Shop Wine

wines

This was phenomenal from barrel and remains so. The aromas are spellbinding. It smells like a bouquet of pink roses and then goes to currants, berries and citrus. Full body, with wonderfully refined tannins. It starts discretely and then grows to different levels and dimensions like a slow but big high tide. The texture is so beautiful. Try it in 2020 or beyond.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2010 is a brilliant Chateau Margaux, as one might expect in this vintage. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend hit 90%, the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and only 38% of the crop made it into the Chateau Margaux. Paul Pontallier, the administrator, told me that this wine has even higher levels of tannin than some other extraordinary vintages such as 2005, 2000, 1996, etc. Deep purple, pure and intense, with floral notes, tremendous opulence and palate presence, this is a wine of considerable nobility. With loads of blueberry, black currant and violet-infused fruit and a heady alcohol level above 13.5% (although that looks modest compared to several other first growths, particularly Chateau Latour and Chateau Haut-Brion), its beautifully sweet texture, ripe tannin, abundant depth and profound finish all make for another near-perfect wine that should age effortlessly for 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPAs we head out of Pauillac, you feel the register change. It takes a heartbeat to adjust, but then you start to see the beauty of a different style of 2010, a little more elegant, a little more sculpted, with concentration that sits deep in the body of the wine but builds more slowly through the palate. This shows the beauty of the appellation of Margaux in the way that you always want and hope the First Growths will - a signpost towards the rest, showing why they should be celebrated. Here are violet aromatics, soft black truffle flavours and silky, elongated tannins. Extremely good quality; fairly savoury berry fruits. As with all of these, there’s a long long life ahead of it, and best to be put away for another five years at least. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 99 DECA great wine that is just starting out. The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gives the structured, black currant character. Dark chocolate and layers of wood are forward, revealing how young the wine is. And then the fruit, so rich and powerful, brings deliciousness to the firm, dense structure. Age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WELiquid velvet, with stunning length and a caressing mouthfeel, as layers of creamed plum, blackberry coulis and steeped black currant fruit glides along, seamlessly intertwined with black tea, mulled blood orange, incense and lilac. Hints of mesquite and alder hang subtly in the background, and the structure, evident and massive, has melded wonderfully.--Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Best from 2018 through 2040. 10,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2010 Château Margaux performed far better at this horizontal than at Farr’s blind tasting a few days later. It has a beguiling bouquet, highly perfumed with crushed violets infusing the blackberry and crushed strawberry scented, hints of pencil box and cedar emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a silky elegant finish that is amazingly persistent. It is one of the best wines that Paul Pontallier ever made. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VM(Château Margaux) The 2010 Château Margaux is one of the lowest alcohol wines to be found in Bordeaux in this vintage, as it weighs in at a very civilized 13.5 percent. Not surprisingly, the grand vin is made up of a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon this year (ninety percent) than is customary in many recent vintages here, as even on the Left Bank, the merlot in 2010 was very ripe indeed. The 2010 Margaux is a very good wine, but somehow I had expected just a bit more grandiosity from the estate in this vintage, and at least at this early stage, it seems to be a step behind the 2009 here. The bouquet is deep, closed and nascently complex, as it wafts from the glass in a blend of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, lovely minerality, smoke and a refined base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite solid at the core, with plenty of firm tannins, good acids and fine length and grip on the slightly dry finish. This is a very well-made wine by any stretch of the imagination, but in terms of the extremely high standards of Château Margaux, it will need to develop a fair bit more character as it evolves with bottle age to rank as one of the great recent vintages here. I cannot imagine it blossoming before it has spent at least fifteen years in the cellar, and 2010 should prove to be an extremely long-lived vintage for the estate. (Drink between 2025-2100).John Gilman | 92-93+ JG

The 2010 Meyney is a superb follow-up to the 2009, perhaps displaying more definition to the dusky black fruit, sous-bois, graphite and pressed rose petal scents that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, a clean line of acidity and more precision on the finish compared to the previous vintage. Excellent. Tasted at a vertical at Château Meyney.Vinous Media | 92 VMA wine with a pretty balance of spices, blackberry, mint, and ripe fruit follow through to a full body, fine tannins and a spicy, chocolate and walnut character. Pretty balance of fruit and tannins. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 92 JSIt is good to see this well-situated estate in St.-Estephe get back on track. The 2010 has loads of beef blood, charcuterie and smoked game along with black currant fruit. Some underlying graphite notes are also present in this full-bodied, meaty, fleshy wine, which has outstanding concentration and the potential to last for 15 or more years. It is a major sleeper of the vintage.Robert Parker | 90 RPSolid, if a bit chunky in feel, with a slightly squared-off charcoal and ganache frame surrounding a core of dark plum, black currant and licorice root. Shows more austerity than flesh, but displays outstanding length and cut. This has added lots of grip in élevage. For fans of the taut style. Best from 2016 through 2026. 11,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

Pure gold, the 2010 Château Léoville Poyferré, which was drunk beside a perfect 2009 Latour, offers everything you could want from wine. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as an incredible array of crème de cassis, graphite, damp earth, leafy tobacco, and beautifully integrated oak, it hits the palate with an incredible amount of fruit and opulence while always staying pure, precise, and as seamless as they come. It shows the density and power of the 2010 vintage, but it’s remarkable in its balance, purity, and length. As with most 2010s today, it’s still youthful and certainly in its early drinking plateau and has another 40-50 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe wine out distances both Leoville Las Cases and Leoville Barton, but all three of them are compelling efforts. Full-bodied, dense purple in color, with floral notes intermixed with blackberries, cassis, graphite and spring flowers, this full-bodied, legendary effort is long and opulent, with wonderfully abundant yet sweet tannin, a skyscraper-like mid-palate and a thrilling, nearly one-minute finish. This spectacular effort from Poyferre that should drink well for 30+ years.Another spectacular wine from the Cuvelier family, Leoville Poyferre (along with Ducru Beaucaillou) may be one of the two best wines of St.-Julien year after year these days. This is a large estate, covering nearly 200 acres, and the final blend of the 2010 Leoville Poyferre is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, a whopping 34% Merlot and the rest 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker | 98+ RPA wine of architectural strength and classical proportions, this has straight lines that mark the packed, concentrated fruits, which are sustained by its tannins. This is certainly the best wine that Léoville-Poyferré has produced, sumptuous while so finely structured.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WERich and round with cinnamon, anis and black pepper. This has a luxuriously silky texture; very much signature of the property sitting perfectly against the fresh push and kick of the vintage. One of the few that has maintained its violet edging around the rim of the glass, giving great expectations that it has decades ahead of it while maintaining this level. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 97 DECOpulent aromas of blackberry, black cherry and orange peel follow through to a full body with round, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. A big, significant wine that is starting to open and come around. A long life ahead of it. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2010 Léoville-Poyferré takes the 2009 and ups the ante with brilliantly defined, intense black fruit. Perhaps it is just a little more "serious" compared to the previous vintage, but is finely chiseled and displaying more mineralité. The palate has mellowed since I last tasted it, developing more rondeur and a more caressing texture. Extremely pure in style, this fans out wonderful, fills the mouth and lingers for a minute. One of the highlights of Didier Cuvelier’s career, this has a long future ahead. "LP" just does not get better than this. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.Vinous Media | 97 VMFeatures a coating of warm cocoa, with notes of solid currant paste, steeped fig and blackberry fruit. The pastis- and graphite-filled finish pumps along, revealing a well-embedded structure that should soften in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2030. 17,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. Better after 2020 but so wonderful now.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It’s combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down - vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMThe 2012 Mouton Rothschild comes across as quite dark and ripe in this vintage. One of the richest, most powerful 2012s readers will come across, the Mouton boasts striking aromatics and overall density. Mocha, chocolate, graphite, smoke, licorice and dark-fleshed fruits all meld together in the glass. I imagine the 2012 will need a good decade before it starts drinking well. Slightly roasted notes and copious new oak stick out today, but these wines have a way of coming together in bottle. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGWonderful expression of ’patrician’ black fruits, the expected exotic seduction of Mouton, a perfect blend of power and elegance. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DECThis is starting to mellow already, featuring dark fig and blackberry notes infused liberally with black tea and smoldering tobacco accents. Shows a light loamy echo through the finish, with a flash of menthol. Offers ample flesh throughout, with a slightly grainy edge to the tannins.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2012 Château Mouton-Rothschild is a very good wine, being comprised of fully ninety percent cabernet sauvignon, eight percent merlot and two percent cabernet franc. It was raised in only seventy percent new oak this year- not a concession to the more elegant style of the 2012 vintage, but rather because the new chais includes new large wood fermentation tanks and these were also new oak this year. The wine is complex and classy on the nose, but just a touch overly slick for my pedestrian tastes, as it offers up a blend of cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, a dollop of licorice, dark soil tones and plenty of spicy, smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with really lovely raw materials very much in evidence. The core is deep, the focus and balance here are very fine indeed and there are plenty of ripe, chewy tannins adding grip and potential longevity on the finish, and yet, for some reason, I am left with the impression that the whole this year is a bit less than the sum of its parts. This is a very well-made wine, but it seems to me to be a bit overly sculpted to ever really reach greatness. I miss the more effortless impression of a wine like the 1985 Mouton- which the 2012 vintage might have been able to reproduce flawlessly! (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 92 JG

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMBy Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else.Decanter | 96 DECBay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWonderful aromas of flowers such as roses, violets, strawberries and a hints of wet earth. Wet stones as well. Full to medium body, very firm tannins and a long, racy finish. Minerals and chalk on the aftertaste. Needs three to five years to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Château Margaux has a refined bouquet with blackberry, briary, light cedar scents and a touch of leather. Not quite as well-defined as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not amazingly complex, and at this level, I would have expected more weight on the finish. This is a fine Château Margaux and yet it deprived the concentration and complexity of a top vintage and is challenged by its peers. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Margaux) The 2012 Château Margaux was made up of only thirty-four percent of the crop this year, with fully eighty-seven percent of the blend comprised of cabernet sauvignon, and the balance a mix of ten percent merlot, two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot for good measure. The yields here were thirty-nine hectoliters per hectare and the wine tips the scales at an utterly classic thirteen percent alcohol. So why is this wine so unmoving? Paul Pontallier waxed eloquently for quite some time about how much he likes the 2012 Margaux, but I was left with the impression that this is a wine which is very much crafted in the cellar, rather than born in the vineyards, and I long for something more here these days. The cool and reserved nose offers up scents of mulberry, cassis, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, lovely gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a polished attack, a fine core and a fair bit of chewy tannin perking up the long and beautifully focused finish. All of the constituent components here tell my brain I should like this wine a lot more than I do, but it just seems to be missing that spark and the whole does not seem greater than the sum of its parts in 2012. This is a very well-made wine that is just a bit overly slick for me. (Drink between 2023-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JG

Unusually in terms of my recent experience, this is tasting far more plump and inviting than the 2011 right now - with well defined and purely-delivered cassis and bilberry flavours, some creamy texture and enjoyably confident tannins. It has a bright, fresh finish with crushed mint notes and plenty of St Estèphe power. 3.72pH. Harvest from October 8 to 19. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036.Decanter | 92 DECAs is often the case with Phélan Ségur, there is an excess of wood in this wine. Sometimes it works, as here, because the big, bold fruits are powerful enough to match the toastiness. That suggests a future as a ripe, black-fruited and structured wine with room for juicy acidity. Drink from 2019.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WELots of violet, sandalwood, currant and tar character. Subtle and pretty. Full body, fine tannins and a balanced and fresh finish. Pretty wine. Hard not to drink now. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 91 JSOffers a dark, dense feel, with layers of fig, blackberry, leather, chestnut, tobacco and loam all carrying through the broad, smoky finish. Features solid fruit, with an ample tug of earth. A solid effort for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2022. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe Gardinier family, who farm citrus groves in Florida, purchased this cru Bourgeois in 1985 and have patiently brought its wines to grand cru classé stature. This 2012 is still youthful and unformed, but it has a distinctly Phélan personality, the wine quiet with scents of cassis and tobacco, building richness slowly as it expands into a heady finish, leaving a lush, juicy impression in the end. Check on this five or six years from the vintage, when it will begin to approach peak drinking.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

This is mind-blowing with complex and superb aromas of dried flowers, blackcurrants and raspberries. Full-bodied, yet polished and velvety with lots of tension and intensity. Layers of fruit and character. Finishes with pure fruit, hazelnuts and minerals. About 20 hectares of 55 hectares were from biodynamically grown grapes. Try in 2022. Stunning.James Suckling | 97 JSChâteau Palmer is one of the vintage’s superstars. Opaque purple, with a gorgeous nose of blueberry, blackberry fruit, licorice, incense and graphite, the wine has a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like richness, stunningly well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, a finish of close to 45 seconds and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a great wine from Margaux in 2012 and one of the vintage’s most remarkable efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040+. The final blend was 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 Palmer showed beautifully, with the elegance and purity this cuvée is known for front and center. Offering lots of crème de cassis, licorice, smoked earth and a hint of spring flowers, it has medium to full-bodied richness, a balanced, graceful texture, plenty of tannin, and a great finish. This is one of those wines that grows on you with time in the glass and is going to evolve gracefully on its purity and balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Palmer) The 2012 Château Palmer is a brilliant wine. The harvest here took place between October 1st and 15th, and the grand vin is comprised of a blend of forty-eight percent merlot, forty-six percent cabernet sauvignon and six percent petit verdot. The wine tips the scales at a ripe, but still quite classic 13.3 percent. The utterly stunning bouquet delivers a classic Palmer blend of blackberries, mulberries, cassis, dark chocolate, gravel, cigar smoke, a youthful touch of tobacco leaf and a very stylish base of cedary, spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly refined, with a beautiful core of fruit, superb focus and balance, ripe substantial and perfectly-integrated tannins and simply stunning length and grip on the seamless and magical finish. This is a cut above the 1983 Palmer, to give some context as to its quality! (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 95 JGWith great depth of fruit, this plush, ripe wine also has dense tannins for aging, layers of acidity and a tight structure. However, it’s the fruit that makes this wine, with its waves of black currants and aromatic blueberries. The wood just touches the flavors to promise serious aging. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2012 Palmer is silky, voluptuous and beautifully layered in the glass. Black cherry, plum, mocha, bittersweet chocolate and dark spices flesh out in a decidedly opulent, racy Palmer built on pure texture. Silky, tannins round out the polished, suave finish. The 2012s at Palmer are made from unusually low yields of around 28 hectoliters per hectare. One of the effects of the 2011 hailstorm that hit the estate was a lowering of the following year’s crop, which has resulted in rich, tannic wines. Estate Manager Thomas Duroux opted to give the 2012s more time in barrel than is customary and the wines were bottled in September 2014.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGOffers a lovely velvety feel, with plum sauce, red currant paste and lilac notes melded together. Subtle but persistent toast accents everything, with an inlaid iron hint hanging in the background. Shows range, weight and length, with all the elements draping nicely on the finish. Approachable now, exhibiting good mouthfeel, but this could benefit from time in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2025. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSReal charm here with well defined aromas of blackberry, vanilla and violets. Duroux has managed to coax some plump ripeness from this cool-ish classical vintage and there’s a beguilingly sweet cassis and blackberry pastille character alongside some cream and leather. The acidity is spot on and the framing tannins are refined and grainy. Not a long keeper, but this has plenty of promise and pleasure ahead. Drinking Window 2017 - 2025.Decanter | 92 DEC

Always excellent for the vintage. What a nose with currants, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stones and wet earth too. Full-bodied and refined yet muscular and trim. Fabulously polished tannins. Try drinking in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Cos d’Estournel is beautifully delineated and layered in the glass. A wine of nuance and precision, the 2012 possesses a remarkable combination of richness and detail. A blast of dark red cherry jam, rose petals, mint and cinnamon informs the deep, pliant finish. I imagine the 2012 will offer several decades of very fine drinking. This is a terrific 2012 with a good deal of upside potential.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis is one of the vintages from Cos that seems to pull out all the stops. The fruit is so rich, the texture so dense, and deep flavors of chocolate back up the huge structure. It does work in its magnificent, flamboyant way. And at the end, the acidity does its part and gives the wine a final lift. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2012 Cos d’Estournel is a classic expression of St.-Estèphe, with notes of graphite, crushed rock, blackberry, blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, structured, but well-integrated tannins and a long finish of 35 seconds or more. This is a beauty and an undeniable top success in the Médoc for 2012. Give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades or more. The final blend, which achieved 13.8% alcohol, is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Robert Parker | 93+ RPThe 2012 from Cos d’Estournel is a streamlined, elegant version of this cuvée that offers first rate notes of crème de cassis, graphite, smoked herbs and saddle leather, with hints of oak pushed into the background. Supple, medium to full-bodied and charming, yet with enough tannin to warrant short term cellaring, give bottles 5-6 years in the cellaring and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDSolid, with pure lilac and violet notes out front, backed by slightly taut plum, currant and bitter cherry flavors that unwind slowly through the finish. This has good drive, cut and intensity, and is one of the better efforts of the vintage.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2028. 15,917 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Cos d’Estournel, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Deep-coloured, richly flavoured claret with an immediate and abundant ‘attack’, which then rather fades away. Will undoubtedly keep well but will always lack the class of a more successful year. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 92 DEC

Plenty of sliced apple and lemon character to this fresh wine. Full body, layered fruit and a tangy, almond and fruit aftertaste. Intense finish of stones, chalk and salt. Oyster shell, too. Needs time to come together. Tingling finish. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThis structured wine with big, bold red fruits offers ripe acidity, a dense texture and considerable concentration. It also has the hallmark freshness of the vintage that balances the strong aging potential. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEIn a vintage in which so many wines are open and forward, Domaine de Chevalier’s 2012 Rouge is anything but. As readers know, these wines are capable of aging for decades. The 2012 will certainly need at least a few years in bottle to blossom. With time in the glass, scents of chalk, game, smoke, incense and red cherry jam begin to appear, followed by a hint of white pepper that adds aromatic lift. This is a gorgeous wine from Domaine de Chevalier and proprietor Olivier Bernard, but readers should not be in a hurry. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Stéphane Derenoncourt is the consultant.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGVery floral and elegant with raspberry and blackcurrant fruit mixed with toasty oak/vanillin, followed by a medium to full-bodied, stylish, polished wine that is the quintessentially refined style of Pessac-Léognan. Nevertheless, the complexity and nuance has yet to fully emerge. This medium to full-bodied Domaine de Chevalier is poised for a bright future. It is tight and backward now, as well as restrained aromatically, but everything is there for the future. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following 30 years.Robert Parker | 92+ RPThis sports lovely, enticing plum sauce, melted black licorice, blackberry pâte de fruit and cherry compote notes, along with fruitcake and graphite accents that fill in the background. The solid structure is fully absorbed into the fruit, and this should cellar well. A solid effort for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2025. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep, rich, damson and blackberry in colour. Still young but with caramel edges, this is still bedding down in terms of its fruit character and tannic density, it will continue to develop and age but the fruit character is a little less generous than in other recent vintages, stops just a tiny bit short on the palate. (Drink between 2020-2035)Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2012 Meyney is a deep, structured wine with a lot going on in the glass. The expressive bouquet alone is enticing, but all the elements simply come together effortlessly. The pliant fruit suggests the 2012 can be enjoyed young - and it can - but there is also more than enough depth to allow the wine to age gracefully for years. This is an impressive Saint-Estephe, especially for the year.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGA chewy and fresh wine with spice, nut and currant character. Full-bodied and muscular. Needs time to soften. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 91 JSThis estate is quickly returning from a long period of mediocrity. This sleeper of the vintage exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to copious notes of black raspberries, blueberries, loamy soil and roasted Provencal herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it should drink well for 10-12+ years.Robert Parker | 88-90 RPThis wine is marked by new-wood spice and strong structure that showcases a sense of weight and spicy ripeness. The palate is powerful, while also maintaining a bold, juicy character.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

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

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

Inky plum in colour, you can see this is rich and textured even before going anywhere near the nose, which then displays ripe fruit. Gorgeous quality, a wine that is packed full of graphite, pencil lead, waves of violet, cassis, liqourice, and chewy but well defined tannins. Leaps out of the glass and is clear proof that, when it gets it right, the 2014 vintage equals the 2015 in this northern sector of the Médoc. Good value also compared to the 2015 and 2016 - a must buy for me. 70% new oak,..Jane Anson | 97 JAAromas of currants, blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of chocolate and spices. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and muscular wine. Needs three or four years to open. Beautiful.James Suckling | 96 JSFragrant and perfumed, this wine is the epitome of great Cabernet Sauvignon. It is fruity, juicy yet with serious concentrated tannins. There is spice from the wood aging along with a dash of pepper, all the while just bringing out the beautiful black-currant flavors. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2014 Lynch-Bages is just as powerful and dense from bottle as it was from barrel. Deep, powerful and bold, it possesses remarkable richness in all of its dimensions. Ripe red cherry, spice, leather, tobacco and rose petal all develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s sheer amplitude today that is quite remarkable. It will need quite a bit of cellaring to be at its best, and is clearly built to age. This is a terrific showing from the Cazes family. The blend is 69 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 3 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGThis has beguiling hints of plum cake and melted licorice peeking out, while a core of cassis and blackberry confiture waits in reserve. There’s ample grip, but this remains very polished and integrated, with lovely echoes of anise and fruitcake showing through the very lengthy finish. Will be hard to keep your hands off this while it ages. Best from 2019 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2014 Lynch Bages was actually similar to the 2014 Pichon Baron on the nose: tight and surly at first, demanding a lot of coaxing from the glass. It eventually opens up with a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, gaining more harmony and intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite linear and focused at the moment, precise if just needing a little more body and depth to evolve on the straight-laced finish. Give this Pauillac 4-5 years in bottle and it is likely to repay you.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMVery well-expressed natural concentration of fruit, very ripe tannins and lots of complexity to come. A richly textured, firmly structured wine with the Lynch-Bages hallmarks for the future. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 92 DEC

Incredible iodine, oyster, currants, peat and cedar. Yet subtle. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins and great depth and complexity on the finish. I love the spice and blueberry character on the finish. Vibrant. A sexy style of Mouton. Try drinking this in 2022.James Suckling | 99 JSAn exciting, beautifully layered wine, the 2014 Mouton Rothschild is one of the clear highlights of the vintage. A stunning interplay of crème de cassis, graphite, menthol, sage, mocha, dark chocolate and leather takes of all the senses. The 2014 is dark, voluptuous racy. Above all else, it speaks to a total sense of balance. The blend is 81 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Merlot and 3 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGUnquestionably one of the great wines in the vintage, the 2014 Mouton-Rothschild offers more flamboyance, depth, and texture than just about every other release out there. Crème de cassis, violets, lead pencil, and ample creamy oak notes all emerge from this incredibly sexy, concentrated 2014 that has a terrific mid-palate, sweet tannin, and a great, great finish. Not far off the incredible 2015, it can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 3-4 decades, although 3-5 years of bottle age should do it good.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSleek and racy in feel, with a sanguine edge leading the way, backed by gently mulled currant and blackberry fruit. Lovely tobacco and iron notes thread through the finish, though the fruit easily has the upper hand. Pretty acidity stitches the finish, with the tannins fully absorbed.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe label of this vintage is designed by David Hockney in memory of Philippine de Rothschild. It is a powerful wine in the rich style of Mouton with strong black-currant fruits from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dense and dark, ready to age for many years. Drink this impressive wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First Growth is just toying with you. Initially quite understated, it responds to aeration like a young child peeking from around a corner and then running out, waving its hands. It suddenly hits you with gorgeous black cherries, bilberry, cedar and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry. This is utterly seductive: a wine without a hair out of place. It is not as powerful or as complex as the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild, yet the precision and focus here is beguiling. It will require five to seven years to absorb the 100% new oak, then it will be an utterly delicious and to use a term employed at en primeur, "cerebral" First Growth that is destined to give two or three decades of pleasure.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMExplosively floral nose – the usual exotic Mouton fruit underlined by 16% of ripe Merlot. The classic ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’, with ripe tannins and marvellous structure. Its true qualities will need time to show. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2014 Montrose is without question one of the standout wines of the vintage. Black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and lavender are some of the many aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. But the 2014 is a much deeper wine than just a bunch of descriptors can conjure. In 2014, Montrose is a wine of exceptional finesse and polish. The late-ripening vintage allowed for perfect maturation of the tannins and resulted in a silky wine that exudes class and pedigree. The 2014 is not an obvious or bombastic Montrose, but rather a wine of sublime enchantment. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGIncredible aromas of currants, blackberries, slate and flowers. Full-bodied yet so tight and beautiful with superb polish and brightness. The length is fantastic. Truly superb. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a very fine wine showing a new level of quality at Montrose. With its almost velvet tannins inside the intense black fruits, the wine is rich, smooth and generous. Blackberry and black-plum fruits are to the fore along with the fine acidity and great structure. A wine to age for decades, it will be ready to drink from Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the château, the 2014 Montrose builds on the promise it showed in barrel with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended—one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NM(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) The velvety texture of the fruit and the tannins seem to shine through here, even on the aromatics. It’s one of the wines of the vintage and is showing beautifully after four years. Of course, it’s nowhere near ready to drink, but the tannins have an astonishingly vibrant, tactile quality against the palate. This is coupled with concentrated flavours of cassis, bilberry, charcoal, liquorice, deep woodsmoke and cedar. One for the cellar, and then some. 1% Petit Verdot finishes the blend. Harvested through until 16 October as with many of these St-Estèphes, given the luxury of the beautiful October weather. (Drink between 2024-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is seriously built, with an admirable core of red and black currant paste and bitter plum fruit inlaid with notes of tobacco, bay and smoldering charcoal. The finish is ramrod straight thanks to an iron girder supporting everything with ease. A tremendous effort for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI loved the 2014 Montrose and it has an incredible purity and elegance that sets it apart from its peers. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it offers a deeper, richer profile with gorgeous cassis and currant fruits intermixed with licorice, chocolate, graphite and beautiful minerality. A spitting image of class on the palate, with fine tannin, integrated acidity, and medium to full-bodied richness, this terrific 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the Médoc and keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an immensely dense wine that is going to be a classic. The dark tannins are still lined with wood aging but that will go because the fruit underneath is also just as dense and intense. Blackberry, black plum and damson plum give power and sweetness. This is a great wine with huge potential. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Cos d’Estournel is rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades. The 2014 needs time to shed some baby fat, but it is quite impressive, even in the early going. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot and 2 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThe grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThere’s a clear consistency across Cos d’Estournel’s wines – the quality is absolutely unmissable, but don’t open the 2014 just yet. Remember that from the end of August the weather really favoured St-Estèphe, with the result that all those key elements - tannins, acidity and fruit - are here in force. It’s still young and closed, with tight tannins, but after 10 minutes or so in the glass olive paste and rosemary notes emerge, followed by graphite and bilberry fruit. Give it time, then reap the rewards. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Cos d’Estournel has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed at this stage, offering slowly emerging scents of fresh blackcurrants, black plums and blackberries plus nuances of pencil shavings, dried lavender, bay leaves and fertile loam with a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a generous mid-palate of muscular, youthful fruit with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIntense, with a roiling core of luscious loganberry, blackberry and black currant fruit. Singed spice, apple wood and black tea accents emerge steadily on the finish. Has a rare combination of density and precision. Will cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2014 Calon Ségur is a real show-stopper. Unusually ripe, powerful and seductive, the wine exudes class. Myriad shades of plum, sweet red cherry, pomegranate, spice and blood orange are all on display. Wild flowers, tobacco and host of more aromatic notes develop in the glass. Above all else, though, the 2014 is a wine of pure power and breadth. This is yet another fabulous showing for the 2014 Calon Ségur, a wine that vies for top honors in this vintage. Don't miss it. The blend is 67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 15 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThis is real powerful and sexy with a voluptuous style of ripe fruit, mushrooms and wet earth. Leafy. Full and seductive. Better after 2021 but already fantastic.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Calon Ségur, Merlot, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) In Vincent Millet’s view, this is a vintage in which the St-Estèphe appellation really stood out for quality thanks to very fine weather conditions there from September to October. A nose of complex yet fresh aromatic intensity is composed of blackberry, black cherry, and cassis with a floral flourish to boot. The palate benefits from juicy and ample substance with the effect lengthened thanks to its fine-grained and finely-etched tannic structure. This is a quintessential Calon Ségur that already gives drinking pleasure, but it will also stay the distance for up to twenty years or more. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECThis is a beautifully perfumed wine. With a high proportion of ripe Cabernet Franc, it is not only structured but has a fine dried fruit character that gives the wine a memorable richness. The wine is tight with its tannins, likely to age over decades. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2014 Calon Ségur has to be considered an undeniable success in the vintage, offering the elegance, balance, and charm that’s the hallmark of this late growing season. Still relatively tight and reserved, with beautiful notes of black currants, smoked earth, graphite, and tobacco leaf, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity, and a layered, elegant style that opens up with time in the glass. It has more density than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the darker side of the spectrum, with dark currant, plum and blackberry fruit, inlaid with ample dried bay and tobacco notes. Pepper and charcoal details fill in the finish, adding range and energy. A touch [i]sauvage[n] in style, this will have fans for sure. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2014 Calon Ségur has a much more reticent bouquet than either the 2014 Montrose or Cos d'Estournel. There is blackberry here, a hint of cassis and violets, fine purity but bolshie and withdrawn at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannin, more red fruit than the Montrose with a smooth, quite silky Merlot-like, graphite finish. Tasted on two occasions in Bordeaux, the second bottle exuded more panache and joie-de-vivre, coming across a little more spicy with a longer aftertaste.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

The purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is what impresses here. Subtle and energetic plum and currant aromas follow through to a gorgeously harmonized palate of wonderful fruit and an ultra-long finish. Current bush and light earth adds to the complexity. Lasts for minutes. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 97 JSThere is a sense of pure juicy black-currant fruit that shoots through this great wine. With tannins that are firm while not a jot too much, the wine is crisp, packed with fruit and set for many years of aging. It is beautiful, fruity and intensely structured. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Château Margaux represents 36% of the year’s total production and is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Affording the glass five to ten minutes to open, the aromatics are very similar to those expressed out of barrel, those dark cherries and violets, tightly wound at first but unfurling beautifully and seemingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and it appears to have fomented a little more finesse during its élevage. There is wonderful mineral tension and dash of spiciness on the persistent finish. There remains some tightness here, the implication that this is a Château Margaux determined to give long-term pleasure. Therefore, do not be afraid to give it a decade in the cellar.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThis is solidly packed, with layers of warm fig bread, plum compote and black currant preserves, carried by a silky yet substantial structure. As the fruit plays out, the anise, black tea and singed alder notes in the background come into clearer focus, giving this remarkable range. Everything glides beautifully through the suave, gently toasty finish. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,835 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe grand vin from the Mentzelopoulos family and late manager Paul Pontallier is the 2014 Château Margaux which checks in as a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, as always, raised in 100% new barrels, and represents a scant 36% of the total production from the estate. A regal, classy, and nuanced beauty, its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a terrific perfume of cassis, licorice, spicy oak, sandalwood and a hint of vanilla. With a beautiful core of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannin, no hard edges, and a great finish, this full-bodied 2014 shows the classy, elegant style of the vintage brilliantly. Give bottles 5-7 years and it should deliver plenty of pleasure over the following three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDStriking black fruits from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, yet restrained – even severe – with less charm and more firmness; the opposite of showy. With great natural density and tannins that do not overwhelm, this is a classical Château Margaux that will need time to fully open up. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château Margaux, has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, graphite and light violet aromas. This feels very refined, very Margaux as banal as that sounds. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite precise tannin. This is an unreservedly understated First Growth, more masculine then I remember from barrel and just after bottling, firming up a little for the long-haul. In some ways, the higher Cabernet Sauvignon renders this a little more Pauillac-like in flavour profile, although it has the finesse that is synonymous with this estate. Excellent. Tasted at the property.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This wine, with its massive tannins and rich fruit, is obviously set for a long life. It does have the contrast of fresh black-currant acidity to give it a lift. But with the power behind it, the wine will develop slowly. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEVery aromatic with cherries and blackberries. Hints of flowers. Full body, lightly chewy yet ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Tangy and delicious. Racy. Better in 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Leoville Barton is one of the must-buys of the vintage. Now in bottle, it has a very pure bouquet that gains intensity in the glass, laden with blackberry and raspberry coulis scents, cold wet stone, a wonderful mineralité that becomes more conspicuous with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannin, a fine line of acidity that lends this precision and nervosité. There is class and sophistication in situ, not a powerful Léoville Barton, but beautifully poised. This is just a brilliant forerunner to the 2015 and it should represent great value.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2014 Léoville Barton has a crisp, poised bouquet with graphite tinged black fruit, hints of crushed flower and clove, nicely define and gaining definition with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, beautifully judged acidity, sophisticated and poised, fanning out with confidence towards the fresh, energetic finish. This is a succinct and beautifully crafted Saint Julien with many years of drinking enjoyment to give. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis has a solid core of cassis, blueberry confiture and plum sauce flavors, wrapped with warm ganache and licorice snap notes, kept honest by graphite rivets along the finish. This has lots of muscle, but stays lean and long. Best from 2020 through 2035. 11,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIntense nose of vanilla and blackcurrant; very elegant. Showing purity of fruit. The attack is strong, with firm tannins and impressive concentration without seeming too extracted. Spicy, complex and vibrant, this is balanced, with a long zesty finish. (Drink between 2020-2040)Decanter | 93 DECWhile a solid step back from the sensational 2015, the 2014 Léoville Barton is still a beauty. Possessing medium-bodied notes of cassis, sweet oak, spice and flowers, this impeccably balanced Saint-Julien is incredibly classy, layered and pure on the palate. While this cuvee can be backward and difficult to taste young, the 2014 has a supple, beautifully textured, fresh style that’s already approachable. Nevertheless, a few years in the cellar will do it well, and it should keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

Intense blackberry and blueberry aromas as well as mushroom undertones. Violets, too. Sweet tobacco. Full-bodied and layered with polished tannins. Very long and beautiful. Give it two or three years to show what it has but already a beauty.James Suckling | 96 JSIn a vintage that can lack a little pizzazz, the 2014 Pape Clement stands out for its exuberant, sexy, full-bodied style. Checking in as a blend of 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a layered, ripe, sexy wine that has loads of currants, blackberries, smoke tobacco, and forest floor aromas and flavors, with just a touch of chocolaty oak. Silky and incredibly pure on the palate, with impeccable balance and sweet, yet present tannin, it’s already impossible to resist, yet is going to deliver the goods for another 20-25 years. It’s a beauty!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 Pape Clement has quite a potent bouquet with lavish red cherry, kirsch, iodine and pastille-like scents, the oak probably needing another couple of years to fully integrate. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine line of acidity, quite refined and focused with appreciable tension towards the finish that comes laden with succulent, tobacco-infused blackberry fruit. This is a sumptuous and yet refined Pape-Clement that demonstrated the most matière or substance out of all the Pessac-Léognan 2014s that I tasted, except for the Haut-Brion. It is certainly a wine destined for a long future.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2014 Pape Clément is strikingly beautiful. Dark, sumptuous and creamy, it exudes class. Black cherry, mocha, spice, espresso, menthol and new leather are all pushed forward in a spherical, rich wine that captivates all the senses. As always, this is an overt style, but the purity of the fruit comes through nicely now that the oak has started to integrate. There is plenty of the Magrez trademark richness, but done in a slightly more restrained style than in the past. This is a gorgeous wine by any measure. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGRestrained compared to some vintages and all the more successful for it. Fine but firm tannins; grip and lovely hold to the dark, brambly, bilberry and cassis fruit. Great potential. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DECRipe and richly fruity, the wine is full bodied with great acidity as well as firm tannins. It will keep for many years. Bold tannins and a fine tension between the fruit and acidity are all promising for the future. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELavish in profile, this sports a range of warm fruitcake, anise and black tea aromatics followed quickly by a gush of raspberry, plum and boysenberry confiture notes. Velvety, showing ample structure through the finish, pulling the fruit and wood notes together. A rare bird, stylistically, in this generally understated vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035. 11,667 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 93 WS