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I continue to love the 2008 Château Latour, unquestionably in the top handful of wines in the vintage. A rich, powerful blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, this ruby/purple-hued beauty boasts a classic Latour nose of blackcurrants, spice box, saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and cedar pencil. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and perfectly balanced, give it another 2-3 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDExpressive fruit aromas and wood perfumes announce this wine. With 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a complex wine marked by purity of black fruits, berries, toast and tannins. It has power, richness and a lovely edge of spice to go with the acidity. The wine is firmly structured, while bursting with fruit and freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEAn extraordinary wine, the classic 2008 Latour (13.5% natural alcohol) is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc (40% of the production made it into the grand vin). Its dense purple color is followed by hints of espresso roast, cassis, burning embers, truffles and graphite. Rich with full-bodied power, beautiful purity and graciousness allied to a voluminous, savory, broad mouthfeel, this beauty will be drinkable in 4-5 years and will keep for three decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPA little subdued, as with the Lafite right now, but this is built to last and is layered and structured. Liquorice, cassis and blueberry notes take the lead, with a punch of tannic power and a crushed mint leaf finish. A classic Latour, starting to be ready to drink but sure to age for decades from here. A seductive smoke note appears with time in the glass. Harvest September 29 to October 14. 40% of overall production. (Drink between 2021-2042)Decanter | 95 DECGorgeous aromas. Sandalwood and flowers, so perfumed and beautiful. Spices and currants with cassis too. Amazing nose. Such beauty and density with an iron and pure fruit character. Solid and racy.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is dense and muscular, but balanced, with the flesh to offset the sinew, as pure mulled black currant, melted fig and crushed plum fruit is caressed by substantial but fine-grained structure. The long, iron- and tobacco-filled finish has excellent focus and drive. This could rival LLC for longest-lived wine of the vintage. Best from 2013 through 2022. 9,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2008 Latour is dark, brooding and virile, with huge tannins that convey an impression of gravitas. Grilled herbs, leather, sweet pipe tobacco, iron and cedar add to the wine’s distinctive aromatic complexity. There is plenty of density and richness, but the color and slightly advanced flavor profile are a bit out of character. Ideally, at this stage Latour should exhibit more freshness and vibrancy. Of course, it is possible the 2008 might remain at this plateau for many years to come. Time will tell. The blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

This was phenomenal from barrel and remains so. The aromas are spellbinding. It smells like a bouquet of pink roses and then goes to currants, berries and citrus. Full body, with wonderfully refined tannins. It starts discretely and then grows to different levels and dimensions like a slow but big high tide. The texture is so beautiful. Try it in 2020 or beyond.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2010 is a brilliant Chateau Margaux, as one might expect in this vintage. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend hit 90%, the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the crop made it into the Chateau Margaux. Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has even higher levels of tannin than some other extraordinary vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc. Deep purple, pure and intense, with floral notes, tremendous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With loads of blueberry, black currant and violet-infused fruit and a heady alcohol level above 13.5% (although that looks modest compared to several other first growths, particularly Chateau Latour and Chateau Haut-Brion), its beautifully sweet texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and profound finish all make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPAs we head out of Pauillac, you feel the register change. It takes a heartbeat to adjust, but then you start to see the beauty of a different style of 2010, a little more elegant, a little more sculpted, with concentration that sits deep in the body of the wine but builds more slowly through the palate. This shows the beauty of the appellation of Margaux in the way that you always want and hope the First Growths will - a signpost towards the rest, showing why they should be celebrated. Here are violet aromatics, soft black truffle flavours and silky, elongated tannins. Extremely good quality; fairly savoury berry fruits. As with all of these, there’s a long long life ahead of it, and best to be put away for another five years at least. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 99 DECA great wine that is just starting out. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives the structured, black currant character. Dark chocolate and layers of wood are forward, revealing how young the wine is. And then the fruit, so rich and powerful, brings deliciousness to the firm, dense structure. Age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WELiquid velvet, with stunning length and a caressing mouthfeel, as layers of creamed plum, blackberry coulis and steeped black currant fruit glides along, seamlessly intertwined with black tea, mulled blood orange, incense and lilac. Hints of mesquite and alder hang subtly in the background, and the structure, evident and massive, has melded wonderfully.--Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Best from 2018 through 2040. 10,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2010 Château Margaux performed far better at this horizontal than at Farr’s blind tasting a few days later. It has a beguiling bouquet, highly perfumed with crushed violets infusing the blackberry and crushed strawberry scented, hints of pencil box and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a silky elegant finish that is amazingly persistent. It is one of the best wines that Paul Pontallier ever made. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VM(Château Margaux) The 2010 Château Margaux is one of the lowest alcohol wines to be found in Bordeaux in this vintage, as it weighs in at a very civilized 13.5 percent. Not surprisingly, the grand vin is made up of a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon this year (ninety percent) than is customary in many recent vintages here, as even on the Left Bank, the merlot in 2010 was very ripe indeed. The 2010 Margaux is a very good wine, but somehow I had expected just a bit more grandiosity from the estate in this vintage, and at least at this early stage, it seems to be a step behind the 2009 here. The bouquet is deep, closed and nascently complex, as it wafts from the glass in a blend of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, lovely minerality, smoke and a refined base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite solid at the core, with plenty of firm tannins, good acids and fine length and grip on the slightly dry finish. This is a very well-made wine by any stretch of the imagination, but in terms of the extremely high standards of Château Margaux, it will need to develop a fair bit more character as it evolves with bottle age to rank as one of the great recent vintages here. I cannot imagine it blossoming before it has spent at least fifteen years in the cellar, and 2010 should prove to be an extremely long-lived vintage for the estate. (Drink between 2025-2100).John Gilman | 92-93+ JG

The best Pauillac I ever tasted (and this wine has been a revelation ever since they first introduced it), the 2010 from Latour represents 24% of their production. It is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44.5% Merlot and .5% Cabernet Franc. An amazingly opulent, round, delicious wine, and a great buy when they finally release it – assuming it comes in under a three-digit price – it possesses wonderfully silky tannins, classic black currant, cedar wood and forest floor notes, and rich, full-bodied opulence as well as a terrific purity and palate presence. It should drink well for 10-15+ years.Robert Parker | 93 RPA wine with berry, chocolate and spice character. Full body, with velvety tannins and a savory finish. It shows currant and berry. I love the texture to this. Third wine of first growth Latour. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSLatour’s 2010 Pauillac de Château Latour is a huge overachiever and shows just how compelling this vintage is. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but it is the wine’s impeccable balance and class that are most impressive today. Hints of leather, earthiness, tobacco, licorice and dark cherry are nicely layered into the silky finish. The 2010 is an absolutely delicious wine to drink now and over the next decade or so.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

A serious Haut-Brion, still very much closed. Concentrated with firm tannins, this has real depth to it, showing walls and structure. Beautiful juice starts to seep through the walls after a few moments and this has great potential. It has a tannic frame that softens as it opens, and lets the light in, showing its more elegant side. Cleverly constructed, this is great winemaking, a clear success. 72% new oak. Harvest August 31 to September 27. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECLots of subtle redcurrant and berry character, with flowers and sweet tobacco on the nose. Full body, super-integrated tannins and a light shaved-chocolate, berry and cedar character. A decadence and beauty to this that wakes you up. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe unbelievably superb 2011 Haut-Brion (a tiny production of 7,600 cases from a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 19% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a classic nose of subtle smoldering embers, warm rocks, black currants, new saddle leather, spice box and high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco. The color is a dense ruby/purple to the edge, and the wine cuts a serious as well as broad swath across the palate. The most amazing aspect of this terroir is that the wine, despite all its power and richness, literally dances on the palate, as if it were a 90 pound ballerina. This brilliant 2011 should evolve quickly, hitting its prime in 7-8 years, and drink beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis packs some serious density for the vintage, with layers of braised fig, blackberry pâte de fruit and dark currant paste, all inlaid with lively briar, tobacco leaf and roasted apple wood notes. Shows lots of energy through the finish, with the grip generating a mouthwatering feel. One of the stars of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2011 Haut-Brion has a really lovely, warm, autumnal nose with red fruit, chestnut, autumn leaves and Earl Grey scents. Very complex. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, a crisp line of acidity, maybe just a little austere on the finish, but there is fine focus with a delicately spiced, slightly medicinal finish. This is an impressive and quite delicious Haut-Brion that should give 20 years more drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis wine has an intense herbaceous quality, with fruit and nutmeg flavors. It feels and tastes powerful, with alcoholic warmth and a taut and nervy character.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

At first the tannins keep this pretty tight, but as it opens up there is an elegance and finesse, along with a subtle floral expression that is clearer in the Château Margaux than the Pavillon. Juicy on the finish, and as it opens further you get a gourmet, dense expression to the raspberry and cassis fruit. Aromatically it is finely knit and uplifting. The iris and peony aromatics of Château Margaux are really to the fore, it’s a great vintage to show off this side of the estate. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.6pH. 38% of overall production in the first wine. One of the earliest harvest on record, all finished by end of September which is extremely rare at Margaux. Drinking Window 2021 - 2044.Decanter | 96 DECA solidly structured wine, it is both elegant and intensely powerful. It is disclosing its fruitiness slowly, at the moment dense and concentrated. A restrained edge provides complexity and balance. It will need aging, so don’t drink before 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis has a restrained core of steeped plum, blackberry and anise, studded with tobacco and roasted cedar notes. The structure is silky but persistent, with an almost-succulent feel through the finish, while warm bergamot, singed cedar, vanilla and sanguine hints define the finish. Discreet today, but shows the balance and precision to unfold slowly with cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFabulous aromas of flowers with hints of strawberries and currants. Extremely aromatic. This is full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a racy finish. It is very finely structured but chewy and austere. I like the tension to this. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe renowned Chateau Margaux’s 2011 boasts a dark ruby/plum color as well as a fragrant perfume of spring flowers, sweet, supple, well-integrated tannins, medium body, and the elegance and nobility expected from a great first-growth. Although it is not as powerful or concentrated as the 2009 or 2010 (no 2011s are), it possesses finesse, elegance, purity and suppleness. The wine is surprisingly approachable already yet should keep for 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2011 Château Margaux is a vintage that I have not encountered since just after bottling. Still youthful in colour, it has a strict, conservative, pencil lead and cedar-scented bouquet, very 2011 in style, a touch of smoke developing with aeration. What it lacks is a little flair. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannin. This has become a little more peppery and spicy since being incarcerated in bottle. There is pleasing depth towards the finish. Never a flamboyant Château Margaux, not a vintage that exuded flair, but there is respectable persistence with a fine, pointed finish. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2011 Château Margaux has the highest level of measured tannins ever in the history of the estate. The nose is quite bright for the vintage, offering up scents of black raspberries, cassis, dark chocolate, violets, soil and a suave base of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is not quite as good as the nose suggests, with its full-bodied, backward and reserved profile decidedly short on personality and a touch sinewy. The wine has a long, very firmly tannic finish, with tangy acids and rather blunt balance. I really am not wild about the equilibrium here and could very easily imagine this wine drying out, rather than blossoming with bottle age. But, beyond the wine’s overall balance, I get a strong sense that this was a wine made by decision-making that was completely risk averse, and the wine’s resultant lack of personality will shadow it all the way through its long (or short- depending on how the tannins are eventually resolved) life. One expects and should receive more from a First Growth! If the tannins do manage to resolve, then this will be a pretty good wine and a disastrous value. If they do not, well, even at thirty euros a bottle it would be too expensive, and we can rest assured it is not going to be priced out the cellar door at thirty euros! (Drink between 2025-2065).John Gilman | 87-90+ JG

Brings together the florality of Armailhac and the dense fruit of Clerc Milon, all with the volume turned up. Clear concentration and structure here, powerful Pauillac tannins and a juicy finish - easily one of the wines of the vintage in Pauillac. And despite the challenges of the vintage, it has plenty of seductive Mouton signature - touches of gourmet edging, smoke, liquorice, bitter chocolate shavings, pencil lead, a ton of Pauillac character. It is well measured and grips through the palate. Harvest 12-28 September. We were at a time here when Mouton could barely put a foot wrong, great stuff from Philippe Dhalluin. (Drink between 2023-2050)Decanter | 97 DECTight, focused and very well-built, this shows the quality of this sleeper vintage. Built on tannins that have a twinge of austerity, this offers ample flesh to the dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit. Bramble, tobacco and loam accents fill in through the finish, which has a lingering tug of dark earth at the very end. This one may never be a charmer but it has aging potential for sure.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2021 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThere is a lightness about this vintage of Mouton Rothschild. It doesn’t take away from its quality but does give the wine poise and an attractive lift. The wine is based on solid tannins, then the ripe fruit builds layers of fruitiness and freshness. It is not likely to be one of the longest-aging Moutons, but it will be delicious. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is now a little tight but shows firmness and raciness with pretty austerity. Full and tight with silky tannins and a long, fresh finish. Firm acidity is holding it back. Needs two or three years to open. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2011 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and concentrated. Plum, grilled herbs, smoke, graphite and mocha are all nicely delineated in the glass. The effects of the hot, dry weather are felt in the wine’s roasted flavors and hard tannins that reflect the heat stress of the season. I suspect the 2011 will have its day of glory once the tannins soften, but that day is a ways off in the future. Readers should expect to be patient with the 2011. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 12 and 28.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGTasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock’s tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP-NM(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2011 Mouton-Rothschild contains the highest percentage of cabernet sauvignon ever in the history of this estate, as fully ninety percent of the blend is made up of this varietal, to go along with seven percent merlot and three percent cabernet franc. The wine is very deep and nascently complex on the nose, as it offers up scents of cassis, Cuban cigar ash, coffee bean, tobacco leaf, a bit of lead pencil and plenty of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with firm, substantial tannins and a very long, primary and quite concentrated finish. This will need a long time to come around, but seems to have the constituent components in place to eventually blossom nicely. I do not know why the wine does not move me more than it does, but, at least at this early stage, the wine just seems to lack a bit of soul. Maybe bottle age will reveal its inner beauty. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 89-92+ JG

(Château Pétrus) The 2011 Pétrus is another utterly magical example of the vintage that will take plenty of cellaring before it fully blossoms, but will eventually outpace the more powerful 2010 at this estate. Olivier Berrouet commented that “with the 2011 having between ten and fifteen percent more tannins than the 2010, its elevage in new oak will be shorter this year as a result.” The team at Pétrus emphasized that “this was a vintage to restrain oneself in the vineyards and do nothing, so that the vines that were already suffering from the hydric stress would not be further shocked by any human intervention.” The wine has turned out brilliantly and will be a classic in fifteen or twenty years, as it offers up a deep and intense nose of black plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, woodsmoke, a beautiful base of soil, a touch of fresh herbs and a very suave and understated base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and impressively opulent in the mid-palate, with great focus and balance, ripe, substantial tannins and very long, pure, primary and perfectly balanced finish. A great Pétrus in the making. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 97 JGThis extravagantly perfumed wine has great juicy, ripe fruits. The tannic structure is almost secondary in the welter of ripe fruits, but it is enough to promise aging. Acidity and rich fruitiness partner each other to give a wine that is both fresh and powerful. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA dense ruby/purple-tinged color and restrained but intriguing aromas of kirsch, raspberry jam, wood spice, and mulberries are found in this full-bodied Petrus. An undeniable success in 2011, it is rich, layered and pure with light to moderate tannin, but seems slightly less muscular and tannic compared to its stablemate, Trotanoy. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 25 years. Made from 100% Merlot, it tips the scales at 13.5% alcohol. In short, it is typically open-knit and already showing very well. This is quite opulent.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is tight and firm, with blueberry and blackberry character, and hints of sweet tobacco. Some wet earth, too. Black olives. Full body and very tight, with ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Powerful and muscular. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2011 Petrus has plenty of fruit on the nose, elegant and floral, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, a touch of crushed stone and pressed rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a rich and quite extravagant style of the finish, lightly spiced with a rounded, velvety-smooth and quite dense finish. Maybe it just conveys a little more winemaking that the terroir at the moment? Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis sports sweet spice, bitter cherry and light briar notes, with lively, pebbly tannins guiding the finish. Slightly high-pitched notes of blood orange and red currant fill in as well. Delivers range and length, yet lacks the depth of the top wines in this vintage. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2012 Haut Brion (65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc) is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage, with a dense purple color, classic nose of crushed rock, lead pencil shavings, black raspberry, blueberry and flowers. The wine shows subtle barbecue smoke notes in the background, but is full-bodied, stunningly concentrated and builds incrementally, yet finishes with luxurious, almost extravagant amounts of fruit and intensity. From only 46% of the production, this is an absolutely remarkable effort from the Dillon family and their winemaking team of the two Jean-Philippes. Drink it over the next 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPA big, powerful wine, the 2012 Haut-Brion possesses stunning richness and intensity, with all of the depth that is lacking in so many other wines in this vintage. Not here. The 2012 possesses remarkable depth and tons of raw, animal power that is going to require considerable time in bottle to soften. Readers should be in no rush; the 2012 Haut-Brion is a wine for the ages. Smoke, graphite, dried herbs and blue/purplish stone fruits grace the exotic, alluring finish.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAmazing aromas of wet stones, earth, currants and berries. Subtle and complex. Full body and a beautiful core of ripe fruit on the palate and the finish. Round, light, chewy tannins. Needs at least four or five years to open. This is the most Merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc.James Suckling | 96 JSFirm and solid, this is one of the successes of 2012. It’s properly dark and tough at this stage, with that serious intent that’s a hallmark of Haut-Brion. Layers of firm tannins are interspersed with blackberry fruits and juicy acidity. The wine is dense and concentrated, with the wood aging still showing. This powerful wine will need many years. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis combines power and refinement, with a singed alder frame around a dense core of red and black currant, plum and blackberry fruit. Notes of bay, black tea and tar line the finish. Has a lovely, fine-grained feel that lets the dark, hefty fruit drape beautifully. The tobacco element hangs in the background. Sneakily long. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,008 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDense velvety red, rich earthy black fruits on the nose, both lively and smooth, terrific class is there with the ripe Haut-Brion tannins that give a subtle grip to the very polished, Merlot-dominated fruit. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DEC

As for the 2012 La Mission Haut Brion, this wine (41% of the total production) continues to perform as it has for nearly a century. At first-growth levels of quality, this is s stunning wine that is full-bodied and very concentrated with notes of graphite, subtle charcoal embers, crème de cassis, blackberry and underlying subtle earthiness. The wine is full and powerful, rich and concentrated. And sure enough, the alcohol level tips the scales at 15% from a blend 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. This is a big, blockbuster La Mission Haut Brion that should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. However, the tannins suggest that this wine should not be touched for another 5-6 years, as its one of the more backward of the 2012 Pessac-Léognans. Bravo!Robert Parker | 97 RPContinuing to show brilliantly, the 2012 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is a quintessential Graves, boasting a deep purple color as well as heavenly aromatics of blackcurrants, tobacco, scorched earth, graphite, and licorice. It’s a big, full-bodied beauty yet has a weightless, elegant style, building tannins, and a great finish. It needs a solid hour in a decanter if drinking today and promises to evolve beautifully for another 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDOne of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion shows off a vertical sense of structure along with imposing tannins and serious depth. The flavors are dark, bold and extremely vivid. Dark red cherry, smoke, grilled herbs, graphite and blackberry jam are some of the many notes that come alive on the finish. This brooding La Mission needs a few years to settle down after which it will offer spectacular drinking for several decades. In a word: magnificent!Antonio Galloni | 96 AG(Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Red) Ripe roasted fruit with considerable extract and personality. Full, powerful mid-palate and length of flavour. This benefited in 2012 from the property’s early-ripening terroir. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is closed up, dry and tough on the outside. But you can feel the rich weight and the dark tannins along with the powerful structure. That makes this wine both replete with a firm character and also full of generous, concentrated black fruits. It’s a powerful wine, ready for good aging; drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEGorgeous aromas of stones, currants and blueberries. Very aromatic. Mesmerizing. Full body, silky tannins and a long finish. Dense and rich. Layered. Earth and bark character. Lots of structure for the vintage. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe rigid tar and bramble frame should eventually meld with the core of plum, blackberry and macerated black currant fruit, featuring ample energy and a graphite note through the finish. Just a little bit of patience required here. Best from 2018 through 2025. 5,176 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Showing the serious side of Lafite, this is big and dark, powered by tannins as much as fruit. The wood aging is still showing, although that will integrate into the great structure that holds up the ripe black currant fruits. Totally dominated by some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, this wine has strength while also having great freshness. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEVibrant fruit from 91% Cabernet, not yet expressive but all the firm elegance of Lafite for a very good future. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DECSuperb structure for the vintage with blackcurrants, cedar, mushroom and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied yet reserved and tight with an impressive density. Long finish. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSThis has a dark, smoky edge from the start, with smoldering tobacco and grilled savory notes lining the core of steeped plum, macerated black currant and lightly mulled cherry fruit. Shows a loamy, smoky edge to the finish, with the tobacco hint peeking out. Features admirable range, depth and grip, with just a twinge of the vintage's austerity lurking. Best from 2018 through 2030. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2012 Lafite-Rothschild opens with striking inner perfume. Long and beautifully persistent on the palate, the 2012 is ample and generous, but never heavy. Shades of dark red cherry and plum infusion shape the finish. The 2012 is not an epic Lafite, but it is expressive and delicious today.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG(Château Lafite Rothschild) Charles Chevallier, Technical Director for all of the Barons de Rothschild estates, noted that 2012 “was a difficult year- one which we would not like to see too often!” On the Left Bank, the Rothschild properties faced the same struggles as everyone else, with uneven ripening from the difficult flowering period, season long struggles against mildew (though on the sunnier side, Monsieur Chevallier notes that alternating heat and humidity of mid-summer “were also good for the growth of ceps and chanterelles in the woods!”), and difficult harvesting conditions, as the threat of rot in the vineyards pushed the teams to be very careful about selection this year. The merlot at Lafite this year was brought in between September 28th and October 9th, with the cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot all collected between October 9th and October 16th. The 2012 Lafite is a blend of ninety-one percent cabernet sauvignon, 8.5 percent merlot and half a percent petit verdot, and the wine is a very old school 12.6 percent in alcohol. It is a very suave and understated customer out of the blocks, offering up scents of dark berries, cassis, French roast, a touch of tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, beautiful gravelly soil tones and a very stylish base of gently spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very effortless in its delivery, with a fine core of fruit, fine soil signature, ripe tannins, very good acidity for the vintage and fine length and grip on the still very primary finish. This is a lovely Lafite that will age into a very graceful middleweight and may well resemble the extremely successful 1981 with sufficient bottle age. (Drink between 2025-2050).John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2012 Lafite Rothschild, representing only 38% of their total production, is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot. It is a very stylish, elegant, yet concentrated Lafite Rothschild with an opaque ruby/purple color, soft well-integrated tannins, nice integrated oak, acidity and alcohol. Lafites’s 2012 reveals good, opaque, ruby/purple color and plenty of lead pencil and blackcurrant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied and should hit its prime 2020-2035.Robert Parker | 91 RP

This will be by far the biggest release since Latour brought in the new system, as the 2012 has not been on the market before. It’s a good one to start with as this is a vintage where the drinking window is starting to come into view. This is pure liquorice, graphite and profoundly dark fruits, gourmet brushed damson and crushed stones, with a silky, appealingly open texture. The tannins are as bracing as you hope for from this estate, not giving an inch yet, but there is air between them and the structure is starting to loosen up. Harvest from September 24 to October 16, under rainy conditions after a super hot summer and early September that ensured the grapes stayed in good condition, but turned the concentration from impenetrable to an altogether more approachable style. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2012 Latour is a blend of 90.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.6% Merlot and 0.2% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet colored, the nose slowly, measuredly emerges with notions of preserved Morello cherries, baked blackcurrants and blackberry compote, giving way to nuances of pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars, Chinese five spice and sandalwood plus ever so subtle hints of cardamom and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit preserves with a firm, grainy-textured frame and fantastic freshness, finishing with a veritable firework display of lingering spices and minerals. This is a more restrained, relatively elegant vintage of Latour that may not have that “iron fist in a velvet glove” power of the greatest vintages but nonetheless struts its superior terroir and behind-the-scenes savoir faire with impressive panache. It is drinking nicely now with suitably rounded-off, approachable tannins, and the tertiary characters are just beginning to bring some more cerebral elements into the compote of temptingly primary black fruits. But, if you’re looking to drink it in full, flamboyant swing, give it another 5-10 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20-25 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2012 Latour has a potent bouquet of blackberry, graphite and distinctive tertiary notes [instead of more marine scents observed four years earlier]. Initially, the palate is slightly disjointed on the entry and displays a subtle herbal quality, plus hints of pencil shavings. The 2012 demands a few minutes to really coalesce and achieve the precision and pixelation that have been the hallmark of this Grand Vin in its youth. Layers of black fruit coat the mouth, and a bitter edge lends tension, particularly toward the very persistent finish. Though its release implies, and the rhetoric from the château indicates, that it is ready to drink, if you want my advice, cellar the 2012 for another five or six years to witness it in full flight. It has always been a candidate for wine of the vintage... just have a bit of patience.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis features a terrific, gorgeously delineated graphite note that runs from start to finish, letting the dark plum, black cherry and cassis fruit play out beautifully. Shows a lovely backdrop of charcoal and iron on the finish. Ever so slightly rigid, with a strong graphite expression, this is straight rather than expansive in feel, but seriously long nonetheless. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,819 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSVery perfumed with hints of minerals, currants, wet earth and stones. Full-bodied, muscular and chewy. Polished tannins, tight acidity and a savory finish. Very reserved. Muscular. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Latour) The 2012 harvest at Château Latour began with the picking of the merlot on September 24th (concluding for this variety on October 4th) and finished with the cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot during the stretch from October 5th to the 16th. All three wines in the stable came in at a very classic 12.8 percent alcohol this year, and as the cabernet sauvignon was the most successful varietal, the 2012 grand vin is over ninety percent cabernet this year. The bouquet is deep, primary and very pure and refined, as it wafts from the glass in a constellation of cassis, cigar smoke, tobacco leaf, complex, gravelly soil tones and a nice touch of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant on the attack, with a good core, suave and quite moderate tannins (particularly for a young Latour!), fine focus and impressive length and grip on the youthful finish. Clearly, the team at Latour did not want to risk over-extracting in this vintage, and the wine is certainly one of the most polite recent vintages of this great property. It should prove to be a lovely wine with sufficient bottle age, but this is one of the very few properties in all of Bordeaux where the trio from 2009, 2010 and 2011 tower over their 2012 counterpart. (Drink between 2025-2060).John Gilman | 91+ JG

The second wine of Château Latour, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour is a smoking good, rich, concentrated effort that most likely wins the battle of the second wines in the vintage. Crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, cedar pencil and tobacco notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied 2012 that has rock solid mid-palate depth and a great finish. It doesn’t come cheap but is a beautiful, classic Les Forts de Latour that will drink nicely for another 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA juicy and rich red, offering chocolate and hazelnuts. Plum and berry undertones. Full-bodied with angular tannins that are firm and muscular. Needs a year or two to soften still.James Suckling | 93 JSComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of redcurrants, black cherries and kirsch with menthol, cigars and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and vibrant with a lively line and an herbal lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThough I tasted the 2012 Les Forts de Latour, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, during en primeur back in 2013, this marks the first commercial release for this vintage. It boasts devilishly attractive pencil lead bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and a light sea spray influence. The palate is clean and fresh with very fine, almost edgy tannins. The precision here is undeniable, a tensile Les Forts de Latour that similar to many 2012s has blossomed during its bottle maturation. There is a mote of signature Pauillac mintiness that pop up towards the persistent finish, completing an assured Les Forts de Latour that might tempt those whose pockets are not deep enough for the co-released 2006 Latour.Vinous Media | 91 VMAdmirably rich for the vintage, with solid plum and black currant paste flavors, allied to a decidedly brisk and racy structure and backed by plum pit, iron and singed alder notes through the finish, giving this a rather linear feel overall. Should age well, and will likely always have more cut than breadth. Best from 2017 through 2025. 11,933 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSuperb colour, cassis fruit and the classic graphite grip of top Pauillacs, fragrance, precision and great class. [NB: Tasted en primeur and originally rated as 17.5 points under the 20-point scale used by Decanter at the time] Drinking Window 2017 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

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

This shows fabulous length with a chocolate, berry and mineral undertone. Licorice and currants too. Full body yet refined with seamless tannins. Goes on for minutes. It shows such amazing length and elegance. Depth. Phenomenal structure here, especially for the vintage. Reminds me of the 1998 or 1971, which were structured yet very fine.James Suckling | 98 JSAnother great wine from Pétrus, this has enormous depths without losing any of the fruit or freshness of Merlot in 2012. It's massive while also elegant, weighty, richly full-bodied and also structured. At this stage the wine does show some signs of wood aging, which will diminish as it ages. The fruitiness is deceptive because this wine demands aging. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEOne of the stars of the vintage, the wine (100% Merlot) has exceptional concentration, stunning purity, an inky purple color and a broad, expansive mouthfeel. Not a bit heavy, cloying or overwrought, this is a stunning Petrus (licorice, blackcurrants and truffles dominate) that will probably hit full maturity in 8-10 years and last 25-35. Another great example of this mythical wine that few can afford, virtually no one drinks, but everyone talks about! Relatively high in alcohol at 14.5%, the crop was tiny because of the spring’s poor flowering in this sector of Pomerol.Robert Parker | 96+ RP(Château Pétrus) The 2012 Château Pétrus is a stunning young wine and everyone on the team seemed to be in a very happy mood with the quality of the vintage here. The tasting took place in the new chais, as the tasting room is still under construction, and the tasting was notable for the relaxed and friendly atmosphere- which was in notable contrast to the almost monastic, reverential mood of past years here (as well as at most of the other First Growths). The harvest at Pétrus started on September 24th, only to see the rain arrive the next day, which suspended the picking until the 1st of October, with all the remaining grapes being collected over the next week. The wine is cool, pure and wonderfully suave, which totally belies its 14.5 percent alcohol, as I would have guessed this wine to be in the 13.2 to 13.5 percent range. The bouquet is deep, primary and very refined, wafting from the glass in a mix of plums, black cherries, dark soil tones, cigar smoke, espresso and a gentle touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and potentially very velvety, with a superb core, ripe, seamless tannins and superb focus and grip on the very long and classic finish. This may evolve along the lines of the 1985 Pétrus, but it may possess even a bit more stuffing and land at a higher level when all is said and done. A superb wine. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 96 JGThis has some serious muscle, with rivets of graphite studding a beam of dense, gravelly grip that holds the core of steeped plum and raspberry notes together. Very long, with superior cut. A graphite note powers through the finish, while the fruit drips on and on. Best from 2018 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOne of the stars this year. Ripe, seductive nose with blackcurrant, blackberry and liquorish notes. Shows upfront charm but the palate has power, depth and distinction. Rounded tannins. Superb length. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA dark, hulking beauty, the 2012 Pétrus is utterly beguiling. For the year, the Pétrus boasts remarkable density and pure power. Spice, leather, cedar and tobacco wrap around a core of intense, super-ripe fruit. Bad weather during flowering lowered potential yields and resulted in a firm, powerful Pétrus that is going to need time to blossom. I imagine the 2012 will still be a pretty special wine at age forty.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AG

Very enticing sweet tobacco, cedar, tar and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of black mushrooms and violets. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are still slightly chewy, but show poise and focus. Juicy finish with a berry, iodine and walnut aftertaste. Just a touch of austerity at the end. Savory. Clearly one of the top wines of this very difficult vintage, along with Margaux and Lafleur. Drinkable now, but better in 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSFirst things first - there is an undeniable enjoyment in finding a vintage of Latour's grand vin that doesn't need to be put away for a few decades, and it is smart of the estate to release this wine now, at eight years old, because 2013 is unquestionably a year that lacks the intensity and structure to allow long ageing. I tasted it both on its own, just opened from bottle, and over lunch to see how it held up. Smoke, floral notes and spice are the three main lines that you are going to find, and each one has its appeal. Expect raspberry, blueberries, cassis bud and cherry pit - all markers of a cooler vintage - together with a seductively intense level of retro-olfaction that brings in waves of peony, smoked tea, tomato leaf and rosemary aromatics. The Latour tannins build slowly over the palate, although they are finer than you find in most vintages, and overall there is a successful emphasis on precision and finesse. 31% of the total production. At the time around half of the main L'Enclos vineyard was in organic and biodynamic farming, and this was the last year with Penelope Godefroy as winemaker, before she headed over to the newly bought (and now re-sold) Right Bank estates of Vray Croix de Gay and Le Prieuré. Around half the usual production, no more than 5,000 cases, because the final yield came in at 25hl/ha. In my view, one of the wines of the vintage. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECComposed of 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, the 2013 Latour offers an open-knit, fragrant nose of licorice, sandalwood, rose petals and cigar box over a core of Black Forest cake, stewed plums, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus a waft of cast-iron pan. The elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate (13% alcohol) fills the mouth with intense red and black berry preserves layers, framed by evolved, soft-textured tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and spicy. This vintage does not have the power and backbone of an outstanding vintage of Latour, but it is aging gracefully and, still possessing a lot of discernible fruit with plenty of tertiary pizazz, is absolutely delicious to drink right now. This sweet-spot stage is likely to continue for another 5-7 years, before the wine plateaus at a maturity peak and holds for a further 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2013 Latour is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, the 2013 is lighter in body than the norm here, but striking aromatics and silky tannins more than make up for that. A wine of total breed and class, the 2013 is a real pleasure to taste today. Naturally, the lighter structure of the year is impossible to escape. Even so, at eight years of age, the 2013 is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic nuance, and yet it remains a young wine. The spread of botrytis led to an early harvest, with the exception to some blocks on the western side of the enclos that were more resistant to conditions and were therefore picked later. This is a remarkable showing considering a little more than 2/3rds of the vineyards (for the Grand Vin) were farmed biodynamically back then. I can't wait to see how the 2013 ages. My opened bottle stayed fresh for a number of days.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThis delivers a very tightly focused beam of red currant, pomegranate and bitter plum fruit flavors that streak along thanks to finely beaded acidity, showing a hint of graphite through the finish and a beguiling black tea accent. Reveals a lovely sense of precision, maintaining cut through the sneakily long finish. Best from 2017 through 2025. 5,625 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe flagship 2013 Chateau Latour comes from a much more challenging vintage and is 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot, and a 0.4% Petit Verdot. It shows its more Cabernet dominated blend with a more compact, tight, reserved style that opens up nicely with time in the glass. Revealing a healthy ruby/plum color, it has classic Latour notes of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and licorice. It doesn't have the depth, richness, or expansiveness to be considered a great Latour but is medium-bodied, has a focused, elegant texture, ripe, silky tannins, and a narrow yet lengthy finish. Given the difficulties in the year, this is certainly a success as the purity of fruit is spot on, the tannins are sweet and polished, and it has plenty of classic Latour character. It should drink nicely over the coming 10-15 years and have a gradual decline.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

This wine is smooth, ripe with fine tannins and red plum and black-currant fruits that are soft and gentle. Acidity dominates at this stage, supported by the tannins. It brings out the fruit and freshness of the year while also keeping some structure from the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Margaux, Margaux, Red) Lovely fragrant nose; floral-sweet, the perfume of Margaux. A textbook Margaux with a hint of Musigny, all delicacy and purity with an undeniable sense of place. (Drink between 2018-2035)Decanter | 94 DECA firm and tight Margaux with structure and elegance. Full bodied and tight. Lovely silky tannins and layers of texture and flavor. Currant and chocolate undertones. 94% cabernet sauvignon, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. Drink in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JS(94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot): Full, deep red. Restrained but very deep aromas of blueberry, redcurrant and quinine; a real step up in concentration from the Pavillon Rouge. Sharply focused and gripping in the mouth, with enticingly sappy, creamy red and dark berry flavors complicated by minty tobacco and sweet spices. Finishes very broad and long, with suave tannins and a lingering impression of vibrancy.Vinous Media | 89-92 VMThe 2013 Château Margaux has an attractive bouquet that compared to fellow recent vintages appears earthy in style (as it appeared in barrel), offering a mixture of black and red fruit, bay leaf and cedar. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes through strongly - no surprise given that there is 97% of the final blend! The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a pleasing seam of acidity. It is not the greatest Château Margaux that the late Paul Pontallier ever made, but it is commendable for the vintage and there is a sense of harmony and composure towards the finish with hints of black pepper and mint lingering on the aftertaste. Enjoy this over the next 15 years, though I am not sure it has the substance to warrant maturation for a longer period.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMThis is velvety and suave, with alluring fresh plum, sleek cassis and warmed raspberry coulis flavors that are nicely melded together, picking up rooibos tea, singed sandalwood and mineral accents through the lovely finish. Refined and approachable already, but has enough range and length for cellaring. A wine of style. Best from 2017 through 2025. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This generous, almost opulent wine has both concentration and rounded fruits. It’s open already, hinting at wood-aging while concentrating much more on the ripe fruits. Packed with fruit and tannins, it’s densely textured. It will age, of course; don’t start to drink before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA warm and delicious Mouton with light spice, currant, and hints of chocolate. Very subtle and refined. Full to medium body. Seamless tannins that dissolve on the finish. Wonderful length for the vintage. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, and 4% cabernet franc. Salty and delicately fruity. Better in 2020 but beautiful now.James Suckling | 95 JSSuperb depth of colour, black fruits nose with spicy notes, slightly roasted coffee and bitter chocolate on the palate, Mouton’s exotic hints, velvety texture, quite beautifully made. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DECA success in one of the region’s most difficult years, showing tension and energy to the mix of red currant and damson plum fruit, stitched with light anise, violet and bay hints. Has a slightly crunchy feel through the finish, typical for the vintage. Admirable flesh as well.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2021 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2013 Mouton-Rothschild has a conservative, straight-laced, tobacco-stained bouquet, nicely defined but lacking genuine depth. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, balanced with tobacco and red berry fruit, moderate depth with touches of dried herbs lining the finish. I can imagine this becoming approachable within a couple of years and yet the pedigree of the terroir percolates through with aeration. While not a great Mouton-Rothschild by any stretch of the imagination, this is a strong effort in a difficult vintage.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThe 2013 Mouton Rothschild is delicate, pretty and nicely lifted throughout, with a Pinot-like purity to its fruit. A distinctly lithe Mouton, the 2013 should offer fine drinking over the next two decades, or so although it is certainly not a blockbuster. Bright red cherry, raspberry rose petal and blood orange are some of the signatures. Seventeen millimeters of rain at the end of the season caused an outbreak of rot and resulted in a compact harvest between September 30 and October 9. Because of the wine’s mid-weight structure, Philippe Dhalluin brought the new oak down to about 80%. The 2013 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This is the second vintage made in the new cellar. More importantly, the 2013 is far more impressive from bottle than it was from barrel. Approximately 45% of the crop was used for the Grand Vin.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

With 83% Sémillon in the blend, this wine has weight as well as richness. At the same time, it has a crisp edge, a smoky character from wood aging and the fine balance between citrus and more exotic fruits. It is a wine to age for many years. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe typicity of La Mission is really here. Aromas of iodine, oyster shell, currants and orange peel are evident. Full-bodied, tight and tannic with a muscular and toned texture that holds the wine down at the moment, but it’s waiting to release its joy and true nature. Fine-grained. Give it until 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion has a sophisticated, very detailed bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and graphite. This is very focused and yet at the same time quite controlled and discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, cedar and touches of allspice. I love the depth of this wine and the gentle grip towards the finish. It knows not to push too hard in this growing season and that results in a very classy wine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMFresh attack, dominated by late summer fruits, perfectly ripe. Floating gossamer structure, the tannins are deceptively fine and tight; blackberry and raspberry fruit firmly in check. A lovely wine, medium to long term potential for pleasure. 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château La Mission Haut Brion is slightly more elegant and pretty compared to the richer, slightly more masculine Haut Brion. A blend of 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, it shows a kiss of red fruits in its core of darker currants, smoke tobacco, scorched earth, vanilla bean, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, fine tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a downright classy La Mission that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October and raised in 55% new oak. It has retained that engagingly fresh and vibrant bouquet, the bashful nature that it showed in barrel replaced by a more outgoing personality. This is an exquisite bouquet with pure black fruit, cold stone, a touch of black olive and later a suggestion of boysenberry preserve. The palate is still structured and considering that a majority is Merlot, quite masculine. There remains some new oak to be fully assimilated, although there is clearly the fruit to soak that up. It comes more alive on the second half with a lovely spiciness and impressive persistence. It will have more to give down the line and the strictness implies that this La Mission Haut Brion should be afforded a decade in the cellar before it will show what it can do.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMFleshy and very compact, with layers of dark fig, black currant paste and blackberry reduction still sorting themselves out. Sports a serious spine of tar while a well-roasted apple wood element forms the backdrop on the dense finish. The range and density set this apart. Should be rather long-lived for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The aromas of stones, oyster shell, blackcurrants and mushrooms are very intense. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with lots of blackberries. Great finish. Super energy and depth. Try in 2022. Fascinating.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a major wine. It has enormous tension, structure and a core of dark tannins. Amid all this, the wine is also packed with fruit and concentrated blackberry and black-plum flavors. It will age slowly and steadily with its enormous structure and concentration. Drink this wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Lafite-Rothschild, tasted with head winemaker Eric Kohler, has retained that very opulent and outgoing bouquet that dare I say actually reminded me of Mouton-Rothschild. There are layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, still that hint of juniper berry, certainly a more extrovert Lafite-Rothschild compared to recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, very focused and quite linear, again with plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. It begins to clam up towards the saline finish, suggesting that it will need several years in bottle, but I still have high expectations for this First Growth once afforded several years in bottle.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThe 2014 Lafite-Rothschild has an incredibly fruit-driven bouquet with layers of black cherries, cassis, raspberry preserve and menthol aromas all beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet core of intense red berry fruit laced with white pepper, sage and a hint of fennel. The balance here is exquisite and the manner in which it fans out on the final third is just glorious. You could actually broach this now, it is so drinkable, but it has the substance to suggest long-term ageing. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMReserved for now, but the core of cassis, bitter plum and raspberry coulis flavors is pure and energetic, while extra black tea, iron and singed alder notes fill in steadily through the finish. This has a very focused, streamlined feel overall, yet there’s serious depth for the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLovely floral nose and almost understated compared to Mouton – just a line of clarity and fruit purity that doesn’t need description. Fine tannins and wild violet lift over a firm, textured depth of fruit. Perfect harmony. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DEC

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

Glorious aromatics with currants, flowers, stones and light mushrooms. Medium to full body and fine tannins that are long and polished. Super linear, structured and long. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal expanding scents of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries with suggestions of wood smoke, fragrant earth, cast-iron pan and charcuterie plus a faint waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, the earthy/savory palate has loads of lively black fruit with a refreshing line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2014 Forts de Latour has turned out beautifully. Pliant, supple and open-knit, the wine is super-expressive, even at this early stage. There is lovely depth to the dark red cherry, plum and leather nuances, all in the vivid, articulate style that is found in the best 2014s. Best of all, the 2014 Forts de Latour will drink well with minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe second wine of the estate is the 2014 Les Forts De Latour and this beauty is better than most estate grand vin. Made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, this straight up classic Pauillac is loaded with notions of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, roasted coffee, graphite, and Asian spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and layered, it’s a seriously good wine that’s going to continue drinking beautifully for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDHighly enjoyable, has gorgeous elegance and freshness, and is showing better right now than the 2015 Pauillac de Latour. Extremely fresh, hedgerow and cassis bud backed up by richer seams of liquorice and blackberry. Not yet ready but you can see that with a stiff wind and a good carafe, you could get there in the next few years. Tight black spice uncurls to show carefully-delivered smoked cedar on the finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECPacked with the fruit of the vintage, this wine is bright and crisp. Its acidity and pure black-currant flavors are delicious, juicy, the tannins now sitting easily in the background. The wine, which comes from a specific parcel, is developing well and will be released after 2020. It should be drunk from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEOffers a core of pure cassis and blackberry fruit, with mouthwatering streaks of graphite and anise. Racy-edged, featuring ample grip buried through the finish. Reveals a violet echo for good measure. Textbook. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,022 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

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

A wine evincing true enlightenment. It’s floral on the nose and also shows blackberries, stones, minerals and cedar. Full-bodied, yet its so fine-grained and tight. So, so long. It builds like a waterfall on the finish. The tannins are powerful yet superbly integrated and harmonious. Needs four to five years in bottle. Drink in 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThis has lush, fleshy layers of blackberry, fig and black currant confiture rumbling through, pushed by notes of charcoal and warm tobacco leaf. Ganache hints fill in on the finish. Bass-driven, with a serious knot of tannins that have yet to stretch out, but the core of fruit is way too serious to doubt. Best from 2020 through 2035. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Petrus, Pomerol, Red) Former winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet likens the growing season to 1978. But 60hl/ha then; 30hl/ha today. Classical and fine with the Merlot providing a Cabernet-like presentation of tannin. Very natural and unforced. Lovely texture and fruit. Persistent finish.Decanter | 95 DECThe wine is a velvet glove in an iron fist. The smooth surface of ripe fruits and rich blackberry flavors, masks the dense tannins that will allow this very great wine to age for many, many years. The acidity and the rich fruit combine with the fine dusty tannins. The wine will surely not be ready to drink before 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2014 Petrus was tasted on the same morning as the 2014 Vieux-Château-Certan and though they are built from different blends, their personalities are quite similar. This is a succinct, not powerful, much more refined and discrete bouquet, gradually unfurling and revealing a subtle sea spray/marine element. The palate is again quite discrete at first and unfolds at a glacial pace. It is beautifully balanced with fine tannin, quite linear and structured, gently building towards a finish that has wonderful salinity (continuing that marine theme). Note: I actually returned to taste this several hours later, because it was so closed earlier on and it did finally open, which is atypical for this Pomerol. It is a wonderful Petrus, but one that will deserve bottle age and decanting.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMThe 2014 Petrus has a bouquet that storms from the glass with exotic red cherries, blood orange, strawberry tart and cedar scents, only calming down after several minutes. Rich and opulent – although they are not facets of a truly great Petrus to me. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet core of candied red fruit, fine structure, a 2014 that is letting it all hang out so soon after bottling, which causes me some concern in terms of what it has left in reserve for long-term ageing and evolution. It just does not deliver a knockout blow on the slightly brittle finish, completing a very good Pomerol but in my opinion, it is not the greatest Petrus in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Aromas of iron, rust and hot stones with currants and dark berries follow through to a full body, firm and ultra-silky tannins and a long and polished finish. Racy and driven. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSComposed of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.9% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Les Forts de Latour needs a fair bit of air to unlock a profound, powerhouse nose of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberries, plum preserves and dark chocolate, with suggestions of Chinese five spice, clove oil, violets and crushed rocks. The palate packs an absolute flavor wallop, bursting with rich, ripe black fruits and loads of spicy sparks, while framed by beautifully plush tannins, finishing long and minerally. Not at all heavy, on the contrary, the Les Forts is both expansive AND tantalizingly refreshing. In terms of evolution, it has barely budged since I last tasted it in 2017. While it’s drinking very well right now, it easily has a good 20 years of cellaring ahead, maybe more. Impressive.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2015 Les Forts de Latour is silky, perfumed and wonderfully nuanced from the very first taste. Crushed red berry, cedar, tobacco, mint and blood orange lend striking aromatic nuance. Ample and resonant in feel, yet with mid-weight structure, the 2015 is a total pleasure to taste today. All of the natural radiance of the warm year comes through in the wine’s generous, inviting personality. Drink it over the next 15 years or so.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe true second wine of the estate is the 2015 Les Forts De Latour and it’s slightly more Cabernet dominated with 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot, and then less than one percent each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This ripe, sunny vintage delivered loads of terrific wines and the 2015 reveals a vivid purple/opaque color as well as fabulous cassis and jammy currant fruits intermixed with lots of cedarwood, leafy herbs, earth, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and nicely structured, it has a wealth of fruit, building yet sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a stunning Les Forts de Latour that can be drunk today or cellared for 20-25 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the nose you get a full array of floral aromatics, and a gorgeous exuberance. The gourmet edge that is never far away from the surface in the 2015 vintage is very much in play, along with touches of truffle, cigar box and an earthy openness even at six years old. A smoked caramel note comes in on the end, as does a hit of mouthwatering salinity. It’s not as intense as Forts in vintages like 2010 or 2016 but it has an ease to it that is hugely appealing, and can be drunk from now and for at least another 15 years. 0.5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend (the last vintage to contain even a slice of this grape, as it has now been pulled up). 40% of overall production. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 94 DECThere is a velvet touch to this smooth, rounded wine. With some dark tannins as well as blackberry fruits, it is rich with some concentration. At the same time, the acidity shoots through the wine to give a really fruity after taste.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery pure and focused, with black currant and black cherry fruit flavors showing lovely freshness, while light graphite, singed black tea leaf and violet hints check in through the silky finish. Best from 2019 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The grand vin is the 2015 Château Margaux and it’s as good a wine as I’ve ever tasted. Coming from just over one-third of the total production and a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot, brought up in 100% new French oak, its deep ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, toasted spice, hints of toasty oak, and cedar wood. Incredibly elegant and finesse-driven, yet packed with fruit, depth, richness, and structure, it has as much class as you can fit inside a glass. While the vintage provides plenty of upfront charm, this is a wine to cellar for at least a decade, and enjoy over the following 40+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDChâteau Margaux’s grand vin accounts for 35% of production in this vintage. It stood out as a potential wine of the vintage during en primeur and it is more than living up to its promise. The concentration is stunning, with a fruit structure that is darker, tighter and more insistent than Pavillon. It’s so fresh, there is an opulence here, a dense silkiness to the tannins that is fleshed out across the palate, building to a big finish with menthol freshness. This is classically-styled Margaux with aromatic acrobatics and tannins so fine that the stitching is seamless and perfectly pulled together. Even though extremely ripe, there is freshness too - the acidity measures 3.6pH. The 100% new oak is barely perceptible even now, fresh out of the cask. One to savour over the long term. Bottled in August 2017.Drinking Window 2027 - 2045.Decanter | 100 DECPredominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine shows a wonderful black-currant purity on the palate, along with intense, vibrant acidity. The background is all tannin, which speaks to its aging potential. This wine is the last vintage produced by Paul Pontallier, who was general manager from 1990 until his death in 2016. It’s a memorable wine and one for aging. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThis is a haunting young wine that shows you a subtle and hidden strength on the nose with rose petals, currants, currant leaves, stones and plums. Wonderful ripeness yet brightness, too. Takes your breath away with the intensity and structure. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular, yet there’s an agile undertone to the whole thing. Compact and condensed. A new legend for Margaux. The 1961 that didn’t happen. Try in 2024.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2015 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Medium garnet-purple colored, the nose features oh-so-seductive notes of warm blackberries, cassis and black forest cake with touches of forest floor, sandalwood, anise and cigar boxes plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers taut, muscular, densely packed black fruits and exotic spice flavor layers supported by a very firm backbone of grainy tannins with oodles of freshness and a long, savory finish. It is tightly knit and a little reticent at this very youthful stage; afford it at least 15 years in the cellar, and it will open out into a classic Chateau Margaux of incredible proportions. Readers may be interested to know that this wine is beautifully packaged in a special commemorative bottle honoring winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the message, “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” at the bottom. This 2015 is an achingly beautiful swan song from an incredibly gifted winemaker, taken from us too soon. In my view, this alone makes this vintage more than worth the investment for the many lovers of history in a bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPSublime, with captivating sandalwood, black tea and mesquite aromas that infuse the core of gently steeped red and black currant and raspberry fruit. The structure is seamless and thoroughly embedded throughout, letting warm tar, lilac, juniper and iron notes display themselves at will through the finish. The finish is about as long as it gets, with echoes of fruit and warm earth that should prove haunting when this reaches full maturity. Best from 2030 through 2050. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe 2015 Château Margaux has a beautifully defined bouquet of intense black fruit laced with graphite and mint; light rose petal aromas develop with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a crisp line of acidity. Not a powerful 2015 but so elegant, displaying wonderful detail on the cedar-tinged finish. This is a lovely Château Margaux, although I feel it has lost a little panache in the last few months, indicating that perhaps it is beginning to close down. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97+ VM