Saint Emilion

wines

Inky, bluish/black/purple, with notes of spring flowers, licorice, camphor, graphite, and a boatload of blueberry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit, this is a powerful, full-bodied Troplong Mondot. All the building components of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol are judiciously and impressively integrated. It is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente with the consultancy help of Michel Rolland. I-m not sure what the heady alcohol level is in Troplong Mondot in 2010 (it certainly must be in the 15%+ range), but it is well-concealed behind the extravagant, richness, full-bodied power, and pure nobility of this majestic wine. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades.An absolutely stunning wine from this estate, which seems to be on a mission to produce exquisite world-class wines with enormous aging potential, the 2010 is showing better from bottle than it even did from barrel.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2010 Troplong Mondot, which clocks in at 15.8% alcohol no less, actually has developed an elegant bouquet with perfumed red berry fruit laced with rose petal, sous-bois and pencil box aromas, focused and quite delineated. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. There is a fair whack of new oak and alcohol evident here, but that velvety finish and its persistence will be irresistible to those that like almost "brash" Saint-Émilions. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VMRipe and dense, but very vibrant and energetic, as a torrent of cassis, blackberry coulis and fig paste rushes through, framed by enticing black licorice and evenly roasted alder and juniper notes. The long finish has lots of grip and acidity, but they work together and are deeply embedded. Captures the fruit and structure of the vintage superbly. Best from 2015 through 2030. 6,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSVery intense blackberry and blueberry character on the nose. Full body with super refined tannins and beautiful fruit. So delicious and pretty. Very rich and a little high-octane. Yet luscious and flamboyant. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSOne of the wines that I was most excited about retasting, just to check in on how this older style of Troplong has aged. The fruit factor here centres on fig and prunes, it is impressive, broad shouldered, concentrated and full of exotic spicing. No one would say this won’t make an impression on a table, but you feel the manipulation, it is far from effortless. Higher alcohol evident, in a way that is rare in this vintage that has everything turned up to the max, and frankly 16%abv is extremely hard to reconcile with the balance that most people look for in Bordeaux. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040Decanter | 92 DECClocking in at 16%, this is a massive wine. Heady smoky wood aromas have given the wine a dry character. The immense palate has bitterness, extract and a solid core of tannins. It has considerable weight, just beginning to develop, although the alcohol does show through at the end.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

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

A big, bold wine with unbelievable power and concentration. Low yields and a dominance of Cabernet Franc have produced an immensely concentrated wine. Still very young, this magnificent wine holds the promise of great aging.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2010 Ausone struck me as another brilliant, potentially perfect wine, which should come as no shock to people who have been following Vauthier’s work over the last decade or more. Backward and intense, this wine offers up notes of crushed chalk/rock mineralilty interwoven with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis as well as some graphite and vanillin. It is incredibly rich but at the same time precise, fresh and vivacious. This is a super wine, but it will require enormous patience from its potential suitors. Forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 50+ years.One of the other perfectionist, compulsive producers in St.-Emilion is Alain Vauthier, who is now capably assisted by his daughter.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe nose is so deep and almost endless with dried strawberries, blueberries, and incense. Citrus too. Some prunes. Full body, with chewy yet polished tannin quality and tension. Beautiful focus and balance with a richness and delicacy at the same time. Something almost Burgundian. It's the purity of fruit. 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2010 Ausone has a rich, opulent, modern style bouquet with crème de cassis and blueberry aromas tinged with crushed violet. There is plenty of new oak here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a ton of blue and black fruit. It does not quite deliver the personality of its peers, although the velvety texture is very alluring. Maybe it will develop into something more interesting with bottle age, possibly going through a close phase? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94+ VMVery sappy and intense, offering racy red licorice, red currant and violet notes, with nice taut acidity and a long, minerally finish. Combines power and austerity, with excellent drive. For those who like backbone in their wines.Wine Spectator | 94-97 WS

(Château Canon, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Vivid, crystal-clear fruit aromas, juicy black cherry, ripe plum and succulent blackberry, combining with artisanal dark chocolate, violet and fresh tobacco leaf, making this wine incredibly complex and still very youthful. Its layered and finely textured palate almost hides powerful density, with freshness to balance opulence, leading to a long finish. Serve with beef Wellington. Or cellar for 10 years for more tertiary flavours. (Drink between 2022-2065)Decanter | 98 DECDeep garnet colored, the 2010 Canon features wonderfully expressive notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and baked black cherries with hints of mocha, bay leaves and fallen leaves. Full-bodied, opulent and super spicy, it has a plush texture with a racy line supporting the hedonic fruit, finishing with jaw-dropping persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPWonderful nose with strawberries, cherry blossom, and vanilla. The red opens up with blueberries, milk chocolate and sweet licorice. Full and juicy on palate with pure dark fruit and velvety tannins. So nicely layered texture and long in the finish with red fruit and crushed chalk. The texture is superb. Drink from 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSPowerful, complex and ripe, this is a magnificent and concentrated wine. Juicy blackberry fruits, tight acidity and finely integrated tannins give a smooth, rich texture. This beautiful wine has long-term aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShows the velvety, more hedonistic style that marked the wines under the previous winemaker, with lush blackberry and boysenberry fruit inlaid with ample toast and singed spice, displaying wonderful integration. This has shed some of its flash, as the vintage is big enough to soak it up. Still has a ways to go to.—Non-blind Canon vertical (December 2016). Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Canon) The 2010 Château Canon is one of the absolute successes in the commune in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, powerful and nicely reserved, offering up scents of black cherries, dark berries, menthol, woodsmoke, tobacco ash, soil and just a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, broad-shouldered, full-bodied and impressively pure for the vintage, with a fine core, substantial, ripe tannins, low acids and excellent length and grip on the chewy finish. The blend this year is comprised of seventy-five percent merlot and twenty-five percent cabernet franc and (sadly), one-quarter of the wine’s malo was done in small barrels this year. There is no mention of the wine’s alcohol level in 2010 in the technical data that I received, but it is probably around 14.5 percent. But a noteworthy success. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2010 Canon is a little disappointing on the nose in the context of a strong Right Bank flight. It feels a little loose-knit, lacks the same pixelation as its peers. It almost reminds me of a mature Chambolle-Musigny! The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly minty opening. Matters improve with fine structure, gentle grip and some lovely black truffle notes towards the finish. Perhaps there are better bottles out there? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2010 is one of the most impressive two-year-old Cheval Blancs I have tasted in 34 years in this profession. The final blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot has the tell-tale berry/floral nose with subtle hints of menthol, blueberry, raspberry and flowers in addition to some forest floor and a delicate touch of lead pencil shavings. The wine exhibits more structure and density than it did from barrel, and it was already remarkable then. The foresty/floral notes seem to linger and linger in this surprisingly full-bodied, powerful Cheval Blanc, yet it possesses a very healthy pH that should ensure enormous longevity. Dense purple in color, and a bigger, richer wine than usual, this is one Cheval Blanc that will probably need a decade of cellaring. I like the description from the estate’s administrator, Pierre Lurton, who said it tasted like “liquid cashmere,” a perfect expression, despite the wine’s structure and intensity. This is another 50-year wine from this amazingly structured, rich vintage.Robert Parker | 100 RPShowing even better than a bottle a few years ago, the 2010 Chateau Cheval Blanc is perfection in a glass and wine doesn’t get any better. As with the 2009, it’s a powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc, yet it has a slightly dark, cooler profile in its smoky black fruits, graphite, new leather, crushed rocks and cured meat aromas and flavors. Where the 2009 hits the palate with a sunny, sexy style, this stays more inward and masculine, yet it still has incredible sweetness of fruit, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a great mid-palate, and a finish that goes on for over a minute. It opens up with time in the glass and offers incredible pleasure today, with an exotic masculine yet sexy style, but feel free to enjoy this legendary wine any time over the coming 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe aromas here are crazy with flowers, mushroom, forest floor, and fruit. It seems like I am walking through a row of the vines in Cheval Blanc when I have my nose in the glass. It’s full-bodied, with fabulous layers of ultra-fine tannins and milk chocolate, raspberries, and a phenomenal finish. Truly one of the greatest Chevals ever. Better than 2009. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 100 JSThis is the finest Cheval Blanc for many years. It is, quite simply, magnificent. The wine shows the greatness of Cabernet Franc in the vintage, with 57% of the variety in the blend. It is beautifully structured and perfumed, with velvety tannins, balanced acidity and swathes of black-currant and black-cherry fruits. It’s well on course to becoming a legendary wine.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThis is stone-cold shut down right now, but why worry? You’ll want to wait at least a decade before breaching a bottle as massively endowed as this, with loads of loamy bass notes thumping along underneath a riveting track of licorice snap, pastis-steeped black currant fruit, maduro tobacco and espresso. And then there’s an echo of petrichor at the very end that hints at the aromatic fireworks to come with cellaring. Should compete for wine of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2010 Cheval Blanc has another extravagant bouquet with ample red cherries, raspberry preserve, mulberry, fig and singed leather. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite dense and assertive, backward with a sinewy finish that just feels a little forced compared to some of the other wines in this flight. With time in the glass, the new oak seems to dominate the finish. I have definitely had far superior bottles, but that’s the way it goes. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Cheval Blanc) The 2010 Cheval Blanc is also 14.5 percent in alcohol and was made up with a fairly high percentage of merlot for this estate, with the blend comprised of only fifty-six percent cabernet franc and forty-four percent merlot. It is an extremely powerful young vintage of Cheval Blanc and worlds away from the refined and opulently seductive style of the 2009 here. The bouquet offers up a dense and very ripe blend of black cherries, menthol, coffee bean, a good base of gravelly soil, cigar smoke and new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and seamless on the attack, with plenty of overt ripeness in evidence, a rock solid core of fruit and plenty of substantial, well-integrated tannins on the very long and powerful finish. This will need plenty of time in the cellar to blossom, but should probably turn out to be a fine bottle with sufficient bottle age. It avoids the pitfalls of sur maturité, questionable balance and uncovered alcohol that plague so many of its neighbors in St. Émilion in this vintage, but it is a rather atypically broad-shouldered vintage for this great estate. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 92-93+ JG

The wine has an opaque blue/black color and abundant notes of forest floor, spring flowers, black raspberry and blueberry liqueur in the aromatics along with hints of espresso and white chocolate. The wine is dense, full, rich, unctuously textured and very full-bodied, with its extravagant glycerin, fruit and extract covering the wine’s somewhat tannic structure. This is a bigger, more restrained and structured wine than the outrageously flamboyant and prodigious 2009. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30-40 years.This property has been on fire, qualitatively speaking, for well over a decade. Another compelling effort from the Cuvelier family, the 2010 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc that came in at 14.5% alcohol. Yields were modest at 31 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest was late, starting at the very end of September and not finishing until the beginning of the third week of October.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2010 Clos Fourtet has a well defined and focused bouquet with tarry black fruit, black pepper and tobacco notes, almost equidistant between Left and Right Bank in style. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, supple and underpinned by a fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious towards the finish with well-integrated oak, this is a superb Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery winey, with a saturated, sappy feel as kirsch, blackberry preserves and blueberry coulis notes tumble around, while the frame of charcoal, smoldering tobacco and licorice root keeps them penned together. The tannin structure is significant, but very refined, and that should carry this through extended cellaring while the aromatics and midpalate develop harmony. Best from 2016 through 2030. 4,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA beautiful wine, with everything in the bottle. Blackberries, minerals and blueberries. Full and silky. Long, long finish.James Suckling | 93-94 JSThis chunky, fruity wine is full bodied and rich. It shows all the structure and weight of the vintage allied to ripe black fruits and a dense texture edged with minerality. Still very firm and youthful, it will need many years to mature.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2010 is a more structured, masculine and steely version of the utterly compelling 2009. Tasting like black raspberry confiture with subtle notes of graphite and crushed chalk along with enormous floral notes, the wine displays a slightly smoky character but a voluptuous attack, mid-palate and finish. Its is full-bodied and massively endowed, with every component perfectly etched in this extraordinary wine, which should be drinkable after 7-8 years of bottle age and last for a half-century or more. This is brilliant stuff. Composed of 73% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from yields of 21 hectoliters per hectare, the alcohol is the highest ever registered at Beausejour-Duffau, coming in at 15%, but remarkably, the pH is modest and the acids relatively elevated, giving the wine an astonishing freshness and precision that is hard to believe in view of its power, density and length. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055+.Anyone who has read this publication or visited St.-Emilion knows that this is a magical terroir capable of great things. It was only fully exploited in the past in the 1990 vintage, but has reached more consistently great heights over the last three or four years. Kudos to the duo of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt for what they have achieved over the last few years at Beausejour-Duffau.Robert Parker | 100 RPClearly the best wine from here since 1989 or 1990. The intensity of dark fruits is insane with citrus and flowers as well as dark fruits. Full and lively with a finish that lasts for minutes but it is dense and impressive.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe Left Bank character of this St-Émilion wine is on full display. Concentration and depth, liquorice root and dark bitter chocolate. This is intense and the tannins remain just a little impenetrable. An impressive wine that speaks of its terroir and is packed with estate signature. Will age extremely well (I enjoyed a 100 year old wine from Larcis Ducasse in 2019, and wouldn’t bet against this one making the grade). 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECVivid ruby. Captivating aromas of blackcurrant, red cherry, sweet spices and minerals are complemented by a strikingly pure violet nuance. Enters the mouth lush and concentrated, offering sweet dark berry and coffee flavors lifted by notes of black pepper, graphite and Asian spices. Turns more austere on the back half but remains very pure, hinting at uncommon depth and complexity. This classic, elegantly styled BDL finishes long and crisp, with very polished tannins and floral and mineral echoes.Vinous Media | 95 VMA beautiful, floral-tinged style, with a delightfully expressive core of kirsch and linzer torte that bursts forth, while lots of red licorice, bergamot, black tea and blood orange notes fill in the remaining space. This has terrific range, with a long, creamy finish as well, but don’t be fooled, there’s serious grip in reserve and should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA solid and dense wine, showing the big improvements at this château. It hovers deliciously between acidity and ripe, forward fruit. The touch of smokiness from the wood aging goes with the fragrant, juicy black cherry and berry fruits. The wine will certainly age over many years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

What fun, excitement and joy it will be to compare the four perfect wines Perse has made in 2005, 2009, 2010 and, of course, the 2000, in 25 or so years. This wine is truly profound Bordeaux. Everything is in place – remarkable concentration and a beautiful nose of cedar and ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with some kirsch and spice box in the background. Lavishly rich, with slightly more structure and delineation than the more Rabelaisian 2009, this wine does show some serious tannins in the finish, and comes across as incredibly youthful. Of course, it’s five years old, but it tastes more like a just-bottled barrel sample than a 2010. In any event, this wine is set for a long, long life and should be forgotten for at least another decade. Consume it over the following 75 or more years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Château Pavie is straight-up magical, and while it matches the 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2015, it has a style all its own. (It’s probably most similar to the 2005, yet even more tannic and backward.) Checking in as blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare, it’s still ruby/plum-colored and has a powerful, inward bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, chocolate, and white truffle. Deep, powerful, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly delineated and focused, it’s shed just a touch of the baby fat it had in its youth and still needs another 4-5 years to hit prime time. Given its depth of fruit, flawless balance, and both purity and freshness, it’s going to be a 75- to 100-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis is really exceptional with such freshness, firmness and focus. Full body, incredibly tight tannins and a lengthy finish. Such power and elegance at the same time. The beginning of a new era of Pavie.James Suckling | 99 JSA brick house, still rather tight, with loads of apple wood and juniper flavors holding the core of red currant, blackberry and bitter plum fruit in check. Offers ample grip through the finish, with a mouthwatering chalk, graphite and tobacco spine. A huge wine that hasn’t budged and probably won’t for some time.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2050. 7,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is accomplished and enjoyable, starting to come into its own at ten years old, and very much infused with the limestone impact of its soils. One of my favourite Pavies that scrapes along the palate in that way that just weakens my knees. A style of vintage that suits this property, where the acidity provides a natural break but doesn’t detract from the fruit and concentration. It is exerting its power gently and imperceptibly, turning the screw until the tannins are barring your way at the close of play. Brilliant stuff. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2010 Pavie has a very generous bouquet with intense red cherries, cassis, orange essence and even a hint of dried honey. This is exuberant and very intense. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, wonderful detail and precision. The energy in this Pomerol is palpable and it fans out gloriously towards the finish. This represents one of the best examples of the 2010 Pavie that I have tasted. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis feels very juicy, the fruit almost over-ripe. There is a generous new world feel to it, very opulent, super-rich. Open black plum and damson fruits push through the dark, perfumed tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Excellent nose with dark fruit like plums, blackberries and dark cherries. Full and juicy on the plate with good intensity and velvety tannins. Long and very fine. So pretty and sexy. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSRich, full-bodied, with lots of black currant, black cherry and spice, this is an intriguing, rich, medium to full-bodied wine that has light to moderate tannin to shed. It could well turn out to be one of the best La Couspade’s made to date, and easily over the last 15 to 20 years. This is an absolutely brilliant example from La Couspaude, which usually tends to be a blatantly modern-styled St.-Emilion with lots of smoky oak. The wood is better integrated in the 2010, or is it the fact that the wine is just more concentrated and deeper?Robert Parker | 92 RPLush and dark, with lots of fig, blackberry paste and dark licorice flavors melded together and pushed by smoldering charcoal and dark cocoa notes. This has plenty of heft and a saturated feel, but also ample cut and drive on the finish. Best from 2015 through 2025. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSGood deep red-ruby color. Sexy black raspberry, licorice, tobacco, dried herbs and a Graves-like iron note on the nose and palate, with complementary smoky oak. Rich, vinous and nicely perfumed, conveying a tactile impression of extract and good limestone lift. The raspberry element carries through in the mouth. Finishes subtle and complex, with fine tannins. An excellent vintage for this property, which has cut down on the percentage of new oak since the early ’00s.Vinous Media | 90 VM

From a great, great vintage for all of Bordeaux, the 2010 Pavie Decesse is based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that emerges from a vineyard sitting just above Chateau Pavie and was raised in new French oak. This inky beauty is still a baby yet offers incredible opulence in its huge nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, scorched earth, woodsmoke, chocolate, and graphite. With a distinct sense of minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, good acidity, and a monster of a finish, it is accessible today in a youthful sense yet needs another decade at a minimum to approach maturity. It will be a 50-60+ year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis is fascinating with a nutty, dried herb, spices, berry and hints of toasted character. Full body, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. This has a wonderful density of fruit and length. Amazing. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 97 JSA Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% natural alcohol, the higher percentage of Merlot in this wine than in the Pavie gives it a stunning opulence, thickness and luxuriousness. Opaque purple, with notes of mulberry and kirsch liqueur leaning toward blacker fruits, subtle smoked meats and some lead pencil and vanillin, this is another brawny, full-bodied, yet remarkably precise and fresh style of wine despite its sensational extract and power. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30-40 years.This vineyard has shrunk, as part of it was incorporated into its more famous sibling, Chateau Pavie. It is now 8.5 acres sitting slightly higher on the slope above Pavie.Robert Parker | 96 RP(15% alcohol): Saturated dark ruby. High-toned aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and crushed-rock minerality. Layered and powerful on the palate, but with highly concentrated cassis, black raspberry and dark chocolate flavors energized by pungent chalky minerality and strong acidity. One feels the 15% alcohol in the wine’s sheer size and chewy texture but the impressively long finish shows more tangy energy than heat. Needs five or six years of patience, but this comes across as considerably less tanninc and forbidding than the Pavie.Vinous Media | 94 VMHedonist alert—dense, fleshy layers of fig sauce, warm cocoa, dark currant confiture and exotic spice fill this red, which also shows plenty of grip, with a smoldering wood note on the back end.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WS

Deep rich fruit aromatics on the nose, and a lovely plum colour that is holding firm, barely bricking around the edges. This proves once again that this is just a stellar vintage in Bordeaux, delivering on both banks. It’s high in alcohol and maybe a bit of a gamble to decide when to drink to make the most of the fruit before the alcohol flattens things out on the finish. But, there is definitely depth and width here with dark bitter chocolate notes and frm tannins - plenty to recommend. 50% new oak, harvest September 29 to October 19.Decanter | 93 DECWow. This is unknown with walnut, dark chocolate and dark fruit. Full body, Juicy and sexy. Velvety. Drink now. James Suckling | 93 JSChauvin produces a stylish wine, always exhibiting plenty of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue notes as well as hints of spice box and Christmas fruitcake in a medium to full-bodied, elegant yet savory and expansively textured style. The 2010 has a precociousness that gives it an up-front, sexy appeal, but then clamps down on the palate as the tannins begin to accumulate in the wine’s finish. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 25.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Power combined with elegance in the 2010. A dusting of dark cocoa powder, cola, mint, exotic sweet spices, caramel, toast and blackcurrants on the nose. Juicy and vibrant, more lean than I was expecting, tannins are fine and supportive with clear austerity and bitterness around the edge, giving a spiced frame that lets the fruit pulse through the middle. This is certainly on the intense side, but not weighty at all, concentration balanced by high acidity and a lovely stony minerality underneath that, really puts you in St-Emilion on the terroir. Direct and focussed, precise and lifted with a minty, liquorice finish. Feels like a very representative TrotteVieille though give this more time before opening.Decanter | 96 DECAn extracted wine, showing bitter chocolate as much as fruit. There is a core of dark tannins, very firm, with licorice, wood and a tight texture. Often Trottevieille shows this austerity when young, and this 2010 is no exception. It will develop slowly into a serious and concentrated wine.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEComposed of 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot, the 2010 Trotte Vieille is deep garnet in color and starts off with some sweaty leather notions on the nose, giving way to a core of baked black plums, dried mulberries and fruitcake plus wafts of fallen leaves and tobacco. Full-bodied, the palate has a taut line of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the baked berry layers, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2010 Trotte Vieille is very ripe and almost Mediterranean in style on the nose: black olives and liquorice infusing the rich red fruit, just a hint of hung game in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous, almost Châteauneuf in style with a pinch of spicebox and sage towards the finish. Drinking perfectly now, but where is it going to go? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VMDark and ripe, but nicely polished, with a dark tea and roasted cedar frame to the currant paste and fig notes. The solid finish is well-coated with ganache and smolders nicely with a lingering tobacco hint that should emerge steadily in this slightly old-school version. Best from 2014 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Dense ruby/purple, it tips the scales at 15% natural alcohol and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full-bodied in texture, it offers up loads of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with some cedar, vanilla and a touch of spring flowers. Impressively built, with good acidity and light tannin, this is a superb example of wine that reaches its prime in 3 or 4 years and lasts two decades. It’s right up there with their brilliant 2005.From an estate owned by Dominique and Florence Decoster, this wine has been a real treasure to follow over the last decade. Another over-achieving, brilliant effort from the Decosters, the 2010 from their 45-acre vineyard is a blend of 70% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis for me has a better balance than the 2009, same alcohol but here it is effortlessly eaten up by the rich dark fruits, with cassis, blueberry, bilberry and blackberry all apparent, with texture and juice. It’s gourmet, with a black chocolate, slightly bitter edge, even with traces of menthol as the Cabernets take the lead here. Small yield at 36hl/ha. Harvest October 18 right through to November 5, which sounds extreme but bear in mind this is the cooler section of the plateau back towards the border with Castillon and these soils take longer to fully ripen their grapes. Drinking Window 2019 - 2044.Decanter | 94 DECBlack ruby. Superripe, sexy aromas of blackberry pastille and blueberry. Creamy-sweet-verging-on-confectionery, but with harmonious acidity giving shape and energy to the wine's superconcentrated dark fruit and floral flavors. Best today on the broad, energetic finish, which features substantial ripe, fine-grained tannins and slowly mounting floral persistence. A knockout.Vinous Media | 94 VMWow. This shows an impressive richness on the nose of cappuccino, ripe berries and dried flowers. Full body with velvety tannins and a fine finish. Rich and delicious. Harmonious and luscious. So delicious now but better in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSThis is rich and very plush, but really pure as well, with gorgeous macerated cherry, cassis and blackberry preserves flavors gliding along, carried by remarkably polished tannins. Flecks of bergamot, blood orange and apple wood fill in on the finish, with a fine minerality buried as well. This should be lovely after some cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2030. 6,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this vintage. Dark and almost brooding in style, the Cheval is a rare 2012 that absolutely demands cellaring. Smoke, tobacco, incense and dark spices open up with time, but the 2012 is a reticent, tannic wine that is only showing the barest hints of its ultimate potential. This is a magnificent showing and one of the clear highlights of the year.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA step up over the 2011, the 2012 Chateau Cheval Blanc offers a similar medium to full-bodied, elegant style yet has slightly more freshness and purity. Smoked black fruits, cassis, tobacco leaf, and sappy flower notes all emerge from this thrillingly textured, balanced, focused 2012. It opens up with time in the glass, has ripe, sweet tannins, and it’s another one of those wines that offers pleasure today yet will cruise for decades. The final blend is the usual 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Readers should be happy to have bottles in their cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD(Château Cheval Blanc, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) A beautifully balanced claret with a fragrant silky texture, fine backbone and length on the palate, promising a long life. Not a ‘big’ wine but a delicious one with class. Made in the spanking new cellar (inaugurated June 2011). (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 96 DECMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses wonderful energy and freshness on the palate with a beautifully poised ethereal nature and long mineral-tinged finish. This elegantly crafted beauty should enter its drinking window in a couple of years and cellar gracefully for another 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis wine is gorgeous in all facets, offering a simultaneously loamy and creamy mouthfeel, seamless layers of red and black currant, cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit, and a long, tobacco-fueled finish that features alluring hints of black tea and incense. The fruit and terroir shine in this broad, deep and defined style. Best from 2018 through 2030. 7,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Cheval Blanc) The grand vin here this year is comprised of a blend of fifty-four percent merlot and forty-six percent cabernet franc and was produced from yields of thirty-one hectoliters per hectare. It is a great Cheval Blanc in the making, soaring from the glass in a classic blend of dark berries, mulberries, cigar smoke, espresso, lovely, cabernet franc-derived herb tones, menthol and a stylish base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and seamless, with a youthful personality, superb focus and balance, a fair bit of tannin and outstanding length and grip on the nascently complex and very, very promising finish. There was a pretty wide variety of samples of this wine on display at the château on the damp morning in early April when the estate was playing open house to visiting journalists (I overheard Michel Bettane comment that “every single bottle is different”), and one had to hunt around a bit to find a bottle that was not totally shut down, but the samples that were open for inspection clearly indicated that this will be a great, great vintage of Cheval Blanc. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 95+ JGWith a wonderful 45% blending of fragrant Cabernet Franc, this is a sumptuous, perfumed wine. It’s rich with a velvet texture that hides the dark tannins while bringing out the rich plum flavors. The dense texture is balanced by some fresh acidity and a fruity aftertaste. Drink this deceptively approachable wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA ripe and fleshy St.-Emilion with an excellent interplay of forest berry fruit, bitter chocolate and a whiff of cinnamon and allspice. Lovely, creamy richness on the mid-palate, but also a hint of warmth from alcohol. The supple tannins make for a very smooth finish, but it’s not so complex there. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 93 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

The 2014 Fleur Cardinale is a dark, sumptuous wine. Dark cherry, plum, rose petal, licorice and sweet spices are all pushed forward. Extravagantly ripe and flamboyant, the 2014 hits all the right notes. As always, Fleur Cardinale shows the more overt, opulent side of Saint-Émilion, and yet all the elements are beautifully balanced. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGFantastic aromas of crushed berries, lavender and blueberries. Full-bodied, dense and layered yet always polished and beautiful. Really impressive. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSUp to a full quarter of Cabernet Franc in this vintage, which may have helped bring the alcohol degree down a little. Gorgeous balance, juicy and rich, with blackberry and black cherry. It has plenty of St-Émilion signature, with a powerful gourmet edge as is so often the case with Fleur Cardinale but is elegant and in no way overdone. Flexible tannins, lovely texture; really a wine that is getting into its stride, and here the minerality is clearer, something that can get lost when alcohol levels creep up too high. What you get here instead, is a slightly raspy slate edge to the finish which is extremely moreish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECLush, with lots of warm fig and boysenberry confiture flavors. Shows ample muscle thanks to lots of brambly grip. Mouthfilling licorice root and fruitcake notes grace the finish. Fleshes out well in the glass. A bit of a hefty style, but well done. Best from 2020 through 2030. 8,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Fleur Cardinale is located in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, the vines populating the lieu-dit of Thibaud. it has a powerful, rich and decadent bouquet bestowed with licorice and boysenberry jam. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannin, good depth, fine acidity with a structured and quite spicy finish that replicates the showing from barrel. Enjoy this over the next 8-10 years.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMBold and fruity, this wine is rich with smooth tannins and a fine ripe texture. Powered by its structure and its dark fruits, it is a wine for serious aging. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Has a velvety edge, with notes of steeped plum and warm cherry sauce, flecked with light tobacco and savory hints. Offers a gentle, pretty finish. Drink now through 2024. 3,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe mellow richness and generous scale of this wine helps to keep the tannins in check. Full and juicy. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 90 JS

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

A wine that will be a candidate for perfection at maturity, the 2015 Valandraud is a heavenly wine that exhibits a deep, saturated ruby/purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, crème caramel, graphite, and chocolate. This full-bodied, expansive, super concentrated 2015 is a hedonistic dream and has exceptional purity, balance, and equilibrium. While it offers pleasure today, it needs short-term cellaring and will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2015 Valandraud is blessed with a stunning, brilliantly defined and focused bouquet, quite penetrating in style yet so young and primal. This is all about potential. The palate is supremely well balanced with perfectly assimilated oak, satin-like in texture with wonderful precision and length. About as good as it gets. Class, class, class. Jean-Luc hits the ball out of the park. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMPlenty of toasty oak and extract here. This has immensely concentrated fruits with powerful yet silky tannins. Blackberry and dark-plum aromas dominate the nose with hints of dark chocolate and candied orange. Flavors follow suit amid fluid, muscular tannins that hold long into the finish. Great wine. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSSince the first vintage in 1991, this wine and its vineyard have travelled far. Now close to the top of the classification tree in Saint-Émilion, this vintage shows the impressive nature of this powerful wine. With a good balance between acidity and black fruits backed up by tannins, the wine is powerful and stylish. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEJean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud acquired their first 0.6 hectare site near Château Pavie-Macquin in 1989. They continued to purchase further plots in Saint-Émilion over the years and now own eleven hectares in total. Closely associated with the garagiste movement and much heralded by Robert Parker, the couple’s wines are often described as pioneering. Château Valandraud was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé status in 2012 and has an annual production of 30,000 bottles. The vines are an average of 30 years old and are grown on limestone clay soils.JA: This is an excellent flight so far, real depth and quality on display, gorgeous juice and texture and definition. Persistency through the finish, this hangs on and delivers, clear sapidity and salinity on the finish.AH: Needs a little more time to fully resolve. Firm tannins, quite dry on the palate at the moment. Lots of ripe fruit here, dark berry and plum but restrained oak and potential to age. Tannins a little grainy. Great focus and depth. Classy and memorable.TT: Opaque ruby. Very intense aromatics ranging from violet fragrance to black ink to cherry to allspice. Rich concentrated plum and cherry fruit flavours and velvety fine tannins with a long finish and mouth-filling flavours. (Drink between 2024-2043)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2015 Valandraud is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a profound nose of baked cherries, warm black plums, blueberry preserves and smoked meats with tilled earth, mocha, Indian spices and dried herbs nuances plus a touch of licorice. The mouth is big, full-bodied and powerful with notable, velvety tannins and it is packed with savory and spice flavor layers, finishing with epic length. This big-boned, voluptuous, Rubenesque beauty will blow hedonists’ minds!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPMelted licorice, plum sauce and blackberry puree notes flow through here, with ample but velvety structure running underneath. Alluring ganache, violet and tobacco accents add nuance on the finish. Long and beguiling, featuring echoing fruit and a captivating mouthfeel. Drink now through 2035. 3,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A hold onto your hat wine, the 2015 Château Figeac is pure perfection and one of the wines of this terrific vintage. A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, its deep purple color is followed by a huge nose of crème de cassis, black raspberries, smoked earth, and graphite. This is followed by a full-bodied, opulent and incredibly concentrated Saint-Emilion that has everything in the right places, no hard edges, thrilling purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. This is one of those rare gems that carries huge intensity and richness, yet still glides across the palate with no sense of weight or heaviness. Winemaker Frédéric Faye thinks the 2016 is even better but that certainly isn’t stopping me from giving this crazy good wine a triple digit score. Everyone owes it to themselves to try and taste this wine at least once!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIntense, yet extremely precise nose of red fruit with hints of pomegranate and vanilla. Stunning balance of great ripeness and very fine tannins that give this a wonderfully rich and plush texture at the very long and lingering finish, which gives you so much to think about. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting.James Suckling | 99 JSDominated by the two Cabernets—Sauvignon and Franc—this is a beautifully structured wine. Firm tannins and ripe black currants give a perfumed character that is ripe, dense and impressive. The wine has enormous potential, with great tannins and fruit. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe recent leaps and bounds in improvements that have occurred at this great estate, equating to a dramatic increase in intensity and complexity—without compromising the husky, soft-spoken, sultry voice that is Figeac—is a monumental achievement. Kudos to Frederic Faye and his team for so beautifully expressing what was clearly an extraordinary vintage at Chateau Figeac! Blended of 29% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Figeac reveals vibrant black cherries, cassis, red currants, black plums and licorice notes with touches of cigar boxes, bouquet garni, potpourri, damp soil and black pepper. Medium-bodied, delicately crafted and with nuanced, quietly intense layers of vivacious red and black fruits, the palate features a solid frame of polished, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and minerally.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2015 Figeac is a step up from the 2014 with exquisite scents of red berry fruit, incense, rose petal and crush stone. Pixelated with wonderful precision. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, wonderful backbone allied with a sense of symmetry. It is more saline than previous vintages, with saliva flowing after the wine has exited. One of the standouts from the Right Bank in this vintage. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is rich and exuberant, showcasing the warmth of the vintage. It’s still basically a primeur wine with beautiful blue-violet reflections, although it was bottled in April and will stay at the estate until January 2018. With silky-smooth tannins, this is a seriously elegant and delicious wine. The coffee stained palate is full of rich black cherries, tight cassis and finely grained tannins. The 2016 has just a touch more focus but that is splitting hairs, as both are exceptional vintages at Figeac. This has real persistence and a mouthwatering quality on the finish, a seriously enjoyable wine that never tries to overpower or show off.Decanter | 97 DECDensely packed, with crème de cassis, raspberry reduction and plum sauce flavors allied to notes of loam, warm cast iron and roasted apple wood. Shows terrific cut and energy, with the iron element helping to push the finish along and letting the fruit linger. Among the more backward wines of the vintage, so patience is required. Best from 2028 through 2045. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

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

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is still incredibly primary at this very youthful stage. With coaxing, it unfurls to reveal beguiling notions of ripe black cherries, mulberries, licorice, baking spices and smoked meats with touches of incense and potpourri plus wafts of cast iron pan and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, very rich, very firm/taut and with very ripe, fine-grained tannins, it allows a glimpse at its incredible depth of flavors with a very long multi-layered finish. Wow.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPMade with 45% Cabernet Franc, this great wine offers a beautiful, rich and perfumed character. It was an exceptional vintage for the estate, which incorporated fruit from parcels of the vineyard that would normally be used for the chateau’s second wine into this blend. It is packed with black-fruit flavors and broad tannins, with a background of juicy acidity and a firm structure. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEPhenomenal aromas of cherries, flowers, blackberries and sandalwood. Pure fruit. Full-bodied, dense and polished with incredible tannin quality like the finest, densest silk ball. In perfect proportions. Compact. Seamless and endless. Gorgeous to taste now but give it six or seven years to understand it better.James Suckling | 99 JSA lovely sanguine hint leads off, followed by racy, elegant juniper, tobacco, red currant and damson plum notes that move in unison. Broadens and deepens, adding notes of currant preserves, warm ganache and smoldering tobacco, with a swath of loamy structure. Yet even as the bass line increases in volume through the finish, this maintains purity and poise. Should deliver some stunning aromatics at peak, which will take awhile to achieve. Best from 2025 through 2045. 8,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSI continue to absolutely love the 2015 Chateau Cheval Blanc. It’s one of those powerful, sexy, yet also weightless and elegant wines that’s going to drink well all its life. Checking in as a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors led by beautiful sweet fruits as well as incredible floral, spice, and graphite nuances. It’s full-bodied, with a rich, rounded, opulent texture, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster finish. As with a lot of 2015s, it has the sweetness of fruit and ripe tannin that allows it to drink well today, but it’s going to be very long-lived and have 3-4 decades of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDLovely perfumed fruit on the palate, this has well integrated tannins that have a soft gentle mouth coating texture, with excellent juicy appeal straight away. Really quite herbal here, lots of mint and eucalyptus with tons of liquorice and some mint chocolate. Like the 2016, everything is so well balanced, just giving you hints of different elements. Here it is the cool blue fruit, liquorice and mint. So well executed, defined, precise and svelte. It is mouthfulling too though, you know this is a big wine with plenty of power and structure but so supple and agile. Excellent precision. Still super young and a bit shy, it’s not giving away all its secrets right now but you’d never guess this was from a warm, ripe vintage such is the freshness. Such class on show. (Drink between 2027-2050)Decanter | 97 DECTotally seamless in the glass, with no beginning and no end, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is simply extraordinary. It’s hard to describe the 2015, because all of its elements are so perfectly in place. Beautifully delineated aromatics make a strong opening statement. Vibrant and wonderfully nuanced on the palate, the wine exudes energy and vitality through to the persistent, silky finish. Many other 2015s speak with more assertiveness and volume, but Cheval Blanc is more understsated. In 2015, Cheval Blanc created quite a stir in announcing that a whopping 91% of their crop would be bottled as Grand Vin. There will be no Petit Cheval, while the rest of the wine was sold internally. Antonio Galloni | 96+ VM

An utterly perfect wine from Alain Vauthier, the 2015 Château Ausone offers off the hook notes of crème de cassis, black raspberries, toasted spice and dried flowers, with more floral and mineral characteristics developing with time in the glass. Amazingly deep, full-bodied, pure and ethereally textured, with building density and tannin, it’s one of those wines that need to be tasted to be believed. Unfortunately, the production is minuscule (and expensive). A wine that will make your heart rate jump, give it 4-5 years of cellaring and I suspect it will keep for as long as you’d like to hang on to bottles. It’s a tour de force in wine and the wine of the vintage in 2015.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis magnificent wine brings together the great fruit of the vintage in a complex structure. The acidity, ripe tannins and power of this dense wine are enormous, as is its aging potential. With that acidity and tannic structure, and with the perfumes from the Cabernet Franc, this wine will evolve slowly and with a measured pace. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEComposed of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot aged in French oak barrels, 85% new, for 20 months, the 2015 Ausone features a deep garnet-purple color and comes bounding out of the glass with expressive plum preserves, wild blueberries and cherry pie aromas plus fragrant nuances of roses, licorice, Indian spices, baker’s chocolate, new leather and cedar chest plus a touch of underbrush. Big, rich, opulent and full-bodied in the mouth, it is laden with bold blue and black fruits, superbly supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and wonderfully seamless freshness, finishing with long-lingering exotic spice hints.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RP(Château Ausone St.-Emilion, France) Very intense and aromatic Ausone with rose petals, fresh herbs, dark berries and raspberries. Full body and great intensity and brightness. Purity and focus reminiscent of crushed grapes. Such beauty, greatness and elegance to this wine. Goes on for minutes. Needs four or five years to come completely together but so long and beautiful. Try drinking in 2021.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2015 Ausone has a detailed, precise bouquet whose intense, graphite-infused black fruit gains intensity with each swirl. This is very sophisticated and compelling. The poised, medium-bodied palate delivers filigreed tannin, perfect acidity and an extraordinarily persistent finish that outclasses almost everything around it. This is outstanding and surely represents one of the wines of the vintage. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VM(Château Ausone, St-Émilion, Red) 50% each Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Suave texture but so much power behind. Fine, fragrant nose of pure berry fruit then real density and depth on the palate. Layered fruit and tannins but finely etched. Clean, long and persistent.Decanter | 96 DEC

A wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is a tour de force that readers need to snatch up. This cuvee comes from the cool, clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau (it’s the highest point in the appellation) and is a blend of 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvest between September 30th and October 21st, that was brought up in 85% new French oak. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as a sensational bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, toasted spice, licorice and spring flowers, it’s another huge wine from this estate that has perfect balance between its fruit, oak and tannin, a stacked mid-palate, and an incredible finish. I wrote "crazy good" more than once in my notes. It has enough fruit and texture to drink nicely even today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two to three decades. It’s one of the great wines of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDExpressive, ripe dark plums swathed in aromas of mocha, toasted baking spices, graphite, blackberries and mulberries. The flavor-soaked palate arrives on suave, velvety tannins, delivering flavors of vibrant, concentrated dark plums, mulberries, dark chocolate and cocoa in a youthful, fresh style. Terrific wine with ultra-long finish. An essay in power and elegance. Essence-like. Best from 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSOne of the stars of the vintage, the 2015 Troplong Mondot has come together beautifully over the last year and half. Rich and sumptuous to the core, it is a classic wine from this property, built on serious fruit density and textural richness. Dark red cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and spice are some of the many notes that build as the 2015 shows off its irrepressible personality. A viscerally exciting, resonant wine, it just needs a few years to shed some of its baby fat. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGBlended of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in French oak, 85% new, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Troplong Mondot is redolent of warm plums, blackberry tart and blueberry pie with suggestions of underbrush, bay leaves, cedar chest and lavender plus a waft of baking spices. Full-bodied and full-throttle in the mouth, the palate is decadently packed with a solid core of black and blue fruit layers, supported with firm, grainy tannins and finishing with loads of spicy layers. This pedal-to-the-metal beauty is the ultimate indulgence for the hedonists!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPIn keeping with the new style from this estate, this is a powerful, opulent wine. Its density, concentration and layers of dark fruits are all of a piece, held together by powerful tannins. Touches of black coffee and spice emphasize the richness of the fruit and the opulent aftertaste. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEOffers a gorgeous, caressing, velvety feel, with waves of warmed plum, fig compote and blackberry reduction gliding through, inlaid with notes of graphite, sweet tobacco and black licorice. A light loamy echo adds a pleasant tug of earth at the very end. Best from 2022 through 2040. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMellow aromas of cassis and blackberries infused with vanilla and coconut oak; generous and mouthfilling with a silky viscosity. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040Decanter | 93 DEC

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