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The 2010 Palmer is one of the superstars of the vintage, a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, which is just slightly different than what I indicated two years ago. The alcohol level hit 14.5%, and the wine comes across like a more stacked-and-packed version of their 2000. It is tannic and backward, but has a sensational black/purple color and a gorgeous nose of camphor, barbecue smoke, blackberry and cassis. Full-bodied, with oodles of glycerin but a relatively healthy pH, this wine has a precision and freshness that belie its lofty alcohol and extravagant concentration. This is a sensationally rich, full-throttle Palmer that could well end up being one of the all-time great wines made at this estate. It needs a good 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 50 or more years.There’s no question that Thomas Duroux and the staff at Palmer are producing wines of first-growth quality, and have been for nearly a decade.Robert Parker | 98+ RPOne of the great years of Bordeaux now at 10 years old and showing why this is such an unusual vintage in terms of the depth of structure and muscular concentration that was achieved. In fact, I am upping the drinking window from the last time I tasted this, as there is such a pulse of life and grip that shows no signs of going anywhere. The initial layers are starting to be peeled back, but this retains primary black and blue fruits that are still full of flesh alongside baked earth, tons of liquorice and black chocolate with a grippy tannic structure, fresh acidities and a serious attitude. Brilliant stuff, that is clearly going to power on for decades. Harvest September 22 to October 20. Drinking Window 2022 - 2048.Decanter | 98 DECA purity of fruit here with plum and dark chocolate undertones. Spices and treacle tart as well. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. Very fine indeed. Fit, fruity and reserved. Superb. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSWhile outwardly this wine is generous and opulent with great juicy sweetness, the core is structured and powerful. The wine is concentrated and complex, with dark tannins and a brooding, dense texture. This is a wine with a long-lived future.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2010 Palmer has an outgoing, intense and multifaceted bouquet with black cherries, boysenberry, crushed violets and hints of cassis - your quintessential Margaux turned up to eleven. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Headier than its Margaux peers, it builds in the mouth with a complex, marine-tinged finish with cracked black pepper lingering on the aftertaste. This is an outstanding Palmer but it needs more time in bottle. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is riveting, with terrific tarry grip coursing underneath layers of smoldering bay leaf, warm plum confiture, freshly brewed espresso, dark cassis and well-steeped black tea. The charcoal and tobacco backdrop is gorgeous and should move forward through the core of fruit over time. Be patient though, as the structure is ironclad. This will really be electric once mature. Best from 2017 through 2040. 8,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(Château Palmer) The 2010 Château Palmer is a quite powerful rendition of this fine estate, but without any signs of the ripeness here obscuring any of the potential purity that makes this great estate so beloved by claret fans the world over. My notes do not include the alcohol level on the grand vin this year (which was also absent from the technical sheet handed out by the estate), but the literature from Palmer this year does observe that “although the alcoholic degree is very high, like in 2009, the acidity and tannic concentration are greater (than 2009), making for wines with an extremely solid foundation.” Given a cépage in 2010 that is comprised of fifty-four percent merlot, forty percent cabernet sauvignon and six percent petit verdot, one has to assume that the alcohol level is in the range of 14.5 percent in this vintage. But the wine shows no ill effects from this level of ripeness, as it offers up a superb nose of black cherries, blackberries, coffee bean, tobacco smoke, gravel and a suave base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite powerful for Palmer, with a rock solid core of fruit, very good focus and balance, substantial, but well-integrated tannins and excellent length and grip on the tangy finish. Stylistically, this will probably never be my favorite vintage at Palmer, as I tend to prefer this wine when it is at its most elegant, but there is no denying that the 2010 is beautifully-made and does show extraordinary purity and focus for such a broad-shouldered wine. (Drink between 2025-2100)John Gilman | 95 JG

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMBy Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else.Decanter | 96 DECBay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWonderful aromas of flowers such as roses, violets, strawberries and a hints of wet earth. Wet stones as well. Full to medium body, very firm tannins and a long, racy finish. Minerals and chalk on the aftertaste. Needs three to five years to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Château Margaux has a refined bouquet with blackberry, briary, light cedar scents and a touch of leather. Not quite as well-defined as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not amazingly complex, and at this level, I would have expected more weight on the finish. This is a fine Château Margaux and yet it deprived the concentration and complexity of a top vintage and is challenged by its peers. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Margaux) The 2012 Château Margaux was made up of only thirty-four percent of the crop this year, with fully eighty-seven percent of the blend comprised of cabernet sauvignon, and the balance a mix of ten percent merlot, two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot for good measure. The yields here were thirty-nine hectoliters per hectare and the wine tips the scales at an utterly classic thirteen percent alcohol. So why is this wine so unmoving? Paul Pontallier waxed eloquently for quite some time about how much he likes the 2012 Margaux, but I was left with the impression that this is a wine which is very much crafted in the cellar, rather than born in the vineyards, and I long for something more here these days. The cool and reserved nose offers up scents of mulberry, cassis, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, lovely gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a polished attack, a fine core and a fair bit of chewy tannin perking up the long and beautifully focused finish. All of the constituent components here tell my brain I should like this wine a lot more than I do, but it just seems to be missing that spark and the whole does not seem greater than the sum of its parts in 2012. This is a very well-made wine that is just a bit overly slick for me. (Drink between 2023-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JG

The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThis shows terrific cut and drive from the start, with mouthwatering acidity and a chiseled graphite note leading the way, backed by a core of pure cassis and blackberry preserves. Licorice snap and sweet tobacco details flitter through the finish, where the graphite edge reemerges and sails on and on. Best from 2022 through 2040. 7,632 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis has aromas of black fruit, olives, wet earth, dried lavender, cloves and bark. Bitter chocolate and walnuts, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured, with great freshness and length. Cedar notes on the lighter mid-palate. Still a little tight and chewy. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years. Enjoy from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Latour captures the personality of the year in its linear, lithe construction. It’s a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, spice, mint and sweet tobacco open over time, but at this level, wines are more about a feel, an expression of place and a vintage. The 2014 Latour embodies all the best this cool, late-ripening growing season had to offer. I loved the 2014 when it was first shown, about five years ago, and I love it today. It is a super-classic Pauillac.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2014 Château Latour is still a baby and relatively closed and backward, offering darker, meaty black fruits, tobacco, truffly earth, and graphite on the nose. It’s much more dense and structured than I would have imagined from tasting on release and offers full-bodied richness, a beautiful mid-palate, fabulous overall balance, and no shortage of tannins on the finish. This vintage was terrific for the Médoc, particularly the northern Médoc, and this beauty warrants another 7-8 years of bottle age, after which I suspect it will have well over 3 decades of overall longevity. The blend is 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.2% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% alcohol.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReddish purple rim. Expressive on the nose; cocoa powder, truffle, soft spices, blackcurrant pastilles, black cherries and mint - the best Cabernet aromatics. Great delicacy here, this is so poised and elegant, a touch of soft sweetness to the red and black fruits. Tannins fill the mouth but this is well handled, less plump and round, more direct and linear but with a beautiful fragrance, delicacy and texture that fills the mouth but gently. Still so much juice and freshness as well as softly cooling mint tones. The fresh, vibrant flavour makes you think you could drink it now but it’s only the tannins that suggest it needs longer. Still, it’s lovely, with such well placed fruit flavours that hits all sides of the mouth and lingers long after the finish. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2049Decanter | 96 DEC

The purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is what impresses here. Subtle and energetic plum and currant aromas follow through to a gorgeously harmonized palate of wonderful fruit and an ultra-long finish. Current bush and light earth adds to the complexity. Lasts for minutes. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 97 JSThere is a sense of pure juicy black-currant fruit that shoots through this great wine. With tannins that are firm while not a jot too much, the wine is crisp, packed with fruit and set for many years of aging. It is beautiful, fruity and intensely structured. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Château Margaux represents 36% of the year’s total production and is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Affording the glass five to ten minutes to open, the aromatics are very similar to those expressed out of barrel, those dark cherries and violets, tightly wound at first but unfurling beautifully and seemingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and it appears to have fomented a little more finesse during its élevage. There is wonderful mineral tension and dash of spiciness on the persistent finish. There remains some tightness here, the implication that this is a Château Margaux determined to give long-term pleasure. Therefore, do not be afraid to give it a decade in the cellar.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThis is solidly packed, with layers of warm fig bread, plum compote and black currant preserves, carried by a silky yet substantial structure. As the fruit plays out, the anise, black tea and singed alder notes in the background come into clearer focus, giving this remarkable range. Everything glides beautifully through the suave, gently toasty finish. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,835 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe grand vin from the Mentzelopoulos family and late manager Paul Pontallier is the 2014 Château Margaux which checks in as a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, as always, raised in 100% new barrels, and represents a scant 36% of the total production from the estate. A regal, classy, and nuanced beauty, its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a terrific perfume of cassis, licorice, spicy oak, sandalwood and a hint of vanilla. With a beautiful core of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannin, no hard edges, and a great finish, this full-bodied 2014 shows the classy, elegant style of the vintage brilliantly. Give bottles 5-7 years and it should deliver plenty of pleasure over the following three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDStriking black fruits from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, yet restrained – even severe – with less charm and more firmness; the opposite of showy. With great natural density and tannins that do not overwhelm, this is a classical Château Margaux that will need time to fully open up. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château Margaux, has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, graphite and light violet aromas. This feels very refined, very Margaux as banal as that sounds. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite precise tannin. This is an unreservedly understated First Growth, more masculine then I remember from barrel and just after bottling, firming up a little for the long-haul. In some ways, the higher Cabernet Sauvignon renders this a little more Pauillac-like in flavour profile, although it has the finesse that is synonymous with this estate. Excellent. Tasted at the property.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Incredible iodine, oyster, currants, peat and cedar. Yet subtle. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins and great depth and complexity on the finish. I love the spice and blueberry character on the finish. Vibrant. A sexy style of Mouton. Try drinking this in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSAn exciting, beautifully layered wine, the 2014 Mouton Rothschild is one of the clear highlights of the vintage. A stunning interplay of crème de cassis, graphite, menthol, sage, mocha, dark chocolate and leather takes of all the senses. The 2014 is dark, voluptuous racy. Above all else, it speaks to a total sense of balance. The blend is 81 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Merlot and 3 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGUnquestionably one of the great wines in the vintage, the 2014 Mouton-Rothschild offers more flamboyance, depth, and texture than just about every other release out there. Crème de cassis, violets, lead pencil, and ample creamy oak notes all emerge from this incredibly sexy, concentrated 2014 that has a terrific mid-palate, sweet tannin, and a great, great finish. Not far off the incredible 2015, it can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 3-4 decades, although 3-5 years of bottle age should do it good.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSleek and racy in feel, with a sanguine edge leading the way, backed by gently mulled currant and blackberry fruit. Lovely tobacco and iron notes thread through the finish, though the fruit easily has the upper hand. Pretty acidity stitches the finish, with the tannins fully absorbed.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe label of this vintage is designed by David Hockney in memory of Philippine de Rothschild. It is a powerful wine in the rich style of Mouton with strong black-currant fruits from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dense and dark, ready to age for many years. Drink this impressive wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First Growth is just toying with you. Initially quite understated, it responds to aeration like a young child peeking from around a corner and then running out, waving its hands. It suddenly hits you with gorgeous black cherries, bilberry, cedar and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry. This is utterly seductive: a wine without a hair out of place. It is not as powerful or as complex as the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild, yet the precision and focus here is beguiling. It will require five to seven years to absorb the 100% new oak, then it will be an utterly delicious and to use a term employed at en primeur, "cerebral" First Growth that is destined to give two or three decades of pleasure.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMExplosively floral nose – the usual exotic Mouton fruit underlined by 16% of ripe Merlot. The classic ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’, with ripe tannins and marvellous structure. Its true qualities will need time to show. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DEC

Blended of 97.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot and 0.3% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Latour is exquisitely perfumed, displaying fragrant notes of crushed black cherries, raspberry preserves, cassis and black plums with nuances of roses, dark chocolate, garrigue, menthol and a waft of sandalwood. The medium-bodied palate beautifully struts its taut, toned, muscular fruit with a frame of very firm, smooth, rounded tannins and compelling freshness, finishing with alluring earth and mineral layers. At once intellectual and sexy, this truly evocative vintage brings to mind the Melanie Griffith line from “Working Girl," possessing a sultry “head for business and a bod for sin."Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPReally gorgeous aromatics, so perfumed, acutely aromatic, pristine, clear and precise with tobacco, cocoa, ash and liquorice. Round, heady, a sexy wine, with a lot to say, generous and open, smooth and layered - this deepens straight away vertically. I love the juiciness, there’s clarity to the raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, sleek and joyful but the texture is there with a wet stone and liquorice to the tannins that gives such grip and edge of power. Still youthful and quite serious but there’s something so appealing about it with a sexy character and complexity. Bright and sharp but also with sweetness from the ripe vintage and savoury notes of truffle, cocoa, dark chocolate giving contrast. Such enjoyable floral violet scents too that follow the wine from start to finish. Excellently controlled and delivered with supreme appeal. One you want to sit with and take your time over, and then gulp down! 69 IPT, 30% of production. Harvest 15 september to 10 October. Technical director Hélène Genin.Decanter | 98 DECAromas of iron, oyster shell, rust and stones with blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet ever so polished and refined. It rolls off the palate with fruit and salty flavors. Tight, focused and always refined. Pretty length. 97% cabernet sauvignon gives this brightness. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSSeriously structured and yet also so smooth, this wine has great concentration and powerful tannins. There is wonderful juiciness here as well as dense, dusty tannins that are never hard, always velvet. It is going to be a great wine when it is released in maybe 10 years time. The wine comes only from vineyards that are biodynamic.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis packs some serious warm dark currant, fig and blackberry compote flavors together at the core, with charcoal, singed bay leaf, tobacco and roasted alder notes forming the foundation. Grippy for sure, but there’s already alluring perfume and violet elements weaving around here. This has put on some serious weight and dark fruit since the barrel tasting, but remains all tensile strength. It will be fun to watch this age. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2015 Latour has a sensual, richer and more exotic bouquet than its peers, featuring plush red fruit intermingling with raisin and fig, although there is no sur-maturité here; the wine is just crafted in a more opulent style for this First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. This feels very cohesive and focused, and more saline than its peers. Veins of brown spice and leather surface toward the complex, engaging finish. I would have liked a little more length, but otherwise this is very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The crème de la crème from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Mouton Rothschild and this incredible wine flirts with perfection. Made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this inky purple-colored effort offers sensational Cabernet flare in its crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, floral, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. It is full-bodied, dense, and incredibly concentrated, yet still has the sexy, opulent, seductive style of the vintage front and center. It will be a candidate for perfection in 10-12 years and is going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Hats off to Philippe Dhalluim and his team for this incredible effort that’s a step up over just about every other northern Médoc out there!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDecadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPGorgeously confident and rich in colour, you can see the silkiness in the glass from the first look. This has 11% press wine, which tells you how good the skins were and how gently they extract at first. Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin and team have really succeeded in this vintage. It is beautifully integrated, and full of verve and sexiness, just stopping short of swagger. It approaches the heights of 2015 in the most successful appellations and will age well. Bottled in June, with zero oxygen added at bottling and just 25 ppm of SO2. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThis is a hugely opulent wine, packed withblack fruits, rich tannins and great concentration. It is a gorgeous wine that’s full of potential, with the dense, dark core showing how well this wine will age. Drink this complex wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEIn 2015, Mouton Rothschild is fabulous. A big, towering wine, the 2015 makes its presence felt with layers of super-ripe dense fruit and striking textural resonance that carries all the way through to the finish. The 2015 is much more reticent from bottle than it was from barrel, which is not at all surprising, but is something readers should take into account. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 Mouton is a wine of classically inspired proportions. I can’t wait to taste it in another 15-20 years. The 2015 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that spend 19 months in 100% new French oak.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGOffers a prodigious core of steeped fig, black currant and blackberry compote flavors, enmeshed with notes of smoldering tobacco, charcoal and licorice. Broad, deep and long, with a deep foundation of graphite through the finish. Despite the heft, this manages to show off some purity too. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

This is so vivid as it brims with pastis-soaked plum, blackberry, black currant and blueberry paste flavors, all carried by a perfectly integrated brambly spine. Tar and ganache notes give the finish an extra kick while everything stays within the mouthwatering roasted apple wood frame. Both regal and rambunctious, this is St.-Julien to a T. Best from 2025 through 2040. 11,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSTerrific intensity of dark berries, almost peppery blackcurrants and violets with attractive and integrated, spicy oak and an earthy edge. The palate has a super powerful and long, linear core with plenty of fruit flesh strapped in tight for a long and thrilling ride into the finish. A blend of 86 per cent cabernet and 14 per cent merlot. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Léoville-Barton is fabulous. A wine of breadth and power, the 2016 has so much to offer. The black cherry, chocolate, gravel, smoke and licorice flavors are all boldly sketched. A host of expressive savory and mineral notes develop into the substantial finish.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDeep purple-colored and a classic Saint-Julien with its pure crème de cassis, graphite, liquid rock, and essence of lead pencil shavings, the 2016 Château Léoville Barton is full-bodied, concentrated, and backward, with bright acidity and ripe yet certainly present and building tannins. This old-school, classic Léoville Barton has a fine thread of acidity keeping the wine focused and fresh. It’s a beauty, but mostly potential at this point, although it does have beautiful fruit. Savvy readers will hide bottles at the back of their cellar, and I wouldn’t start to think about opening bottles for a least a decade. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived. The blend of the 2016 is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, brought up in 60% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThe Barton family’s flagship wine benefits hugely from the age of the vines. This wine is ripe and concentrated, rich in tannins but with the wonderful black fruits that can be conjured from this vineyard. It will age well and is likely to be ready to drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Leoville Barton delivers a superstar nose of crème de cassis, plum preserves and blueberry compote with suggestions of fragrant earth, unsmoked cigars, licorice and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive with firm yet velvety tannins, it has a decadently rich finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPIntense, luxurious, fresh yet also very classically Bordeaux on the nose. Loads of dark berry and currant fruit, allied to a touch of oaky spiciness. Density on the palate but also refined, elegant, and smooth. (Drink between 2021-2045)Decanter | 94 DEC

Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of many notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is a towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGTerrific ripeness, depth and complexity on offer here. This has a very attractive array of bright, ripe blueberries and cassis with some leafy and earthy notes. The palate has a quite deep, long and vibrant array of perfectly ripe dark plums and blueberries. So good. Best vintage this decade. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSThis offers alluring waves of ganache-tinged plum sauce, blackberry reduction and steeped açaí fruit flavors, while tobacco and singed mesquite notes hang in the background. Shows a lovely bramble echo through the finish, with the fruit easily keeping pace. This has range, distinctive mouthfeel and serious length. There’s a new player officially in the Pessac game... Best from 2023 through 2038. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSWith 51% whole-bunch fermentation for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is the highest proportion in this wine. This is just gorgeous, with a beautiful sweetness on the attack from ripe fruit and a touch of smoked caramel. It really rises through the palate, gripped by liquorice, hazelnut, dark chocolate and black cherry fruits that ripple through the palate. I loved this wine En primeur and it is absolutely living up to its billing. It has an IPT of 90, but the tannins are full of life, yielding in just the right places while still confident and keeping everything in line.Great persistency too. 3.49pH. 80% new oak, 10% Stockinger and 10% amphoras. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPIt’s very friendly and warm on the nose showing flowers, such as roses, and red fruit. But then on the palate, it lets you know how serious it is. Full-bodied, yet reserved, extremely tight and well-formed with super polished tannins that go on for minutes. A solid and typical Margaux with all the personality and beauty in strength. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSWith a rare 94% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, this wine is packed both with black-currant flavors and impressive tannins and acidity. It moves Château Margaux into a new dimension with its dense, dry core of tannins that will power the wine into a seriously long-term future. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2016 Château Margaux has an intense bouquet of blackberry, briar, crushed stone and subtle cedar aromas that enrapture the senses; hints of pencil box and sous-bois emerge with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and a touch of bitterness lends tension on the finish. Impressive – very impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMRefined and typically elegant, 2016 Margaux adds great depth, structure and concentration to the mix. This is a wine to drink in 30-40 years! Only 28% of the production made it into the grand vin and in 2016 much of the Merlot was left out of the final bland. The result is an intense, mineral, black fruit-driven wine with pronounced floral and leafy hints, smooth, ripe tannins and layers of subtle oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2060Decanter | 98 DECBeautifully rendered, with a lush and seamless flow of cassis, steeped cherry, warmed raspberry and gently mulled blackberry fruit flavors gliding through. Light lilac, savory, mesquite and mineral accents underline the finish, adding additional texture and length. Deep and long, with sublime definition and gorgeous fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040. 10,833 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 97 WSThe grand vin 2016 Château Margaux is a beauty and tastes like the essence of Margaux. Thrilling notes of blueberries, cassis, crushed violets, flowery incense, and spice notes all give way to a full-bodied 2016 that strikes an incredible balance between richness and elegance. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in new barrels, it’s more focused and elegant than the 2015, yet I suspect it’s just as concentrated, and readers are going have a blast comparing these two magical vintages over the coming 4-5 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JD

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

The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPBased on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Château Margaux is a magical, incredibly sexy expression of this Château that sports a dense purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blueberries, cassis, acacia flowers, scorched earth, sandalwood, and violets. Incredibly concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, it nevertheless has an almost Burgundian sense of finesse and elegance, with an ethereal texture, silky yet massive amounts of tannins, notable freshness, and brilliant length. The alcohol hit a whopping 14%, which is high by this estate’s standards, but everything is flawlessly integrated, the balance is perfect, and I certainly can’t find anything that could be better. This 2018 is going to be relatively drinkable at an early age (do your best to hide bottles for 7-8 years) yet last for 75+.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDSo much ash, tobacco and earth to the bright blackberry and currant aromas. Flowers too. Fresh. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that spread across your palate and caress every square centimeter. It’s shows loads of ripe-berry, cherry, currant and chocolate character, as well as walnut and light cedar. Then the finish goes on for minutes. Extremely refined and elegant, despite the structure. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 4% merlot and 2% petit verdot. A joy to taste, but drink after 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2018 Margaux is an infant. Today, the tannins are unusually searing, but then again, the 2018 is a wine in which all the elements are dialed up to the maximum. Time in the glass releases the fruit, revealing a luxurious, opulent Château Margaux built for the cellar. Cedar, tobacco, dried flowers and mint develop with a bit of coaxing. Rich, deep and utterly beguiling, the 2018 is a dramatic wine that will thrill readers lucky enough to own it.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGThis struts along with supreme confidence, as a cashmere-textured structure effortlessly carries a prodigious set of warmed cassis, plum reduction and blackberry compote flavors, pulling in alder, bergamot, black and red tea and iron notes. Still manages to come across as restrained in the end. A beautiful wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2040. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is extremely powerful, with high tannin levels that are beautifully velvety and a real presence that is going to need a good 15 years before it softens. There are layers and layers of subtlety here, charcoal, earth, fresh acidity - a ton of serious character that needs time to inch towards opening. Grips on like a limpet - this needs a good half an hour in the glass to even begin to open, but as it does so you see clearly the finesse and precision of the fruit construction. Exceptionally good. 3.64pH, 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend, 36% of the harvest in the first wine. Bottled mid-September.Decanter | 98 DECWhile this wine reflects the richness and density of the vintage, it also shows all the elegance of which a great Margaux is capable. The wine is powerful and beautifully structured, both ripe and restrained. It will age magnificently. Start to think about drinking from 2028. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

This has so much tannic power, with density, layers and structure along with layers of blackberry, liquorice, baked earth, cigar box and the signature exotic spices of Mouton. A big, textured and complex wine that is taking it all in its stride. 100% new oak. There is the tiniest touch of Petit Verdot in the blend, but under 1%, so it’s not in the official figures. 62% of production went into the grand vin. 3.78pH. 88IPT. The artist for this vintage is Xu Bing. Drinking Window 2028 - 2050.Decanter | 100 DECExquisite purity of blackcurrants, raspberries and some citrus. The aromas flow from the glass. Full-bodied with seamless tannins that coat the palate and then fall into the center, to deliver a thoroughly refined and harmonious young red. Endless finish. 86% cabernet sauvignon. This is the new 1959, one of the legendary vintages of Mouton. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2018 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc—there is also a splash of all the Petit Verdot they had, but it doesn’t even register in the percentage. It has 13.8% alcohol, which is relatively modest for the vintage. Deep garnet-purple colored, it straight away pops with bright, vivacious notes of crushed blackcurrants, juicy blackberries and redcurrant jelly with slowly emerging nuances of candied violets, stewed plums, licorice and black tea, plus a waft of dusty red soil. The medium-bodied palate is built like a brick house with super firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing long and savory with lingering mineral suggestions. This is so, so delicious and, due to the ripeness of tannins, approachable now. It will be difficult to keep your mitts off it for a good 5-7 years, when all those tightly tucked away nuances should begin to emerge. After that, it should improve over the course of 25 years or more and drink for 40+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe 2018 Mouton Rothschild is a rich, shockingly flamboyant wine endowed with tremendous fruit density and a level of unctuousness that could be taken for a wine still in barrel. Marvelously open and fleshy, the 2018 is utterly breathtaking today. I imagine it will shut down at some point, but today it is all seduction here. Ripe red cherry, plum, mocha, spice and cedar infuse the 2018 with tons of complexity. This is a tremendous showing.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGDense structure, powerful tannins and intense black fruits are contained within this wine that shows richness and sustained concentration as well as amazing freshness. The 86% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend is the secret of this great wine that is sure to age magnificently. Don’t think about drinking before 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThis large-scaled wine is brimming with cassis and distilled plum fruit that’s remarkably pure, focused and driven in feel, supported by a seamless, iron-clad and remarkably polished structure, doing its job without detracting from the fruit. Add in sparkles of savory, racy floral and sanguine accents, as well as some pretty ridiculous length, and you have another battleship of a wine in the making. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2050. Wine Spectator | 98 WSComing from a selection of 76% of the total production, the 2018 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up all in new French oak. This dense purple-hued effort has a backward, primordial bouquet of pure crème de cassis, scorched earth, burning embers, and graphite. There are hints of classic Pauillac tobacco and lead pencil, but it’s locked and loaded at this point. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, it has lots of tannins, a good spine of acidity, and a great finish. It doesn’t have the sexy opulence of the 2015 and 2016 yet has more minerality, and I suspect it’s every bit as concentrated. A solid decade of bottle age is going to be warranted, and this powerful, concentrated Mouton is going to evolve for longer than most of us reading this will be alive.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JD

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

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

(Château Margaux, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, Red) A brilliant Margaux; one that takes a sigh and then releases the huge floral, eucalyptus and crushed mint whoosh that comes in waves though the palate. You get the concentration of the vintage in an entirely positive light, with a suave softness to the tannins that makes it stand head and shoulders above many others. Plenty in common with the 1996 vintage - the knitted down tannins, the completeness, the juicy blackcurrant purity and acidity on the finish, and the certainty of long ageing. Real clarity of flavour. Alcohol level is lower than both the 2018 and 2019, but tannins and anthocyanins are at the same level as in 2018. 36% of overall harvest, and 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. A yield of 36hl/ha. 98-100. (Drink between 2028-2044)Decanter | 99 DECSo floral and perfumed with blackcurrants, blackberries and some asphalt. Full-bodied with super, fine tannins. Extremely refined with great length and intensity. The wonderful combination of refinement and power is already evident. Superb finish. Another great Margaux.James Suckling | 99-100 JSThe 2020 Château Margaux is composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, accounting for 36% of the harvest. The alcohol weighs in at 13.5%, the IPT is 80 and the pH is 3.67.Displaying an opaque purple-black color, it needs a lot of air, time and patience to coax out the youthfully reticent nose of blueberry preserves, blackcurrant pastilles and Black Forest cake, followed by suggestions of lavender, clove oil, iron ore and menthol with wafts of star anise and candied violets. The medium to full-bodied palate is wonderfully opulent, featuring tightly wound yet beautifully pure layers of black fruits and earthy nuances within a solid structure of firm yet velvety tannins and exhilarating freshness, finishing with very long-lingering earth and mineral notes. Another stunning expression of the vintage by Philippe Bascaules and his team—bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPA stunning, riveting wine, the 2020 Margaux is classic as classic gets. Racy, elegant and super-refined, the 2020 possesses magnificent balance. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and bright mineral notes build as this super-expressive Margaux builds over time in the glass. The 2020 is not an obvious wine, but then again Château Margaux rarely is. I love the energy and vibrancy here. Margaux is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage in 2020. It’s a tremendous effort from the team led by Estate Manager Philippe Bascaules.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMThe 2020 Château Margaux is a more concentrated, dense wine that has the vintage’s massive dry extract paired with more moderate alcohol levels and building tannins. Blackcurrants, sandalwood, tobacco leaf, and graphite give way to a full-bodied, rich, powerful Château Margaux that’s flawlessly balanced, has a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It’s one for the ages, though, and don’t expect much up-front appeal. It almost reminds me of the 1996, yet with slightly more density. It’s a quintessential beauty that will be just about immortal.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDRipe and creamy, this white wine from the Margaux vineyards is full of apple, grapefruit and tangy orange fruit. It also has a good structure with its touch of toast and spice. The wine is clean, clear, very pure and with great balance. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2020 Mouton Rothschild is a striking wine and one that I regretted not purchasing en primeur as soon as it landed in my glass. Offering up complex aromas of minty cassis, pencil shavings, loamy soil, cigar wrapper, espresso roast and violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad and layered, with terrific concentrated, beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Checking in at 12.8% alcohol, its incipient complexity, ineffable sense of completeness and exquisite balance mark it out as the purists’ choice among the trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020. In this vintage, the lots that made it into the blend were largely confined to the core gravel terroirs that represent Mouton’s heart, meaning that there’s a little less to go around. This was the first vintage overseen by Mouton’s new technical director, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, and he has begun with a flying start.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPDark fruits on the nose, blackcurrants and cherries with savoury nuances of dark chocolate and tobacco. Fresh and forward on the palate, this hits you square on, still very lean and direct, almost piercing and severe in its intensity and drive, though wonderfully precise: it’s like an arrow. Serious and focussed yet full and layered, the texture is lovely, a slight graininess that lingers but it’s the acidity and the fruit purity that are so excellent - they give such a sense of vibrancy and make this wine so thrilling. You get a feeling of pent-up energy, but after a few minutes the slight density of the ripe fruit comes through, giving some plushness and weight. I love the Cabernet details and the mineral element that leaves the mouth cool and fresh. A well constructed, subtle beauty.Decanter | 100 DECThe purity of blackcurrants, blueberries, creme de cassis, and flowers. Hints of subtle spearmint. Iron. Blood orange. Medium-bodied with a compacted palate, like a cylinder of perfectly ripe fruit and fine tannins. A million layers of tight-grained tannins. It goes on and on. Such freshness and weightlessness to it. Ethereal. New classicism. Modern take on the 1986. 12.79% alcohol. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2030 but hard to not drink now.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2020 Mouton Rothschild is very clearly one of the great, great wines of the Left Bank in 2020. All the elements are in perfect balance. A wine of total sensuality and nuance, Mouton is all finesse in 2020, all elegance. An explosion of dark cherry fruit, plum, pomegranate, mint and cinnamon are all amplified. From barrel, the 2020 Mouton hinted at greatness. Today, that greatness is evident. The rich, vibrant finish is a thing of beauty.Vinous Media | 99 VMThis is a massive, impressive wine. Dense tannins and succulent black fruits are the outward manifestation of the hidden power of this concentrated wine. The fruit is opulent, full of possibility. Drink this wine from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2020 Château Mouton Rothschild is in the running for the biggest, baddest, and most concentrated wine in the vintage. Based on 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petite Verdot brought up in new barrels, this inky hued beast of wine offers up classic Mouton ripe black fruits, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and freshly sharpened pencil-like aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, tannic, backward 2020 with terrific purity, building, mouth-coating tannins, terrific balance, and one gorgeous finish. Unfortunately, as with many of the top 2020s, this isn’t for those looking for instant gratification, and a decade (or more) of cellaring is advised. This hit 13.1% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.78. It will be a 50-, 60-, 70+-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JD

This is a magnificent wine. It is the epitome of great white Bordeaux. Its texture and spice give an alluring touch to the lime, apricot and kiwi flavors that come through the toast. This is a classic. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOne of the absolute stand out wines on 2021 with an electric appeal almost unrivalled in the vintage. Blackcurrant leaf, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, rose petals, sweet cherries and bramble fruits on the nose. Incredibly lively and energetic on the palate with a burst of sharp, sweet and sour fruits that just fills the mouth coated by chalk, slate and pencil lead mineral tannins that give a intensity while the fruit persistency lingers above and through to the long finish. Such delicacy yet multi-layered and full of concentration, clear ripeness and power, though delivered with suaveness and style. Tannins are firm and robust, mouthfilling, no doubt about that, but they give the structure and frame to the plush and plump fruit which also has such a crystalline purity to it. I love the intensity and also these spicy bitter dark chocolate and liquorice elements on the finish which give nuance.Decanter | 97 DECA very structured young Haut-Brion with blackberry, blackcurrant, black-olive and mushroom character. Medium to full-bodied with a driving balance of firm and ripe tannins and gorgeous fruit. 50.3% merlot, 38% cabernet sauvignon and 11.7% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSAs with the Clarence, the 2021 Château Haut-Brion is a darker, richer, more powerful wine. Currants, smoked black cherries, graphite, chocolate, and tobacco notes all define the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a straight, focused, beautifully precise mouthfeel, gorgeous yet substantial tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to hit maturity in 7-8 years and have 30 years of longevity or more. The 2021 is mostly Merlot, checking in as 50.3% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.7% Cabernet Franc, hitting 13.8% alcohol and resting in 73% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Haut-Brion is an excellent wine. Despite its mid-weight structure, the 2021 possesses notable dynamic energy and layers of complexity that build with time in the glass. Scorched earth, leather, tobacco, incense, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that open with aeration. The 2021 is a quiet, understated Haut-Brion, but all its signatures are present. Today, the it is not quite as showy as it was en primeur, but it is a fine effort nonetheless.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2021 Haut-Brion is a blend of 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and convincing to coax out notions of redcurrant jelly, raspberry coulis, blackcurrant pastilles, and graphite, plus suggestions of cloves, crushed rocks, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is a little like sucking on stones at this stage, chock full of minerals with emerging black and red fruits, framed by ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. A very different style and expression of Haut-Brion than in recent years, and yet this is equally evocative and simply gorgeous.The Wine Independent | 93-95 TWI

The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild is every bit as exceptional as it was from barrel. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is dark, racy and full of Lafite sensuality, all kicked up by the natural intensity of the year. Dark red/purplish fruit, mint, lavender and rose petal are all on display. It’s not a showy wine, and it will need quite a bit of time to fully reveal its charms.Vinous Media | 97 VMI loved this wine during en primeur and I love it still, hovering over giving it 98 points. It’s round and lively but also full and complete, not plush or opulent but supple with intensity and a really enjoyable, juicy acidity and chalky, mineral grip to the tannins. It’s not trying too hard yet still displays power: such concentration and balance. The 96% Cabernet works so well and gives Lafite a star performer this year. This is one you’re still going to want to crack open and finish, in 10, 20 or 30 years.Decanter | 97 DECPolished and refined with a firm, fine and linear tannin structure. Harmonious. Perfumed violets, roses and subtle licorice. All in balance here, with precise layers of black fruit, minerals and pencil lead. Rather seamless. Firm, yet fine and sleek to the end. Very classy. Fine-velvet texture. 96% cabernet sauvignon, 3% merlot and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThis is essentially Cabernet Sauvignon, giving beautiful black currant notes that come through in succulent juiciness and a serious core of tannins that are giving the wine a solid backbone. This will push the wine’s maturity well into the long-term.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETo my palate, the 2021 Lafite Rothschild has emerged as the finest of the Pauillac first growths this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark minty berries mingled with notions of iris, licorice and cigar box, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into an elegantly dense and structured mid-palate that’s nicely framed by sweet but abundant tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPI loved the Grand Vin 2021 Château Lafite-Rothschild, and if anyone is going to excel in a cooler, elegant vintage like 2021, it will be Château Lafite. Based on 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, is has a brilliant perfume of pure crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, gravelly earth, and sandalwood, which will turn toward more classic Lafite cedar pencil with age. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has supple, elegant, yet substantial tannins, great balance, and a beautiful finish. Like most wines from this estate, it has a classy, regal, incredibly impressive style.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDThe 2021 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 96% CS, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose notions of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and black raspberries, followed by hints of cedar, graphite, cloves, and cast-iron pan with a waft of roses. Light to medium-bodied, the palate delivers intensely perfumed black fruits with a floral and herbal undercurrent textured by firm, finely grained tannins, and featuring well-integrated acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. This should be one of the most long-lived wines of the vintage, with cellaring potential of 40+ years. Yields came in at 33 hl/ha and the wine has a pH of 3.9.The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI

A dark nose, serious and a bit closed, though there is such complexity on the palate. You get the tannic feel in the mouth straight away, mouthfilling, ample, generous and chewy - these tannins have weight and density but are lifted by the bright, high-definition cherry, strawberry and raspberry acidity underneath keeping things vibrant and fresh with a sour cherry and stoney minerality on the finish. Exceptional balance and sculpting, this has energy but also poise. Sophisticated glamour in full force, svelte and suave - this is a wine that aims to please. Definitely one of the most thrilling and captivating wines of the vintage! 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 36% grand vin.Decanter | 97 DECA Margaux with beautiful depth and grace and wonderfully well-placed, refined tannins, showing presence and a soft texture. They caress your palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and extremely long. Seamless. 87% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe wine has richness but its main attraction is the balance between acidity and the light touch that gives the wine great freshness. The touch of Cabernet Franc in the blend brings its own perfumed structure. This is a wine that, of course, will age but that will also give pleasure relatively quickly. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2021 Château Margaux is creamy and supple, a classy Margaux with the volume turned down just a bit. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal infuse the 2021 with layers of succulent depth. This is a quiet wine, but one that possesses notable richness for the year. Time in the glass brings out the aromatics, but this remains very much built on its fruit.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It’s a classic that will richly reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPI think the wine of the vintage is the 2021 Château Margaux, which comes from a miniscule selection of just 36% of the total production. The final blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all of which is resting in 100% new French oak. Reminding me slightly of a riper 1996, it has incredible purity in its ripe cassis and blueberry fruits as well as notes of liquid violets, spicy oak, graphite, and hints of sandalwood. As seamless as they come, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and with ample Château Margaux purity and finesse, this brilliant juice is as good as it gets in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed and broody to start, with notions of tar, licorice, fertile loam, and truffles leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries, plus a touch of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with a firm, fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness to support the tightly knit black and red berry flavors, finishing with loads of energy and shimmer. The first wine represents 36% of the crop this year and it came in with a phenolic index (IPT) of 75.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

The 2021 Mouton Rothschild is gorgeous, just as it was en primeur. A wine of stature and vertical build, the 2021 is wonderfully poised from the outset. Beams of tannin add to an impression of explosive lift. Touches of mocha, spice, new leather, cedar and blood orange begin to emerge with a bit of time in the glass. The Grand Vin is pretty imposing at this stage. I would not be in a rush.Vinous Media | 96 VMConcentrated and characterful, layered and super-finely presented. Round and full, juicy and textured, more powdery than tense and grippy with almost blackcurrant skin texture, while juicy red and black cherry juice goes through the centre, added to by dried mint, wet stones, clove and liquorice. Serious, with power but poise, all the elements on show – perhaps not quite settled, but individually showing the complexity of this great wine in the making.Decanter | 96 DECA firm and compact Mouton with a powerful tannin frame for the vintage, yet it remains fine and precise as it opens to a velvety texture. Black fruit with tar, pencil lead and tobacco. Driven and firm. A little angular and tight at the moment. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 1% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 96-97 JSBig, rich and sumptuously smoky, this has density and power. Its blackberry tones are structured, with a core of tannins. This very fine wine has all the classic attributes of a Mouton, just slightly lighter.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Mouton Rothschild has a deep garnet-purple color. It is very closed to start, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of ripe black plums, blackcurrant pastilles, licorice, and cedar chest, followed by hints of dark chocolate and iron ore, with a fragrant touch of violets. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit, with great tension and ripe, fine-grained tannins framing the electrically charged black fruit and mineral flavors, finishing long and perfumed. It tingles on the palate!The Wine Independent | 96+ TWIAs to the Grand Vin 2021 Château Mouton Rothschild, this beauty is in the running for one of the wines of the vintage, and it brings more depth, richness, and texture than just about anything else in the Médoc. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in new barrels, it sports a dense purple/plum hue as well as powerful aromatics of spicy black fruits, leafy tobacco, graphite, and freshly sharpened pencils. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a building, layered mouthfeel and impressive concentration and intensity in its aromas and flavors, velvety tannins, and gorgeous finish. You’d be hard pressed to know this came from a challenging vintage. It’s going to take at least 5-7 years to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window and will evolve gracefully over the following 20-25 years. Bravo. For tech geeks out there, this hit 13.1% alcohol, has an IPT of 59, and a pH of 3.73.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2021 Mouton Rothschild unwinds in the glass with rich aromas of dark berries and minty cassis mingled with espresso roast, dark chocolate, smoked meats and toasty new oak. It has taken on weight with élevage in barrel, exhibiting a full-bodied, rich and layered palate that’s impressively muscular and multidimensional, with a deep core of fruit and plenty of sweet, powdery structuring tannin, concluding with a long, discreetly carnal finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Currants and cedar with sandalwood and peaches. Fascinating aromas. Violets. Full-bodied with a crunchy and electric palate of primary fruit, with hints of tangerines and citrus. Great finish with structure and polish. 53.6% merlot, 35.4% cabernet sauvignon and 11% cabernet franc. Interesting to have such high merlot in the blend.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 Haut-Brion comes across as a bit restrained, given the natural opulence of the year and the other wines in the Clarence Dillon portfolio. Deep and wonderfully layered, the 2022 possesses remarkable depth but also a bit less of the explosive energy that is such a Haut-Brion signature. I suspect that will come in time, as the 2022 starts to show quite a bit better with a little aeration. Violet, gravel, incense, leather, tobacco and scorched earth linger. Superb.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWISlightly better than its sibling La Mission Haut-Brion, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion has a full-bodied, concentrated, structured style that’s going to demand bottle age. Cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and tobacco are just some of its nuances aromatically, and it shows the ripe, powerful style of the vintage. There are lots of tannins here, especially on the finish, and it’s going to need 7-8 years in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDMilk chocolate and blackcurrants on the nose, fragrant ripe black cherries and some floral notes. Sleek, supple, suave, really confident and shiny. This keeps the tension more than La Mission at this point with a vein of freshness and intensity. It’s not out to charm but it’s out to impress. Excellent construction, clean depth and power, tense, strict and streamlined, a touch of creaminess and saltiness. You get waves of flavour intensity with ripe, concentrated fruit, soft acidity and a clean stone freshness. Tannins fill the mouth with edges of both minerality and toasted spices. Calm and controlled, impressive with focus. 3.8pH. A yield of 35hl/ha.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2022 Haut-Brion shows considerable promise, revealing aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with notions of pencil lead, licorice, tobacco leaf, spices and incense. Full-bodied, broad and seamless, it’s rich and muscular, with a deep, layered core of fruit framed by an ample endowment of tannin. This blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc, the result is a lip-smacking exemplification of controlled power. Analytically, the 2022 possesses a similar level of tannins to the 2010, and a similar pH to the 2009, yet it is more suave and polished than the 2010 at the same stage, and seemingly more dynamic than the 2009.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP

This has real al dente fruit character on the palate with lemon rind and blackcurrants with blueberries. Lead pencil and stone, too. Full-bodied with chewy and juicy tannins that are primary and growing quickly on the palate as you taste it. Reminds me of the 1978, but brighter and more precise. 51.7% cabernet sauvignon, 43.2% merlot and 5.1% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is matured in 70% new oak. It has a very refined bouquet with mineral-driven dark berry fruit, hints of Earl Grey and freshly-rolled tobacco, focused with exquisite delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that still provide the backbone to what is the most elegant La Missions that I have tasted at this stage. It is harmonious and silky toward its extremely persistent finish. At the moment, it has got its nose just in front of its First Growth sibling...at least at the moment. For sure, it’s going to be one of the standouts of the 2022 vintage.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMGorgeous intensity on the nose, really fragrant and perfumed, richly scented with black fruits and bramble berries. Round, full, persistent and thrilling on the palate, a perfect balance between rich, concentrated and intense fruit and lively acidity. There is density and crispness while remaining quite pure and focussed, no overt over ripeness or heaviness. Precise and elegant, juicy and alive. This has supreme charm. 4pH.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot, and 5.1% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.2% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles out of the glass with gregarious notes of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and blueberry compote, followed by hints of sandalwood, violets, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is charged with energetic black fruits, featuring impressive tension and firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and opulent. Typically the more flamboyant sibling to Haut-Brion, it will be hard to keep your paws off this even after only 5-6 years in bottle.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIWhile I don’t see the 2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion matching the legendary wines from this address at this early stage, it’s nevertheless a gorgeous wine in the making. Based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, it has a pure, elegant, lengthy style as well as classic cassis and darker cherry fruits, some smoky, tobacco, scorched earth nuances, medium to full body, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its tannins, and it’s a forward, seamless, balanced beauty that will shine with just short-term cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDA rich and muscular wine that reflects the warmth of the vintage, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion reveals aromas of dark berries, cherries and crème de cassis mingled with licorice, spices, incense and spring flowers. Full-bodied, broad and concentrated, it’s surprisingly lively despite an elevated pH of 4.0, exhibiting a seamless, broad-shouldered profile with an ample core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannin. It’s a blend of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

A classical Lafite that reminds me of something like the 1986, with its blackcurrant and tobacco character with cedar and hazelnut, but it’s so today with its purity and precision. It’s really about being Lafite here. Terroir gives great elegance with strength.James Suckling | 99-100 JSA wonderful example of restraint and delicacy in a year where it was easy to overdo. Sharp and straight, you feel the acidity as soon as this enters the mouth, alive, pulsing, bright and shining. Aromatically so expressive after a few minutes. Delicate almost, such a fine tapestry of tannins, present and at the fore but like taffeta or finely woven silk. It has power but you don’t feel it, not instantly anyway, the focus is on the beautiful texture with edges of cool red and blue fruits, flint, graphite, liquorice and tobacco nuances with high acidity that all help build a layered and well constructed mid palate. The structure then focuses and narrows to a mineral, fresh finish. Has bite and succulence, gently muscular with tons of vibrancy. This is definitely one of the less showy wines that really grows on you. A delicious, defined, poised, refined and finessed Lafite. Calm, collected and incredibly charming already. Earliest harvest in over a century, 31 August to 24 September. 17.5% press wine. 3.8pH. 64IPT. 41% grand vin production.Decanter | 98 DECComposed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is almost impenetrable to start, needing a lot of shaking to wake up delicate scents of crushed red and black currants, raspberry leaves, warm plums, and boysenberries, followed by hints of crushed rocks, damp earth, lilacs, and Jasmine tea, with just a hint of orange peel. The palate is classic great Lafite, featuring incredibly tightly knit layers of black fruits, minerals, and floral notes bound with a rock-solid structure of exquisitely fine, very firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. This is an intellectual triumph, but don’t think about touching it for 10-15 years. pH 3.85.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIThe 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. It’s a richer, more opulent wine compared to the more classic 2020 (although the pH is higher in the 2020) and has a deep, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as classic Lafite aromatics of spicy red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and tobacco. Deep, rich, and concentrated, it nevertheless stays pure and flawlessly balanced, with ample, ripe tannins and a great finish. It’s going to have some up-front appeal by Lafite standards but should still require a decade of bottle age. Director Eric Koher compares this to the 2005, but this modern-day clone of the 1959 is one of the most powerful, concentrated Lafites I’ve tasted.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMA blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, sweet soils tones, cigar box and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, it’s the most tensile of the first growths this year, with a layered, concentrated but youthfully introverted mid-palate, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It checks in at a rather high pH of 3.85, which belies its incisive profile, from a harvest that extended from August 31 to September 24.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP