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Dark and winey, with a solid core of steeped blackberry, blueberry and black currant fruit, liberally laced with warm cocoa and tar notes. The mouthcoating feel on the finish features lots of smoldering tobacco. Best from 2015 through 2025. — JMWine Spectator | 90 WSPretty and silky young Bordeaux with currants and minerals on the nose and palate. Full body, with integrated tannins and a clean, fresh finish. Very fine. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 90 JS

Even at 10 years old this is fairly closed and austere, but there is so much to look forward to. It’s a serious wine that deserves your full attention, and would definitely be ready to go with a good hour or two in a carafe. But don’t just open and drink, because it needs time to let the fruits soften, and to release the myriad layers of liquorice, cigar box, chocolate and black berry flavours. Very impressive, easily rivalling classified wines in this vintage. 3.67pH. Harvest from September 5 to 28. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2010 Phelan Ségur has a really lovely bouquet with brambly red fruit, brown spices, touches of damp undergrowth and tobacco. This feels complex and very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, good acidity, very harmonious with an elegant off-dry, slightly savoury finish. It is not the most ambitious Saint-Estèphe but there is plenty of charm here. I marked this wine down in the past, but it certainly beginning to blossom. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of blueberries and spices with hints of licorice too. Full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. Extremely well-integrated. Beautiful. One of the best ever from here. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 93 JSAllies solid density to subtle refinement, with steeped plum, currant, singed iron and charcoal notes. Lightly firm through the finish, showing a lovely tobacco edge, this should age gracefully. Best from 2014 through 2025. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe best wine from Phélan Ségur for several years, this shows less of the often-intrusive new wood and more of the fruit that had been missing in past vintages. It shows a subtle level of toast and a black currant flavor, plus great acidity and freshness on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDeep garnet in color, the 2010 Phélan Ségur boldly springs from the glass with open-for-business notes of baked blackcurrants, blueberry tart and chocolate covered cherries followed by hints of cardamom, camphor and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm line of grippy tannins and just enough freshness to support the maturing black fruits, finishing with a fair bit of chew.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Well defined, intense black fruits on the nose are a little reserved, but I like the depth to the fruit on the palate. There's definitely a lot to like here, with the generous liquorice and chocolate you often find in Giscours along with firm, brambly black fruit flavours and the elegant freshness of the vintage. It's nearly ready to drink, generous in feel if not hugely full-throttle compared to the 2009 and 2010. I would suggest leaving those two vintages for another few years and instead look at this, with a good carafing first. 3% Petit Verdot makes up the blend.Decanter | 94 DECPower and ripeness walk hand-in-hand with this major player. The wine is opulent and extracted with flavors of rich blackberry fruits, but shows a firmness in tannins and dense texture. Drink from 2018 and it's sure to be a great success.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is so beautiful now. It's full-bodied with tight and compressed tannins and fruit. Long and intentional. Savory and juicy finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSOffers a solid core of violet, plum, red licorice, currant paste and sanguine notes that fill out steadily through the fleshy finish. A mesquite hint lurks in the background and should emerge more with cellaring, as there's ample stuffing in reserve here. Best from 2016 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 91 WSTasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2011 Château Giscours is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, picked between September 8 and October 1. It offers more fruit intensity than the 2012 and I find more Margaux florality here. It would benefit from more delineation, but there is decent delineation here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin on the entry, red cherry and raspberry fruit intermingling with cedar and tobacco notes. It feels a little conservative on the finish and needs more finesse, but it is a commendable contribution to the vintage. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

Gruaud Larose can be underestimated in its early years but knows exactly how to show itself with a bit of bottle age, and this is a brilliant 2011. It opens, unfurls and picks up the pace through the palate. Cinnamon, sage, rosemary, tar, smoked dried herbs and saffron - totally delicious and with great focus. Strongly recommend. 40% new oak. Delicious now, but should a good decade further. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThis is a powerfully woody wine that shows more wood than fruit at this stage. Structured, austere and powerful, it needs time to flesh out. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE(Château Gruaud Larose) The 2011 Gruaud Larose is a very fine example of the vintage. The excellent nose is deep and pure, wafting from the glass in a blend of sweet cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, gravel, tobacco smoke, a touch of violet and a suave base of new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, tightly-knit and very well-balanced, with a very solid core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and very impressive length and grip on the focused and youthful finish. This will take plenty of time to blossom, but this is one 2011 claret that one does not have to worry about the overall balance of the wine. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 90+ JGThe plum, cassis and raspberry fruit is allied to singed sandalwood and apple wood notes, with a lingering spice accent on the judiciously toasty finish. A rather elegant rendering of St.-Julien that should hold on well enough in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The licorice, tar and spice character with dried fruits and currants impresses me. Full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. This is even better now than from barrel. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 93 JSThe savoury, floral edge of Cabernet on gravel is fully on display, and it needs time in the glass to soften and unroll. After a few minutes, the smoky side comes out, and the lean but concentrated berry fruit, although the tannins are a little crunchy. Delicious, a very classic Pauillac, full of pencil lead and crushed stone. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECGrand-Puy-Lacoste made one of the finer 2010s in Pauillac, but I am not sure I do not prefer their excellent 2011 to the former vintage! This is a complete and very classy wine on both the nose and palate, with none of the difficulties of the vintage in evidence. The very classic bouquet offers up scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar smoke, gravelly soil tones, espresso and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a very long, complex and youthfully stylish finish. A lovely and very classic vintage of Grand-Puy-Lacoste! (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 92+ JGReflecting the fruity, forward style of the vintage, this wine is packed with ripe black currants. There is a strong Cabernet character—it’s dry initially, then followed by juiciness. It’s a concentrated wine, although not for long-term aging. Drink from 2017.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste exhibits a charming, open-knit bouquet of red and black fruits. It is a savory, medium-bodied, flavorful, well-endowed Pauillac from Xavier Borie that can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years.Robert Parker | 91 RPShows purity and focus, with a core of bitter plum, cassis and lightly singed vanilla notes leading to a silky, relatively unadorned finish that glides along. Flickers of cedar and iron should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WSGood full ruby. Fresh aromas of raspberry, cola, cinnamon, smoke and graphite. At once silky and juicy, offering good intensity and a light touch to the smoky dark berry and graphite flavors. Nicely penetrating wine with lovely vinosity and spicy, fruity persistence. Boasts lovely texture and balance, offering plenty of early appeal but with the stuffing to age and improve another ten years. This strikes me as one of the most successful Left Bank wines in 2011.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

The 2011 Haut-Batailley has a backward, loamy, slightly dour nose at first, demanding a lot of encouragement from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite dense and solid, though it is missing some complexity and tension on the minty finish. But maybe in three or four years time this will mellow and have more to give? Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMA wine with extremely integrated fruit-tannin balance, with berry, currant and mineral character. It’s so polished and pretty. Full body, juicy fruit and a fresh finish. Needs five to six years of age to soften.James Suckling | 92 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

So smooth, this is a rich, grandiose wine. Although it is full of black currant fruits and spice flavors, the texture is most impressive. Dusty tannins are integrated with juicy fruits seamlessly. The purest fruit flavors are allied to linear tannins in a precise yet generous way. The wine is evolving beautifully, but do not drink before 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA wine with lots of ripe berries, verging on dried fruits. Full and chewy with ripe, round, chewy tannins. It needs lots of bottle age. A wine of steel. From biodynamically grown grapes, as always. Better than from barrel. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSProprietor Alfred Tesseron-s 2011 Pontet-Canet is packaged in an engraved, heavy bottle, which only adds to the attractiveness of this beauty. A dense purple color is accompanied by notes of forest floor, acacia flowers and creme de cassis in this full, rich, and unequivocally classic Pauillac. With soft but noticeable tannins as well as a complete, full-bodied mouthfeel, this 2011 will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring, and should age effortlessly for 15-20 years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 93+ RPLooking more evolved than the 2010, with higher-toned red berry fruit and blackberry and cassis. Cedar and smoke accentuate the aromatics alongside chopper herbs. Not quite as ripe as the 2010 - more linear than round, but it has a subtle mid palate creaminess as the tannins have softened. Grill a steak, and you’ll be very happy. Long, if narrow, finish. Aged 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045.Decanter | 93 DECThis cuts a broad swath, with prominent notes of espresso and ganache leading to the core of crushed plum and blackberry confiture. Lush, with the ganache edge joining a loamy hint to underscore the finish. Consistent with the barrel tasting, this shows more breadth than cut in the end. Best from 2016 through 2026.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Pontet-Canet) Château Pontet-Canet is making one of the most exciting wines in all of Bordeaux these days and their 2011 is one of the top wines to be found on the Left Bank. Jean-Michel Comme decided on using fifty percent new wood this year and feels that he may even reduce the percentage in coming vintages, as he prefers the expression of terroir that comes through at lower percentages of new wood. As many readers may already know, Château Pontet-Canet is the only major estate in all of Bordeaux to embrace biodynamique principals, and as has been seen to be the case in regions such as Burgundy, now that the vineyards have been farmed biodynamically for a while now, they are really starting to accelerate in terms of quality fruit production. Happily, there was no hail damage at Pontet-Canet this year and the decision to let the grapes ripen fully and then sort out the rot seems to have paid excellent dividends. The complex nose is deep and excellent, offering up a very pure blend of black cherries, cassis, dark soil tones, cigar smoke, a nice touch of new leather, coffee bean and a stylish framing of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and classically balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins and excellent focus and grip on the long and classy finish. A very thoughtfully-made and impressively-successful 2011! (Drink between 2022-2065).John Gilman | 92+ JG

A big, broad, powerful style, with piecrust, roasted almond and hazelnut cream notes framing the core of apricot, creamed peach and dried mango. Picks up extra fig and pear details through the toasty finish. Needs a bit of time to finish sorting itself out. Best from 2017 through 2030. 5,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now, with so much for the future. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted blind at the Sauternes 2011 horizontal tasting. The Château Suduiraut 2011 has a muffled nose at first: dried honey and quince, wet wool and marzipan scents that gradually open up with aeration. Coming back after 10 minutes there is a heartwarming gingerbread note. The palate is viscous on the entry and full of tension. There is a keen line of acidity here, quite linear at first, but it fans out nicely toward the finish and offers notes of honey, mandarin and even a touch of rhubarb! This is a class act, a Sauternes that does not need to shout about its inherent qualities.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMHeady apricot and mango nose. Concentrated and creamy, with density and weight of fruit. The oak is integrated and the wine is harmonious in a rich rather than racy style. Long. Drinking Window 2016 - 2050.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Suduiraut (Sauternes)) The 2011 Suduiraut is one of the most delicately styled and dancing wines of the vintage in Sauternes. The deep, pure and very clean nose soars from the glass in a classically glazed mélange of bee pollen, pear, fresh pineapple, honeycomb, chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure and crisp, with very good mid-palate depth, fine focus and balance and a very long, light on its feet and complex finish. I really like the elegant style and shape of the 2011 Suduiraut. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 93+ JGVery fresh and strongly fruity, with just the right amount of dry botrytis, this is already approachable. However that botrytis does promise aging, with peach and ripe orange flavors pushing forward. Drink this attractive wine from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2011 Suduiraut, picked from 12 September to 5 October in three tries through the vineyard, has an intriguing bouquet. It does not possess the thrilling intensity of the 2014 and 2015 tasted alongside, replicating the wet wool, almost Loire-like bouquet that I picked up upon in previous encounters. The palate is well balanced with a slightly viscous texture. This is a gentle Suduiraut, missing the complexity of a top vintage but fresh and generous. It is linear in style, some might say conservative with just a touch of gingerbread on the finish. Fine. 148gm/L residual sugar, 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the Suduiraut vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Mouthfilling, offering a fleshy, briary feel to the plum sauce, steeped currant and blackberry notes, with extra anise, tar and fruitcake details pumping through the finish. Lacks a little refinement in terms of structure, but this offers solid range and depth. Best from 2016 through 2024. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. — JMWine Spectator | 90 WSThis is an open, juicy wine with attractive fruit framed by firm but tamed tannins. The wine has a feeling of lightness, with black currant flavors that are lifted and fresh. This is a wine for medium-term aging. Drink from 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WEA wine with juicy blueberry and milk chocolate character. Medium to full body, with velvety tannins and a fresh finish. Round textured and satisfying.James Suckling | 89-90 JS

Real depth of fruit, well judged in terms of its extraction. There is the black pepper spice of the vintage showing natural concentration but also a sense of black chocolate and blueberry. As it opens cedar, cinnamon and smoke appear. It’s austere as many are in 2011 but it has real promise. What a consistent wine this is. Harvest September 15 to 29. 60% new ok. A yield of 42hl/ha. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECOffers a good, sappy core of dark plum, blackberry and fig, layered with brambly tannins and smoldering charcoal accents. Mouthwatering acidity lends the finish cut and length, while the dark fruit plays out through the finish. Best from 2017 through 2026.Wine Spectator | 90 WSShows aromas and flavors of blueberries and minerals. Medium to full body, with polished tannins and a minerally aftertaste. Reminds me of the 2004.James Suckling | 89-90 JS

This is a perfumed, new wood-flavored wine. It has soft tannins and attractive acidity along with a drier core. Showing a rich potential, it will round out over the next four to five years. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEA sleeper of the vintage, the 2011 Meyney (which escaped the hailstorm that devastated the northern Pauillac border and St.-Estephe boundary line on September 1) possesses an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of black olives, black currants, charcoal and earth. Dense and medium to full-bodied, this classic St.-Estephe offers good acidity and ripe tannin. It should drink well for 12-15 years.Old timers undoubtedly remember Meyney’s brilliant track record in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s, and it appears things are back on track at this St.-Estephe estate.Robert Parker | 88-90 RPThe 2011 Meyney is a little gem of a wine. Still vibrant/ruby colored with a youthful bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedar, and earth, it’s medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, and has beautifully ripe tannin. This classic, satisfying Saint-Estèphe can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

Still tight, with an energetic core of white peach, creamed pineapple, persimmon and white ginger flavors. The backdrop of orange blossom and singed almond notes adds extra dimension on the finish. This will go a long way in the cellar. Best from 2016 through 2035. 4,025 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSMoving to the Grand Vin, the 2011 Château Climens reveals a still youthful gold color to go with impressive marzipan, brioche, honeycomb, and sauteed peach and apricot-like fruits. With beautiful balance on the palate, it’s full-bodied and has a vibrant spine of acidity followed by a clean, lengthy finish. This beautiful, complex Sauternes is going to evolve for 20-30 years or more in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a rich, complex wine, full of dry botrytis that is surrounded by ripe honey. Spice, white peach and green plum jelly give complexity and variety. The acidity at the end is beautiful. The wine is already enticing but will need many years to develop fully. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA dense, racy, sweet white with dried-apple, apricot and honey character. Full, very sweet and fresh. Tangy, spicy aftertaste. Shows lots of subtle, intense botrytis-spice character on the finish. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSComplex, poised nose of apricot and quince. Fine attack, intense and very concentrated, with considerable force and drive. Taut and full of tension, this is for the long haul. Disappointing last year, magnificent now. Very long.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger that linger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.Vinous Media | 94 VMPale lemon-gold in color, the 2011 Climens opens with stuck flint and earthy notions over a core of tropical fruit—pineapple and guava—plus wafts of fungi and fresh straw. The palate lends oodles of complex layers with plenty of botrytis-inspired complexity melding with the ripe tropical notes, finishing with great length. Tempting to drink now, it should reward cellaring over 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

This Bordeaux Superieur from the gifted as well as uncompromising Yves Vatelot is a selection of the finest lots. An astonishingly rich, concentrated 2011 that competes with cru classes selling for 2 to 5 times as much, it boasts a dense purple color along with copious aromas of new saddle leather, spice box, lead pencil shavings, black currants, blackberries and a hint of espresso. This full-bodied, surprisingly rich effort must be tasted to be believed. It should last and improve for at least 5-7 years, perhaps as long as a decade. As it has been in many previous vintages, the 2011 Reignac is a major sleeper of the vintage. Kudos to Proprietor Vatelot!Robert Parker | 90+ RPThis is a little lean but I like the depth of mineral, berry and dark-chocolate character. Full body with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Racy wine. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 90 JSRipe and focused, with a very tasty beam of linzer torte and black cherry confiture, and good briary grip taking over on the finish.Wine Spectator | 88-91 WS

This red shows some cassis, blueberries and floral notes on the nose. Some tar, too. Medium to full body, juicy tannins and a fruity finish. Enticing wine. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS(Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, Red) Open and inviting, this is an elegant, charming claret with a real touch of class. Not big, but accessible and a pleasure to drink. An interesting mix of grapes, including a little Cabernet Franc (2%) and 6% Petit Verdot, with majority Cabernet Sauvignon (56%) and 36% Merlot to add interest; and good volumes produced to keep a sensible price. (Drink between 2022-2025)Decanter | 91 DEC

From the famous château estate of the Castéja family, the 2012 Batailley is a very strong effort. This is a big-time sleeper of the vintage. A dense purple wine with loads of crème de cassis, blueberry notes, background forest floor and cedar, this is a strong effort from Batailley and may well usher in a new era for this fifth-growth chateau that is capable of producing great wine. The tannins are sweet and the wine has an opulence and richness that is rare for a Médoc in 2012. Drink it over the next 25 years.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe 2012 Batailley has plenty of fruit on the nose: blackberry, raspberry, a touch of shoe leather and sage. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight bitterness on the entry, nicely balanced though, cedar and tobacco infusing the black fruit with a touch more fruit on the finish compared to Haut-Batailley. It just needs more time in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. Drinking Window 2023 - 2038Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Batailley, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) A fine claret with plenty of charm. Pure, focused fruit character on the nose and the perfume carries through to the palate before a harmonious finish. (Drink between 2022-2028)Decanter | 91 DECA full-bodied red with chewy and polished tannins, lots of ripe fruit and toasted oak, though this turns slightly lean on the finish. Needs two or three years to soften. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2012 Château de Fieuzal has an attractive nose, a mélange of red and black fruit, brown spices, leather and tobacco. There is lovely build here, and it is very cohesive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well-judged acidity, cohesive and poised with admirable substance towards the finish. This de Fieuzal is one of the few positive surprises of the tasting and is worth seeking out. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMPowerful and complete, this shows all the juicy fruit as well as the structure of the vintage. It’s big, ripe and concentrated with great fruitiness and tannins. Give this rich wine several years to age to bring out its ripe fruits and complex structure. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WERather dark in profile, with pastis-soaked black currant and blackberry fruit at the core, studded with warm fruitcake and ganache notes. The bramble-edged finish lets the slightly exotic display of fruit maintain the upper hand. Best from 2016 through 2022. 6,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

Already a beautiful wine, this is showing fine, sweet fruits along with a solid structure. The palate is juicy and fruity with new wood flavors showing through. The aftertaste is full of the fresh aspect of the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2012 Lagrange was a late-picked vintage from 8 to 21 October and it has improved since I last tasted it. It has a deep and broody bouquet with cranberry, raspberry and wild strawberry aromas that are nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is very well balanced with supple tannins, spicier than the 2011 with ample fruit concentration on the fleshy, pliant finish. This has panache and class, an underrated Lagrange that should not be missed. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMFirm and balanced with blueberries, blackberries and hints of citrus and minerals. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Best after 2017.James Suckling | 92 JS(Château Lagrange) The 2012 Château Lagrange was made from the lowest yields in the last twenty years at the estate (38.75 hectoliters per hectare), and is two-thirds cabernet sauvignon this year. The remainder of the blend is thirty percent merlot and three percent petit verdot. The harvest was quite late here in 2012, with the merlot brought in between October 8th and 15th and the cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot October 15th to the 21st. The wine is quite classically ripe at 13.2 percent alcohol and offers up a deep and very pure bouquet of cassis, black cherries, dark chocolate, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, a stylish base of new oak and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and balance and a long, firm and ripely tannic finish. The acids are on the low side here, but this wine avoids the slightly flat side of the vintage that plagues other 2012s from the Médoc, and will age beautifully. (Drink between 2020 - 2040)John Gilman | 91 JGFine expression of Cabernet fruit, a little discreet in the Lagrange style, with elegance and depth for the future.Decanter | 90 DEC

