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This beautiful wine from Fleur Cardinale performed great in its youth, both from barrel as well as post-bottling. A gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon made by the Decoster family, the 2005 provides more evidence that this property is fully exploiting its tremendous potential. A few years away from reaching its plateau of maturity, its stunning nose of black cherry liqueur, cassis, licorice, earth and spice is followed by a full-bodied, concentrated and pure wine. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2005 Fleur Cardinale is packed with succulent red cherry, red plum, mint, blood orange, mocha and espresso. Sumptuous and bold, to the core, Fleur Cardinale is wonderfully immediate. Time in the glass really lets the wine shine. This is a rich, concentrated wine with a lot of oak, but one of the very best wines made in this style. It’s a terrific showing from the Decoster family.Vinous Media | 94 VMBeautiful aromas of black licorice, berry and vanilla follow through to a full body, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Polished and very pretty. Incredibly well done for this estate. Best after 2016. 5,700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Straight from the nose this makes you smile. It feels effortless and balanced, not breaking a sweat. The tannins are imperceptible but doing their job, and this is a great example of what you want a Margaux wine to do - it has incredible aromatics, tons of persistency, just keeps on going without losing power but also without trying too hard to impress. A smoky edge to the finish, this is intense with tons of cassis and blackberry, just a great wine with plenty of future ahead. A yield of 42hl/ha. Drinking Window 2020 - 2044Decanter | 97 DECThe more serious grand vin twin, the 2005 d’Issan, has a stunning nose of spring flowers, blackcurrant and blue/black fruits galore, and an impressively opaque dark plum/purple color. With a rich, concentrated and pure mouthfeel, wonderfully sweet tannin, full-bodied density and richness, but elegance in abundance, this is a stunner, and one of the great Margaux of the vintage. Drink it now and over the next 20 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPLots of sweet tea leaf with mineral and currant character. Stone undertones, too. Full body, firm tannins and a tight finish. One of the best ever from here with beautifully polished tannins. This needs at least three hours of decanting now. A wine for the future. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château d’Issan) The 2005 vintage at d’Issan is very strong indeed and this is likely to be viewed as one of the classic, great years at this property in the decades to come. Like the 2009 vintage, the blend here in ’05 was sixty percent cabernet sauvignon and forty percent merlot, and the wine offers up a deep and very promising bouquet of cassis, dark berries, espresso, cigar smoke, tobacco leaf, a vibrant base of gravelly, dark soil tones and a bit of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and also quite reserved at the present time, with a rock solid core, ripe tannins, outstanding, tangy acids and great focus and grip on the very long, youthful and outstanding finish. Because of the higher acidity of the 2005 vintage, this will need a bit longer in the cellar to blossom that vintages like 2006, 2008 and 2009, but it will also be longer-lived and truly exceptional at its apogee. Fine juice. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2005 Château d’Issan is one that Emmanuel Cruse describes as “the first great wine of the modern era”. It has more Merlot than previous vintages as some plots were replanted. It also displays more fruit intensity on the nose compared to the 2000. Blackberry and briary, wilted rose petals and violets are nicely focused, though you could argue not as complex as more recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a fine bead of acidity and gentle grip. It has a lively finish with a subtle marine influence on the aftertaste. This 2005 is drinking beautifully now and will continue to give pleasure for another 15-20 years. 92/Drink 2021-2032.Vinous Media | 92 VMDisplays blackberry and black licorice aromas, with some tar. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Tight and structured. Needs time. Best after 2013. 8,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Beautiful ruby red colour, rapsberry puree and cocoa dusting aromatics, still young, a wonderfully embracing tannic frame, rapsberrry, blueberry and loganberry fruits, slate-scraping minerality, just a gorgeous wine that is bursting out of the glass and still has so much more to give. Balanced, mouthwatering, persistent, just at the start of its long and pleasure-filled life, showcasing so much that is wonderful about 2005. Get on board. This is a 2 point higher score than the last time I tasted in April 2021, reflecting that the 2005s are just right now beginning to open up.Jane Anson | 96 JATasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating nose: blackberry and boysenberry fruit coming at you at full pelt; dried blood and bacon fat developing as secondary aromas just behind. There is fine delineation here - an underlying mineralité sure to surface with time. The palate is very intense and disarmingly youthful, almost ferrous on the entry with layers of ripe black fruit that segue into an earthy finish (with a curious light tang of Marmite on the aftertaste!). It is a fabulous Calon Ségur, though the millennial wine might ultimately possess greater precision. We will see. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMTight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and currants. Full body, superfine tannins and a texture that is so caressing and beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSHas a beautiful nose of crushed berry, spices and nutmeg, with a hint of coffee. Then turns to licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish of vanilla, berry and cinnamon. Beautifully crafted. Best after 2014. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm and structured, the Calon-Ségur remains surprisingly muscular. Produced from a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, all aged in new casks, this shows a bright redcurrant and mint nose with a bit of spice and smoke. The feel on the palate is tannic and firm, perhaps lacking a bit of generosity at this point, but the rich extract suggests that with time it should come around. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECDeep, bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoked meat, earth and menthol. Chewy, brooding and deep, with concentrated black cherry, menthol, mineral and leather flavors framed by a powerful spine of acids and tannins. Really saturates the palate on the tannic back end. I’d give this classic St. Estephe a decade of aging, at which time this wine may well merit an even higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VM(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2005 vintage at Calon-Ségur was comprised of more than fifty percent merlot, and while the wine is a good wine in its way, it lacks the brightness, soil signature and classic profile of the wines from 2006 forwards. The bouquet is deep, reserved and shows admirable depth in its constellation of dark berries, tobacco leaf, woodsmoke, espresso, herb tones, a touch of hoisin sauce, dark soil and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with good purity at the rock solid core, firm tannins and excellent length and grip on the black fruity and still very youthful finish. Qualitatively, this is clearly the equivalent of the 2006, but I have a far stronger preference for the style of the latter vintage, as this is just missing a bit of spark from all of its merlot in the blend. A very good wine, but not a classic Calon-Ségur. (Drink between 2022-2050)John Gilman | 92 JG

This blockbuster 2005 is dense ruby/purple, with sweet black cherries, cassis, earth and white chocolate in both aromas and flavors. A strong, mineral-dominated, powerful wine (90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc), it is extremely backward, super-concentrated, and tasting more like blood of Merlot than any other Pomerol. Dense purple, super-rich, and stunning, this wine has at least a 20- to 30-year upside to it. An absolutely spectacular effort from this great terroir, it can be drunk now, but patience will be rewarded. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThis is from the first great vintage of the new era. By this point in time there were smaller tanks that allowed more accuracy between the vineyard and cellar, and more precision in harvesting with small baskets and fine-tuning of sorting (separating out parts of plots that they weren’t happy with, hence the arrival of L’Espérance a few years later). The 2005 is just right on the cusp between tight young fruit and a more complex array of ageing characteristics and it’s gorgeous. It has rich, sweet fruit, wonderful balance, clear liquorice alongside olive paste, chocolate and cassis puree, all still embraced by firm but flexible tannins. You’re going to want to get hold of this wine if you’re a fan of classic Pomerol seduction. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Trotanoy is still a very young wine. Even so, it has aged exquisitely, with all of the elements very nicely balanced. There is plenty of the tannic heft that is typical of this site, but the tannins are very well integrated into the wine’s fabric. Cedar, dried flowers, iron red berry fruit, mocha and dark reddish-leaning fruit all open with time in the glass. The stress of the warm, dry vintage is felt in the wine’s searing tannins. I would cellar the 2005 for at least a few years, and then give it a good decanting to help those tannins soften a bit. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGGorgeous, with fig bread, licorice root, ganache and loam notes, this sports a hefty profile, with dark, earthy components matched to a well of mulled black currant and blackberry fruit. Shows a strong spine through the finish, revealing a tug of graphite that won’t quit. Needs to wait.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 2,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis has a captivating nose of blueberries, spices, and fresh lilacs. On the palate this offers a full body, serious intensity, and great acidity and richness. This is a wonderful wine that shows great contrast and wildness.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Trotanoy) Ironically, as Trotanoy is one of my personal favorites in all of Bordeaux, I had never had the opportunity to cross paths with the 2005 Château Trotanoy prior to the Wine Workshop tasting. This is destined to be a great vintage of Trot, which I have little doubt will end up superior to the more muscular 2010 that seems to have caught the imagination of so many commentators. The combination of ripeness and outstanding acidity that is found in the very best 2005s is very rare, and these qualities are certainly on display in this very young and potentially profound Trotanoy. The very young bouquet offers up a primary blend of black plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, a touch of the gamebird to come, a lovely base of soil, incipient notes of nutskin and a lovely base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, young and rock solid at the core, with stunning focus and balance, ripe tannins, lovely, tangy acids and superb length and grip on the glorious finish. This will be a legendary Trotanoy, but it is going to take a long time to climb to cruising altitude. It should be almost timeless. (Drink between 2030-2100)John Gilman | 96 JGCertainly it is firm, with impressive power. But the smoothness of the ripe black fruits as they combine with the beautifully judged wood show a contrast of tension with the dense, chewy core. At its heart, this wine is dark and solid and concentrated, promising long aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2005 Rauzan-Ségla is captivating right from the very first taste. Soaring aromatics and bright veins of minerality confer energy to this statuesque Margaux. The 2005 is still a very young wine. In fact, I would cellar it for a few years. I am blown away by its energy, vibrant and sheer character. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal, blood orange and crushed rocks literally soar out of the glass. The 2005 captures the richness of the year, but it remains a classically built, mid-weight wine of remarkable freshness and tension. Rauzan-Ségla might very well be the most under the radar Left Bank wine in 2005. Magnificent.Vinous Media | 97 VMVery beautiful aromas of crushed berry, flowers, currant and Indian spices follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Extremely polished and beautiful, with a seamless texture. Best after 2014. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is showing really well right now with an exuberance and richness that verges on extravagance. It’s full body, firmly textured with a ripe and rich fruit too. So much berry, spice, chocolate and incense character. Love to drink it now but a long life ahead of it.James Suckling | 97 JSA wine with a beautiful mouthfeel and shape. This is rich, gleaming in the ripe black fruits, the touch of spice and mint, as well as the sweet blackberry flavors. The acidity is balanced, showing off the fruit. There is weight and density as well. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEOne distinguishing factor of this vintage is that it managed to create a wine such as this: a finely tailored, seamless Margaux that has the textural caress of silk while its tannins explode in a long, slow roundhouse punch so that you don’t notice them until they are all that you see. And yet it doesn’t feel crass or aggressive. The spiciness of the wine brings anise to mind; the flavor depth carries dark fruit into mineral territory. Completely of a piece, Rauzan is significantly more expressive than it was en primeur. This has an unaffected stamina that will keep it going for 25 years or more.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SDeep garnet in color, the 2005 Rauzan-Ségla sings of plum preserves, redcurrant jelly, raspberry pie, kirsch and blackcurrant cordial with nuances of dried lavender, rose hip tea, hoisin and incense. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with rich, expansive black fruits with loads of incense and exotic spice sparks, finishing long and layered. Still quite youthful, I anticipate a long life ahead for this perfumed beauty!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe finest wine made at this estate since 2000, the 2005 Rauzan-Ségla checks in as a brilliant blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It has a touch of lightening at the rim, but it’s still youthfully ruby-colored and offers a fabulous bouquet of cassis, toasted spices, dried tobacco, and graphite. It has lots of sweet tannins, a full-bodied, opulent mouthfeel, terrific density, and a great finish. It has some maturity and is drinking great today, yet I’d say it has upwards of another two decades of longevity. It’s a beautiful wine and one of the gems in the lineup.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The concentration and intensity has slowly but noticeably been increasing over the last few vintages as the vines begin to achieve a higher average age and it’s particularly evident in 2005. Here the nose is unusually expressive rather than its usual brooding character with pretty, even elegant aromas of spicy red pinot and purple fruit and warm earth notes that can also be found on the powerful but detailed, indeed almost nervous flavors that possess excellent precision and a very attractive underlying tension on the explosive finish that delivers flat out incredible length. 2005 is the best vintage for this wine that I’ve seen since Mugnier took over.Burghound | 96 BHBright ruby-red. Knockout nose offers strawberry, blueberry, musky herbs and brown spices, with an almost liqueur-like sweetness. Wonderfully sweet and plush, with a bottomless quality to its fruit. This is amazingly expressive today, but it’s hard to imagine that this wine won’t shut down within the next year or two. An outstanding vintage for this cuvee, finishing with great length and lift. Half of these vines were planted in 1981 and 1987, while the rest are considerably older. Mugnier has never liked these latter clones, but notes that they continue to improve with age.Vinous Media | 95 VMI have never tasted a better example of Bonner-Mares from Monsieur Mugnier than the 2005, as the combination of this vineyard’s more reserved terroir and the velvety, perfumed elegance of the vintage have combined to make a truly special bottle. The bouquet is deep, refined and utterly seductive, as it offers up a stunningly pure mélange of black cherries, red plums, roses, cocoa powder, a touch of woodsmoke, a lovely base of soil and a judicious framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy to the core, with an attack of velvet, great acids for brightness and focus, and utterly supple tannins on the backend that will carry the wine for decades, and yet seemingly never cause deferment of gratification. Just a beautiful bottle of elegant, intensely flavored Bonnes-Mares. This wine is nearly irresistible out of the blocks, but I would be inclined to certainly try and bury it in the cellar for a bit and let its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity build. (Drink between 2015 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JGThe Mugnier 2005 Bonnes-Mares (of which there will be only around 125 cases) leads with aromas of ripe mulberry, blackberry, roasted meat, black tea, horehound and musky florality. This is one of those decidedly darkly-hued 2005s, and lacks the refreshment, the treble high-tones, or quite the focus of its siblings. Where this wine looks likely to shine is in its depth of mineral and earthy (stone and humus) manifestations, which already dominate the finish. Certainly this represents a dramatic departure in character from most other Bonnes-Mares of the vintage, which I am at a loss to explain.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

Power and elegance merge effortlessly in this superb wine. Its pure black currant fruit is tightly coiled, supported by just the right amount of firm tannins. Great aging potential. A triumph.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2005 Léoville-Barton is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and strapping in the glass, the 2005 is a big, big wine. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of inky black fruit, new leather, spice, gravel, mocha and licorice. The wine’s sheer density is impressive, but its balance is even more compelling. I might be temped to give this another few years in the cellar. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a thrilling, potent Saint-Julien that overdelivers big time. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDelivers breathtaking aromas of blackberry, currant, licorice and flowers. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and supersilky tannins. Dark chocolate, currant, berry and licorice follow through. This is racy and beautiful. Best after 2015. 20,375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis offers aromas of spices, dried dark fruits, meat and berries. Full and muscular on the palate, with strong tannins and a long, long finish. This is very powerful and chewy, but a little bit tight. This is a wine for the cellar. Don’t touch this until 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSPowerful and compelling, this blend of nearly 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot with a suggestion of Cabernet Franc was slow to open but with time produced polished aromas of red and blackberry fruit with hints of graphite, leather, and smoke. The texture is firm and tannic, but there is enough density to make it all work exceedingly well—one of the pleasant surprises of the tasting. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECLéoville Barton’s 2005 has an inky ruby/purple color and shows fairly high tannin levels, but the balance is slightly better that the Langoa Barton, which is very hard. This is probably a 30-year wine and needs at least another 20 years of cellaring, and while the tannins are high, they are balanced more thoroughly and competently. With deep cassis and red currant fruit, the wine is earthy, spicy, medium to full-bodied, and needs at least another decade. Drink it between 2025 and 2050.Robert Parker | 92 RP

Exhibits blackberry, mineral, currant and dark chocolate. Full and velvety, with lots of fruit and chewy tannins. Long and caressing, with incredibly sweet fruit and tannins on the finish. Goes on for minutes. A thoroughly gorgeous wine. Best after 2015. 6,615 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA beautiful wine, once again, from this property that has been on a superb qualitative roll for several decades. Dense ruby/purple with notes of graphite, background oak, youthful crème de cassis and blackberry fruit as well as a floral underpinning, it is medium to full-bodied, textured, rich and impressive. Still in a somewhat adolescent stage, it should hit full maturity in another 2-3 years and last at least two decades.Robert Parker | 96 RP(13.8% natural alcohol) Bright ruby-red. Superripe berry and chocolate aromas, with a whiff of surmaturite Fat, sweet and large-scaled, offering extraordinary volume and an almost syrupy thickness leavened by surprisingly sound acidity. This saturates the entire mouth yet manages to avoid coming off as heavy. Finishes very long and sweet, with thoroughly integrated tannins. "The best vintage since 1961," notes Jean-Luc Zuger. "This is the kind of wine I like." He advises early drinkers to give this 2005 about four hours in a decanter.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis under-the-radar third growth Margaux produced a lovely wine in 2005. The blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot presents aromas of dark plum and blackberry fruit with notes of spice, sweet chocolate, and a firmly earthy edge. The texture on the palate features plenty of well-managed tannins, lovely density, and satisfying length. This has the substance to age for another 20 years.Decanter | 93 DECBig, ripe and juicy—a Dolly Parton wine. With exuberant fruitiness this is attractive now, but there are solid, firm tannins, so the wine will perhaps grow up.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2006 Léoville Las Cases is muscular and uncompromising, unwinding to reveal aromas of dark berries, cassis, burning embers, espresso roast, exotic spices, loamy soil and toasty oak. Full-bodied, rich and extracted, it’s a deep, brooding wine with considerable depth and concentration, framed by an abundance of sweet, powdery tannin. It possesses considerable potential, but it continues to require patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPOffers a pure nose of crushed raspberry and violet, with aniseed. Full-bodied, with beautiful, well-integrated tannins and a long, polished texture to the finish. Very beautiful. Harmonious and structured. Best after 2015.Wine Spectator | 95 WSSince 1959 the estate has kept 50% of production back for a second release when the wine is ready to drink, and this vintage has not yet seen its mature release (they are currently on the 2004). You can see why - it’s an exceptional wine that still needs time in the cellar. The biggest difference that you see between grand vin and second wine is the size, shape and layers of the tannins. Here they are closed, barely getting going and yet unquestionably full of purpose, doing their job of defining and controlling the dark fruits. Coiled energy supports gorgeous crushed cassis and slate. This still has decades ahead of it. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of blackberries, black olives, raspberries, iodine and asphalt follow through to a medium to full body with a tight, layered palate and a juicy finish. Hints of iodine at the end. Some licorice, too. Drink now.James Suckling | 95 JSWhile the aromas are tight and firm, once it is in the mouth, this wine just explodes. The tannins are dark, almost impenetrable, dry and dense. These tannins are a layer over the fruit that just piles up with ripe blackberry juice, an edge of blueberry. The soft sweetness of this range of flavors continues on the finish, pitted against the tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBright, full ruby. Brooding aromas of cassis, black cherry, minerals, bitter chocolate, shoe polish and violet; more Pauillac than Saint-Julien on the nose. Then rich, lush and powerful, with impressive fullness and volume. As full and sweet as this is, there’s no impression of excess weight and the back end shows a distinctly austere quality, even if the serious tannins are nicely buffered by the wine’s rich middle. Really stains the palate with flavor on the aftertaste. Wonderfully ripe cabernet sauvignon here; in fact, most of the cab franc in 2006 was declassified into the Clos du Marquis.Vinous Media | 94 VMNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

After initial tastings suggested there was too much tannin, the wine has undergone a welcome transformation. It has become powerful and ripe, deliciously sumptuous, allying the tannins with densely ripe, sweet black fruits. It keeps its sense of balance, but all this density gives aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WECrushed blackberry, with hints of rose and lightly stewed fruits. Full-bodied, with a beautiful core of fruit and velvety tannins. The finish is long and beautiful. This is beautifully crafted. Best after 2013.Wine Spectator | 91 WSWell constructed, with good expression and integration. Lacking some of the effortless class of the best years here, but there are lashings of firm black fruits and hints of patisserie from oak ageing. Displays good Margaux elegance, with just the right amount of 2006 austerity. Tannins are resolving themselves after a number of tough years, and still have a way to go. Drinking Window 2016 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DECTasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2006 Château Giscours is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot picked between September 21 and October 9. It has been several years since I last tasted this vintage and the aromatics have evolved well, now offering quite plush redcurrant, strawberry and ferrous scents that are nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, savory in the mouth with dried blood, rosemary and sage notes towards the finish. I like the depth here, the cohesion and length. It might not be the most flamboyant recent Giscours, however in the context of the vintage, this is certainly a commendable wine that is beginning to deliver on its promise. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

This is very lively and vibrant with a dense and rich center palate. Lots of complexity and balance with pastry, sliced lemon and light dried mango. Full yet racy and intense. A beautiful center palate. Linear. Shows potential for aging but so good right now.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that brings together the ripeness of 2002 with the greater sense of verve and overall freshness that is such a signature of the 2004. Bass notes and a feeling of phenolic grip on the finish recall the 2003, as the Pinot Noir is particularly expressive today. After an irregular summer that saw elevated temperatures in July followed by cooler, damp conditions in August, more favorable weather returned in September, pushing maturation ahead and leading to a long, protracted harvest. The 2006 falls into the family of riper, more voluptuous Dom Pérignons, but without veering into the level of opulence seen in vintages such as 2002.Vinous Media | 97 VMA wine that surpassing the 2000, the 2006 Dom Perignon offers beautiful stone fruits, toasted hazelnuts, citrus blossom, and brioche. It shows the richer side of the 2006 vintage with plenty of richness, yet it has bright acidity, a tight, reserved style, and a great finish, it just needs time.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2006 Dom Pérignon comes from a very rich vintage with an early ripeness that brought a lot of aromatic maturity. The white-golden prestige cuvée contains a bit more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir and opens with a deep and seductive, pretty accessible nose with intense yet fresh fruit aromas of pineapples, with peaches and tangerines. Lively and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, unusually aromatic and fruity DP with a long and tension-filled expression.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA graceful, minerally version, featuring rich notes of smoke, mandarin orange peel and chalk that lead to subtle accents of crème de cassis, toasted almond, espresso and star anise on the fine, creamy mousse. Seamlessly knit, with citrusy acidity leaving a mouthwatering impression on the finish. Drink now through 2031.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Dom Pérignon Brut (Moët et Chandon)) The 2006 version of Dom Pérignon is another wine that probably owes its existence to the very real success that Richard Geoffroy realized with the 2003 vintage and the willingness to more fully explore each vintage as a possible release of this bottling. 2006 is not a great vintage in Champagne, but the ’06 Dom Pérignon has turned out beautifully, offering up an almost exotic nose of peach, mirabelle, chalky soil tones, a touch of menthol, saline mineral elements and again, a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and already wide open in personality, with a good core, a lovely synthesis of fruit and minerality, sound acids and impressive length and grip on the frothy and complex finish. Not a classic DP in the traditional sense, but a very, very worthy DP that beautifully captures the potential of 2006 with precise selection and a great blending palate. It will not prove to be a particularly long-lived vintage of this wine, but it is drinking beautifully already and will provide plenty of pleasure during its plateau of maturity. (Drink between 2018-2035)John Gilman | 94 JGA noticeably reduced nose still manages to reveal the underlying yeast characters. This is clearly very young and tight (and particularly so in mag format) as the effervescence is fine but still quite compact and the flavors are equally backward before culminating in a powerful, focused and lingering finish. This is a vintage of Dom that is indisputably built-to-age and it's going to need plenty of it as it's not really all that pleasurable at the moment. This isn't to say no pleasure but the 2006 reminds me a bit of the 1988 at the same juncture and for those among you who remember that great wine in its youth, you'll know that it was almost 20 years before it fully blossomed. I suspect that the 2006 is going to follow a similar path in its evolution which is to say that plenty of patience is going to be required before it's fully ready.Burghound | 93 BHContrary to received wisdom, 2006 is presented as a more difficult vintage than 2005, with low acidity and a high pH provoking doubts as to the harmony and integrity of the wine’s finish. The lengthy yeast maturation proved redemptive however. The wine is a touch milky, with butterscotch then mango and a gentle hint of brioche, its acidity bright, linear and poised. The autolytic legacy informs the finish and leaves an enigmatic savoury note, itself underwriting inherent complexity. A charming flirt, happy to give the spittoons a night off.Decanter | 93 DEC

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s tasting and at the château, the 2006 Calon Segur was current winemaker Vincent Millet’s first vintage. In many ways, you can see it as one of the last of the "old style" Calon Segur wines with a higher percentage of Merlot than nowadays (the 2006 consists of 33% Merlot), while I aver that the tannins are not as fine as they are nowadays. The Merlot component is vividly expressed on the nose with ravishing ripe red cherries, kirsch and strawberry, just slightly smudged by the alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, quite sexy in style but it does not have the class of more recent vintages and it seems to have remained tough up on the finish. It will loosen up with time, so afford this another 6-8 years in bottle. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMNot a wine that will please everyone. This has the austerity and backward thinking of 2006 mixed with the sleek fruit of Calon; rich, dark and not at all showy. Instead, it is subtle, delicate and thoroughly lovely. Drinking Window 2017 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECFocused and fresh, with violet and blackberry aromas and vanilla undertones. Full-bodied, with very pretty berry fruit character, fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Refined. Best after 2014. 14,445 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2006 Calon-Ségur (as noted above) was the first vintage produced under the guiding hand of Vincent Millet and this wine was a return to the classic cépages at the estate of predominantly cabernet sauvignon, after the detrimental increase in the percentage of merlot in the blend between 1990 and 2005. The wine is very, very closed today, but it is going to be a lovely wine with sufficient bottle age, as the wine is very well-balanced and simply needs time alone in the cellar to resolve its considerable chassis of tannin. The deep and still quite youthful nose reluctantly offers up scents of black cherries, curry, blossoming notes of dried eucalyptus, dark soil tones, cigar ash and a stylish base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full- bodied and completely in its dumb phase, with a very good core, ripe, chewy tannins, lovely focus and a very long, currently quite hermetically-sealed finish. This is a good eight to ten years away from blossoming, but it will be excellent if given sufficient patience. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGAromas of perfumes and blueberries with minerals. Medium-to-full body, fine tannins and a tangy, fresh finish. Attractive tension and austerity to this. Savory and juicy. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSBright ruby-red. Perfumed, terroir-driven aromas and flavors of redcurrant, licorice, iron, cinders, woodsmoke, minerals and pepper, plus a whiff of meat. At once dense and suave, with herbal and peppery nuances contributing to the wine’s impression of insinuating vinosity and inner-mouth aromatic character. Almost rustic in its soil tones but not in its refined texture. Finishes with building tannins and a juicy freshness. A wine worth following.Vinous Media | 90+ VMThis wine’s rich red fruit rides above firm, stony St-Estèphe tannins, the contrast providing some delicate detail and more serious depth. As the tannins increase their grip with air, the fruit gets redder, like the skin of a ripening plum. Calon-Ségur, on a hill just outside the village of St-Estèphe, often grows vin de garde; this vintage should be a keeper.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

The 2006 Clos De La Roche Grand Cru knocked it out of the park. Still incredibly youthful, it blossomed over the course of the evening, revealing loads of spice and forest floor characteristics paired with beautiful fruit. It certainly has a vibrant, almost crunchy style, yet the mid-palate is terrific, it’s flawlessly balanced, has ample ripeness, and is just a joy to drink. It’s just now at the early stages of maturity and has another 15-20 years (if not more) of longevity ahead of it. I’d certainly be thrilled with bottles in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe Dujac 2006 Clos de la Roche is a dark, brooding Pinot no less complex or long than its Clos St.-Denis sibling. Here, the animal side is a gamey, faintly sweaty beast; the fruits dark and as bitter as they are sweet; and the sense of chocolate-like richness remarkable in the context of the vintage. And rather than an energetic sense of interplay, this conveys a layering of fruit, meat, and stony, saline mineral elements, supported by tactile viscosity and a sappy sense of almost indelible cling. Lucky are those who can follow and compare both of these wines over the next dozen years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2006 is showing well, with ripe, lush notes of mulberry fruit and a suggestion of lilac and spice on the initial attack. There is still plenty of primary fruit, but subtle developed hints of smoke and game are starting to appear. Alec Seysses lamented that the vintage is overlooked. Indeed, today this wine shows great finesse, silky tannins, and an outstanding acid balance that carries the wine through to a sensuous finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThis beauty is evolving glacially with its reserved and still quite primary nose of intensely floral red berry fruit, earth and discreet spice nuances. There is excellent concentration and power to the robustly constituted big-bodied flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the impressively complex, balanced and wonderfully long finale. While this could be enjoyed now it is very clearly still on the way up and I would recommend allowing it at least another 5 years or so first. In a word, excellent. Note that another bottled tasted in November 2017 was not as good as it was extremely tannic and somewhat drying. I rated that bottle: 92?Burghound | 94 BHThe 2006 Clos de la Roche was in splendid form in November, and clearly will be a great bottle of wine. The bouquet is deep and pure, as it offers up a refined mélange of red plums, raw cocoa, cherries, blood orange, a lovely base of soil and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and intensely flavored, with beautiful focus and depth, tangy acids, very fine-grained tannins and a beautiful, long and palate-staining finish. A beautiful vintage for this consistently compelling wine. (Drink between 2016 - 2045)John Gilman | 94 JGGood deep red-ruby. Musky, meaty nose is dominated today by chocolate and minerals; lower-pitched than the Clos-Saint-Denis. Fat and sweet in the mouth, with an almost liqueur-like ripeness and wonderful silky depth. Offers compelling sweetness if not quite the detail of the Clos-Saint-Denis. Finishes with a boatload of chewy, granular tannins. Not especially perfumed today but this has the size of a 2005.Vinous Media | 93+ VMYouthful fresh colour, lighter than 2005 of course but still as it should be. There is a sucrosity to the fruit which is enchanting followed by a slightly drier structure. Really good now in its youth. Balanced and classy. Tasted Nov 2017.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

This impressive Pauillac is performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, it is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a bouquet of grilled meats, subtle herbs, coffee, black currants, and a hint of camphor. The sweetness of the tannins, full-bodied mouthfeel, and stunning length, all in gorgeous symmetry, suggest this is one of the finest d’Armailhacs yet made. Moreover, it is still reasonably priced by the standards of this region. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.Robert Parker | 91 RPThis is shows lovely ripeness and roundness with pretty fruit and a rather creamy texture. Lead pencil and blackcurrants. Subtle yet flavorful finish. Touch of dryness at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSBright red-ruby. Raspberry, mocha and coffee aromas perked up by pepper, tobacco leaf and fresh herbs. Silky on entry, then suave and refined in the middle palate, with perfumed flavors of redcurrant, leather and peppery herbs. Finishes subtle and persistent, with fine-grained tannins. A very refined claret: this has turned out very well.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The flagship release is the 2006 Champagne Rare, a 70/30 split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that’s a cellar selection from 8 different Grand Cru vineyards. Tight, backward, and straight-up structured, it offers brilliant notes of stone fruits, toasted brioche, white flowers, and obvious minerality. Needing plenty of air to show at its best, this beauty has a wonderful mid-palate, a racy mousse, and the balance and class to cruise for over two decades in cool cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDAromas and flavors of toasted brioche and grilled nut enrich the yellow plum, nectarine and grated ginger notes of this rich and creamy Champagne. Finely woven and beautifully integrated, with a firm backbone of mouthwatering acidity providing precise balance for the lush range of flavor. Drink now through 2029. 14,000 cases made, 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSPiper-Heidsieck’s luxury cuvée with its beautifully decorated bottle is a well-matured blend of mainly Chardonnay with some Pinot Noir. Great drive and energy comes from the ripe fruit with its hints of almonds and toast. Drink this wine now.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2006 Brut Cuvée Rare is a rich, gourmand rendition of this prestige bottling, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet that mingles aromas of yellow orchard fruit, pears and fresh pineapple with nuances of buttered toast, iodine and smoke. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and textural, while remaining fresh and surprisingly tight-knit at the core, concluding with a long and saline finish. There’s sufficient structural tension here to promise more than a decade’s graceful evolution, and although this is nicely balanced, it’s a generous, sun kissed rendition of the Cuvée Rare that reflects the warm vintage. The blend is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPiper-Hiedsieck’s 2006 Cuvée Rare is racy and polished to the core. Baked apple tart, apricot, lemon confit, vanillin and brioche infuse the 2006 with striking aromatic intensity and creaminess that builds with time in the glass. Sumptuous and forward, the 2006 offers tons of near and medium-term appeal.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGCellar master Régis Camus sums up each vintage at this tasting with a single word or phrase. In 2006, ‘sunny’ is the word, reflecting both the warm and sometime humid summer conditions, and also the style of the wine: bold and generous. It has a golden hue and seductive aromas of nutmeg, quince and tropical fruit such as mango and kiwi. He describes it as a vintage ‘gorged with the sun’, going on to outline the ‘ping-pong’ match of the palate which glides effortlessly between generosity of texture and freshness. Opulence abounds. Drinking Window 2019 - 2026.Decanter | 91 DEC

The dense purple-colored 2006 boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, burning embers, and a sensation that can only be described as like walking through a damp forest on a hot, humid day. Full-bodied, extraordinarily textured, and multidimensional with an amazingly long finish of nearly 60 seconds, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from a 75-acre vineyard is a compelling wine that is one of the stars of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.I can’t say enough about the extraordinary work proprietor Bernard Magrez, assisted by the internationally renowned Michel Rolland, is doing at Pape-Clement. From this outstanding terroir, he comes close to rivaling what both Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion are accomplishing a few miles away. Following the prodigious 2005 Pape-Clement, it would be hard to believe the next vintage could nearly match its predecessor. However, that is what has happened at this estate with both white and red, by the way.Robert Parker | 95 RPFull ruby-red. Superripe, highly complex aromas of plum, cocoa powder, tobacco and warm stones. Big, plush and chewy, with compelling sweetness and generosity of texture to the flavors of plum, minerals, tobacco and woodsmoke. Has the sheer stuffing to support the serious, building but noble tannins. Finishes with superb palate-staining persistence. This may well shut down in bottle, and should age well for the next two decades, but it’s a knockout right now.Vinous Media | 93 VMDark in color. Blackberry, coffee and milk chocolate aromas follow through to a full body, with lots of chewy tannins, ripe fruit and polished wood. This needs time to come together, but it’s very powerful. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 91 WS90—92 Barrel sample. Very toasty, spicy aromas, with some dry firm tannins, this is a wine that is solidly structured, balanced, with the tannins well integrated with the ripe black plum fruit flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEDeep purple colour is still violet and barely budging. A hefty attack, this is short on Pessac typicity but big on house style. Made with ageing in mind, the tannins are in full grip mode, while dark fruits lengthen and widen the experience. This will have definite fans – it pushes through the austerity of the vintage – but it’s not my wine. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, with 100% new oak. Drinking Window 2016 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC

From ungrafted vines and one of the truly exceptional wines from Tarlant, the 2006 Champagne Blanc de Blancs La Vigne d’Antan Brut Nature is expressive in its bouquet of honeysuckle, toasted brioche, lemon curd, and white peach. Full-bodied, it fills the palate with wonderful depth and purity, offering ripe fruit and fantastic freshness. A complete wine, it has a refined mousse with refreshing acidity and wonderful salinity on the finish. This exceptional wine is my favorite from Tarlant once again, and it will be a treat to revisit over the coming decades. Drink 2023-2043. Disgorged June 2022.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA dense and almost chewy Champagne with a richness and length with cooked apple and hints of strawberry character. Lots of pie crust and savory cookie undertones. Some mineral and iron, too. From a single vineyard of chardonnay, ungrafted vines. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Is there a better way to start lunch than with Cedric Bouchard’s 2006 Blanc de Blancs La Haute-Lemblée and a dozen oysters? I doubt it. The wine was absolutely beautiful, even a touch reserved, but the trademark Bouchard elegance was on full display. Bouchard’s Champagnes remain some of my very favorite wines on the planet. This bottle was stunning.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Jean-Nicolas Méo unequivocally makes my favorite example of Richebourg in all of Burgundy, as I love the synthesis of intensity and elegance that he routinely achieves in this wine. The 2006 is another magical bottle, as it offers up a stunning bouquet of red and black plums, blood orange, cocoa powder, a profound base of soil, violets and a fine framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and utterly refined, with a stunning core of fruit, flawless balance, great acids and very fine-grained tannins on the endless and celestial finish. Simply a great wine by any stretch of the imagination- all this needs is time. (Drink between 2018 - 2060)John Gilman | 96-97 JGA rich, concentrated red, intense with black currant, blackberry and spice aromas and flavors. The sweet palate is matched to lively acidity and refined tannins, and this kicks in on the aftertaste with violet, cassis and mineral accents. Best from 2013 through 2035. 4 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDeep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black raspberry and dark chocolate. Suave and wonderfully vibrant, but with less obvious easy sweetness than the Vosne premier crus. This boasts an impeccable balance of acidity, minerality and tannic spine, not to mention an impressively deep, sappy core of fruit. Very restrained now, but very long on the aftertaste, with a powerful impression of extract and slowly mounting tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMA ripe and densely fruited nose displays somber and cool aromas of game, smoke, spice, violets, underbrush and sexy black berry fruit aromas. There is excellent verve to the powerful, serious and brooding middle weight flavors that culminate in a stunningly long, complex and balanced finish. Not surprisingly this is still exceptionally tight and not giving much today but it seems relatively clear already that this is built for the medium long haul. In sum, this is a classic Riche of sheer class.Burghound | 94 BHFine bright mid-red, not exaggerated. Gentle perfume at first, some dark cherry with brighter red notes, very youthful. A touch more oak emerges over time and while the wine is not too extracted, the tannins are currently a little obtrusive in the manner of 2006s at the moment. Give this 10 more years. Tasted Nov 2011.Jasper Morris | 94 JMDark cherry and black raspberry jam; dark chocolate; and burley tobacco fill the nose from Meo-Camuzet’s 2006 Richebourg, which then coats the palate with jam- and liqueur-like sweetness and viscosity of fruit, along with practically ineradicable chocolate, spice, tobacco, and toasted pecan. But for all of the sweet richness on display here, in contrast with most of the other wines in its collection, this displays hints of chocolate and fruit pit bitterness; crushed stone; roasted meat flavors; and primary, sappy fruit juiciness all of which not only add interest but offset the sweetness and keep the wine from becoming fatiguing or monolithic. There seems to be even more tannin here than in the corresponding Cros Parantoux, but it is well-integrated and fine-grained. I imagine myself directly tasting this wine’s high skin-to-juice ratio here. Meo thought that vis-a-vis the Cros Parantoux, his 2006 Richebourg was relatively inexpressive on the day I tasted it. If so, then obviously my score will have proven depressed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

From Grivot’s oldest vines, his 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots completely outclasses its fellow Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges bottlings for depth of flavor, polish, and balance. Blackberry, game, peat, and a decadent lily-like floral perfume on the nose persist on a glyceral-rich and silkenly smooth, yet energetically interactive palate loaded with inner-mouth florality; dark mineral and carnal notes; and ripe berry fruit. This finishes with impressively tenacious yet somehow gentle grip. I certainly have the impression of inhabiting a gustatory space between Vosne and Nuits when I taste it. It should be worth following for the better part of a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood deep red. Reticent but complex nose hints at black cherry and smoke, with a violet florality emerging with aeration. Round, silky and suave in the mouth, with captivating lift to the dark fruit, floral and mineral flavors. This really stains the palate on the long, subtle finish. The wine’s fine-grained tannins coat the incisors, and a whiplash of minerality leaves the palate vibrating. Grivot notes that some of the vines here date back to 1929, and that the average age of vines is 75, or a bit older than those in the family’s Richebourg holding.Vinous Media | 92 VMHere the nose is very Vosne in character with seductively spicy red and black berry fruit aromas nuanced by hints of warm earth and an animale character that is picked up on the detailed yet muscular and wonderfully rich flavors supported by sophisticated and fine tannins on the youthfully austere finale. I really like the intensity here and this is a classic Boudots in that it’s serious but not taciturn.Burghound | 91 BHFresh and elegant, with bilberry, raspberry and currant notes permeating the dense texture. The tannins are well-integrated, and the aftertaste is bright and lively. Best from 2012 through 2020. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Colour still tight and inky at 10 years old. Smooth, silky, very expressive; this is so powerful it almost lulls you into a false sense of security with the tannin integration on the first attack. Deceptively concentrated, this has persistency and freshness, plus layers of crushed black fruits, tar, cigar smoke and saffron. Right up there with the best wines of the tasting. Drinking Window 2017 - 2036Decanter | 97 DECWonderful sweet fruit, velvet in texture, with concentrated ripe fruits and red berries. This is a wine that rolls sumptuously around the mouth, the tannins certainly dense but full of the same sweetness as the fruit. The final flavor is perfumed and fresh. Deceptively attractive, it will profit from many years’ aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2006 La Mission Haut-Brion is showing very well at age 15, and even though it’s still five or six years away from the beginning of its plateau of maturity, it is already quite expressive, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of smoke, cigar wrapper, black truffle and loamy soil. Full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, with a richly layered core of fruit framed by an abundance of ripe, powdery tannin, in a blind tasting I suspect many would confuse it with a 2005.Robert Parker | 95 RPAlmost jammy, with vanilla bean and coffee undertones. Full-bodied and very powerful, with big, juicy tannins and a long finish. Very big and generous for the vintage, showing exceptional quality. Best after 2015. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSBright red-ruby. Redcurrant, cherry, iron, brown spices and licorice on the nose. Begins lush, full and generous if not overly sweet, then tightens up with air, showing its rather powerful underlying structure. This sharply delineated wine will need a good seven or eight years in bottle to reveal itself.Vinous Media | 92+ VMA vibrantly fruited, dark, herbal style of cabernet, the aristocratic pedigree of this wine’s terroir is immediately apparent in its length of flavor. But its depth is inaccessible for now, buried under a tough, earthy surface of root vegetable and smoky scents. The power of the fruit becomes more apparent with air, as it will after ten to 12 years in the cellar.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Cheval Blanc is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. It has the most floral bouquet of the four Serié A Grand Cru Classé: an explosion of crushed violets and potpourri, hints of leather and cigar box, the Cabernet Franc clearly lending this complexity and character. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels wonderfully structured and comes with an insistent grip that coats the mouth. This is backward and almost surly, but you have to stand back and admire the precision and arching structure on the mineral-rich finish. Top-dog Saint Emilion? That’s for sure. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 97 RP-NMDark chocolate and mocha flavors, very dark and intense, this is a big, concentrated wine, flavored with bitter cherries and structured. Certainly a great Cheval Blanc.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDisplays lots of milk chocolate, cedar, berry and cappuccino aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins, this is structured and layered for the vintage. Mouthpuckering. Needs time. This is one of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2015. 5,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA supple and heady vintage of Cheval, this gains power and amplitude over the course of several days. What sets it apart is the relaxed sophistication cabernet franc can yield from these 50-year-old vines. That adds vinosity to the Cheval’s tight build, while the beautiful richness of the wine is classic merlot. It’s the color of a black cherry, with the ripe flavor of that fruit darkened by the scent of figs, brightened by a floral note of violets. The tannins are supple, with a depth that will sustain the wine for decades.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SGood deep ruby-red. Captivating nose combines blackberry, menthol, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and a flinty, iron-like element. Densely packed and very fresh, with superb energy and definition to the complex flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice, menthol and minerals. A floral element contributes to the impression of vibrancy. This is more impressive than it was at any stage of its elevage, offering surprising chewy richness and sweetness for a brand-new Cheval. Finishes with broad, toothdusting tannins that mount slowly and saturate the palate. This wonderfully smooth wine gained in precision and floral perfume with 24 hours in the recorked bottle and should be at its best roughly between 2015 and 2035.Vinous Media | 94 VMA blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a classic wine from this under-the-radar vintage and offers a perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, earth, spice box, and tobacco. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, elegant texture, ripe tannin and impressive length, it’s approachable today yet will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSeptember rainfall hit St Emilion quite hard, and there was some dilution in the grapes, and careful selection and sorting were required. The 2006 Cheval Blanc has recently shown well but this bottle was not entirely satisfactory, though far from faulty. The nose is ripe and intense, with a grapy raspberry character and considerable poise and finesse. On the palate it’s still firm and tannic; it’s certainly concentrated, but quite grippy too and lacks the charm of the nose. A long chewy finish makes one wonder how the wine will evolve, but mature Cheval Blanc is unlikely to disappoint. Drinking Window 2019 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DEC