Saint Julien Wines

wines

(Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. A return to a more classic profile, with silky, dark damson and cassis, more structured tannins and great persistence. A lovely, extremely accomplished 2006, although it is still quite closed and backward right now. (Drink between 2017-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThere’s a great dark color to this, with intense aromas of cedar, wood, new leather and crushed blackberry. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit and a firm, powerful palate. Long and mouthpuckering. A muscular baby. Best after 2015. 18,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRight at the top of its form, this 2006 is one of the finest wines to come out of the vintage. The wine is structured and dense, but with such heartwarming ripe fruit that the tannins are almost submerged. There is just a hint of wood, but juicy black currant continues right through to the end. In a year, the fruit will lessen, and long aging begin.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WETasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Léoville-Barton has a surprisingly rich and opulent bouquet at first, although it calms down with aeration, offering crushed violet and black cherry scents, reminiscent of a fine Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip in the mouth. Here the class begins to appear with fine balance and poise, but like the Langoa, it lacquers the mouth with tannins and feels very backward, surprising given the vintage. Cellar this for another decade, folks. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker | 92 RP-NMGood bright ruby-red. Pretty aromas of black cherry, cassis, tobacco leaf, minerals, licorice and violet. Chewy, rich and deep, with good dense mid-palate fruit and excellent concentration. Fuller and sweeter than the Langoa. Finishes long and delineated, with powerful tannic clout and terrific mineral thrust. A serious 2006 for the cellar.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

Already the velvet texture is broadening out to give a wine that shows solid fruits, bright and sweet, never heavy, but with plenty of ripeness and polish. Inside this suave character, there is a core of tight tannins, promising medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WETasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Langoa Barton has an attractive bouquet with blackberry, autumn leaves, truffle and salted licorice scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a harmonious entry and a gentle grip in the mouth; it’s quite a compact Saint Julien, which suggests that it could be one of the long-term bets. There is just a touch of bitterness on the finish, but otherwise this has good potential. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

A powerful, extracted wine, very concentrated. The tannins are dense, giving a sense of tight texture, while underneath the ripe fruits are pulsing with fresh acidity as well as sweet berry flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WETasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Leoville-Poyferre has a tightly wound bouquet at first, although it unfurls to reveal attractive cedar and undergrowth-tinged black fruit, dried blood and cured meat aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture, a fine thread of acidity and a grippy, almost Pauillac-like, graphite finish that lends body and focus. This showing at ten years suggests that, after differing performances in its youth, this Saint Julien has settled into a groove; in fact, I envisage it maturing with style over the next 15-20 years. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMThe 2007 Léoville-Poyferré has a bright, vivid and playful bouquet with red cherries and crushed strawberry mixed with tobacco, sous-bois and smoke aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, well judged acidity, harmonious and quite fleshy on the finish. This is a deceptively seductive, easygoing Poyferré, not complex but built to give pleasure. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.Vinous Media | 91 VMOffers subtle aromas of smoky wood, fresh herbs and dark fruits. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and soft, silky tannins. Very well-crafted and polished for the vintage. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2009 Lagrange was picked from 28 September to 6 October. This has a sensual and very floral bouquet with lavender and violet aromas infusing the plush and generous red berry fruit. It retains fine delineation despite its concentration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, velvety smooth with layers of red berry fruit laced with clove and thyme, gently fanning out towards the caressing finish. Superb. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is a good Lagrange, showing well now with no need to wait too long. It perhaps doesn’t have the concentration and precision of today’s Lagrange, but it’s a good 2009 with lots to enjoy. It has a firm cassis and blackberry purée character, with spiced herbs through the mid-palate, and firm but pliable tannins, all leading to a finish with good lift. Effortless and with St Julien elegance. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.Decanter | 94 DECRipe wine, with soft tannins allied to great density. Weight and lovely, juicy, final fruit flavors meld together easily. This is solid, dense, impressive and for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Lagrange rolls out of the glass with beautiful redcurrant jelly, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves notions plus hints of fallen leaves, camphor and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with red and black fruit preserves and lively herbal sparks, with a firm grainy backbone and great freshness on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLovely ripe cassis character, fullish body and elegant tannins make this an easy 2009 to enjoy in spite of the wine’s ample structure. Drink now. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Lagrange) Lagrange harvested from September 28th until October 20th and the team here has produced one of the reference point wines on the Left Bank. The bouquet is deep and simply superb, as it jumps from the glass in a classic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, coffee, woodsmoke, espresso, tobacco leaf, a lovely base of soil and a discreet touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and beautifully length and grip on the palate-staining and impressively tangy finish. There are not a lot of wines on the Left Bank with this type of zesty acidity and pinpoint focus. A terrific 2009. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 92-93+ JGOne of the more backward, tight wines in this retrospective, the 2009 Château Lagrange needs lots of air to show at its best, yet still holds things close to its vest. A youthful ruby color is followed by beautiful and classic Bordeaux notes of crème de cassis, cedar pencil, unsmoked tobacco, and a touch of earth. It’s not massive by any means, yet it’s beautifully balanced, with ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. With a Château Lafite-like elegance and seamlessness, it will be loved by the Claret lovers out there and is certainly a beautiful wine. It should evolve for another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThis has a solid core of juicy plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that sits in reserve, while mouthwatering briar and toasty spice notes move along the edges. Grippy and focused through the finish, with well-embedded acidity. Best from 2013 through 2024.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSaturated with the warm ripeness of the 2009 vintage, this is well upholstered rather than hyperripe. Its plump blueberry and currant flavors feel concentrated, completely integrating the oak so that the tannins are cushioned rather than extracted. Its vintage character shows in caramelized notes at the end of the wine, in spice that builds out of the warmth. Enjoyable now with roast duck, this will gain complexity as it ages.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

The 2009 Langoa-Barton has a gorgeous bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and light tobacco aromas that blossom from the glass. This feels so composed and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine-grain tannin, beautifully judged acidity and a svelte, languorous finish that fans out with style. What a gorgeous and utterly seductive Saint-Julien. It turns out to be Langoa Barton, a wine that I have rated very highly in the past. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery dense and still rather reserved, with dark blueberry, blackberry and fig notes rolled together, framed by freshly brewed espresso and Black Forest cake notes. Long and tarry through the finish, with a melted licorice snap note hanging on at the very end. Best from 2014 through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA deceptively approachable wine. Its gorgeous fruits are right up front, their ripeness powered by a generous, complex texture. There is concentration, but it is surrounded by so much richness. It can almost be drunk now, but should age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA rich and fleshy wine, yet it remains decisively dry. Attractive blueberry aroma and impressive supple tannins make this very harmonious. If it was slightly brighter in the nose this would rate even higher.James Suckling | 93 JSBackward, tannic and beefy, this youthful but formidable 2009 Langoa Barton exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, underbrush and black currant aromas and flavors, medium to full body, lively acids and, not surprisingly, massive tannins (a characteristic of all the Barton wines). The overall impression is somewhat incongruous, having a certain precociousness in the aromatics, but then clamping down on the taster in the mouth. I recommend waiting 5-7 years before opening a bottle. It should drink well over the following 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 90+ RP

A major success of the vintage. The wine exhibits extreme richness of the fruit, with all its sweet blackberry flavors. It also has underlying firm structure, density and solid tannins. Bring in the acidity at the end, and this is both impressive and ready for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEMeasured and confident tannic hold with subtle grilled oak notes, a ton of ripe cassis and blueberry fruits, liquorice and eucalyptus on the finish, and a mouthwatering, moreish construction overall. This is a powerful St Julien, but with clear and present finesse. 60% new oak. A standout wine from this property, and a wonderful showcase of the slow burning brilliance of St Julien. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECA super-classic St.-Julien that only has a hint of the opulence of the vintage. The beautiful cassis fruit and elegantly dry tannins push briskly through the long and graceful finish. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2009 Léoville-Barton has a much better bouquet than the Langoa with better definition and focus: blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and touches of graphite that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced with a graphite infused finish that feels very persistent. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is powerful Cabernet, with gutsy weight, but also polished feel to the fresh plum, warm blackberry sauce, bittersweet ganache and roasted apple wood notes. Long and tarry through the finish, but still invigorating despite its heft. Needs some time to round fully into form. Best from 2017 through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 21,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Leoville Barton gives up expressive cherry cordial, warm cassis and blackberry tart scents with nuances of menthol, cigar box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and elegantly played with loads of freshness and soft tannins, it has a long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Let yourself go and sink into this deep dark chasm that will swallow you whole if you let it. Enormous concentration, but every bit as much finesse, the finish extremely long and fine. And this is just beginning to give its best! Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2009 Leoville Las Cases may be the most open-knit and forward Las Cases I have tasted to date. Analytically, it is high in tannin and the alcohol is 13.8%, nearly a record at this estate. This blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc was showing brilliantly at the 2009 tasting I did in Hong Kong and at a later tasting. It boasts an inky/purple color, monumental concentration and lots of sweet, jammy black currant, black cherry and kirsch fruit intermixed with crushed rock and mineral notes. As always, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon has built a massive wine with exceptional precision, unbelievable purity and aging potential of 40-50 years. I was surprised by the lusciousness of this cuvee on several occasions, and how much more forward it is given the fact that Las Cases can often be forebodingly backward and in need of 10-15 years of cellaring (at age 30, the 1982 is still a baby in terms of development!). The super-concentrated 2009 needs another 5-7 years before additional nuances emerge. This is a brilliant, full-throttle St.-Julien.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThis is gorgeously layered with cassis bush, anise, roasted fig and plum reduction notes all framed by racy espresso and graphite. Very deep and very long, with terrific intensity on the finish thanks to razor cut from the seemingly endless iron spine. With its purity and precision, this mineral-driven Cabernet should cruise for two decades. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSStill a baby, the 2009 Château Leoville Las Cases is largely in the mold of the 1990 and 1982, offering a sexy opulence while staying in the classic, structured style of the estate. Based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, its still ruby/purple hue is followed by a sensational array of blackcurrants, cedar pencil, green tobacco, exotic spices, and incense. With incredible purity, ultra-fine tannins, full-bodied richness, and that rare mix of power and elegance, this magical Saint-Julien is just now starting to reveal some secondary nuances and won’t hit full maturity for another decade. It should see its 75th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA beautifully structured wine, with its tannins layered between the ripest black plums, damsons and black currants. It is opulent while remaining dense, concentrated and very serious. Certainly a wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2009 Léoville Las-Cases simply delivers on the nose with intense blackberry, wild hedgerow, graphite and crushed stone aromas on the nose. You would put this down as a Pauillac if served blind, unsurprising given that it borders that appellation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky smooth in texture with immense depth. It is blessed with quite brilliant delineation and the precision on the finish is magnificent. Chapeau Mon. Delon. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMBeing Léoville-Las Cases, it is, as you would expect, still pretty determined to play its cards close to its chest. And yet the exuberance and generosity of 2009 is beginning to peep though. For those of us who lack patience, these kind of years are just brilliant for checking out what Las Cases is all about: brooding tannins are just starting to stir, controlling a tight-knit cassis, cigar box, pencil lead and liquorice body. You feel the skill in the unpeeling of the tannins, opening to reveal the perky fresh core, and you can see just why this is such a great estate. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DEC(Château Leoville las Cases) The last vintage of Leoville las Cases to really move me was the 1978, so I am probably underrating this very powerful and seamlessly constructed wine a bit. The nose today on the ’09 is very deep, sappy and quite primary at this point in its evolution, as it offers up scents of black cherries, cassis, a touch of blueberry, dark chocolate, tobacco smoke and raw (but integrated) new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full and sappy at the core, with plenty of firm tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very long, still somewhat woody finish. There is little doubt that there is sufficient stuffing here to fully absorb its sixty-five percent new oak with further evolution, and I am sure that there are other tasters that will really love this wine for its deep and powerful personality. But for me it is a bit of a brute and I have a hard time imagining the wine ever developing any breed or nuance to go with its raw power. Very well made in its style. (Drink between 2020-2050).John Gilman | 90-92+ JG

A charming, undeniably delicious Saint-Julien, the 2009 Les Fiefs De Lagrange offers forward notes of blackcurrants, green tobacco, cedarwood, and a touch of forest floor. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and elegant on the palate, with still nicely balanced acidity and ripe tannins, this is one solid second wine that’s drinking beautifully today. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD(Les Fiefs de Lagrange) For several vintages, the Les Fiefs de Lagrange has been one of my favorite second wines on the Left Bank and the 2009 will be another stellar effort. The nose is deep and beautiful, as it offers up a classy blend of black cherries, dark berries, bitter chocolate, cigar smoke, soil and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and classy, with lovely, ripe tannins, sound focus and fine length and grip on the poised and beautifully balanced finish. A lovely bottle in the making. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 89-90 JG

The 2009 Gruaud Larose is blended of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet colored, it charges forth with warm black raspberries, crème de cassis and redcurrant jelly notes with touches of potpourri, cigar box, new leather, hoisin and molten chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with black fruits and savory layers with a firm, grainy texture and seamless freshness lifting the long earth-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA spicy and fat rich wine, atypical of Bordeaux. There is grip and depth of flavour here with blackcurrant coulis and some lovely menthol edging. A balanced wine. (Drink between 2016-2024)Decanter | 90 DEC

(The whole wine is finely tuned, full of grip, depth and complexity. Still young although softening, and there is lovely juice and mint leaf on the finish that slowly but surely brings the focus up out of tannin and fruit to a more savoury feel. 95% new oak. First year for optical sorting for La Croix and Ducru, and the yields were extremely low, 25hl/ha, the lowest for 25 years at the time. Took an extra 10% out after the optical. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThis is rather well-endowed for the vintage, with thickly layered ganache, currant paste, fig sauce and blackberry confiture notes still grappling with one another, while briary grip and dark spice fill out the toast-fueled finish. Very long, showing a level of power that belies the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou) The 2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou is one of the best wines on the Left Bank in this vintage, with a sense of completeness and refined balance that is fairly rare in this difficult vintage. The superb nose jumps from the glass in a complex mélange of cassis, sweet dark berries, cigar smoke, an outstanding base of soil and a nicely-integrated base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe, fine-grained tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the very, very long, primary and impeccably balanced finish. This will take a long time in the cellar to really blossom, but all of the constituent components are in place here to make this one of the great wines of the vintage on the Left Bank. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 94 JGDespite the huge weight of fruit and accompanying structure, this is a stylish wine. It’s impressively dense, concentrated and solid. At the same time, the juicy black fruits give a generous, full-in-the-mouth character. Drink this very fine wine from 2022. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDeep garnet colored, the 2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou features fragrant notes of underbrush, tilled soil, tree bark and fungi over a core of red currant jelly, preserved plums, cassis and mulberries. Medium-bodied, elegant, refreshing and with a sturdy, grainy texture, it offers just enough black fruit and earthy layers in the mouth and a savory finish.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a focused nose, a melange of red and black fruit, sandalwood, orange rind and humidor, fine delineation, and it coheres in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant, well-defined with taut tannins, gaining more depth towards the finish that demonstrates admirable finesse and poise. This is a lovely Saint-Julien, unashamedly classic in style, and it should give another 20 years of drinking pleasure, probably more. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis shows excellent aromas of crushed berries, minerals and roses. Full body with silky, balanced tannins. Fruity and reserved. Shows wonderful finesse for the Médoc in 2011. Better after 2018.James Suckling | 93 JS

The Langoa Barton is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc cropped at 36hl/ha cropped between 12th and 23rd September. It has a very pure lifted bouquet with fine delineation. It is very feminine with hints of blueberry and cassis just in the background, but there is nice minerality coming through. The palate is rounded on the entry with crisp acidity, hints of pain grille inflecting the black fruit with a seam of graphite on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP-NMThis is a delightful wine with an attractive character that belies that firm structure behind it. It has weight and concentration and firm tannins, while showing the fruity side of the vintage. A wine for pleasure as it ages. Drink from 2016.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA fresh, bright wine with citrus, raspberry and currants. Medium to full body with firm tannins and a crisp finish. Juicy fruit. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 92 JSShowing good definition, this delivers plum pit and bitter cherry hints that weave around the core of red currant and blackberry fruit. Briar-tinged grip holds the finish. Best from 2017 through 2027. 625 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSWell placed black fruits, there is some austerity to the tannins and it is softer through the mid palate than you are going to find in this estate in more recent vintages, but it has a tomato leaf freshness and an appealing grilled cherry and woodsmoke aromatic that builds as it opens in the glass. Good stuff. A yield of 36hl/ha. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2011 Langoa-Barton has an open nose, well defined, a little lean at first though it gains more fruit intensity with aeration. Quite conservative compared to its peers though. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a little oaky perhaps, decent depth with a touch of black pepper and tobacco. What is missing is just some elegance and tension on the finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Huge structure, huge potential, a wine that will bring out all the fruit and density of the vintage while remaining very fresh. Black plums are already showing strongly along with the dry core that promises aging. It’s serious while alive and bright. Drink this major wine from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis has some toast to shed, but retains a terrific core of crushed plum and blackberry confiture. Has a beautiful ripple of charcoal for texture, honest acidity for balance and a bolt of iron that keeps this firmly grounded. A brick-house Cabernet. Best from 2018 through 2030. 8,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Leoville Las Cases) The 2011 Château Leoville Las Cases is a classic in the making, but like the 1986 that Monsieur Rolland compares this wine too, it is going to take a long time to come around from behind its substantial wall of tannin. The superb nose offers up a classy and very pure blend of cassis, black cherries, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke, espresso, a touch of tobacco leaf and a discreet base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite pure on the attack, with a very tightly-knit personality, a rock solid core of fruit, seamless and very firm tannins and outstanding length and grip on the laser-like finish. This will be a superb vintage of Leoville Las Cases in the fullness of time, but plan on cellaring it at least fifteen years before opening a bottle and most likely, the wine will take every bit of thirty years in the cellar to really reach its apogee. (Drink between 2027-2075).John Gilman | 94+ JGA very, very good wine with creamy oak across ripe summer pudding and poached purple berries; superb balance and drive. The tannins are assertive but never threaten. Sweet ripe fruit is served up with bright, vibrant and ripe style; raspberry, mulberry and red plum flavors, great sustain, long and impressive.James Suckling | 94 JSOne of the more formidably backward and potentially long-lived wines of the vintage, the medium to full-bodied 2011 Leoville Las Cases behaves like a first-growth, which in a sense it truly is. Revealing a dense inky/purple color, it is a structured, rich, impressively endowed effort that is meant for the long haul. Atypical for this vintage, it requires 5-7 years of bottle age and should drink well for two decades thereafter. The final blend was 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Yields were a low 27 hectoliters per hectare, and the natural alcohol achieved 13.4%.Robert Parker | 93+ RPThe 2011 Léoville Las-Cases is much more introspective on the nose than its peers, though it unfolds to reveal quite mineral-driven black fruit, leather and graphite aromas. It never fully lets go. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine acidity, fresh and lively with a focused, graphite-tinged finish. Maybe a little conservative in keeping with the vintage, though this is well crafted. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Drinking beautifully, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2012 Château Beychevelle just about jumps out of the glass with lots of ripe black cherry and currant styled fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, truffle, and cedarwood aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, with both terrific freshness and ripe tannins, it’s one gem of a wine from the Médoc that readers will love to drink over the coming 15-20 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThis is a smooth, rich wine that’s intensely concentrated and packed with great black-currant fruits. The wine has weight and a sense of structure to support the great fruitiness.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe grand vin, the 2012 Beychevelle, is one of the stars of St.-Julien. Opaque purple, with beautiful crème de cassis notes, the wine has floral underpinnings, sweet tannin and a nice layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel. This is elegant and powerful, rich and intense, but light on its feet. This is a great Beychevelle and certainly seems to exceed the vintage’s character and expectations. Give it 4-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 92+ RPThis shows an outstanding density of fruit with currant, blueberry and raspberry character. Full-bodied, compressed and tight. Fine tannins. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 92 JS(Château Beychevelle) Philippe Blanc noted that the harvest for the merlot at Beychevelle was prolonged this year, taking place over nine days from September 27th (normally, it takes four days to bring in the merlot here), as the uneven ripening of this variety in 2012 (due primarily to hydric stress) required several more passes through the vineyards. The cabernet sauvignon was much more homogenous in its ripeness and was gathered over a normal cycle from October 12th to the 18th, and the resulting Beychevelle, which came in at 13.3 percent alcohol, is a very classic and promising example of the vintage. The superb bouquet offers up a lovely and very pure mélange of cassis, cark berries, Cuban cigars, a touch of violet, dark chocolate, soil and a very discreet base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and rock solid at the core, with ripe, chewy tannins, fine focus and balance and a very long, youthful and classy finish. Texturally, this is really a stunning success in 2012! A classic Beychevelle in the making and one of the top wines on the Left Bank this year. (Drink between 2027-2060)John Gilman | 92+ JG(47% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc; 67% selection for the grand vin; 42 h/h): Fully saturated deep purple-red. Aromas of black cherry, flowers and aromatic spices. Then surprisingly big and almost chunky for Beychevelle, with rich blackberry and black cherry flavors dominating. This crowd-pleaser finishes smooth, ripely tannic and long.Vinous Media | 88-91 VMVery solid, with a bramble-lined core of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fruit, backed by anise and singed wood spice notes. A bolt of graphite pins the finish down. Best from 2016 through 2024. 20,416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS2012 was a relatively cool vintage but this remains lovely and open on the nose. There’s a good density to the black fruit, mixed through with charcoal and cedar notes. Still tight on the finish but a good quality wine, with appealingly supple tannins through the mid-palate and it should be ready to drink before both the 2011 and the 2010 vintages. The gravel soils of Château Beychevelle, alongside the thermal effect of the river, often give it one week difference of ripening compared to neighbouring estates further to the west of the appellation, and this really helped in 2012. This was the first year with technical director Romain Ducolomb, who came from Château Clinet, although he is originally from Burgundy and has worked both in Burgundy and Napa along the way. 4% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.Decanter | 90 DEC

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

This combines considerable power and concentration with rich, impressive fruits. It has both style and elegance, with density to give it great aging potential. The tannins are firm while also having a velvet texture. The wine, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, is for serious aging. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEWafting from the glass with aromas of rich berries, plums, loamy soil, baking spices and pencil shavings, the 2012 Léoville Las Cases is medium to full-bodied, lively and layered, with impressive concentration for the vintage, supple tannins and a charming, enveloping profile. Seamless and beautifully integrated, at age 10, this quintessential classic is already surprisingly approachable, though of course it still has several decades of graceful evolution ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPStanding out for its sheer purity and class, the 2012 Leoville-Las Cases is about as seamless as they come, with medium to full-bodied richness, fabulous notes of crème de cassis, cedary spice, plums, spice and wood smoke, with its oak component pushed well into the background. While not a blockbuster, it is impeccably balanced, with a full, layered mid-palate, building tannin and a rock-solid finish. Give this straight up classy 2012 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy bottles over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is very tight at this early stage, with a wall of smoldering charcoal holding the core of dark plum, blackberry paste and cassis in reserve. The sleek finish shows admirable length and a mouthwatering echo of iron. This harnesses the austerity of the vintage to its advantage, and should unwind slowly in the cellar. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2012 Léoville-Las-Cases offers lovely up front voluptuousness, something I am almost shocked to write about one of the Left Bank’s most notoriously slow agers. Sweet red cherry, dried flowers and pipe tobacco scents meld into a translucent, mid-weight Las Cases that should drink relatively early by this wine’s standard. The silky finish only adds to the wine’s considerable early appeal. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGSo pure on the nose with aromas of blackcurrants, raspberries and licorice. Hints of stones. Full body, polished yet chewy tannins and a long and racy finish. Layered tannins. Citrusy undertones. Bright acidity. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Léoville-Las Cases, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Structured palate with deep-scented fruit and potential, but lacking the extra excitement and distinction that this terroir can provide. (Drink between 2028-2040)Decanter | 92 DEC

A firm and silky red with lots of currant, flower and citrus aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, integrated tannins and a long finish. Excellent for the vintage. Subtle finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSThe wine now in bottle has maintained the lively character found in the barrel tasting. Added to that is a firm structure, with layers of wood and intense acidity. This wine will age over the medium-term, so drink from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEWell placed black fruits, there is some austerity to the tannins and it is softer through the mid palate than you are going to find in this estate in more recent vintages, but it has a tomato leaf freshness and an appealing grilled cherry and woodsmoke aromatic that builds as it opens in the glass. Good stuff. A yield of 36hl/ha.Decanter | 91 DEC

In an opulent style, this wine is full of ripe fruits and generous tannins. Juicy acidity gives it a fresh lift typical of the year, although this wine has a depth of flavor that promises well for its development. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA sleek and racy 2013 with mineral, blackberry and currant aromas. Subtle and perfumed. Medium body, silky tannins and a clean finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2013 Léoville-Poyferre has a lovely nose with simple blackcurrant and wild strawberry fruit, maintaining Didier Cuvelier’s more opulent style while retaining delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with gently grippy tannin, good acidity and structure, not complex but with a very impressive blackberry and cassis finish that lingers in the mouth. Chapeau Monsieur Cuvelier - one of the best Saint Juliens this vintage.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMOne of the top wines in the vintage is unquestionably the 2013 Léoville Poyferré, which has more purity, texture, and depth than most. With medium-bodied richness, lovely notes of cassis, smoky oak, and violets, moderate tannins, and notable purity and finesse, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming decade or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDSaturated ruby. Brooding aromas of black fruits, minerals and coffee; at once medicinal and liqueur-like, but showing more freshness than usual in 2013. Huge but still raw at this stage, with rather large-scaled, mouthfilling flavors (for the year) of dark berries and flinty ripe plum, along with an obvious herbal element. Shows a boatload of chewy tannins but the persistent finish is dry but not parching.Vinous Media | 87-90 VMShows good energy, with a vibrant, brambly spine that drives the plum cake, steeped currant and licorice flavors along. A solid bolt of singed apple wood pins down the finish. Best from 2017 through 2023. 12,894 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

I love the nose of blackberries, blueberries, flowers and citrus. Hints of stones and wet earth. Full body and ultra-fine tannins that are so long and seamless. Incredible length. A wine that you want to drink now.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a great wine. It has all the elements in place to produce a wine that will last for years: powerful fruit, rich tannins and a structure that is built to last. This is elegant, impressive and concentrated. Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape gives the wine its fruit and its tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA brilliant effort, the 2014 Léoville Las Cases is a tightly wound classic that will delight purists. Mingling aromas of dark berries and cassis with hints of bitter chocolate, sweet spices, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and sweet new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with tangy acids and a deep, firm mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, the only missing ingredient is time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPReaders will have to be patient with the 2014 Léoville-las-Cases, as it is not likely to show well for a number of years. Tightly wound but also medium-bodied and classic in its construction, the 2014 is going to need quite a bit of time to come together. Léoville-las-Cases is so often a wine of power, but here the refined site of the vintage is very much in evidence. The 2014 is a Las Cases built on finesse.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDensely packed, with cassis, steeped plum and blackberry coulis notes that are compressed with layers of cold charcoal and graphite. Very pure, giving this a long, sleek and racy feel, while an iron underpinning drives the finish. Best from 2020 through 2040. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFragrant density from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fine, chalky tannins and great purity and depth – severe in the Las Cases style but a wine of great class. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Leoville Las Cases is a terrific blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, and it’s one of the more backward, tight, age-worthy wines in the vintage. Offering sensational purity in its crème de cassis, graphite, licorice and subtle background oak, it hits the palate with a tight, focused, yet impressively concentrated profile that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will shine for three decades. It’s another incredibly classy wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JD

The 2014 Léoville Poyferré is gorgeous. Dark, sumptuous and ample on the palate, it possesses remarkable depth. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, licorice and menthol all flesh out as this radiant, deeply expressive wine shows off its considerable pedigree. The 2014 is going to need time to fully come together, but it is super-impressive. Vinous Media | 95 VMReal perfume on the nose here, so floral with peonies, rich blackcurrants and summer berry notes. Lovely clarity and precision on the palate, soft and delicate with such poise. It’s not so expansive right now, a little shy perhaps, but the quality is excellent with the terroir signatures of wet stone and graphite coming through. This has just an easy-drinking appeal, delicately layered but with a juiciness and tannic structure that will ensure a long life ahead. Truly a lovely wine. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Harvest 1-14 October. (Drink between 2024-2046)Decanter | 94 DECA ripe, generous and substantial wine for this appellation with some real concentration, a solid core of ripe tannins and enough acidity to carry the long, savory finish. Needs four to five years to show its true potential. A beauty. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSThe wine is concentrated with tannins that come from both the firm fruit and the wood aging. It is packed with blackberry flavors that come through the structure strongly. The velvet texture (that is just a hint at the moment) is going to bring out the richness of this wine produced with consultation from Michel Rolland. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2014 Leoville-Poyferre was surprisingly backward and tight on the nose (usually it is the most expressive and generous Léoville in its youth). The precision and focus is intact, but it is broody and sultry at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with firm structure, which suggests that it has turned volte face since its opulent showing in barrel. Overall, this comes across as perhaps a slightly more austere and masculine wine from Didier Cuvelier, though that is not a criticism, just an observation. I would like to see a little more persistence on the finish, but the tidings bode well for this mercurial and fascinating Léoville-Poyferre. I can see it improving with bottle age, hence the plus sign against my score.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93+ RP-NMVery pure, with a beautiful beam of violet and plum sauce carried by a chiseled graphite spine. Gorgeous anise and roasted apple wood notes are inlaid seamlessly on the finish. Shows ample grip and drive. Rock-solid. Best from 2020 through 2030. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot that wasn’t harvest until the middle of October (this is later than most), the 2014 Léoville Poyferré is a ripe, concentrated, seriously impressive wine in the vintage that offers more exuberance, texture, and character than most. Crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and hints of tobacco all emerge from this purple colored, pure, medium to full-bodied 2014 that has sweet tannin, beautiful purity of fruit, and a great finish. While it doesn’t have the depth of a truly great vintage, it shines for its balance, texture, and sheer charm. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

The 2014 Les Fiefs de Lagrange is bold and intense, with a real sense of gravitas to the dark red stone fruit, iron, smoke and licorice flavors. A delicious second wine, the Fiefs is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. This is in a style built for impact rather than finesse.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

Made in a more flamboyant, lifted style than the 2016, the 2015 Château Beychevelle offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, sexy yet elegant style as well as perfumed notes of black cherries, plums, incense, spices, and dried flowers. Given the sweetness in its tannins as well as its purity of fruit, it can be enjoyed today yet will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis elegant estate, with its views down to the Gironde estuary, has produced an excellent 2015. It is properly firm with tannins although this structure is well balanced with the ripe, stylish black-currant fruits and acidity. A juicy finish bodes well for the future. Drink this generous wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2015 Beychevelle comes across as much more powerful and plush in bottle than it did as a barrel sample. The black cherry, smoke, leather, tobacco, spice and incense notes are all endowed with notable textural depth. Voluptuous but also quite tannic, the 2015 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Readers should expect a powerful, brooding Saint-Julien. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGPerfumed red with so much presence and brightness. Flowers, currants and blueberries. Some citrus. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Very fine and vivid. Better in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Beychevelle is a blend of 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in barrel, 50% of which were new and 50% second fill. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it’s scented of smoked meats, scorched earth, garrigue and new leather with a core of cassis, cherry cordial and plum preserves. The medium-bodied palate is a little firm but delicate, with lovely vibrancy and a bit of grip on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLovely mulled plum and blackberry fruit glides along a cleanly embedded graphite edge, while violet and anise details skirt along the edges. The finish picks up a tasty ganache coating while keeping the energy up. Rock-solid. Best from 2022 through 2040. 20,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis really does expand outwards in the mouth, with an excellent quality of juicy black fruit on display. This has more potential than the 2014 vintage — contrary to many other wines in this part of the Médoc. 4% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Drinking Window 2024 - 2043.Decanter | 93 DEC

The ripe cassis and delicately herbal nose draws you into a really elegant wine that has very polished tannins for this category. Long, ripe and refined finish. A great food wine! Drink or hold. The second wine of Château Talbot.James Suckling | 92 JS

What a gorgeous and supple young wine with ultra-fine tannins and vivid acidity. Medium to full body and direct and driven tannins. Shows such beauty. Better in 2020 but already beautiful.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Gloria is another Saint-Julien that has improved over the last 12 months. It has a bolder and more exuberant bouquet than some of its peers, featuring lush blackberry and blueberry fruit and revealing a touch of iodine and crushed violet with aeration. The medium-bodied palate displays supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and very pure fruit intensity (black cherries, bilberry and boysenberry), although it clams shut toward the finish. Slightly more modern in style than its peers, this should still age with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMWell-steeped plum, fig and boysenberry fruit is richly layered, supported by embedded brambly grip and backed by waves of ganache and sweet tobacco on the finish. This has plenty of energy to carry it in the cellar while it rounds into form. Best from 2023 through 2038. 18,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that saw 40% new oak, the 2015 Château Gloria is a beautiful Saint-Julien that’s well worth seeking out and drinking. Blackcurrants, damp earth, spicy oak and hints of leafy herbs all flow to an upfront, elegant, yet fruit forward 2015 that has sweet tannin and good freshness. It’s no doubt a charmer, yet will see its 20th birthday in fine form. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2015 Gloria, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc, matured for 14 months in 40% new and 60% one-year-old barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has an earthy/meaty nose with a core of black plums and blackberries plus touches of eucalypt and anise. The medium-bodied palate is just a little lean and chewy with an earthy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPFine, fragrant nose and succulent fruit. It has a lovely texture, rounded tannins and fresh finish, with more finesse than in past years. Drinking Window: 2020 - 2028Decanter | 90 DEC

One of the furthest west of the Saint-Julien estates, this property has been greatly improved with investment from Japanese owner Suntory. The wine from 2015 is dense and impressively concentrated, perfumed black-currant fruits working well with the crisp acidity and solid structure. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2015 Lagrange was picked from 21 September until 12 October. This has improved since its last showing a few months ago. The nose still needs more vigour, but the palate is fleshy and velvety in texture with superb harmony on the finish. It continues to meliorate so afford this young Lagrange another three or four years in bottle. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 94 VMAnyone who thinks that modern Bordeaux has become too soft or easy should taste this seriously tannic yet sleek and vibrant wine. So much drive and energy that the weak of heart should better stand back. Better from 2020 and has a couple of decades of ageing potential.James Suckling | 94 JSMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Lagrange gives up fragrant notes of chocolate-covered cherries, cassis and blackberry pie with touches of violets, forest floor, truffles and cigar box. Medium-bodied with plenty of intense black fruit and firm, grainy tannins, it has a racy line and long, mineral-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2015 Château Lagrange is a heavenly little Saint-Julien that seriously delivers the goods. Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot brought up in around 50% new oak, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by notes of cassis, toasty oak, black licorice and nori (the dried seaweed wrapper used for sushi). With medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration, and ripe tannin, it’s still tight and reserved on the palate and will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JDSuntory bought Lagrange in 1983 and planted 60ha, so now more than 100ha are under vine. Lagrange is known for its freshness and accessibility. The 2015 is a delight, lean and oaky on the nose with blackberry fruit and great finesse. It’s sleek, not super-concentrated, but shows polished tannins and fair acidity. There’s a touch of chocolate and a long, spicy finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECA sleek, pure style, with violet and anise notes running in lockstep from the get-go, offering a beam of raspberry, blackberry and cassis flavors. Features a light tug of graphite through the finish, but this is relatively accessible already. Best from 2019 through 2028. 23,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS