Saint Emilion Wines

wines

I have never tasted such an impressive Clos Fourtet. I had it on three different occasions, and it was consistently brilliant. The stunning black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of sweet blueberry/blackcurrant fruit interwoven with wet steel/mineral-like scents, and subtle oak. Hugely concentrated, yet only medium-bodied, this dense, thick, gorgeously pure, well-balanced wine is the finest Clos Fourtet made in the last 3-4 decades. Although there is plenty of tannin, it is sweet as well as beautifully integrated, so I suspect this wine will evolve more rapidly than many wines of this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.Robert Parker | 90-92 RP

A fine wine, this dark purple-colored effort reveals black raspberry, blackberry, mineral, and floral aromas in its complex, multidimensional bouquet. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied, with sweet, ripe fruit, firm tannin, good acidity, and a long, well-endowed, moderately tannic finish. Moreover, it will be a long-lived wine. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.Robert Parker | 91 RPExcellent ruby-red. Dark berries, licorice and minerals on the nose. Tightly wrapped and firmly minerally in the mouth, with a note of shoe polish. Extremely primary for the vintage. Plenty of richness here. Finishes with toothdusting tannins and excellent length.Vinous Media | 90+ VMPure fruit on the nose, with violet, berry and raspberry aromas. Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, polished finish. Super well done for the vintage. Drink now through 2005.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Good deep ruby. Complex, sauvage aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and leather. Soft, sweet and expressive; shows a considerably stronger animal aspect than either Canon La Gaffeliere or Mondotte, Stephan von Neipperg other St. Emilion wines. Quite suave and fresh for the year. Finishes long and ripely tannic. Half of this wine was fermented in wood cuves, which von Neipperg feels has resulted in a more successful integration of the tannins.Vinous Media | 89-90 VM

A super-silky red with notes of stone, limestone, cedar and plum. Full-bodied but so polished. The length and complexity are amazing. Just opening now.James Suckling | 99 JSSaturated deep ruby, much darker and brighter than the other vintages tasted. Sappy, fresh aromas of boysenberry, cassis, minerals, bitter chocolate and espresso, with complicating notes of underbrush and earth. Extremely pure and penetrating, with fruit of steel and a powerful mineral underpinning. Finishes with strong, firm tannins and great persistence. Essence of Ausone, without the funkiness shown by so many past vintages of this wine. Offers exciting potential. Drink 2008 to 2030.Vinous Media | 95+ VMDark ruby color. Aromas of lavender, violet, mint and crushed berries. Full-bodied, with polished, chewy tannins and lots of mint, blackberry and wet earth flavors. Goes on and on. Tight and powerful. Needs a long time to open still.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSReaders should not hesitate to check out Ausone’s new second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone. It reveals Ausone’s minerality, finesse, and quality presented in a lower-keyed, more open-knit style.A dense opaque purple color offers up restrained, but pure aromas of liquid minerals, blackberries, black raspberries, and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, with high tannin but a long, super-pure, symmetrical mouth-feel, this dazzling, extremely complex Ausone requires 6-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.Robert Parker | 94 RPNo written review provided. | 94 W&S

The 1998 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-brick in color and absolutely explodes with scents of exotic spices, incense, dried roses, cigar box and licorice, with a core of crème de cassis and dried cherries plus touches of black tea and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with rich, plushly textured fruit and then POW—it hits the mid-palate with an explosion of Chinese five spice and floral perfume sparks, leading to an epically long finish. This cannot fail to impress and can easily cellar for another 30 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother perfect wine is the 1998 Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is the usual blend of 55/45 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Possessing an utterly captivating bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, forest floor, spice and dried flowers, it packs plenty of muscle and depth on the palate, yet is also expansive, elegant and seamless, with no hard edges. Just singing, with everything you could want; complexity, richness, elegance, depth, and length, drink this sensational beauty any time over the coming two decades. I’m sure it will keep longer, but why in the world would you wait.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe reference chateau of the vintage, this wine is showing its class here and then some. It was the first year with Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère as owners, with Pierre Lurton coming onboard from his former role at Clos Fourtet. 10% press wine was used, whereas today they use no press wine in the grand vin. It was aged in 100% new oak. The 36ha of vines yielded 32hl/ha, closer to their average than the relatively abundant 1989). The holdings have since expanded to 39ha with the addition of 3ha from Tour du Pin Figeac. 67% of production went in to the grand vin, the rest into Petit Cheval. This is seductive and rich but with a purity and precision. There’s more Merlot in the blend than is typical because the clay soils produced the best quality grapes, and you can see its impact in the textural density - the proximity to Pomerol comes through. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036Decanter | 100 DECAromas of blueberry, sweet tobacco, leather and pipe tobacco turning to raisins and Christmas cake. What a wine. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a very well-integrated palate. Dark color. A big and powerful wine still. Blockbuster. Massive. Just a baby.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2013. 8,330 cases made, 1,600 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAromas of rose petal and hints of fresh herbs such currant leaf. Tobacco, too. Medium body, very fine tannins and a balanced fruit. Extremely refined and polished. A beautiful harmony. So lovely now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 1998 Cheval Blanc has been a lauded wine ever since release. I have often, quite controversially felt that it never quite matched its startling performances in its first ten years, though it remains and excellent wine. Now at 20-years old it offers opulent, high-toned scents of maraschino cherry, iodine, crème de cassis, dried blood and a subtle, almost Provençal herb-like scent courtesy of the Cabernet Franc. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip, showy compared to other vintages of Cheval Blanc with sappy red fruit and a fine structured that lends this 1998 focus. Perhaps this bottle did not quite deliver the intensity on the finish that I was expecting, "jogging" instead of "sprinting" over the finish line. That said, it is a very impressive wine, even if personally I would not put it amongst the very best wines that Pierre Lurton has overseen. Tasted at Cheval Blanc.Vinous Media | 95+ VMNo written review provided. | 95 W&S

One of the wines of the tasting, this has standout quality and is certainly impressive in terms of (relative) value, holding its own next to Figeac and Cheval Blanc. The 17 days over 38°C in August meant the limestone soils were key, as in 1989. It’s a beautiful wine, luscious, juicy and rich in black fruits, and still young. The Lurtons owned Clos Fourtet until 1998, when it went to the Cuveliers, so this was Pierre Lurton’s last vintage as director - and this means he had a hand in two wines in this line up, which must be pretty unusual! Harvest took place from 28 September to 4 October. Aged in 90% new oak.Decanter | 97 DECGorgeous violet, mineral, tobacco and berry character. Full-bodied, with extremely well-integrated tannins, a very silky mouthfeel and a long finish. Best after 2007. 5,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA strong effort from Clos Fourtet, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers pure blackberry and cherry aromas with subtle wood and licorice in the background. Medium-bodied, exceptionally pure, with low acidity as well as silky tannin, this sexy offering is ideal for drinking now and over the next 14-15 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Pungent aromas of ripe fruit and white truffles, turning to blueberry. Full and very ripe, with velvety tannins and a long, lightly raisiny finish. Open it and see.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 9,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA wine of beautiful purity, symmetry, and grace, this complex, dark purple-colored 1998 reveals abundant quantities of black fruits infused with notions of new oak and graphite, medium to full body, sweet tannin, admirable elegance, and beautiful richness. Anticipated maturity: now-2015Robert Parker | 90 RP

Unbelievable nose of black truffle, meat and blackberry. Breathtaking. Full-bodied and very tight, with superpolished tannins and a finish that goes on for minutes. Really is exceptional. Still a baby; give it years. I am blown away. Keeps coming with truffles. Every time I taste it, it gets better.Wine Spectator | 98 WSAn amazing tour de force in winemaking, this massive, opaque black/purple-colored offering boasts an extraordinarily pure nose of black fruits intermixed with cedar, vanillin, fudge, and espresso. It is unctuously-textured, with exhilarating levels of blackberry/cassis fruit and extract, as well as multiple dimensions that unfold on the palate. The 50-second finish reveals moderately high tannin. Despite its similarity to dry vintage port, it is not a wine to drink early. It is a colossal wine! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035. The ultimate garage wine, La Mondotte is ultra-concentrated, frightfully expensive, yet worth every cent.Robert Parker | 96 RPFull medium ruby. Blackberry, plum syrup, licorice and a whiff of truffle on the nose. Bright, deep flavors of black fruits and game. A very powerful, muscular style of St. Emilion, with a stronger impression of acidity than the ’99. Distinctly tough on the back end, which features chewy, slightly drying tannins that will require patience. This was bottled in June of 2000, a bit earlier than the previous two vintages of this super-cuvee.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

The 1998 Pavie is deep garnet-brick in color. So much fruit comes charging out of the gate here: profound crème de cassis, baked blackberries and blackberry preserves with notions of beef dripping, crushed rocks, unsmoked cigar, sandalwood and dried lavender. Big, rich and beautifully impactful, it is completely packed with taut, muscular black and blue fruit preserves, maintaining nice firm grainy tannins with layer after layer of exotic spices, meat and earth notions, finishing epically long and minerally. Should easily continue to cellar for 25+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe first vintage for Gérard Perse, the 1998 Pavie is drinking beautifully today and offers a layered, rich, yet seamless and elegant character. Blackcurrants, new leather, tobacco, chocolate, and dried flowers characteristics all emerge from this beauty and it has sweet tannins, a flamboyant, sexy texture, and no hard edges. It’s mature yet youthful and fresh, and unquestionably has another 15-20 years of life.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDNo written review provided. | 95 W&SLovely, and in a great spot now. The mulled currant, fig and boysenberry fruit is fully into its secondary phase, while the backdrop of singed cedar and alder notes plays a supporting role. Keeps a fresh tobacco accent through the finish, with a lingering graphite echo.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2025. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1998 Pavie was Gerard Perse’s second vintage after buying the property and it was actually matured in 200% new oak. Now at two decades, it continues to be attired with a fresh and very attractive bouquet, blackberry, mulberry, clove and bay leaf, just a touch of Italian delicatessen in the background. I like the definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and a keen thread of acidity, quite classic in style with tobacco and a light seaweed influence towards the persistent finish. This is ageing supremely well and you can another 10 to 15 years of drinking pleasure here. Excellent. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis was always a little overwooded with dark berries, toasted oak and a smoky finish. Fresh aromas. Full and chewy. Very flavorful all the same. Little dry. Holding on. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSCurrent proprietor Gérard Perse had just purchased Château Pavie in 1998, so this was his first vintage at the estate. For his inaugural vintage, he brought in Alain Reynaud to make the wine at Pavie, before eventually shifting gears in the cellar and hiring Michel Rolland. I had been reasonably impressed with this wine the last time I drank it, where it was served blind and I guessed it to be a more modern Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. This time around it was still solid, but had not developed any further complexity since that previous sighting several years ago and one has to wonder if this wine has anywhere to go during its time in bottle? The bouquet is deep, ripe and fairly powerfully-extracted in personality (but still extremely restrained in comparison to a wine such as the 2010 here), delivering scents of black cherries, dark berries, a bit of creosote, cigar wrapper, road tar and smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very well-balanced for modern Pavie, with a good core, firm tannins and a long, ripe and focused finish. This is a pretty good wine, but it truly lacks any vestiges of developmental complexity on either the nose or palate. Following in the flight after Canon and Figeac, the 1998 Pavie makes a pretty convincing argument for the startling superiority of the old school over the modern in Saint Émilion. (Drink between 2030-2060)John Gilman | 91 JG

Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries and vanilla, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, with lovely, sweet fruit and layers of velvety tannins. Goes on and on. Give this time, but beautifully balanced.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012. 830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAnother quasi-garage wine made from 10.6 acres of vines planted with 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, this wine enjoys malolactic fermentation in barrel, aging on its lees, and while unfined, does receive a light filtration.A superb effort, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers gorgeous aromas of flowers, blackberries, cherries, smoke, licorice, and spice box. It is deep, succulent, medium to full-bodied, with decent acidity, superb purity, and a creamy texture. Tannin is present, but it is well-integrated and balanced by the wine’s depth. Anticipated maturity: now-2014.Robert Parker | 90 RPMedium ruby. Plum, raspberry and graphite on the nose. Very silky and plummy, with excellent depth of flavor but very good rather than outstanding complexity. Suggestions of surmaturite give this a slight heaviness. "Very ripe but a bit simple and lacking something," notes Prissette, adding that the ’99 conveys a stronger impression of the site.Vinous Media | 90 VM

An earthy red with dried meat and ripe fruit. Full body and smoky character with mushroom and smoked-tea undertones. Chewy finish still. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine has a very youthful color and seems to be close to full maturity, without the density of the 1998, or its successor, the perfect 2000. It has abundant foresty notes, plenty of spice box, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, some background toasty oak, medium to full body and sweet tannin. A very delicious wine, it offers a complex and fragrant style. It should be drunk over the next 12-15 yearsRobert Parker | 92 RPThe 1999 Pavie shows very similarly to another ex-château bottle encountered a few months earlier. It has an attractive bouquet that has mellowed in recent years, notes of bacon fat and mint infusing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, red fruit, a touch of hung game and a tarry finish that does not convey the same level of freshness and delineation as the 1998 and 2000 do nowadays. A seductive Pavie, though less turbocharged than subsequent vintages. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMA relatively forgotten year sandwiched between the great ’98 (for the Right Bank) and ’00, this is gentle, with mulled plum and red currant fruit supported with light cedar and alder notes. Mature, with dried tobacco and a flash of earth through the finish. Not in the league of the other wines in this flight, but, notably, it doesn’t feel as if this wine was overdone; rather, it’s an accurate expression of the vintage.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2020. 1,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This opaque, purple-colored 1999 boasts a gorgeous nose of blueberry liqueur intermixed with cedar, spice box, coffee, and cassis. It is extremely supple-textured, spicy, with an expansive, savory, full-bodied palate, no hard edges, and a finish that lasts for nearly 35 seconds. This is an amazing wine for the vintage. It will be at its finest between 2003-2018. A brilliant effort!Robert Parker | 94 RPFull ruby-red. Bright, fruit-driven aromas of raspberry, plum and cassis, with a floral nuance. Concentrated, primary and strong in extract; shows impressive texture and depth for the year. Finishes persistent and minerally, with substantial tannins supported by the wine solid middle-palate material. A strong showing.Vinous Media | 90-91 VM

This wine is superb. With its power and structure it will age over 20 years or more. Backed by blackcurrant and jelly flavors, it shows great fruity attractiveness even at this early stage in its development. It will develop slowly and evenly to become a reference point for the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEI love the chocolate and blackberry character, with hints of cedar. Nicely perfumes. Full and very creamy, with soft tannins and a long finish. The tannins compliment the creamy texture perfectly, wait two more years to pull the cork. 2012.James Suckling | 94 JSThis elegant St.-Emilion has filled out nicely over the last decade. From barrel and post-bottling, I thought it might turn out austere, but that does not appear to be the case. It offers a deep ruby/purple color as well as copious aromas of black cherries, crushed rocks, and earthy undertones. While not a blockbuster, it is beautifully balanced and pure, revealing slightly more depth and richness than I expected. Drink it now and over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

A wine of exquisite aromatic depth and grace, the 2000 Cheval Blanc is fully captivating. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. It’s frankly hard to move past the 2000 Cheval, because at this point, I want nothing to compete with it.Vinous Media | 100 VMComing out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPClosed and backward over the past decade, the 2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc seems to have turned the corner and is drinking spectacularly well today, with the hallmark elegance and complexity of this estate front and center. Sweet red and black fruits, spice box, dried flowers, and forest floor notes all develop with time in the glass, and it has a balanced, resolved style on the palate that’s a joy to drink. The 2000 is blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, and while mature, it has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDIn 2000, it seems the Cabernet Franc made Cheval Blanc. It has given a mysterious, wonderful perfume to the intense richness of the Merlot. It has less of the explosive power of Ausone, it is more subtle and elegant, reserving its explosion of richness for the end, when a welter of black fruits seems to go on for ever.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDeep to very deep red. Sumptuous aromas of raspberries, blackberries, and menthol, full ripe and perfumed but restrained. The rich attack still shows powerful tannins, and youthful, firm acidity. It’s taut and spicy, subtle and complex, with tension on the finish, which is very long. Drinking Window 2015 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECNo written review provided. | 95 W&SA light menthol hint gives way to bay and tobacco leaf notes, which hold steady throughout, while the core of dark currant and fig fruit flavors takes on a warm, macerated, almost hedonistic feel. The finish has a tarry hint but is very polished and refined overall, with finely beaded acidity and a light iron accent. This is so caressing and languid, you almost lose sight of how long it is. Lovely.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA very nice nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, and flowers. Full bodied and smokey, with a meaty, mushroom, tobacco, and berry character. Wonderfully long, long finish to this muscular wine with fine tannins. This is still evolving but needs another five or six years. Find the wineJames Suckling | 94 JS

Readers who require immediate gratification will dislike this wine, which is one of the most concentrated behemoths and tannic blockbusters of the vintage. This is very much in keeping with the proprietor’s intention to make wines such as they made in the 19th century, and ones that can last 50+ years. Still young, with plenty of noticeable new oak, this 2000 tastes like a 3 to 4-year old St.-Emilion. Plenty of barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberry, and plum characteristics are present in both the aromatics and flavors of this broodingly backward, massive monster. While fascinating, it is not for everybody. I originally gauged its maturity to be around 2010, but I would push that back to 2015-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RP

A full-bodied red with soft and silky tannins that gives the wine definition and brightness. Savory and fresh. Beautiful now.James Suckling | 93 JSA revelation, this stunning wine (also reasonably priced) has turned out to be even better than I thought. Opaque purple-colored, with gorgeous ripeness and richness, a big, sweet mid-palate, and a seamless finish revealing loads of fruit, chocolate, glycerin, and ripe tannin, this opulently-styled 2000 will have few detractors. It is hard not to be totally seduced by this effort. Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez and his omnipresent oenologist, Michel Rolland. Bravo! Anticipated maturity: Now-2015.Robert Parker | 91 RP

This is a big upgrade for this spectacular micro-cuvee, a true garage wine from a 4.4-acre vineyard. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, I always find Gracia to be reminiscent of Ausone. The dense, rich 2000 reveals notes of a spring flower garden intermixed with smoky barbecue meat, blackberries, black currants, and crushed rocks. The extraordinary perfume is followed by a wine of great depth and richness, full-bodied power, and not a hard edge to be found. This velvety blockbuster is just beginning to strut all its stuff, and should age easily for another 15+ years.Robert Parker | 96 RPBright medium ruby. Superripe, slightly medicinal kirsch aroma, complicated by licorice, earth and exotic oak tones. Plump and smooth, with impressively concentrated flavors of liqueur-like black raspberry and black cherry. Finishes with big, dusty, late-arriving tannins and a note of roast coffee. Considerably less primary than the 2001 and 2002 vintages, but undeniably sweet and fat.Vinous Media | 91 VM

From a difficult vintage with destructive hailstorms and botrytis, the 2000 Cristal opens with an elegant and delicate bouquet with brioche, ripe apple, green olive and iodine aromas. Complex and very salty, with oyster and umami flavors, this is a generous and very long Cristal that is excellent with Japanese food, such as sashimi for example, as chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon said during the tasting in New York in November 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSadly now in something of a lacklustre phase, but on first tasting this was delightfully sensual, seductively mellow and silkily replete with honey-toffee notes. At that stage the fruit was young and bursting with energy, with tones of spring flowers, gooseberries, papaya, redcurrants, pineapple and mango.Decanter | 95 DECRiper and richer than the 2002 Cristal, this wine has a substantial structure to hold its sensuous, pearlike fruit in place. Tropical notes of guava contribute to the vinous impression, as does the foresty mushroom savor. Haute couture to drink now, this will develop deeper complexities with age.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SBright gold. Deep, subtly smoky nectarine and musky yellow plum aromas are energized by a suave mineral quality. Broad and fleshy, with deep, chewy pear, pit fruit and buttered toast flavors. A serious style, with velvety texture and excellent finishing punch. This has the concentration to repay cellaring but is open-knit enough to enjoy on the young side.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis is a lightweight Cristal, floating and fresh, without the punch this great wine can have from Pinot Noir. It is also way too young. To taste, there is good balance, but the persistent grapefruit flavor shows the wine’s youth.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis goes for personality and finesse. An assertive, honeyed style, with plenty of citrus flavors. Mature coffee and roasted nut accents are peeking through, with a robust structure and a dried citrus aftertaste. Drink now through 2025. 32,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Made in an over-the-top style that seems to get more classic as the wine ages, this special cuvee from the Fombrauge vineyard (made by Michel Rolland for Bernard Magrez) reveals a dense plum/purple color in addition to a big, sweet nose of camphor, creosote, blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast, graphite, and toasty oak, and a phenomenally layered, full-bodied, rich mouthfeel. I thought this 2000 would be close to full maturity by 2006, but it remains surprisingly youthful. It should drink well for 20-25 more years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 98 RPDecadent and rich with lots of dried mushroom, meat and ripe fruit character. Full body, silky and refined tannins and a flavorful finish. Gorgeous now.James Suckling | 94 JSOn the dark side of the profile, but alluring, with freshly brewed espresso and smoldering charcoal notes leading the way to a core of steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors. The finish is driven by graphite, with a noticeable tobacco edge starting to emerge. Very solid.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 123 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Although still youthful, I do not think the 2000 Monbousquet will develop much more complexity. It is a seductive, rich, generously endowed effort revealing plenty of spice box, herb, black currant, kirsch, espresso, and toasty oak characteristics in a decidedly modern, but opulent, fleshy style. Enjoy this endearing, long, velvety-textured St.-Emilion over the next decade.Robert Parker | 93 RPBright ruby-red. Roasted currant and black cherry scents complicated by sexy oak. At once chewy and silky in the mouth, with complex, fresh flavors of plum, redcurrant, vanilla, coffee, smoky oak and woodsy underbrush. Finishes sweet and long, with thoroughly ripe tannins. This was bottled in February of this year after 28 months in barrel; it wasn’t too long ago that this wine received barely 18 months of elevageVinous Media | 92 VM

My all-time favorite vintage of Tertre-Roteboeuf, the 2000 should age much more consistently than the rather irregular 1990 or the top-notch 1989. The 2005 should give it a run for its money down the road, but at present, this wine is performing fabulously well. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color along with notes of kirsch liqueur and licorice. This St.-Emilion could pass for a great Chateauneuf du Pape or top-notch Musigny, although it has more power and depth than a burgundy, and none of the peppery/garrigue characteristics of a Rhone. Nevertheless, there is a sweet character from the high glycerin level as I suspect the alcohol content exceeds 14%. Velvety textured and full-bodied, but surprisingly youthful, this stunningly rich wine can be drunk now, but promises to last another two decades.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2000 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is instantly captivating on the nose of gushing red cherries, crushed overripe strawberry, orange pith and violet scents, very Burgundy-like in terms of purity and very well defined. The palate is harmonious, sensual, silky-smooth and kept on an even keel by its fine acidity. Notes of allspice, black pepper and clove emerge. If I were to quibble, maybe it does not quite deliver the complexity you might anticipate on the finish, yet texturally this is an irresistible Saint-Émilion with grace and poise.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Extremely young with an unbelievable deep purple color, the 2000 Troplong Mondot has hardly budged since I tasted it in 2003. Two recent tastings confirmed that this is the greatest Troplong Mondot between their profound 1990 and more recent vintages such as 2005, 2008, and 2009. Copious chocolate, graphite, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and ink characteristics are present in this full-bodied, powerful, massive St.-Emilion. While the tannins are noticeable, they are better integrated than they were seven years ago, and the fruit, extract, and richness clearly outweigh the wine’s structure. This 2000 will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring (longer than I originally predicted), and has at least two decades of drinkability ahead of it.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Troplong Mondot is another vintage that I have not tasted for a long time. This includes some Cabernet Sauvignon that was north-facing and subsequently removed for the 2001. The youthful bouquet of black cherries, cassis, marmalade and blood orange is vibrant and precocious and shows fewer secondary aromas than some of its peers. It opens nicely to reveal camphor and star anise aromas, almost Rhône-like. The palate is chewy, quite dense and backward but initially lacks a bit of charm. Licorice and sloes come through. Slightly granular in texture, it feels tight at first, but it deserves applause for its freshness and improves with aeration, loosening up and finally developing that missing charm.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SA soft, rich wine that bears all the classic qualities of the Valette family’s winery - a strength of line along and complexity. The fruit is ripe, ultra-generous, but is still tempered with layers of acidity and soft tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WELovely berry, cherry and spice, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a pretty mineral and berry aftertaste. A sexy and refined red. Best after 2009. 7,080 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS