Red Bordeaux Blend Wines

wines

The level of richness and fruit power captured in this elegant, silky St.-Emilion is impressive. Dark plums, roasted coffee and baking spices are wrapped up in solid, silky tannins. Great depth. Best from 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom an estate recently purchased by Sylvie Cazes, who is renovating the estate, the 2015 Château Chauvin checks in as a blend of 80% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, from sandy/clay soils, that was brought up in 60% new barrels. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a pure, elegant bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, candle wax, and spring flowers. Rich, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, with terrific elegance, it has ripe, present tannin, good acidity, and is going to age beautifully. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JDA great vintage, still young, so as you would expect this is remains tight and very much on primary fruit. Bright and bristling with touches of cedary oak overtones that need to settle but are met step for step by plump dark fruits. The fruits are more clearly majoring on cassis, raspberry and black cherry than in the older vintages, as the work in the vineyard improves quality, and the grip is really extremely impressive, holding through the palate. Clear support from the tannins, this is a well put together wine. 60% new oak, harvest September 28 to October 8. (Drink between 2027-2040)Decanter | 92 DECThe 2015 Chauvin is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and earthy on the nose with bay leaves, warm plums, underbrush, baked cherries and menthol aromas. The medium to full-bodied mouth is firm and chewy, a little taut but packed with flavor layers and finishing with an herbal lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2015 Chauvin is showing very well today. Floral notes add brightness to the red berry fruit. The 2015 offers terrific depth to go along with its powerful personality. Searing tannins are present, but also nearly buried by the fruit. Some slightly angular contours remain, but the Chauvin is nicely done. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

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

I love the freshness and purity of fruit on offer with bright raspberries but also blackcurrants and rose petals. Very sexy on the palate with bright acidity, lazor-sharp tannins and a fine-grained finish. A blend of 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThis estate, just to the east of the city of Saint-Émilion, has produced a spicy wine with layers of dark chocolate and wood flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA fresh, pure style, with a core of cassis leading the way, followed by additional plum and raspberry puree flavors. Violet, iron and sanguine notes chime in. A polished structure carries the finish. Best from 2020 through 2030. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2015 Château La Couspaude is a beauty! Offering a deep ruby/plum color as well as terrific notes of black cherry liqueur, strawberries, spice and toasty oak, it’s medium-bodied, textured and nicely balanced on the palate, with fine tannin. It’s not the most complex wine out there, but man is it a delicious drink. I suspect it will keep for at least a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

The 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine of total finesse. Much less obvious and overt than most Saint-Émilions in this vintage, La Gaffelière makes its case on harmony and grace above all else. Bright, lifted Cabernet Franc–infused aromatics give the 2015 striking freshness and aromatic presence. The flavors are bright and nuanced to the core, with plenty of red cherry, espresso and floral notes. But back to the basics. In 2015 La Gaffelière is a wine that stands out because of its impeccable balance and sense of proportion. I loved it. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGFrom its privileged position on the sweep of vines leading up to the medieveal city of Saint-Émilion, this estate has made an impressive wine in this vintage. It is rich and concentrated both in its structure and its black fruits. Complex, dark and dense, it can age for many years. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEEnticing warm plum, fig and blackberry compote notes roll through, inlaid with singed alder and tobacco accents. There’s a light tug of warm cast iron and another wave of fruit after that, all supported by well-buried chalky minerality. This is a very strong showing and has put on some weight since the barrel tasting. Best from 2020 through 2040. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAn extremely good quality wine, this is juicy, rich and welcoming. There’s perhaps the slightest trace of summer heat but the tannins are silky and easy to love. There’s a tightening through the finish that speaks of the limestone terroir. It needs another few years to allow the exuberance of the sun-ripened Merlot to quieten down, but then we will have a seriously impressive wine on our hands. Drinking Window 2024 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 La Gaffeliere has a slightly reticent, broody nose of black truffles, fertile loam and mossy bark over a core of warm plums, crushed black berries and black cherries plus a touch of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied with firm and very finely grained tannins with layers of softly spoken fruit and great freshness, it finishes long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPImpressive deep-set dark cherries, blueberries and dark plums here with neatly fitted spicy oak, which adds immediate complexity. Deep, long and fresh with vibrant acidity, underpinning ripe blackberries, plums and hints of chocolate. Superb wine. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom further up the slope from Canon-la-Gaffelière, the 2015 Château La Gaffelière is terrific, and more than worth your time and money. A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc that’s loaded with notions of cassis, toasted spices, classy oak, and licorice, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, tight, focused texture carrying good acidity and plenty of tannins. With terrific mid-palate depth, impeccable balance, and a great finish, it’s nowhere near primetime but is a gorgeous bottle of wine. Forget bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JD

The 2015 Château Pavie Decesse is another blockbuster from the Perse team, and it’s not far off the straight Pavie release, although this cuvée always shows slightly more elegance and freshness as well as obvious minerality. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, black cherries, white truffle, white flowers, and incense notes all emerge from this full-bodied, saturated purple (it’s almost blue-colored), powerful wine. It’s another wine that has the upfront, voluptuous style of the vintage yet backs it up with sensational concentration, building tannins, remarkable purity, and a huge finish. It’s an incredible wine that needs 5-10 years of bottle age and will keep for another 3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDGérard Perse’s 2015 Pavie-Decesse is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel, if not more so. Lifted, gracious and super-refined, the 2015 captures the richness of the year with the support of cool, mineral-driven notes from the calcaire-rich soils. Super-ripe red cherry, blood orange, rose petal and mint are some of the many notes that are woven together. In 2015, Pavie-Decesse is a wine of pure and total class. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 98 AGPlums, berries, flowers, wet earth and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and rich, especially on the center palate. Super silky tannins. Great length and texture. Goes on for minutes. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThis delivers a stunning display of raspberry ganache, boysenberry pâte de fruit and crème de cassis flavors, studded with dried anise, singed apple wood and warm fruitcake notes. A serious chalky spine strides throughout, keeping this bridled and focused. Will need some time to unfurl fully. Best from 2025 through 2040. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSAlmost completely Merlot, this is a rich wine but one that goes towards great elegance. The style is smooth, with soft tannins, although the wine is also fresh and almost salty with the acidity and juicy black fruits. Its tannins presage a long-term future. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WELocated at the top of the plateau inside of Pavie and planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Pavie Decesse is a vintage blend that reflects the vineyard plantings precisely, and it has been aged in 100% new French oak barrels. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it kicks off with exuberant crushed black currants, blackberries and black forest cake notes with hints of potpourri, Indian spices, mossy bark and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate reveals wonderful energy and intensity, supported by firm, grainy tannins and impressive tension, which takes the electric fruit to a very long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP90% Merlot from 3.65ha. True to style: ripe, powerful and firm with marked tension but more refinement in the texture this year. One for the cellar. Drinking Window 2028 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

Cedary oak adds spices to pristine plums and dark berries. Terrific clarity and allure. The palate delivers a seamless and fluid build of smooth tannins, carrying bright cherries, plums and dark chocolate through to a deeply classy finish. Superb. Best from 2020.James Suckling | 96 JSNotes of cassis, crushed violets, spice, and distinct minerality emerge from the 2015 Château Petit-Village, and this Merlot dominated blend (there’s 10% Cabernet Franc) is medium to full-bodied, elegant, and seamless on the palate. With fine, polished tannin, the freshness and purity that’s the hallmark of the vintage, and integrated tannin, it’s a rock-star of a Pomerol to drink anytime over the coming 20+ years. (Drink between 2018-2038)Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD93–95. Barrel Sample. There is a fine touch of perfume here along with the generous flavors. Spice, smoky aromas and blackberry fruits are forward in this rounded, opulent wine that shows an extra push in quality from this estate.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA gutsy style, with lightly roasted fig, plum and blackberry fruit flavors matched to brambly, slightly chewy grip. An ample dose of ganache and roasted alder drives the finish. The pieces are there, but this needs time in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2033. 2,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSComposed of 71% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 15 months in barrels, 60% new, the 2015 Petit Village reveals a deep garnet-purple color and gregarious notes of crushed blackberries, crème de cassis and preserved plums with touches of cedar chest, black olives, bay leaves and Marmite toast. The decadently rich, medium to full-bodied palate is superbly supported by a firm frame of grainy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2015 Petit Village has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry, black truffle, smoke and graphite aromas developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, tapering in slightly toward the graphite infused finish. Plenty of energy here, but give it three or four years in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VMA concentrated gourmet complexity of blackberry and cherry fruit on smoky toffee brittle and coffee bean spice. Grippy and firm. (Drink between 2023-2037)Decanter | 90 DEC

A dense and layered red that is tight and focused with blackberries, currants and blueberries. Pure. Full body, superfine tannins and a long finish. Sophisticated. Best ever. Drink in 2020 but already beautiful.James Suckling | 94 JSLively, with a light brambly hint throughout, while damson plum, raspberry and bitter cherry notes dart to and fro. The sleek finish has juniper and savory hints for added energy. Drink now through 2021. 12,500 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe leading player in the appellation. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with 5% Malbec. Lovely aromatic expression - blueberry and dark fruit notes. Sweet fruited palate with a touch of oak present. Fine, rounded tannins and a firm, chalky finish. Fine ageing potential.Decanter | 90 DECThe 2015 Puygueraud was picked between September 28 and October 13, and is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. It was a little reduced on the nose at first, though it cleared to reveal stony blackberry fruit, quite "airy" and lifted. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin, fresh and lively, a pleasant mineral core already tangible with a brisk, fresh, crisp finish. This is a little delight.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP-NM