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Saint Estephe Wines

Saint Estephe Wines

Saint Estephe Wines

Saint Estephe Wines

Saint-Estèphe is a wine appellation in the Medoc subregion of Bordeaux. While Saint-Estèphe only has a handful of 1855 Classified growths, they are not to be underestimated. The terroir here catches the eyes from the start, a noble mixture of limestone, gravel, clay and stone. The elevation variety and the proximity to the river allows the winemakers to work their magic. The French worship the concept of terroir, claiming that every good wine tells a story of the soil that gave birth to it – and in this case, this is unmistakably true.

Saint-Estèphe wines are full-bodied, rich, powerful, and they command respect from even the harshest wine critic. The acidity and tannin let the wines stay distinct from other Medoc creations (likely due to the considerably higher clay content of the soil), and help the drink develop precious character over the years. Every estate adds something uniquely its own to the mixture, meaning that it’s impossible to feel like you’ve “seen it all” when you visit Saint-Estèphe. There’s something for each of us here, a bottle or two that flow with as much vigor as the Garonne herself and send us soaring amongst the cotton clouds towards the horizon.

Whether you want to collect or drink at the earliest possible opportunity, we have your needs covered. Come with us as we explore the many intricacies of fine Saint-Estèphe wines, and admire the dedication and skill it took to produce such fine nectar. Open a bottle with guests and they’ll be floored within minutes, we promise.
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1988 montrose Bordeaux Red

Very fresh still with a licorice and floral character that turned to sweet tobacco and plums. Full and silky, with ripe and fine tannins. Wonderful to drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS

As low as $190.00
1994 montrose Bordeaux Red

There can be no doubt that 1994 is generally a vintage to be forgotten for Bordeaux, particularly for the Left Bank. Incessant rain from mid-September caused huge problems in the vineyards and ultimately dilution in the wine. Though appellations such as Pomerol were spared the worst, I was surprised to find a wine from the Médoc so appealing from this year. It showed red spices such as cloves and dried mushrooms on the nose, leading to a medium body, firm tannins and a long finish. It was still pretty and fine, and you might describe it as real claret. I stumbled across it in London just before coming to Bordeaux, and later this afternoon I will be barrel tasting the 2014 release from Montrose. I’m sure it will be the better year ending in a four!James Suckling | 92 JSMontrose has been one of Bordeaux’s most consistently successful chateaux since 1989. An opaque purple color suggests a wine of considerable intensity. One of the most successful 1994s of the northern Medoc, the wine’s closed aromatics offer jammy black fruits, plums, spice, and earth. On the palate, there is impressive extract, purity, and copious amounts of sweet blackcurrant fruit nicely balanced by moderate yet ripe tannin. Medium-bodied, with excellent to outstanding concentration, this impressive Montrose should be close to full maturity with another 4-5 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020.Robert Parker | 91 RPBrooding, roasted nose is quite enticing; faint note of damp earth. Lush, sweet black fruit in the mouth; has a glyceral, mouthfilling texture. Lingering finish, with thoroughly ripe, even tannins. A lovely ’94.Vinous Media | 91 VM

91
RP
As low as $165.00
1999 montrose Bordeaux Red

The black/purple-colored 1999 Montrose offers up notes of pure black fruits intermixed with minerals, smoke, and earth. It is extremely concentrated, surprisingly powerful and dense, with moderate tannin. Its size, strength, and medium to full-bodied personality are atypical for the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 1999 Montrose is a vintage that I have tasted several times over the years. To be frank, there is not much between the Grand Vin and Deuxième Vin at 20 years, with similar blackberry and graphite aromas on the nose. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple black fruit and a fine line of acidity, but clearly not the complexity of more recent vintages. It still has that Pauillac-like finish, but what is missing is a sense of excitement and personality. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 90 VM

93
TWI
As low as $139.00
2001 calon segur Bordeaux Red

The 2001 Calon-Ségur has a delightful bouquet, very pure and a little more vivacious than the preceding vintage, featuring lovely brambly red fruit, rose petals, autumn leaves and a touch of cigar box, all well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more cohesive than the 2000, and slightly granular in texture, with a graceful, elegant and quite persistent finish. This is one of the few châteaux where it’s difficult to choose between the 2001 and 2000. Drinking perfectly now.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2001 Calon-Ségur was comprised of fully forty-seven percent merlot, which is too bad, as it might have been even finer with a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon in the blend. That said, this is a very strong bottle from this era and I have little doubt that it will ultimately surpass the more highly-touted, but currently far more closed 2000 vintage at this property. The bouquet offers up a very promising blend of red and black cherries, cigar smoke, dried eucalyptus, gravel, cigar ash and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a classic claret profile, firm, ripe tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very long, youthful and potentially superb finish. This should prove to be one of the strongest vintages produced in the more merlot-centric style at Calon-Ségur during the stretch from 1975 to 2005. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGShowing beautifully, the 2001 Calon-Segur is now fully mature, yet should hold at this stage for another decade or two. Beautiful currants and assort dark fruits, notes of lead pencil, tobacco, and forest floor, medium to full body, and integrated, silky tannins all define this elegant 2001 that’s a joy to drink today. It’s not going to get any better, but it’s a beautifully regal Claret that offers loads of pleasure.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDI suspect this 2001 will shut down (as most young Calon-Segurs do), although it appears more forward and evolved than the huge, backward, but totally dormant 2000. The plum/ruby-colored 2001 reveals aromas of damp earth, cranberries, cherries, herbs, and forest floor. While lighter than its older sibling, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and should emerge from its post-bottling sleep in 4-5 years, and drink well for 14-15. Think of it as a lighter-weight 1988 (one of the stars of the vintage).Robert Parker | 90 RPElegant and spicy, with blackberry and earth character. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium to long finish. Not quite up to par with the barrel sample, but outstanding. Best after 2006.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

94
VM
As low as $175.00
2002 cos destournel Bordeaux Red

The 2002 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This vintage was late ripening with wonderful weather in September and very low yields this year. Deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, the palate sports tobacco, cedar chest and yeast extract scents over a core of figs, dried mulberries, fruitcake, sautéed herbs and cinnamon toast with a waft of oolong tea. Medium-bodied, the palate features bags of freshness, with firm yet grainy tannins and plenty of mature dried berry flavors, finishing long and spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA refined and pretty wine now with spice, berry and chocolate character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh, fruity finish. Subtle spice aftertaste. Underrated wine. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSGood red-ruby. Deep, aromatic, highly complex nose combines raspberry, espresso, tree bark, leather, graphite, cedar, coconut and exotic woodsmoke. Lush, sweet and pure, with very ripe flavors of currant, dark chocolate and graphite, nicely framed by perfectly integrated acidity. Finishes broad and suave; the tannins here make those of the young 2004 seem a bit tough by comparison. Superb, complete wine. Drink from 2010 to 2020.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis has a truffle edge to the nose and almost a Pomerol character. A number of 2002s are a little awkward, but this is generous and welcoming. Harvesting started on 30 September in this vintage, with an east wind that concentrated or dehydrated the grapes, meaning that the overall yield was 33hl/ha. The fruit quality feels ripe and it’s a lovely wine to drink now, but it may not age as well as some of the other vintages. Matured in 60% new oak – the level of new oak was reduced from this year onwards. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028Decanter | 92 DECHas a plush edge, with plum skin and pulp flavors liberally lined with singed tobacco and alder notes. Shows ample maturity but remains very fine-grained, with a roasted bay accent emerging on the finish.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. 16,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

94
RP-NM
As low as $190.00
2002 montrose Bordeaux Red

Very pretty aromas of blackberries, spices and milk chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and a silky mouthfeel. Still tight but refined and long. Just as I remember.Wine Spectator | 92 WSModerately saturated ruby-red. Expressive aromas of currant, black cherry, leather, mocha, game, black olive and minerals. Suave, seamless claret with a firm edge of acidity. More harmonious now than it was just prior to the bottling last June, but still rather closed and in need of a decade of cellaring. But this is not really austere in the way it might have been 15 years ago. A very minerally vintage of Montrose, with very good rather than outstanding density. Quite complex on the firmly tannic finish, throwing off notes of minerals, game, flowers and bitter chocolate.Vinous Media | 91+ VMAn elegant yet richly fruited style of Montrose with medium body, sweet notes of black fruits, leather, dried herbs, and earth, this round wine is not profoundly concentrated, but is well-made, with excellent depth, ripeness, and overall length. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RP

92
WS
As low as $155.00
2003 calon segur Bordeaux Red

Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is the sleeper of the vintage. Best after 2010. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis shows so wonderfully now with a dense palate yet a delicate chocolate, mineral and walnut skin. Full and velvety. Wonderful with juicy length and a long finish. Almost Burgundian in texture.James Suckling | 94 JSFull ruby-red color. Very fresh aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and dark chocolate; not at all surmuri Then ripe but aromatic and juicy in the mouth, with penetrating, rather powerful flavors of dark berries, minerals and dark chocolate. Conveys an impression of inner-mouth energy, one side-effect of which is that the wine’s substantial density is partly hidden today. Finishes with very fine but firm tannins and superb persistence. This is absorbing its 50% new oak very well.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA powerfully velvety wine, which still packs a walloping punch of Saint-Estèphe tannins. The fruit, under these tannins, is pure, ripe, black and generous. But there is the proper dryness that shows how the team at Calon-Sègur managed to tame some of the excesses of the 2003 vintage. This will develop, slowly, into a great wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, fresh and precise, this wine is just hitting full maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 93 RP

95
WS
As low as $200.00
2004 montrose Bordeaux Red

This one of my favorite 2004 Bordeaux to drink at the moment. It shows lovely sweet tobacco, flowers and currants on the nose and palate. It’s full-to-medium-bodied, with silky, firm tannins and a spicy, fresh finish. So delicious now.James Suckling | 93 JSTasted at the château, the 2004 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 15 October. It has a foursquare but precise bouquet that unfolds in the glass to offer brambly red berry fruit, tar, undergrowth and cedar aromas. There is a touch of mint that emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that gently grip. It is more savory than other vintages: hints of bacon fat and bell pepper towards the harmonious finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. Probably earlier drinking that other vintages, yet this Montrose has personality and will give drinking pleasure for 15-20 years. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMDark-colored, with beautiful spice, blackberry and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and velvety, with wonderful balance and a long, long finish. This is a Montrose that caresses your palate. Best after 2011. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep, bright ruby-red. Sexy, ripe aromas of currant, black plum, raspberry, smoked meat, mocha, jasmine, black olive and earth. Smooth in texture but vinous and bright, with a penetrating character to the flavors of plum, currant, mocha and tobacco. Finishes bright and fresh, with dusty, tactile tannins and a classic St. Estephe medicinal note. This tightened up with aeration.Vinous Media | 91 VM This is a modern take on Montrose, which for years had been one of the stodgiest of the great Médocs. The wine has the intensity this vineyard often gives, black as indigo ink and concentrated, but without excess weight. Instead of stolid, the tannins feel luscious and sweet, riper and softer than the classical profile of Montrose. The complexity and foresty freshness is there to develop over the course of a decade or more.Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 91 W&SFine concentration of red and black fruits on the nose – a very good natural intensity and depth. Moderate tannins give some structure, leading to a medium to intense finish. A classic Médoc. Drinking Window 2014 - 2022Decanter | 90 DEC

92
WS
As low as $139.00
2005 calon segur Bordeaux Red

Beautiful ruby red colour, rapsberry puree and cocoa dusting aromatics, still young, a wonderfully embracing tannic frame, rapsberrry, blueberry and loganberry fruits, slate-scraping minerality, just a gorgeous wine that is bursting out of the glass and still has so much more to give. Balanced, mouthwatering, persistent, just at the start of its long and pleasure-filled life, showcasing so much that is wonderful about 2005. Get on board. This is a 2 point higher score than the last time I tasted in April 2021, reflecting that the 2005s are just right now beginning to open up.Jane Anson | 96 JATight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and currants. Full body, superfine tannins and a texture that is so caressing and beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSTasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating nose: blackberry and boysenberry fruit coming at you at full pelt; dried blood and bacon fat developing as secondary aromas just behind. There is fine delineation here - an underlying mineralité sure to surface with time. The palate is very intense and disarmingly youthful, almost ferrous on the entry with layers of ripe black fruit that segue into an earthy finish (with a curious light tang of Marmite on the aftertaste!). It is a fabulous Calon Ségur, though the millennial wine might ultimately possess greater precision. We will see. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMHas a beautiful nose of crushed berry, spices and nutmeg, with a hint of coffee. Then turns to licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish of vanilla, berry and cinnamon. Beautifully crafted. Best after 2014. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm and structured, the Calon-Ségur remains surprisingly muscular. Produced from a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, all aged in new casks, this shows a bright redcurrant and mint nose with a bit of spice and smoke. The feel on the palate is tannic and firm, perhaps lacking a bit of generosity at this point, but the rich extract suggests that with time it should come around. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2005 vintage at Calon-Ségur was comprised of more than fifty percent merlot, and while the wine is a good wine in its way, it lacks the brightness, soil signature and classic profile of the wines from 2006 forwards. The bouquet is deep, reserved and shows admirable depth in its constellation of dark berries, tobacco leaf, woodsmoke, espresso, herb tones, a touch of hoisin sauce, dark soil and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with good purity at the rock solid core, firm tannins and excellent length and grip on the black fruity and still very youthful finish. Qualitatively, this is clearly the equivalent of the 2006, but I have a far stronger preference for the style of the latter vintage, as this is just missing a bit of spark from all of its merlot in the blend. A very good wine, but not a classic Calon-Ségur. (Drink between 2022-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGDeep, bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoked meat, earth and menthol. Chewy, brooding and deep, with concentrated black cherry, menthol, mineral and leather flavors framed by a powerful spine of acids and tannins. Really saturates the palate on the tannic back end. I’d give this classic St. Estephe a decade of aging, at which time this wine may well merit an even higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

96
JA
As low as $179.00
2005 lafon rochet Bordeaux Red

Dense ruby/purple and still youthful and exuberant, with oodles of cassis and incense, the 2005 Lafon-Rochet is medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannin and a long finish. Just becoming approachable, this wine should continue to drink well for another 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 91 RPGood red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of musky currant , black raspberry, camphor and tobacco leaf. Round and plump for St. Estephe, with noteworthy volume and seamless texture; sweeter by far than the chateau’s 2007 or 2006 samples but possesses harmonious framing acidity. Finishes with broad tannins that arrive late. A big success.Vinous Media | 91 VMA sweet violet aroma adds to this wine’s finesse while gravelly tannins give it a classical St-Estèphe profile. It feels sleek, firm and finely crafted, with meaty density of fruit that will sustain it for years to come.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&SA textbook St-Estèphe of the old school, the Lafon-Rochet was a bit reserved on the attack, but gradually a high-toned red fruit with floral notes and a hint of spice developed on the palate. The texture was firmly tannic, and the acidity was fresh, but the youthful, structured wine won over many tasters with the promise of potential for aging. The blend is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Merlot with cameo appearances from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2040).Decanter | 91 DECHas notes of blackberry, with Indian spices and green tea. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins, a silky texture and a medium finish. Balanced and very refined. A beautiful young wine. Best after 2011.Wine Spectator | 90 WSWhile there are superripe fruit aromas, the structure of this wine is totally solid. Somewhere lurking under the shell is huge black fruit, but now it is dark and very dry.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

91
RP
As low as $110.00
2006 calon segur Bordeaux Red

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s tasting and at the château, the 2006 Calon Segur was current winemaker Vincent Millet’s first vintage. In many ways, you can see it as one of the last of the "old style" Calon Segur wines with a higher percentage of Merlot than nowadays (the 2006 consists of 33% Merlot), while I aver that the tannins are not as fine as they are nowadays. The Merlot component is vividly expressed on the nose with ravishing ripe red cherries, kirsch and strawberry, just slightly smudged by the alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, quite sexy in style but it does not have the class of more recent vintages and it seems to have remained tough up on the finish. It will loosen up with time, so afford this another 6-8 years in bottle. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMNot a wine that will please everyone. This has the austerity and backward thinking of 2006 mixed with the sleek fruit of Calon; rich, dark and not at all showy. Instead, it is subtle, delicate and thoroughly lovely. Drinking Window 2017 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECFocused and fresh, with violet and blackberry aromas and vanilla undertones. Full-bodied, with very pretty berry fruit character, fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Refined. Best after 2014. 14,445 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2006 Calon-Ségur (as noted above) was the first vintage produced under the guiding hand of Vincent Millet and this wine was a return to the classic cépages at the estate of predominantly cabernet sauvignon, after the detrimental increase in the percentage of merlot in the blend between 1990 and 2005. The wine is very, very closed today, but it is going to be a lovely wine with sufficient bottle age, as the wine is very well-balanced and simply needs time alone in the cellar to resolve its considerable chassis of tannin. The deep and still quite youthful nose reluctantly offers up scents of black cherries, curry, blossoming notes of dried eucalyptus, dark soil tones, cigar ash and a stylish base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full- bodied and completely in its dumb phase, with a very good core, ripe, chewy tannins, lovely focus and a very long, currently quite hermetically-sealed finish. This is a good eight to ten years away from blossoming, but it will be excellent if given sufficient patience. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGAromas of perfumes and blueberries with minerals. Medium-to-full body, fine tannins and a tangy, fresh finish. Attractive tension and austerity to this. Savory and juicy. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSBright ruby-red. Perfumed, terroir-driven aromas and flavors of redcurrant, licorice, iron, cinders, woodsmoke, minerals and pepper, plus a whiff of meat. At once dense and suave, with herbal and peppery nuances contributing to the wine’s impression of insinuating vinosity and inner-mouth aromatic character. Almost rustic in its soil tones but not in its refined texture. Finishes with building tannins and a juicy freshness. A wine worth following.Vinous Media | 90+ VMThis wine’s rich red fruit rides above firm, stony St-Estèphe tannins, the contrast providing some delicate detail and more serious depth. As the tannins increase their grip with air, the fruit gets redder, like the skin of a ripening plum. Calon-Ségur, on a hill just outside the village of St-Estèphe, often grows vin de garde; this vintage should be a keeper.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

94
RP-NM
As low as $150.00
2007 calon segur Bordeaux Red
As low as $175.00
2007 montrose Bordeaux Red

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Montrose has a crisp, earthy, tobacco-scented bouquet with sage and clove developing in the glass—clearly a Saint Estèphe that is determined to succeed in an off-vintage, which this estate is masterful at doing. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. This bottle felt compact for this vintage, one of the few 2007s that merit decanting. However, there is undeniably plenty of freshness and a welcome touch of spice towards the finish. Linear in style, this is one of the few 2007s that should improve with bottle age. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

93
RP
As low as $135.00
2008 cos destournel Bordeaux Red

The first vintage made at the new winery, the 2008 Cos d’Estournel is drinking beautifully today, with terrific complexity as well as a silky, polished style on the palate. Made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc and revealing copious amounts of crème de cassis and black cherry fruit intermixed with notes of toasted bread, spice, and cedar, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a silky, sexy texture, and sweet tannin. Count me in as a fan. This beauty can be drunk today or cellared for another 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe medium to deep garnet colored 2008 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Pow! The nose explodes with notes of baked cherries, preserved plums, fried herbs, beef drippings and warm cassis with wafts of wood smoke, salami and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and earthy/savory in character, sporting beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis big, smoky wine has great richness and a big, concentrated structure. The feel is dark, solid, based on spice, new wood and ripe black plums touched with red berries, the tannins sheltering beneath.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA very decadent wine on the nose with so much meat, spice and ripe fruit character. Sea shell as well. Full body, tight and structured with silky tannins and a lots of intense fruit. Vibrant wine. Better in 2020 but already fascinating to drink.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2008 Cos d’Estournel had one of the most backward, reticent bouquets that I encountered during my tasting. This is so sultry and broody, begrudgingly offering some lovely brambly red fruit mixed with pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, plenty of black fruit laced with allspice, black pepper and sage, leading to a dense and concentrated finish that should see this age for 20 or 30 years. It does not really serve as a forerunner to the blockbuster 2009 because this is cut from a completely different cloth. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.)Vinous Media | 94 VMThis has a slight hint of the vintage’s crisp, angular feel, but there are impressive layers of fruit here, with a bright mineral edge cutting through the damson plum and red currant notes. This has put on a little bit of weight in the bottle, too. Showing well.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2021. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS2008 was a fairly late and fresh vintage, with a low yield of 28hl/ha, which helped to ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon. The new cellars meant they could carefully isolate plots and carry out more precise extractions at low temperatures (maximum 16°C) to protect the fruit. This wine was austere and tight when young, full of rigidity that needed time to soften, but it now feels precise and carefully-wrought. This is just beginning to open up, showcasing clear spice notes. It’s a little hesitant, but there’s plenty of Cos d’Estournel signature polish. Drinking Window 2018 - 2036Decanter | 90 DEC

95
RP
As low as $185.00
2009 calon segur Bordeaux Red

This strikes exactly the right note aromatically: it’s wonderfully sexy, smoky, intriguing and tantalising. On the palate it follows up these aromatics perfectly with silky-smooth tannins and well brushed damson and black cherry fruits. It’s fully ripe but still with give and subtlety. Great stuff! 2009 saw the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever included in this wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2044Decanter | 96 DECThe 2009 Calon-Ségur is deep garnet in color and opens with a beautiful fragrance of redcurrant preserves, cassis, black cherry compote and red roses plus nuances of cigar box and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and wonderfully elegant in the mouth, it has a compelling line of very ripe, fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the fragrant layers, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDelivers gorgeous aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice, with hints of tobacco and spice. Full-bodied, offering a lovely texture and refinement. Very long and beautiful, with tangy acidity and lively fruit. A rich, yet very balanced, Calon. This is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon instead of the normal blend with 40 percent Merlot. The château is now using 100 percent new wood. Like the changes.Wine Spectator | 96 WSWith a lot of fennel and earth character this is a classic St.-Estèphe, but on the palate it has a suppleness that’s modern in the best sense. Needs time to soften. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA big step up over the 2008 and, I suspect, the finest wine from this estate in the 2000s, the 2009 Château Calon Ségur reveals a healthy ruby hue to go with textbook notes of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, gamey meats, and Asian-like spices. This is classic, traditionally made Bordeaux, with full-bodied richness, a layered, structure mouthfeel, wonderful sweetness of fruit, and a great finish. A wine that starts out tight and reserved yet builds with air, don’t be afraid to give bottles plenty of air if drinking any time soon. It’s certainly in its drink window, yet also has another 30-40 years of longevity ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Calon-Ségur) Our vertical tasting in Washington was again the first time I had seen the 2009 Calon- Ségur, as I had not tasted the wine during En Primeur, and I was very, very impressed with the quality and style of this wine. The cépages is fully ninety percent cabernet sauvignon in this vintage, and the perfectly ripe, but not overripe cabernet has made this an instant classic. The beautifully ripe and pure nose wafts from the glass in a vibrant blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, pungent violets and a suave base of nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very classy on the attack, with a rock solid core of pure fruit, superb soil inflection, impeccable focus and balance, ripe, fine-grained tannins and outstanding length and grip on the seamless and youthfully complex finish. This is a great vintage of Calon-Ségur in the making! (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2009 Calon-Ségur has a classic Saint-Estèphe bouquet with pencil box and freshly tilled earth on the nose, beautifully defined if not with quite the same pedigree that François Millet imparts into the Grand Vin nowadays. (Less Merlot here than other examples.) The palate is medium-bodied, masculine in style, a little closed at first, strict and detailed yet missing some flesh and density on the finish. Unlike the bottle poured blind a week later that was much more exuberant and higher-toned. It is a fine Calon-Ségur but it is shaded by say the 2014, 2015 and 2016. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM

96
RP
As low as $185.00
2010 calon segur Bordeaux Red

This is an architectural wine, very classical in its structure like so many of the top wines of 2010. It’s powered by ripe tannins and beautiful black currant fruits. While the wine is gorgeously ripe, it also has a powerful dark and structured character. For long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WESure pure fruit to this red with a minerality and floral undertone. You can smell the warm stones. Full body, with a beautiful depth of fruit and velvety tannins. Dense and balanced. Layered with a light salty and meaty character as well. Great length. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2010 is performing well,. With Cabernet Sauvignon dominating the blend, the wine has a dense plum/purple color along with notes of underbrush, black currants, plum, licorice, smoky charcuterie and some roasted herbs in the background. Full-bodied, moderately tannic and set for an extremely long life, this will not be a wine to please those looking for immediate gratification. Rather, I would suspect this wine will close down even further in bottle and, despite its full-bodied, powerful, massive size, it will need at least a decade of cellaring before it is accessible. This is another 2010 capable of lasting 35-50 years.Robert Parker | 94+ RPThe 2010 Calon-Ségur has a slightly gamey bouquet, vibrant and energetic with plenty of red and black fruit. This appears to gain complexity with aeration, revealing hidden facets with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and a really gorgeous, surprisingly fleshy but focused finish that exudes style and class. What a lovely wine. You could almost broach this now although I prefer to leave this a few more years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VMOn May 9, 2010, a hailstorm took a heavy toll on the estate’s vineyard, so yields were down to around 30hl/ha. The resulting wine is both profound and seductive, expressing a compelling combination of fresh and floral but also powerful and spicy scents. The ample palate also presents a marvelous mix of delicacy and racy tannic force, and even the long finish has this element of a double character, in this instance, a sun-drenched style and structure that ends with a final flourish of freshness. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Calon-Ségur) I did not have the opportunity to taste the 2010 Calon-Ségur during my En Primeur visit in the spring of 2011, as Madame Gasqueton was a bit difficult to make an appointment with that year and she condescended to receive my friends only on a day while I was still in Germany tasting the 2010ers. Consequently, I was very curious to see how this wine had turned out in this difficult and overrated vintage, and I found it to be one of the better 2010s that I have tasted, though with a bit of the grittiness to the tannin structure that is emblematic of this year. The bouquet is ripe, but pure in its blend of red and black cherries, Cuban cigar wrappers, dark chocolate, dark soil tones, smoke and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite primary, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, slightly harsh tannins and excellent length and grip on the decidedly “cool-fruited” finish. This is a very good 2010, but to my palate, it was not in the same league as the other two wines in this flight- the 2009 and 2008 Calon. I would also have to give the slight edge to both the 2012 and 2011 at this estate over this more powerful 2010 Calon. But, that said, this is a very strong example of this vintage. (Drink between 2025-2065)John Gilman | 92+ JG

97
WE
As low as $185.00
2011 cos destournel Bordeaux Red

Rich, dark and spicy in its aromatics and its fruit - really get that feel of a red wine steeped in aromatic herbs and spices. Less evident austerity than the Montrose although that is not to say that this is a generous vintage at Cos, more that it benefits from a sense of powerful exoticism. The hail meant picking the Cabernet a little earlier than they might have wanted (harvest was September 5th to 16th), but they have handled it well, and this still has plenty to give with a little more ageing in bottle. 80% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThis is really excellent for the vintage with currants, dark berries and minerals on the nose and palate. Full body, firm tannins and a long finish. It’s a bit linear but racy and superb. One of the best of the vintage. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSComposed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2011 Cos d’Estournel gives up compelling notes of roasted nuts, black cherry compote, blueberry pie and red and black currants with touches of yeast extract and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, very firm, grainy textured and with a great core of youthful black fruits, the palate reveals loads of savory layers on the very long finish. This is very youthful and slowly maturing—a very impressive showing for this vintage!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPowerful, very rich and very concentrated, this epitomizes the opulent style of Cos d’Estournel. A sense of extraction is overwhelmed by the huge, ripe fruit. It shows velvet texture at first, but then the tannins come on strongly, leaving a wine that will age over many years. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Château Cos d’Estournel) Like the 2011 Les Pagodes, the Château Cos d’Estournel this year shows an awful lot of sappy ripeness that strongly suggests that there was some back-blending to add some mid-palate muscle to the hail-strafed fruit this year. This is, of course, all perfectly acceptable under the rules in Bordeaux, where up to fifteen percent of a different year can be blended into the current vintage. In fact, it was probably just in case of depredations like the September 1st hail storm that the regulations were left in place. The nose on the 2011 Cos d’Estournel is ripe and sappy, offering up scents of black cherries, a touch of black raspberry, coffee bean, gravelly soil tones and plenty of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and shows off the “cool season” structure in its hard and quite substantial tannins, but with a thick and sappy core to support this wine’s tannic clout. The finish is very long, focused and backwards. At this point in time, it is hard to be sure how well this wine will integrate all of its tannin over time, so I have scored the wine within a range. But, it is a very well-made wine from what were near catastrophic conditions. (Drink between 2027-2075).John Gilman | 90-92+ JGThe 2010 is hard to follow, but this presents a lovely beam of raspberry and cassis fruit, with light bay and savory notes and flashes of violet and chalk on the finish. This has tightened up a little in bottle, which is good, and represents a fine effort considering the hail that came at the end of the season.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 12,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSGood deep ruby. Spicy aromas of dark plum, red cherry, botanical herbs and graphite. Dense, bright and energetic, with good herbal lift to the precise blackcurrant and dark plum flavors. This fresh, lively wine picks up flesh and depth with aeration. The tactile, chewy finish is pure, long and perfumed.Vinous Media | 90 VM

95
DEC
As low as $155.00
2011 montrose Bordeaux Red

Less celebrated than 2009 and 2010, and you can feel the fruit is a little less intense through the mid-palate. Heaped with blackberry and morello cherries, the fruit is carefully placed though, well balanced and with exceptional precision. It will be ready to drink earlier than its neighbouring vintages. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045.Decanter | 94 DECAs so often with Montrose, this is a powerful, concentrated and very structured wine. Dense tannins are paired with rich black fruits, although at this stage the wine also has a sense of austerity. Power, severity and complexity all make for a wine for long aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFeatures some lovely plum, black currant and blackberry fruit, already melded into the core, while a pure, long and rather regal structure runs through the finish, letting extra charcoal and pebble notes play out. Offers precision, range and a beautiful mix of fruit and austerity. Best from 2017 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a tannic, chewy Montrose with lots of spice, berry and earth character. Full body, chewy and fruity. Intense tannins. Try in 2018 when the tannins soften.James Suckling | 92 JS(Château Montrose) The 2011 Château Montrose has really turned out well, with a great elegance and very well-managed tannins for the vintage. The deep, pure and classy nose wafts from the glass in a blend of cassis, dark berries, cigar smoke, gravel, tobacco leaf and a discreet base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite pure on the attack, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins and excellent length and grip on the reserved and very, very primary finish. This is an old school vintage of Montrose that will take close to two decades to start to stir, but should prove to be one of the absolute stars on the Left Bank in the 2011 vintage. A superb effort from such a trying vintage in Ste. Estèphe. (Drink between 2030-2075).John Gilman | 92 JGTasted at the château, the 2011 Montrose is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot picked between 2-27 September. The nose does not possess the exuberance of the 2008, a little conservative and lacking personality by comparison. It does repay aeration though and after some time, there are attractive cold stone/limestone notes that begin to emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grippy tannin. It is a solid Montrose, quite stout, perhaps not the greatest fun you will ever have with a Claret, yet with admirable depth on the lightly spiced, cedar-infused finish. Whilst I prefer the 2008 Montrose, the 2011 is a decent off-vintage that should offer 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

As low as $130.00
2012 montrose Bordeaux Red

Produced in the magnificent new cellars at Montrose, this big, tannic wine is powerful and concentrated. It has something of the classic severity of a wine from this estate, but that’s mitigated by the ripe, generous blackberry fruitiness and the final freshness of a 2012. A great success, to drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Montrose, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) A proper grown-up claret with uncompromising but well-padded tannin and parity of fruit that still needs five years more to soften. (Drink between 2027-2035)Decanter | 94 DECFascinating aromas of blackberries with cacao and buttery notes. This is a full-bodied red combining well-rounded tannins, lovely acidity and a mouth-watering finish. Yet turns firm and powerful. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSTasted at the château, the 2012 Montrose is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 20 October. It underwent a particularly long maceration period between 26 and 28 days. It offers more fruit intensity than the 2011 Montrose with blackberry, raspberry and bilberry scents, quite backward and primal yet well defined. The aromatics almost mock you because returning after ten minutes, there are glimpses of underlying dried herb and mineral notes. The palate is medium-bodied, intense and very focused, clearly with more depth and sinew than the 2011, yet displaying impressive precision and energy on the finish, which bodes well for the long-term. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMFeatures lively and pure blackberry, fig and plum fruit, lined with enticing singed mesquite, bramble and tar accents. The muscular, tarry finish shows a twinge of austere chalkiness, but there’s ample flesh for balance. Best from 2017 through 2025. 18,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA backward, masculine and inky colored effort that offers lots of dark, dark fruits, graphite, crushed rock and charred meats, the 2012 is medium to full-bodied, fresh and lively on the palate, with good acidity, plenty of tannin, yet moderate density and extract. Still, this is a beautiful wine that will reward 4-5 years of cellaring and drink nicely over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JD

As low as $160.00
2014 cos destournel Bordeaux Red

If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an immensely dense wine that is going to be a classic. The dark tannins are still lined with wood aging but that will go because the fruit underneath is also just as dense and intense. Blackberry, black plum and damson plum give power and sweetness. This is a great wine with huge potential. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Cos d’Estournel is rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades. The 2014 needs time to shed some baby fat, but it is quite impressive, even in the early going. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot and 2 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThe grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThere’s a clear consistency across Cos d’Estournel’s wines – the quality is absolutely unmissable, but don’t open the 2014 just yet. Remember that from the end of August the weather really favoured St-Estèphe, with the result that all those key elements - tannins, acidity and fruit - are here in force. It’s still young and closed, with tight tannins, but after 10 minutes or so in the glass olive paste and rosemary notes emerge, followed by graphite and bilberry fruit. Give it time, then reap the rewards. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Cos d’Estournel has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed at this stage, offering slowly emerging scents of fresh blackcurrants, black plums and blackberries plus nuances of pencil shavings, dried lavender, bay leaves and fertile loam with a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a generous mid-palate of muscular, youthful fruit with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIntense, with a roiling core of luscious loganberry, blackberry and black currant fruit. Singed spice, apple wood and black tea accents emerge steadily on the finish. Has a rare combination of density and precision. Will cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

96-98
WE
As low as $185.00
2014 montrose Bordeaux Red

The 2014 Montrose is without question one of the standout wines of the vintage. Black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and lavender are some of the many aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. But the 2014 is a much deeper wine than just a bunch of descriptors can conjure. In 2014, Montrose is a wine of exceptional finesse and polish. The late-ripening vintage allowed for perfect maturation of the tannins and resulted in a silky wine that exudes class and pedigree. The 2014 is not an obvious or bombastic Montrose, but rather a wine of sublime enchantment. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGIncredible aromas of currants, blackberries, slate and flowers. Full-bodied yet so tight and beautiful with superb polish and brightness. The length is fantastic. Truly superb. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a very fine wine showing a new level of quality at Montrose. With its almost velvet tannins inside the intense black fruits, the wine is rich, smooth and generous. Blackberry and black-plum fruits are to the fore along with the fine acidity and great structure. A wine to age for decades, it will be ready to drink from Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the château, the 2014 Montrose builds on the promise it showed in barrel with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended—one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NM(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) The velvety texture of the fruit and the tannins seem to shine through here, even on the aromatics. It’s one of the wines of the vintage and is showing beautifully after four years. Of course, it’s nowhere near ready to drink, but the tannins have an astonishingly vibrant, tactile quality against the palate. This is coupled with concentrated flavours of cassis, bilberry, charcoal, liquorice, deep woodsmoke and cedar. One for the cellar, and then some. 1% Petit Verdot finishes the blend. Harvested through until 16 October as with many of these St-Estèphes, given the luxury of the beautiful October weather. (Drink between 2024-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is seriously built, with an admirable core of red and black currant paste and bitter plum fruit inlaid with notes of tobacco, bay and smoldering charcoal. The finish is ramrod straight thanks to an iron girder supporting everything with ease. A tremendous effort for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI loved the 2014 Montrose and it has an incredible purity and elegance that sets it apart from its peers. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it offers a deeper, richer profile with gorgeous cassis and currant fruits intermixed with licorice, chocolate, graphite and beautiful minerality. A spitting image of class on the palate, with fine tannin, integrated acidity, and medium to full-bodied richness, this terrific 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the Médoc and keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

97
VM
As low as $169.00
2016 calon segur Bordeaux Red

An enticing nose oscillating between pure black fruit and fine spices that becomes more floral in character after airing and refreshed by minty notes. This is a wine of remarkable finesse thanks to the harmonious proportions of its tannic and acidic architecture that shapes its juicy substance. This is a vintage marking a change of style towards more precision and purity, as well as finesse, without losing the essential aging capacity that should impart even more delicacy to this outstanding wine. (Drink between 2030-2060)Decanter | 100 DECSuperb aromas of crushed berries, violets and sandalwood with hints of cedar and roses. Full body, very fine tannins and savory, delicious fruit. Vibrant acidity combines beautifully with the fruit and structure. Harmonious and attractive. Fine-toned. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Calon Ségur is dense and radiant on the palate, just as it was from barrel. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 is distinguished by its sense of freshness, lift and nuance, much of which comes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Sweet floral, spice and minty notes add aromatic intensity to a core of sweet red cherry and plum fruit. There is plenty of underlying structure, but the tannins are sweet, silky and perfectly ripe. In short, the 2016 Calon Ségur is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Technical Director Vincent Millet and his team did a tremendous job with the 2016. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA monumental wine in the making, the 2016 Château Calon-Ségur is blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that spent a full 20 months in all new French oak. It offers an incredibly powerful, concentrated, classic style in its crème de cassis, graphite, scorched earth, tobacco, and lead pencil aromas and flavors. These give way to an inky, full-bodied 2016 that has perfectly integrated acidity and tannins, subtle background oak, thrilling depth and purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. My money is on it being the greatest wine ever made at this address. Although it shines even today on its purity and balance, it needs 5-7 years of bottle age to hit prime time and will keep for three to four decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2016 Calon-Ségur is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing warm red and black currants, kirsch and plum preserves with wafts of fragrant earth, violets, chocolate box and wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly expressed and finely crafted, it has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bold freshness supporting the densely packed black fruits, finishing long and mineral-laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis sports a big, juicy core of delicious dark plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavors streaked with violet, bay and tobacco notes that add energy. Loam and charcoal accents add the bass line on the finish, where the fruit really kicks into second gear. A no-brainer for the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2040. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFine perfumes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend are balanced by the firm, dark tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has weight and richness as well as a bold, dark structure. It is going to take its time and this powerful wine will not be ready before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

97
VM
As low as $145.00
2016 cos destournel Bordeaux Red

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

100
RP
As low as $135.00
2016 Meyney

Wild nose. Impressive, deep hue and a wealth of fresh, violet-like aromas, as well as cassis, graphite and dark cherries. The palate has a very sleek, fine, powerful core of tannins that bring a lot of depth and deliver rich dark-fruit flavor. A classic Meyney. Best since 1961! Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Meyney has a very deep color. The bouquet is a stunner, delivering intense, mineral-rich black fruit pixelated to the nth degree. This is extremely focused and conveys the energy of a tightly coiled spring. The extremely well-balanced palate offers fine-grained tannins and superb acidity. Very pure and focused, with a harmonious, vibrant finish that lingers in the mouth. You can feel this lingering 45–60 seconds after the wine has exited. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Château Meyney, St-Estèphe, Red) Rich and full, this is very St-Estèphe: round through the mid-palate, with an amazingly tasty balance of richness and freshness leading to salinity and minerality on the finish. It will need another five to eight years before being ready to drink, but it has to be one of the value picks of the vintage. (Drink between 2021-2036)Decanter | 94 DECSolidly built, with a dark and juicy core of currant, plum and blackberry reduction flavors, inlaid with charcoal and smoldering tobacco notes. Offers a pleasant loamy tug through the finish. Gutsy wine. The better of two bottles tasted. Best from 2022 through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

94
DEC
As low as $110.00
2020 calon segur Bordeaux Red

A return to form in my eyes for Calon Ségur after the atypical 2018, rippling with elegance, balance and savoury blue fruits of Cabernet, with rose and peony flowers. Concentrated, chiselled and juicy, this has clear personality and equals the great, classically balanced vintages of Calon like 2016. A yield of 33hl/ha, 3.85pH, 100% new oak. Vincent Millet is now overall director as well as technical director, since the departure of Laurent Dufau in 2020. Drinking Window 2029 - 2048.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2020 Calon-Ségur is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It is aging in 100% new French oak barrels for an anticipated 18 to 20 months. The alcohol is 13.8%. Displaying a deep purple-black color, it straight away springs up with bright scents of freshly picked black raspberries, kirsch and blackberries, needing considerable swirling to reveal a vast array of nuances—rose oil, cardamom, iron ore, graphite, lavender and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate has a solid structure of firm, ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the tightly wound red and black fruit layers, accented by lots of mineral and floral sparks, finishing with impressive length and depth. Beautiful, beautiful wine!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97+ RPThe flagship 2020 Château Calon Ségur is also brilliant and certainly brings up the intensity, depth, and richness, although it’s nowhere near the exotic, almost over-the-top style of the 2018. Gorgeous crème de cassis, tobacco, roasted coffee beans, lead pencil, and sappy herbs all define this beauty, which is full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and has incredible purity of fruit. It might have some up-front appeal as well, yet smart money will hide bottles for at least 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDTobacco and tea aromas with currants and wet earth. Full-bodied and chewy with blackcurrant flavor. Tannins build on the finish with lots of structure and intensity. Quite muscular.James Suckling | 95-96 JSThe powerful tannins of this wine cannot mask the beautiful fruits and acidity. Rather the tannins enhance them, giving structure to the wine’s fine blackberry fruitiness that leaves a refreshing character at the end. With this structure the wine will take its time and will need to age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2020 Calon Ségur is a dark, brooding wine that is going to need a number of years to become approachable. Black fruit, gravel, smoke, chocolate, leather and licorice give the 2020 its distinctly virile feel. In two separate tastings, the 2020 has come across as quite potent and forbidding. This sample is more convincing than a sample I tasted this past spring, but I still don’t see Calon-Segur as having reached the level that has become customary over the last few vintages.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

99
JD
As low as $195.00

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