Firm tannins guard the ripe blackberry flavors on this rich wine. Spice and sweet tannins add to the intensity. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2012 La Pointe has fresh, wild berry, cranberry, incense and wild heather aromas that unfurl in the glass, a touch of black truffle emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still some new oak to be absorbed, but it is well balanced with good acidity, notwithstanding what you might describe as a "solid" structure towards the finish. It is a very fine Pomerol, though my advice is to wait 4-5 years to get the most from Eric Monnoret’s fast-improving Pomerol. Tasted March 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPRipe and fleshy, with friendly boysenberry, plum and anise notes that glide through the licorice-accented finish. Turns rather suave and graceful in the end, presenting a lingering mineral edge. Drink now through 20182020. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSPlum and blackberry character with a medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now or hold. Stylish for the vintage.James Suckling | 90 JS

This is very polished and refined with blackcurrant, raspberry and citrus-peel undertones. Full body, extremely fine texture and a long, long finish.James Suckling | 92 JSPart of the empire of the Chateau Mouton Rothschild, this estate was once known as Mouton Baronne Philippe. This impressive, deep, opaque ruby/purple wine, with loads of charcoal, crème de cassis and a flowery-ness, this is rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, quite pure, and avoids any of the astringency or hollowness that some Médocs possess in this vintage. The wine is complete and finishes authoritatively. The tannins are there, but ripe, integrated and velvety. This is a very impressive d’Armailhac to drink over the next 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 91 RPFragrant, scented and full of charm, but lighter than its richer stablemate Château Clerc Milon, tasted at the same time. This was a good vintage from the Mouton Rothschild stable, and the team there read it well. Remains good value.Decanter | 91 DECFruity and rich, this wine is developing fast. It is full of black currant fruits, with an impressive background of solid, structured tannins. The wine is linear, fresh, showing how well this property is developing its quality. It’s a wine for medium-term aging, so drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Once again proprietor Jean Gautreau has hit pay dirt with a beautiful blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Wonderfully sweet, ripe tannins seem to be a rule of thumb from this great terroir just to the north of St.-Estèphe’s Château Montrose. A beautiful deep ruby/purple color, decent acidity, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning fruit put this wine right in the midst of the best classified crus from the Médoc, yet it has never been classified. Go figure. Softer than I would have suspected (and I’ve been following and buying this wine since the mid-1970s), this wine will still age beautifully for 10-15+ years.Robert Parker | 90 RPDense colour, striklingly pure Cabernet cassis nose, richness of fruit and firmness of ripe tannins, a wine of real class and as usual one of the very best Haut-Médoc. Drinking Window 2017 - 2025.Decanter | 90 DECIntense aromas of red and black cherries with light floral notes. Full body, silky tannins, lovely acidity and long, fruity finish. Polished tannins. Needs to open. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 90 JS

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

This is very pretty with currant, plum and chocolate aromas and flavors. Medium to full body, silky mouth feel and a savory finish. Bright and delicious. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSPart of the select group of impressive wines from this year, this wine is ripe, rich and firmly structured. Black-currant fruitiness forms the base for solid tannins and a concentrated texture. The hints of wood-aging need to soften. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis has grip and focus from the start, with a lively brambly spine carrying plum cake, raspberry coulis and black currant flavors before yielding to an ample roasted apple wood note on the finish. A lightly tarry hint echoes. Best from 2018 through 2025. 11,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2013 Léoville-Barton has a more backward bouquet compared to the Langoa-Barton 2013, but there is more perfume here with blackberry, a touch of sea spray and cold limestone. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannin, a crisp line of acidity with finesse and elegance on the finish, which is one of the best you’ll find in Saint Julien. This finishes with a flourish after a conservative opening and it should yield a decade of pleasure, maybe more. This is a solid showing in a tough vintage.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMAlways reassuring to see an estate that succeeds in such a difficult vintage. This has some lovely gourmet touches from the oak, the smoky side being a real bonus. This is clearly going to be ready to drink earlier than any other vintage in this line-up, but it’s really rather lovely nonetheless. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035Decanter | 90 DEC