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Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a little reticent to begin, slowly giving way to notions of warm black cherries, blackcurrant cordial, stewed plums and sautéed herbs with hints of damp soil, tobacco and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound black fruit and earthy layers, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness making for a long, lively finish. Classic!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPRoederer Estates had owned Pichon Comtesse for three years prior to the 2009 vintage, having taken over in 2006, with Gildas d’Ollone as managing director and Thomas Do-Chi-Nam as technical director. Together, they created a stunning, lyrical 2009 that just begs to be savoured. It’s ripe and intense, rippling with juicy blackberry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of violet on the nose. A beautifully balanced wine. Drinking Window 2021 - 2046Decanter | 97 DECWhat a great nose of blackberries, currants and spices. Hints of fresh herbs. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and lovely fruit. Such finesse and beauty. Wonderful to taste. Reminds me of the legendary 1982. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSA seductive wine, deliciously ripe with the softest, juiciest fruit over smoky new wood. The wine shows intense fruit as well as a soft Merlot core. The tannins are beautifully integrated in this ripely sweet wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2009 Pichon-Lalande offers copious scents of boysenberry, cassis and blue fruit on the nose, a little smudged compared to the Pichon Baron but very pure. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very rounded in the mouth thanks to the precocious Merlot content, sage and orange rind developing towards the caressing finish. A very sensual Pichon-Lalande, tempting. A great wine although the 2010 has the upper hand. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe ripe red currant, blackberry and boysenberry fruit is layered with black licorice snap, fruitcake and plum sauce notes. Has the fleshier edge of the vintage but retains a solidly racy graphite spine through the finish. A step behind the ’10 in density and energy, though hardly a slouch.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Best from 2018 through 2035. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Pichon-Lalande) The 2009 Pichon Lalande is cut from the same slinky, sumptuous cloth as the 2009 Lafite-Rothschild, which should not be surprising, as this is a style that was mastered at Pichon Lalande as far back as the 1982. The nose is deep, complex and quite ripe, as it offers up scents of dark berries, espresso, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, fresh herbs and plenty of smoky, nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very plush and velvety on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, excellent length and focus and a ripely tannic and decidedly low acid finish. I cannot think of any previous vintage of Pichon Lalande that shared the 2009’s combination of substantial tannins and extremely low acids- it will be very interesting to see how this wine evolves over time. My score may be just a tad conservative, but I do not have any experience with how a wine structured like this will evolve with extended bottle age. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

A consistently perfect wine every time I’ve had it, the 2009 Château Pontet-Canet is the greatest wine from this address to date as well as one of the greatest Pauillacs out there. Still youthfully ruby/purple and with a gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, lead pencil, graphite, crushed rocks, and damp earth, it’s still youthful but is just now starting to show more nuance and complexity. Full-bodied on the palate, with a powerful, concentrated mid-palate, incredible depth of fruit, and flawless balance, Bordeaux simply does not get any better. You couldn’t have too much of this in the cellar, and this magical wine is going to drink brilliantly for another 50 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAn amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically – a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries. A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. The tannins are elevated, but they are sweet and beautifully integrated as are the acidity, wood and alcohol (which must be in excess of 14%). This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009. This cuvee should shut down in the cellar and re-open in a decade or more. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2075.Robert Parker | 100 RPA superb wine, with the purest fruit, great freshness and ripeness. It is certainly structured with dry tannins, but the blackcurrant freshness is all there. The wine has a great limpid, flowing feel, lbut also power.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEStunning aromas of fresh flowers, with blueberries, blackberries and currants that follow through to a full body, with super balance and finesse. The tannins are super polished. Such class here. Best ever from here. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is amazingly expressive now considering how huge it is, with stunning espresso and warm fig confiture aromas followed by lush layer after layer of blackberry paste, cassis and plum sauce. A terrific loam underpinning strides in on the finish, which is weighty but sports serious cut. Equal parts fruit and earth. Best from 2018 through 2038. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSumptuous black-fruits nose, vividly aromatic, as well as minty, stylish, and toasty. Very rich, broad, full-bodied and generous, with very ripe tannins and a lot fo spice. Perhaps slightly lower acidity than usual but has punch and persistence all the same. Approachable, just, but will benefit from more age. Good length with a chewy but not astringent finish. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035Decanter | 95 DECThe 2009 Pontet-Canet needs more encouragement from the glass than its peers, but it rewards the imbiber with seductive pure cassis and blackberry fruit, touches of autumn leaves and pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannin, a lovely bead of acidity. A harmonious, brown spice and smoke tinged finish fans out with confidence. You could open this now but it still has two more decades of drinking pleasure to give. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers, licorice, charcoal, blueberries, black raspberries, lead pencil shavings and incense. This massive, extraordinarily rich, unctuously textured wine may be the most concentrated effort produced to date, although the 2000, 2005 and 2010 are nearly as prodigious. A gorgeous expression of Pessac-Leognan with sweet tannin, emerging charm and delicacy, and considerable power, depth, richness and authority, it should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 100 RPI think the greatest Smith Haut Lafitte to date (possibly matched by the 2018), the 2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte tastes like it did on release, offering a smorgasbord of Graves magic in its smoked blackcurrants, chocolate, cold fireplace, truffle, unsmoked tobacco, and Asian spices. While this is a big, rich, incredibly concentrated Graves, it nevertheless maintains a beautiful level of nuance and elegance, with silky tannins, a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, and a heavenly finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. As with all truly great wines, it delivers an incredible amount of pleasure, both hedonistic and intellectual, all while staying weightless, graceful, and elegant. Hats off to the Cathiard family and winemaker Fabien Teitgen for this legendary Graves!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAromas of flowers, dried citrus fruit and blueberries follow through to a full body, with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Gorgeous fruit and structure. Polished and powerful. Best red ever from Smith. Best in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is really loaded, with crushed plum, blueberry, cassis, fig and blackberry paste flavors all melded together, along with notes of tar, pastis and violet. Very long and dark, but polished and pure, with terrific fruit offset by a great tug of earth on the finish. Should cruise easily in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2035. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSAs with many 2009 clarets, this is much more flamboyant than its 2010 sibling and provides a completely different flavour profile. Here the fruit is more ripe cherry with spice, cocoa and mocha. Sumptuously rich and voluptuous, this low acid wine has fine, silky, fluid tannins. This has power and personality in abundance and is almost entering its drinking window. However, the best is still yet to come.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2009 Smith Haut-Lafitte has a very perfumed, quite floral bouquet with violets permeating the black and red fruit, hints of game and leather developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. Touches of brown spice filter through the red fruit and towards a fleshy and lightly peppered finish. This is a classy Pessac-Léognan from the Cathiard’s...though, the 2016 is better! Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery dense and firm, this has powerful tannins as well as a blackberry jam flavor. The wine is complex, full of both dark tannins and the richest fruits, layered with notes of herb, spice and a concentrated structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Pure perfection in a glass, the incredible 2009 Troplong Mondot offers off the chart notes of blackcurrants, licorice, truffles and saddle leather that just soar from the glass. This is a big, ripe, incredibly sexy wine that hits the palate with a huge texture, building, ripe tannin, no weight, and a finish that just won’t quit. Utterly brilliant stuff, it’s slightly more approachable than the 2005, but both of these vintages play in the same style. Drink bottles anytime over the coming two to three decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIt boasts an inky/purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of mocha, chocolate, blackberry and cassis fruit, an unctuous texture, a full-bodied, viscous mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like, multilayered finish. This spectacular wine is nearly overwhelming in its richness, thickness and intensity. Once all its baby fat falls away, the terroir characteristics and additional nuances will emerge. This blockbuster, fabulous Troplong Mondot will benefit from 10-15 years of cellaring and keep for three decades or more. It is not shy either, bouncing over the palate with 15.5% natural alcohol.The 2009 Troplong Mondot will provide plenty of competition for the 2010, 2005 and 2000. It comes closest in style to the prodigious 1990 that proprietress Christine Valette produced 22 years ago. A phenomenal effort, it unquestionably justifies its relatively new Premier Grand Cru St.-Emilion status. Readers should keep in mind that the 1990, which probably has lower acidity and not the level of concentration found in the 2009, is drinking incredibly well at age 22 and reveals no signs of falling apart.Robert Parker | 99 RPA very concentrated wine with such a stylish feel. It balances ripe berry fruits with chocolate and wood flavors in the richest, ripest combination. The wine has power, without losing its poised character. It’s ready for long aging.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAlthough this is very ripe and rich with a generous body and a slew of black fruit aromas it’s also elegant and poised. The bitter chocolate character is more restrained than in many modern-style Right Bank wines of this period and there’s a lovely balance of lively acidity with fine dry tannins at the complex finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 96 JSVery dark, with strong pastis-soaked blackberry and roasted plum notes leading the way, with layers of sweet spice, mocha and tobacco filling in on the finish. Rather lush and perhaps a touch too roasted in style for some folks, with enough just grip to keep it going. Best from 2013 through 2024. 6,288 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThese were the St-Emilion excess years and you see it here, with kirsch flamboyance on the nose from the off. You hover around before tasting, not quite sure of how close to get. There’s gloss to the palate, with high-toned silky fruits that are not balanced perfectly with the heat running through the palate. I remember this at En primeur, and it hasn’t calmed down enough over the last 10 years. It’s got all the stuffing to impress, but you need to be looking for a very specific style. Lovers of subtlety should look elsewhere. Drinking Window 2021 - 2046Decanter | 91 DECThe 2009 Troplong-Mondot has a completely over the top, gregarious and raisin-like bouquet that frankly comes as no surprise given the philosophy of the estate at this time. The palate is sweet on the entry with candied black cherries, cassis and cough candy, unlike Bordeaux in some ways with a rather cloying and alcoholic finish. Now it seems like an anachronism. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A vintage that just no question suits the soils of St-Julien. This is yet again showcasing the best of this property, with well placed juicy tannins and overall clear balance. Elegant and concentrated without straying into overpowering. Black fruits, stones, earth and spice. Will age for decades but it so drinkable already. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2010 Branaire-Ducru has a lovely mélange of red and black fruit, hints of dried blood and autumn leaves suggesting that this is moving into its secondary phase. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, good body and a fresh marine-tinged finish that is an absolute joy. There is an abiding symmetry about this wine and it is in for the long-haul. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis rich, full wine shows the chateau to be at the top of its form. It’s finely balanced, pushing both its fruit and acidity, with the tannins taking the supporting role. With its power leashed, this shows the stylish side of Saint-Julien, although it will certainly age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA layered young red with lots of black olives and berries on the nose. Full body, with velvety and chewy tannins. It all comes together at the end with a lovely sweet fruit. Try after 2017.James Suckling | 94 JSThis wine is more backward than I would have normally expected, but nevertheless, it is very impressive. The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied , with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent than I remember from barrel, but they are sweet and ripe (as opposed to astringent and bitter). This beautiful wine needs 4-6 years of cellaring and should keep 25-30 years.Producer Patrick Maroteaux continues to fine-tune and turn out a succession of brilliant wines from this chateau, which sits across the famous Medoc Route du Vin from Beychevelle.Robert Parker | 94 RPVery polished and stylish, with a velvety feel to the layers of crushed plum, currant and blackberry, while bittersweet cocoa and black licorice glide in on the gorgeous, black tea-infused finish. Features a lovely allure rather than raw power, making this possibly the prettiest St.-Julien of the vintage. There’s plenty in the tank for cellaring as well. Best from 2014 through 2030. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Branaire-Ducru) The 2010 Branaire-Ducru has turned out very well indeed in this vintage, but this is an estate that has often done quite well in riper years like 1982 and 1989. The nose is deep, impressively pure and sappy, as it offers up scents of blackberries, black cherries, cigar smoke, soil, espresso and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, tight and ripely tannic, with a fine core of fruit, very good balance and a long, poised and reserved finish. This will need the better part of a decade to soften and start to drink well (in notable contrast to ripe vintages such as 1989, where Branaire-Ducru was irresistible out of the blocks), but this should be a very good example of 2010, once it has had sufficient time in the cellar. (Drink between 2020-2060).John Gilman | 91+ JG

Bizarre as it may sound, the 2010 Les Forts de Latour is also the finest I have ever tasted from this selection, which comes from specific vineyards, not really so much a second wine as just another wine from estate holdings. A blend of 72.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27.5% Merlot that represents 40% of the production, this astonishing wine hit 14.3% natural alcohol. Extremely ripe and rich, it reminds me of the 1982 on steroids (and that wine is still drinking great 30 years after the vintage). Sensational notes of graphite, crushed rocks, black fruits, camphor and damp forest notes are present in this expansive, savory, full-throttle wine, which is better than many vintages of the great Latour itself from the past. (That may be a heretical statement, but it’s the truth as I see it.) This wine needs a good 5-6 years of cellaring and should age for three decades at minimum, given the fact that the 1982 is in terrific form and wasn’t this concentrated or prodigious.Robert Parker | 97 RPAromas of currants, blueberries and blackberries with a dark chocolate undertone. Perfumes and beautiful. Full body, with velvety tannins that are fine-tuned and tentative. It lasts for minutes. Gorgeous fruit and richness. Perhaps the greatest Les Fort ever? Try in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2010 Les Forts de Latour puts the Carruades de Lafite in the shade with its fabulous and disarmingly pure black fruit laced with tobacco and smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and an unerring and inspiring sense of symmetry towards the finish. This is a Deuxième Vin with a surfeit of pedigree and frankly puts some of the Grand Vins in the shade. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMA solid, briary, grippy, tarry Pauillac, with a sappy edge to the kirsch, blackberry, plum skin and steeped fig notes, liberally laced with anise and tar. Shows good energy through the finish, with a cassis bush note echoing. Best from 2017 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSPowerful, yet beautiful and smoothly structured. It has ripe, rich fruits, spice and sweet acidity. As a contrast, there is a dense core of tannins where the wine shows some severity and youth.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Forts de Latour) The 2010 Forts de Latour is a deep and very powerful example of the vintage, with its 14.3 percent alcohol translating into some serious muscle, rather than overtly overripe aromatics of flavors. The deep and concentrated nose offers up scents of black cherries, cassis, espresso, cigar wrapper, gravelly soil tones, plenty of cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, broad-shouldered and rock solid at the core, with plenty of firm, substantial tannins, notable acidity and superb length and grip on the powerful finish. This is a very well-made wine, but the slightly blunter style of the 2010 in comparison to the 2009 is quite apparent, and while in terms of sheer quality, the two vintages may be equivalent, I have a strong preference stylistically for the more precise and minerally 2009 Forts de Latour. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 91 JGPretty high aromatics on the first nose, peony and violet edging, extremely accomplished on the palate, although acidity is a little higher than in others in the appellation. Gives a sense of grip and tension, a fairly dramatic Forts de Latour. It settles, and this is a wine that is packed with layers, extremely complex, hard to pick apart the competing forces of fruit, spice, earth. Drinking Window 2020 - 2037Decanter | 91 DEC

This is considered to be among the greatest vintages ever made in Montrose, right up with the 1929, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1989, 1990 and 2009. Harvest was October 15 to 17. The wine has really come on since I last tasted it, and it needs at least another 10 years of cellaring. The blend was 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine is opaque black/blue, with an incredible nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, with hints of incense, licorice, and acacia flowers. Tannins are incredibly sweet and very present. The wine is full-bodied, even massive, with great purity, depth and a finish that goes on close to a minute. This is a 50- to 75-year-old wine that will repay handsomely those with good aging genes. (Note: The Chateau Montrose website gives an aging potential of 2020-2100.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Montrose is insanely beautiful. A vivid, eternal wine, the 2010 dazzles right out of the gate with its explosive energy. Soaring floral and mineral notes are immediately captivating on the bouquet. All that carries through to the palate, where the wine is dense and expansive. Readers lucky enough to own it should be thrilled. This really benefits from aeration. What a wine! Vinous Media | 100 VMFabulous inky rich depths to the colour here, and right off the nose you feel it enticing you in. Spice is evident, as are the ripples of muscles and walls. This is in the Lynch Bages school of not being ready yet, the tannins are still fully standing to attention. Fruit is dark, tight, hiding its fleshier side for now, and it is extremely clear that this is a vintage with ambition and no intention of going anywhere for many decades. A great wine, needs to be opened for five to six hours if drinking soon, but my suggestion would be to put it away for another three or four years at least. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECRock solid, displaying a dense core of plum, steeped currant and braised fig fruit, with racy charcoal and ganache notes. Intensely chalky, offering flesh and refinement to match the bracing minerality, this shows hints of grilled savory, iron, warm paving stone and bitter orange on the riveting finish. Should age very slowly. Best from 2019 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA perfumed and pure Montrose, with lots of currants, berries and spices that evolve to chocolate and light coffee. Full body, with super racy tannins and bright and clean finish. Very fine and structured. A balance and freshness to it all as well as beautiful form and tension. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is such an elegant wine that has all the structure of the vintage. Surrounding the tannins, the wine is sweet and ripe, with smokiness from the wood. It’s powerful, elegant and sophisticated with a strong sense of poise. The tannins promise long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Montrose) The 2010 Montrose is another very, very good example of the vintage, but I suspect it will always have to live in the long shadow of the 2008 and 2009 wines from this estate. The wine is probably a tad riper than the 2009, as it weighs in at 13.6 percent, and at this very early date, it seems to have lost just a touch of focus and delineation at this slightly higher octane level. The bouquet is certainly deep and impressively complex out of the blocks, as it offers up scents of sweet cassis, dark berries, Cuban cigar ash, espresso, gravel, lead pencil and a bit of singed earth. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and truly massive in shape, with impeccable balance, a superb core, very substantial, but well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the powerful finish. There is a fine spine of minerality in the 2010 Montrose that promises very fine evolution on into the future, but the ripeness here seems to have taken just a touch of backend lift away from the wine in this vintage. It is a very good wine, and it may prove that after it has fifteen or twenty years of bottle age on it, I will have underrated it a bit. But at this stage, as good as the 2010 Montrose is, I would rather own the superb 2008 or 2009 vintages from this great estate. (Drink between 2027-2100)John Gilman | 93+ JG

An eternal wine, the 2010 Pichon Lalande is a total showstopper. The first impression is one of explosive power, but time in the glass brings out the wine’s more delicate, floral side. Violet, graphite, crème de cassis, licorice and menthol overtones recall the 1996, but the tannins here are much softer, sweeter and more polished. In two recent tastings, the 2010 has been positively stellar. The alternation of hot days and cool nights led to a late harvest. The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest did not start until October 7; by that date in 2009 all the fruit was in. Readers who can still find the 2010 should not hesitate, as it is a modern-day classic. That’s all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGBrilliant – double decant and wait an hour so the wine can better express its sensual aromas of faded rose, cassis, homemade strawberry jam, graphite and iodine freshness. The palate is enveloped in cashmere-like refinement, leading to a long finish with sea air and floral freshness. Best to hang on another five years for a proper drinking window, but if you insist, try it now with filet mignon. Drinking Window 2021 - 2055.Decanter | 98 DECWith signs of new wood on the palate, this is a wine that maintains the polished feel of the wines from Pichon Lalande. It has a stronger presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than in the past, making it more structured than its predecessors, with a dominance of black currant flavor. It shows the soft side of the vintage, but is also meant for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Pichon Lalande is performing extremely well and at the top of the range I predicted several years ago. A final blend dominated much more by Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot), the wine is a tighter, more tannic and structured version of this famed Pauillac, which often tends to have more of a St-Julien-like personality than most Pauillacs. Structured, backward and tannic, yet showing a fat mid-palate that is more savory, broader and more expansive than I remember from barrel, this wine is somewhat reminiscent of the 1986, given the Cabernet Sauvignon domination of the blend. Full-bodied, impressively endowed, and less sexy and velvety than normal, this is a somewhat different style of Pichon Lalande than most readers have been used to. Whether you like it more or less will depend on your point of view, but this wine, unlike most Pichon Lalandes, needs a good 5-7 years of cellaring and should keep for 30+ years.Robert Parker | 95+ RPRock-solid, with a classic Pauillac profile of cassis, iron and graphite. Layers of blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit cover the grip for now, but there’s serious muscle for the longer haul, revealing a lingering pastis hint.--Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2010 is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that was raised in (I’m assuming) a good bit of new oak, although you wouldn’t know this by tasting it. Revealing a still youthful ruby/plum hue with just a touch of lightening at the edge, it has a Saint-Julien-like perfume of darker currants, tobacco, earth, sous bois, and flowers, without that classic cedar and lead pencil character of most Pauillacs. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a wonderfully focused, seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It’s still relatively closed and reticent, so give bottles another 4-5 years if possible.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDThis is a pretty and refined Pichon Lalande. Aromas of blueberries and blackberries with hints of earth and mushrooms. Full body, with velvety tannins and a juicy finish. I slightly prefer the 2009. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Pichon-Lalande) The 2010 Pichon-Lalande is another unequivocal success for the vintage. The classy bouquet is deep, ripe and impressively pure, with a classically reserved blend of cassis, dark berries, espresso, tobacco leaf, gravel and discreet new oak wafting from the glass. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins, good acidity and impressive focus on the long, youthful and beautifully balanced finish. A very, very fine young Pichon-Lalande the strongly recalls the young 1986 at this estate. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 94 JG

The aromas to this are incredible with blueberry, minerals, dried flowers, and stones. It goes to dried meat and spices. Full body and incredibly integrated with blackberry, licorice, and minerals. There’s a wonderful purity to this. It goes on for minutes. The quality of tannins is amazing. Seamless. There’s an amazing transparency that shows you all the elements of the wine’s unique terrior. Try after 2018.James Suckling | 100 JSAn absolutely amazing wine, from grapes harvested between the end of September and October 17, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot has close to 15% natural alcohol. It comes from one of the few biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux, but you are likely to see many more, given the success that Tesseron seems to be having at all levels, both in his vineyards and in his fermentation/winemaking. An astounding, compelling wine with the classic Pauillac nose more often associated with its cross-street neighbor, Mouton-Rothschild, creme de cassis, there are also some violets and other assorted floral notes. The wine has off-the-charts massiveness and intensity but never comes across as heavy, overbearing or astringent. The freshness, laser-like precision, and full-bodied, massive richness and extract are simply remarkable to behold and experience. It is very easy, to become jaded tasting such great wines from a great vintage, but it is really a privilege to taste something as amazing as this. Unfortunately, it needs a good decade of cellaring, and that’s assuming it doesn’t close down over the next few years. This is a 50- to 75-year wine from one of the half-dozen or so most compulsive and obsessive proprietors in all of Bordeaux. Is there anything that proprietor Alfred Tesseron is not doing right? Talk about an estate that is on top of its game! Pontet-Canet’s 2010 is a more structured, tannic and restrained version of their most recent perfect wine, the 2009. Kudos to Pontet-Canet!Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Pontet-Canet lags behind the 2009, but these two vintages can be hard to compare due the drastically different styles. Where the 2009 is broad, expansive, and showy, the 2010 starts our more reserved and classic in style, with beautiful notes of cassis, cedarwood, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, and damp earth all developing with air. Deep, beautifully concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful, it’s built for the long haul and needs 5-7 years of bottle age, but I suspect will see its 50th birthday in still fine drinking form.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDDense, yes, but this is also a handsome wine that balances complex tannins with pure black currant fruits that shine. This biodynamic wine has a generous, full and rich feel, ripe with just a touch of restraint. The greatness of the wine shows in its purity with a deceptive simplicity that hides the final complex tannins and structure.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Château Pontet-Canet, Merlot, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Class in glass. Deep ruby, youthful tone. Such sumptuous red berry, cassis and tobacco aromas. Juicy and full bodied, with smoothly textured tannins. The creamy mid palate texture is framed by an impressive arc of tension and balancing acidity, ensuring long life. Long finish. Super! Aged 50% new oak. (Drink between 2021-2060)Decanter | 97 DECThis is big, broad and powerfully rendered, but remarkably polished and refined at the same time. An enormous core of roasted fig, blackberry and black currant fruit is suavely wrapped with roasted apple wood and sandalwood, while dark espresso, loam and warm paving stone notes drive the finish. Very long, with a great tug of scorched earth at the end. A terrific combination of power and precision. Best from 2020 through 2040. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2010 Pontet-Canet is noticeably deep in colour compared to its peers. This is unusually ripe and sweet on the nose, more red than black fruit, maybe a little jammy and confit-like. I would never guess this was a 2010 Left Bank. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy mouthfeel, plenty of graphite tinged red fruit. Approachable in style and sensually fulfilling, it just lacks a bit of grip and backbone on the finish. I have fonder memories of previous bottles but I could not identify any specific fault. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Tasted the following day from the rest of this vertical, because I couldn’t resist adding another wine, and I had kept this one in my own cellar for the past decade. It was too young to open to be honest, but was just stunning, and kept getting better over the two days following opening. Opulent and luscious, with balsamic, black chocolate and cloves, damson, kirsch and black cherry fruit, and the precision and swirl of campfire, ash and incense that mark out François Mitjavile’s approach. 100% new oak. An exceptional vintage with many great wines, and yet this stands out.Jane Anson | 99 JAWhile I don’t think the 2010 Château Tertre Roteboeuf matches the 2005 (or 2016), it’s a brilliant Saint-Emilion that offers textbook Tertre notes of cassis, spicy wood, graphite, white truffle, sappy tobacco, and earth. Taking lots of air to open up and integrate its ample tannins, this beauty is full-bodied, has a seamless, layered texture, flawless balance, and a rock star of a finish. It’s beautifully done and just now at the early stages of its prime drink window. It needs at least 2-3 hours in a decanter at this stage (and was even better on the second day). It’s going to evolve for another 20-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Le Tertre Roteboeuf reveals notes of leather, cedar and balsamic with a core of raisin cake and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied, the palate is firm and chewy with a lively line cutting through the dried berries and savory layers, finishing just a little warm.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2010 Le Tertre Rôteboeuf has an impressive bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, melted tar on a hot summer day, warm gravel and allspice. This exhibits very fine delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a little toasty towards the finish where the oak seems to obscure the terroir and fruit expression, even after ten years. Hopefully that will be addressed with further cellaring because otherwise this is a fine Right Bank. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSFor whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDDark in profile, featuring a steeped core of fig and blackberry fruit that melds with roasted apple wood and ganache notes through the finish. Shows plenty of muscle, but the refined structure leads to a very long finish, boding well for the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 4,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2014 Clinet is a wine that left me "perplexed" when I tasted it multiple times both from barrel and in bottle. The litmus test is how it shows blind... Here it has a lifted bouquet with truffle and smoke-infused red fruit, a subtle hickory note coming through with aeration. One or two attendees at the tasting suggested brettanomyces. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, spicy in the mouth with a dash of white pepper towards the firm, quite masculine and angular finish. Two bottles tasted with consistent notes. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

I love the nose of blackberries, blueberries, flowers and citrus. Hints of stones and wet earth. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are so long and seamless. Incredible length. A wine that you want to drink now.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a great wine. It has all the elements in place to produce a wine that will last for years: powerful fruit, rich tannins and a structure that is built to last. This is elegant, impressive and concentrated. Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape gives the wine its fruit and its tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA brilliant effort, the 2014 Léoville Las Cases is a tightly wound classic that will delight purists. Mingling aromas of dark berries and cassis with hints of bitter chocolate, sweet spices, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and sweet new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids and a deep, firm mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, the only missing ingredient is time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPReaders will have to be patient with the 2014 Léoville-las-Cases, as it is not likely to show well for a number of years. Tightly wound but also medium-bodied and classic in its construction, the 2014 is going to need quite a bit of time to come together. Léoville-las-Cases is so often a wine of power, but here the refined site of the vintage is very much in evidence. The 2014 is a Las Cases built on finesse.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDensely packed, with cassis, steeped plum and blackberry coulis notes that are compressed with layers of cold charcoal and graphite. Very pure, giving this a long, sleek and racy feel, while an iron underpinning drives the finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFragrant density from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fine, chalky tannins and great purity and depth – severe in the Las Cases style but a wine of great class. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Leoville Las Cases is a terrific blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, and it’s one of the more backward, tight, age-worthy wines in the vintage. Offering sensational purity in its crème de cassis, graphite, licorice and subtle background oak, it hits the palate with a tight, focused, yet impressively concentrated profile that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will shine for three decades. It’s another incredibly classy wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JD

Made in a more flamboyant, lifted style than the 2016, the 2015 Château Beychevelle offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, sexy yet elegant style as well as perfumed notes of black cherries, plums, incense, spices, and dried flowers. Given the sweetness in its tannins as well as its purity of fruit, it can be enjoyed today yet will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis elegant estate, with its views down to the Gironde estuary, has produced an excellent 2015. It is properly firm with tannins although this structure is well balanced with the ripe, stylish black-currant fruits and acidity. A juicy finish bodes well for the future. Drink this generous wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2015 Beychevelle comes across as much more powerful and plush in bottle than it did as a barrel sample. The black cherry, smoke, leather, tobacco, spice and incense notes are all endowed with notable textural depth. Voluptuous but also quite tannic, the 2015 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Readers should expect a powerful, brooding Saint-Julien. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGPerfumed red with so much presence and brightness. Flowers, currants and blueberries. Some citrus. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Very fine and vivid. Better in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Beychevelle is a blend of 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in barrel, 50% of which were new and 50% second fill. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it’s scented of smoked meats, scorched earth, garrigue and new leather with a core of cassis, cherry cordial and plum preserves. The medium-bodied palate is a little firm but delicate, with lovely vibrancy and a bit of grip on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLovely mulled plum and blackberry fruit glides along a cleanly embedded graphite edge, while violet and anise details skirt along the edges. The finish picks up a tasty ganache coating while keeping the energy up. Rock-solid. Best from 2022 through 2040. 20,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis really does expand outwards in the mouth, with an excellent quality of juicy black fruit on display. This has more potential than the 2014 vintage — contrary to many other wines in this part of the Médoc. 4% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Drinking Window 2024 - 2043.Decanter | 93 DEC

From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine’s vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual - well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn’t matter. Don’t miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGSeductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. Best from 2022.James Suckling | 100 JSOne of the wines of the vintage is the 2015 Château Canon which is 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a perfect example of the old saying “iron fist in a velvet glove” and boasts gorgeous notes of black cherries, framboise, spring flowers and exotic spices. All these lead to a full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless 2015 that marries incredible richness and depth with a sense of purity, elegance, and weightlessness that needs to be tasted to believed. This multi-dimensional, seamless 2015 needs forgotten for 4-5 years and will keep for three decades or more. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDA plush, inviting style, with warmed fig and plum sauce notes taking the lead, picking up swaths of cocoa, tobacco and roasted alder along the way. Features plenty of pumping bass, but if you pay attention, there’s a laser of chalky minerality driving the finish. When the baby flesh drops away, this will sail in the cellar for some time. Best from 2022 through 2045. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis estate, now performing on top form, has produced a rich, dense wine. Swathes of black fruits underline the generous structure and intensity. At first taste, the tannins are soft but that turns out to be an illusion. The tannins are just richly cushioned within the beautiful fruit. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEComposed of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels, the 2015 Canon is boldly fruited with blackberry preserves, black cherry compote, fruitcake, mocha and plum preserves with suggestions of Indian spices, licorice and black olives. Full-bodied and packed with ripe, rich dried berries and exotic spice layers, it has a firm, slightly chewy structure and just enough freshness (the pH is 3.78), finishing long and savory. Give it another 2-3 years of cellaring to soften its edges and allow its flavor spectrum to fully emerge, and drink it over the next 20 to 25+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGorgeous blackberry pastilles on a bed of warming mocha, a mouthfilling texture, bold tannins and a vibrant lift of acidity. (Drink between 2024-2041)Decanter | 94 DEC

Lots of cedar, tea-leaf and hazelnut character and ripe fruit aromas. Citrus peel, too. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Smoky undertone. This is structured and so complex. Drink in 2023.James Suckling | 97 JSA straight up smokin’ red from this vintage is the 2015 Château Gazin and it’s a big, powerful, stacked 2015 that’s for those with patience. Made from almost all Merlot (I think it’s 100%), my notes on this beauty start - and end - with “love it.” Cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, forest floor, and tons of minerality all soar from the glass of this sensationally rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied 2015 that has building tannin, a seamless texture, and a blockbuster finish. Forget bottle for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Gazin is scented of baked plums, Christmas cake, mincemeat and plum preserves with hints of chocolate box, coffee, tapenade and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied with mouth-filling baked berries and savory layers, it has firm, chewy tannins and a long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2015 Gazin has a fragrant bouquet of blackberry, briary and truffle; a whiff of bonfire smoke emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite edgy and tensile with a fresh, graphite and tobacco-laced finish that is classic in style. Superb, if missing the same horsepower of 12 months ago. This might well be closing down. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMPlush and warm, with fig, boysenberry and blackberry confiture notes inlaid with light charcoal, black tea and fruitcake hints. The fleshy finish lets the charcoal element lead the way. Best from 2022 through 2032. 6,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm with spicy, generous tannins, this is a wine that is showing both ripe black fruits and wood aging flavors. The wood will temper as the ripe, full black fruits develop. It has good aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE(Château Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Youthful blackcurrants, damsons and berries with cedar, coffee and liquorice notes; compact and well-constructed with a silky texture. (Drink between 2023-2033)Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2015 L’Eglise-Clinet is one of the wines of the vintage. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2015 towers out of the glass with stunning power and richness. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, tobacco and menthol are some of the many notes pulse through this riveting Pomerol. There is plenty of structure, but the tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Hints of lavender, smoke, spice, licorice reappear to round out the finish. L’Eglise-Clinet is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak. More importantly, the 2015 is a total pleasure bomb. This a fabulous wine from Denis Durantou. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe violets, roses and dark fruits are so evident but they entice you in a subtle and fresh way. Full-bodied, dense and tannic, yet everything is so in tune with everything else and there are no hard edges or loose ends. It’s like a whirlpool that draws you down and then shows you its beauty. The harmony and complexity is phenomenal. Try in 2024 but I don’t want to wait.James Suckling | 99 JSComposed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 L’Eglise Clinet comes bursting out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of exotic spices and potpourri over a core of blueberry compote, red currant jelly, spiced black plums and mulberries with touches of unsmoked cigars, powdered cinnamon and licorice. Big, rich and full-bodied, the palate offers exquisite harmony, packed with exotic spice and red and black fruit layers, finishing on an epically long-lasting mineral note. In an understated word: WOW.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis delivers a fresh, enticing beam of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry coulis flavors that stretch out admirably while light anise, singed apple wood and fruitcake notes check in. Picks up some sneaky grip and a pretty mineral twinge through the finish. Rather elegant overall considering how much is here. Best from 2020 through 2035. 1,510 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe second wine of Eglise Clinet, the 2015 La Petite Eglise is a pretty, elegant, even Burgundian, 2015 that opens up beautifully with time in the glass, Ripe red currants, cherries, sandalwood, cedary spice, and dried floral notes all emerge from this medium-bodied 2015 that has fine tannin and a great finish. It’s certainly not a blockbuster but excels on its finesse and elegance. Drink it anytime over the coming decade. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste the top cuvee from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Intensity and clarity of fruit is so insane. Blackberries, spices such as cloves, blueberries, sandalwood and dried lavender. Full body and such a beautiful, dense center palate with perfectly polished tannins. Extremely long and beautiful. One of the best young Montroses in a long, long time. Drink in 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThis sumptuous, powerful wine has a great sense of structure and tannins. It is also overwhelmingly dense with black fruits and swathes of rich black currants. In this vintage, even more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the blend has given a ripe wine set for a far-distant future. Drink from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Montrose opens with broody black fruits, menthol and anise notes with a core of cassis, blueberries and mulberries plus a touch of cedar chest. The medium-bodied mouth is firm and chewy with a good core of muscular fruit and a long, earthy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2015 Montrose has a very intense bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, iodine and violet scents that blossom in the glass, demonstrating more exuberance than (what transpired to be) the 2015 Meyney. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well judged acidity, taut and linear with satisfying freshness and poise on the finish. Maybe this just has the edge over the Meyney. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMAnother wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Montrose is a certainly the wine of Saint-Estèphe in 2015. Notes of cassis, damp earth, violets, and graphite/lead pencil notes all flow to a beautifully pure, elegant and multi-dimensional 2015 that has fine, polished tannin, perfect balance, and a great finish. The 2015 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, all of which was brought up in 65% new oak. This isn’t a blockbuster yet is pure class all the way. It will be better in 4-5 years and keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Red) An imposing wine which shows the excellence of the winemaking and terroir, but it’s not as deft or effortless as the 2016. Montrose is often austere in its youth, and the well-knitted black fruits wound with tight strands of liquorice are clearly capable of long ageing. There is something extremely special here, although the tannins are very much closed up right now. The smallest selection for the grand vin for 15 years. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 93 DECFleshy for the vintage, with good plum and dark currant fruit lined with ample tobacco, warm paving stone, bay leaf and alder notes on the slightly dusty finish. Not a charmer, but this is integrated and shows range and depth for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2016 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPIn my last sighted review of the 2016 Cos d’Estournel, I wrote: "I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth." Perhaps it is already beginning to shut down, because though this wine was deeply impressive, it fell just a notch short of ethereal previous bottles, despite its "pixelated black fruit" on the nose and "sublime balance" on the palate. I tasted the wine twice thereafter, though this time with a 4-6 hour decant, and this revealed the Cos d’Estournel that has amazed since I first tasted it out of barrel.Vinous Media | 100 VMThis is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThe grand vin 2016 Cos d’Estournel checks in as 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. One of the more seamless, pure, elegant versions of this cuvée out there, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a monster nose of pure crème de cassis, gravelly, rocky minerality, tobacco leaf, crushed violets, and lead pencil shavings. One of those “iron fists in a velvet glove” wines, with full-bodied richness and beautiful structure that’s covered by thrilling levels of fruit and texture, it stays tight, compact, and incredibly focused on the palate. It’s already brilliant given its purity of fruit and balance, but it deserves a decade of bottle age and will keep for 4-5 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis is a little tight right now, as are so many of the 2016s. The fruit is deep, dark and concentrated, with fierce tannins that will take a long time to come around but will age well. There’s no question that this is a monumental Cos, with the walls of slate ready to be scaled, joined by a rosemary and black olive tang, juicy liquorice root and lashings of cassis. I tasted this wine both en primeur and again during a vertical at the property in July, and have felt thrilled to recommend it each time. Aymeric de Gironde was still the director at the time, before leaving in 2017. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThis has a core of slightly exotic loganberry, plum and boysenberry fruit laced with singed spice, savory, lilac and incense notes, while a buried chalk-edged minerality sits in reserve. Very sleek, with a wonderfully long finish that lets the fruit and other elements shimmer. Best from 2025 through 2040. 15,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSPowerful tannins show strongly in this elegant, structured wine. Rich black-currant and black-plum flavors are lifted by acidity. The wine has weight and concentration, but also is poised and fresh. This combination will allow the wine to age for many years. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSAn incredible wine from this estate that’s as good as anything in the vintage, the 2018 Château Cos D’Estournel checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 50% new French oak. While some 2018s are going to offer pleasure right out of the gate, this isn’t one of them, but rather it’s a backward, tannic powerhouse of a wine that has flawless balance as well as a level of purity that’s off the charts. Thrilling crème de cassis fruit, notes of lead pencil, damp earth, cedarwood, violets, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, masses of ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish all make for a legendary Saint-Estèphe that will need a good decade of bottle age yet evolve for 50 years or more. If you are tempted to try a bottle in its youth, it needs lots of air.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). Drinking Window 2028 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBig, rich and smoky in nature, with powerful fruits and dense tannins, this is a wine that is straining at the limits but still within balance. Rich, smoky flavors shine along with the black plum fruit and bright acidity. It will age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis is a bird of a different feather, with a ripe, sleek, and very polished feel as creamed loganberry, plum and boysenberry flavors spill forth, flanked for support by singed alder and incense notes, while black tea and savory threads curl around the finish. Long, showy and lovely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 16,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSOne of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou’s 2018 Château L’Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won’t hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L’Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented by notions of wild mushrooms, mossy tree bark and crushed rocks, giving way to a core of black raspberries, plum preserves and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lavender and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering slow-releasing black fruit and earthy layers, framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic tension. It finishes with epic length and subtlety. It is already so evocative and beautifully expressed at this youthful stage that is tempting to broach straight away, but give it another 5-6 years to really fan its feathers, and drink it over the next 40 or more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 L’Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L’Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It’s a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy over the next several decades.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGLush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Score rangeWine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis is plush, with touches of chocolate shavings, olive paste, clove, rosemary and sage right from the opening beats. Blackberry and raspberry layer up flavours that lift out of the glass, then the aromatics take over with soft smoke and grilled almonds. Seductive, a reminder of Durantou’s ability to tease layers and nuances out of even warm vintages. Austere on the finish, with chalky tannins at this stage - this is knitted down and will reward patience. Low temperature fermentation at around 22C. A yield of 45hl/ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DEC

Cassis, crushed plum and steeped blackberry fruit is all packed into this wine, along with tar, violet and roasted apple wood notes, plus a terrific tug of warm earth. Shows lots of energy in reserve, with a tightly knit finish pulling everything together. Cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 11,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis estate has been on fire in recent vintages, and the 2018 Château Léoville Barton is up there with the best of them. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak, this classic, flawlessly balanced, straight-up awesome Saint-Julien has loads of cassis and mulberry fruits as well as notes of freshly sharpened pencils, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and earth. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has building tannins and healthy acidity, yet the fruit is pure, perfectly ripe, and wonderfully integrated with all the wine’s components. As is normal with this cuvée, it closes down with extended air and is going to take a solid 8-10 years of bottle age to reach the early stages of maturity. It’s going to evolve for 30-40 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSweet berries, blackberries, raspberries and violets follow through to a full body with extremely creamy, polished tannins that caress the palate. It’s really long and polished. Gorgeous finish. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSIn this wine, fine and rich tannins partner with powerful black-plum and black-currant fruits. Densely textured while also having swathes of rich fruits, the wine shows both a firm side and one that offers total deliciousness. As it matures, both these aspects will come together. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2018 Léoville-Barton is a gorgeous, exotic wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, menthol, licorice and cloves race out of the glass. The 2018 marries the natural opulence of the year with a pretty classic sense of structure, making for one of the more compelling wines of the year. I would give this a good decade in the cellar. There is much to look forward to. I especially admire the energy and poise here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGWell-polished blackcurrant, cassis and bilberry, everything pretty silky and firm. Not fully showing its generosity at this point but no question that it is going to get there soon. Clear charcoal, graphite and woodsmoke as it opens up. A ton of life ahead, and an appealing sense of mint freshness. Lives up to its en primeur promise - this is Léoville Barton at its most confident. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Léoville Barton needs a little swirling to coax out delicate notions of fresh blackberries, mulberries and cassis, plus touches of pencil shavings, clove oil, charcoal and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a great intensity of earth and mineral-laced black fruit flavors, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Give it a good 4-5 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

This cuvée has been in the running for the best second wine in the vintage for a number of years now, and I think it just might be there in 2018. The 2018 Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge checks in as 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, and it’s no lightweight effort, revealing a dense purple color as well as gorgeous crème de cassis, black cherry, crushed violets, sandalwood, smoke tobacco, and incense. It’s loaded with Château Margaux character, has medium to full-bodied richness, ample structure, and a great finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved with air. Don’t underestimate this second wine – it’s incredibly impressive. Hide bottles for 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDBlackberry, plum, light earth and undergrowth on the nose. Citrus, too. It’s full-bodied with rich, chewy tannins that turn energetic, fine and tight on the finish. Lively acidity. Second wine of Margaux. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, 9% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Pavillon Rouge is a powerful, brooding wine with huge fruit and equally imposing tannins. Time in the glass brings out elements of château Margaux finesse to balance things out. In 2018 the Pavillon has some lots that tend to go into the Grand Vin, but that were deemed too tannic for that wine.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGTight, bright firm fruits, packed with finely tuned tannins, with a clear velvety texture. The highest tannin levels they have ever produced in Pavillon Rouge, close to the levels in 1996. There is an austerity to the wine right now. You get the spice of the Petit Verdot - also at the highest level to date - giving cushion and complexity to the blackberry, raspberry and bilberry fruits. Even this second wine should be given at least eight to 10 years to really soften because of these tannins, and it is set for the long term. 3.61pH, with 30% of the overall harvest in Pavillon Rouge in 2018. Bottled July 2020. 3% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend, with 13% press wine. 60% new oak ageing. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Pavillon Rouge is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and blackcurrant pastilles with suggestions of bay leaves, pencil lead, tapenade and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a generous amount of black fruit at the core with loads of earthy and savory accents and a soft, approachable frame, finishing long with an herbal lift. It is approachable now but should be a lot more expressive with a couple of years in bottle and drink nicely over the following 15 to 18 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPWhile there is density to this wine, it still manages to show an elegant edge. Its freshness is impeccable, with bright acidity and the modicum of tannins offering support to fine berry flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA singed alder note frames a core of gently steeped plum and black currant flavors while smoldering tobacco, bay and warm earth hints fill in through the finish. Caressing in feel and seductive through the sneaky long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The Grand Vin 2019 Château Rauzan-Ségla is beautiful, and it seems this estate can do no wrong since 2015. A more elegant, ethereal, complex Margaux, it has a perfumed and complex style in its red, blue, and black fruits as well as notes of white flowers, chalky minerality, and exotic spices. Haute couture at its finest and seamless, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and just stunning any way you look at it, it already offers pleasure today yet will easily have 30 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Rauzan-Ségla has turned out brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with fragrant aromas of cassis, blackberries, violets, rose petals and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and concentrated, it’s deep and layered, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This is a sensual, elegant Rauzan-Ségla from Nicolas Audebert and his team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPMineral edged nose full of violet floral notes and blackcurrants, such delicacy. Gorgeous mouthfeel, the texture standing out straight away - filling, rich and round, dense and juicy - really delivering a punch of ripe, cherry fruit, covering the cheeks in chewy but crushed velvet like tannins. Creamy notes come through and then the spice, liquorice menthol flavours arrive and dominate giving a cool, fresh, rippling minerality towards the finish. Power and precision. Really a wine of two halves, the first juicy and alive the second half deep, dark and seductive. Excellent character, still restrained not showing everything but offering a glimmer of glamour that will shine through more over time. 100% biodynamic from 2020, should be certified by 2024.Decanter | 96 DECSubtle and complex aromas of sweet berries, rose stems and lavender with some sandalwood. Medium-to full-bodied with beautiful depth of fruit, creamy tannins and lots of chocolate and berry character. Yet, it’s tight at the end, showing beautiful depth and length. So structured. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 Rauzan-Ségla is surly and backward on the nose despite aeration. Gravelly black fruit, sous-bois and touches of seaweed emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fleshy and smooth, a dash of white pepper and cedar towards the shelled finish. This is one bottle that desperately needs more aeration to show its capabilities - one for long-term cellaring. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.Vinous Media | 93+ VMOffers a very elegant core of red and black currant and damson plum fruit that glides through with silky structure for support, while light mulling spice and incense notes infuse the finish. A rather understated style, but sneaky long and very refined. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2020 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is one of the most harmonious young wines I have tasted here in some time, maybe ever. All the elements are so well put together. The tannins that can usually be so fierce when the wine is young are totally covered by layers of inky dark fruit. Graphite, wild herbs, lavender, chocolate and gravel add layers of aromatic nuance. In the glass, the 2020 towers with its imposing, vertical structure and pure pedigree.Vinous Media | 95-98 VMThis is a very cool and refined young Bordeaux with crushed-berry, walnut, mushroom, chocolate and salt character. Some wet earth, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very integrated tannins that are polished and poised. Energetic, long and precise at the finish. 81.5% merlot and 18.5% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) wafts out of the glass with a glamorous perfume of red roses, kirsch, garrigue and black raspberries, giving way to a core of ripe blackberries and juicy black plums, plus earthy hints of truffles and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with loads of very finely packed and fragrant red and black fruit layers, framed by multilayered grainy and satiny tannin textures and amazing freshness, finishing fantastically long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPA blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) should end up being up with the top wines in the appellation. Showing the more straight, focused style of the vintage, it has a monster of a mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins on the palate, and incredible minerality on the finish. Loaded with cassis fruit as well as lead pencil and graphite notes, this dense, powerful beauty almost requires a fork. It’s brilliant all the way and will have 30-40 years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97+ JDTakes time to fully show itself - perhaps more than ever this year, as there is so much noise surrounding an estate that was overseen during the growing season and vinification by the team under Nicolas Thienpont, but given its final blend by new owner Josephine Duffau-Lagarosse, who will also take care of ageing from this point. Things kick off with a raspberry and damson softness that is quickly overtaken by iris, peony, white rose aromatics, giving a push-and-pull between flowers and fruit on the attack. As the palate opens out, blueberry and raspberry fruits dominate, as do fennel and almond notes, giving a spicy kick before a saline-drenched mouthwatering finish. As ever with Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, the wine combines delicacy with laser-like focus, and a build up of tannins that you barely notice until they kick back against the fruit. Takes a good few minutes before the softness that I found on the opening returns as the mid palate widens out, and the richly textured Merlot becomes dominant after a clear Cabernet Franc hit on the attack. It’s going to be fascinating watching what happens over the next decade at this estate, but the quality and potential of this terroir is unmistakable. Drinking Window 2029 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DEC

The 2020 Canon is a blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% new. It weighs in with 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.53. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with vivacious notes of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of powdered cinnamon, clove oil, star anise and dusty red soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in grace, delivering exquisitely ripe, finely pixilated tannins and bold freshness to support the tight-knit black, red and blue fruit layers, finishing long with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks. An exhilarating triumph!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPThis is intense, structured and concentrated yet with an abundance of violet and peony notes that curl up through the tannins, combining halfway through the palate with blueberry, raspberry, tobacco, gunsmoke and sculpted, precise pulses of chalk minerality. There is just so much to talk about with this wine, but the overall impression is of dozens of carefully crafted elements that steal up on you. It’s hard not to be convinced by its success - and as ever with Canon you are in no doubt as to how well it will age. Gorgeous. 50% new barrels. 3.53pH. Harvest 4 September to 23 September. 50% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. 98-100. (Drink between 2027-2050)Decanter | 99 DECWow. This is really exceptional with super density of fruit that remains clear and agile. Blackberries, currants, violets and spice, as well as some chalk and salt. It really goes on for minutes. Best of the trilogy?James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2020 Château Canon is another brilliant wine in a long line of brilliant wines from this incredible team and consistent estate. Coming from the upper plateau (unquestionably one of the finest terroirs on the upper plateau) and 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, it offers a perfumed, ethereal nose of red and blue fruits, violets, white flowers, and unsmoked tobacco. With riveting purity, full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and a great, great finish, it’s going to push the upper limits of my scale. The tannins here are incredible as well, and this beauty should drink well for 20-30 years. Hats off to technical director Nicolas Audebert and his team for another insanely good wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2020 Canon is a gorgeous, sophisticated wine. Silky and soaring, Canon is vertical in build, with a real sense of explosive energy that give the wine its shape. Rose petal, lavender, mint, spice and ripe red/purplish berry fruit all meld together effortlessly. The 2020 is an especially airy, understated Canon. I can’t wait to see how it ages.Antonio Galloni | 95-97 AG