Bordeaux Wines

wines

Crystal clear, but with quite impressive concentration. Limes, minerals, creamy fruit, sliced apples and touches of golden kiwis and ripe gooseberries. Pretty full-bodied and weighty, with creamy flavors and fresh, balanced acidity throughout. Long and attractive, with fine phenolics at the end adding interest and complexity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis drapes an alluring cape of bitter almond and warmed brioche over a core of lemon curd, white peach and shortbread. Subtle notes of jasmine oil, elderflower and honeysuckle add range through the finish, where there’s a long, subtle twinge of quinine buried deeply. The hedonist’s white Bordeaux. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2026 through 2032. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2022 Pape Clément Blanc is rich, layered and so inviting. Tangerine peel, pineapple, tropical fruit, mint and exotic floral notes fill out the layers. Light tropical inflections suggest a certain amount of richness, but in the end, the 2022 is airy and very nicely lifted. All the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc is another beauty from this team, and if it puts on some weight over the course of its élevage, it will merit an even higher score. Honeyed lychee, minty herbs, melon, and stone fruits define the bulk of the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions with consistent notes.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDCitrus kick straight away, great direction and focus - there’s purity to the lemon, peach, green apple, pear and apricot fruit. Sharp and straight but stylish. Fruity and juicy, precise and detailed, a touch tense still but there’s excellent sculpting here and lots of life. Quite bold, some toasted nuances putting the wood at the fore and narrowing some of the expression but there’s so much to like with a long, spiced finish. Harvest 28 August to 2 September. Yield of 30hl/ha. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants. HVE3 and Bee friendly certified. Rolland & Associés consultants.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe grand vin in white from this property is a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon and 2% Muscadelle (it’s good to see one or two estates still working with this variety), and it begins with a rather Sauvignon-dominant nose, with grassy pine needle, green apple and stark citrus fruits, with a little blotting paper note too, although it is subtle compared to many others. It holds up well on the palate though, showing a polished and coherent texture with lively citrus fruits, wrapped in a fine ribbon of acidity, and this cohesion persists through to the finish. Pithy and long, with phenolic grip and fresh acidity, this has nice potential. Give it four or five years to shake down those phenolic elements. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIA blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle, the 2022 Pape Clément Blanc exhibits aromas of spices, spring flowers, lemon, peach and hints of jasmine and grapefruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, with an oaky frame. The finish is long, persistent and elegantly spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

Smoky black cherries, savory herbs, crushed stone, and graphite nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Fombrauge, a wonderfully textured, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has ripe, integrated tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSoft herbal and menthol accents on the nose join ripe bramble berries and touches of cedar spice. Juicy and fleshy, this has a nice overall expression combining strength and heft with focus and push. Lovely bitter orange, cocoa and coffee touches join the fruit with fine tannins giving a touch of bite to the palate. Feels finessed and well worked.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECAromas of white pepper, iron, fresh blackberries and currants. Juicy and firm, with a medium to full body and firm, dusty tannins that tightened at the end. Very good length. Drink from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA juicy blend of Merlot (along with a good proportion of Cabernet Franc), the wine is rich and structured. Juicy black fruits will develop well, as the wood aging adds a fine polish. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe blend in 2022 is 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc, the focus clearly on the Cabernet which only accounts for 9% of the vineyard. A dark, smoky and toasted nose, laden with vanilla pod, toasted cranberry, rose-petal tobacco and dark chocolate, very typical of the style for Fombrauge. This is followed by a svelte, dark and polished palate, with a rich core of peppery tannins, leading into a finish framed by the structure. This is old-school Magrez in terms of colour, flavour and extract, but it has a fresher, more vivacious, more peppery edge than it used to. Nicely done. It needs cellar time of course. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2022 Fombrauge has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and floral scents. Very aromatic anis and orange pith touches develop in the glass with time. The palate is well balanced with grippy tannins, yet there is satisfying freshness and salinity. The finish is nicely detailed and persistent. Afford this Saint-Émilion a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMA polished, direct style, with a mix of blackberry and cherry compote notes leading the way, along with light red licorice, sweet toast and black tea hints. A subtle tug of earth keeps this just honest enough on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 26,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Fombrauge displays a deep and complex yet oaky bouquet with aromas of cassis, spices, graphite and fresh tobacco. Firm and dense, concentrated and fleshy, the palate is medium to full-bodied, chunky and heavily extracted. This demonstrative, modern-styled wine is a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Lascombes pulls from 40% of the total production and was aged 18 months mostly in barrels (60% new) with a small portion in foudre. This inky hued beauty boasts a rich, concentrated, full-bodied, well-oaked style as well as pure cassis and darker berry fruits, some graphite, scorched earth, and licorice nuances, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. This more modern styled, pure, seamless beauty will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThis large estate is now settled well into its elegant stye. This new release is lifted with a licorice aroma and dense texture. It is juicy, packed with chocolate flavors and ripe tannins. The wine has a fine future. Drink from 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a full-bodied Bordeaux with lots of velvety tannins and intensity. It’s a bit old-school now with so much fruit and texture, but it’s impressive, to say the least. Plenty of blackcurrant and blueberry character. Shows the richness of the vintage. Best after 2030.James Suckling | 94 JSDried flowers, exotic spices and some herbal notes join black fruit on the nose. Compact and filling on the palate, tannins are massy and firm and although there is clear juiciness, the tannins are doing all the talking right now. Not as easy as some, there’s tension and some restriction from cedar and liquorice spice but there’s also purity of fruit and a long mentholated, salty stone finish. A touch rustic but that should soften and even out in a few years.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2022 from Lascombes is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the remaining 3% being Petit Verdot. A dark, opaque hue in the glass, and a highly scented nose laden with oaky dark chocolate, with notes of rose petal, black cherry, currant and black pepper. It has a dark and brooding intensity, but there is an undeniable sense of breadth and maturity here, and this shows on the palate which is finely polished and laden with bitter dark chocolate, tar, currant and damson, all resting on a firm tannic backbone. A huge and self-confident style here, with delicious grip, which holds together well through to the finish of rich and peppered fruit. This is impressive although it perhaps lacks typicity, although whether the terroir would come to the fore after twenty years in bottle – a possibility – is something we will only answer by coming back to this in 2042. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing what future vintages, under Axel Heinz, who joined Lascombes, in 2023, are like.The Wine Independent | 92 TWIWarm and caressing up front, with a velvety edge to its cassis and black cherry compote flavors, backed by singed black tea, wood spice and walnut husk notes that then leave a subtle, burly edge as they finish. A bit ambitious in style for this warm vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Lascombes was difficult to pin down in barrel. Now in bottle, it seems to have settled down a little, although I find a little warmth commingling with the black cherry, iodine and cassis aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a bold, ripe entry and peppery finish. This is a powerful Margaux, leaning more toward the exotic side than its peers. It’s not bad, though my preference lies with the ensuing vintage.Vinous Media | 90 VM

With the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Hommage à Louis, the Droins have regained the right to designate Les Clos on the label from the INAO, but they’re also continuing with the Hommage à Louis moniker. Whatever its name, the wine is lovely, opening in the glass with notes of green apple, peach and lemon mingled with iodine and toasted nuts, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that’s deep, dense and muscular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has the best bouquet amongst the Grand Crus from Droin. Very vibrant and intense, with crushed limestone and flint. The palate is well balanced with melon, grapefruit, orange rind and quince on the entry, building nicely towards a slightly oily-textured finish. I can see this aging well in bottle - more complexity on the finish compared to say, the Valmur or Grenouilles.Vinous Media | 94 VMI believe that the authorities have now confirmed that all of Benoît Droin’s plots are properly within the boundaries of Les Clos, though Benoît will continue to use the Hommage epithet alongside the vineyard name. the 2023 Hommage à Louis has a clear and classic nose after the pale lemon colour. Brilliant balanced juice, the Clos transcends the vintage. All white fruit of course but some crunch to the white apple fruit. Juicy and generous but still with a fine firm classic core. Fabulous finish. Drink from 2028-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMSmoke and light wood nuances set off cool floral and spicy aromas of freshly grated citrus, white peach, honeysuckle and tidal pool wisps. There is again fine intensity to the dense and stony broad-shouldered flavors that flash fine length on the ever-so-mildly warm finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. This refreshing effort is so rich that it should drink reasonably well young but the better choice would be to allow it to age for at least a few years as it could also use more overall depth.Burghound | 93 BH

The nose opens gracefully with aromas of pear, white peach and Meyer lemon, evolving toward acacia blossom, hazelnut and a touch of flint. The wine shows both nerve and richness - sleek citrus and stone fruit framed by a precise mineral backbone. Hints of brioche and vanilla without overshadowing the vineyards signature purity. A long, lingering finish with saline tension and whisper of almond and chalk dust.Sokolin Tasting Panel | 95 SP

Flint and spice come through clearly, showing a higher level of reduction in the winemaking and providing intensity and intrigue to the wine. It’s medium-bodied, linear and very racy with a bright, lightly phenolic finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA slightly more elegant nose proffers a more pronounced floral influence along with cool essence of pear, apple and lemon zest nuances. The succulent, vibrant and utterly delicious medium weight flavors terminate in a dry, clean and balanced finale. This too could use better depth so at least a few years of cellaring should prove to be beneficial.Burghound | 89-91 BHA blend from all the plots of Puligny except Charmes and Trézin. A pretty bouquet with some fresh citrus blossom on the nose, pure white fruit on the palate, which is on the broader side but with enough concentration to kick on nicely to a tasty finish. Very correct and quite accessible. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

The 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers is grown in granitic soils, as the name suggests, primarily those found in the high-elevation vineyards of Escolle (58%), Coastview (37%), and Pelio (5%), which all ripen at different times. As a result, the juice is fermented separately from each site in stainless steel and later aged in neutral barrels for 9-10 months. Smith picks the grapes relatively lean but not lacking in flavor, producing a wine that’s light on its feet. Green apple, apricot, sea spray, and racy acidity highlight a finessed, elegant framework of beautiful structure, built to age another 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThis blend of Escolle, Coastview and Pelio vineyards is a fascinating display of the range of Monterey. The nose is both welcoming with warmth and very stony in minerality, showing nectarine and paraffin aromas. The palate opens up into lively flavors of lemonade and white rose, with a ripping acidity from start to finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers offers a lovely cross section of Monterey County, hailing predominantly from the Escolle site in the northern Santa Lucia Highlands and the high-elevation Coastview in the Gabilan Mountains. The nose is pure, stony and crunchy, leading to an electric, laser-focused palate with just enough breadth to avoid austerity. It finishes with a breezy clarity and additional alpine notes after time in the glass. I suspect this will develop quite well in the cellar and could use a bit of time to fill out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2023 Chardonnay Les Granitiers is a blend from Escolle, Coastview and Pelio, all in Monterey County. Light citrus and floral inflections grace this airy, delicate Chardonnay from Samuel Louis Smith. Brisk and inviting, the 2023 is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years.Vinous Media | 91 VM

From a mostly decomposed granite, 1600-feet-elevation, northeast-facing site with different exposures, the 2023 Pinot Noir Michaud Vineyard is the first vintage for Smith from this vineyard, which he calls as old school and rugged as Chalone. Earth, black tea, and gravelly rock highlight an elegantly poised, complex, floral, and mineral wine that shows both dustiness in texture and ample structure for aging. Cellar through 2037.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe cranberry aromas on the nose of this bottling is layered in cedar, pine duff and dried mushroom scents on the complex nose of this bottling. Cherry, red currant and cranberry flavors are cut by graphite and sandalwood on the savory palate. This is a very young wine from an appellation that always benefits from age. Drink now-2040.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Fantastic depth and length to this wine, showing aromas and flavors of sliced apples, stone, flint,matchstick and white pepper. It’s full-bodied and reserved, with very fine layers of bright fruit and minerals. Tight, structured and compact with a long finish. Already impressive, but best after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSOpulent, creamy and expansive, this white fills the mouth, offering peach, apple, quinine and salty mineral flavors embraced by vanilla and toasty oak notes. There’s a tactile sensation, and this still lacks integration, yet all of the components are there, along with power and length. Best from 2027 through 2042. 3,800 cases made, 1,400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSLatour’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru wafts from the glass with notes of pear, mandarin oil and peach mingled with notes of struck match and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it’s rich and textural, with a sweet, layered core of fruit and an expansive finish. Now bottled under Diam, it should age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPCool, pretty and attractively layered aromas include those of Granny Smith apple, spice, wet stone and a plentitude of citrus elements. There is both more volume and richness to the bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit good power on the balanced, sappy and moderately firm finale. This also could use better depth but that should develop in time.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Syrah Coastview Vineyard is 100% whole cluster-fermented Syrah from a site deep in decomposed granite at high elevation. With only 600 bottles in existence, this is the best of the best from Coastview every year (and this cool-climate vintage gives it even more to love), with Smith using the rest to go into his Sandstone Terrace Syrah, which is equally tremendous. Structured with just a hint of fruit sweetness from the neutral oak, this is a remarkably memorable, lengthy, complex, and crazy good wine, explosive in feral, wild gamey characteristics in addition to bold complements of floral, savory, and even sanguine notes. Good luck not drinking it in one go, but it shows the aging potential to drink another 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA delicate color in the glass, this fascinating Syrah presents elevated floral and peppery aromas on the nose, adding ethereal depth to the engagingly crisp pomegranate and rose petal aromas. The snappy palate pops with pomegranate and red currant flavors that float atop fennel, pepper and game elements.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEVivid and precise, this is ripe yet structured with mountain tannins. Black cherries, purple plums and bay laurel have a tea-like aspect, with cracked peppercorns, coriander seeds, olive tapenade, huckleberries and nervy acidity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

The grapefruit and honey aromas of this wine are echoed in its crisp and rounded textures. It is ripe with apple and spice flavors, the wood aging subtly in the background. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEWith its lemon rind and grassy notes, this Sauvignon Blanc dominated wine - ever reliable - continues to appeal in 2023, although it does have some varietal aspects that come across as less nuanced when compared to some of its peers. Nonetheless, this is excellent white wine, with grip, juiciness, depth and freshness. To be served confidently with fish in a cream sauce.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECVery bright and mineral with lively citrus-fruit, ginger, white-flower and crushed-stone character. A hint of seashell, too. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and focused with tense acidity and a firm, lightly phenolic finish.James Suckling | 93-94 JSA blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Sémillon, the 2023 Carbonnieux Blanc exhibits elegant aromas of pear, white peach, spring flowers and herbs, followed by a medium-bodied, satiny and long texture enhanced by bright acids and a lively mid-palate. It concludes with a long, delicate, mouthwateringly mordant finish, making it a classic white wine from this estate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2023 Château Carbonnieux Blanc is light gold-hued and offer terrific aromatics of ripe citrus, minty herbs, and a kiss of grapefruit. These carry to a medium-bodied white with a round, supple texture, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length.Jeb Dunnuck | 90-92 JDThe white 2023 Carbonnieux leaps with notes of lime leaves, Granny Smith apples, and grapefruit, plus touches of white pepper and wet slate. Medium-bodied, the palate is zippy and crisp, with a zesty finish.The Wine Independent | 88-90 TWI

Another exceptional vintage for Smith-Haut-Lafite Blanc. It’s so complex and structured, offering a palate that feels similar to the texture of a red wine with a velvety tannin structure. There’s a lot going on here. Spice, crushed seashell and citrus blossom. Salty, too. Weightless and so long. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.James Suckling | 97-98 JSStrong aromatics, on the expressive side with herbal accents, spiced wood, green apple, quince, apricot, mango, peach honeycomb and elderflower. Very floral. Fresh and expansive, mineral and direct, but a good body full of fruit, freshness and honey characters. Definitely more opulent and exotic than the others in the range with hints of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango but also some lovely bitterness which adds tension to balance it out. A good combination, more vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity. Very good and very easy to drink. Ageing 50% new oak.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture, counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused, it’s somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish (perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white Pessac-Léognan.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMOne of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage, the light gold-hued 2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up a killer nose of orange blossom, honeyed citrus, toast, spice, and minty flowers. It’s medium to full-bodied and has a richly textured, layered mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a great finish. It’s probably the white of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, concluding with a mineral, fresh and long finish highlighted by delicate notes of thyme and garrigue. Comprising 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris and matured in 50% new oak, this blend is among the finest white wines produced at this address.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, the white 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is aging in 50% new oak. After a swirl or two, it prances out with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pineapple, and green mangoes, opening out to underlying hints of lime blossoms, wet slate, and fresh ginger. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and vivacious, with a racy backbone and a long, exotic fruit-laced finish. Yum!The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI