Angélus unwinds in the glass to reveal aromas of dark berries, plums and cherries mingled with rose petals, forest floor, spices and pencil shavings, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vibrant, it’s taut and structured, with a deep core of fruit, chalky tannins and a long, perfumed, vanillin-inflected finish. As readers will remember, it’s a blend of fully 60% Cabernet Franc with 40% Merlot, incorporating foudres in addition to 225-liter barriques, and the rich, toasty oak signature of yesteryear is now firmly in the background, even if the wine still carries a youthful patina. The 2021’s classically balanced profile will reward a bit of bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

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

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

This is surprisingly delicate and fine now with currant and spice character and hints nuts. It is full body with refined texture and a beautiful finish.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 1995 Pichon-Baron is a wine that tasted extremely well several years ago, but I wonder how well it is continuing to evolve. The bouquet feels a little smudged, scents of iodine and cassis merging with blackberry and pencil lead; it is a little meandering and missing a sense of focus. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp acidity and good density, but it doesn’t possess the clarity and detail of more recent vintages. Solid, but lacks flair. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 91 VMA stylish, elegant, more restrained style of Pichon Baron, with less obvious new oak than usual, this deep ruby/purple-colored wine offers a pure black currant-scented nose with subtle aromas of coffee and smoky toasty oak. In the mouth, the wine displays less weight and muscle than the 1996, but it offers suave, elegant, rich fruit presented in a medium to full-bodied, surprisingly lush style. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RPBlackberry, with violet and currant undertones. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. A little tight still. Give it some time. This is layered and rich. Classy. A little better than I remember.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 90 WSRipe but fresh, with cedary and flinty blackberry and plum fruit still lingering on. Drinking Window 2014 - 2030Decanter | 90 DEC

An explosively rich, exotic, fruity Montrose, the 1995 displays even more fat and extract than the 1996. There is less Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1995 blend, resulting in a fuller-bodied, more accessible and friendlier style. The wine exhibits an opaque black/ruby/purple color, as well as a ripe nose of black fruits, vanillin, and licorice. Powerful yet surprisingly accessible (the tannin is velvety and the acidity low), this terrific example of Montrose should be drinkable at a young age. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2028.Robert Parker | 93 RPHere we start to see the slightly austere side of Montrose, and how this helps it to age so gracefully. Exceptionally young at 22 years old, still tightly-structured and richly-scented. Cassis, truffles, cedar, burnished oak, and tobacco are set by lovely placement of tannins that are still fairly bullish and young. Classical and effortless. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035Decanter | 93 DECExcellent red-ruby color. Plum, currant, animal fur, smoked game, roasted nuts and graphite on the nose, plus a note of toffee. Lush and smooth in the mouth, with notes of minerals, leather and game. Still rather tightly wrapped following the mise, but very nicely balanced from the outset. Firm acidity gives the wine superb delineation and grip. Tannins are dusty and firm-and more obvious today than in the ’97, despite the fact that the later year featured higher polyphenol levels.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

(Château Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) As with many of the wines from 1998 that I have tasted recently, the Latour was surprisingly open and approachable. Today the wine has a smoky, almost roasted nose with black plum and fig fruit, hints of smoke, leather, and an undercurrent of ground coffee. The texture is surprisingly open and soft but not falling apart. It is drinking well today and doubtless will hold for another 10 to 15 years but is probably not one for long-term ageing. The spring and the growing season were hot and dry, and although there was rain at harvest the grapes were able to resist rot and dilution due to their thick skins. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 96 DECNo written review provided. | 96 W&SThe 1998 Latour was in fact the first vintage I ever tasted en primeur at the château. It was an early vintage after budburst on 20 March and the picking began on 20 September until 5 October, the Grand Vin a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot (compared to around 9% these days), 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Petit Verdot. It has an open-knit bouquet with notes of black fruit, iron, undergrowth and autumn leaves. You cannot help noticing its rusticity compared to present-day Latour. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced, a tang of soy marking the entry, brambly red berry fruit and an almost Graves-like, tertiary, slightly short finish. It is a mid-weight Latour, one that I cannot envisage improving further but it will cruise at this level for the next decade. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMNot a blockbuster, the 1998 possesses a dark garnet/purple color in addition to a complex bouquet of underbrush, cedar, walnuts, and licorice-tinged black currants. Although medium to full-bodied and moderately tannic, it lacks the expansiveness in the mid-palate necessary to be truly great. Moreover, the tannin is slightly aggressive, although that is hardly unusual in such a young Latour. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPPlenty of raspberry, dark chocolate and mint on the nose. Full-bodied, with licorice and sweet tobacco character and a cedar undertone. Outstanding. Pop the cork.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 19,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 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

Very pretty density and dark-berry, bitter-chocolate and smoked-oak character. Some coffee, too. Full-bodied, firm and racy. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSAlong with Lafite Rothschild, Ausone, and l’Eglise Clinet, Pavie is one of the wines of the vintage. An inky/purple color is accompanied by notes of creme de cassis, kirsch, graphite, and toast. A massive wine for the vintage, the 2007 Pavie is very full-bodied with extraordinary intensity, power, and richness. Its structure and tannin suggest 2-4 years of cellaring is required, and it should evolve for 25 years thereafter ,an unusually long aging curve for most 2007s. Yields were 25 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine is a classic blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The natural alcohol level came in at 14%.Robert Parker | 94 RPSupple and inviting, with a caressing edge to the red currant and blackberry confiture notes. Warm tobacco, cocoa and apple wood accents fill in throughout. This has melded nicely and shows a smoldering hint through the finish. Approachable now, but there’s no rush.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2030. 7,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA solidly structured wine, filled with fig, bitter coffee, spice and wood over a firm structure of tannins. The freshness is quite intense, but the ripe fruit is vivid with layered acidity and new wood. This is a serious wine, for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE