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This is so good already. What an amazing precision of fruit for this wine, with a blackberry and blueberry character as well as minerals. Full and super silky with lovely fruit. Gourmand. Tasty. I want to drink it. Always great value!James Suckling | 92-93 JSFully saturated inky-ruby. Somewhat oak-dominated on the nose presently, with aromas of red cherry, rose petal, graphite and brown spices. Rich and lush but less obviously fruit-driven than usual in this vintage, combining sweeter mocha and earth tones with ripe delicate dark fruit flavors. The slightly granular, mounting tannins will need several years of bottle aging, but there’s enough depth of fleshy fruit here to reassure me. Vinous Media | 89-92 VMVery lush and expressive, with caressing plum sauce, mulled blueberry and blackberry fruit and melted licorice and warm fruitcake flavors, all gliding together through the finish. Offers lovely range and a seductive mouthfeel. Drink now through 2019. Wine Spectator | 92 WSFrom the brilliant proprietor Stephan von Neipperg, the 2010, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that hit 15% natural alcohol, is ripe and intense but exhibits good minerality and freshness as well as lots of blueberry and blackberry fruit, with hints of charcoal, licorice and asphalt. Rich and full-bodied, with no hard edges, this wine should drink beautifully for 10 or more years.The good news for consumers is that there are over 11,500 cases of this wine, which was produced from the plateau of Saint Philippe d’Aiguilhe, planted on pure limestone and clay.Robert Parker | 91 RP

A juicy wine with strawberry and blueberry character. It’s full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a fresh finish. Lots of ripe fruit. Excellent second wine of Lynch-Bages. Better in 2015.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2010 Echo de Lynch Bages has a very attractive bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit tinged with damp loam and undergrowth aromas, all well defined and adding welcome floral scents with continued aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. Hints of graphite and bell pepper infuse the ample black fruit. There is superb weight and body towards the finish. A classic Claret from start to finish, this is a great wine in the making. I was shocked and pleased when the identity of this wine was revealed (incidentally one that I had not encountered previously.). Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis displays a solid core of cassis, raspberry and blackberry coulis notes, framed by a rather polished structure and lined with lightly toasted apple wood and anise notes. Offers good definition, with a violet note chiming in on the finish. A sleek, elegant Pauillac that relies more on purity than muscle. Best from 2014 through 2023.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Wonderfully elegant expression of Pauillac Cabernet, just pure, refined fruit reserved for the future. This is all sophisticated elegance for a great future. Drinking Window 2017 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThis is firm and structured with blueberry and hazelnut character. Full body, with fine tannins and a juicy finish. So long and pretty. Wonderful texture. Better after 2017.James Suckling | 94 JSTasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2010 Haut Batailley is beginning to reach the potential I enthused about when I first tasted this from barrel. Much like the 2009 Haut-Batailley, it has a very expressive bouquet that needs a lot of coaxing from the glass. And like many 2010s it is a broody bugger, stubborn and obdurate but when you get to the palate...this is where the action is! This is where the quality positively shines through with very fine tannin: extremely pure fruit, a judicious touch of spice and a long and tender finish that is seamless. It needs 8-10 years for those aromatics to open but judging by the quality of the palate, it will be worth the wait. Tasted July 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92+ RP-NMA fresh, polished, forward style, with scrumptious plum and cassis fruit judiciously laced with toasted apple wood and cedar, sporting a well-integrated finish of violets and iron. Should be more accessible than most 2010 Pauillacs early on. Drink now through 2025. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

From Helene Garcin, this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot displays classic tobacco leaf and smoky barbecue notes along with rich black currants and crushed rocks in a medium to full-bodied, seductive, attractively up-front style. Some Asian plum sauce is also noticeable in this complex, evolved and delicious wine, which can be drunk over the next 10-15 years. It is a sleeper of the vintage.Robert Parker | 92 RP91-93 Fresh, citrus and spicy pear flavors, a wine laced with acidity, a crisp texture and elegant bright aftertaste.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEOffers lush fruit, with dark raspberry and boysenberry notes, good, graphite-laced structure and bright acidity weaving throughout. The long, smoldering finish features an appealing licorice snap and violet profile. Best from 2015 through 2025. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis is a wine that shows lots of chocolate, tobacco and currants. Full body, with velvety tannins and a long finish. All there.James Suckling | 92-93 JSGood dark ruby-red. Wild aromas of black cherry, incense and sexy oak. Smooth, plush and rich, with rather full-bodied flavors of plum, tobacco, flowers, minerals and herbs. The sweet finish features a fine dusting of tannins that will not get in the way of enjoying this wine soon.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Wonderful aromas of currants and blackberries with hints of spices. Full body, with fabulous tannins and a long and creamy texture to the finish. I love the depth of fruit to this. Best ever from here. Great value for the vintage. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 95 JSAlthough this wine has tannins, it's the fruit that shines, with its delicious black-currant flavor and acidity. It is more fine and elegant than it is powerful, a pleasant surprise from Saint-Estèphe in this vintage For medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEDeep garnet colored, the 2010 Ormes de Pez slips sensuously from the glass with seductive blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and kirsch scents plus nuances of candied violets, hoisin, dark chocolate and licorice. Full-bodied, rich and plush in the mouth, it has a fantastic line of freshness lifting all the decadent fruit to a long, energy-sparked finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA more open, ready to drink and less muscled wine than many others in this lineup, but it valiantly holds its own, and offers a great deal of pleasure at this 10 year window. Ready to drink and welcoming with a fruit character that is a juicy frank blackberry rather than the tight, concentrated cassis that you find in many. A good choice for medium term drinking, with the confidence of the vintage. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038Decanter | 91 DECThe 2010 Les Ormes de Pez has a ripe and fruit-driven bouquet with tons of wild strawberry, cranberry and undergrowth notes, well defined if not quite as complex as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. Good acidity, nicely proportioned with a touch of spice on the finish, this constitutes one of the more approachable Saint-Estèphe wines, with the substance to suggest that it will drink over the next 10-15 years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VMDark and winey, with good damson plum, black currant and mulled spice notes pushed by a tangy iron note and flecks of savory and chalk on the finish. The judicious toast lets the pure fruit drive along. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Purity of dark fruits such as blueberries and blackberries with hints of flowers. Full body, with silky tannins and a juicy finish. Chewy yet polished. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 92 JSA complex wine that shows its power through a subtle mix of tannins and solid fruits. It has the freshness as well as the structure of the vintage. Definitely for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

A strong showing from this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that hit 14.7% natural alcohol, the 2010 Rol Valentin exhibits oodles of sweet black currant and black raspberry fruit along with some toasty oak and a note of charcoal embers in a full-bodied, opulent, showy, even flamboyant style that seems to beg comparison to 2009. This wine should drink beautifully for 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 92 RPRounded and ripe, with dark blackberry and boysenberry flavors melded with ganache, melted black licorice and Black Forest cake. Lush, but with a lovely smoldering charcoal hint to keep this honest on the finish. Best from 2014 through 2025. 2,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSExpressive dense nose with coffee, nutmeg and roasted hazelnuts. Cranberries and plums. Wonderful sweetness of fruit on the palate with loads of crushed chalk. Finely knit and silky. Super soft tannins and quite elegant finish. Better in 2015.James Suckling | 91 JS

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

The licorice, tar and spice character with dried fruits and currants impresses me. Full body with firm tannins and a chewy finish. This is even better now than from barrel. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 93 JSThe savoury, floral edge of Cabernet on gravel is fully on display, and it needs time in the glass to soften and unroll. After a few minutes, the smoky side comes out, and the lean but concentrated berry fruit, although the tannins are a little crunchy. Delicious, a very classic Pauillac, full of pencil lead and crushed stone. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECGrand-Puy-Lacoste made one of the finer 2010s in Pauillac, but I am not sure I do not prefer their excellent 2011 to the former vintage! This is a complete and very classy wine on both the nose and palate, with none of the difficulties of the vintage in evidence. The very classic bouquet offers up scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar smoke, gravelly soil tones, espresso and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a very long, complex and youthfully stylish finish. A lovely and very classic vintage of Grand-Puy-Lacoste! (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 92+ JGReflecting the fruity, forward style of the vintage, this wine is packed with ripe black currants. There is a strong Cabernet character—it’s dry initially, then followed by juiciness. It’s a concentrated wine, although not for long-term aging. Drink from 2017.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Grand Puy Lacoste exhibits a charming, open-knit bouquet of red and black fruits. It is a savory, medium-bodied, flavorful, well-endowed Pauillac from Xavier Borie that can be enjoyed over the next 10-15+ years.Robert Parker | 91 RPShows purity and focus, with a core of bitter plum, cassis and lightly singed vanilla notes leading to a silky, relatively unadorned finish that glides along. Flickers of cedar and iron should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WSGood full ruby. Fresh aromas of raspberry, cola, cinnamon, smoke and graphite. At once silky and juicy, offering good intensity and a light touch to the smoky dark berry and graphite flavors. Nicely penetrating wine with lovely vinosity and spicy, fruity persistence. Boasts lovely texture and balance, offering plenty of early appeal but with the stuffing to age and improve another ten years. This strikes me as one of the most successful Left Bank wines in 2011.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

With great freshness, this is an attractive, fruity wine with final ripe berry flavors that are delicately leavened and given weight by tannins. There is already a drinkable balance from the fruit, although the wine needs more time to be in harmony. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEFine purple-red, fragrant nose, expressive and even exuberant, a Pauillac with charm and good tannins for the future. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 90 DECA fresh and delicious red with blueberry, spice and chocolate. Medium body, fine tannins and a clean finish. A beauty. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2014 Fleur Cardinale is a dark, sumptuous wine. Dark cherry, plum, rose petal, licorice and sweet spices are all pushed forward. Extravagantly ripe and flamboyant, the 2014 hits all the right notes. As always, Fleur Cardinale shows the more overt, opulent side of Saint-Émilion, and yet all the elements are beautifully balanced. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGFantastic aromas of crushed berries, lavender and blueberries. Full-bodied, dense and layered yet always polished and beautiful. Really impressive. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSUp to a full quarter of Cabernet Franc in this vintage, which may have helped bring the alcohol degree down a little. Gorgeous balance, juicy and rich, with blackberry and black cherry. It has plenty of St-Émilion signature, with a powerful gourmet edge as is so often the case with Fleur Cardinale but is elegant and in no way overdone. Flexible tannins, lovely texture; really a wine that is getting into its stride, and here the minerality is clearer, something that can get lost when alcohol levels creep up too high. What you get here instead, is a slightly raspy slate edge to the finish which is extremely moreish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECLush, with lots of warm fig and boysenberry confiture flavors. Shows ample muscle thanks to lots of brambly grip. Mouthfilling licorice root and fruitcake notes grace the finish. Fleshes out well in the glass. A bit of a hefty style, but well done. Best from 2020 through 2030. 8,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2014 Fleur Cardinale is located in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, the vines populating the lieu-dit of Thibaud. it has a powerful, rich and decadent bouquet bestowed with licorice and boysenberry jam. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannin, good depth, fine acidity with a structured and quite spicy finish that replicates the showing from barrel. Enjoy this over the next 8-10 years.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMBold and fruity, this wine is rich with smooth tannins and a fine ripe texture. Powered by its structure and its dark fruits, it is a wine for serious aging. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This wine promises a great future ahead. It has all the elements in balance—rich tannins, intense black fruits and fragrant acidity—to suggest successful long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WESuper aromas of blackberries, minerals, roses and spices. Full body, firm tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Fantastic center palate. Like a tight ball of silky thread. Seamless. Try drinking in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Gloria has a ripe and voluminous bouquet with plenty of blackberry, raspberry, pencil box and cedar aromas all well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite focused and poised with very well integrated new oak. There is plenty of freshness here, a 2014 Saint Julien full of energy with a persistent graphite finish that is very satisfying. Like its sibling, the Saint-Pierre, there is great potential here. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMA grippy style, with a pleasantly rugged edge to the copious brambly tannins that push the core of plum and blackberry reduction along. Lots of licorice snap and tobacco notes show on the finish, which offers persistent grip. Delivers more guts than polish, but will age solidly. Best from 2020 through 2030. 16,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2014 Lascombes is a bold, dramatic wine. Dark stone fruit, leather, bittersweet chocolate, smoke, licorice and French oak all meld together in the glass. Lascombes is a powerful, modern Margaux with soft contours and considerable fruit intensity. All the elements come together effortlessly. Readers should expect a bold, intense wine. Tasted two times.Vinous Media | 94 VMBlueberries and wet earth with dried flowers. Full body, a solid core fruit and a long and juicy finish. Excellent. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 93 JSOne of the largest estates in Margaux, Lascombes is now performing well. With this vintage the heavy over-oaking of past years has gone to be replaced with a wine that is full of black fruits as much as rich tannins. There is concentration and a good potential for aging. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEVery good depth of fruit showing florality, fragrance and freshness with the usual Lascombes richness. A big, broad wine but the Margaux elegance is there with lift and spice to continue a good run from this château. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DECA beautiful and elegant effort from this estate, the 2014 Lascombes offers lots of ripe black cherry ad blackberry fruit characteristics as well as notes of cedary spice, liquid flowers and graphite. It’s pure, elegant and nicely concentrated, especially in the vintage, and with bright acidity and integrated tannin, it’s going to benefit from short term cellaring and keep for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years to become approachable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGRight from the attack this has beautiful intensity and focus, with tannins covered by a layer of silk. A dash of violet and white pepper comes in from the Carmenère and Cabernet Franc two-step (from now on you can expect this partnership to appear more regularly). This is frankly delicious, the generous berry fruits reverberating with some wonderful notes of coffee bean and charcoal smoke, outlined by a mouthwatering minerality. A step up in poise and texture from the 2014. 39% of production. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECRich, fruity and with great potential, this ripe wine is also dense with firm tannins. Its juicy fruits are a part of a package with the concentrated tannins and smoky wood flavors that allow for long aging. This is an impressive wine from one of the Margaux properties owned by the Lurton family. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2015 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a mix of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Carmenere brought up in roughly 75% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied beauty excels on all accounts and gives up gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil, spice and hints of toasted bread. Polished, impeccably balanced, concentrated, and with ripe tannin, it’s a rock star in 2015 that can be drunk young or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDQuite impressive ripe dark plums and blackberries with sweet, earthy depth and cedary background oak on the nose. The palate has smooth, slick tannins that carry rich dark fruit long and fresh. This has terrific energy and depth. Really vibrant. Incredible length. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSSilky and refined, with seductive crushed plum and raspberry fruit that glides along, perfectly melded with singed alder and mesquite notes along with black tea and warm licorice details. A violet element hangs in the background, adding to the elegance. Best from 2020 through 2035. 12,500 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2015 Brane-Cantenac is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of crushed black berries and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of fried herbs and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, refreshing and elegant in the mouth, with chewy tannins, it has an herbal lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Vivid and bright fruits, such as plums and strawberries, on the nose. Full-bodied, very dense and complete on the palate. Has a beautiful ripe tannin structure and a flavorful finish. Impressive wine. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSMedium garnet-purple, the 2015 Ferran is scented of warm red plums, red currant jelly and mulberries with touches of garrigue, violets and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, very firm and very ripe with grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, it has loads of perfumed layers and a minerally finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPHighly extracted bilberry and cassis with silky if bristling tannins. Good potential, lovely sense of vibrancy and a coffee finish. 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. 33% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 90 DEC

Checking in as 62% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc that was brought up in roughly 70% new oak, the 2015 Château Laroze is straight up gorgeous. Cassis, black cherries, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings and hints of tobacco all give way to a ripe, sexy, concentrated Saint-Emilion that has sweet, polished tannin, plenty of mid-palate depth and a great finish. This beauty builds with time in the glass, is seamless, and just a sensational drink.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Laroze hits the ground running with vibrant, expressive red currants, black raspberries and warm plums scents with touches of violets, chocolate-covered cherries and lavender plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and elegantly styled with plush, come-hither tannins and plenty of youthful, exuberant red and black fruit layers, it finishes with bags of perfume and polish. Very classy!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPBalance and focus to this medium to full-bodied red with chocolate, plums and cedar undertones. Firm and polished tannins. Savory finish. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 92 JSAn attack of ripe berries, cherries and plums with underlying coffee notes; dense and structured with firm tannins. Drinking Window 2024 - 2037.Decanter | 90 DEC

Showing even better now than on release, the 2015 Château Clos de Sarpe might be one of the greatest wines to ever emerge from this tiny vineyard just outside of Saint Emilion. Dense purple/plum-hued, with an enormous bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, white truffles, violets, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an incredible sense of opulence, and silky, polished tannins. It’s absorbed just about every trace of its oak élevage, and while it’s an incredible drink today, it’s going to evolve for 30+ years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2015 Clos de Sarpe boasts off-the-charts richness. Full-throttle and unapologetically opulent, Clos de Sarpe is probably the most exotic of the more modern, sumptuous Saint-Émilions. Super-ripe black cherry, chocolate, leather, spice and new French oak are all pushed forward. Ripeness and unctuousness are taken to the edge in this exotic beauty.Vinous Media | 95 VMDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Clos de Sarpe gives up gorgeous blackberry, black cherries and warm plums notes with sparks of redcurrants and anise with a potpourri, tilled soil and bay leaves undercurrent. Full-bodied and packed with spicy energy in the mouth, it has a firm yet plush texture and fantastic freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA riper expression with aromas of tea, plum cake and dark spiced raisins. The palate has the same tendency to riper fruit with plum paste. Essence-like. Chewy tannins. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThis sports a juicy, enticing feel, with good energy to the mix of raspberry and blackberry compote flavors. Singed cedar, tobacco and ganache notes fill in through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2019 through 2024. 900 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The ripe cassis and delicately herbal nose draws you into a really elegant wine that has very polished tannins for this category. Long, ripe and refined finish. A great food wine! Drink or hold. The second wine of Château Talbot.James Suckling | 92 JS

Very deep-set aromas of blackberries and red and dark plum fruits, set amid integrated oak spices, cedar and hints of earth. The palate has a super plush feel with intense flavors of blueberries and dark plums. Succulent tannins that are smooth, entrancing and very long. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 95 JS93–95. Barrel Sample. Smooth and opulent, this is a densely tannic wine. Its dark fruits and dusty texture are backed by juicy acidity and a core of framing tannins. It will be powerful and rich with age.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2015 Faugères is plush, deep and inviting. Succulent red cherry, plum, tobacco, cedar, licorice and new leather are some of the many nuances that take shape, and attractive floral notes add brightness and lift. This is a very pretty and alluring Saint-Émilion from Silvio Denz. The blend is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGBeautiful aromas and flavors of warm fig and boysenberry reduction lead off, with extra raspberry and cassis notes filling in behind them. Lush in feel, with the structure nicely embedded, letting extra licorice, fruitcake and singed mesquite details chime in. The finish ripples with fruit and fresh acidity. Best from 2023 through 2035. 7,917 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2015 Faugeres is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 15 months in French oak, 50% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has a nose of baked plums, warm cherries and black berries with touches of meat and fried spices. The full-bodied mouth is rich, opulent and spicy with firm, velvety tannins and lovely freshness lifting the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2015 Château Faugeres includes slightly less Merlot than the 2016 and is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Like a lot of 2015s, it’s already open and approachable and offers lots of cassis and black cherry fruits, plenty of spice, herbs and earth nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, terrific purity and elegance, and present, yet sweet tannin, I suspect it will fill in with 2-3 years in the cellar and keep for 15+. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

I love the freshness and purity of fruit on offer with bright raspberries but also blackcurrants and rose petals. Very sexy on the palate with bright acidity, lazor-sharp tannins and a fine-grained finish. A blend of 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThis estate, just to the east of the city of Saint-Émilion, has produced a spicy wine with layers of dark chocolate and wood flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2015 Château La Couspaude is a beauty! Offering a deep ruby/plum color as well as terrific notes of black cherry liqueur, strawberries, spice and toasty oak, it’s medium-bodied, textured and nicely balanced on the palate, with fine tannin. It’s not the most complex wine out there, but man is it a delicious drink. I suspect it will keep for at least a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDA fresh, pure style, with a core of cassis leading the way, followed by additional plum and raspberry puree flavors. Violet, iron and sanguine notes chime in. A polished structure carries the finish. Best from 2020 through 2030. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This showcases just how well the Margaux (or Margaux-adjacent) area did in 2015. The finessed quality of the tannins stands out as a signature of the estate throughout the entire vertical, and is on display again here. As the wine opens there is a slow and unhurried peeling back of layers, with an unrolling of menthol and cassis-laced Cabernet aromatics (there is a full 70% in the blend this year, and it works extremely well). Excellent balance and grip with touches of violet aromatics. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040Decanter | 94 DECJust a hint currant bushl on the nose. This is loaded with healthy tannins on the palate that drive the long finish. Quite an uncompromising young wine that will be better from 2020, but the fundamental harmony is very convincing. Full and flavorful.James Suckling | 93 JSManaged by Caroline Frey (of Paul Jaboulet Aîné in the Rhône Valley), the 2015 Château La Lagune is an impressive, elegant, concentrated Haut Médoc that’s going to be even better with short-term cellaring. Cassis, toasty oak, Asian spices, and black tea notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, layered and lengthy Haut-Médoc. Count me in as a fan and it’s up with the top wines produced from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2015 La Lagune is terrific. Powerful and dense on the palate, with big, potent tannins, it will need at least a few years to fully come together. Hints of tobacco, cedar, licorice and smoke add shades of aromatic nuance. This is a fabulous effort. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Sometimes seen as the junior of the two properties owned by the Barton family in Saint-Julien, this is an impressive estate in its own right, especially in this superripe, smoothly rich wine. Tannins are well wrapped in the generous structure and fruits. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA wine that overdelivers in the appellation is the 2015 Château Langoa Barton which is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 38% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Brought up in 60% new oak, it boasts a deep purple color and smokin’ good notes of caramelized cherries, crème de cassis, toasty oak, and graphite. Big, full-bodied, concentrated, and structured, with awesome purity of fruit as well as notable elegance, it needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for two to three decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLayered and juicy 2015 with currants, light chocolate and cedar character. It’s full-bodied, round-textured and very pretty. Extremely long and flavorful. So friendly and bright. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSWhat a nice surprise the 2015 Langoa-Barton is. Racy, silky and forward, the 2015 will drink well with minimal cellaring. Succulent red cherry and pomegranate fruit are nicely lifted by floral and spice notes that add aromatic intensity and layers of flavor. Silky tannins add to the wine's considerable immediacy and sheer appeal.Antonio Galloni | 93 VMA fresh and vibrant style, with streaks of pastis-soaked plum and boysenberry fruit coursing through, carried by graphite and licorice snap notes and ending with a vigorous, juicy finish. Approachable a bit earlier than the main pack, but there's no rush either. Best from 2019 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDeep rich ruby in colour, this has a soft expression on the nose, layering redcurrant jelly and smoked oak. It has an enjoyably frank expression, a little less austere than some from St-Julien in this vintage, without sacrificing ageing ability. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Langoa Barton is scented of cedar and Marmite toast with black fruit and fertile earth notes. The medium-bodied palate is oaky with a good fruit core, fine-grained tannins and nice freshness on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Wow. This second wine shows such beautiful cedar, tobacco and berry character. Full-bodied, layered and juicy. Lots of gorgeous fruit and spice character. Long finish. Second wine of Calon-Segur. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThis finely perfumed wine has a percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend giving elegance as well as contrasting well with the ripe, jammy Merlot. This generously structured wine is smooth, juicy with red fruits and acidity. It will age well over the medium term. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBeautifully expressed fruit: ripe 57% Merlot with a lift from 10% Cabernet Franc. Wonderful purity and freshness and extremely elegant for St-Estèphe; a perfect second wine.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2015 Calon Ségur Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is similar in style to the 2014 yet has slightly more oomph and hedonistic charm. Black cherries, damp earth, leafy herbs, and a hint of graphite all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, rounded, fleshy, pleasure-bent beauty that I’d be thrilled to drink any time over the coming decade or more. (Drink between 2018-2028)Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2015 Marquis de Calon has a gorgeous bouquet of ample blackberry and raspberry fruit, crushed limestone and hints of blue fruit that emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannin. The acidity is very well judged and lends real tension. The finish, while it might not be the most complex, it is surfeited with energy. This is a delicious second wine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This wine has an austere structure, with firm tannins. The fruit comes through slowly, revealing an attractive black-currant flavor and ample acidity. This will be a very fine wine with time; try after 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEVery pretty and finely formed with currant, cherry and raspberry character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and fresh finish. Fine textured. Lovely second wine for d’Issan.James Suckling | 93 JSThe quality of this 2016 just shines out. It’s full of plump fruit, with great balance and plenty of Margaux typicity - plump red and black berry fruits and high floral aromatics, an exemplary second wine. And from a yield of 55hl/ha; a great example of how (low) yields are not a necessary indicator of quality. Some menthol notes on the finish also, this is juicy and although you could drink now, it will develop further in bottle. Drinking Window 2020 - 2034Decanter | 91 DEC

Attractive dark-stone aromas with graphite and ripe dark berries sit fresh on the nose. The palate has a riper feel with very rich, dense fruit presence and a heavier, tannin line weight. Full body. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Grand Corbin has grown into a powerful, dense Saint-Émilion. This is a fairly rich, bombastic style, and yet all the elements fall into place. I would give the 2016 a few years in bottle to allow the tannins to soften, but there is good depth and plenty of potential. A rush of chocolate, leather, licorice, smoke and black cherry meld into the potent finish. Tasted three times with consistent notes.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThe 2016 Grand Corbin has a rich and showy bouquet with plenty of ravishing black fruit laced with spice, although I would like to see more precision. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, a touch of graphite with a neat and tidy, quite harmonious and well-judged finish. It gets better as it goes along!Robert Parker Neal Martin | 89-91 RP-NMClear black cherry and savoury cassis notes give a bright feel on the attack, although the tannins remain extremely constricting. Cinnamon, rosemary and charred liquorice chime in. It’s an austere style, but there’s no question that these are excellent building blocks. 40% new oak. Hubert de Bouard consults. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 91 DECThe deep ruby/purple-hued 2016 Château Grand Corbin is another fine 2016 that has plenty of ripe, concentrated fruit yet stays pure, elegant and layered. Ripe black cherries, currants, green tobacco, and spring flower notes all emerge from this attractive, layered, complex Saint Emilion that has both freshness and richness.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD