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Wonderfully rich and still holding back. Beautiful plum, toasted oak, berry and tobacco character. Firm with a full body. Drinkable now; better with time.--The Bordeaux 50.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

All elegance and fine texture. Beautiful aromas of milk chocolate and ripe berries. Full- to medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a sweet fruit, chocolate aftertaste. Hard to resist now.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2000.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dark ruby color. Lots of earth, berry and leather aromas. Full-bodied, with chocolate, berry and earth flavors. Velvety tannins. Delicious, funky Beychevelle.--1990 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dark ruby color. Decadent aromas of meat, figs and ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with a very good, compacted, fruity structure and a long, long, ripe fruit and earth finish. This is a seriously good bottle. Great value. Love it.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A terrific wine for the vintage, Latour’s 1993 reveals an opaque purple color, a backward, cedar, black walnut, cassis, and earth-scented nose, medium to full body, gorgeously rich, concentrated fruit, moderately high tannin (but no astringency), and a sweet, long, powerful finish. The wine does not possess any of the vegetal, green pepper characteristics of the vintage, nor any hint of hollowness or harshness. This wine may prove to merit an even higher rating. Is this vintage the modern day clone of the 1967 and 1971? Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. Last tasted 1/97Robert Parker | 90 RPSlightly oxidized with a coffee and spice character, as well as fruit. Medium body. Tea, tobacco and some fruit.James Suckling | 90 JS

Good medium color, less saturated than the ’95. Pungent, vibrant aromas of sappy berries and resiny oak, with an intriguing floral nuance. At once thick and polished on the palate, with an herbal, peppery complexity. Very long, subtle aftertaste, with some vanillin oak and a slight tannic edge. Not quite as ripe or seamless as the ’95, but a very classy, intensely flavored wine that should put on weight in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VM

This is still youthful in appearance with dark ruby color. It sets an excellent example for the 1994 vintage with a spicy, toasty nose showing lots of black currants and tar. It’s full-bodied, refined and chewy. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSAfter less than persuasive performances in two potentially great years, 1989 and 1990, Mouton-Rothschild appears to have settled down, producing fine efforts in recent vintages, culminating with the enormously promising, unquestionably profound 1995. The 1994 appears to be the finest Mouton-Rothschild made following the 1986 and before the 1995’s conception. The wine exhibits a dense, saturated purple color, followed by a classic Mouton nose of sweet black fruits intermingled with smoke, pain grillee, spice, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, with outstanding concentration, a layered feel, plenty of tannin, and rich, concentrated fruit, this wine is similar to the fine 1988. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. By the way, the Dutch artist, Appel, has created a gorgeous label for the 1994. Although Mouton-Rothschild can be among the most inconsistent first-growths, when this estate gets everything right, the wine can be as compelling as any produced in Bordeaux.Robert Parker | 91 RPDark-colored, with intense aromas of blackberries, tar and spice, and toasted oak notes as well. Full-bodied, with very silky tannins and a chewy, ripe fruit-accented finish. An impressive Mouton. Better in 1999.Wine Spectator | 91 WS1994 Mouton Rothschild: Sexy smoky, gingery oak, along with a hint of herbaceousness. Fruity and vinous, with good inner-mouth perfume, but the level of extract seems rather low for this wine. Finishes with slightly harsh tannins and some caramel oak. Lacks real precision and class. Not a strong performance for Mouton.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMThe great Michael Broadbent MW noted ’this is what my friends from across the pond would describe as a proper, classic luncheon claret’. Elegant and lighter on the palate, the fruit character here is more subdued with a cool, leafy edge. Toasty wood and spice notes in evidence but the acidity is more dominant than with the other vintages. Feels just a bit stringy and lean. At its best. Harvested 19 September to 1 October. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2021)Decanter | 90 DEC

A medium-bodied, lighter style of Mouton. Paler in colour, this has a cool, leafy, slightly herbal character with some cooked fruit on the nose. Fresh, black and raspberry characters on the palate. Lacking a bit of concentration, this is at its best now, and finishes a bit short. Harvested 11 September to 30 September. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 55% of production used for the Grand Vin. Drinking Window 2021 - 2021.Decanter | 91 DECOnly 55% of the harvest was utilized for the 1997 Mouton-Rothschild. One of the most forward and developed Moutons over recent years, it possesses all the charm and fleshiness this vintage can provide. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, and an open-knit nose of cedar wood, blackberry liqueur, cassis, and coffee. Fleshy, ripe, and mouth-filling, with low acidity, soft tannin, and admirable concentration and length, this delicious Pauillac will be drinkable in 2-3 years, and should age for 15+. It is an impressive effort for this vintage.Robert Parker | 90 RPDeep ruby. Exotic, enticing aromas of black fruits, cherry cough syrup, roast coffee and caramel, along with pungent oakiness. Sweet, fat and thick in the mouth, but with adequate framing acidity. Quite ripe on the back end, with much finer tannins than the foregoing ’97s.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

The 1998 Palmer showed extremely well. Featuring blackberry, cedar and a touch of black olive on the nose, this has evolved a little since I last tasted it, yet it remains wonderfully defined. The palate is supple and concentrated, with touches of clove and black pepper infusing the black fruit, and gentle grip on the finish. I might actually afford this another year in bottle, but it probably represents good value vis-à-vis other vintages.Vinous Media | 94 VMA classic Margaux, the 1998 Palmer has put on weight and fleshed out during its elevage in barrel. It displays a dense purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of black fruits, licorice, melted asphalt, pain grille, and a touch of acacia flowers. Full-bodied, with brilliant definition, this blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a dollop of Petit Verdot, will age well for 20-30 years. It is one of the Medoc’s, as well as the Margaux appellation’s finest wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2028.Robert Parker | 91 RPMushroom, spice, earth and berry character on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins and meaty, berry and cèpe flavors. Tannins are still a little angular. Give it a little time.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2010.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

If any wine could be described as beautiful, then Beychevelle is beautiful. Its flavors of liquorice and blackcurrant are smooth and opulent, well proportioned. The texture is rich, ripe and generous.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDeep ruby/purple in color, with a sweet nose of black currants, earth, licorice, and mineral, the 2000 is relatively powerful and dense for the normally restrained and elegant Beychevelle. Medium to full-bodied, dense, and chewy, it is showing even better out of bottle than it was from cask. While it appears to be the finest example made at Beychevelle since the 1989 and 1982, patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.Robert Parker | 91 RPLovely warmed plum and black currant confiture flavors are starting to settle into a secondary phase as sweet tobacco, lightly singed alder and a perfumy incense note weave around. Nice focused, fine-grained finish. Textbook.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. 2,200 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2000 Beychevelle has a delightful bouquet of blackberry, briar and light saline scents; a whiff of the old Gironde estuary develops in the glass. A touch of brettanomyces, maybe? The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, and quite open and harmonious, although this not a deep or powerful Saint-Julien. Less austere than it once was, and simply a fine millennial that is drinking perfectly now.Vinous Media | 90 VM

From a difficult vintage with destructive hailstorms and botrytis, the 2000 Cristal opens with an elegant and delicate bouquet with brioche, ripe apple, green olive and iodine aromas. Complex and very salty, with oyster and umami flavors, this is a generous and very long Cristal that is excellent with Japanese food, such as sashimi for example, as chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon said during the tasting in New York in November 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSadly now in something of a lacklustre phase, but on first tasting this was delightfully sensual, seductively mellow and silkily replete with honey-toffee notes. At that stage the fruit was young and bursting with energy, with tones of spring flowers, gooseberries, papaya, redcurrants, pineapple and mango.Decanter | 95 DECRiper and richer than the 2002 Cristal, this wine has a substantial structure to hold its sensuous, pearlike fruit in place. Tropical notes of guava contribute to the vinous impression, as does the foresty mushroom savor. Haute couture to drink now, this will develop deeper complexities with age.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SBright gold. Deep, subtly smoky nectarine and musky yellow plum aromas are energized by a suave mineral quality. Broad and fleshy, with deep, chewy pear, pit fruit and buttered toast flavors. A serious style, with velvety texture and excellent finishing punch. This has the concentration to repay cellaring but is open-knit enough to enjoy on the young side.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis is a lightweight Cristal, floating and fresh, without the punch this great wine can have from Pinot Noir. It is also way too young. To taste, there is good balance, but the persistent grapefruit flavor shows the wine’s youth.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis goes for personality and finesse. An assertive, honeyed style, with plenty of citrus flavors. Mature coffee and roasted nut accents are peeking through, with a robust structure and a dried citrus aftertaste. Drink now through 2025. 32,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This is a beautiful Giscours with tension and finesse. It’s full-bodied and shows plenty of berry and spice character, not to mention a long, silky-textured finish. It seduces you with each sip. Why wait?James Suckling | 95 JSThis chateau gets better and better. The wine has power, but it is harnessed by the intense fruits, the blackberry flavors, the density and the wood. With the power, though, comes elegance, resulting in a wine that is ready to develop over many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a powerful wine with good ageing potential. The nose is ripe and creamy with plenty of dark fruit and spice complexity. The palate is rich, full and gourmand with Cabernet-cassis notes coming through. There’s a big tannic frame that shows the more masculine side of this Margaux. The finesse may be missing but there’s a lot of wine here. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2005 Giscours captures all the natural radiance of the year in its stylish, racy personality. Sweet tannins wrap around a core of sweet red berry fruit, kirsch, rose petal, mint, spice and blood orange. Soft, curvy and sensual, Giscours is a winner in 2005. It doesn’t quite offer the grandeur of the very finest Left Bank 2005s, but it has plenty of that richness.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGDisplays blackberry, cherry and hints of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very pretty and solid. This is structured and chewy. Needs time. Best after 2013. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSTasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2005 Château Giscours is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot picked between September 22 and October 6. Conspicuously deep in color, both the aromatics and palate replicate the strong performance from earlier this year. The bouquet offers very fine intensity with blackberry and cedar, here a tinge of cassis that becomes accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannin. It is very well balanced and almost Saint Julien in style. It is clearly very focused with a sustained, mineral-rich finish that (as I said before) contains real energy. This is an excellent Giscours that will age nicely over the next 20-25 years. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM