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Shows interesting aromas of chocolate, meat and berry, with hints of fresh cèpe. Turns floral and aromatic. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a medium finish. Very balanced and pretty. Elegant and seductive. This is the last year of LTHB. Best after 2014. 2,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRuby-red. Plum, black raspberry and cedary oak on the nose. Pure but a bit tightly wound, with lovely texture and uncompromising dryness to the dark raspberry and tobacco flavors. With aeration, this gained in depth and breadth and showed lovely sweetness, but there's very firm acidity here for the vintage. Built to age. Should make an excellent last vintage for this bottling.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

This is a great success for the year, a wine that is dense, characterized by balance between sweet fruit and solid tannins. Spice from the finely judged wood aging adds extra complexity, as do the plum and berry fruits. For aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis was really a vintage of the Left Bank, as the weather only got into its stride (apart from an excellently warm April) in September and October, with a long, sunny harvest period that favoured Cabernet Sauvignon. And it can be seen in this spicy, smoky, chocolate-layered Leoville Barton. Elegant finely-boned tannins, plenty of cedar and hedgerow, and overall some delicious St Julien balance. Ready to drink but going nowhere any time soon. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042.Decanter | 93 DECTasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Leoville-Barton is more vigorous and fruit-driven than the Langoa, with gorgeous dark berry fruit, wilted rose petals and orange blossom scents that really blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a sensual, quite rounded opening that belies the structure of this Leoville Barton, armed with black pepper and cedar towards the long finish. This is a Saint Julien that has always threatened to come good and at ten years of age, and it is beginning to take flight. A couple of cases of this in your cellar and you cannot go wrong. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThis has a wonderful nose, with blackberry, currant and cigar box. Complex and full-bodied, with layers of ripe, polished tannins and a very long finish. Juicy, yet refined and agile. Best after 2014. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSRuby-red. Perfumed aromas of cassis, licorice and herbs; showing more fruit today than the Langoa. Then tight but pliant, with an enticing restrained sweetness and a light gamey nuance to the currant and black cherry fruit fla vors. Finishes persistent and floral, with dusty tannins that spread out to saturate the palate. Lovely claret.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2008 Croix de Beaucaillou has an intense blackberry and briary scented bouquet with fine mineralité and delineation. This just soars from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well judged acidity, plenty of cedar infused black fruit with a touch of tobacco towards the persistent finish. This is a well crafted and quite delicious 2008 Saint Julien that should give a decade’s more drinking pleasure. What panache for a deuxième vin. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMVery elegant, sweet currants and red cherries intermixed with spice and flower notes all emerge from a glass of the 2008 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou. Medium-bodied, silky, and seamless on the palate, it's a classy, balanced, and nuanced 2008 that's drinking beautifully today.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD(La Croix de Beaucaillou) The 2008 La Croix de Beaucaillou is an excellent example of the vintage, as it delivers the seamless harmony, great depth and superb signature of soil that makes this vintage so exciting. The first rate bouquet offers up a complex blend of cassis, dark berries, tobacco leaf, gravel, espresso and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and destined to blossom into a very complex wine, with a fine core of fruit, firm, well-integrated tannins, good acids and excellent length and grip on the bouncy finish. A fine, fine result. (Drink between 2018-2045)John Gilman | 91 JGAn outstanding wine and a great sleeper of the vintage, this second wine exhibits a denser purple color along with a sweet kiss of creme de cassis, licorice, incense and graphite. Fruity and medium to full-bodied , with an impressive texture and supple tannins, this wine should drink well for 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

This is a major sleeper of the vintage and the finest Senejac I have tasted. The team from Pontet Canet, who have done such a phenomenal job at that estate, were in charge of making this Senejac, and the result, not surprisingly, is a sensational wine that consumers need to buy by the case. Dense purple, with notes of creme de cassis, incense, licorice and forest floor, this wine is delicious and full-bodied, with sweet tannins, low acidity, copious fruit and exceptional concentration. Everything is in balance, and the wine is capable of lasting 10 or more years.Robert Parker | 93 RPBerry and earthy, spicy character. Toasted oak. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins. A little hollow.Wine Spectator | 87-90 WS

Lots of currants, berries and chocolate on the nose and palate. Full and chewy. Solid tannin structure. Better in 2015.James Suckling | 92 JSLove the nose of currant and mineral, with hints of mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium finish. Tannic. Maybe too much. But I think it's going to come out excellent.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis uncompromising property has turned out a backward, forbiddingly tannic wine that, even in this very opulent and flamboyant vintage, will need a minimum of 10-15 years of cellaring yet keep for 40 or more years. Opaque black/purple, with notes of crushed rock, white flowers, graphite, blueberry and cassis, the wine is tight and needs to be coaxed from the glass. It is medium to full-bodied, with an excruciatingly tough-textured finish. Everything is here, and the wine is set for a long life, but it is not the least bit charming and certainly won’t be for at least another decade.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Shows pretty plum and spice character, with full body, velvety tannins and a dried lemon and subtle fruit aftertaste. Rich and structured. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2009 Chasse-Spleen has a simple, earthy bouquet, a little dustiness at first although that soon dissipates with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly soft tannin on the entry, moderate depth, well-judged acidity with a sandalwood and tobacco infused finish that has a spring in its step. A very fine for Chasse-Spleen, although not my personal favourite vintage. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMDense tannins over delicious blackberry juicy fruit. A finely structured wine, good freshness and sweet aftertaste.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEBeautiful blueberry, black raspberry and cassis fruit as well as incense and graphite jump from the glass of this inky ruby/purple-colored wine. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, dense and rich, this is one of the stars of Moulis in 2009. Given its low acidity but abundant tannin, I suspect it could close down in a few years and last two decades.Robert Parker | 90 RPThis polished, precise red exhibits delicious mulled black cherry, sleek cassis and dark plum fruit all inlaid with hints of toasted spice and mesquite. A nice flash of chalk helps give the finish cut. Drink now through 2015. 29,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Delivers blueberry and blackberry aromas, with hints of dark chocolate. Full-bodied, featuring chewy, rich tannins and a beautiful velvety texture. This is superb. Really structured.Wine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis is always made with the young vines. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and gorgeous mineral, dark berry and spice character. Lovely velvet texture. Amazing quality for a second wine. Best in 2017.James Suckling | 96 JSRich and smooth, with some juicy character, the fruit with black cherries, licorice and sweet jam. At the level of many top wines, this is the second wine Château Ausone.Wine Enthusiast | 92-94 WERepresenting nearly half of the production, this estate’s second wine, the 2009 La Chapelle d’Ausone, is an extraordinary effort. Better than many of the grand vins made during the 1970s and 1980s, it is an equal part blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc revealing an inky/blue/purple color along with notes of incense, blueberries, raspberries and crushed rocks (which give the wine a distinctive minerality). Medium to full-bodied as well as exceptionally pure, broad and opulent, it should drink well for two decades or more.Robert Parker | 92 RPBright ruby. Cool, complex aromas of cassis, licorice, Thai basil, fresh herbs, gingerbread and coconutty oak. Bright and firm, even a bit youthfully ungiving, but juicy and penetrating, with an exhilarating note of Asian spices. Very tight and firm on the long, vibrant back end. A second wine with a very strong personality of its own.Vinous Media | 91 VM(La Chapelle d’Ausone) The second wine of Ausone is a very classy and thoroughly modern wine that will drink well with five or six years of bottle age. The nose is deep and complex, as it offers up scents of black cherries, cocoa, vinesmoke, fresh herbs, espresso, soil and new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tangy, with a really impressive base of soil for a more modern styled wine. The finish is long and shows just a bit of firm tannin that will want resolution. A extremely impressive second wine. (Drink between 2016-2035)John Gilman | 87-90 JG

The 2009 Lafon-Rochet feels just a little pinched at first, but it soon opens with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and antique armchair aromas. Very fine delineation here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and very fine tannin, pure black fruit laced with cedar and black pepper, segueing into a slightly earthy but persistent finish. Maybe it just needs a little more grip but otherwise this is a great Lafon-Rochet from Basile Tesseron. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMPretty aromas of menthol and other spices and red fruits. Full to medium body with fine tannins and a refined finish. Very lovely now but obviously better in 2015.James Suckling | 92 JSThis is a chateau that is getting better and better. This 2009 is packed with sweet fruit, impressive tannins and a complex dark structure. It is fruity, yet powerful, for good aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEJuicy and very lively, with lots of briar, currant, cherry, toasty spice and anise notes all framed by bright floral and iron hints. The long finish has excellent cut and drive. Best from 2013 through 2021. 11,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis wine seems to be one of the few that has not yet recovered from bottling. In a somewhat monolithic, latched-down style, it has plenty of stuffing, lots of structure and an impressive dark ruby/purple color, but it is very hard to coax from the glass. It is a rather classic St.-Estephe made by the Tesseron family, with its distinctive blood orange label, but this wine seems to beg for another 5-7 years of bottle age. The final blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc has some impressive fruit, but the wine just seems slightly more clipped and narrow than I remember it from barrel. Hopefully, time will mellow out this impression. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Perfumed, with raspberries and flowers and hints of lemon. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a chewy finish. Austere now, but stylish. Best after 2018.James Suckling | 93 JSServed blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Ferriere '09 is a little disjointed on the nose at the moment and lifted floral notes and an agreeable sense of space and airiness. The palate is medium-bodied with a sappy, iodine tinged entry. It is sweet and rounded in the mouth, although it does not show great weight, but the finish is long and graceful, underpinned by fine tannins. Lovely. Tasted January 2013.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP-NMA solid effort, with attractive, balanced black currant fruits and ripe acidity. The wine layers fruit and integrated tannins. It feels chunky and dense, finishing dryWine Enthusiast | 90 WESmoky and silky, with enticing black tea, mulled spice and fleshy plum and black currant fruit that melds nicely together through the tobacco-filled finish. Drink now through 2019. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Soft red fruit and fresh coffee. Some chocolate and spice. Beautifully textured fruit on the palate with a bright acidity and velvety tannins. Very long and smooth finish. So enjoyable already. Best ever from here? Better in 2015.James Suckling | 92 JSThis has a really nice graphite frame that drives the core of fig, plum and boysenberry fruit authoritatively, with dense ganache, espresso and tar on the finish. The grip is keeping things tight now, but this should meld in the cellar, as the underlying feel is energetic. Best from 2015 through 2025. — JMWine Spectator | 92 WSThis is one of the better, more supple Fombrauge wines to date, with a better integration of toasty oak than I have usually seen at this stage of this wine’s development. The grapes were picked late, with the harvest finishing on October 22, and that has given the wine wonderful ripeness and plenty of chocolaty espresso notes intermixed with incense, black cherries and black currants. The oak is subtle, and the wine full-bodied, attractive, deep, round and generous. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.This significant estate in St.-Emilion, with one of the biggest, if not the largest, vineyards in Bordeaux, has produced a wine composed of 80% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.Robert Parker | 91 RP

This full, fruity wine is packed with acidity as well as ripeness. It has a fresh black-currant character, and the structure underneath is strong. It will develop relatively quickly, but then could hold at its peak for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAs with other 2010s, this Kirwan is especially youthful in aspect and rather foreboding, with power and structure coming to the fore. Time in the glass reveals fine-grained tannins and a sense of overall balance, marked with flavours of cassis, mint leaf and liquorice. I appreciate the impressive mid-palate density leading to a finish with pleasing lift, although this is more about power than floral elegance.Decanter | 94 DECDried berry and plum character on the nose and palate. Full body, with chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Lots of beautiful and ripe fruit here. Better after 2017.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Kirwan) The 2010 Kirwan is a very good example of the vintage, with impressive balance and a sense of measured ripeness that is most refreshing in this over the top year. The deep and classy nose jumps from the glass in a mélange of cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, gravelly soil tones, tobacco leaf, new oak and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a rock solid core of pure fruit, firm, ripe and well-integrated tannins and impressive length and grip on the finish. A fine result. (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGAs always, this estate has produced a blockbuster style of Margaux in 2010, with the more masculine side of the appellation providing density, power, big body, loads of fruit, extract and richness. This wine is powerful and concentrated, but by no means excessively extracted. Dense purple, muscular, deep and impressive, it is a wine that allows for no compromise among wine lovers. Forget it for 6-10 years and drink it over the following 20-40 years.Robert Parker | 92+ RPBright ruby-red. Brooding aromas of boysenberry, licorice and shoe polish. Dense, sweet and creamy but serious too, with excellent definition and underlying minerality to the blueberry, cassis and spice flavors. For all its richness, this rather powerful wine is currently dominated by its structure, but the tannins are supported by mid-palate concentration of material.Vinous Media | 91+ VMTangy and elegant, with lilac, iron, red currant and cherry notes all mingling together and carrying through the focused finish. Not big, but pure, lengthy and showing fine minerality. Drink now through 2025. 9,166 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This firm, dry wine is solidly rich and full in the mouth. With fine acidity and black currant fruit that show through the tannins, it is a wine with considerable potential.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is not as concentrated as some vintages, but is an enjoyable Giscours with plenty going for it over the medium term. Smoky black fruit aromas lead to good weight on the attack and through the mid-palate, suggesting careful and well-controlled extraction of ripe fruits. This takes its time to open and is relatively subdued, but has an enjoyable depth and spiciness. The acidity is juicy rather than tight. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECA bright and fruity wine with a hot stone and currant character. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a fresh finish. Citrus undertone. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2012 Giscours offers up a profile of savory herbs, smoke, tobacco, licorice, dried rose petal, all backed up by beams of tannin that will ensure the 2012 will drink well for another decade plus. The Giscours is a bit wild and unrestrained, as it so often is, but the 2012 is very nicely balanced throughout, with lovely persistence and plenty of harmony.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has a noticeable pepper and charcoal backdrop, but the core of black tea, crushed plum and warm currant confiture holds sway overall, while refined tannins carry the finish. Should fill out a bit more with cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2022. 23,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2014 Haut-Bailly has turned out beautifully. Dark, sumptuous and expressive, the 2014 exudes depth and finesse. Ample and resonant on the palate, with striking depth, the 2014 possesses exceptional balance and class. Hints of smoke, tobacco and licorice infuse the deep, creamy finish.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA very well-made, modern wine with ripe cherry and cassis notes but rather discrete oak. The bright fruit and lively acidity balance the moderately dry tannins very well, and the finish is long and quite complex. Compacted. Needs time to open. Beautiful.James Suckling | 95 JSInitial tight acidity in this crisp wine gives way to smooth rich black fruits. This already has a fine balance with its ripe juiciness and delicious red-berry flavors. It is going to develop into a very fine wine. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEConcentrated depths to the fruit, with a silky texture that is striking. Cool blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, along with high floral aromatics, speaks to a summer that was cooler than ideal but one that followed by a beautiful September that allowed for full ripening. This is still extremely young and pretty much in its dumb phase right now, as those tannins close in around the fruit, but with huge promise for the future. I would give it another three or four years before getting going, or ensure a long carafing. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2014 Château Haut Bailly is a beauty and shows the best of the vintage in its charming, forward, complex bouquet of black cherries, kirsch, dried flowers, and black raspberries, with just a hint of building earthy minerality and tobacco. Pure silk on the palate, with medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and a great mid-palate, it’s a rock star 2014 to enjoy over the coming two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2014 Haut Bailly has a charming, quite intense bouquet with layers of blackberry, raspberry coulis, black olive and melted tar scents that soar from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity, harmonious and focused with superb density and precision towards the finish. This is a classy number and alongside Domaine de Chevalier, it is one of the standouts from the appellation in this vintage.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThis shows admirable density for the vintage, with a strong loamy echo amid the core of dark currant, fig and plum compote flavors. Loads of tobacco and tar details join in on the finish, while the fruit easily keeps pace. Rock-solid. Best from 2020 through 2035. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Rusticity on the nose, sour cherries, sweet strawberries and red plums. The texture stands out, smooth but succulent and quietly powerful. This is all in balance, not as mouthwatering as some, feels on the richer, slightly darker side of the spectrum with dark chocolate, fig, cocoa and even a tiny hint of leather, then sweet liquorice and some oak spice comes in at the end. Good winemaking on show, this has structure and sophistication with a nice balance of tannins and fruit. Easy drinking, a crowd pleaser but will continue to age. Have with food. Terra Vitis. (Drink between 2022-2032)Decanter | 92 DECSeriously savory and texturally complex this is a powerful wine that’s also very fresh. I love the long, crisp finish. If this had a little bit more concentration it would be sensational. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSWith smoky aromas and structured tannins, this is still young and firm. Under those tannins, the black currant fruit is developing to give a ripe wine with fine acidity and structure. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2015 Beaumont feels quite sophisticated on the nose with wild strawberry and subtle pressed flower scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grip and fine tannin, plus plenty of classic tobacco-infused fruit on the finish. This is a superb wine from Beaumont. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMOne of the standouts in my Cru Bourgeois tasting was the 2015 Château Beaumont. This charming, plump, medium-bodied beauty has real class as well as traditional notes of ripe cherries, flowers, tobacco leaf and underbrush. With moderate tannin and an already approachable style, enjoy it over the coming decade or so. It’s well worth seeking out.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDTasted at the Cru Bourgeois annual tasting, the 2015 Beaumont has a more exotic bouquet than its peers with red cherries, wild strawberry and pressed flowers. It gains more and more refinement as it aerates. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured opening, the tannin enrobed with clean and pure blackberry and raspberry fruit, leading to a dense finish that just needs to attain more detail. Good potential. Tasted September 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

Dense tannins and rich black fruits mark this ripe wine that was organically grown. Its tannins are cushioned by the concentrated but generous black fruits giving the wine great purity as well as structure. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a juicy core of dark currant, plum and bitter cherry fruit lined with streaks of charcoal and singed iron. A tobacco leaf note wafts through the finish, which has persistent but integrated toast. Solid grip. Best from 2019 through 2029.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 La Vieille Cure has some cedary notes to begin, giving way to scents of red and black currants, blackberries and forest floor plus hints of truffles and iron ore. Full-bodied and packed with vibrant fruit, the oak still stands apart a tad in the flavor profile and structure, yet it should emerge beautifully with another 2-3 years in bottle and drink for the following 15-20 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPA savory and fruity red with plum, chocolate-powder and berry character. Full body, lightly chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSA year in, year out value, the 2015 Chateau La Vieille Cure might just be the best yet. This full-bodied, opulent, incredibly sexy 2015 gives up loads of black currants, tobacco, Asian spices, and earth-like aromas and flavors. With low acidity, a mouth-filling, dense, sumptuous texture, and sweet tannin, it’s a downright old-world fruit bomb that’s a joy to drink. Buy a case and drink bottles over the coming decade or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2015 La Vieille Cure is superb. Ample and explosive on the palate, with tremendous depth, the 2015 is an arrestingly beautiful wine that never lets up. Red cherry jam, licorice, new leather, blood orange and spice all infuse this flamboyant, spectacularly rich Fronsac. What a wine!Antonio Galloni | 92 AGRich, round and full flavoured with spice and dark fruit notes. A lovely mid-palate; tannins well rounded. Seductive wine that will be accessible early.Drinking Window 2019 - 2028Decanter | 90 DEC

A dusty and pretty wine with cigar-box, chocolate and plum character. Full body, round and polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs three or four years to come together. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Grand Pontet has a more opulent bouquet than some of its peers, although I found more control and definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with a sprinkle of dark chocolate on the entry, although here it does not occlude the terroir, and the fineness of the tannins can be seen underneath. It is a bold Saint Émilion, but it does not push everything too far.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP-NMLayers of bitter chocolate, coffee, pencil shavings and spicy dark fruit combine with fine grained tannins and a youthful freshness. (Drink between 2024-2036)Decanter | 90 DEC

Wild nose. Impressive, deep hue and a wealth of fresh, violet-like aromas, as well as cassis, graphite and dark cherries. The palate has a very sleek, fine, powerful core of tannins that bring a lot of depth and deliver rich dark-fruit flavor. A classic Meyney. Best since 1961! Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Meyney has a very deep color. The bouquet is a stunner, delivering intense, mineral-rich black fruit pixelated to the nth degree. This is extremely focused and conveys the energy of a tightly coiled spring. The extremely well-balanced palate offers fine-grained tannins and superb acidity. Very pure and focused, with a harmonious, vibrant finish that lingers in the mouth. You can feel this lingering 45–60 seconds after the wine has exited. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Château Meyney, St-Estèphe, Red) Rich and full, this is very St-Estèphe: round through the mid-palate, with an amazingly tasty balance of richness and freshness leading to salinity and minerality on the finish. It will need another five to eight years before being ready to drink, but it has to be one of the value picks of the vintage. (Drink between 2021-2036)Decanter | 94 DECSolidly built, with a dark and juicy core of currant, plum and blackberry reduction flavors, inlaid with charcoal and smoldering tobacco notes. Offers a pleasant loamy tug through the finish. Gutsy wine. The better of two bottles tasted. Best from 2022 through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS