Shop Wine

wines

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

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

With 83% Sémillon in the blend, this wine has weight as well as richness. At the same time, it has a crisp edge, a smoky character from wood aging and the fine balance between citrus and more exotic fruits. It is a wine to age for many years. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe typicity of La Mission is really here. Aromas of iodine, oyster shell, currants and orange peel are evident. Full-bodied, tight and tannic with a muscular and toned texture that holds the wine down at the moment, but it’s waiting to release its joy and true nature. Fine-grained. Give it until 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion has a sophisticated, very detailed bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and graphite. This is very focused and yet at the same time quite controlled and discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, cedar and touches of allspice. I love the depth of this wine and the gentle grip towards the finish. It knows not to push too hard in this growing season and that results in a very classy wine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMFresh attack, dominated by late summer fruits, perfectly ripe. Floating gossamer structure, the tannins are deceptively fine and tight; blackberry and raspberry fruit firmly in check. A lovely wine, medium to long term potential for pleasure. 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château La Mission Haut Brion is slightly more elegant and pretty compared to the richer, slightly more masculine Haut Brion. A blend of 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, it shows a kiss of red fruits in its core of darker currants, smoke tobacco, scorched earth, vanilla bean, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, fine tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a downright classy La Mission that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October and raised in 55% new oak. It has retained that engagingly fresh and vibrant bouquet, the bashful nature that it showed in barrel replaced by a more outgoing personality. This is an exquisite bouquet with pure black fruit, cold stone, a touch of black olive and later a suggestion of boysenberry preserve. The palate is still structured and considering that a majority is Merlot, quite masculine. There remains some new oak to be fully assimilated, although there is clearly the fruit to soak that up. It comes more alive on the second half with a lovely spiciness and impressive persistence. It will have more to give down the line and the strictness implies that this La Mission Haut Brion should be afforded a decade in the cellar before it will show what it can do.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMFleshy and very compact, with layers of dark fig, black currant paste and blackberry reduction still sorting themselves out. Sports a serious spine of tar while a well-roasted apple wood element forms the backdrop on the dense finish. The range and density set this apart. Should be rather long-lived for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

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

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

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

This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA wine of exceptional finesse, the 2014 Cheval Blanc lifts from the glass with captivating aromatics and sculpted red-fleshed fruit, all with the extra kick of acidity and overall freshness that are such a signature of this vintage. The 2014 is bright, finessed and persistent. It will almost certainly put on weight in bottle. I have a feeling something special is developing here.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGWith its high proportion of Cabernet Franc (45%), this is a finely perfumed rich wine. It has great tannins, a smoky character that comes from the wood. The tannins are quite marked, giving a tight firm edge to the wine that otherwise has generous fruitiness. This is a complex wine, impressive, and likely to age over many years. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEMedium garnet colored, the 2014 Cheval Blanc is still looking very youthful and wearing a bit of puppy fat, sporting gregarious red and black cherries notes with hints of oolong tea, wilted roses and dusty soil. Medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the lively fruit, it finishes on a lingering perfumed note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAt 56% Cabernet Franc, this is a bright, floral Cheval Blanc, with white pepper, strawberry, mineral and oriental spice notes lingering nicely. Drinking Window 2015 - 2036.Decanter | 95 DECSupple, elegant, and seamless, the 2014 Chateau Cheval Blanc is about as classic as they come from this estate and shows the character of the vintage perfectly. Made from 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up all in new barrels (although you’d never know that from tasting it), its still-youthful ruby/purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of sweet kirsch, black raspberries, violets, menthol, and flowery incense. With terrific sweetness of fruit, medium body, an ethereal texture, polished tannins, and a great finish, it’s going to hit prime time in another 2-4 years and, I suspect, surprise with its longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSo much damson-plum and plum-cake richness, plus a substantial amount of fine tannin behind it, give this rich wine an impressively plush texture. Very long, supple finish that makes it hard not to reach for the glass once again. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 94 JS

The purity and clarity to the nose of this wine are really exceptional with crushed berries, cherries and currants. Fruit and density are so impressive, yet this is so linear on the center palate, which gives it direction and focus. Fabulous. Better than 2009? Drink in 2022, but hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2014 Pavie-Macquin is superb. Deep, powerful and creamy, the 2014 possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Today, the 2014 appears to be going through a period of transition, as the aromatics are not especially open, but a few more years in bottle should do the trick. I have always admired the 2014’s balance, as I do once again today. The 2014 is a real dark horse and one of the real gems in this vertical.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG93–95. Barrel Sample. The tannins cut firmly into the fruit of this impressive wine. They give a dense, dry edge to the ripe berries and fresh acidity. The effect is a juicy wine that has a tough edge. This will take time to develop.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe plum, boysenberry and raspberry fruit is very aromatic, carrying a glossy sheen as this glides along, picking up subtle anise, alder and tobacco notes slowly but steadily through the finish. A graphite edge is buried deep. This should age gracefully thanks to the purity and balance. Best from 2022 through 2032. 4,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSComing from two parcels planted on the upper plateau, with a terroir like Troplong-Mondot, the 2014 Château Pavie Macquin is more backward than the 2015 (which is expected) and offers a masculine, firm, edgy style as well as lots of black cherry and currant fruits intermixed with smoked herbs, scorched earth and lots of minerality. This medium to full-bodied 2014 has good concentration, high, integrated acidity, and an age-worthy, classic style that needs 5-6 years of bottle age. It should have three decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JDThe 2014 Pavie-Macquin has a concentrated bouquet with layers of blackberry and raspberry coulis, infused with potpourri and incense. There is something almost forbidding about the aromatics at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe red berry fruit, a fine line of acidity, although it feels a little soft on the finish when I needed more precision and backbone. Let’s see how this ages in bottle, because I suspect that it will gain more density and structure with 2-3 years of bottle age.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMRestrained and undemonstrative but less power and more refinement this year. Fresh and minerally with a persistent finish. A Pavie-Macquin with a feminine edge.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2014 Talbot is soft, silky and wonderfully nuanced on the palate. Much more refined from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2014 has moved toward greater finesse over the last two years. This is a lovely effort. Lifted rose petal and lavender notes add closing nuance. The blend is 62 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 % Merlot and 6 % Petit Verdot. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe smoky oak, full body and chunky tannins make a bold statement; indeed, the wine has plenty of flesh and packs a big tannic punch on the finish. Best Talbot in years. Drink in 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSGood, firm fruits are well placed, with notes of cedar, liquorice and cassis – this really is an enjoyable Talbot that offers the promise of a long life. There's enjoyable grip and tenacity through the palate, with spicy, flexible tannins. It has a substantial weight that fleshes out and deepens. It's savoury in the French sense of 'savoureux', with connotations of juiciness and a 'give me more' appeal. Aged in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECThis generous wine is on the fruity side of the 2014 spectrum. Blueberry and black-currant fruits are supported by the spice and tannins from wood aging. The wine is likely to develop easily over the medium term. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis has melded together nicely already, with a core of gently steeped plum, blackberry and anise flavors intertwined with light licorice snap and roasted apple wood notes. Focused and solid, but with a charming supple edge. Best from 2020 through 2030. 26,283 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Talbot felt reticent and tightly knit on the nose, so I placed my glass to one side and allowed it to aerate for 15-20 minutes. This paid dividends as it revealed blackcurrant, smoke and tobacco aromas, hints of boysenberry with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite structure and perhaps needing more flow. It feels a little rigid at the moment and I would want more persistence and depth on the finish. Let's see how this ages in bottle, because it certainly showed improvement between samples in October 2016 and February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90+ RP-NMCut from the same cloth as the 2015, just more classic in style, the 2014 Château Talbot offers lots of black fruits, smoked herbs, graphite and a touch of lead pencil on the nose. This is followed by a classically styled, medium-bodied, dense, impressively concentrated 2014 that has another 10-15 years of prime drinking. This is always a well-made, classic Saint-Julien and readers can’t go wrong here.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD