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Tasted from several bottles in recent months, the 2012 Canon is a stupendous wine for the vintage and if anything, it appears to be improving with each encounter. It clearly serves up more than enough volume and fruit intensity on the nose compared to the impressive 2011 Canon: it is very pure with black cherries, wild strawberry, asphalt and blood orange. This is very well defined and beautifully focused. The palate is medium-bodied, silky smooth and with that thrilling sense of frisson. There is so much vivacity wound up inside this Saint Emilion that it would not surprise me if it turns out to be one of the very best in 2012. Tasted January 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2012 Canon is a rich, smoky, meaty 2012 that checks in as blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Ripe black cherries, melted licorice, chocolate, and a touch of scorched earth all emerge from this classic, structured effort that has terrific concentration, a pure, backward style, ripe tannin, and a great finish. It’s nowhere near ready for primetime (this wine didn’t start to open up until the second day after opening) and needs a solid 5-7 years of cellaring but will see its 30th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDA red with blueberry, blackberry and walnut character. Chocolate too. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. This is tight and dense. Extremely polished tannins and a long finish. Another 2001. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Canon) Château Canon is one of the top wines yet again in St. Émilion in the 2012 vintage, despite the percentage of the blend undergoing malo in barrel creeping up to thirty percent in this vintage (it was about twenty-five percent in 2010- though I am not sure when this practice started here). The cépages this year is seventy percent merlot and thirty percent cabernet franc, the alcohol content is fourteen percent, and the wine was raised in eighty percent new wood. The harvest started here on October 3rd for the merlot, and was completed by October 16th for the last of the cabernet franc. The superb nose offers up a ripe and very pure blend of blackberries, black cherries, menthol, Cuban tobacco, a great base of soil, espresso and a stylish base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with ripe tannins, excellent focus and balance and a long, nascently complex and very, very classy finish. A beautiful Canon in the making. (Drink between 2025-2070).John Gilman | 93+ JGThis dense, extracted wine has dark coffee and bitter chocolate flavors that are followed by wood and tannins. The fruit is still obscured, and may need many years for its dark character to emerge.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEGood bright red-ruby. Coffee and chocolate scents of new oak complement deep strawberry and dark cherry aromas on the brooding nose. On the palate, sweet cassis, black plum and mineral flavors are lifted by an element of peppery herbs. Finishes youthfully dry, with building tannins and suggestions of herbs, pepper and mint. Lovely balance and precision here: Canon has really turned the corner in the last several years.Vinous Media | 89-92 VMDisplays a rather firm coating of chalk dust and vanilla notes, with a core of subdued plum and blackberry fruit. Verges on an extracted feel, but comes out solid and sculpted in the end.Wine Spectator | 88-91 WSBeautifully poised wine. Fresh, elegant and perfumed on the nose. Juicy and fine on the palate. Delicate extraction. Fine, long tannins. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

This is the essence of Le Pin with incredible silk texture and beautiful fruit. A berry, sweet-tobacco, chocolate and dusty undertone. It reminds me of many wonderful and underrated Le Pins of the 1980s like 1985 or 1986. What a wine. Better in 2018. But who can wait? Cystal clear. It’s like the 2001 that was always better than 2000.James Suckling | 97 JSIntense raspberry confiture notes drive along, with ample dark spice, anise and singed wood accents. Shows lots of flesh, especially for the vintage. A light twinge of savory at the very end gives this nice lift. This has settled in nicely and is one of the stars of this Right Bank–favored vintage.—Non-blind Le Pin vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2030. 502 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSTasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, 2012 Le Pin put in a very strong performance. It has a strict, graphite-infused bouquet that is strangely Pauillac-like (not a trait I have noticed on other vintages; I wonder whether it is just a passing phase?). This is earthier than its peers, with hints of leather in the background and sous-bois aromas becoming more and more accentuated by time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, elegant and understated in style with a fine line of acidity, harmonious and thankfully not screaming and shouting towards the stylish finish. This is an outstanding wine from Jacques Thienpont that might well be unfairly over-shadowed by the 2009 and 2010. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMA compelling, totally arresting wine, the 2012 Le Pin boasts superb texture, unctuousness and pure voluptuous beauty. The 2012 is effortless in the way it opens up in the glass, with generous sweet red cherry, plum, iron, smoke and licorice. Perhaps not as rich as some previous vintages, the 2012 is nevertheless racy and quite expressive, even at this early stage.Vinous Media | 95 VMA really elegant Le Pin. Fine, fresh, floral nose. Silky texture and tannins. Discreet but has length, depth and plenty of energy. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Le Pin) Monsieur Thienpont had his two teenage sons assisting in hosting the tasting this year, as both boys were home from school for the Easter holidays, with the older son particularly vivacious and funny and livening up the banter around the table. The 2012 Château Le Pin was harvested between October 1st and October 3rd, and comes in at a very civilized 13.5 percent alcohol this year. The bouquet is deep and youthful, offering up a classy blend of black cherries, blackberries, cigar smoke, a touch of tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and nutty, luxuriant new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and refined, with a fine core, ripe tannins, very good acidity and lovely length and grip on the focused and youthful finish. This will be a fine, fine vintage of Le Pin. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 93 JG

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

This shows fabulous length with a chocolate, berry and mineral undertone. Licorice and currants too. Full body yet refined with seamless tannins. Goes on for minutes. It shows such amazing length and elegance. Depth. Phenomenal structure here, especially for the vintage. Reminds me of the 1998 or 1971, which were structured yet very fine.James Suckling | 98 JSAnother great wine from Pétrus, this has enormous depths without losing any of the fruit or freshness of Merlot in 2012. It's massive while also elegant, weighty, richly full-bodied and also structured. At this stage the wine does show some signs of wood aging, which will diminish as it ages. The fruitiness is deceptive because this wine demands aging. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEOne of the stars of the vintage, the wine (100% Merlot) has exceptional concentration, stunning purity, an inky purple color and a broad, expansive mouthfeel. Not a bit heavy, cloying or overwrought, this is a stunning Petrus (licorice, blackcurrants and truffles dominate) that will probably hit full maturity in 8-10 years and last 25-35. Another great example of this mythical wine that few can afford, virtually no one drinks, but everyone talks about! Relatively high in alcohol at 14.5%, the crop was tiny because of the spring’s poor flowering in this sector of Pomerol.Robert Parker | 96+ RP(Château Pétrus) The 2012 Château Pétrus is a stunning young wine and everyone on the team seemed to be in a very happy mood with the quality of the vintage here. The tasting took place in the new chais, as the tasting room is still under construction, and the tasting was notable for the relaxed and friendly atmosphere- which was in notable contrast to the almost monastic, reverential mood of past years here (as well as at most of the other First Growths). The harvest at Pétrus started on September 24th, only to see the rain arrive the next day, which suspended the picking until the 1st of October, with all the remaining grapes being collected over the next week. The wine is cool, pure and wonderfully suave, which totally belies its 14.5 percent alcohol, as I would have guessed this wine to be in the 13.2 to 13.5 percent range. The bouquet is deep, primary and very refined, wafting from the glass in a mix of plums, black cherries, dark soil tones, cigar smoke, espresso and a gentle touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and potentially very velvety, with a superb core, ripe, seamless tannins and superb focus and grip on the very long and classic finish. This may evolve along the lines of the 1985 Pétrus, but it may possess even a bit more stuffing and land at a higher level when all is said and done. A superb wine. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 96 JGThis has some serious muscle, with rivets of graphite studding a beam of dense, gravelly grip that holds the core of steeped plum and raspberry notes together. Very long, with superior cut. A graphite note powers through the finish, while the fruit drips on and on. Best from 2018 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOne of the stars this year. Ripe, seductive nose with blackcurrant, blackberry and liquorish notes. Shows upfront charm but the palate has power, depth and distinction. Rounded tannins. Superb length. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA dark, hulking beauty, the 2012 Pétrus is utterly beguiling. For the year, the Pétrus boasts remarkable density and pure power. Spice, leather, cedar and tobacco wrap around a core of intense, super-ripe fruit. Bad weather during flowering lowered potential yields and resulted in a firm, powerful Pétrus that is going to need time to blossom. I imagine the 2012 will still be a pretty special wine at age forty.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AG

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

The wine is very dry, layered tannins giving a major sense of structure. It will always have this dry, dense character, very firm, solid and powerful.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a very solid core of dark plum, crushed black currant and blackberry fruit, with lightly firm flesh and good drive through the finish, where alder and iron notes fill in. Shows excellent energy and depth, while harnessing the austere edge of the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAromas of blackcurrants, blueberries and lemons follow through to a full body, firm tannins and a fresh, clean finish. A little tight now but excellent. Precision to this. Back ended. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2012 Lynch-Bages comes across as a bit bombastic and ripe. Mocha, plums, dark cherry, blackberry, licorice, tar and new oak are all evident in this slightly four-square Lynch Bages. Today, the 2012 comes in as somewhat disjointed and not fully put together. It will be interesting to see what further time in bottle brings. The blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Because of heat stress, yields were unusually low in 2012, and that may be the reason why the wine is a bit clumsy today. I would give the 2012 a few years to come together.Antonio Galloni | 91+ AGRich dense colour, big meaty wine with good florality as well as rich fruit, a big wine, very ripe for this vintage. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035Decanter | 91 DEC(Château Lynch-Bages) The 2012 Château Lynch-Bages is another excellent success for the vintage, with fine and structured personality and impressive complexity on both the nose and palate. The deep and classy nose offers up scents of cassis, dark berries, espresso, cigar ash, smoke and a blend of cedary and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely reserved, with a rock solid core, ripe, chewy tannins and excellent length and grip on the youthful and promising finish. Lovely juice. (Drink between 2020-2045).John Gilman | 91 JG

Bottled under a black label to celebrate Pavie’s addition to the Grand Cru Classé “A” classification, the 2012 Chateau Pavie is a brilliant wine, and readers with bottles in their cellars are in for a treat. From a bottle purchased in the US, this deep purple-hued beauty takes plenty of air (it showed best the day after opening) to show at its best yet offers incredible notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, scorched earth, graphite, leafy herbs, violets, and background oak. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it nevertheless has incredible elegance and purity, with loads of silky tannins, terrific freshness, and a blockbuster finish. I continue to believe 2012 was a great, great vintage for the Right Bank, and this just adds fuel to the fire. This beauty is approachable today yet will mostly likely merit a triple-digit rating in 5-7 years and will keep for 30-40 years, given its impeccable balance and depth of fruit.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2012 Pavie has been impressive on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Exotic scents of graphite, smoke, new leather and dark fruit open up first. Deep, intense and rich, especially within the context of the year, the 2012 finds greater finesse and nuance with time in bottle. Pavie is a rare 2012 that is going to require time in bottle, as the tannins are imposing at this early stage. I imagine the 2012 will be divine in another few years. Even today, it is exceptionally well-balanced and harmonious in the modern-day flamboyant Pavie style. The 2012 is 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that spend 28 months in barrel.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGWhat a gorgeous wine with violet and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Fine tannins. Love it now.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Pavie celebrates its reclassification and upgrade to Class A St.-Emilion by sporting a new black label with gold print. Fortunately, every Pavie has benefitted since Perse began a complete makeover of this estate in 1998. From 47-year-old vines, the 2012 has an inky purple color, judicious toasty oak in the nose interwoven with copious blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, Christmas spices, as well as licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, rich and moderately tannic, it will require 5-7 years of bottle age but should drink well for 20-30 years. Kudos to Chantal and Gerard Perse for their extraordinary commitment to quality, which is so evident in this more challenging vintage than some of the great years like 2009 and 2010. Very low yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare were obtained from this 92-acre estate.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is a powerful wine which exhibits a change in style towards elegance in recent years. The palate has delicious Merlot fruitiness along with black-currant acidity and a dense structure. Fine minerality at the end with juicy acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA beauty, with rich and supple plum and blackberry confiture notes that stream along over a dense but velvety structure. The licorice and toast aspect is more restrained here, and there are long, cool menthol, apple wood and earth accents through the finish.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2018 through 2030. 5,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSPowerful style as always. A touch less full throttle than the 2011. Reserved but intense nose. Dark fruit notes. Good acidity and freshness. Firm, long, persistent finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035.Decanter | 91 DEC

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

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

Showing the serious side of Lafite, this is big and dark, powered by tannins as much as fruit. The wood aging is still showing, although that will integrate into the great structure that holds up the ripe black currant fruits. Totally dominated by some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, this wine has strength while also having great freshness. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEVibrant fruit from 91% Cabernet, not yet expressive but all the firm elegance of Lafite for a very good future. Drinking Window 2018 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DECSuperb structure for the vintage with blackcurrants, cedar, mushroom and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied yet reserved and tight with an impressive density. Long finish. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSThis has a dark, smoky edge from the start, with smoldering tobacco and grilled savory notes lining the core of steeped plum, macerated black currant and lightly mulled cherry fruit. Shows a loamy, smoky edge to the finish, with the tobacco hint peeking out. Features admirable range, depth and grip, with just a twinge of the vintage's austerity lurking. Best from 2018 through 2030. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2012 Lafite-Rothschild opens with striking inner perfume. Long and beautifully persistent on the palate, the 2012 is ample and generous, but never heavy. Shades of dark red cherry and plum infusion shape the finish. The 2012 is not an epic Lafite, but it is expressive and delicious today.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG(Château Lafite Rothschild) Charles Chevallier, Technical Director for all of the Barons de Rothschild estates, noted that 2012 “was a difficult year- one which we would not like to see too often!” On the Left Bank, the Rothschild properties faced the same struggles as everyone else, with uneven ripening from the difficult flowering period, season long struggles against mildew (though on the sunnier side, Monsieur Chevallier notes that alternating heat and humidity of mid-summer “were also good for the growth of ceps and chanterelles in the woods!”), and difficult harvesting conditions, as the threat of rot in the vineyards pushed the teams to be very careful about selection this year. The merlot at Lafite this year was brought in between September 28th and October 9th, with the cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot all collected between October 9th and October 16th. The 2012 Lafite is a blend of ninety-one percent cabernet sauvignon, 8.5 percent merlot and half a percent petit verdot, and the wine is a very old school 12.6 percent in alcohol. It is a very suave and understated customer out of the blocks, offering up scents of dark berries, cassis, French roast, a touch of tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, beautiful gravelly soil tones and a very stylish base of gently spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very effortless in its delivery, with a fine core of fruit, fine soil signature, ripe tannins, very good acidity for the vintage and fine length and grip on the still very primary finish. This is a lovely Lafite that will age into a very graceful middleweight and may well resemble the extremely successful 1981 with sufficient bottle age. (Drink between 2025-2050).John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2012 Lafite Rothschild, representing only 38% of their total production, is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot. It is a very stylish, elegant, yet concentrated Lafite Rothschild with an opaque ruby/purple color, soft well-integrated tannins, nice integrated oak, acidity and alcohol. Lafites’s 2012 reveals good, opaque, ruby/purple color and plenty of lead pencil and blackcurrant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied and should hit its prime 2020-2035.Robert Parker | 91 RP

The nose to this is fascinating with orange peel, mangoes, stones and hints of blanched walnuts. Full-bodied, yet dense and reserved. It shows amazing length and finesse. The finish shows wonderful, subtle and pure fruit. Breathtakingly subtle and complex. Better in 2018 but I love it.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2012 Lafleur presents a distinctly red-toned profile to match its silky, open-knit personality. Crushed flowers, sweet red cherry, plum, mint and spices are all nicely layered throughout. Medium in body, the 2012 nevertheless possesses lovely depth and pliancy, both of which suggest it will provide readers with a long window of exceptionally fine drinking. Proprietor Baptiste Guinaudeau describes 2012 as a cool vintage of open-knit wines and compares his 2012 to the 2001. This is a superb showing and one of the standouts of the year. Readers will find many terrific 2012s, but Lafleur is distinguished by its soul, something that is not to easy to find in Bordeaux. The 2012 is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot.Antonio Galloni | 95 AG(Château Lafleur) The 2012 Château Lafleur has more merlot in it than is customary, as the merlot was perfect and the cabernet franc required quite a bit of selection to ensure that only the choicest vats were included in the grand vin this year. The resulting wine is exceptional, offering up a deep, complex and cool nose of cassis, dark berries, espresso, gravel, both currant and tobacco leaf and a very discreet base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very suave on the attack, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent focus and nascent complexity, ripe, fine-grained tannins and outstanding length and grip on the soil-driven and stunning finish. Château Lafleur has been one of the most consistently excellent estates in Pomerol over the last four vintages, but though this is not as powerful as some of the previous wines, stylistically, the 2012 may well be my favorite here since the lovely 2008 (even though the exceptional 2010 Lafleur is probably the superior wine in absolute terms). This is one of the stars of this vintage! (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 95 JGDeep ruby to the rim, the 2012 Lafleur possesses beautiful kirsch, sweet raspberry fruit, ripe tannin, and a lushness and roundness. It is medium to full-bodied and complex, with an exceptional texture and purity – all hallmarks of this property. This wine should drink well for another 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 94+ RP

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

Wild aromas of mint, spearmint, cool chalk and dark fruits. Full-bodied, tight, linear and incredibly long with a evening-stone, blueberry, cherry and mineral undertone. Crisp and extremely persistent. Iodine and oyster shell here to round it all off. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSTasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scents—very floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMOne of the wines of the vintage, the 2012 Ausone boasts gorgeous depth, aromatic intensity and overall balance. Dark red stone fruits, menthol, licorice, smoke and savory herbs flesh out as this layered, seductive Saint-Emilion shows off its pure pedigree and class. Further time in bottle should allow the 2012 to flesh out even more, but it is pretty special today. I remember tasting the 2012 straight from barrel with Alain Vauthier in the spring of 2013. The bottled, finished wine is every bit as special. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThis is a magnificent wine with an opulent structure and a finely perfumed character. It is dense with the ripest black fruits cushioned by the soft texture. A serious, denser side brings out a tannic core. It’s elegant while also powerful and certainly needs to age. Drink from 2024. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Ausone) The 2012 Château Ausone is a very good wine, but one can see that the proclivity here these days to harvest late has not been a ready path to capture all of the potential of this superb Right Bank vintage. The Ausone team did not even get started picking their merlot until October 2nd (at Château Simard) and finished up bringing in the last of the cabernet franc from their various vineyard holdings on October 22nd. Overall, the entire portfolio shows just a touch easy-going as a result, as the perfect tension of balance in the Right Bank wines picked earlier is missing here. That said, the 2012 Ausone is not a bad wine by any means, as it offers up notes of black cherries, plums, coffee bean, tobacco leaf, complex soil tones, smoke and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, suave and classy on the attack, with good, but not great depth at the core, a very luxurious palate impression and silky tannins evident on the velvety and laid back finish. One would probably have seen more grip and vibrancy if the fruit had been gathered a bit earlier, but perhaps the really chalky soils here were more difficult to manage during the drought and this was the best course to take. In any event, the 2012 Ausone a very pretty wine that will drink well fairly young for this cru, but, will not vie with the best wines of the Right Bank for top honors in this vintage. (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 91+ JG

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

This will be by far the biggest release since Latour brought in the new system, as the 2012 has not been on the market before. It’s a good one to start with as this is a vintage where the drinking window is starting to come into view. This is pure liquorice, graphite and profoundly dark fruits, gourmet brushed damson and crushed stones, with a silky, appealingly open texture. The tannins are as bracing as you hope for from this estate, not giving an inch yet, but there is air between them and the structure is starting to loosen up. Harvest from September 24 to October 16, under rainy conditions after a super hot summer and early September that ensured the grapes stayed in good condition, but turned the concentration from impenetrable to an altogether more approachable style. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2012 Latour is a blend of 90.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.6% Merlot and 0.2% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet colored, the nose slowly, measuredly emerges with notions of preserved Morello cherries, baked blackcurrants and blackberry compote, giving way to nuances of pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars, Chinese five spice and sandalwood plus ever so subtle hints of cardamom and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit preserves with a firm, grainy-textured frame and fantastic freshness, finishing with a veritable firework display of lingering spices and minerals. This is a more restrained, relatively elegant vintage of Latour that may not have that “iron fist in a velvet glove” power of the greatest vintages but nonetheless struts its superior terroir and behind-the-scenes savoir faire with impressive panache. It is drinking nicely now with suitably rounded-off, approachable tannins, and the tertiary characters are just beginning to bring some more cerebral elements into the compote of temptingly primary black fruits. But, if you’re looking to drink it in full, flamboyant swing, give it another 5-10 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20-25 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2012 Latour has a potent bouquet of blackberry, graphite and distinctive tertiary notes [instead of more marine scents observed four years earlier]. Initially, the palate is slightly disjointed on the entry and displays a subtle herbal quality, plus hints of pencil shavings. The 2012 demands a few minutes to really coalesce and achieve the precision and pixelation that have been the hallmark of this Grand Vin in its youth. Layers of black fruit coat the mouth, and a bitter edge lends tension, particularly toward the very persistent finish. Though its release implies, and the rhetoric from the château indicates, that it is ready to drink, if you want my advice, cellar the 2012 for another five or six years to witness it in full flight. It has always been a candidate for wine of the vintage... just have a bit of patience.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis features a terrific, gorgeously delineated graphite note that runs from start to finish, letting the dark plum, black cherry and cassis fruit play out beautifully. Shows a lovely backdrop of charcoal and iron on the finish. Ever so slightly rigid, with a strong graphite expression, this is straight rather than expansive in feel, but seriously long nonetheless. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,819 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSVery perfumed with hints of minerals, currants, wet earth and stones. Full-bodied, muscular and chewy. Polished tannins, tight acidity and a savory finish. Very reserved. Muscular. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Latour) The 2012 harvest at Château Latour began with the picking of the merlot on September 24th (concluding for this variety on October 4th) and finished with the cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot during the stretch from October 5th to the 16th. All three wines in the stable came in at a very classic 12.8 percent alcohol this year, and as the cabernet sauvignon was the most successful varietal, the 2012 grand vin is over ninety percent cabernet this year. The bouquet is deep, primary and very pure and refined, as it wafts from the glass in a constellation of cassis, cigar smoke, tobacco leaf, complex, gravelly soil tones and a nice touch of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very elegant on the attack, with a good core, suave and quite moderate tannins (particularly for a young Latour!), fine focus and impressive length and grip on the youthful finish. Clearly, the team at Latour did not want to risk over-extracting in this vintage, and the wine is certainly one of the most polite recent vintages of this great property. It should prove to be a lovely wine with sufficient bottle age, but this is one of the very few properties in all of Bordeaux where the trio from 2009, 2010 and 2011 tower over their 2012 counterpart. (Drink between 2025-2060).John Gilman | 91+ JG

The second wine of Château Latour, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour is a smoking good, rich, concentrated effort that most likely wins the battle of the second wines in the vintage. Crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, cedar pencil and tobacco notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied 2012 that has rock solid mid-palate depth and a great finish. It doesn’t come cheap but is a beautiful, classic Les Forts de Latour that will drink nicely for another 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA juicy and rich red, offering chocolate and hazelnuts. Plum and berry undertones. Full-bodied with angular tannins that are firm and muscular. Needs a year or two to soften still.James Suckling | 93 JSComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of redcurrants, black cherries and kirsch with menthol, cigars and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and vibrant with a lively line and an herbal lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThough I tasted the 2012 Les Forts de Latour, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, during en primeur back in 2013, this marks the first commercial release for this vintage. It boasts devilishly attractive pencil lead bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and a light sea spray influence. The palate is clean and fresh with very fine, almost edgy tannins. The precision here is undeniable, a tensile Les Forts de Latour that similar to many 2012s has blossomed during its bottle maturation. There is a mote of signature Pauillac mintiness that pop up towards the persistent finish, completing an assured Les Forts de Latour that might tempt those whose pockets are not deep enough for the co-released 2006 Latour.Vinous Media | 91 VMAdmirably rich for the vintage, with solid plum and black currant paste flavors, allied to a decidedly brisk and racy structure and backed by plum pit, iron and singed alder notes through the finish, giving this a rather linear feel overall. Should age well, and will likely always have more cut than breadth. Best from 2017 through 2025. 11,933 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSuperb colour, cassis fruit and the classic graphite grip of top Pauillacs, fragrance, precision and great class. [NB: Tasted en primeur and originally rated as 17.5 points under the 20-point scale used by Decanter at the time] Drinking Window 2017 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

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

From Chantal and Gérard Perse, this St.-Emilion is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. It is interesting that the small vineyard of 8.5 acres (which I have walked) sits above Pavie on a steep, pure limestone outcrop. This is the quintessential limestone-based wine, with a liquor of powdered chalk mixed with cassis and blackberry. Very concentrated (almost painfully so), this highly extracted, full-bodied, massive, rich and powerful wine needs cellaring. Everything is present for a great future. This is one of the superstars of the vintage. Unfortunately, production of Pavis Decesse is minuscule, as a large section of the vineyard was incorporated into Pavie. This wine, with its opaque purple color and great density and richness is a connoisseur’s dream. Forget it for 5-8 years and drink it over the following three decades.Robert Parker | 95+ RPRadiant and sexy in the glass, the 2012 Pavie-Decesse is the most gracious of the three top wines in Gérard Perse’s lineup. Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that fused together in this beautifully focused, layered wine. Hints of violet and lavender add the closing shades of nuance. Silky tannins give the Pavie-Decesse plenty of early appeal, but there is also more than enough depth for the 2012 to drink well for a number of years. The 2012 is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, from vines that are 50 years old on average.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGDelivers expressive, ripe, flowing notes of raspberry coulis, plum sauce and warm fig that pick up anise, black tea and well-roasted apple wood flavors along the way. The flashy finish pumps along authoritatively, showing integrated toast and a gorgeous echo of fruit. Best from 2018 through 2028. 350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe diminutive neighbor of Château Pavie, Pavie Decesse’s wine has its own, more mineral, tight character. It is complex but fruity, with blackberries supported by wood, acidity and dense texture.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis is really decadent with intense fruit as well as vanilla and coffee character. Full body, velvety tannin and a long finish. Layered and intense. Savory. Needs three or four years to come together.James Suckling | 92 JSA little more charm than 2011 but still powerful in style. Ripe curranty notes. Round and full but fresh. Firm, dry finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 90 DEC

One of the candidates for the wine of the vintage, the opaque purple/black 2012 Péby Faugères is stunningly concentrated, with gorgeous purity, an opulent black raspberry, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit spectrum, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and beautiful, velvety, integrated tannins. Amazingly, it is not showing much oak, even though it is aged 100% in new oak. This is a great and profound 2012 that is still youthful, but so impressive already and capable of evolving for two decades. It is 100% Merlot.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 Peby Faugeres is another beauty, and shows how strong this vintage is for the right bank. Dense purple-colored with a terrific, ripe, opulent style in its deep black fruits, black cherry, chocolate, and graphite aromas and flavors, it has no hard edges, sweet tannin, just hints of background oak, and a big finish. It’s already drinking brilliantly yet will cruise for another 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDOne of the most dramatic wines of the vintage, the 2012 Péby Faugères has been superb on the multiple occasions I have tasted it so far. The 2012 is unapologetically deep, rich and ripe, with fabulous concentration that carries through to the finish. Dark blue fruits, smoke, licorice, crème de cassis and sweet spices from the French oak are all fused together. This flamboyant, super-ripe Saint-Emilion is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is undeniably vivid, beautiful and a real thrill to taste. Specifically, what raises Péby Faugères to a level above most wines made in this style is the quality of the tannin. What a gorgeous wine this is.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThis is a beautifully crafted red with fabulous subtle fruit and a sexy undertone of tannins and wood. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a long finish. Pure merlot. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is lush in feel, with gorgeous raspberry, plum and boysenberry fruit that cascades over the anise and floral notes. Offers ample flashy toast, but there’s a solid graphite spine here too. Beautifully rendered for the vintage. Drink now through 2025. 415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

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

Dalla Valle was the first winery to demonstrate what heights Cabernet Franc could reach in the valley with their Maya proprietary blend, which averages 50-55% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 Maya is a spectacular offering. I recently had the 1991 (made by Tony Soter) and it is still drinking exceptionally well. In fact, it could still be called an adolescent at 23 years of age. The 2012 Maya is already revealing great complexity with notes of forest floor, licorice, truffles, red and blackcurrants and a hint of graphite. The beautiful aromatics are followed by an equally majestic, full-bodied, multidimensional wine of great class and elegance. This sensational effort should drink well for 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2012 Maya is surprisingly deep and powerful in this vintage, with none of the early appeal of the estate’s other 2012s. Today, the Maya is dark and brooding, with tons of intensity to match its massive, virile personality. Readers will have to be patient, but the 2012 is a special wine that much is clear.Vinous Media | 98+ VMA gorgeous and generous wine with blackberry, cedar and flower petal character. Full body, firm and silky tannins. A beautiful red with so much finesse and style. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSOffers pure, rich blackberry, wild berry, currant and cassis flavors, all creating a harmonious mix. The texture is supple and easy before the tannins become more evident. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2028. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

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