Red Wines

wines

The 2012 Las Posadas Proprietary Red is a massive fruit bomb from that high-elevation vineyard. Forest floor, floral notes, lead pencil shavings, licorice, fruitcake, cedar wood and oodles of black fruits soar from the glass and from the palate of this full-bodied, majestic, multi-layered wine. Like most 2012s, it is really strutting it’s stuff. It is still obviously young, but dramatic and flamboyant. This sensational wine should age effortlessly for 25-30+ years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2012 Las Posadas is marvelous in the way it marries the intensity of this site with the softer, gentler aspect of the year. This makes it a tremendous choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, dark chocolate and spice all meld together. Deep and sensual to the core, the 2012 is lights out. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2012 is just magnificent. This is a big wine, but all the elements are impeccably put together. A recent magnum was superb. Note: This wine was called ’Howell Mountain’ when it was first released.Vinous Media | 98 VMSo much tar with blackberry and blueberry aromas. Perfumed. Black olive. Forest floor. A fabulous Bordeaux blend with complexity and subtlety. Full-bodied yet polished and refined. Incredible length and finish. Wonderful spice. Hard not to drink now. About 300 cases made. March release.James Suckling | 97 JS

The 2012 Thorevilos is flamboyant, phenomenally concentrated, full-bodied, majestic and totally prodigious. It can be drunk young, but most readers will probably prefer to give it a few years of bottle age and consume it over the following 30+ years.Robert Parker | 99+ RPAbreu’s 2012 Thorevilos boasts remarkable depth, power and intensity. Distinctly ferrous, savory notes open up in the glass, followed by game, tobacco, smoke and bright red stone fruits. A huge, explosive wine, the Thorevilos is the most tannic and structured of Abreu’s 2012s. Accordingly, it is likely to require the most time to come around. When it does, it will be magnificent.Vinous Media | 99 VMA juicy and savory red with black fruit, pomace and toasted oak. Powerful and tannic. Muscular with amazing form. Full body, bright and beautiful fruit. Grabs your attention, yet subtle. Persistent. Try in 2020. About 300 cases made. March release.James Suckling | 98 JS

Aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries with hints of lavender and violets. Full body, chewy and polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A beautifully linear and polished red. Give it time to show it all but this is already a beauty. The depth and class to this are indeed impressive. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2012 Tignanello is deep, rich and voluptuous, yet also retains a distinct element of classicism in its focused, mid-weight structure. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, kirsch, spice, tobacco and menthol open up in the glass, but only reluctantly. Firm veins of tannin and pulsating acidity give the wine its sense of energy and verticality. The mid-weight structure should allow the wine to open up in another few years. The 2012 isn’t as powerful as the 2010 or exotic as the 2011, but rather is most similar to how the 2005 was in its youth. The 2012 is a Tignanello built on pure finesse and grace. I would not open a bottle before its tenth birthday, if at all possible.Vinous Media | 95 VMHere’s a structured red with lots of finesse. It opens with alluring aromas of fragrant blue flowers, red berries, baking spices and exotic herbs while the firm, vibrant palate delivers black cherry, crushed raspberry, clove, orange zest, licorice and a sprinkling of white pepper. It’s still young but well balanced, with tightly woven but polished tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2017–2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2012 Tignanello is a very handsome wine with dark fruit nuances that extend far beyond the normal spectrum for Sangiovese (and the smaller percentages of French grapes that complete this wine). This vintage, that started off with a very hot summer and ended with a cool harvest season, show a little more spice and Mediterranean herb on the finish. Grapes were harvested at the end of September and delivered slightly less alcohol than previous vintages. There is a point of freshness but the tannins are mature and yielding. In fact, the tannic management is spot-on and is complimented by the velvety and rich nature of the mouthfeel. Pretty mineral accents add a lasting touch of complexity. The 2012 Tignanello has the qualities for a successful evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA rich, cherry-laced red, showing a slightly jammy character before shutting down in a grip of tannins. A bit awkward now, but should come around once the tannins are integrated.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2022 through 2040. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The wine of the vintage is the Perrin’s 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, and it will most likely merit a perfect rating in another couple of years. Full-bodied, massive and layered on the palate, with awesome purity and freshness, it delivers incredible aromatics of beef blood, truffle, graphite, iron and black and blue fruits. Given all of the fruit and texture, you almost have to hunt for the structure here, but trust me, it’s there. The tasting at Beaucastel took place a 9 a.m., and even then, this is one wine I found impossible to spit. It’s a tour de force that will have 3-4 decades of life.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe wine of the vintage is the Perrins’ 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, which has a classic, sexy, accessible style yet is also going to age beautifully. Massive amounts of smoked black fruits, ground pepper, iodine, truffle, and bloody meat all emerge from this inky colored behemoth. With full body, building tannins, no hard edges, and a rock star of a finish, it’s primary and youthful, but incredible. Ideally, it would be given another 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for another 3 decades or more. It’s an awesome wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDSpice, lift and zest - the hallmarks of the vintage are immediately apparent on the nose. Some woody, roasted spices are starting to take root now, along with damsons, and crushed damson stones. Rounded, rich and plush on the palate, all very well integrated, such delicious, intense juice. The alcohol is high but it gives the wine its foundation this year - a jolly, red-cheeked vintage built around alcohol, but not dominated by it. Delicious now, will be even better later. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 99 DECLots of spices such as cloves and black pepper. Some grilled meat as well. Complex undertones of mushrooms. Full-bodied, complex and refined yet very open now with cherry, sweet and ripe fruit and a balanced finish. Excellent acidity and length. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSDark purple. Powerful aromas of cherry liqueur, licorice pastille and pungent flowers, with exotic Indian spice and mocha overtones. Dense, sweet and broad, offering intense black and blue fruit preserve, violet and spicecake flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. Fine-grained tannins build slowly through the clinging, appealingly sweet finish, which shows outstanding clarity and persistence and lingering florality. One of the standouts of the vintage and surprisingly approachable for this bottling, although drinking it before its tenth birthday would seem like a shame to me.Vinous Media | 96 VMSerious, with dark fig, black currant and blackberry confiture notes forming a large-scale core, while licorice snap, Turkish coffee and pastis details lend an expansive feel. The long, dense finish has a brooding personality now, with a warm cast-iron note echoing. Should be a stunner when it reaches its peak. Best from 2019 through 2032. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Very perfumed with black currant and cassis bush character. Medium to full body, fine and chewy tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Still a little tight but fun to taste now. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Sammarco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Like with the d’Alceo, this hot vintage does not deliver the same soaring intensity and complexity as seen in past years. It shows added softness and succulence instead. The bouquet is driven by sweet fruit and dried berry aromas that underline the warm vintage. Allspice, clove and more sweet fruit appear on the close.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPFragrant purple flower, ripe black-skinned fruit and dark spice aromas slowly emerge on this savory blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese. Full bodied and succulent, the smooth structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, black currant, star anise and chopped mint alongside a backbone of firm polished tannins. Drink 2018–2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WECastello dei Rampolla’s Sammarco comes across as unusually medium in body in 2012, with a distinctly red-toned flavor profile. I have seen other lighter vintages blossom with time in bottle. That may very well be the case here as well. Readers should expect a floral, bright Sammarco built on mid-weight structure and finesse rather than power.Vinous Media | 92+ VMA light and supple, yet firm, red, offering strawberry, cherry and leafy flavors. Fresh and juicy, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit, herbs and earth. Drink now through 2023. 1,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Always excellent for the vintage. What a nose with currants, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stones and wet earth too. Full-bodied and refined yet muscular and trim. Fabulously polished tannins. Try drinking in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Cos d’Estournel is beautifully delineated and layered in the glass. A wine of nuance and precision, the 2012 possesses a remarkable combination of richness and detail. A blast of dark red cherry jam, rose petals, mint and cinnamon informs the deep, pliant finish. I imagine the 2012 will offer several decades of very fine drinking. This is a terrific 2012 with a good deal of upside potential.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis is one of the vintages from Cos that seems to pull out all the stops. The fruit is so rich, the texture so dense, and deep flavors of chocolate back up the huge structure. It does work in its magnificent, flamboyant way. And at the end, the acidity does its part and gives the wine a final lift. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2012 Cos d’Estournel is a classic expression of St.-Estèphe, with notes of graphite, crushed rock, blackberry, blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, structured, but well-integrated tannins and a long finish of 35 seconds or more. This is a beauty and an undeniable top success in the Médoc for 2012. Give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades or more. The final blend, which achieved 13.8% alcohol, is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Robert Parker | 93+ RPThe 2012 from Cos d’Estournel is a streamlined, elegant version of this cuvée that offers first rate notes of crème de cassis, graphite, smoked herbs and saddle leather, with hints of oak pushed into the background. Supple, medium to full-bodied and charming, yet with enough tannin to warrant short term cellaring, give bottles 5-6 years in the cellaring and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDSolid, with pure lilac and violet notes out front, backed by slightly taut plum, currant and bitter cherry flavors that unwind slowly through the finish. This has good drive, cut and intensity, and is one of the better efforts of the vintage.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2028. 15,917 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Cos d’Estournel, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Deep-coloured, richly flavoured claret with an immediate and abundant ‘attack’, which then rather fades away. Will undoubtedly keep well but will always lack the class of a more successful year. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 92 DEC

There’s great concentration here, on this powerful wine with very dry structure and dark character. The palate hints of a more perfumed character with fine fruitiness and lingering freshness on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEFine depth of fruit, with suppleness and charm. Drinking Window 2016 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECPlenty of juicy blackcurrant fruit and background oak are present in this plump, medium to full-bodied, ripe, well-made wine. Not nearly as tannic as I feared, this wine shows a forward plumpness, excellent purity, texture and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

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

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMBy Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else.Decanter | 96 DECBay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWonderful aromas of flowers such as roses, violets, strawberries and a hints of wet earth. Wet stones as well. Full to medium body, very firm tannins and a long, racy finish. Minerals and chalk on the aftertaste. Needs three to five years to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Château Margaux has a refined bouquet with blackberry, briary, light cedar scents and a touch of leather. Not quite as well-defined as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not amazingly complex, and at this level, I would have expected more weight on the finish. This is a fine Château Margaux and yet it deprived the concentration and complexity of a top vintage and is challenged by its peers. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Margaux) The 2012 Château Margaux was made up of only thirty-four percent of the crop this year, with fully eighty-seven percent of the blend comprised of cabernet sauvignon, and the balance a mix of ten percent merlot, two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot for good measure. The yields here were thirty-nine hectoliters per hectare and the wine tips the scales at an utterly classic thirteen percent alcohol. So why is this wine so unmoving? Paul Pontallier waxed eloquently for quite some time about how much he likes the 2012 Margaux, but I was left with the impression that this is a wine which is very much crafted in the cellar, rather than born in the vineyards, and I long for something more here these days. The cool and reserved nose offers up scents of mulberry, cassis, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, lovely gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a polished attack, a fine core and a fair bit of chewy tannin perking up the long and beautifully focused finish. All of the constituent components here tell my brain I should like this wine a lot more than I do, but it just seems to be missing that spark and the whole does not seem greater than the sum of its parts in 2012. This is a very well-made wine that is just a bit overly slick for me. (Drink between 2023-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JG

There are 5,180 six-bottle cases of the 2012 Padrone. This is a fabulous wine, meant to evolve over three decades. It offers up notes of charcoal, scorched earth, blackcurrant, blackberry, chocolate and a touch of espresso. A wine of great intensity, full-bodied opulence and a multilayered mouthfeel, this is a formidably endowed, serious Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine from vineyards with some of the best fruit on the estate. Drink it over the next 30 years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Padrone is dark and sumptuous from start to finish. Mocha, plums, smoke, new leather and French oak all flesh out in this brooding, intense Cabernet Sauvignon. The style is explosive and full of 2012 vintage exuberance. There is a lot to look forward to.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

The 2013 Cappella is dense, young and full of energy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and licorice are front and center. Still young and vibrant, the 2013 is seriously impressive. It can be enjoyed now, but another few years in bottle will help soften the tannins further. What a stellar wine it is. The 2013 is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. At this stage, this is the most approachable 2013 in the range.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it’s a small cuvée from this vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. It displays sweet espresso notes, loads of white chocolate, blackberry, Asian spice and incense. It is full-bodied and opulent, with the tannins surprisingly silky and well-disguised, which is somewhat unusual in this vintage of extraordinary power and density. This is a 35- to 50-year wine.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis has the broad-shouldered persona of the vintage, but its muscular physique is deftly cloaked in velvety structure, with loam, warmed cassis, alder, steeped plum and sweet tobacco notes that are seamlessly layered. The long finish shows latent drive as a graphite underpinning plays its role, giving the fruit the support for a lengthy encore. There’s plenty of life ahead for this too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2040. 239 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2013 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, shows great intensity, with a slightly more burning ember and scorched earthiness to it, giving it a more Graves-like character compared to the purity of the Tychson Hill. The wine is full-bodied, rich, layered and possibly slightly more tannic and backward than the Tychson Hill, but that could be because it had recently been bottled. It should evolve over the course of 30+ years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2013 Cariad is fabulous. Pliant, expressive and nuanced in the glass. Here, the tannins are suave and supple, which makes the wine unusually accessible today. There is plenty of delineation in the dark, mineral-laced flavors, but the 2013 impresses for most of its superb textural depth. Cariad is made mostly from fruit sourced from David Abreu’s Madrona Ranch vineyard in St. Helena.Vinous Media | 98 VMSuperb aromas of black fruits, black truffle and leather. Black olives. Full body, fabulous soft and velvety tannins, and superb length. The texture to this is so luxurious and sexy. Cardamom, game, earth and intense fruit. Yet poised. A blend as always of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. Hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 97 JSExhibits a tight bundle of rich, extracted dark berry, mocha, licorice, savory herb and underbrush flavors, with accents of smoky oak. A tour de force that is best served after a long decant or some cellar time. The finish is deep and extracted. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The perfect 2013 The Bard is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot, coming from four vineyards that Realm uses consistently -- B Weitz, Houyi, Blair and of course, the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane in St. Helena. There are 950 cases of this extraordinary wine, which has it all. Notes of graphite, blackberries, roasted espresso and chocolate are followed by a wine of enormous, massive extraction, richness and intensity, but no hard edges. This seamless work of vinous haute couture is staggeringly rich, very long, but not the least bit heavy or overbearing. This is a killer effort that’s already showing enormous complexity but should age effortlessly for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 100 RPFrom one of the greatest vintages ever for Napa Valley, the 2013 The Bard is a similar blend to the 2012 and is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot sourced from a multitude of vineyards. It’s slightly more purple-hued than the 2012 and has a killer bouquet of crème de cassis and blueberry fruits as well as violets, white chocolate, vanilla bean, graphite, and chalky minerality. Insanely good on the palate, this full-bodied, perfectly balanced beauty has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s one of those wines that delivers incredible intensity yet still glides across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It’s less evolved than the 2012 and has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it. Hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette for an incredible, magical wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2013 The Bard is the most intriguing of the three Realm blends because it has enough freshness and overall energy to balance the more overt elements. Inky blue and purplish fruit, spices, new leather and savory herbs flesh out in a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend that is both opulent and also vibrant, with plenty of detail and nuance, not to mention enough underlying tannin to drink well for the better part of the next decade, perhaps longer. Most of this fruit emerges from Blair, a site in Calistoga.Vinous Media | 93 VMDelivers a powerful combination of dark berry, dried herb, underbrush and stylish oak. Most impressive are the licorice and blackberry flavors on the finish, revealing extraction, tension and character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2030. 950 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine is showing incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and incredible finish, with incense and licorice. This is magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe most exotic and aromatically seductive of the Verité wines, wild red and black fruits marry with nuances of cigar tobacco and incipient floral details. While similarly large-scalled, La Desir’s tannic structure is more supple than its siblings and its palate presence appealingly energetic. 62% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThis is a tannic and rich red that is tightly wound and very muscular. Full-bodied, very intense and powerful. Needs time to show its full self. Try in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2013 Le Désir is once again alluring. Le Désir is quite powerful and intense, but it also has fairly soft contours for the year. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, chocolate, mocha, licorice and cloves are all pushed forward. Energetic and explosive, the 2013 is going to need at least a few years in bottle to settle down, but it has plenty to offer. I tasted the 2013 from tank just prior to bottling.Vinous Media | 92-95 VM

The 2013 La Muse, like all of the 2013s, comes about one-third from Alexander Valley vineyards, 40-plus percent from Chalk Hill, and the rest Knights Valley and Bennett Valley – all high-elevation hillside vineyards. A blend of 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec at 14.3% alcohol, the wine is amazingly like a great vintage of Petrus, with mulberry, black cherry, licorice, truffle and unctuous, thick, juicy fruit all present in this full-bodied masterpiece. The tannins are still present. The wine has purity and savory presence and is remarkable. The finish goes on for well past a minute. This wine would probably benefit from 5-8 years of bottle age and last 40-50 years.Robert Parker | 100 RPFascinating aromas of blackberries and orange peel with dried flowers. Full-bodied and very structured. Superb density and length. Just starting to open up now. Fantastic merlot.James Suckling | 98 JSAnother huge wine, the 2013 La Muse is endowed with serious power and overall structure, especially compared to the 2012 tasted alongside it. Sweet tobacco, grilled herbs, cedar and smoke add considerable nuance. There is plenty of fruit and overall richness, but the imposing tannic heft is going to demand considerable cellaring.Vinous Media | 93-96 VMNotes of black raspberry, forest floor, burnt sugar, methol and rich barrel toast are the prelude to a wine strucutred around fine, dense tannins and good acidity. 89% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Franc and Malbec, La Muse is the richest and most opulent of the Verité wines, as well as the most marked by its barrel programme, but it retains nicely savoury definition. Drinking Window 2023 - 2045.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2014 Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color and sings of crushed blackcurrants, warm plums and black raspberries with menthol, potpourri, chocolate box and licorice nuances—compelling. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with great freshness, finishing very long with mineral notions. This will be extremely long lived!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe largest scaled of the single vineyards is unquestionably the 2014 Madrona Ranch and this blockbuster comes from a vineyard at the base of Spring Mountain, just outside of St Helena. It boasts a huge nose of blackcurrants, charcoal, dried earth, and chocolate, full-bodied richness, a deep, layered texture, big tannins, and a huge finish. This massive 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and will certainly be one of its longest-lived wines as well. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLove the blackberries, tar, dark mushrooms and flowers. Perfumed to the max. Full-bodied, super velvety and refined. Glorious. Dense and so long yet vivid. What finesse. You want to take this home. Incredible length and texture. Blend of cabernet sauvignon (56%), cabernet franc (27%), petit verdot (9%) and merlot (8%).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2014 Madrona Ranch has developed beautifully since I first tasted it from barrel in spring of 2015. Specifically, the tannins have melded into the fruit as the wine has gained body and volume. In 2014, Madrona Ranch is quite dark and powerful. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s more floral red-toned character. A wine of sublime elegance and total finesse, the 2014 Madrona Ranch is a winner. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 97 VMIntense, featuring dark fig, blackberry and black currant paste flavors rumbling through, with extra tobacco, bay leaf, bittersweet chocolate and tar notes filling in, this sports obvious heft and muscle. Shows range, cut and drive nonetheless, with a buried graphite spine and sneaky acidity. Just give this a little space in the cellar to round fully into form. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2040. 389 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSFrom an important St. Helena vineyard, neighbouring Spottswoode and planted in 1980, ’85 and ’86, Abreu’s Madrona Ranch reveals a complex and still-primary bouquet of cherry, black raspberry and smoke, mingling with hints of espresso and rose. It’s rich and multi-dimensional on the palate, with an ample chassis of fine, savoury tannins and a nicely juicy quality to the fruit.Decanter | 94 DEC

The impressive Victorian baronial chateau of Cantenac Brown is one of the landmarks of Margaux. The wine is getting better each vintage. This is ripe and generous, full of freshly minted tannins and layers of wood over the ripe berry fruit. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis was the point at which Cantenac Brown started taking a more consistent step up. Lovely definition to the fruit on the nose, and evident oak smoking adds subtle but effective complexity. Also, you really start to get appellation typicity at this point, in terms of the nuanced aromatics that are extremely appealing. Lovely wine, one that you would be enormously happy to drink and to share. 50% of harvest in 1st wine. 60% new oak. Harvest September 25 to October 15. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of chocolate, vanilla and currants follow through to a full body, tight tannins and a reserved finish. Needs time to open. Better in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a backward nose at first, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, an attractive pastille-like scent emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more extraction than its peers. It feels fleshy and pure, notes of raspberry coulis, confit fruit, orange rind and tobacco towards the well-structured, delicately spiced finish. It makes you want to come back for another sip—always a good sign! A bottle tasted six months later in February 2017 demonstrated a little more cohesion and finesse, suggesting that this Margaux will meliorate with bottle age. One to watch out for.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, cedar, crushed violet and cold stone aromas. I love the detail and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, supple and almost velvety in texture, the acidity well judged with a rounded, lightly spiced finish that feels so tender, yet does not shortchange you on persistence. This is one of the best Cantenac-Brown wines that I have encountered in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMFleshy in feel but restrained in profile, as the plum, blackberry and black currant confiture notes glide in easily, carried by a light espresso edge and backed by a stylish black tea detail. A light echo of warm stone keeps this honest. Best from 2018 through 2026. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

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

A sleek, lean cat, with distilled currant and raspberry fruit that races from start to finish, maintaining tension throughout thanks to a riveting chalky spine. A light floral hint hangs in the background. Should develop into a perfumy beauty with time. Best from 2022 through 2035. 3,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA step back from the sensational 2015, yet still an incredible wine that checks in near the top of the vintage, the 2014 Clos Fourtet offers an elegant, seductive style as well as perfumed notes of ripe cherries, strawberries, spice and exotic flowers, with a touch of minerality coming through with time in the glass. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, with ultra-fine tannin and a beautiful elegance and persistence, it’s already impossible to resist yet I suspect will cruise in the cellar on its balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 Clos Fourtet has developed a very perfumed bouquet with pure black cherry, raspberry and mineral aromas that seem very precise and relatively sophisticated compared to its Saint Emilion peers. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red cherry and cranberry fruit, the tannins both fine but firm. This is a supremely well-focused Clos Fourtet, perhaps one that shows more restraint than previous vintages, yet there is genuine focus and intensity towards the almost piercing finish with vivid black, mineral-soaked fruit. This is a superb Clos Fourtet that transcends the promise from barrel.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2014 Clos Fourtet has an extremely perfumed and floral bouquet with red cherries, crushed strawberry and a touch of orange peel and vanilla pod. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp acidity, harmonious and poised, with a long mineral-driven finish that retains a sense of classicism and style. Serious...but delicious. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMFar too early to enjoy, this 2014 is at first imperceptible aromatically, suggesting lead pencil. The palate has some 2011 like steeliness but more three dimensional, almost like a young Pauillac. A great wine can be delicious young, but it can also close down - and this seems to be the case of the 2014, which from barrel was superb for energy and ripeness. A conservative score for now . 3.57pH.Decanter | 94 DECRipe black-cherry aromas lead the nose of this wine that’s fruity while having just enough structure to promise aging. It’s fresh and crisp, with a cut of structure in the background. The aftertaste brings out a smokier, toasty character that does show its future maturation potential.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe richness and decadence of this are so pretty. Medium to full body and firm and silky tannins. Juicy and long. Flavorful. Needs time to soften. Austerity will turn to great beauty. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

The aromas of iodine, oyster shells and mushrooms turn to blackberries. Full body, polished tannins and a plush, velvety texture. Gorgeous length and tension. Aftertaste turns to leaves, forest floor and blackberries. Salty and savory. Wow.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2014 Cariad is wonderfully expressive, open-knit and gracious. Sweet floral and spice notes give the 2014 much of its aromatics, while fruit is bright, vibrant and intense. I imagine the 2014 will drink well pretty much upon release. Today, the 2014 is showy, plush and inviting, but there is also plenty of depth to back it all up. Although I wouldn’t dream of opening any of the 2014s early, but if I had to choose one wine to open before the others, this would be it. Cariad is a blend of fruit from several David Abreu ranches, with Madrona Ranch as the central component.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2014 Proprietary Red Cariad, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon but also contains important percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is made from purchased fruit from David Abreu’s vineyard holdings on Howell Mountain and in St. Helena. This wine offers loads of unsmoked cigar tobacco, melted licorice, charcoal embers, blackberry and mulberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning intensity, impressive equilibrium, and well-integrated acidity and tannin. It is another beauty, obviously coming from first-growth terroirs. This should drink beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPA big, rich, deep and caressing style, with wonderful textural nuances that smooth out the chewy dark berry, graphite, gravel and black licorice flavors. Most impressive on the finish, which sails along, gaining depth and persistence. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2038. 810 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Ripe and fruity, the wine is a great success. It has juicy berry fruits that are underpinned by the firm tannins and mineral structure. It is full while also crisp: a wine that is deliciously perfumed. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe complex savory, herbal and earthy nose leads into a medium-bodied wine with some real concentration and a nice freshness on the finish, where there are some serious but well-integrated tannins. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2014 de Fieuzal is a bold, racy wine. Sweet red cherry, iron, smoke and tobacco give the wine its distinctive flavor profile. The tannins have softened quite a bit over the last 18 months, which has allowed the fruit to show lovely succulence and creaminess. Drink this juicy Pessac-Leognan now and over the next handful of years. There is plenty to like in this expressive sleeper wine for the vintage. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGClosed black cherry aroma, not generous now but there is subdued power and tannic hold. House style is evident: firm and big, less lift than other Pessac estates, but the dark, bristling fruit is obvious and there is excellent potential for ageing. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2014 De Fieuzal was following the Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and frankly that’s a difficult act to follow. It certainly does not possess the same precision of fruit concentration, perhaps enduring a reticent, broody stage of its evolution. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and well-judged acidity. Here perhaps more representative of the wine, building in the mouth towards a lovely cedar-tinged finish, leaving you on a high note. Hopefully the aromatics will develop with bottle age and then it will merit a higher score.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90+ RP-NMRipe, fleshy and fun, with lots of friendly blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry preserve notes gliding through, structured by refined tannins and backed by light tar, anise and black tea details. Best from 2018 through 2024. 665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dark black cherry in color, this wine has a nose of Chambord, dark chocolate and violet. It is smooth at first sip, with notes of chocolate and coffee that fill the palate and are quickly joined by clove, black plum and cassis flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBrooding depth with excellent complexity. There’s an attractive umami touch along with notes of dried black mushrooms, dark spices, pine cones, dark chocolate, focused blackberries and dark cherries. It has a full body and fine-veined tannins. Juicy, fleshy and long, but still quite reserved. An exemplary, well-rounded Rioja gran reserva that’s already approachable, but will improve in the next four to eight years.James Suckling | 94 JS

The classic blend for Figeac with its 32% of Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc gives a beautifully dense wine with great tannins. The wine is perfumed while the complex tannins are finely cushioned by the generous black fruits and acidity. It is a wine for long-term aging. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Figeac has a classic Saint-Émilion bouquet with pure raspberry and crushed strawberry scents, wet stone and smoke, wonderfully defined and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, poised and focused, good backbone with a linear and precise finish that suggests it will require several years in bottle. It is predestined to be overshadowed by the subsequent 2015 and 2016, but you would be foolish to ignore this gem. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2014 Figeac builds on its promise from barrel and delivers a very fulfilling bouquet with red plum, crushed strawberry, cedar and light graphite aromas that I suspect will close down for a period after bottling. (The bottle tasted at the château displayed a subtle incense aroma.) The palate is very well defined with a crisp line of acidity, sorbet fresh in the mouth and fanning out towards its structured, tensile finish. It is a great Figeac, a superb forerunner to the brilliant 2015 and it should not be underestimated. Chapeau winemaker Frédéric Faye and his team. Tasted twice (both in London and at the property) with consistent notes.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMShows cocoa and espresso edges along the core of dark currant and fig fruit, with lots of loamy depth on the finish. Notes of tobacco and warm stone are already emerging, but this will still need some time to muscle into harmony. Best from 2024 through 2037. 8,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2014 Château Figeac had a tough act to follow coming after the 2015 yet it showed beautifully, with the finesse, elegance, and purity that’s the hallmark of the vintage. Black fruits, charcoal, truffle, and tobacco notes are all present in this nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied Figeac which is beautifully balanced and long. Drink it anytime over the coming 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the palate, the subdued fruit on the attack is a reminder that the right bank struggled in 2014 to achieve the same level of success as the exceptional 2015s and 2016s. But this is not a wine to dismiss in any way. A blend of 40% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc, there is dark cassis fruit here, with well-worked silky tannins and a restrained elegance that is given a smile by a coffee bean and smoked almond edge. A well placed wine, working cleverly within its confines, not overstepping them, with huge potential for enjoyment. Drink in six to eight years, as this needs to soften a little.Decanter | 93 DECThe open nose of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry and bitter chocolate pulls you into this ample St.-Emilion that has a very satisfying interplay of sweet fruit and moderately dry tannins. Has only just shaken off the first phase of youthful effusiveness, but still has plenty of life left in it. Long, quite dry finish with a delicate mint-chocolate note. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 93 JS

Blueberries, tar and licorice on the nose. Full-bodied, solid and dense. Velvety tannins. Long finish. Down on this! Needs at least two or three years to soften.James Suckling | 95 JSStill dry and concentrated and with swathes of rich tannins, the wine is dark and dense. The undertow of ripe black fruit is impressive. It obviously has considerable aging potential, Drink this serious wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2014 Giscours has a slightly muddled bouquet with tertiary/woodland scents infusing the broody black fruit, austere but attractive. With aeration it seems to find its groove and develop more clarity and detail. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, supple and focused. There is lovely balance and poise to this Giscours, with a tensile and precise finish that lingers long in the mouth. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2014 Giscours has come on leaps and bounds since I tasted it twice in barrel. It is clearly more sophisticated and complex than the du Tertre on the nose. For a start, there is more fruit concentration with red cherries, raspberry and blackcurrant laced with cedar and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, pure red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit with a precise finish that the property never used to be able to offer. This is a lovely Margaux that should drink well for 20 years.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThis shows a caressing feel from the start, with alluring black tea and incense notes weaving around lightly macerated plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors. A floral accent gilds the finish. Pretty wine. Best from 2018 through 2028. 23,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSElegant, crunchy black fruits on the nose and florality and ripeness on the palate. Typical classy Giscours with seductive charm and elegant tannins. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC