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Wonderful aromas of blackberries, Indian spices and currants with hints of dried flowers. Medium body, linear, tight and ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Beautiful now but this will improve with age.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine is characterized by both structure and rich fruitiness. A dark, smoky character brings out the solid tannins that underlie the black currant fruitiness and the balance. Although it doesn’t have power, an intensity gives a flavor that lasts in the mouth. Drink this wine from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA wonderful surprise today, the 2011 Les Forts de Latour is terrific. Pliant, silky and racy, the 2011 offers considerable suppleness and sheer appeal. Hints of sweet tobacco, herb, licorice, cloves and leather add aromatic nuance throughout, but it is the wine’s overall balance and feel that are most impressive. The 2011 will drink nicely for at least another handful of years. From a pure pleasure perspective, it is the most enjoyable of Latour’s three new releases at this stage.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Les Forts de Latour (barrel sample)) The 2011 Forts de Latour is an excellent and quite structured wine that will demand time in the cellar, but clearly reward those patient enough to tuck it away and forget it for twelve to fifteen years. Thirty-five percent of the blend this year is merlot, as more was relegated to the second wine than the grand vin in 2011. The bouquet on this superb Forts de Latour offers up a very pure, primary and classic mélange of sweet cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones and a touch of nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with a sappy core of fruit, excellent focus and grip and a very long, ripely tannic and powerful finish. I love the cooler fruit tones of the 2011 wines here, as with just a smidgeon over thirteen percent alcohol gives this wine a precision to its soil signature that is far superior to the more heady 2010 version. A very, very impressive second wine! (Drink between 2025-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2011 Les Forts de Latour has a very refined bouquet, understated at first but gaining intensity in the glass with an attractive estuarine tincture developing and complementing the black fruit. Later on, there is a trademark touch of Pauillac mintiness coupled with black olives. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe tannin and very good weight in the mouth, the fruit profile leaning more towards the red side of the spectrum than black. This feels lithe and supple in the mouth, fleshy and generous with a smooth finish that slips down the throat. Enjoy this now and over the next 15-20 years. Tasted March 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMA tightly coiled version, with a strong iron base that keeps the core of plum, black currant and bitter cherry pinned down for now. A bolt of graphite courses through the finish. This is very solid, showing some serious cut. Best from 2016 through 2026. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

(Clos St. Denis- Domaine Dujac) I have a fair bit of Dujac Clos St. Denis in my cellar, but I cannot recall any previous vintage as promising as the 2011 showed at the time of my visit in November. This is one of the most elegant of all the grand crus in the Côte de Nuits and this has obviously dovetailed brilliantly with the style of the 2011 vintage. The stunning nose soars from the glass in a glorious mélange of cherries, blood orange, gamebirds, cinnamon, roses, beautiful minerality, cocoa, peonies and a discreet base of spicy wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and absolutely ethereal in style, with great mid-palate depth and nascent complexity, laser-like focus, suave tannins and magical grip and focus on the very, very long and very transparent finish. This beautiful wine already dances across the palate and it will be a legend in the years to come! (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 96 JGA model of elegance and finesse, the 2011 Clos St. Denis presents a hugely attractive fabric laced with orange peel, rose petals and sweet spices. The 2011 is an especially floral, lifted Clos St. Denis endowed with terrific energy and focus, while the mid-weight structure suggests it will drink well relatively early.Vinous Media | 95 VMDeep, profound wine with dark berries, cinnamon and spices. Velvety tannins and long finish. Terroir-driven, very intense flavours, amazing depth. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DEC(Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Red) Here too an adroit application of wood serves as a discreet foil for the more obvious floral aromas that enjoy added scope from the presence of pure, spicy and highly complex red and dark berry scents. There is an abundance of mouth coating extract that imparts a suave, even lush character to the very rich medium-bodied flavors that are an exercise in finesse and refinement while offering controlled power and outstanding length. A classic Clos St. Denis of class and grace. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 93 BHThe 2011 Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru is missing a little cohesion on the nose, rather loose-knit with broody, stony red berry fruit. Fortunately, it begins to come together with rigorous swirling of the glass and musters much better focus. The palate is medium-bodied with quite chalky tannins on the entry. There is a fine core of red cherries, pomegranate and attractive saline notes toward the masculine finish. It is more approachable than other vintages that I have tasted at this stage, but it deserves three or four years in bottle because there is a lot of potential here. Drink 2015-2025.I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

A super effort from Chateau Canon, this property, owned by the proprietors of the haute couture house of Chanel, has turned in a stunningly rich 2011 Canon with a full-bodied texture and surprising concentration and purity. It is a noble, intense Canon with sweet tannin, lavish concentration (atypical for the vintage), and a stunningly long finish. It should drink well for two decades, and will always be one of the major stars of the vintage. Bravo!Robert Parker | 94 RPAlso brilliant, and actually not far off the 2005, the 2011 Canon is a nominal blend of mostly Merlot with 25-30% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used French oak. Its youthful purple/plum color is followed by a sweet bouquet of red and black currants, kirsch, licorice, chalky minerality, and ample Asian inspired spices. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it’s still youthful but drinking well, and has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. It’s a terrific 2011!.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD(Château Canon) The 2011 Château Canon is a stellar example of the vintage. The deep, pure and utterly refined nose offers up a pure and sappy mélange of black cherries, dark berries, woodsmoke, dark soil tones, coffee bean and a judicious base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied and beautifully balanced, with a sappy core of fruit, a lovely signature of soil, fine focus and a very long, ripely tannic and palate-staining finish. This is nowhere near as powerful as the 2010 Canon, but in terms of ultimate quality it is at least as good as the previous vintage and in terms of style and grace, I have a strong preference for this utterly classic wine. The 2011 vintage provided considerable potential for those on the Right Bank who did everything correctly, and this was obviously the case with the team at Canon, who have made a beautiful wine in this vintage. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 94 JGA firm and tannic wine, it has the weight to support its tannins. It’s balanced, solid and dense, with a powerful shot of black fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA young red with polish and poise. It sneaks up on you. Full body with plum, blackberry and light mineral and chalk undertones. Extremely fine tannins that build on your palate. The texture makes this wine outstanding. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSPretty solid, with a core of plum cake and blackberry confiture studded with warm ganache and fruitcake notes. The plush, open finish has a flattering feel, showing subtle persistence. Drink now through 2022.Wine Spectator | 91 WSBright full ruby. Floral blackberry, raspberry, licorice, lead pencil and a faint herbal note on the nose. Juicy, spicy and precise, offering good sweetness to its red and dark fruit flavors. Finishes fresh, focused and long, with very good grip and a white pepper nuance.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This is a solid, concentrated wine from a reliable chateau. It has weight and power, with rich black fruits balanced with fresh acidity. Touches of bitter extraction and wood aging are likely to integrate as the wine ages. It should develop into an impressive and powerful wine. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2011 Pichon-Baron has an impressive bouquet with intense mineral-driven black fruit, cedar and a lovely marine influence that comes through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious with a fine bead of acidity. Classy, sophisticated, this has plenty of breeding. Superb. This is perhaps the best bottle that I have encountered. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMJuicy black fruits, including cherry, blackcurrant, and blueberry with an undercurrent of graphite. Medium body but an enticingly juicy and surprisingly creamy-textured mouthfeel in the context of this vintage where the tannins are so often quite grippy. This wine already provides immense pleasure on the palate. Bravo! Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Pichon-Longueville) I have been quite a fan of the young vintages of Château Pichon-Longueville in the last decade or so, but I crossed paths with a handful of vintages from early in the decade during the many events held for En Primeur and I was rather dismayed to see the wines seemingly drying out from their high percentage of new oak. This included the 2001, which should have been starting to really drink splendidly, but was instead astringent from uncovered wood tannins. Now, I am beginning to wonder about whether or not the high percentage of very spicy new oak used here is not too heavy a load for the wine to carry over time. In any event, the 2011 Château Pichon-Longueville is a very cabernet-dominated wine this year, with fully eighty-two percent of the blend comprised of this varietal. The nose is pure and really stunning, offering up scents of black cherries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravel, coffee bean and plenty of spicy (Taransaud?) new barrels. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and deep and pure on the attack, with a very good core of fruit (particularly for 2011), fine focus and a long, very primary and very tannic finish. There is a distinct dry edge to the tannins at the present time, and a year ago I would have given this wine the benefit of the doubt. But, having seen a couple of recent vintages drying out from wood tannins, I am not entirely sure about how the 2011 Château Pichon-Longueville will evolve with bottle age. It will certainly be at least a very good wine, but will it also be a bit marred a decade down the road by its eighty percent new oak in this vintage? (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 88-92 JGA Pichon Baron with currants and cocoa powder. It’s a little lean but shows lovely full body, bright fruit and polished tannins. Lovely race and finesse. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 92 JSShows a taut feel for now, with lots of cassis and blackberry fruit, lined with iron and bramble notes. Dark and well-toasted yet integrated overall, this should stretch out after moderate cellaring, as there’s an ample core of dark, fleshy fruit. Best from 2016 through 2028. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSIts bigger, more famous sibling, the 2011 Pichon Longueville Baron exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, an opulent mouthfeel for a 2011, silky tannins and no hard edges. Medium-bodied and well-endowed, it is a major success in this vintage. It should hit its stride in 3-4 years and last for 15+.Robert Parker | 91 RPThe 2011 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a classic, solid, outstanding 2011 that offers textbook cedar and lead pencil notes as well as a core of dark fruits, medium-bodied richness, ripe tannin, and a focused, chiseled, yet balanced style on the palate. It’s drinking nicely today but will last for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Caramelized fruit, coffee bean, espresso, black cherry liqueur, licorice and spice aromas jump from the glass of this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. Concentrated and silky-textured, this full-bodied, voluptuous wine is a brilliant example of the 2011 vintage. Give it 2-4 more years in the bottle and enjoy it over the next 15 or more.Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is extremely bright and exotic, with crushed berries, flowers, orange peel and strawberries. Full body with a super-refined tannin structure and gorgeous, subtle chocolate, coffee and orange peel with red fruits. You want to drink it now, but better in 2016.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Le Pin) The 2011 Le Pin is a very good wine, but it is not in the top division of Pomerols this year. The deep and primary nose offers up a lovely mélange of dark plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, fresh herbs and a fine base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with a sappy core and a fair bit of firm, well-integrated tannins on the long finish. This will need at least a decade to blossom, and should drink well for thirty or more years. Good juice, but without quite the personality of the best 2011 Pomerols. (Drink between 2025-2050)John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2011 Le Pin is a vintage that I tasted in barrel but inexplicably never in bottle. It was picked on September 12 and 13 at 35hl/ha and, significantly, it was the first vintage to be vinified in the new winery. I gave it a tepid reception back then, and almost a decade later, though Jacques Thienpont clearly has a soft spot for the 2011, I cannot confess to being as taken with it as the 2012 or 2014, for example. It has retained a Burgundy, quasi-Musigny bouquet of red berry fruit infused with mocha and black truffle, the mocha element becoming pronounced after three or four hours. You might describe it as comely, yet far from profound. The palate is medium-bodied with fine cohesion. I would not call the 2011 a complex Le Pin, although it has developed an appealing rounded body and slightly granular texture. The red fruit is infused with brown spices and mocha, a subtle gamy/ferrous note emerging with aeration. But it never quite kicks in like the finest vintages, content to remain a “very pleasant Pomerol” rather than a “knock ’em dead Le Pin.” It is at its peak now and is best drunk over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Well defined, intense black fruits on the nose are a little reserved, but I like the depth to the fruit on the palate. There's definitely a lot to like here, with the generous liquorice and chocolate you often find in Giscours along with firm, brambly black fruit flavours and the elegant freshness of the vintage. It's nearly ready to drink, generous in feel if not hugely full-throttle compared to the 2009 and 2010. I would suggest leaving those two vintages for another few years and instead look at this, with a good carafing first. 3% Petit Verdot makes up the blend.Decanter | 94 DECPower and ripeness walk hand-in-hand with this major player. The wine is opulent and extracted with flavors of rich blackberry fruits, but shows a firmness in tannins and dense texture. Drink from 2018 and it's sure to be a great success.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is so beautiful now. It's full-bodied with tight and compressed tannins and fruit. Long and intentional. Savory and juicy finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSOffers a solid core of violet, plum, red licorice, currant paste and sanguine notes that fill out steadily through the fleshy finish. A mesquite hint lurks in the background and should emerge more with cellaring, as there's ample stuffing in reserve here. Best from 2016 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 91 WSTasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2011 Château Giscours is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, picked between September 8 and October 1. It offers more fruit intensity than the 2012 and I find more Margaux florality here. It would benefit from more delineation, but there is decent delineation here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin on the entry, red cherry and raspberry fruit intermingling with cedar and tobacco notes. It feels a little conservative on the finish and needs more finesse, but it is a commendable contribution to the vintage. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

Huge structure, huge potential, a wine that will bring out all the fruit and density of the vintage while remaining very fresh. Black plums are already showing strongly along with the dry core that promises aging. It’s serious while alive and bright. Drink this major wine from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis has some toast to shed, but retains a terrific core of crushed plum and blackberry confiture. Has a beautiful ripple of charcoal for texture, honest acidity for balance and a bolt of iron that keeps this firmly grounded. A brick-house Cabernet. Best from 2018 through 2030. 8,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Leoville Las Cases) The 2011 Château Leoville Las Cases is a classic in the making, but like the 1986 that Monsieur Rolland compares this wine too, it is going to take a long time to come around from behind its substantial wall of tannin. The superb nose offers up a classy and very pure blend of cassis, black cherries, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke, espresso, a touch of tobacco leaf and a discreet base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite pure on the attack, with a very tightly-knit personality, a rock solid core of fruit, seamless and very firm tannins and outstanding length and grip on the laser-like finish. This will be a superb vintage of Leoville Las Cases in the fullness of time, but plan on cellaring it at least fifteen years before opening a bottle and most likely, the wine will take every bit of thirty years in the cellar to really reach its apogee. (Drink between 2027-2075).John Gilman | 94+ JGA very, very good wine with creamy oak across ripe summer pudding and poached purple berries; superb balance and drive. The tannins are assertive but never threaten. Sweet ripe fruit is served up with bright, vibrant and ripe style; raspberry, mulberry and red plum flavors, great sustain, long and impressive.James Suckling | 94 JSOne of the more formidably backward and potentially long-lived wines of the vintage, the medium to full-bodied 2011 Leoville Las Cases behaves like a first-growth, which in a sense it truly is. Revealing a dense inky/purple color, it is a structured, rich, impressively endowed effort that is meant for the long haul. Atypical for this vintage, it requires 5-7 years of bottle age and should drink well for two decades thereafter. The final blend was 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Yields were a low 27 hectoliters per hectare, and the natural alcohol achieved 13.4%.Robert Parker | 93+ RPThe 2011 Léoville Las-Cases is much more introspective on the nose than its peers, though it unfolds to reveal quite mineral-driven black fruit, leather and graphite aromas. It never fully lets go. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine acidity, fresh and lively with a focused, graphite-tinged finish. Maybe a little conservative in keeping with the vintage, though this is well crafted. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Controlled power, gorgeous complexity – a really beautiful wine. The tannins feel fine, well expressed and well balanced, holding the fruit without strangling it, with a gorgeous touch of St-Julien flair and finesse. An underrated vintage that is displaying some 2001 character and it’s currently showing even better than the 2009 vintage. It has long life ahead but it could also be enjoyed along the way. There was plenty of natural concentration in the grapes at harvest and – although it remains a little strict right now – boy will it age. 6% Cabernet Franc makes up the rest of the blend. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DECThis property, which has been on a qualitative tear over the last generation, has produced one of the most successful wines of 2011. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it is broad, rich, medium to full-bodied and dense. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as lots of concentration, silky tannins, and a bigger, richer mouthfeel than any of its St.-Julien peers. The result is one of the stars of the vintage.Robert Parker | 94 RPThis is a really fruity wine that's opulent and gorgeously rich. There is a pepper edge, touches of new wood and a firm, dark core. Acidity and concentration are already integrated. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEBlackberry and currant aromas with hints of minerals. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Chewy and reserved. Just the right amount of fruit covering the tannins. Harmony for the vintage. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JSInky ruby. Exotic, inviting scents of black cherry, cassis, orange zest, coffee and smoky underbrush. Fat, sweet and rich, with lively acidity giving noteworthy lift to its rich dark fruit, pepper and cocoa flavors. Wonderfully delineated Saint-Julien wine with plenty of fleshy substance but more than enough energy to keep it from being weighed down; in fact, this seems almost delicate for such a big wine. Finishes with soft tannins and lingering notes of pepper and violet. This is already fun to drink but ought to evolve gracefully for another decade or so. Should turn out to be one of the stars of the vintage.Vinous Media | 92+ VMShows a warm charcoal note from the start, backed by melted fig, crushed blackberry and steeped black currant fruit. A strong graphite edge pins down the finish. Dark in profile, but defined and well-suited to mid-term cellaring. A very solid effort. Best from 2016 through 2026.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Menthol and soft wood nuances frame the restrained but spicy aromas of black fruit and high-toned floral scents. There is good richness to the relatively full-bodied generous flavors that possess a silky texture, all wrapped in a lightly structured and impressively persistent finish. There is a bit of wood on the finish that offers only moderate complexity at present though my score assumes that more will develop over the next 3 to 5 years. As was the case when I originally reviewed this ultra-elegant effort, there is noticeable gas on the finish so if you’re going to try a bottle young I would advise decanting it first.Burghound | 92 BHSuchots can also often be quite black fruity in personality, but this is not the case with the 2011 Hudelot version, which offers up a fine bouquet of cherries, blood orange, Vosne spice, fresh herb tones, fine soil nuances and a bit of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off lovely mid-palate depth, with ripe tannins, bright acids and excellent grip and focus on the long and dancing finish. A very elegant and intensely flavored Suchots. (Drink between 2021 - 2050)John Gilman | 92+ JG(picked at 13.1% potential alcohol): Medium red with an amber edge. Highly aromatic nose combines strawberry, musky brown spices, dried flowers and cinnamon. Juicy and penetrating in the mouth, with a bit of unabsorbed CO2 accentuating the tartness of the cranberry, pomegranate and soil flavors. Very savory wine, with enough stuffing and flavor intensity to maintain its balance. Finishes with firm tannins and very good tangy length.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Bright medium red. Expressive nose melds raspberry, cherry, flowers, spices and a hint of smoky game. More energetic than the Suchots, offering a distinctly sappy impression to the concentrated flavors of crushed red berries and minerals. Wonderfully strong and sweet in the middle palate, and long and fresh on the back end, closing with noble tannins and enticing floral lift. This fruit was totally destemmed but there’s no shortage of vibrancy here.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is also overtly spicy with notes of exotic tea, sandalwood, anise and clove adding considerable interest to the cassis and black pinot fruit nose that is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. The big, rich and impressively concentrated medium weight flavors display an abundance of dry extract levels that partially disguise the substantial muscularity of the dazzlingly complex, powerful and lengthy finish. The Suchots is very good but there is another dimension of depth present here.Burghound | 93 BHDomaine Hudelot-Noëllat’s Malconsorts is always a lovely, lovely wine and it is a pity that there is not more of it in the cellar (sadly, in this vintage there are only two barrels). The 2011 is a classic in the making, jumping from the glass in a beautiful and sappy nose of cherries, raspberries, blood orange, gamebirds, great minerality, roses and cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and wonderfully transparent, with a sappy core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and a very long, tangy finish. A superb example of this great premier cru. (Drink between 2022 - 2050)John Gilman | 93+ JG

Still tight, with an energetic core of white peach, creamed pineapple, persimmon and white ginger flavors. The backdrop of orange blossom and singed almond notes adds extra dimension on the finish. This will go a long way in the cellar. Best from 2016 through 2035. 4,025 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSMoving to the Grand Vin, the 2011 Château Climens reveals a still youthful gold color to go with impressive marzipan, brioche, honeycomb, and sauteed peach and apricot-like fruits. With beautiful balance on the palate, it’s full-bodied and has a vibrant spine of acidity followed by a clean, lengthy finish. This beautiful, complex Sauternes is going to evolve for 20-30 years or more in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a rich, complex wine, full of dry botrytis that is surrounded by ripe honey. Spice, white peach and green plum jelly give complexity and variety. The acidity at the end is beautiful. The wine is already enticing but will need many years to develop fully. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA dense, racy, sweet white with dried-apple, apricot and honey character. Full, very sweet and fresh. Tangy, spicy aftertaste. Shows lots of subtle, intense botrytis-spice character on the finish. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSComplex, poised nose of apricot and quince. Fine attack, intense and very concentrated, with considerable force and drive. Taut and full of tension, this is for the long haul. Disappointing last year, magnificent now. Very long.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger that linger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.Vinous Media | 94 VMPale lemon-gold in color, the 2011 Climens opens with stuck flint and earthy notions over a core of tropical fruit—pineapple and guava—plus wafts of fungi and fresh straw. The palate lends oodles of complex layers with plenty of botrytis-inspired complexity melding with the ripe tropical notes, finishing with great length. Tempting to drink now, it should reward cellaring over 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more flamboyant, sexy style in its caramelized pineapple, tropical, honeyed and floral personality. Big, rich and decadent, with fabulous fruit intensity and length, this rock star flirts with perfection and will keep for another 3-4 decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPVivid gold. Heady orchard and pit fruit aromas are complicated by anise, buttered toast and iodine, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Fleshy and deeply pitched, offering wonderfully concentrated pear, nectarine and melon flavors and a zesty jolt of orange pith on the back half. Closes with superb energy and a very persistent honeydew note. I’d love to try this superb wine alongside some heavy-hitters from the Cote d’Or.Vinous Media | 94 VMA matchstick hint gives way to creamed apple, melon, heather and salted butter notes. Offers weight, depth and definition, opening up pleasantly in the glass. The long finish has a creamy feel. Drink now through 2022. 27 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This is a perfumed, new wood-flavored wine. It has soft tannins and attractive acidity along with a drier core. Showing a rich potential, it will round out over the next four to five years. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEA sleeper of the vintage, the 2011 Meyney (which escaped the hailstorm that devastated the northern Pauillac border and St.-Estephe boundary line on September 1) possesses an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of black olives, black currants, charcoal and earth. Dense and medium to full-bodied, this classic St.-Estephe offers good acidity and ripe tannin. It should drink well for 12-15 years.Old timers undoubtedly remember Meyney’s brilliant track record in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s, and it appears things are back on track at this St.-Estephe estate.Robert Parker | 88-90 RPThe 2011 Meyney is a little gem of a wine. Still vibrant/ruby colored with a youthful bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedar, and earth, it’s medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, and has beautifully ripe tannin. This classic, satisfying Saint-Estèphe can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

This Bordeaux Superieur from the gifted as well as uncompromising Yves Vatelot is a selection of the finest lots. An astonishingly rich, concentrated 2011 that competes with cru classes selling for 2 to 5 times as much, it boasts a dense purple color along with copious aromas of new saddle leather, spice box, lead pencil shavings, black currants, blackberries and a hint of espresso. This full-bodied, surprisingly rich effort must be tasted to be believed. It should last and improve for at least 5-7 years, perhaps as long as a decade. As it has been in many previous vintages, the 2011 Reignac is a major sleeper of the vintage. Kudos to Proprietor Vatelot!Robert Parker | 90+ RPThis is a little lean but I like the depth of mineral, berry and dark-chocolate character. Full body with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Racy wine. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 90 JSRipe and focused, with a very tasty beam of linzer torte and black cherry confiture, and good briary grip taking over on the finish.Wine Spectator | 88-91 WS