Bordeaux Wines

wines

A prodigious offering, the 2001 Climens’ light medium bold color with a greenish hue is followed by ethereal aromas of tropical fruits (primarily pineapple), honeysuckle, and flowers. It is a medium-bodied wine of monumental richness, extraordinary precision/delineation, great purity, and moderate sweetness. The finish seemingly lasts forever. This monumental effort is the stuff of legends. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.Robert Parker | 100 RPLoads of orange peel and dried apricots on the nose here. Full-bodied, with a wild and exciting palate. Sweet yet racy. Electrifying. Great class and elegance. One of the best Climens I have tasted. Best after 2010. 1,955 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2001 Climens has a well-defined, complex bouquet of dried honey, peach skin, quince and a light beeswax scent. Tight at first, it only takes a few swirls of the glass to get going. The palate is where the action is: very intense and concentrated with layers of botrytized fruit, lightly spiced with tangy marmalade, quince and nectarine notes, merging into saffron and gingerbread toward the very engaging, persistent finish. This is a magnificent Barsac that is only beginning to show what it is capable of.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Medium-deep red. Gorgeous floral nose and palate offer raspberry, rose petal, spices and minerals. Sappy, dense and deep, with terrific concentration and thrust to its tight kernel of fruit. Finishes with compelling energy and length, and an impression of weightlessness. A beauty.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe Clos St. Jacques is always one of the crown jewels in the cellars at Maison Jadot, and the 2008 will be no exception to the rule. The bouquet is deep and properly reserved, as it offers up a lovely blend of cassis, dark berries, grilled meats, espresso, a touch of bonfire and a very complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very soil-driven this year, with a rock solid core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and excellent length and grip on the tangy and transparent finish. Really classy juice. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 93 JGMusky and bittersweet perfume of iris and narcissus mingles with high-toned red fruit distillates in the nose of the Jadot 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques. Pungent fresh ginger and cinnamon, peat, and salt add invigoration to the brightly fresh and ethereally rarified fruit on silken-textured palate. The corresponding Estournelles St.-Jacques actually has the edge in interactive dynamism, but this lovely Clos St.-Jacques surpasses it in textural allure and sheer length, and ought to be worth following for 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-92 RPA discreetly wooded nose of ripe but cool red and blue berry fruit aromas trimmed in notes of violets and minerality of which the latter amply suffuses the supple, vibrant and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors that offer excellent length if only moderate depth compared to the usual extremely high standards of this wine. This will require 10 to 12 years to arrive at its full potential.Burghound | 90 BH

I love the botrytis spice character to this wine with dried apricots and tropical fruits. It’s full bodied, medium sweet with a long intense finish. It’s very layered. Sweet wine of the vintage.James Suckling | 95-96 JSStructured firm, very spicy, while also showing fresh pineapple acidity. Concentrated and packed with botrytis.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA muscular version, with dacquoise and marzipan notes leading the way for creamed orange, white peach, ginger, mirabelle compote and tangerine accents that pump through the piecrust-filled finish. Has the vintage’s raw oomph, as well as range and cut for balance. Best from 2018 through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2010 Rieussec is similar to the previous bottle a couple of years ago. It has since opened with saffron-tinged honeyed fruit, dried honey and almond shavings. This example is more vanillary and oaky than previous ones, and that actually distracts from the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied; again, the new oak feels more prominent than previous bottles, prompting me to lower my score. It’s utterly seductive but articulates more of the winemaking than I would like...Neal Martin, Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) Château Rieussec has turned out one of the most elegant and refined examples of the 2010 vintage and this wine is an unqualified success. The nose is a bit less obviously botrytized than many of its neighbors this year, as the wine offers up scents of tangerine, pineapple, bee pollen, lovely, chalky soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and dancing, with fine mid-palate intensity, excellent focus and a really impressive lightness of step on the long, complex and tangy finish. In a vintage prone to heavy-handedness, the ethereal quality of the 2010 Château Rieussec is most impressive. (Drink between 2015-2035).John Gilman | 93 JGPale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Rieussec is evolving at a good clip, boasting roasted nuts, toffee apples and dried apricots scents with hints of beurre blanc, manuka honey and candle wax. The palate is a powerhouse of sweetness, with soft acidity and loads of savory/nutty layers, finishing on a praline note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

A big, broad, powerful style, with piecrust, roasted almond and hazelnut cream notes framing the core of apricot, creamed peach and dried mango. Picks up extra fig and pear details through the toasty finish. Needs a bit of time to finish sorting itself out. Best from 2017 through 2030. 5,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now, with so much for the future. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Suduiraut 2011 has a muffled nose at first: dried honey and quince, wet wool and marzipan scents that gradually open up with aeration. Coming back after 10 minutes there is a heartwarming gingerbread note. The palate is viscous on the entry and full of tension. There is a keen line of acidity here, quite linear at first, but it fans out nicely toward the finish and offers notes of honey, mandarin and even a touch of rhubarb! This is a class act, a Sauternes that does not need to shout about its inherent qualities.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMHeady apricot and mango nose. Concentrated and creamy, with density and weight of fruit. The oak is integrated and the wine is harmonious in a rich rather than racy style. Long. Drinking Window 2016 - 2050.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Suduiraut (Sauternes)) The 2011 Suduiraut is one of the most delicately styled and dancing wines of the vintage in Sauternes. The deep, pure and very clean nose soars from the glass in a classically glazed mélange of bee pollen, pear, fresh pineapple, honeycomb, chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and crisp, with very good mid-palate depth, fine focus and balance and a very long, light on its feet and complex finish. I really like the elegant style and shape of the 2011 Suduiraut. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 93+ JGVery fresh and strongly fruity, with just the right amount of dry botrytis, this is already approachable. However that botrytis does promise aging, with peach and ripe orange flavors pushing forward. Drink this attractive wine from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2011 Suduiraut, picked from 12 September to 5 October in three tries through the vineyard, has an intriguing bouquet. It does not possess the thrilling intensity of the 2014 and 2015 tasted alongside, replicating the wet wool, almost Loire-like bouquet that I picked up upon in previous encounters. The palate is well balanced with a slightly viscous texture. This is a gentle Suduiraut, missing the complexity of a top vintage but fresh and generous. It is linear in style, some might say conservative with just a touch of gingerbread on the finish. Fine. 148gm/L residual sugar, 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Decadent and earthy, showing dried-strawberry and cherry character. Medium-to full-bodied, tight and showing pinpoint, fine tannins and a pretty center palate. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Fuées has the most complex bouquet, the most engaging and edgy among Jadot’s Chambolle premier crus. This just seems...animated. The palate is fresh and smooth on the entry with good depth, plush in the mouth with well judged acidity, a little more extroverted and you could say "modern" than the Les Baudes, but with very good persistence on the finish. This is very classy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPPalish red. Enticing strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors are complicated by stone and herbs. Creamy and suave on the palate, conveying excellent intensity and inner-mouth perfume as well as a savory complexity. This wine has the definition and lift that the Feusselottes lacks. The firm finish shows palate-staining length without any weightiness. A lovely laid-back Chambolle with excellent aging potential.Vinous Media | 91-94 VMAromas of sappy wild berry fruit, rock salt and whole-cluster fermentation are followed by a comparatively lean, angular Fuées that is still very young. There is solid fruit that continues in a zestful way throughout; a success in its style.Decanter Magazine | 91 DECWhile not imperceptible the wood treatment remains in the background on the spicy plum, violet, cherry and discreetly earthy nose. There is terrific delineation and minerality present on the elegant and gorgeously pure middle weight flavors that exhibit brilliant focus and controlled power on the superbly persistent finish. This is a picture perfect Fuées that is built to reward extended cellaring. Highly recommended.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Pale lemon-gold colored, the 2016 Climens is a little youthfully mute, revealing notions of ripe peaches, mango and musk melon with touches of cedar chest, orange blossoms, candied ginger and baking bread. Bursting in the mouth with vibrant, energetic stone fruit and tropical layers, it is framed by fantastic freshness, finishing long and creamy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPMy favourite sweet wine at the tasting (including Yquem). Already glorious, this will live decades. Burnished gold hue, botrytis notes on the nose, some leafy, spicy, lemongrass hints and a palate with just the right balance between lusciousness and freshness. Extremely subtle oak. A wonderful Barsac to drink between now and 2060.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2016 Climens has a wonderful bouquet similar to my last bottle, more expressive now with orange pith, wild honey and quince. Like before it opens wonderfully in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine definition, fresh and vibrant with a creamy honeyed texture, praline and apricot, on the seductive finish. Superb. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.Vinous Media | 94 VMExpressive, with peach, mirabelle plum, mango and pear fruit flavors running along in unison, lacing with light bitter almond and orange notes and a flash of honeysuckle. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The beauty of this wine with elegant fruits and warm tannins shouldn’t entirely mislead. Those tannins also have a bite that promises aging potential. This ripe, full wine packed with black-cherry flavors and acidity will not be ready to drink before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées (Domaine Louis Jadot) opens in the glass with a pretty bouquet of pomegranate, raspberries, blood orange and toasty new oak. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular, with excellent concentration, tangy acids and a fine-grained but firm chassis of structuring tannin that asserts itself on the youthfully chewy finish. This will demand some patience but it’s promising.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe Chambolle Fuées is a highlight in the Jadot range in 2016, wafting from the glass with a pure bouquet of cherry, raspberry and a top note of peony, with a classy framing of new oak. The wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and deep at the core, with excellent concentration, its fine tannins cloaked in a crystalline core of fruit. This will develop beautifully in the cellar.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru is quite perfumed on the nose, offering small red cherries mixed with blueberry and light seawater aromas. This opens nicely in the glass and reveals hidden facets. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous. Perhaps the most elegant of Jadot’s Chambolles, it will vie with the Feusselottes as their best from this appellation. Vinous Media | 92-94 VMBright mid purple. Clear crisp mid purple with a very classy fruit. This has real density to it, dark red fruit, good freshness, much more backward than Les Baudes, but the class and persistence are there. Tasted Oct 2017.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThere is plenty of wood/menthol influence to the notably more elegant nose that exhibits notes of plum, dark currant, orange pekoe tea and ample spice wisps. The rich and mouth coating flavors are finer and much more mineral-driven with a lovely sense of underlying tension adding lift to the beautifully persistent and complex finale where a touch of pit fruit bitterness appears. This is really lovely stuff and very Fuées in character.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes will be bottled later than usual, as Michel was still waiting on the delivery of glass bottles when I visited—but extra time on the fine lees certainly won’t do it any harm. Exhibiting aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread, confit citrus and iodine, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with terrific depth and tension. It’s a close race between this and Michel’s Vaulorent this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPBack in the fleshier style so for once I may have a preference for the regular. But then I love it on the palate with just a little bit of fresh red fruit mixing in. This has been racked a second time and sulphured which may explain the nose. The finish is excellent and very well poised.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JM

Restrained and with notable concentration, this is an intense premier cru with great potential. Notes of peach fruit cut with zesty lime citrus. Very fine. From 68-year-old vines on very dense, white clay soils which are like concrete when dry, heavy when wet.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2022 Chablis Butteaux Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru comes from vines around 70 years old, only slightly older than the regular cuvée, but on different soils (white clay rather than brown with high fossil content). It is usually bottled slightly later. The nose is a little more expressive with hints of red cherries and peach skin - very well defined. The palate is well-balanced with more harmony than the regular cuvée, a crisp line of acidity and touches of oyster shell on the saline finish. Great persistence here. Excellent.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMSmall millerand crop that ripened early. Pale in colour without too much nose. Nicely balanced on the palate though, a more tightly knit white fruit than the regular bottling, with a little lemon zest, and a balanced long finish. Picked at the right moment I suspect. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThis is similar to the regular cuvée except that it seems ever-so-slightly riper. By contrast, there is better concentration and power to the medium-bodied flavors and, somewhat unusually, the mouthfeel is finer as well, particularly on the more complex if also more austere finale. Lovely.Burghound | 90-93 BH

There is complexity on the nose, weight and concentration on the palate, along with great acidity, all combined with the ripeness of fruit and mineral notes on the finish. Just bottled but still showing beautifully. Manager Guillaume Michel notes that his Montée de Tonnerre is 100% from Chapelot. This is a south-facing, homogenous parcel from the bottom of Chapelot to the mid-level.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2022 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has an attractive bouquet with touches of frangipane infusing the citrus fruit and hints of dried orange peel coming through with time. The palate is well-balanced with a waxy-textured opening. Good delineation, quite saline, with a twist of sour lemon dovetailing into a slight nutty/smoky note on the finish. One of the finest Premier Crus from Louis Michel.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLean and tightly packed, with apple, lemon and stone flavors, this intense, balanced white remains well-delineated from start to finish, ending with compact fruit and mineral accents. Best from 2026 through 2033. 450 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA more elegant, airier and more floral-suffused nose combines notes of spiced pear and enough Chablis elements to be more than just interesting. The refined, delicious and caressing middleweight flavors possess very good punch on the firm, balanced, moderately dry and bitter lemon-inflected finish. This markedly stony effort is also quite good and worth considering.Burghound | 91-94 BHFrom the Chapelot sector. Mid lemon yellow. the nose is much more backward than Vaulorent though with power. Picked 6th September at 12.5%. Plenty of guts to this, a more austere stoniness on the second half of the palate, no shortage of fruit, becoming just a little more opulent at the finish. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM