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Power and elegance merge effortlessly in this superb wine. Its pure black currant fruit is tightly coiled, supported by just the right amount of firm tannins. Great aging potential. A triumph.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2005 Léoville-Barton is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and strapping in the glass, the 2005 is a big, big wine. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of inky black fruit, new leather, spice, gravel, mocha and licorice. The wine’s sheer density is impressive, but its balance is even more compelling. I might be temped to give this another few years in the cellar. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a thrilling, potent Saint-Julien that overdelivers big time. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDelivers breathtaking aromas of blackberry, currant, licorice and flowers. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and supersilky tannins. Dark chocolate, currant, berry and licorice follow through. This is racy and beautiful. Best after 2015. 20,375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis offers aromas of spices, dried dark fruits, meat and berries. Full and muscular on the palate, with strong tannins and a long, long finish. This is very powerful and chewy, but a little bit tight. This is a wine for the cellar. Don’t touch this until 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSPowerful and compelling, this blend of nearly 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot with a suggestion of Cabernet Franc was slow to open but with time produced polished aromas of red and blackberry fruit with hints of graphite, leather, and smoke. The texture is firm and tannic, but there is enough density to make it all work exceedingly well—one of the pleasant surprises of the tasting. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECLéoville Barton’s 2005 has an inky ruby/purple color and shows fairly high tannin levels, but the balance is slightly better that the Langoa Barton, which is very hard. This is probably a 30-year wine and needs at least another 20 years of cellaring, and while the tannins are high, they are balanced more thoroughly and competently. With deep cassis and red currant fruit, the wine is earthy, spicy, medium to full-bodied, and needs at least another decade. Drink it between 2025 and 2050.Robert Parker | 92 RP

The 2005 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is just about off the charts and shows how good this vintage is for Bordeaux. Still inky ruby/purple-colored with a huge nose of blackcurrants, chocolate, black cherries, and hints of scorched earth, it hits the palate with a huge, full-bodied, concentrated, yet impeccably balanced profile. This is an incredible wine that’s just now at the early stages of maturity and will keep for another two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA sensational effort, Tertre Roteboeuf’s 2005, along with the 2000, is one of the most profound wines made by Francois Mitjavile. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a stunning perfume of sweet black currants, jammy cherries, licorice, and spice. Full-bodied and opulent with high, but remarkably sweet, velvety tannins as well as a stunning texture and a finish that lasts nearly a minute, this prodigious St.-Emilion should be drinkable in 3-4 years, and last for two decades or more. Kudos to the proprietor.Robert Parker | 98 RPBeautiful fruit with a Burgundian style. Pure and aromatic. Full-bodied, with gorgeous fruit and a long, long finish. Seductive. This is a fascinating and cerebral wine that wows you with its beauty. This could easily move up to a classic rating.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WSGood deep medium ruby. Wonderfully perfumed, fresh aromas of blackberry, raspberry, licorice, spices and violet pastille. Brilliantly pure and energetic, with outstanding flavor intensity and inner-mouth perfume. Still an infant today, with primary black fruits dominating. But this has the spicy, floral perfume of the greatest vintages of this wine. The ripely tannic, palate-saturating finish is wonderfully long and vibrant. "Our most beautiful vintage since 1990," notes Mitjavile.Vinous Media | 94 VM

From the tiny luxury jewel of the Neipperg family, the 2005 La Mondotte is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from a fabulous terroir. Super-rich and dense purple in color, it represents a concentrated essence in both its aromatic and flavor profile of blackcurrant, black cherry, earth and spice. Full-bodied, pure, and again, possessing sweet, sweet tannin and a tremendously deep, full, layered personality. This is another great example of La Mondotte, which should drink well for 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThis has an incredible nose, with blackberry, black licorice and intense coffee and toasty oak character. Full-bodied, with layers of beautiful oak and ripe fruit. Long and voluptuous. Best after 2017.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2005 La Mondotte is the only wine in this tasting that is hard as nails and virtually impenetrable. Deep, inward and super-concentrated, the 2005 offers notable density and inkiness, but not much else today. It will be interesting to see what a few more years in bottle brings. Today, the 2005 Mondotte shows plenty of power, but less in the way of finesse.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Needs coaxing out of the glass, as is true with so many 2005s even at 16 years old, but straight off the first nose you get the most beautiful nuance and turmeric-strewn spice. It’s exotic if subtle, with a creamy texture, grilled oak, black chocolate shavings, cassis and raspberry, all with the most beautiful sense of tiptoing through the palate, holding the line. Exceptionally well balanced, slate and smoked earth, giving signature St Julien finesse. You have really had to be patient for this wine, but it is utterly spellbinding, and starting to show its potential. Harvest September 20 to October 10. This one really does benefit from being carafed, because it keeps so much of itself hidden (I tasted it once in a carafe and once straight from the bottle). Brilliant, full of flavour. Harvest September 20 to October 11, 35% new oak.Jane Anson | 98 JAThis tastes of great Cabernet Sauvignon, with its black currant, cedar and herbs and fresh, juicy acidity. It is as fresh as it is rich, but it has a structure of dense tannins that balances the wine. This is one of the best wines from Gruaud-Larose for several years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAromas of blackberry, meat and earth follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a rich finish. Decadent, balanced and very approachable already. I thought it would have been a little better than this. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 91 WSLicorice spice and tough black tannins form tight boundaries around this wine. Within them, sweet red fruit lends a gracious impression, gentle and refined. Age will allow the wine to expand as the tannins relent, but this offers impressive drinking now, particularly if decanted with steak.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&SGood red-ruby. Redcurrant, leather and game on the expressive if slightly rustic nose. Sweet and concentrated but a bit youthfully aggressive, and not showing the refinement or definition of the 2006. Strong nutty oak component. Finishes with substantial tannins that are a bit richer and more fully buffered by the wine’s middle-palate material than those of the 2006. It will be interesting to compare these two vintages in ten years or so.Vinous Media | 90 VMThe 2005 Gruaud Larose has a deep ruby/purple color, excellent concentration, and clean, pure black and red currant fruit, licorice and spice. It is medium to full-bodied, lush, and very soft and round. I’m surprised how drinkable it is already, although it is certainly capable of lasting 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

A fabulous GPL. Perhaps better than the legendary 1982? It shows laser-guide precision on the palate with aromas of currants, cedar, mint, flowers and chocolate. Full-bodied and extremely finely textured on the palate, lasting for minutes. A joy to drink now. Get some.James Suckling | 97 JSMedium red. Very ripe aromas of plum and musky brown spices; redder in character and less precise than the 2006. Then big, sweet and plump on the palate, with full, mellow flavors of red berries, tobacco and mocha, plus a light smoked meat note. Finishes with sweet tannins and lingering, fully ripe fruit. This is showing its lush side today and is hiding its underlying structure.Vinous Media | 93 VMHas subtle blackberry, licorice and currant on the nose, with hints of mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a very pretty texture. Caresses everything. Refined and balanced. A beautiful wine that’s hard to keep your hands off now. Best after 2012. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSPure crème de cassis, licorice and spice are all present in this wine from Xavier Borie. Medium to full-bodied and ripe, with sweet tannin and a nicely textured mouthfeel, this is a beauty that should continue to drink well for another 15 or so years.Robert Parker | 92 RPNo written review provided. | 90 W&S

A gorgeously silky, juicy and balanced glass of wine, this combines elegant richness of sweet cocoa and blackberry, with tons of power and a feeling of holding itself in check. This is signature St Julien, concentrated yet delicate, just an utterly lovely wine that has good acidity, with tannins that have melted into the rest of the structure and fruit that is still absolutely in control, followed by a saline edge to the finish. There’s a long road ahead still, but this is a standout Ducru. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is a 10,000-case blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (they used to produce 18,000-20,000 cases). It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied with fabulous concentration, exceptionally high tannin, good acidity, and massive layers of richness that build incrementally on the palate, this monumental effort is more structured than their outstanding 2003. It may be the finest wine produced at this estate since the 1982 and 1961 Ducrus. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.Robert Parker | 97 RPThis offers dreamy aromas of singed mesquite and warm fruitcake that meld into a lush swath of mulled currant, fig and boysenberry fruit flavors. Black tea and incense notes skitter throughout, with a mouthwatering iron edge buried deeply.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA nice, complex wine with notes of flowers, berries and leather in the nose. Full-bodied, with pure fruit that turns from light raspberry to cherry jam. This is balanced and silky, a beautiful harmony. Give this some time if you can.James Suckling | 95 JS94-96 Barrel sample. Huge blackcurrant fruits dominate a wine that is powerful and showing very ripe. There are flavors of smoky, balanced tannins, bitter cherries, black figs. As all the great wines in 2005, it finishes with a delicious lift of acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(contains a relatively high percentage of merlot, in the range of 30%) Good deep ruby-red. Wonderfully sweet, aromatic nose combines currant, chocolate and cedary oak. Fat, lush and silky, with atypical volume to the flavors of plum, tobacco and chocolate. Wonderfully supple, plump wine with layers of flavor, thoroughly sweet tannins and compelling aromatic persistence. Today the wine’s substantial baby fat is masking its impressive underlying power. According to Borie, this 2005 combines the best traits of the chateau’s 2003 and 2000.Vinous Media | 94 VMDucru delivers absolute deliciousness in 2005, a refined and elegant pleasure that just feels right in the end. It could be that after all the sleek, floral beauty, the polished chocolate-truffle tannin, there’s a formidable grip that tightens around the finish. Suddenly it feels as hard as iron. If the aromatic beauty of the fruit can survive while the tannin matures, this could well be a wine to covet in 20 years.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&S(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou) The 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, which was also raised in one hundred percent new wood, will have no difficulty carrying its new oak to the finish line and is a superb young vintage of this fabled estate. The nose is deep, pure and shows off a lovely tang to its aromatic mélange of black cherries, cassis, a touch of blood orange, tobacco leaf, soil and cedar. On the palate the wine is fullish, deep and rock solid at the core, with a nice girdle of tangy acidity, excellent focus and grip and a very long, ripely tannic finish. Today there is just a touch of oak spice that sticks out on the backend, but this should be absorbed with no difficulty over the next couple of years and the 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou should prove to be one of the reference point vintages for this property. (Drink between 2020-2070)John Gilman | 93 JG

The purity of fruit in this is fascinating with plums, currants and other dark fruits. Then there is another layer of spices and chocolate. So much cassis. Full and very layered with chewy polished tannins and a long, long finish. Just starting to open. Changes all the time.James Suckling | 99 JSA lesson in genuinely great wine, the 2005 Cos d’Estournel is a monster of a wine that delivers an incredible level of opulence and decadence while staying weightless and elegant on the palate, with no sensation of heaviness. This is what truly great wine is all about. Based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the final 4% Cabernet Franc, this dense ruby/plum-hued Saint-Estèphe offers up a monster bouquet of blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, licorice, toasted bread, classy oak, and cedar pencil. While it starts out reserved and almost understated, this is a wine that blossoms with air (I drank this bottle over two days, showing best on day two). Full-bodied, powerful, and decadent on the palate, with moderate acidity, it has a wealth of silky tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of the 2009, if not an improved 1982, or even a slightly fresher 2003. Regardless, it’s a thrilling wine in every sense, and I fear with the focus on acidity and freshness in today’s wine world, we might not see this style of great wine for some time.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDWhile I am not convinced the 2005 Cos d’Estournel will eclipse the compelling 2003 Cos, it is unquestionably another superb classic from proprietor Michel Reybier and his brilliant winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats. Made from an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) and the balance mostly Merlot with a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc, this superb effort requires plenty of time in the bottle. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of licorice, Asian spices, creme de cassis, blackberries, and toasty oak. This full-bodied St.-Estephe is exceptionally powerful, pure, and dense with a layered mid-palate that builds like a skyscraper. While there are massive tannins, they are remarkably velvety and well-integrated in this big, backstrapping effort that should enjoy an unusually long life. Forget it for 8-10 years, and drink it between 2017-2040.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005 Cos d’Estournel is a vintage that I have encountered several times over the years. Here, as part of a 2005 horizontal of the top Bordeaux, it mirrors previous bottles. It has a tightly-wound bouquet at first with blackberry, scorched earth, juniper and hints of leather. More backward that its peers and clearly requiring another three to five years or an extremely long decant. The palate is robust, masculine, dense and yet comes with fine tannins and plenty of energy. It has a precision that derives from its propitious terroir and yet there is no question that it needs 15, perhaps 20 years before it will reach its drinking plateau. Tasted at the Goedhuis’s 2005 Bordeaux pre-dinner tasting at the Savoy in London.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGSaint-Estèphe has a reputation for tannins, and this 2005 Cos lives up to that. But it does much more, because the tannins add richness along with intensely ripe black fruits, dark plums and figs. The dense tannins are finely balanced with fresh acidity, and a long-lasting aftertaste. Impressive.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEStill tight despite a gorgeous wave of rich melted licorice, fig bread, warm plum compote and steeped blackberry flavors. Lovely alder, black tea and balsam wood details give this added range and a sense of detail through the finish before a wall of graphite-edged grip shows up. We’re still in wait mode here.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis inky, dark wine is seductive and immediately approachable, with a nose of sweet black fruit touched with honey and a bit of earth. The texture is silky and dense but not lacking in substance or structure. The blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot with a bit of Cabernet Franc was one of the leading lights in the appellation in 2005, as is often the case. Drinking now, it should continue to improve for decades. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 95 DECJean-Guillaume Prats allowed the vintage to steer Cos toward unprecedented power in 2005; the wine comes in at 13.95 percent alcohol, and it’s grand in every sense. It smells like first-growth juice, with the kind of oak integration that accentuates the wine’s beauty rather than masks it. You can feel the tart black cherry fruit and the black tannin along with a burn in the end that is distinct to this vintage. With several days of air, the tumble and rush of the structure settles and the fruit becomes all-powerful, a taut density of sweet purple plum. There’s little doubt this will be an astonishing wine at 12 to 15 years of age; its ripeness leads into uncharted territory after that, which makes Cos one of the more interesting wines of the vintage to watch. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 95 W&S

Made from 85% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Clos Fourtet is a powerhouse that does everything right and is borderline perfection in a glass. Awesome notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, graphite, tobacco, and scorched earth all flow to a full-bodied, thrilling concentrated, textured beauty that has sweet, sweet tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a finish that won’t quit. I think it’s drinking perfectly today, but it has two more decades of prime drinking ahead of it. Don’t’ miss this stunning bottle of wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDense ruby/purple, with notes of crushed rock, blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with some licorice and chocolate, this full-bodied, massive wine from proprietor Philippe Cuvelier coincides with the resurrection of this premier grand cru classé in St.-Emilion. As the wine sits in the glass, notes of espresso roast and chocolate emerge. This full-bodied classic should continue to drink well for another 25 years. This is a killer effort.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005 Clos Fourtet is a dramatic, sweeping Saint-Émilion endowed with tremendous depth and unctuous intensity. Dark cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco and woodsmoke build as this rapturous, deeply textured wine shows off its allure. Silky, plush and wonderfully expressive, Clos Fourtet is fabulous in 2005. Bright saline notes, that are such a signature of Saint-Émilion’s plateau, balance all of the natural richness of the year. Readers lucky enough to own it can look forward to another several decades of exceptional drinking. This is a superb effort from the Cuvelier family.Vinous Media | 97 VMFeatures a lovely smoldering feel, with the currant and fig paste notes now melded seamlessly with apple wood and graphite details. Long and rich, this is starting to hint at a secondary phase, showing flashes of mulled spice, tobacco and tar. The structure has brightness and energy, but moves slowly to the background. Approachable now.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 3,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA perfumed, sweet wine, immediately attractive. Behind this friendly exterior is a dark core of firm tannins, along with spice, blackberries, and new wood—not too much, just right. This chateau is firmly back on form.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENo written review provided. | 92 W&S

Here we are fully crossing the threshold into younger, more primary aromatics, but they are also well integrated, beautifully softened and gorgeous. This is sappy with a chalky minerality and fully pliable tannins. It’s powerful, with a smile-inducing purity of fruit expression and excellent persistency of exotic coffee notes. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window: 2017 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it’s still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it’s one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn’t own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2005 Montrose is spectacular. Bright, perfumed and vertically explosive, the 2005 possesses remarkable energy right out of the gate. In 2005, Montrose doesn’t quite have the heft that it can, but that actually works to its advantage. Readers will find a wine that marries elegance with power so well. Gravel, dried herb, lavender and mocha lend striking complexity to the dark fruit in this gorgeous, regal Montrose. If anything, the 2005 still needs more time in bottle!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2005 Montrose continues to drink beautifully, with a complex yet powerful bouquet of blackcurrants, black raspberries, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and spice. This beauty has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, a supple style, sweet tannins, and is a charming, layered and ready to go Montrose that has loads to love. It continues to be surprisingly accessible and is a beauty to drink over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is still a bit dark and brooding, with a charcoal frame around well-steeped fig and black currant fruit. The long finish lets a deep river of smoldering tobacco and warm stone notes course through. Austere and seemingly taciturn, yet thoroughly beautiful. May not be your style, but this is undeniable.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2022 through 2042. 25,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is so big it is blinding, a storm of mineral tannin and plum-skin extract. The volume is turned up high, and even as the tannic noise factor begins to diminish with days of air, the wine is still closed tight. The comportment of its power shows this to be a wine from a great terroir; the property, in fact, has some parallels to Latour, with its similarly shaped gravel promontory above the Gironde. Montrose consistently grows one of the staunchest, long-lived wines of the Médoc and though accommodations have been made in recent years to soften it, the tannic index in February 2006 read at 82, a force to reckon with over the decades to come. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Always showing well, this bottle of 2005 Château Pontet Canet was just about pure perfection in a glass. Still youthful ruby/purple-hued, with a gorgeous core of pure cassis and darker currant fruits, it’s full-bodied and has a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and textbook Pauillac graphite, lead pencil, and subtle tobacco and cedar aromas and flavors. It’s a big, rich, powerful 2005 with flawlessly integrated tannins, remarkable purity, and a finish that won’t quit. While it’s still another 5-10 years away from being completely mature, it unquestionably offers incredible pleasure today.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDClass in glass. Deep ruby, youthful tone. Such sumptuous red berry, cassis and tobacco aromas. Juicy and full bodied, with smoothly textured tannins. The creamy mid palate texture is framed by an impressive arc of tension and balancing acidity, ensuring long life. Long finish. Super! Aged 50% new oak.Decanter | 97 DECPossibly the youngest wine of all the 2005 Médocs in terms of its evolution, at age 10 the inky purple 2005 Pontet-Canet tastes more like a two-year-old wine. Loads of pure blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit are present along with a hint of licorice and background oak. It is full-bodied, ripe, and excruciatingly fresh, vigorous and exuberant. This is a tour de force, and a sensational effort that rivals the first growths. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2005 Pontet-Canet is a heady, exotic wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice, spice and tobacco are front and center. Readers will find an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle 2005 with quite a bit more oak influence and overall extraction than is the norm these days. Even so, the 2005 is a young, young wine with a bright future. This is one sexy Pauillac, that’s for sure.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGWarm, fleshy and inviting, featuring a gush of blackberry, fig and boysenberry compote flavors that are both primal and approachable, with light anise, sweet tobacco and ganache notes filling in behind. Shows a serious, deeply buried iron and cedar spine, as the fruit is just pumping forth now.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 20,830 cases made. Wine Spectator | 96 WSDespite its core of strength and power and obvious aging ability, this is already a delicious wine, with mint aromas, ripe fruit masking the solid tannins. This estate has been on a roll for several years, and this 2005 shows why.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDrawn into a tannic trance, this wine’s fresh black raspberry flavor moves through blueberry skin into a graphite, mineral blackout. Before the tannin, it shows a deep reservoir of fruit and the rich espresso-roast scent of fine oak. The texture is meaty, the structure set for long evolution in the cellar. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 90 W&S

Along with the 2015, the 2005 Château Clos de Sarpe is, I suspect, one of the finest wines ever made at this address. Still vivid purple-hued, with awesome notes of crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, toasted spices, unsmoked tobacco, and crushed rock-like minerality, this beauty is full-bodied, uber-concentrated, and powerful, yet stays seamless and elegant on the palate. This incredible wine is in the top tier of wines in the vintage. I love it today, yet it will evolve for another 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep garnet-brick in color, the 2005 Clos de Sarpe has an absolute blockbuster nose of liquid licorice, violets, Chinese five spice and chocolate box with nuances of smoked meats, cigar box, cast iron pan and Marmite toast—really incredible intensity! The palate is full-bodied and rich yet with the most incredible freshness, giving very fine, velvety tannins and an incredibly long, very layered finish. Wow!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPFull, bright ruby. Brooding aromas of kirsch, black licorice and minerals. Sharply delineated and very tightly wound, but with superb intensity of black fruit, chocolate, earth and mineral flavors and excellent inner-palate energy. This mounts very slowly on the back, finishing with a youthfully sappy quality, firm tannins and impressive length. This wine from a chalky hillside on the Cotes east of the town of St. Emilion is typically high in acidity (the pH of the 2005 is 3.55), austere and downright unsexy in its youth, but this especially juicy 2005 boasts richer fruit than any recent vintage. Still, it will require at least 10 to 15 years of bottle aging.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

This sensational, opaque blue/purple-colored wine from Smith Haut Lafitte has a gorgeous floral nose with notes of graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and cassis that jump from the glass of this inky, very dense, yet strikingly pure wine. Light on its feet despite its stunning concentration and multi-layered mouthfeel, this wine has fabulous intensity, richness and length. Quite impressive, and still incredibly youthful, this is a superstar of the vintage, and capable of lasting another 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005s from Bordeaux continue to show youthfully, yet spectacularly well! The 2005 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a prime example of the vintage and offers a huge, rich, concentrated style as well as classic dark fruits, tobacco, scorched earth and graphite aromas and flavors. While this is a tannic vintage, the tannins here are sweet and polished and covered by fruit. With stunning purity of fruit, notable freshness, and a great, great finish, drink this beauty anytime over the coming two decades. (Drink between 2018-2038)Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDI had two wines on the night of my birthday this year, shared among four of us on the terrace of Rouge bar at Sources de Caudalie hotel in Martillac. The first was Château Oliver 2014, a white wine that I have long championed as being one of the best in Bordeaux. Both were beautiful, but this Smith Haut Lafitte stood out for its grace, and its generosity of spirit. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the tannins were sweet, softened but still confident, rich with autumnal fruits, just the right dash of chocolate and liquorice without straying over the line. A wonderful bottle shared with some of my dearest friends, is there anything better? Oh, and the date of my birthday by the way, June 22nd. The day before the EU referendum. Somehow the year seemed more peaceful then – and it makes this wine all the sweeter.Decanter | 95 DECAn impressive nose of spices, dark fruits, and fresh forest flowers. Full-bodied, this has a solid core of fruit and super polished tannins. A fabulous wine, showing great structure and harmony, and a long, long finish. Beautiful stuff. Pull the cork in 2015.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2005 Smith Haut Lafitte packs a serious punch. A blast of wild cherry, smoke, leather, tobacco and mint hits the palate as this powerhouse Pessac-Léognan shows off its personality. Black cherry, mocha, rose petal, spice and chocolate all saturate the palate. This is an especially lush, potent wine shaped by density, concentration and plenty of oak. I would prefer to drink the 2005 sooner rather than later, as it is starting to fray just a bit. Tasted two timesAntonio Galloni | 94 AGMulled blackberry, fig and black currant fruit leads the way here, as this has a richness that imparts appeal now, while ample bay leaf, tobacco and humus accents keep this grounded through the finish. Delivers a lovely mix of sweetness of fruit and mouthwatering savory notes. Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe Cathiards have invested heavily in this property since they purchased it in the early 1990s. It is one of the great terroirs of the Graves, a raised plateau of gravel where the vines produce a rich and powerful wine. That power is amplified in a vintage like 2005 into a huge, cassis-driven red with the velvet feel of a favorite childhood pillow. The Cathiards do not spare the new oak, a character that dominates this young wine, while the fruit underneath feels healthy and clean, vibrating with tension, set for a long life ahead.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SFull-bodied, this wine shows really ripe, generous fruit flavors, touched by wood, very round and intense. As an indication of its immaturity, the wood comes through to dominate the fruit. Give it 2–3 years.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Its bigger sister, the 2005 Château Palmer (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot), is one of the great efforts of this superlative vintage. Floral notes mixed with blackberry, cassis, plum, licorice and spring flowers soar from the glass of this dense ruby/purple wine. It is medium to full-bodied, surprisingly opulent (it has a big percentage of Merlot), long, multi-dimensional and textured. This wonderfully pure, stunning wine once again performs as a first-growth. It should drink well for the next 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005 Palmer has been absolutely magical both times I have tasted it recently. Still wonderfully deep to the core, the 2005 is dense, packed to the core and luxuriously opulent. Even with all of that intensity, the 2005 remains vibrant. Lush red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice build into the towering finish. The 2005 is an epic wine that will have no problem reaching its fiftieth birthday. It is a rich, dramatic Margaux that checks all the boxes, and then some. I rated a second bottle even higher.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2005 was the first vintage where Thomas Duroux was in charge from beginning to end, having worked alongside his predecessor Bertrand Bouteiller on most of the 2004. Another great vintage in this all-star line-up, and the one that perhaps had the most exuberant sunny expression in the early years, although now at 15 years of age the tertiary aromatics are just starting to arrive, along with hints of earthiness and a savoury cassis fruit character as the Cabernet Sauvignon continues to dominate. There is a gentle truffled edging to the colour also, but the tannic frame is very much in play, and still cradling the fruit. A great wine that walks the tightrope between young and old Palmer, and between the welcome of a generous vintage and the natural elegance of a great Palmer. Harvest September 22 to October 7. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECNo written review provided | 96 W&SAromas of black tar, chocolate and berries lead to a wine that is so effortlessly delicious that it’s easy to forget the power the Merlot gives it. The center is round, but dark, filled with sweetness; the outer layers are full of red jelly and toast. There are tannins, but they, too, are sweet.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEWhat a nose of milk chocolate, with raspberries and hints of plums and flowers. A wonderful nose. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and a chocolate, nut, and dark fruit character on the palate. The fine tannins and great balance make you want to drink this, but you should wait and let it all out. Pull the cork in 2016.James Suckling | 94 JSFeatures a bright flash of bay leaf and savory out front, with streak of tobacco and cedar amid the relatively open core of black cherry and black currant fruit. The long finish has a terrific iron note ringing through. Among the more approachable of this group, but no less serious.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This was a brilliant showing by the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve from Rayas, the finest bottle I’ve had to date. Offering a classic ruby color as well as gorgeous notes of kirsch liqueur, sappy green herbs, flowers, and rose petals, this beauty hits the palate with a full-bodied, rich, yet also fresh and vibrant texture that carries nicely integrated acidity and fine tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in this great vintage and is going to have a long life. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDI think the Rayas 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape will turn out to eclipse the 2005. It is unequivocally the finest wine made here since Emmanuel Reynaud’s uncle, the late Jacques Reynaud, produced his brilliant 1995. This wine was just released this year, with the 2008 coming on the market in the next few months. The 2007 is a relatively dark ruby/purple-tinged wine, more intensely colored than most Rayas Chateauneufs tend to be, since they are made from 100% Grenache and color has never been one of their hallmarks. The extraordinarily youthful and still burgeoning aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, truffles and licorice lead to a full-bodied, powerful Rayas with sweet tannin, adequate acidity, and an ethereal richness and unctuosity that delicately offers a sensual texture. It is full-bodied, concentrated and approachable, but won’t hit its peak for at least another 4-5 years and will last for 25 or more. This is a spectacular Rayas, the likes of which hasn’t existed at this qualitative level since 1995.Robert Parker | 98 RPBright ruby. Red berry, cherry and Asian spice aromas are lifted by sexy notes of rose petal and blood orange. Impressively pure and perfumed, with remarkable precision and cut to its concentrated but lively flavors of cherry and black raspberry. The weightless, mineral-driven character of this wine is something else. In a distinctly delicate, feminine style, with superb finishing cut and energy. This will probably cost a fortune when it lands in the U.S. , unfortunately.Vinous Media | 97 VMA very elegant, perfumy style, with shiso leaf and mulled spice notes up front, followed by silky black cherry, linzer torte and kirsch flavors that glide through the incense-tinged finish. There’s good latent depth and fresh acidity without the headiness typical of the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2022. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

I’ve drunk over a case of the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Chaupin from my cellar, and this was easily one of the finest bottles (it was from magnum) I’ve ever had. Made from close to 100% Grenache and brought up in foudre, it’s a crazy good, monumental beauty that offers loads of ripe blackberries, black raspberries, crushed flowers and garrigue aromas and flavors. Concentrated, layered and unctuous, with a to-die-for texture, no hard edges and a huge finish, this beauty is still youthful and is just now starting to show hints of maturity. When it’s this good, I can’t recommend waiting, but I’ve no doubt this will continue to offer this level of quality for at least another decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPAbsolutely stunning, the 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is packed with pure, clean and fresh aromas of assorted dark fruits, blackberry, lavender, flowers and spice. On the palate, it’s full bodied with beautifully sweet fruit ripe, fine grained tannins, perfect balance and a finish that simply won’t quite. This has the fruit to drink well young but the structure to age for 20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDOpaque ruby. Spicy raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by garrigue and Asian spices. Sweet, focused red fruit flavors are given spine by zesty minerality and pick up an exotic floral quality with air. Expands nicely on the finish, leaving behind sweet lavender pastille and raspberry notes.Vinous Media | 94 VMPlush and fleshy, with crushed plum, dark currant and boysenberry notes backed by alluring sweet spice, licorice root and espresso hints. Muscular but well-rounded on the lengthy finish, with the spice notes flittering on. Best from 2010 through 2024. 1,732 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

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

Also spectacular, but more evolved, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus-Ex Machina reveals classic Provencal scents of roasted herbs, lavender, charcuterie, blackberries, licorice, kirsch and bouquet garni. This super-complex, layered, multidimensional wine possesses remarkable purity and richness as well as silky tannins. One of the most open-knit and forward Deus-Ex Machinas made to date, it will be difficult to resist when young, and should age well for 20+ years.If a prize were given to the Rhone Valley estate that had improved the most in the shortest period of time, it would undoubtedly go to that of Pascal and Vincent Maurel, who took over Clos Saint-Jean after their father passed away in 2002. Since then, they have made a succession of world-class wines that are out of this world. One of the largest estates in Chateauneuf du Pape, Clos Saint-Jean has an amazing number of old vine parcels in its 112+ acres (significant holdings in La Crau, in the eastern part of the appellation). No doubt the hiring of renowned oenologist Philippe Cambie has also increased the quality of these offerings. The 2010 Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Papes are phenomenal wines. The Maurel brothers believe they are as profound as the 2007s, and it is hard to disagree. Production is down considerably because of the loss of 25-30% of the Grenache crop due to poor flowering, but the levels of concentration, freshness and focus of these wines are remarkable. Moreover, the 2009s from bottle performed at the upper end of the ranges I had given them last year – always a sign of a terrific winery dedicated to high quality.Robert Parker | 99 RPNot yet bottled but tasted as a final blend, the 2009 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina, a blend of 60% tank aged Grenache and 40% barrel aged Mourvèdre, is more massive and structured than the La Combe des Fous, showing decadent cassis, blackberry, grilled meat, and touches of chocolate on its brooding, slightly backwards bouquet. Whereas the La Combe des Fous is perfumed and much more finesse driven, this is more in the style of a blockbuster, showing a powerful, full-bodied, rich feel, substantial underlying structure, and a very long, structured finish. This needs 2-3 years of bottle age, and should be incredibly long- lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-99 JDGlass-staining purple. Aromas and flavors of candied blueberry, boysenberry and licorice, with a sexy floral quality gaining power with air. Broad and extremely deep, with a velvety texture and mounting spiciness. Utterly seamless Chateauneuf with excellent finishing power and a lingering note of smoky minerality.Vinous Media | 94 VMDense but velvety, with gorgeous ganache and espresso giving way to dark fig, hoisin sauce and warm currant confiture. Lots of well-embedded charcoal and tobacco add cut and length to the hefty but driven finish. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Best from 2013 through 2024. 583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A wine, with intense spice and berry character, with hints of sweet tobacco. It changes all the time from flowers to fruit and wet earth. Full-bodied, with super fine tannins and ripe fruit. It’s long and juicy with lovely fruit. Super long and beautiful, with fine tannins that last for minutes. Tight now, but juicy and gorgeous. Best ever from here. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSAn inky/purple color is followed by notes of Asian plum sauce, forest floor, creme de cassis, black raspberries and a floral component that is unusual for a Margaux. A wine of exceptional intensity and purity with a full-bodied, sumptuous texture, lots of fresh vibrancy and excellent definition, this beautiful 2009 exhibits high but sweet tannin. It is more sexy than the 2005 was at a similar age, although their level of extract and concentration is relatively equal. Something about the 2009 reminds me of a Margaux version of St.-Julien’s Leoville Poyferre ... if that makes any sense. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RPRich oaky cassis nose, with a curious saline character that perks it up, as well as a light floral touch. Plump, suave and opulent, highly concentrated, its lavish fruit balanced by fine acidity. Tightly wound, this has plenty of drive and persistence, lifting the core of blackcurranty fruit. Vigorous and very long. Drinking Window 2015 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DECThis is beautiful, with smoldering tar, espresso and tobacco leaf notes fully melded together, while the core of crushed plum, steeped black currant and blackberry fruit sits in reserve. A twinge of iron adds extra length and definition on the finish. Very suave. Approachable now, but with plenty of stuffing and balance for the cellar as well. Best from 2013 through 2030. 9,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSInky ruby. Ripe aromas of plum, blackberry jam and sweet balsamic vinegar. Rich and ripe in the mouth, with lively acidity lifting the creamy black fruit flavors and extending the wine’s lightly peppery, very suave finish. Not the most refined or subtle Margaux you’ll ever taste but immensely drinkable, and with plenty of depth and concentration to its aromas and flavors.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

Revealing incredible quality and performing better than it did from barrel, the 2009 appears to be the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron since the 1990 and 1989. An amazing opaque blue/purple color is followed by scents of spring flowers, graphite, smoky charcoal, incense, blackberries, blueberries and hints of coffee and chocolate. Incredibly intense, pure and flawlessly constructed with extravagant layers of fruit and richness, this offering has developed beautifully under the management of Christian Seeley. It is a voluptuous, opulent Pichon Longueville Baron that may eclipse anything they have made in the past. This brilliant wine should be at its peak between 2018 and 2045.Robert Parker | 98 RPStraight away the deep, rich colour tells you that this is a sexy, powerful wine, barely hitting the next stage of evolution at seven years old. The nose is rich and spicy, and carries through perfectly onto the palate of exotic, spiced plum flavours with a tarry, liquorice edge. Great confidence on display. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot. Drinking Window 2017 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThe 2009 Pichon-Baron replicates its epic performance at the vertical tasted last year. It has one of the finest bouquets among the group of Pauillac with copious blackberry, mint, melted tar and graphite notes, fresh and supremely well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very well judged acidity. Harmonious with plenty of tobacco and pencil lead infused black fruit towards the persistent finish. Awesome. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis delivers a massive core of black Mission fig, black currant paste and roasted fig fruit, backed by alder wood, bay leaf, singed cedar and maduro tobacco. The finish lets a racy iron note take over. Long and authoritative, with gorgeous acidity giving the balance for long-term cellaring. Best from 2013 through 2030. 13,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSBold, smoky and chocolatey, this is a concentrated and massive wine for the Medoc, the alcohol showing slightly at the bold warm finish. Where is that T-bone steak? Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Pichon Longueville) The 2009 Pichon Longueville is a very, very successful example of the “luxe” style in Pauillac. The nose is deep and very enticing (in its strumpet manner), as it offers up scents of sappy black cherries, cassis, coffee, Cuban cigar smoke, a lovely base of gravelly soil tones and plenty of nutty, beautifully integrated new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, utterly suave and polished, with excellent mid-palate depth, great focus and balance and a very long, ripely tannic and seductive finish. This will not demand a lot of time structurally before it is drinkable, but it would still make good sense to give it a full decade in the cellar to allow its secondary layers to fully blossom. A very well-made wine that is obviously inspired by the new Lafite style, and does an admirable job in turning out a luxurious example of the vintage. But should not a Comtesse be more of a strumpet than a Baron? Ah, well, it is all very much above me. (Drink between 2020-2070)John Gilman | 92-93+ JG

Gorgeous aromas of ceps and dark fruits with lots of forest fruit too. Love the nose of forest fruits. Incredibly deep. Full-bodied, with super chewy tannins. Powerful and rich with hints of wood. This is a powerful yet classic wine. I love the complexity to this - the balance. The density and compacted character to this is superb. Try after 2018.James Suckling | 99 JSBottled the week of January 16 (a week before I tasted it), the 2009 Pavie Decesse (from a tiny 9-acre vineyard on the limestone slopes above Pavie) is an uncommonly fat, succulent, rich, 1,000-case cuvee with 14.3% alcohol. It boasts an inky/blue/purple hue along with notes of incense, spring flowers, roasted espresso, chocolate, licorice, blackberries and blueberries. Even though it is aged in 100% oak, the wood is virtually non-existent. An inky blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine exhibits a flawless integration of acidity, alcohol and tannin. This opulent, viscous, thick, juicy St.-Emilion will be accessible in 5-7 years and last for three decades.Robert Parker | 98 RPTerrifically rich yet beautifully rendered, with precise linzer torte, currant paste, fig sauce and pain d’épices aromas and flavors that cascade through the voluptuous finish. Beautifully polished, with a huge core of pure fruit in reserve that should blossom with extended cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2031. 0500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSaturated ruby. Red and black fruit aromas complicated by graham cracker, violet and pungent minerality. Plush, broad and seamless but at the same time energetic and light on its feet, thanks to the lift from calcaire. Despite carrying rich flavors of chocolate, mocha and almost liqueur-like dark berries, this wine shows no mid-palate heaviness. Wonderfully deep, rich, chewy Saint-Emilion with outstanding stony persistence. Like the Pavie, this has a long life ahead of it.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel, this appears to be the finest Lynch Bages since the 2000, 1990 and 1989. According to the chateau, the 2009 has the highest level of polyphenols ever measured as well as high alcohol (nearly 13.5%). A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest largely Merlot with touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is an expressive, voluptuously textured effort with unctuosity and powerful, juicy, succulent blackberry and black currant flavors, low acids, a layered, massive mouthfeel, but no sense of heaviness or fatigue. This exquisite Lynch Bages should drink well for 30+ years.Robert Parker | 98 RPA powerful and ripe wine with a wide-screen personality, this makes a very bold statement without becoming a jot heavy. Serious tannins at the long finish suggest this has long-term aging potential. Drink now with a big steak or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 96 JSA dense, immense, solidly powerful wine. The ripest fruit overflows, paralleling the dark, solid tannins. As so often, Lynch-Bages is a blockbuster, dark and concentrated, with immense aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETight and backward, this has dense, almost chewy layers of fig, currant and plum cake behind a very solid wall of cedar, roasted vanilla and charcoal notes. There’s serious grip on the finish, with an iron edge that won’t quit. Best from 2015 through 2035. 31,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis is a little more subdued than some right now, needing a good five minutes in the glass before revealing layers of rich olive, cassis, exotic spices, cracked pepper and garrigue. You get the heat of the vintage and the ripeness of the fruit, balanced by muscular, chewy tannins and gorgeous chocolate notes. This is great, although for me the 2010 just pips it. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThe 2009 Lynch-Bages has an intense bouquet which is more forward than Grand Puy Lacoste, albeit without the same complexity. Layers of blackberry, bilberry, brine and a touch of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, slightly lower in acidity than the 2010 Lynch Bages, dense and quite sinewy towards the finish. It might miss the class of its peers but you cannot help but admire the brawn underneath its aristocratic coat. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Lynch Bages) I tasted two sample bottles of the Lynch Bages at the UGC tasting at Branaire-Ducru, but probably neither bottle was a pristine example. I tried to find time to swing by the château and taste another sample, but could not squeeze it into my already densely packed schedule, sop this note will have to suffice. I have given a wider range than customary for a sound wine, and I suspect that the ’09 Lynch Bages is probably likely to reside at the upper end of the range when all is said and done. The nose is deep, complex and classy, as it offers up notes of cassis, espresso, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full, long and complex, with ripe tannins and quite a bit of structure on the finish. These samples were just not as vibrant or as long as I would expect from the ’09 Lynch, particularly based on the fine quality of the nose, and hence my equivocation on the score. (Drink between 2018-2050)John Gilman | 87-92+ JG

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

This is the finest Hosanna that proprietor Christian Moueix has yet made, produced from a 15-acre parcel that usually yields about 1,500 cases. The 2009, a prodigious blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, offers up an exquisite aromatic concoction of blackberries, plums, Asian soy, forest floor, truffles and graphite. Along with its stunning concentration, remarkably thick, juicy mid-palate and unbelievable complexity, its viscosity and opulence take this wine to new heights. This extraordinary wine is one of the superstars of 2009 and one to enjoy over the next three decades.Robert Parker | 99 RPStunning aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, hazelnut and black olive skin. Full- bodied, with ultra-fine tannins that feel fine silky on my palate. Long finish of coffee bean, chocolate and dark fruits. Best Hosanna ever. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2009 Hosanna has a rich and decadent, quite medicinal bouquet with lavish red cherries, sloes and truffle aromas - all very seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, plenty of red and black fruit laced with truffle, bayleaf, chestnut and black tea notes. This has body and muscle, yet there is superb definition and freshness on the finish. Simply one of the best Hosannas ever made. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMImpressively weighty wine, with a fine combination of tannins, full fruit and a solid, chunky core. The wine is rich, but it also has a sweet acidity. Powerful ageworthy wine, never losing sight of elegance.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Hosanna) The 2009 Hosanna, from the choicest section of the old Certan-Giraud estate, is superb in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, complex and very black fruity in its mélange of dark berries, black cherries, espresso, cigar smoke, a great, complex base of soil, fresh herbs and a touch of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a very suave, elegant palate impression, a rock solid core of fruit, and great length and grip on the very refined and ripely tannic finish. I have not tasted all of the vintages of Hosanna since Christian Moueix purchased the vineyard, but of the vintages that I have tried, the 2009 is clearly the finest. A very classy example of the vintage. (Drink between 2022-2060)John Gilman | 93-94 JGGentle gunsmoke sets off rich aromas of plum, blueberry and black cherry. This is full of gourmet Pomerol notes, all very mellow, with tannins that are lying back and inviting you in, utterly confident in their ability to hang on until you decide to join. The heat is a tiny bit evident through the finish, with some clove and smoked caramel edging. Plenty of 2009 signature, and it will benefit from food. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032Decanter | 94 DECThere is a lovely plush feel here, with roasted tobacco and fig notes carried by velvety tannins. Deceptively dense, with darker currant and anise notes blossoming through the finish, which still manages to stay supple and rounded. This steadily opens in the glass. Best from 2013 through 2028. 1,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

One of my favorite vintages from this incredible terroir located on the upper plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2009 Château Canon is just about pure perfection in a glass. It delivers a monster bouquet of blackberries, raspberries, white truffle, and flowery incense that develops beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it’s still classic Saint-Emilon, offering incredible minerality as well as structure. This brilliant wine can be drunk any time over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon is a little reticent to begin, opening out to notions of rare beef, cast iron pan, cigar boxes and cloves with a core of baked plums and mulberries plus a waft of dried lavender. Full, richly fruited and sill quite youthful, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPA fleshy and generous St.-Emilion with a great interplay of fresh and super-ripe plum aromas. Behind this is quite a major tannin structure and plenty of chalky minerality that carries the bold finish beautifully. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 95 JSHugely dense, foursquare wine with great fruit and the purest tannins. Chocolate and coffee predominate at the same time as sweet tannins and acidity. A wine that combines charm with great power.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Canon) The 2009 Canon is an unequivocally great wine in the making and will probably end up resembling the 1982 Canon in style, but prove to be superior to that fine bottle. As is the style of classically made wines such as this, today the ’09 Canon is tight, structured and only hinting at the superb complexity to come, but with its superb quality clearly evident. The bouquet offers up an excellent aromatic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, espresso, woodsmoke, herb tones, tobacco leaf, lovely soil tones and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, ripe and rock solid at the core, with impeccable balance, firm, ripe tannins and great focus and grip on the long, properly reserved and chewy finish. A great classic in the making. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 93-94+ JGThe director of Canon in 2009 was John Kolasa, a less deft touch perhaps than Nicolas Audebert today, but still making some great wines. This has ripe fruits and a generous attack. It’s still very young but there are hints of a wine that’s starting to evolve, with moments of tobacco and leather. The mouthwatering juiciness through the back half of the palate is really appetising, and although it’s less precise than a Canon of today, you can certainly see all the building blocks here. It has a slightly savoury quality to the fruit, not displaying the excess of some St-Emilions in this vintage. A good quality wine, this is entering its drinking window but has plenty of time left. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECThis is a creamy, lush, hedonist’s wine, with suave, textured layers of fig sauce, puréed plum and cassis woven with hints of mocha and pain d’épices. Picks up grip though, joined by a roasted mesquite hint on the finish for added length. Best from 2014 through 2025. 4,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2009 Canon has a surprisingly muted bouquet despite rigorous aeration, reluctantly offering black fruit, meat juices and light garrigues-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, slightly coarse tannin, quite spicy but overall, rather overbearing and lacking tension on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The nose on this already suggests a deep and contemplative wine with blackberry, dried flowers and sweet berries. Evolves to black olive and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and tangy, rich fruit. It really grabs hold of you and wants to tell you it’s special. Loads of ripe tannins too. Big and structured. Turns to tapenade.Wine Spectator | 97-100 WSProprietor Denis Durantou has produced a blockbuster Pomerol from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, tipping the scales at just over 14.5% natural alcohol. A riveting wine, pure, elegant, but at the same time, extremely powerful and concentrated, with stunning texture, opulence and density, the tannins are abundant, and the wine certainly in need of a decade of cellaring. Fabulous creme de cassis and cherry liqueur notes are intertwined with hints of licorice, truffle, and graphite. Full and rich, but still in an infantile state of development, this wine needs to be cellared for 10 years but should keep for five decades or more. This 2009 is absolutely profound.Robert Parker | 99+ RPThe 2009 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 14 to 28 September and matured in 80% new oak. It remains remarkably youthful on the nose, rendering the brilliant 2010 a bit introverted by comparison. This comes racing out of the blocks with ebullient red cherries, crushed strawberry and raspberry fruit, touches of dried rose petal and melted tar. With aeration there is just a touch of liquorish. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that belies the arching structure underneath. It manages to retain awesome power and yet deliver a refined finish that feels long and tender. Stunning. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMAromas of dark fruits, hazelnut and dark chocolate, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and refined. Beautiful depth of fruit to this. Best in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JS