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The 2001 Lafite-Rothschild has a little more precision on the nose compared to the millennial Lafite. It’s vivid and focused, featuring blackberry, briar, cedar and mint, and a touch of cola in the background. The palate is well balanced and svelte in texture, building beautifully with aeration to a gorgeous, truffle-tinged finish that is a little spicier than three years ago, when I last tasted this vintage. Maybe it just tails off toward the finish when compared to the 2000. Still, this is an elegant, blue-blooded Lafite-Rothschild that exudes class.Vinous Media | 96 VMStick your nose in this and it says something--"I am special." Deep and generous aromas of blackberries, fresh tobacco and minerals. It’s full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a superlong finish. Like a fine cashmere sweater. Best after 2010. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(Château Lafite Rothschild, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Perpetually underrated, the 2001 Lafite is positively radiant at this point, with a forward, curranty fruit character touched with spice and just a suggestion of smoke, leather, and earth. The texture has lovely depth, vibrant acidity, and firm tannins that draw out the finish. It is coming into its own at just past 20 years of age now. July was cool, but August was hot before the cool, rainy weather arrived in September, and many observers wrote off the year. Picking began the last week in September. At Lafite, 43% of the harvest made it into the grand vin. This wine has 20 or 30 years left in a proper cellar. (Drink between 2022-2052)Decanter | 95 DECThe 2001 Lafite Rothschild’s deep, saturated plum/purple color is accompanied by lead pencil liqueur-like notes intermixed with sweet red and black currants, plums, and cedar. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot is a classic example of Lafite. Extremely elegant, medium-bodied, with intense concentration, richness, and sweet tannin, it appears to be on a rapid evolutionary track, at least in comparison to recent Lafite vintages that have been far more backward and powerful. The classy 2001 should be at its finest between 2007-2020.Robert Parker | 94 RPNo written review provided. | 93 W&S

Alder and cedar aromas waft up from the core here, giving this a perfumed, incense-accented edge, while the silky but substantial structure lets the gently mulled plum, black currant and cherry flavors glide through. Shows a sanguine tang at the very end, displaying latent grip for further evolution.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAs the 1983 surprised many people for its success compared to 1982, so too is the 2001 Palmer, outgunning the 2000 on many of my recent tastings. I would not bet on it lasting as long as the 2000, but this is still young right now, with firm, still-muscular tannins and deep cassis fruits. An enjoyably balanced and subtle wine filled with charcoal and woodsmoke. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2001 Palmer is a vintage that I have tasted several times, though Thomas Duroux lamented that he has very few bottles left at the property. The lovely bouquet of red berry fruit, dark chocolate, star anise and light iodine aromas gently unfolds from the glass, displaying a little more complexity than the 2001 Château Margaux that I tasted the same day. The palate is medium-bodied with a granular opening and a little ferrous in style, secondary notes percolating through the carapace of primary fruit. Tea leaves, allspice and black pepper define what feels like quite a robust finish, lacking the elegance that Palmer exhibits nowadays. Still, this is an excellent 2001 that probably deserves another 2–3 years in the cellar.Vinous Media | 93 VMAs with so many other wines from the 2001 vintage, this Palmer is classic Margaux. It has delicacy and elegance, but it also packs power, concentration and dark, dry flavors. Intense and concentrated, the richness of the high proportion of Merlot in Palmer’s blend shows through, while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives a fresh lift at the end.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WENo written review provided. | 93 W&SA virile, muscular effort for this estate, the 2001 Palmer (a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot) exhibits a saturated purple color to the rim. Although closed and backward, it is surprisingly powerful, layered, and formidably endowed, revealing hints of charcoal, black fruits, earth, and underbrush. There is a lot going on in this offering, but it needs 5-7 years of cellaring to resolve its high tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Although in the shadow of the millennial vintage, 2001s can be just as good (and on the right bank arguably better). This has a very deep, unevolved colour. The nose has sweet, charming, berry fruit with mint, vanilla and a hint of tobacco. It’s rich and svelte on the palate, concentrated and juicy with fine underlying tannins. There’s an intense sucrosity but with no trace of jamminess. The very long aftertaste is silky with fine, lifted acidity. This is a stylish wine that’s now beginning to show maturity. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2001 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is now fully mature yet in the mid to early stages of its drinking plateau. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that checked in at healthy yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare, its ruby hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of blackcurrants, cedarwood, spice box, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. This is quintessential Pauillac on the nose and classic, medium-bodied, and elegant on the palate, with terrific balance, a beautiful sense of elegance, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s drinking at point for my palate and I don’t see any upside, yet it will certainly evolve gracefully for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA very successful effort for this vintage in the Medoc, this deep ruby/purple-colored Pauillac exhibits class/nobility/breed along with black currant liqueur, licorice, and incense notes. Sweet, expansive, fleshy, and medium to full-bodied, with good structure, ripe tannin, and a long, 30-35 second finish, it can be drunk now, but will be even better in 2-3 years; it will last for 12-15 years. I had this wine three separate times out of bottle, and it is performing significantly better than it did from cask.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2001 Pichon Baron has less fruit intensity on the nose compared to the 2000, and more red fruit, laced with smoke and blood orange – traits that I have noted on previous bottles. Hints of dried blood emerge with time. The focused palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fresh and quite minty. Graphite and a sprinkling of white pepper appear toward the finish. This is one occasion on the Left Bank where I find that the 2000 has more authority, although the 2001 has plenty of charm.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is complex and beautiful now with liquorice and currant, with delicate sweet tobacco character on the nose and palate. Medium-to-full body with subtle, entrancing flavors and textures. So right now. Almost a soya undertone to the subtle fruit. A gorgeous claret at its peak.James Suckling | 92 JSDark-colored, with floral and lanolin aromas with hints of fruit. Full-bodied, with chunky tannins and a long finish. A bit short and austere. Needs bottle age to show its full potential. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

(Château Le Pin, Pomerol, Red)

Intensely botrytised, with loads of allspice and mineral character, yet lively and exciting. Full-bodied, racy and very long. Fresh sweetness.Wine Spectator | 95-98 WSPale gold. Exotic aromas of ripe apricot and sultana raisin, with liqueur-like and candied notes. Very sweet, concentrated and powerful. Extremely young, chewy and dense, with sugar, acidity and alcohol balanced at a high level. Note of licorice. Shows excellent delineation and structure from the outset, as well as terrific length.Vinous Media | 89-92 VMThe Château Nairac 2001 has quite an intense bouquet with dried quince, nougat and hazelnut aromas, slightly more oxidative than its peers and yet still attractive. The palate is well balanced with spicy notes on the entry, well-judged acidity and a lovely marmalade-driven, harmonious finish. This is aging very well and should offer another 10 years of pleasure, possibly more.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NM

Golden yellow. Butterscotch and vanilla, with hints of ripe apples. Full-bodied, with lots of sweetness and a spicy apricot and honey aftertaste. Excellent concentration and balance. Loads of botrytis character on the finish. Intense. Hard not to drink now because it’s so luscious and rich. Best after 2008. 11,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIntensely fruity and rich with wonderful sweetness and loads of spicy and honey character with a dried apricot undertone. It hasn’t changed much since I last tasted it, just bottled. Great 2001. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA medium gold color is accompanied by notes of caramelized oranges, citrus, honeysuckle, creme brulee, and smoke. Full-bodied and opulent, with tremendous intensity, good acidity, and a persistent finish that lasts nearly a minute, this large-scaled, thick, heady Guiraud is one of the finest examples from this estate that I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.Robert Parker | 94 RPBurnt orange colour, with a seductive woodsmoke curl out of the glass. More evolved in character than some, but with the shift in gears comes a savoury, walnut, rare books edge that I love. The fruit character comes through as concentrated nectarine and peach pit, giving both texture and concentration to the finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2001 Guiraud sports a fragrant but not intense nose, featuring the lanolin and apricot notes that I observed previously; touches of grilled walnut surface with time. The lightly spiced palate is very well balanced with a honeyed opening and ginger-infused quince and marmalade flavors. It builds nicely on the finish without fully letting rip. A commendable, delicious Guiraud that should give another 15–20 years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92 VM

La Tour Blanche’s spectacular 2001 boasts a light to medium gold color as well as a big, exotic nose of tropical fruits, honeysuckle, orange marmalade, and creme brulee. In the mouth, notions of peaches, lychees, and caramelized citrus give way to a weighty, full-bodied, concentrated yet incredibly precise and well-delineated sweet white. It is a tour de force in Sauternes! Anticipated maturity: 2009-2035.Robert Parker | 97 RPSoft burnished gold, and lighter in frame that some in the lineup with excellent concentration and uplift. A gentle scattering of white flowers as you travel through the palate, with an enveloping floral fragrance of honeysuckle and lilies. Smoked citrus zest and the tertiary notes of an older Sauternes come in through the finish, along with the caramelised toffee-edged apricots that showcase the evolution of the wine. This is excellent and would be beautiful paired with an apricot tart. Makes me want to cook an apricot tart in fact, which has got to be a good thing. Holds its nerve when I go back after 15 minutes, showing excellent grip. Drinking Window 2021 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2001 La Tour Blanche has a finely knit bouquet of yellow flowers mixed with wild honey, acacia and white peach. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and almost unctuous in the mouth, showing what feels like more residual sugar than its peers. Voluminous and mouth-filling on the finish but missing the tension that would take it up a level. Still, this is a hedonistic delight.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery intense aromas of candied lemons, fresh flowers and vanilla. Full-bodied, very sweet and spicy. Long, long finish. Excellent. Best after 2009. 4,630 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

There is a great link here between the tannins, delicious red berry fruits and blackcurrants and the almost architectural structure. The wine certainly has fine fruit, a great balance, very complete, finishing gently, ripe and soft.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEColour-wise this wine has held itself together a little more than the 2000 vintage. The higher acidity could be down to the cooler nights in 2001, and this displays more grip and vibrancy through the palate. It definitely seems to have further to go on the palate – the fruit is black, tight and a little less expressive right now then the 2000. Nevertheless, this is still an extremely classic St-Julien, not hugely generous but with more intense menthol and cold ash notes. Well balanced. Aged in 50% new oak. A touch of Cabernet Franc makes up the blend. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030Decanter | 91 DECVery perfumed with blackberry and light wet earth. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. Rich and generous for the vintage. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2007. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2001 Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux has held up nicely over the past two decades. Brambly red fruit features on the nose, along with touches of undergrowth and rose petal, and orange peel percolates up with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle, pliant tannins. Soft in texture, maybe, yet well balanced and fresh with a graceful raspberry and cranberry finish, this Deuxième Vin continues to give pleasure.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A brilliant dense purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of camphor, graphite, plums, cassis, and barbecue spices. A prodigious, multilayered, medium-bodied effort with exceptional concentration, a fabulous texture, and a 50-second finish, this brilliant achievement is one of the vintage’s monumental wines. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+. P.S. Yields were a mere 28 hectoliters per hectare, which no doubt explains the wine’s stunning concentration.One of the superstars of the vintage, Pape Clement’s 2001 provides further evidence that this property, ambitiously managed with great dynamism by visionary Bernard Magrez, is pushing quality to the maximum and is obviously attempting to go head to head with its most famous rivals, Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion (both located a few miles from Pape Clement).Robert Parker | 95 RPNo written review provided | 93 W&SThe 2001 Pape Clément has a splendid nose, ripe and forward and more complex than the 2000, featuring a mixture of red and black fruit, sprigs of fresh mint, menthol and juniper, all nicely focused and finely delineated. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. Silky-smooth and persistent, it caresses the mouth with notes of white pepper and mulberry. This was burly and tannic in its youth but has since softened. It’s drinking well at this moment and will do so for another 20 years. Very fine. Aged for 18 months entirely in new oak.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of berries, tobacco and meat follow through to a full-bodied palate, with good fruit, silky tannins and a delicate finish. This is a refined Pape. Best after 2007. 7,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2001 Mouton-Rothschild contains 20% vin de presse and 12.6° alcohol. It has a vibrant, captivating bouquet that explodes from the glass with precocious black cherries, sous-bois, mint and a touch of Seville oranges, displaying precision and class. The medium-bodied palate shows good density and offers sappy black fruit, white pepper and just a touch of tobacco. Quite muscular for a 2001, and perhaps missing the clarity and pixelation that the next winemaker, Philippe Dhalluin, subsequently imparted. This is a thoroughly enjoyable Mouton-Rothschild, even if it is not the same pedigree as recent vintages.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery smoky, with berry, coffee and tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, with polished velvety tannins, plenty of fruit and a cedary aftertaste. Tight and compacted. This is better than the 2000 Mouton. It’s a baby 1986 Mouton. Solid and very, very fine. Persists for a long time on the palate. Best after 2009.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis complex on the nose with black cherry, black currant and graphite aromas. It’s very fleshy on the palate with chewy tannins and lots of fruit. This is still a reserved and structured Bordeaux, but with power lurking beneath. Still a baby.James Suckling | 94 JSNo written review provided. | 91 W&S

Right now, at 20 years old, this wine is approaching its perfect drinking beginning - by which I mean it is now stepping up onto the plateau that the best wines get to, where you don’t need to worry about opening them immediately, but you can feel confident that you are going to be getting the best of them if you choose to do so. Although we didn’t taste the 2000 in this particular lineup, on recent openings it is a more muscular and closed down than the 2001, and will probably last longer, but this is just blindingly delicious right now. The descriptions that are most often associated with Château Margaux must surely be finessed tannins and floral aromatics, and you have both of them in spades, along with gentle roasted fruits of plum and blackberry, violet, cedar spice, liquorice and tobacco. The tannins are fine and full of pleasure. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 100% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 97 DEC“For me, this vintage is what makes Margaux special,” says Margaux winemaker Paul Pontallier. He is right: With its denseness, spice, flavors of black currants layered with dryness and fresh acidity, this is a huge and impressive wine that never forgets that it is Margaux. It is still young, and the dry tannic aftertaste, which lasts for many minutes, shows this.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WESuave from the start, with beguiling tea, singed sandalwood and lilac notes backed by alluring, gently steeped red and black currant fruit. The long finish has an alder edge that stays in lockstep with the fruit, ending with a minerally echo.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2001 Chateau Margaux continues to evolve in impressive fashion. The nose feels sensual, veering towards red rather than black fruit, with disarming purity and perhaps showing more floral/violet character than the 1999. Both display tremendous precision and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied, edgy and tensile with crisp acidity, so fresh and vital in the mouth. Tasted next to the 1996 Château Margaux, it is clear to see that the 2001 is several steps behind, yet the way it fans out with such confidence and brio on the finish assures that this has a prosperous future. Tasted May 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2001 Château Margaux, last tasted five years previously, is slightly deeper in color compared with the 2001 Pavillon. Featuring black plum, raspberry and touches of orange peel, rose petal and light bay leaf aromas, the bouquet is not intense, but it is well defined and focused. The palate is fresh on the entry with fine-boned tannins and a taut line of acidity – a strict Château Margaux that doesn’t want to muck about. It’s little short on the finish, yet sophisticated and providing unadulterated buvabilité. Drinking perfectly now, and it will be enjoyable over the next 15–20 years.Vinous Media | 94 VMNo written review provided. | 91 W&S

The completeness of 2001, with its miraculous balance, is present in this wine. The acidity, ripe blackcurrants sit comfortably on top of dry tannins, the fleshiness of the fruit taking the edge off the tannins. It seems to bring out the structure, the fruit and the refreshing acidity of great Cabernet.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is one of the best vintages of the past 30 years, utterly and absolutely gorgeous. It was first vintage made with Isabelle Davin as the in-house oenologist. Rich and welcoming fruit structure, effortless in how it makes its presence felt, with a mouthwatering finish of charcoal and slate that tempers any suspicions of over-ripeness. This is floating out of the glass, it’s currently at that moment when the great Médoc wines take flight. Even with the gloss of Léoville Poyferré there is no mistaking those Médoc tannins. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 94 DECThe 2001 Léoville Poyferré, which I had not tasted for a decade, is very harmonious on the nose and features slightly darker fruit than the 2000, offering blackberry, cedar, fresh tobacco and smoke aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, lithe tannins, fresher than the 2000 and more backward. It has a disarming velvety texture and turns spicy toward the finish. Hints of clove and bay leaf linger on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SSweet notions of plums, black currants, caramel, and spicy oak are provocative and alluring. Subtle but substantial, layered, and textured, with medium body as well as sexy, up-front flavors, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this beauty is among the most evolved and flamboyant of the appellation. Nevertheless, it should age well. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RPSmoky and rich with lots of spice and berries. Medium- to full-bodied, with very good tannins with soft and silky texture and a medium finish. Not as impressive in bottle as barrel, but outstanding. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A classic in development, a wine that will last for decades. It is certainly powerful, but already the shape is finalized, with its plums and berries settling down with perfumes, acidity, just enough tannins and a warm, welcoming richness. A great argument for the superiority of 2001 over 2000.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2001 Léoville Las Cases is simply stunning. I was fully prepared to decant it given that Las Cases is almost always a brute in its youth. And make no mistake about it, a twenty year-old Las Cases is still a youngster. Quite frankly, I am not at all prepared for the sheer intensity and richness that emanates from the glass. No decanting needed. The 2001 is simply magnificent upon opening. A rush of generous inky blackberry jam, spice, graphite and leather conveys superb textural intensity. Time in the glass helps the aromatics come alive. Shockingly rich and voluptuous, the 2001 is also wonderfully open today. Uncharacteristically so for Las Cases, in fact. But who’s complaining? Certainly not me.Even so, the 2001 is ultimately a mid-weight Las Cases, with plenty of opulent fruit, but not quite the tannic heft that is such a signature of this reference-point St. Julien. Readers lucky enough to own the 2001 are in for a real treat. This is an especially fine bottle, perhaps the finest I have come across. Aside from all the technical analyses and descriptors, what really matters most is that the 2001 is a wine that delivers immense drinking pleasure. I absolutely loved it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGPencil lead, leather, smoked cedar and reserved but carefully sculpted cassis and bilberry fruit - this is Léoville-Las Cases showing its classicism in a vintage that is the home of balanced, nuanced and elegant wines. It continues to open and gather depth over 15 minutes in the glass, suggesting there is plenty of potential ahead, but the tannins have now softened and integrated into the overall structure. Grip and freshness runs right through the palate, and a Cabernet-dominated savouriness makes you salivate through the finish. Plenty of power at 21 years old. Beautiful dark fruits, a successful reflection of a vintage that still has plenty to offer. Drinking Window 2021 - 2044.Decanter | 95 DECA very typical Las Cases with a Pauillac note, even though it’s St.-Julien. Lead pencil, dried herb, currant and black olive. Medium-to full-bodied, firm and creamy with a long finish. It’s very persistent. Pretty austerity. Be sure to decant this a couple of hours in advance. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSComing from an underrated vintage in Bordeaux, the 2001 Château Léoville Las Cases is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and an IPT of 70. This was a milder, cooler year, and the 2001 offers a more complex, mature bouquet of cedary herbs, menthol, tobacco, lead pencils, and dried flowers, with a wonderful core of sweet red and black fruits. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a wonderful mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's drinking at point today yet certainly has another 10-15 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2001 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, it charges out of the glass sporting energetic notes of kirsch, blackberry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles with underlying scents of star anise, cumin seed, potpourri, oolong tea and tobacco leaf plus a waft of incense. The medium-bodied, exquisitely elegant palate explodes with a myriad of exotic spice, floral and dried berries notes, framed by soft tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and with impeccable poise and sophistication.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA long, refined beam of gently mulled black currant and plum fruit is inlaid liberally with a smoldering charcoal note, while tobacco, ganache and warm paving stone accents form the background. A touch reticent through the finish, with the charcoal edge winning out. Shows lovely cut and length.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2035. 11,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSNo written review provided | 93 W&S

The 2001 Latour is magnificent. A huge, structured wine, the 2001 Latour boasts notable depth to match its vertical, towering structure and pure power. At nearly fifteen years of age, the 2001 remains deep, virile and imposing. With air, the 2001 is a approachable now, but ideally it needs at least a few more years in bottle. This is a superb showing by any measure. Frédéric Engerer adds that 2001 was the last vintage that was lightly filtered prior to bottling.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGA wine that’s firing on all cylinders is the 2001 Latour and this beauty over-delivers in the vintage! Based on 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it offers incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, exotic spices, lead pencil shavings, forest floor and truffles. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and incredibly elegant, with polished tannin, it’s utterly irresistible today, yet given its balance and length, I suspect it has another 15-20 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000, the 2001 Latour boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.Robert Parker | 95 RPExtremely attractive aromas of blackberries and currants with just a hint of mineral and oak. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. As it was from barrel; powerful and fast. Serious stuff.Wine Spectator | 95 WSNo written review provided. | 93 W&S

The 2001 Grand Puy-Lacoste is a vintage that I have not tasted for a decade. It’s showing some signs of bricking on the rim. The bouquet does not quite have the intensity of the previous vintage, but it unfolds nicely to reveal a mélange of red and black fruit, tertiary aromas, gravel and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, grippy and much more youthful than the 2000, though it does not quite have the same complexity and terroir expression on the elegant finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2001 Cheval Blanc has a slightly more expressive and less feral bouquet compared to the 2000, perhaps better defined, although I miss the menthol aspect that develops on the previous vintage. But give it an hour’s aeration and it coheres magnificently, gaining more intensity as it manifests dark berry fruit mixed with potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, quite firm and (for this estate) quite austere and strict, though yet again, after an hour it mellows, gaining more rondeur and sensuality. Whereas initially I leaned toward the millennial Cheval Blanc, the 2001 has its nose in front by the end. Tasted at Cheval Blanc.Vinous Media | 96 VMI have always believed in the 2001 Cheval Blanc. It may even be better than the more highly thought of 2000 and it’s certainly much less expensive. It sells for about $550 a bottle compared to $1000 a bottle for the 2000. I drank it recently again and it’s so layered and gorgeous. A wine with superb texture and cedar and chocolate. Full and velvety tannins with sweet tobacco and meat with dried plums. Firm and chewy yet tight and reserved. So young. Decant two hours before serving. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSNo written review provided. | 95 W&SI was surprised by how soft, opulent, even voluptuous the 2001 Cheval Blanc performed out of bottle as this estate’s wines tend to shut down when young. Its deep ruby/purple color was accompanied by sweet aromas of cranberries, black currants, menthol, Asian spices, and underbrush. This seductive blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc reveals a lush sweetness, medium body, and ripe, well-integrated tannin. A racy effort filled with personality, it should be at its finest between 2007-2018.Robert Parker | 93 RPSolid, with warm earth, tobacco and roasted alder notes that have melded nicely into a core of steeped black currant and blackberry compote flavors. Shows a lovely tug of earth through the finish, with a humus detail echoing amid the fruit.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030. 6,406 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Fresh and focused, with violet, berry and cherry character. Medium body, with silky tannins and a clean finish. Best after 2007. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Good bright dark red. Lively aromas of plum, violet, espresso and underbrush; a bit more primary than the Suchots. Impressively concentrated, dense and sweet, with vibrant red fruit and spice flavors. Impeccably balanced, generous 2001, finishing with superb sweetness and breadth. This, too, should reward several years of aging but is fat and pliant already.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis too is reference standard RSV with its wonderfully seductive panoply of spice and fresh crushed herb notes that seamlessly merge with rich, powerful yet refined flavors that pack plenty of punch and length. The length here is simply phenomenal and this is without question the finest wine in the line-up. In short, this is a compelling wine that is endowed with the potential to become a genuinely great wine. Burghound | 92-95 BHFloral, elegant, silky. Full-bodied, a lovely red Burgundy, with smoke, blackberries, black cherries and raspberries swirling around, seducing from start to finish. Clean, pure, long, balanced finish.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSugar-coated creamy red fruits and flowers are found in the aromatic profile of the 2001 Romanee-St.-Vivant. Armed with wonderful depth of fruit, it is medium-bodied, silky-textured, and offers loads of red cherry fruit. An elegant, concentrated wine, it is well-structured and lengthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

(Maison Joseph Drouhin Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) In contrast to the subtlety of the Petits Monts, this is a full out bruiser with big, robust, admirably intense flavors that are, with the Amoureuses, perhaps the most complex of any wines presented today. Very structured and chewy but not at all hard yet purchasers should be prepared for at least a decade of patience as this will require time to reveal all of its considerable potential. A very impressive effort here. (Drink between 2011-2018)Burghound | 90-93 BHPure, expressive aromas of red cherries are displayed by the medium to dark ruby-colored 2001 Bonnes Mares. Medium-bodied, exhibiting outstanding depth of fruit, as well as a well-delineated personality, this is a red cherry, stony black fruit, and spice-flavored beauty. In addition, it wows the taster with an exceptionally long, flavorful finish. Projected maturity: 2004-2011.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPMedium red. Sweetly oaky aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco and fresh herbs. Dense, fat and lush, with vibrant flavors of red fruits, minerals, wild herbs and earthy underbrush. Not quite as silky-sweet as Drouhin’s Musigny, but finishes very long and aromatic, with firm but suave tannins.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A terrific sleeper value, Stephan von Neipperg’s 2001 Clos de l’Oratoire boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as a rich nose of melted licorice, espresso roast, black currants, minerals, smoke, and earth. This opulent, medium-bodied St.-Emilion exhibits abundant quantities of fruit and glycerin along with a fleshy, ripe, expansive finish with no hard edges. Some tannin lurks beneath the surface, but this is a beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 10-12 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

This sports serious heft, with a core of brooding fig jam, ganache, Christmas pudding and pastis-soaked black currant notes, followed by a powerhouse finish of smoldering charcoal and tar. The feel is remarkably velvety and rounded overall, with a mouthwatering licorice root element adding to the already considerable length. Best from 2026 through 2056. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThough declared back in 2003, the 2001 Quinta do Noval Nacional was not officially released until 2016 because Christian Seely deemed it too backward and tannic in its youth. Matured in used wooden barrels for 20 months, it has a limpid purple hue with very slight bricking at the rim. The utterly captivating bouquet features multilayered black cherries, cassis, crushed violets and hints of iodine, all extremely delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with a satin-like texture that renders this Nacional deceivingly approachable, and yet this is clearly a Vintage Port with decades still ahead of it. Amazingly well focused, this 2016 has a brightness and vivacity that probably manifested during the years it was kept back. Stunning. 250 cases produced. Tasted at the Vinous off-line dinner at La Trompette.Vinous Media | 98 VMNacional Vintage Port comes from a small parcel of ungrafted vines on a series of terraces at the Noval estate. It is a legendary wine, produced only occasionally. This wine is still impressively young and shows that it will age for decades. With its dark black fruits and succulent tannins, it is powerful and concentrated. Drink this wine from 2021 and for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEI loved the 2001 Nacional, which is just singing right now. Possessing a huge nose of roasted herbs, black olives, licorice, coffee grinds, and sandalwood, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly layered texture that stays lively, balanced and clean. This heady, ripe, sensationally complex Port should continue to stay on this plateau of maturity for another 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2001 Vintage Port Nacional is a typical blend, mostly Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Aged for 20 months in old barrels in Douro, it comes in with 19.3% alcohol and 76.8 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a late release, declared in 2003 but just now about to hit the market. Christian Seely said: "[T]he 2001 was extremely backward and quite closed up, dense and very tannic. Since we had just declared and released the 2000 Nacional, we decided to lay down the 250 cases of Nacional 2001 ..." The late release has certainly tamed this. It still feels very firm and has a real backbone, but it is not overly drying and it is a lot more approachable than newly-released Nacionals can be. By day three, though, it was showing a bit more pure power and complexity--and it seemed far better.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPTight and linear vintage Port with ripe berries, almonds, chocolate and hints of spices. Medium to full body, racy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very beautiful now.James Suckling | 93 JS

Lots of cool blue fruit and violets with some stones and chocolate orange. Supple, silky and very sleek tannins. Medium to full body. Lengthy and fresh on the finish. 75% cabernet franc and 25% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe surprisingly heady, forward 2001 Chapelle d’Ausone provides a wonderful introduction to Ausone. Its dense plum/purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of blueberries, blackberries, incense, minerals, and Asian spices. Ripe and opulent, it is best drunk over the next 10-12 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP