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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

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

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

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

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

A flat-out gorgeous wine in the vintage is the 2012 Troplong Mondot, which sports an inky ruby/purple color to go with heavenly notes of black currants, smoked earth, plums, licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, seamless, ultra-pure and impressively concentrated, this blockbuster effort needs 3-4 years in the cellar to let the tannins integrate, and it will knock your socks off over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2012 is another truly great wine from Troplong Mondot. It’s always sentimental to taste this wine, realizing that proprietress Christine Valette (the larger-than-life heart and soul behind this estate) has passed away. She was one of the bright, shining stars of Bordeaux. Nevertheless, her legacy is certainly well-established, and the quality of this wine is beyond reproach. Inky bluish purple, its great notes of cassis, blackberry, licorice are followed by a full-bodied, opulently textured wine with stunning concentration, purity and overall balance. It should drink well for 20-25 years and turn out to be one of the great superstars of 2012. Their 63-acre vineyard was cropped at 31 hectoliters per hectare, producing a final blend of 90% Merlot and 10 Cabernet Sauvignon that achieved 14.2% alcohol.Robert Parker | 96 RPOne of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2012 Troplong-Mondot has been remarkable on several occasions. Sweet crushed flowers, red cherries, smoke, tobacco and plums open up in a heady, sensual Saint-Emilion that hits all the right notes. The 2012 blossoms nicely with time in the glass, gaining volume, but never losing its precision. This head-turning, flashy Saint-Emilion will delight readers for the next two decades, perhaps longer. What a gorgeous wine this is. Sadly, proprietor Christine Valette passed away in the spring of 2013, but her legacy will remain alive for quite some time with wines like this.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis is concentrated and impressive for the vintage with beautiful ripe fruit, minerals, chocolate and light-coffee character. Full body, polished tannins and a long finish. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSOffers a solid, if slightly chunky, feel, with ganache and charcoal notes coating the core of dark currant preserves, fig paste and warmed plum fruit. Shows lots of smoldering tobacco accents on the finish. Pretty grippy for the vintage, but this is headed in a promising direction. Cellar for maximum effect. Best from 2018 through 2025. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhile initially tough and almost too extracted, this firm, dark wine has intense density and spice from new wood. As it opens on the palate, slowly hints of juicy black-currant fruit and acidity comes through.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEOne of the deepest colours. Rich, ripe and intense on the nose. Suave and plush on the palate. Powerful but finely etched tannins. Modern but within bounds. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deeper and richer than the Jensen, the blockbuster-style 2012 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard comes from vines planted in 1975 and wasn’t harvested until October 4. A big, rich, layered Pinot Noir that offers tight, reserved notes of blackcurrants, truffle, crushed rocks, forest floor and sassafras, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful acidity and building, fine tannin that come through on the awesome finish. With air, it turns more and more mineral-laced and earthy, showing even a touch of gaminess. This beauty has terrific depth and richness without ever being over the top. Still a baby, give it a few years in the cellar, and enjoy bottles over the following decade. Bravo to Josh Jenson for this smokin’ effort!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPCalera’s 2012 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard is virtually seamless on the palate, with deep layers of fruit that nearly bury the tannins. Dark red and purplish fruit, mint, lavender, sage and sweet spices. Nuanced and impeccably balanced throughout, the 2012 captures the sexiness of the vintage yet retains tons of aromatic nuance and finesse. The 2012 will be a fascinating wine to follow over the next decade-plus.Vinous Media | 96 VMCola, sasparilla, cherry blossoms, hard cherry candy and a hint of black currant hit the nose on this rich wine from Josh Jensen. The palate shows brown spice, with clove and peppercorns wrapping around a rhubarb-licorice-thyme character and tart cherries, making for an incredibly distinctive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Lafite’s second wine is much closer to a balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that the first wine. It’s also a properly rich, satisfying wine that is as much fruit as structure. Packed with blackberry fruits, it has a fresh character that dominates the firmer tannins and touch of bitter chocolate. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEPerfumed and pretty aromas of blackcurrants, mineral and stones. Full body, very structured and intense. Tannic and muscular. Serious. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 92 JS(Carruades de Lafite) The 2012 Carruades de Lafite has turned out really well this year, though it was the recipient of most of the merlot that the estate harvested and decided to keep for one of their first two wines. The cépages is fifty-three percent cabernet sauvignon, forty-two percent merlot, three percent cabernet franc and two percent petit verdot. It shares with its grand vin a lovely purity and superb acidity for the vintage, as it offers up a deep and classy nose of cassis, dark berries, cigar smoke, espresso, gravel, a touch of violet and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very suave, with a fine core, moderate tannins, lovely complexity and a long, focused and tangy finish. This is an utterly complete young vintage of Carruades and it is really not far off the quality of the grand vin in 2012! (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 91 JGThis has a streamlined feel, offering dark cherry and steeped currant fruit flecked with tobacco and dark anise accents, carrying through a smoky finish. Shows a notably silky edge for the vintage. Drink now through 2022. 20,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2012 Le Gay is beautifully seductive, powerful and layered from start to finish. A wine of crystalline precision and nuance, the 2012 literally sparkles with striking aromatic presence and fabulous overall balance. Lavender, slate, mint and crème de cassis are some of the many notes that blossom in a silky Pomerol that has it all. I imagine the 2012 will reward readers with many years of fine drinking.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGA polished, suave style, with alluring plum sauce, melted black licorice and fruitcake notes backed by a solidly built finish of plum skin and black tea. Shows ample stuffing.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WSThe 2012 from Le Gay sports an inky purple color as well as masculine, lifted notes of plums, violets, licorice and scorched earth. A big, rich, concentrated effort, it has impeccable purity, a firm, focused, structured core, notable acidity, and superb concentration, all suggesting it needs to be forgotten for 7-8 year. It should keep for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is a beautiful, dense, meaty, purple-colored wine, with loads of earth, iron, blackberry and cassis fruit. It is full-bodied, rich and opulent with great length, terrific purity and surprisingly sweeter tannin than I would expect from this terroir that tends to produce a masculine style of wine. Impressive and backward, this Le Gay should drink well for at least 20 years.Robert Parker | 94+ RPAn exemplary wine, this is powerful, rich and full of ripe red fruits. The palate is dark, but brightened by acidity, red fruits and a beautiful line of freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is dense and polished with refined tannins and beautiful fruit. Full-bodied yet reserved and elegant. Very long and attractive. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 92 JS

A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 L'Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Explosive and rich in the glass, the 2012 boasts superb depth throughout. Sweet floral and spiced notes develop first, followed by intense red and blue-fleshed fruit. Violets, mint, sage and sweet spices add nuance as the 2012 opens up, but it is really the wine's vertical structure that stands out above all else. I very much like the pure energy that is so central to the wine's personality. This is a superb showing, and one of the clear highlights of the year. Readers should cellar the 2012 for at least a few years.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis delivers a gorgeously pure and racy core of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, melded perfectly with singed black tea leaf, dried star anise and roasted apple wood notes. Velvety and alluring overall, but there's a bright minerality buried on the finish. Best from 2016 through 2027. 1,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRich, ripe and dense. Expressive red berry nose with toasted oak evident. Sweet, plush mid-palate (heightened by 14.5% alcohol although that doesn't show). Long, firm finish. A touch dry on the end. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 91 DEC

(Château L'Évangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) A deep-coloured wine with real Pomerol ‘flesh’ and structure. This is a wine that grows in the glass, showing its class as it opens up; will probably benefit from two or three more years or early decanting. The property was replanting Cabernet Franc, so this is almost entirely Merlot. (Drink between 2025-2035)Decanter | 96 DECAn extremely polished L'Evangile with light chocolate, stone and cedar that turns to green olive with hints of sweet tobacco. Full body, tight center palate with polished and very tight grained tannins. So much energy here. Beautiful to taste but can't wait to see it in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château l’Évangile) Monsieur Vazart, Technical Director at Château l’Évangile, reported that the harvest was perfect at the estate this year, with the picking teams starting to harvest grapes on September 22nd and finishing up on October 9th, with the grapes brought in with lovely ripeness. The wine is a gorgeous example of 2012 l’Évangile, tipping the scales at a ripe, but absolutely effortless 14.4 percent alcohol (the same level as at Pétrus this year) that exudes purity and precision. It is a far more classic example than either 2009 or 2010 at this address and, without question, is one of the best wines of the vintage. The bouquet is a superb blend of black cherries, black raspberries, cigar smoke, dark chocolate, violets, soil and a deft framing of cedary new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and vibrant, with a fine core of fruit, velvety tannins and excellent length and grip on the focused and classy finish. The 2012 Château l’Évangile is an absolute classic in the making. (Drink between 2023-2050).John Gilman | 94 JGThis dark ruby/plum Pomerol offers up sweet black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, velvety tannin, medium to full body, and a nice lushness and silkiness. A beauty with great fragrance and suppleness, it’s not enormously endowed, as a great vintage would be, but it is certainly an outstanding wine and a brilliant effort from ’Evangile in 2012. Drink it over the next 15 years.Robert Parker | 94 RPA dense, dark, woodsy style, with loads of tobacco, charcoal and tar holding sway over steeped plum, black currant and Black Mission fig flavors. Shows a serious graphite bolt on the finish, along with a tug of dark earth. A rather powerful rendition of Pomerol that will need some time to stretch out fully. Best from 2018 through 2032. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2012 Château l'Evangile has a little more exoticism on the nose compared to the 2012 La Fleur de Gay that preceded it: dark chocolate and camphor scents, coalescing nicely with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and acidity, sour cherries mixed with white pepper and a gentle grip with hints of leather towards the finish. I feel this has personality and Pomerol DNA, though it flirts with being overly exotic. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

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

Intense black currant fruitiness makes this wine unabashedly forward. The palate bears weighty tannins behind that fruit, resulting in a wine that is already quite balanced and structured.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Pichon-Lalande (barrel sample)) Château Pichon-Lalande is fortunate to have Nicolas Glumineau now at the head of the day to day operations of the estate, as he has moved over from Château Montrose after the 2011 vintage and has clearly hit the ground running in his first full year at this fabled Pauillac Second Growth! The 2012 Château Pichon-Lalande is clearly one of the three finest wines produced on the Left Bank in this vintage and an utterly classic and refined bottle of young claret. The wine this year is a blend of fifty-nine percent cabernet sauvignon, twenty-eight percent merlot, eight percent cabernet franc and five percent petit verdot. The deep, pure and very traditionally-styled nose delivers a superb aromatic constellation of cassis, cark berries, coffee, tobacco leaf, cigar ash, gravel and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly suave and seamless, with a rock solid core, great focus and grip and a long, classy and ripely tannic finish. Think of a wine cut along the lines of the beautiful 1983 Pichon-Lalande, only deeper and even more refined! This is a glorious success and a clear indication that a combination of strict selection and an intuitive sense of the style of the 2012 vintage could produce magic! Do not miss this wine if you love classic claret. (Drink between 2025-2065).John Gilman | 94 JGAs it always is, the 2012 Pichon Lalande is a wine of pure and total seduction. The 2012 is neither the biggest nor most complex Pichon Lalande, but it is among the most pleasurable wine in this tasting, especially for near and medium-term drinking. Silky and medium in body, with lovely brightness, the 2012 has so much to offer.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGWonderful nose of wet earth, mushrooms and berries. Full to medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Sleek and polished. Needs two to three years of bottle age to soften. 59% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot.James Suckling | 92 JSSlightly meaty and slighty spicy ripe fruit, with Merlot to the fore, good middle sweetness and a succulence that will impress over time. Drinking Window 2016 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2012 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is a beautiful, elegant wine in this slightly more challenging vintage (at least for the northern Médoc) and is well worth cellaring and drinking. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, it has classic Pauillac lead pencil notes as well as plenty of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, and cedar. Medium-bodied, forward, and seamless on the palate, it shows the classic elegance of this estate, has ripe tannins, and is already impossible to resist. Enjoy this solid 2012 Pauillac over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDA gutsy, terroir-driven style, with briar-edged grip carrying notes of macerated black currant fruit, fig and plum sauce. This shows lots of dark anise through the finish, along with notes of roasted apple wood and a hint of cassis bush. Delivers excellent range, purity and energy. Best from 2018 through 2027. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe grande dame, the 2012 Pichon Lalande represents only 50% of their harvest production. It has soft, round tannins, endearing elegance, and up-front fruit. It is not a blockbuster, but its lush, richly fruity style is charming and seductive, with raspberry, blueberry, mocha and blackcurrant fruit and a deep ruby/purple color. This medium-bodied, supple-textured wine is surprisingly precocious and forward, and therefore best drunk over the next 15 years. The final blend was 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.Robert Parker | 90 RP

What an expressive nose! Plump, fruit driven, juicy cherry, blackberry, ripe cassis and rose stem. The opposite of the 2011, this is round and suave, albeit with not quite as long a finish. A juicy, bright palate with high alcohol and full body, some oak derived coffee tones, with burgeoning touches of earth. The first vintage with 35% ageing in concrete amphorae. (Drink between 2021-2045)Decanter | 95 DECThis impeccably run, biodynamically farmed estate of Alfred Tesseron goes from strength to strength. The 2012 triumphs once again with its notes of dark plum, blackcurrant, licorice and almost a hint of truffle, its full-bodied, supple tannins, and beautiful, expensive mouthfeel. Complex and deep, this dense ruby/purple-colored wine may not be at the level of the 2009 or 2010, but it is a successful wine in this vintage, and a significant wine in 2012. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.Robert Parker | 93 RPA wine of real class, pedigree and distinction, the 2012 Pontet-Canet is absolutely gorgeous. The flavors are beautifully nuanced and delineated throughout. Bright floral notes add lift and sensuality. The 2012 is decidedly understated next to some other recent vintages, but the magic of this site simply won’t be denied. This is another sublime wine from proprietor Alfred Tesseron.Antonio Galloni | 93+ AGThis shows incredible decadence and opulence for the vintage with dried meat, black berry, blueberries and hints of mushroom. Full body, very polished silky tannins and a chewy finish. Lots of richness for the vintage. Persistent palate. This was aged 35% in cement eggs for 12 months. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 93 JSBroad and fleshy, with an alluring feel to the layers of steeped plum, blackberry coulis and raspberry reduction notes, all gliding over ample but polished tannins. Loam, tobacco and warm stone accents stay in the background for now but add steady base notes to the finish. Packs in solid fruit for the vintage, with a commensurate tug of earth. Best from 2017 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis tastes jammy and very fruity, with tannins that are totally enveloped by the rich texture. Plummy and comfortable, it’s all about ripe berries and currants. Smoky flavors come from the wood aging, and contrast with the Port-like lusciousness of the wine.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEFresh and lively aromatically, with spring flowers, sappy herbs, licorice, currant bud and earth, the 2012 is medium to full-bodied, tight, closed and focused, with fine, grippy tannin and a rock-solid finish. It lacks a touch of density and exuberance, but is an elegant, lengthy 2012 that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will keep through 2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD