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Combining power with great elegance, this wine displays superripe, rich fruits that are restrained by velvet tannins and the delicious perfumed character from Cabernet Franc in the blend. Juicy, rich, structured, it's a beautiful wine with a great future. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis is extremely open and aromatic, with exotic fruit. Extremely wild. Full body, firm, silky tannins and a long, focused finish. This is very persistent and long. A top wine for the vintage. Muscular and toned. The old vines of cabernet franc make the difference here. 55% cabernet franc and 45% merlot. Try in 2019.James Suckling | 96 JSIts bigger sibling, the 2011 Ausone increases the level of intensity, elegance, complexity, richness and length. Nearly a mirror image of the La Chapelle, just with more going on, the Ausone boasts a more saturated purple color, and the wine has everything in large, intense proportions. The finesse and delicacy of all its components are what make it such a remarkable wine. The quality of the tannins and purity of the fruit make this another legendary effort that should age for 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 95 RP(Château Ausone) The 2011 Château Ausone is a step up from the very ripe and sturdy 2010, but there is a slight spark missing here this year. Of all the First Growths on either bank, this wine is more along the lines of the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild, which is technically quite sound, but somehow all the constituent components do not add up to a completely convincing whole. The nose on the 2011 Ausone offers up a nascently complex blend of black cherries, dark berries, a touch of pine resin, coffee bean, woodsmoke and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, young and primary, with a very good core, fine focus and a long, balanced finish that closes with fine-grained tannins. This is nicely polished on the backend and does not show any of the coarseness of less successful 2011s, and yet, there is not the same purity and poise on display here today as is found in the very best wines on the Right Bank in this vintage. Still a very good wine, but I was hoping for a masterpiece from Ausone in such a strong Right Bank vintage. (Drink between 2020-2060).John Gilman | 92 JGThe 2011 Ausone mirrored my sentiments from barrel. It feels lush and generous on the nose, practically ignoring the modest growing season, with raspberry and blueberry fruit, crushed violet and hints of cracked black pepper. It seems to ratchet up through the gears with continued aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin cloaked in layers of plush black fruit. It feels composed and focused although it does not quite deliver the persistence of the 2012. Of course, this is still very young but I suspect that it will not be the longest lived of recent vintages, preferring to give drinking pleasure over the next 12 to 15 years before leveling off. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 92 VM

(Château Beychevelle) According to the estate’s Director, Philippe Blanc, the harvest at Beychevelle took place from September 14th to the 29th this year, and the 2011 is a blend of forty-seven percent each of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with four percent cabernet franc and two percent petit verdot rounding out the mix. The wine was raised in fifty percent new oak this year, and has been the case for the last several years, one third of the wine went through malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine has turned out beautifully and is one of the stars on the Left Bank this year, offering up a superb nose of black cherries, dark berries, espresso, cigar smoke, lovely soil tones and a very discreet base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a fine, sappy core of fruit, a suave attack and a very long, ripely tannic finish. The acids here come across as slightly on the low side, but this is a lovely and very complete wine that should blossom with a decade or so worth of bottle age and should age long and gracefully. Beychevelle is making truly superb wines at the present time. At 13.2 percent alcohol, the 2011 is a full point lower than the ripe 2010 vintage here. (Drink between 2023-2075).John Gilman | 93 JGLess intense than the 2010 vintage, but there are still rich dark cassis and bilberry notes on offer, with blonde tobacco and walnut edging. Another wine that suggests it's time to reassess the 2011 vintage. It was pretty much the driest year on record, but still managed a 39hl/ha yield. A little closed right now, this is not the most approachable 2011 wine that I have tasted recently, however there's a lovely delicacy and elegance to the tannins, with lashings of St-Julien character. 4% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend. Matured in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECThis impressive wine follows a straight line of structure, acidity, firm tannins and dark black fruits. The combination is a wine with depth, ripeness and an edge of austerity that demands aging. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA textbook St.-Julien, offering tightly layered dark plum, currant and blackberry fruit, with a strong graphite spine and dark tar and mouthwatering pastis notes on the finish. A well-built, confident wine. Best from 2017 through 2027. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAn attractive 2011 with lots of blackberry, hazelnut and walnut character. Medium to full body with chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 90 JS

An underrated vintage, the 2011 Cheval Blanc is evolving brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of smoky cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, tobacco leaf, bitter chocolate, mint and violets, it’s full-bodied, velvety and multidimensional, with a layered core of fruit, rich and powdery structuring tannin and a long, resonant finish. While the 2009 and 2010 are more powerful and unctuous, readers who prize Cheval Blanc for its extraordinary complexity and unique perfume might well prefer the 2011, as it is a wine that could come from nowhere else.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA vintage that’s being drunk with abandon in France these days, the 2011 Chateau Cheval Blanc showed beautifully, and the firm tannins that define this vintage are nowhere to be found here. Sweet black fruits, spice, incense, and exotic flowers define the bouquet and it has classic Cheval Blanc complexity. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, with sweet tannins and a great finish, it’s a beautiful Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDStill very youthful a decade on, with fresh notes of raspberry rising above the black fruit core. Nuances of cedar and a touch of violet are beginning to emerge, and despite the drier vintage there’s great freshness to the finish in this otherwise opulent and silky wine. A great potential for cellaring. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 95 DECThis is an opulent, dense wine, very perfumed while also structured. It is complex, full of rich fruit that pours through the wood and dark tannin. It just hints at a more exuberant future, flavored with the ripest fruits while still keeping freshness. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2011 Cheval Blanc has an elegant, quite refined bouquet with brambly red fruit, scorched earth, terracotta and sage, very complex and harmonious. Could this be Figeac? [Post-script. No, but not far off!] The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush and sensual, rich for this vintage with plenty of concentrated, quite sweet and spicy, hoisin-tinged fruit on the precise finish. This is a very fine Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMOffers a loamy, dense feel, with the vintage’s briary grip tumbled with dark plum, blackberry and black currant fruit. Anise and tobacco notes fill out the finish, which expands steadily with air, showing added range and echoes of bittersweet cocoa and tobacco. Seems to have a lot in reserve. Best from 2016 through 2030. 7,915 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Cheval Blanc) The 2011 Cheval Blanc is a very lovely wine this year, with depth, purity and lovely refinement. The classic and very beautiful nose offers up scents of black cherries, dark berries, coffee bean, cigar smoke, a touch of tobacco leaf, dark soil tones and nutty, luxe new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and texturally alluring, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and balance and a long, firmly tannic finish. The tannins here are quite substantial and will take some extended cellaring to soften, but this is a very, very successful example of the vintage. (Drink between 2025-2060).John Gilman | 94 JGDeep and rich with a lovely balance of ripe black berries, bitter chocolate and smoke. A ripe and generous style, the fine tannins already nicely softened. Long, supple and gentle finish that’s very appealing, but slightly simple. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 92 JS

Clinet has produced a blockbuster wine, even in the lighter, less consistent vintage of 2011. It reveals a dense purple color as well as an abundance of black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice, incense and a touch of camphor. Full-bodied, opulent and fleshy with a substantial finish, this showy, dramatic 2011 should drink well for 15-20 years. Brilliant!Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is alluring, with lovely blackberry, boysenberry and fig pâte de fruit flavors gliding along, lined with subtle charcoal and black tea notes and carrying through to a lush yet defined finish. A hedonist’s delight on the surface, offering inlaid grip for balance. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2015 through 2030. 4,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a rich Pomerol for the vintage with plenty of berry, chocolate and toasted-oak character. Full body with round, soft tannins. Needs two or three years to come together.James Suckling | 92 JSBlackberry fruits dominate this ripe wine. It is already delicious, with a round and well-cushioned structure.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2011 Clinet has a perfumed nose, quite floral and perhaps more Saint-Émilion in style rather than Pomerol, though I appreciate its mineral undertow. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly more pliant tannins, fresher than its peers with spicy red fruit with a bitter but focused finish. This is a fine Clinet that is drinking perfectly now, though many vintages surpass this in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

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

(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 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

A serious Haut-Brion, still very much closed. Concentrated with firm tannins, this has real depth to it, showing walls and structure. Beautiful juice starts to seep through the walls after a few moments and this has great potential. It has a tannic frame that softens as it opens, and lets the light in, showing its more elegant side. Cleverly constructed, this is great winemaking, a clear success. 72% new oak. Harvest August 31 to September 27. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECLots of subtle redcurrant and berry character, with flowers and sweet tobacco on the nose. Full body, super-integrated tannins and a light shaved-chocolate, berry and cedar character. A decadence and beauty to this that wakes you up. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSThe unbelievably superb 2011 Haut-Brion (a tiny production of 7,600 cases from a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 19% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a classic nose of subtle smoldering embers, warm rocks, black currants, new saddle leather, spice box and high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco. The color is a dense ruby/purple to the edge, and the wine cuts a serious as well as broad swath across the palate. The most amazing aspect of this terroir is that the wine, despite all its power and richness, literally dances on the palate, as if it were a 90 pound ballerina. This brilliant 2011 should evolve quickly, hitting its prime in 7-8 years, and drink beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis packs some serious density for the vintage, with layers of braised fig, blackberry pâte de fruit and dark currant paste, all inlaid with lively briar, tobacco leaf and roasted apple wood notes. Shows lots of energy through the finish, with the grip generating a mouthwatering feel. One of the stars of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2011 Haut-Brion has a really lovely, warm, autumnal nose with red fruit, chestnut, autumn leaves and Earl Grey scents. Very complex. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, a crisp line of acidity, maybe just a little austere on the finish, but there is fine focus with a delicately spiced, slightly medicinal finish. This is an impressive and quite delicious Haut-Brion that should give 20 years more drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis wine has an intense herbaceous quality, with fruit and nutmeg flavors. It feels and tastes powerful, with alcoholic warmth and a taut and nervy character.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

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

With a dense ruby/purple color is followed by a pure nose of mulberries, cherry liqueur and spring flowers, but no hint of oak, this full-bodied, opulent, rich beauty exhibits impressive purity, texture, richness and length. Not as structured or tannic as Trotanoy, it moves more in the direction of the opulence and flashy, showy fruit of Hosanna and Petrus. It should drink well for 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPA wine that has a lovely depth of fruit and balance for the vintage, with blackberry, licorice and dark-chocolate character. Full and very silky. Very impressive. What a wonderful wine for the vintage. Full of finesse. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2011 L’Eglise-Clinet was picked 12 to 15 September for the Merlot and 24 September for the Cabernet Franc. It has a harmonious bouquet that does not quite possess the vivacity and fruit intensity of the 2012. This is much more conservative in style but still very attractive with scents of mulberry, black truffle and light mushroom scents, perhaps ushering in secondary aromas quicker than the 2012. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, crisp acidity, a little spicier than the succeeding vintage but with fine salinity towards the finish. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 93 VMOffers a core of crushed plum, raspberry and boysenberry fruit, held together by anise, fruitcake and bergamot notes. A hint of rooibos tea courses through the finish. Delivers a gorgeous mouthfeel, without any of the vintage’s taut structure. Best from 2015 through 2028. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

One of the clear standouts where the fruit has real depth and is laced with black chocolate, liquorice, cassis as well as cassis bud. Cabernet dominant, will some angularity to the tannins but this is high quality, and has a floral lift and juiciness to it. A food vintage, because acidities are pretty high, but this delivers one of the best wines of Pauillac. New optical sorter used this year. 65% new oak, 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 66% of production in the first wine. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECThis is a luxurious wine that’s opulently rich. Ripe black fruits dominate, lending fullness to the firm structure in the backdrop. It’s a wine with great potential, density and weight. Touches of chocolate and licorice combine with flavors of dark plum, toast and spice. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Château Lynch-Bages) The 2011 Château Lynch-Bages is a lovely example of the vintage, though like many of the most successful wines on the Left Bank, it is plenty tannic and will need at least a good decade to soften. The deep, complex and very classy nose jumps from the glass in a blaze of cassis, black cherries, espresso, gravelly soil tones, a touch of anise and lead pencilly new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite well-balanced, with a very good core of fruit, fine focus and a very long, ripely tannic and chewy finish. With this wine, the analogy between the 1986 and 2011 vintages seems quite apropos. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 93 JGA dense, chewy wine for the vintage, with plum, currant and blackberry character. Full body, polished tannic texture and a bright finish. Very pretty indeed. This needs time to soften. Try in 2019.James Suckling | 93 JSThis has solid guts, with plum, currant and blackberry fruit melded together at the core, while notes of charcoal, warm tobacco and singed iron form the backdrop. Should be very solid when it comes together after some cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe medium-bodied 2011 Lynch Bages possesses a saturated ruby/purple color as well as beautiful creme de cassis notes, a generous, concentrated, well-made, medium to full-bodied style and supple tannins. A successful effort in 2011, it should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 15+. It is a sleeper of the vintage.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 2011 Lynch-Bages is quite savoury on the nose with dried blood and meat juices intermixed with the black fruit. The palate is ripe and rounded on the entry, quite dense and muscular for a Pauillac, grippy towards the finish where I am seeking more elegance and precision. Not bad, though not the best wine that the Cazes family have overseen this decade. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

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

Brings together the florality of Armailhac and the dense fruit of Clerc Milon, all with the volume turned up. Clear concentration and structure here, powerful Pauillac tannins and a juicy finish - easily one of the wines of the vintage in Pauillac. And despite the challenges of the vintage, it has plenty of seductive Mouton signature - touches of gourmet edging, smoke, liquorice, bitter chocolate shavings, pencil lead, a ton of Pauillac character. It is well measured and grips through the palate. Harvest 12-28 September. We were at a time here when Mouton could barely put a foot wrong, great stuff from Philippe Dhalluin. (Drink between 2023-2050)Decanter | 97 DECTight, focused and very well-built, this shows the quality of this sleeper vintage. Built on tannins that have a twinge of austerity, this offers ample flesh to the dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit. Bramble, tobacco and loam accents fill in through the finish, which has a lingering tug of dark earth at the very end. This one may never be a charmer but it has aging potential for sure.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2021 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThere is a lightness about this vintage of Mouton Rothschild. It doesn’t take away from its quality but does give the wine poise and an attractive lift. The wine is based on solid tannins, then the ripe fruit builds layers of fruitiness and freshness. It is not likely to be one of the longest-aging Moutons, but it will be delicious. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is now a little tight but shows firmness and raciness with pretty austerity. Full and tight with silky tannins and a long, fresh finish. Firm acidity is holding it back. Needs two or three years to open. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2011 Mouton Rothschild is dark, powerful and concentrated. Plum, grilled herbs, smoke, graphite and mocha are all nicely delineated in the glass. The effects of the hot, dry weather are felt in the wine’s roasted flavors and hard tannins that reflect the heat stress of the season. I suspect the 2011 will have its day of glory once the tannins soften, but that day is a ways off in the future. Readers should expect to be patient with the 2011. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, brought in between September 12 and 28.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGTasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2011 Mouton-Rothschild is probably the "weakest" of the releases between 2008 and 2012, although that would be unfairly disparaging what is a perfectly respectable, if rather unexciting Mouton. Here, it has those graphite and cedar aromas present and correct, the former a little more accentuated and with a light sea-spray note emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with cedar and a slight peat-like note infusing the black fruit, rigid in its youth but nicely delineated. As I discerned out of barrel, what it lacks is that peacock’s tail on the finish, bolting out of the exit door before you have really got to know each other. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP-NM(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2011 Mouton-Rothschild contains the highest percentage of cabernet sauvignon ever in the history of this estate, as fully ninety percent of the blend is made up of this varietal, to go along with seven percent merlot and three percent cabernet franc. The wine is very deep and nascently complex on the nose, as it offers up scents of cassis, Cuban cigar ash, coffee bean, tobacco leaf, a bit of lead pencil and plenty of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with firm, substantial tannins and a very long, primary and quite concentrated finish. This will need a long time to come around, but seems to have the constituent components in place to eventually blossom nicely. I do not know why the wine does not move me more than it does, but, at least at this early stage, the wine just seems to lack a bit of soul. Maybe bottle age will reveal its inner beauty. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 89-92+ JG

The 2011 Pavie is composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (14.3% alcohol). It possesses a certain approachability, which is somewhat disarming for the big, robust, super-concentrated and ageworthy style Pavie has favored since 1998. The opaque purple-hued, full-bodied 2011 offers a sweet kiss of kirsch, blackberry, cassis and licorice, but no evidence of toasty oak despite the fact it is bottled about six months after most other premier grand cru classes in St.-Emilion. One of the most complete wines of the vintage, this superstar possesses gorgeous texture and opulence, and can be drunk in 3-4 years, or cellared for two decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPVery solidly built, with dark plum, boysenberry and red currant paste flavors forming the core, all harnessed by ample grip. This shows classic Bordeaux cut, with grippy yet ripe tannins. Delivers serious graphite and tobacco elements on the back end that should evolve with more time. This has less sizzle than some of the other vintages but just as much steak.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 7,330 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSReally fresh and bright with a linear and precise palate. Dark berries and chocolate powder. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a silky finish. Just starting to come around now.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2011 Pavie has a distinctly earthy bouquet, well-defined with some expressive Cabernet Franc. A little savory, with dried blood developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with heavily-extracted tannins, tightening up on the mid-palate, good structure, grippy with a graphite-tinged, Cabernet-driven finish. This could actually benefit from more bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92+ VMBarrel sample. Here is a ripe and juicy wine that pushes forward with delicious blackberry fruits. There is a tense edge of acidity that then brings out denser tannins, but juiciness characterizes this wine. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Don’t be fooled by the easy fruitiness of this delicious wine, because underneath the blackberry flavors is a powerfully tannic structure. Opulent and dense, it promises considerable aging. Drink this complex wine from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEClosed at the moment, presenting its tannic face rather than its fruit, and I would suggest waiting another three or four years before things soften up, or give it time in a decanter or jug. The emphasis is on the floral, cassis bud feel of Pauillac Cabernet, emphasising its austere but elegant character. As it opens, carefully sculpted blueberry and blackberry fruit appears, as does the evident finesse and juicy finish. This is high quality but without the density and sheer wow factor of the 2010. Sylvie Cazes was heading things up at this point. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 60% new oak, 40% first wine. A yield of 42hl/ha. (Drink between 2021-2042)Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Pichon-Lalande (barrel sample)) The 2011 Pichon-Lalande is one of the most cabernet-dominated wines in history at this estate, as it is seventy-eight percent cabernet sauvignon this year and only eight percent merlot (to go along with twelve percent cabernet franc and two percent petit verdot). The decision to relegate most of the merlot to the second wine has clearly paid off this year, as the 2011 Pichon-Lalande is excellent, offering up a deep and complex nose of dark berries, coffee bean, cigar smoke, fresh herbs, tobacco leaf and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish pure and intensely flavored, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and grip and a very long, ripely tannic and very well-balanced finish. There is a real sense of elegance to the 2011 Pichon-Lalande that is a very rare commodity in this vintage! Lovely juice. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 93 JGMy impression is that the 2011 Pichon Lalande will have its day, one day. For now, big, burly tannins give the 2011 a decidedly monolithic feel. To be sure, there is plenty of fruit density and power lurking in the glass, but the 2011 needs more time in bottle before it starts showing at its best. Two thousand-eleven was marked by an unusual weather pattern in which spring was quite warm and dry, but then summer was cool.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA 2011 with blackberry, dark-chocolate and smoked-meat character. Full body, silky tannins and a long, intense finish. All about balance and polish. Very fine. Needs three to four years to soften. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSOffers briar, blackberry paste, fig and anise notes, with lively, modestly grippy tannins holding the finish. Has solid dark fruit and the vintage’s telltale brambly feel.—Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2030. 20,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

At first the tannins keep this pretty tight, but as it opens up there is an elegance and finesse, along with a subtle floral expression that is clearer in the Château Margaux than the Pavillon. Juicy on the finish, and as it opens further you get a gourmet, dense expression to the raspberry and cassis fruit. Aromatically it is finely knit and uplifting. The iris and peony aromatics of Château Margaux are really to the fore, it’s a great vintage to show off this side of the estate. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.6pH. 38% of overall production in the first wine. One of the earliest harvest on record, all finished by end of September which is extremely rare at Margaux. Drinking Window 2021 - 2044.Decanter | 96 DECA solidly structured wine, it is both elegant and intensely powerful. It is disclosing its fruitiness slowly, at the moment dense and concentrated. A restrained edge provides complexity and balance. It will need aging, so don’t drink before 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis has a restrained core of steeped plum, blackberry and anise, studded with tobacco and roasted cedar notes. The structure is silky but persistent, with an almost-succulent feel through the finish, while warm bergamot, singed cedar, vanilla and sanguine hints define the finish. Discreet today, but shows the balance and precision to unfold slowly with cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFabulous aromas of flowers with hints of strawberries and currants. Extremely aromatic. This is full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a racy finish. It is very finely structured but chewy and austere. I like the tension to this. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe renowned Chateau Margaux’s 2011 boasts a dark ruby/plum color as well as a fragrant perfume of spring flowers, sweet, supple, well-integrated tannins, medium body, and the elegance and nobility expected from a great first-growth. Although it is not as powerful or concentrated as the 2009 or 2010 (no 2011s are), it possesses finesse, elegance, purity and suppleness. The wine is surprisingly approachable already yet should keep for 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2011 Château Margaux is a vintage that I have not encountered since just after bottling. Still youthful in colour, it has a strict, conservative, pencil lead and cedar-scented bouquet, very 2011 in style, a touch of smoke developing with aeration. What it lacks is a little flair. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannin. This has become a little more peppery and spicy since being incarcerated in bottle. There is pleasing depth towards the finish. Never a flamboyant Château Margaux, not a vintage that exuded flair, but there is respectable persistence with a fine, pointed finish. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2011 Château Margaux has the highest level of measured tannins ever in the history of the estate. The nose is quite bright for the vintage, offering up scents of black raspberries, cassis, dark chocolate, violets, soil and a suave base of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is not quite as good as the nose suggests, with its full-bodied, backward and reserved profile decidedly short on personality and a touch sinewy. The wine has a long, very firmly tannic finish, with tangy acids and rather blunt balance. I really am not wild about the equilibrium here and could very easily imagine this wine drying out, rather than blossoming with bottle age. But, beyond the wine’s overall balance, I get a strong sense that this was a wine made by decision-making that was completely risk averse, and the wine’s resultant lack of personality will shadow it all the way through its long (or short- depending on how the tannins are eventually resolved) life. One expects and should receive more from a First Growth! If the tannins do manage to resolve, then this will be a pretty good wine and a disastrous value. If they do not, well, even at thirty euros a bottle it would be too expensive, and we can rest assured it is not going to be priced out the cellar door at thirty euros! (Drink between 2025-2065).John Gilman | 87-90+ JG

One of the super classics of the vintage, the 2011 Peby Faugeres (100% Merlot) exhibits a dense blue/purple color as well as gorgeous aromas of acacia flowers, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. This full-bodied, concentrated wine has more in common with a 2009 or 2010 than most 2011s. The extravagant fruit character nearly conceals some sweet tannin in this masterpiece. Drink it over the next two decades or more.Robert Parker | 95 RPA full, very powerful wine for the vintage, with big, juicy fruit and velvety tannins. So much fruit and character here. A generous but polished wine for the vintage. Lots of blackberry and sexy wood character. Pure merlot. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 94 JSPure, fruit-laden and refined, with lovely blueberry, plum and blackberry notes that glide along, inlaid with licorice snap, fruitcake and hoisin sauce accents. The long finish drips with fruit, while a charcoal spine imparts balance. This estate is on a roll. Best from 2016 through 2026. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhile there is 100% new wood, the weight of fruit in this expression is sufficient to power through. It will be an impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2011s are starting to open up and, given the general ho-hum view of the vintage, offer surprising quality and pleasure. The 2011 Pavie Decesse is the normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and offers a more evolved, approachable style compared to the primordial 2010. Blackcurrants, white truffle, lead pencil, new leathers, and loads of spice dominate the bouquet, and it’s beautifully complex and full-bodied, with present yet ripe tannins and a great finish. It’s a gorgeous, mineral-laced Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis well-known estate situated on the limestone hillside above Pavie is produced from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Another brilliant offering from the Perse family, the dense opaque purple-colored 2011 reveals plenty of floral notes intermixed with super-concentrated cassis and kirsch. The chalky limestone soils provide minerality to this full-bodied, powerful, concentrated St.-Emilion. Some tannins are noticeable, but they are sweet. This 2011 should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 15-20.Robert Parker | 94+ RPOffers driven fruit, with intense plum sauce, blackberry confiture and blueberry paste flavors, layered together and stitched with dark mocha and tobacco notes, all backed by a long, dense, velvet-textured finish. A showy style, but everything is in place. Best from 2016 through 2028. 580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWow. The smoky, berry, nut and ripe-fruit character is impressive in this wine. It’s full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a loads of oak on the finish. Some might find it too much, but it will come together with age. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 93 JS

This 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 WEMouthfilling, 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 WS

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

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

Wonderful aromas of blackberries, Indian spices and currants with hints of dried flowers. Medium body, linear, tight and ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Beautiful now but this will improve with age.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine is characterized by both structure and rich fruitiness. A dark, smoky character brings out the solid tannins that underlie the black currant fruitiness and the balance. Although it doesn’t have power, an intensity gives a flavor that lasts in the mouth. Drink this wine from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA wonderful surprise today, the 2011 Les Forts de Latour is terrific. Pliant, silky and racy, the 2011 offers considerable suppleness and sheer appeal. Hints of sweet tobacco, herb, licorice, cloves and leather add aromatic nuance throughout, but it is the wine’s overall balance and feel that are most impressive. The 2011 will drink nicely for at least another handful of years. From a pure pleasure perspective, it is the most enjoyable of Latour’s three new releases at this stage.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Les Forts de Latour (barrel sample)) The 2011 Forts de Latour is an excellent and quite structured wine that will demand time in the cellar, but clearly reward those patient enough to tuck it away and forget it for twelve to fifteen years. Thirty-five percent of the blend this year is merlot, as more was relegated to the second wine than the grand vin in 2011. The bouquet on this superb Forts de Latour offers up a very pure, primary and classic mélange of sweet cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones and a touch of nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with a sappy core of fruit, excellent focus and grip and a very long, ripely tannic and powerful finish. I love the cooler fruit tones of the 2011 wines here, as with just a smidgeon over thirteen percent alcohol gives this wine a precision to its soil signature that is far superior to the more heady 2010 version. A very, very impressive second wine! (Drink between 2025-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2011 Les Forts de Latour has a very refined bouquet, understated at first but gaining intensity in the glass with an attractive estuarine tincture developing and complementing the black fruit. Later on, there is a trademark touch of Pauillac mintiness coupled with black olives. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin and very good weight in the mouth, the fruit profile leaning more towards the red side of the spectrum than black. This feels lithe and supple in the mouth, fleshy and generous with a smooth finish that slips down the throat. Enjoy this now and over the next 15-20 years. Tasted March 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMA tightly coiled version, with a strong iron base that keeps the core of plum, black currant and bitter cherry pinned down for now. A bolt of graphite courses through the finish. This is very solid, showing some serious cut. Best from 2016 through 2026. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A super effort from Chateau Canon, this property, owned by the proprietors of the haute couture house of Chanel, has turned in a stunningly rich 2011 Canon with a full-bodied texture and surprising concentration and purity. It is a noble, intense Canon with sweet tannin, lavish concentration (atypical for the vintage), and a stunningly long finish. It should drink well for two decades, and will always be one of the major stars of the vintage. Bravo!Robert Parker | 94 RPAlso brilliant, and actually not far off the 2005, the 2011 Canon is a nominal blend of mostly Merlot with 25-30% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used French oak. Its youthful purple/plum color is followed by a sweet bouquet of red and black currants, kirsch, licorice, chalky minerality, and ample Asian inspired spices. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it’s still youthful but drinking well, and has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. It’s a terrific 2011!.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD(Château Canon) The 2011 Château Canon is a stellar example of the vintage. The deep, pure and utterly refined nose offers up a pure and sappy mélange of black cherries, dark berries, woodsmoke, dark soil tones, coffee bean and a judicious base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied and beautifully balanced, with a sappy core of fruit, a lovely signature of soil, fine focus and a very long, ripely tannic and palate-staining finish. This is nowhere near as powerful as the 2010 Canon, but in terms of ultimate quality it is at least as good as the previous vintage and in terms of style and grace, I have a strong preference for this utterly classic wine. The 2011 vintage provided considerable potential for those on the Right Bank who did everything correctly, and this was obviously the case with the team at Canon, who have made a beautiful wine in this vintage. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 94 JGA firm and tannic wine, it has the weight to support its tannins. It’s balanced, solid and dense, with a powerful shot of black fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA young red with polish and poise. It sneaks up on you. Full body with plum, blackberry and light mineral and chalk undertones. Extremely fine tannins that build on your palate. The texture makes this wine outstanding. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSPretty solid, with a core of plum cake and blackberry confiture studded with warm ganache and fruitcake notes. The plush, open finish has a flattering feel, showing subtle persistence. Drink now through 2022.Wine Spectator | 91 WSBright full ruby. Floral blackberry, raspberry, licorice, lead pencil and a faint herbal note on the nose. Juicy, spicy and precise, offering good sweetness to its red and dark fruit flavors. Finishes fresh, focused and long, with very good grip and a white pepper nuance.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This is a solid, concentrated wine from a reliable chateau. It has weight and power, with rich black fruits balanced with fresh acidity. Touches of bitter extraction and wood aging are likely to integrate as the wine ages. It should develop into an impressive and powerful wine. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2011 Pichon-Baron has an impressive bouquet with intense mineral-driven black fruit, cedar and a lovely marine influence that comes through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious with a fine bead of acidity. Classy, sophisticated, this has plenty of breeding. Superb. This is perhaps the best bottle that I have encountered. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMJuicy black fruits, including cherry, blackcurrant, and blueberry with an undercurrent of graphite. Medium body but an enticingly juicy and surprisingly creamy-textured mouthfeel in the context of this vintage where the tannins are so often quite grippy. This wine already provides immense pleasure on the palate. Bravo! Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Pichon-Longueville) I have been quite a fan of the young vintages of Château Pichon-Longueville in the last decade or so, but I crossed paths with a handful of vintages from early in the decade during the many events held for En Primeur and I was rather dismayed to see the wines seemingly drying out from their high percentage of new oak. This included the 2001, which should have been starting to really drink splendidly, but was instead astringent from uncovered wood tannins. Now, I am beginning to wonder about whether or not the high percentage of very spicy new oak used here is not too heavy a load for the wine to carry over time. In any event, the 2011 Château Pichon-Longueville is a very cabernet-dominated wine this year, with fully eighty-two percent of the blend comprised of this varietal. The nose is pure and really stunning, offering up scents of black cherries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravel, coffee bean and plenty of spicy (Taransaud?) new barrels. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and deep and pure on the attack, with a very good core of fruit (particularly for 2011), fine focus and a long, very primary and very tannic finish. There is a distinct dry edge to the tannins at the present time, and a year ago I would have given this wine the benefit of the doubt. But, having seen a couple of recent vintages drying out from wood tannins, I am not entirely sure about how the 2011 Château Pichon-Longueville will evolve with bottle age. It will certainly be at least a very good wine, but will it also be a bit marred a decade down the road by its eighty percent new oak in this vintage? (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 88-92 JGA Pichon Baron with currants and cocoa powder. It’s a little lean but shows lovely full body, bright fruit and polished tannins. Lovely race and finesse. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 92 JSShows a taut feel for now, with lots of cassis and blackberry fruit, lined with iron and bramble notes. Dark and well-toasted yet integrated overall, this should stretch out after moderate cellaring, as there’s an ample core of dark, fleshy fruit. Best from 2016 through 2028. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSIts bigger, more famous sibling, the 2011 Pichon Longueville Baron exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, an opulent mouthfeel for a 2011, silky tannins and no hard edges. Medium-bodied and well-endowed, it is a major success in this vintage. It should hit its stride in 3-4 years and last for 15+.Robert Parker | 91 RPThe 2011 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a classic, solid, outstanding 2011 that offers textbook cedar and lead pencil notes as well as a core of dark fruits, medium-bodied richness, ripe tannin, and a focused, chiseled, yet balanced style on the palate. It’s drinking nicely today but will last for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD