Shop Wine

wines

A very strong effort for Gruaud Larose, possibly eclipsed by what they have done in 2009, this is a pure, full-bodied Gruaud Larose with plenty of new saddle leather, cedar wood, black currants, cherries, licorice, and Provencal herbs. Spicy, earthy, full-bodied, and rich, it has hit its plateau of full maturity, where it should stay for another 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPNo written review provided. | 94 W&SThere’s nice richness here, with velvety-textured blackberry, fig and boysenberry confiture flavors rolling through, edged by a graphite note that slowly takes over on the finish. This has serious spine, with tar and ganache echoes hanging in the background, boding well for continued development.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 18,750 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSFully mature (yet I’d say in the early stages of its drink window), the 2000 Château Gruaud Larose offers a ripe, powerful, medium to full-bodied style as well as lots of currant and darker fruits followed by cedarwood, tobacco, iron, and assorted meaty, spicy nuances. It’s a rich, almost chunky effort with a great mid-palate, still present yet ripe tannins, and a great finish. It lacks some of the purity and precision of today’s wines yet is a satisfying, rich, impressively textured Saint-Julien to drink over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2000 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that I have not tasted for some 10 years. It has a somehow sedate bouquet of dark red berry fruit, cola and tobacco scents, ever so slightly smudged with age. The mellow, soy-tinged palate is medium-bodied with soft tannins and fine acidity but maybe just a little sauvage on the ferrous, slightly bretty finish. I feel this had more pep several years ago.Vinous Media | 91 VM

(Château Lagrange) The 2000 vintage of Lagrange is one of the most powerfully built that I have tasted from the Suntory era, and it will take many years for this deep and classy wine to reach its apogee. I very much like the cool fruit tones of the 2000 on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is a fine, reserved blend of cassis, bell pepper, espresso, black cherries, a bit of youthful horsiness, an impressive base of soil tones, tobacco leaf and a very vague impression of new oak buried somewhere in the aromatic depths of the wine. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very young, with a rock solid structure, ripe tannins, good acids and excellent focus and grip on the very long, palate-staining and chewy finish. While the 2005’s great tangy acids will carry the wine far into the future, the 2000 vintage gets my vote for the potentially longest-lived wine that this property has yet produced since the changeover in 1983. Most promising. (Drink between 2022-2080)John Gilman | 94 JGAn impressive performance by Lagrange, the 2000 possesses a saturated ruby/purple color with obvious notes of melted licorice, creme de cassis, and toasty new oak. This ripe, dense, full-bodied St.-Julien is chewy, thick, high in tannin, large-bodied, and impressively long and dense. As always, it is less expressive than some of its peers, but it is loaded as well as reasonably priced. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.Robert Parker | 93 RPThis is a muscular red, rippling with bramble-edged tannins that push the dense core of blackberry, fig and boysenberry fruit paste flavors along. Juicy star anise notes and a swath of well-roasted apple wood add even more range on the finish, which is seriously long. Just ever so slightly woodsy in the end, but a terrific showing.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2028. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA wine that is just starting to wake up after a long sleep. It’s medium-to-full-bodied, with super-integrated tannins and a lead-pencil, currant and berry character. Lemon peel undertones. Lovely silky texture. Drink now and beyond.James Suckling | 93 JSNo written review provided. | 93 W&S(includes 76% cabernet sauvignon, the highest percentage ever at Lagrange) Deep, saturated bright ruby-purple. Brooding aromas of cassis, violet and cedar ("hibernating now," says Ducasse). Very densely packed but very closed and extremely backward. Nearly painful flavors of black fruits, violet and menthol. Finishes very firm and very long, with powerful tannins supported by the wine’s flesh. Forget this wine until 2015. The petit verdot was left out of the blend, notes Ducasse, "because it was too strong, too muscular, not elegant. " Only time will tell if this wine surpasses the 1996.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The plushest, most ostentatious and dramatic of all the Leovilles in 2000, this wine is already sumptuous, displaying some nuances in its huge nose of vanilla bean, black chocolate, jammy black cherries, cassis, and graphite in a flamboyant style. Opulent, savory, rich, and full-bodied, it is a head-turning, prodigious wine and a complete contrast to the extracted behemoth of Leoville Barton and the backward, classic Leoville Las Cases. The Poyferre’s low acidity, sweet tannin and an already gorgeous mouthfeel make it a wine to drink now as well as over the next 25 or more years.Robert Parker | 97 RPAbsolutely knockout stuff, the 2000 Léoville Poyferré is a sexy, layered, totally irresistible Bordeaux that’s firing on all cylinders today. Sporting a deep ruby/purple color and blockbuster notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, cedar and tobacco, this concentrated, powerful 2000 has a rounded, opulent texture, sweet tannin, and a huge finish. It’s a quintessential Poyferré and my only regret is I didn’t buy more. It’s going to keep for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDPure and focused, with some still-primal blueberry reduction and plum sauce flavors at first, moving to hints of black currant and fig paste. As this moves along, it shows more development, picking up bay, smoldering cigar and warm ganache notes through the finish. Rich and long, and just starting to hit its stride.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2028. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis has spices, meat, dark and ripe fruits, and a light sultana character. Full-bodied, tight and firm with a beautiful freshness and great length with notes of licorice and citrus skin. Fascinating stuff. Leave this alone for at least a couple of years. Should be better after 2012.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2000 Léoville Poyferré has a lovely bouquet of brambly red berry fruit, orange peel, sandalwood, ash and a touch of peppermint. Maybe there is just a tiny smidgen of brettanomyces. The palate is medium-bodied and approaching full maturity, with grainy tannins, meat juices, sage, thyme and light white peppery notes surfacing with aeration. There is a straightforwardness to this Saint-Julien that I like, and it has the substance and balance to give another 20 years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis wine is clearly the product of an extremely generous and successful vintage. Even if the following year is where I might go for finesse and staying power, the beauty of the 2000 is instead found in the fullness of the fruit and its frank expression. There are touches of exotic cinnamon, rosemary and grilled almond notes, deepened with layers of olive paste. Great quality, it lingers on the palate. One of the signatures of Château Léoville Poyferré is its willingness to go all out to make wines that are generous and that make you smile; you get the sense with this wine that they enjoy their good fortune and hope that you do too. Drinking Window 2018 - 2036Decanter | 92 DECNo written review provided. | 91 W&S

Beginning to open magnificently, the still dense purple-colored 2000 reveals a blossoming bouquet of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully over the last eleven years, this wine is still an adolescent, but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. One of the all-time great examples of Lynch Bages, the 2000 is just beginning to drink well yet promises to last for another 20-25+ years.Robert Parker | 97 RPThis has a dense but well-defined core of currant and fig paste flavors supported by a gorgeous graphite spine. Long and authoritative, with notes of bay, pepper, leather and juniper slowly emerging on the finish. Terrific structure and integration give this a chiseled feel. No rush here.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFinally rounding the corner, the 2000 Château Lynch-Bages is mature, with classic Pauillac darker currants, lead pencil, tobacco leaf, and spice-laced aromatics. With a deep plum color and slight lightening at the edges, it’s medium to full-bodied and has a layered texture as well as integrated tannins. A classic, elegant, yet still powerful Lynch-Bages, it delivers plenty of sweet fruit and a great finish. It benefits from an hour of air and will certainly hold at this stage for another 10-15 years with no issues.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDAnother wonderful 2000 coming out of its long sleep. Beautiful aromas of berry, tobacco, herb and spice that follow through to a full palate with round, textured tannins and lots of fruit.James Suckling | 95 JSTypical of Lynch-Bages in its sumptuous rich style, this is a resounding success for the team of Jean-Michel Cazes. With its sweet fruit, opulent but balanced wood and red and black fruit flavors, it is a wine that will develop relatively quickly but will certainly age.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE71% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot, 11% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot; 5.5 g/l total acidity; 13.3% alcohol): Deep ruby-red. Knockout aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, mocha and cedar complicated by scorched earth and tobacco. Big, ripe and dense, with flavors similar to the aromas and a seamless, rich texture. Though powerful and rich, with a sensual mouthfeel, it maintains a graceful, light-on-its-feet quality. Finishes with ripe, fine-grained tannins and excellent length. Still an infant, but clearly a great vintage for this property.Vinous Media | 94+ VMNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

Made in an over-the-top style that seems to get more classic as the wine ages, this special cuvee from the Fombrauge vineyard (made by Michel Rolland for Bernard Magrez) reveals a dense plum/purple color in addition to a big, sweet nose of camphor, creosote, blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast, graphite, and toasty oak, and a phenomenally layered, full-bodied, rich mouthfeel. I thought this 2000 would be close to full maturity by 2006, but it remains surprisingly youthful. It should drink well for 20-25 more years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 98 RPDecadent and rich with lots of dried mushroom, meat and ripe fruit character. Full body, silky and refined tannins and a flavorful finish. Gorgeous now.James Suckling | 94 JSOn the dark side of the profile, but alluring, with freshly brewed espresso and smoldering charcoal notes leading the way to a core of steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors. The finish is driven by graphite, with a noticeable tobacco edge starting to emerge. Very solid.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 123 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This estate has frequently hit the bull’s eye over recent vintages, and the 2000 Montrose is the finest effort produced since the compelling 1990 and 1989. This gigantically sized, tannic, backward effort boasts a saturated inky purple color followed by a huge nose of acacia flavors, crushed blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, hickory smoke, and minerals. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, dense, and multi-layered, this unreal Montrose should last for 30+ years. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this is a special wine that has exceptional purity and length. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Montrose is a straight-up gorgeous bottle of wine that while, still young, is offering up tons of pleasure. Classic Saint Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, damp earth, tobacco leaf, cedar, and hints of truffle all emerge from this dense, concentrated, powerful red that has the classic 2000 structure and richness. With sweet tannins, full body, impeccable balance, and a great, great finish, it’s at the early stages of its drink window and has another 3+ decades of longevity ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDJust starting to open, it shows beautiful spices and dark fruit on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with ultra-fine, integrated tannins and an extremely complex, refined finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Montrose, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Just beginning to soften and open after a stubborn few decades. Tobacco and crushed mint leaf sit against blackberry and bilberry fruits that continue to be held by a firm frame of tannins. A stately Montrose that has a long future ahead, and is packed with the power and finesse that is so signature to this estate. Harvest September 22 to October 7. First year in the new stainless steel vat room. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECFull red-ruby. Roasted, smoky aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice. Plush, dense and large-scaled; expands impressively in the mouth. Chocolatey-ripe but kept fresh by nicely integrated acidity. Offers lovely sweetness without going over the top. Finishes with big, dusty, horizontal tannins and lovely aromatic persistence. Offers extraordinary texture and depth of flavor for a wine with just 12.8% alcohol.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis has a relatively polished feel, with rounded tannins, though they are substantial enough to give the core of tobacco, black currant paste and warmed fig flavors a nice loamy tug through the finish. Rather refined and with noticeably more depth than AOC colleagues in this vintage, with a very alluring hint of fresh bay at the very end.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023.Wine Spectator | 93 WSNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

This wine stands out as a sensational effort just a few years away from full maturity. A 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine displays loads of scorched earth and smoky barbecue scents along with blueberry, black raspberry and black currant. The wine is expansive, has a savory, broad palate and a full-bodied mouthfeel, yet possesses vivid purity and uplift. The tannins are still present, but they are sweet and well-integrated. This wine should hit full maturity in another year or two and last for at least 20 more years.Robert Parker | 96 RPA soft and rich red now with so much meat, chocolate, stone and even game. Then there’s dark and bright fruit under. Full body, velvety tannins and a fresh finish. James Suckling | 94 JSA rich, open modern style of wine, full of new wood flavors. The fruit is solid, chunky and square, while the tannins are ripe and generous. This will develop relatively quickly, over the next 10 years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEShowing some considerable maturity, with prominent smoldering tobacco and cedar notes at the fore, followed by steeped blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors and a finish that courses with warm tar and singed bay leaf depths. Underneath, though, the tannins are rich and long, so this may stay at this point for some time.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2026. 7,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSNo written reviews provided | 92 W&SThe 2000 Pape Clément is a vintage that I last tasted in 2010. Now at 21 years of age, it shows little sign of aging on the rim. The bouquet is perhaps less advanced, demonstrating fewer secondary aromas, compared to its peers, and featuring mulberry, camphor and touches of fig and damson that blossom in the glass. It becomes quite feral, maybe even slight bretty, with aeration. The palate is very malleable on the entry, quite rich and dense, velvety-smooth and yet missing some tension and grip on the finish. This is a thoroughly enjoyable Pape Clément that could probably give 15–20 years’ more drinking pleasure, though I aver that more recent vintages dig deeper into the terroir. Picked September 28 to October 10 at 31.5hl/ha and matured in 100% new oak.Vinous Media | 91 VM

One can’t say enough about this winery, which may still fly under the radar of most consumers. The fully mature 2000 displays gorgeous aromas of camphor, lead pencil shavings, unsmoked tobacco, plums, and black currants. With full body, a velvety texture, and beautiful weight, richness, and length, this superb wine should evolve, possibly improve for another 15 years. It’s a beauty!Robert Parker | 95 RPThe Cathiards have made a polished wine with generous fruit. It manages to combine a modern, rich style with a lightness of touch and freshness of fruit which make it instantly attractive.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEShowing a bit more maturity than some peers, this pushes singed cedar and smoldering alder flavors to the fore, along with well-mulled currant and fig fruit notes backed by a prominent tobacco edge on the finish. There’s a pretty sweetness of fruit here, even though this is fully into a secondary phase.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2018. 8,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis wine begins with a delicious nose of plums, berries, and hints of toasted oak on the nose. On the palate it is full-bodied and round, with some good fruit and a soft finish with lots of chocolate. This is ready, pull the cork soon.James Suckling | 90 JSGood full ruby. Roasted red and black fruits, smoke and licorice on the nose. Powerful, even a bit aggressive, with less sweetness and subtlety than the subsequent vintages. Finishes with big, chewy, ripe tannins and lingering notes of tobacco and leather. Very Graves in style. This appears to be in the process of shutting down in the bottle.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

The 2000 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is a huge wine bursting with ripe varietal fruit, smoke, ash, crushed rocks and slate. This is an unusual Comtes that deftly balances richness and power while maintaining considerable minerality. The 2000 will be hard to resist in its youth, but should also age beautifully for a number of years. It is a stunning, flat-out great bottle. This is Lot L0346UJ05700. Disgorged October 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2000 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne is a huge wine bursting with ripe varietal fruit, smoke, ash, crushed rocks and slate. This is an unusual Comtes that deftly balances richness and power while maintaining considerable minerality. The 2000 will be hard to resist in its youth, but should also age beautifully for a number of years. It is a stunning, flat-out great bottle. This is Lot L0346UJ05700. Disgorged October 2010.Vinous Media | 96 VMAfter hot weather early in the year, Champagne was hit in 2000 with hail and rain. Fortunately, conditions improved late in the year, and the quality of the final results is sometimes underestimated. I find the Comtes de Champagne delightful, with perhaps more ripe apple than lemon on the nose and a distinct note of butter and brioche. On the palate, the texture of the wine was very fine, with crisp acidity and a lingering finish. Lovely.Decanter | 95 DECA savory, aromatic accent of dried herb and candied orange peel notes mixes with yellow peach, kumquat, honey, graphite and creamy mineral. Very refined and elegant, with finely tuned acidity driving this to the mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2020. 1,700 cases made, 750 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS I have always liked the 2000 vintage of Comtes de Champagne, and this most recent bottle at our vertical was absolutely singing. The pure and vibrant nose wafts from the glass in a wide open blend of pear, peach, creosote, complex, limestone minerality, blossoming notes of nuttiness, orange peel, brioche and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and really starting to get into its apogee of peak drinkability, with lovely mid-palate concentration, elegant mousse, outstanding focus and grip and a very long, pure, vibrant and wide open finish. This wine has now reached its plateau of maturity, but it will be here for many decades and there is clearly no rush to be drinking the wine, but it is ready and an awfully fine glass of Blanc de Blancs at the present time. (Drink between 2014 - 2035)John Gilman | 94+ JGThis chalky char­donnay yields scents of toasted brioche and apple butter. There’s a lot of creaminess to it, while the nutty savor and precise bubble keeps it firm. For grilled langoustines.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&S

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On horizontal. A dark garnet colour, this has a lovely nose, a deep well of dark berried fruits with superbly integrated oak. Very fine delineation with touch of raspberry and crushed strawberry, an underlying mineralite really coming through. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, real backbone here with strong Cabernet Franc lending touches of bell pepper and leafiness towards the long, complex finish. Still very tight, this will benefit from further bottle age.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThe 2001 l’Eglise-Clinet is a wine that I have encountered many times both from bottle and magnum. It is a superb Pomerol with a crystalline bouquet that exudes pure red berry fruit laced with smoke and truffle, almost Burgundian in style with immense precision. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful harmony and precision thanks to its filigree tannin. Such is the elegance on display here that it belies the power and length, ferrous notes, even a hint of curry leaf furnishing the finish. Superb.Vinous Media | 94 VMWild and exotic on the nose, with blackberry, meat and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, with super well–integrated tannins and a lovely balance of fruit and spice on the finish. This is really a beauty—a seductive young wine. Just a few notches below the 2000. Best after 2008. 1,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDrank this at Robuchon restaurant in Macau. The three-star Michelin restaurant is amazing and has one of the best wine lists in the world. This res is so sexy. Look for 2001 Pomerol. A wine with layers of aromas of licorice, dark chocolate and berries. Violets. Full to medium body with very fine tannins and a long finish. Just coming around. Pure pleasure.James Suckling | 94 JS

Tasted at the La Conseillante vertical at Chez Bruce. The La Conseillante 2001 has a lovely, rounded bouquet with notes of blackberry, loganberry, a touch of espresso and fresh fig that simply wafts from the glass and seduces upon contact. The palate is quite compact at the moment, good acidity with firm tannins, slightly foursquare at first but mellowing in the glass, quite linear towards the finish that refuses to fan out or give much away at the moment. Taciturn, very well crafted and very understated on the finish that has the perfect marriage of fleshiness and dryness to leave the palate eager for more. The ’01 is an exemplar for the estate. Magnificent. Tasted December 2010.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP-NMAfter a precarious run, the 2001 La Conseillante was as a shoo-in. It has a seductive mélange of red and black fruit, those hints of truffle and white pepper coming through, youthful and brushing off its 21 years effortlessly. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, plenty of crisp black fruit laced with sage and still offering that cheeky soupçon of curry powder on the persistent finish. This is now reaching its peak and is just a lovely Pomerol.Vinous Media | 94 VMA finessed and balanced vintage, this is full of soft brambled fruits, tobacco and campfire notes, with sculpted fine tannins at 20 years old. Bernard Nicolas was the owner and winemaker at the time, with no outside consultant, so a very different set up at the château than the one you find today. Old school and utterly charming. Harvest September 22 to 30.Decanter | 94 DEC(Château La Conseillante) I had a less than stellar bottle of this wine early on in 2010, so I was very happy to cross paths with a stellar example this year at the estate’s 140th Anniversary luncheon. 2001 has produced some really lovely wines and intuitively, I had suspected that the character of the vintage would match very well indeed with the La Conseillante house style. Happily, this is indeed the case, as this lovely wine offers up a complex and very pure nose of plums, raspberries, a touch of nuttiness, coffee, a fine base of soil and a nice framing of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite complex, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, measured tannins, very good acidity and excellent length and grip on the still fairly closed finish. This will be an excellent vintage of La Conseillante and will be a real sleeper. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 93+ JGBeautiful wine with blackberry, chocolate and floral aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a pretty finish. Refined and silky. Not a big Conseillante, but all in finesse and texture. I like it as much as the 2000. Best after 2006. 4,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Made in an elegant, surprisingly low key style for La Mondotte, the concentrated, delicious, opaque purple-colored 2001 builds incrementally on the palate. An impressive bouquet of black cherries, creme de cassis, toast, and minerals is followed by a medium to full-bodied effort with nicely integrated wood, acidity, and tannin as well as a long finish. This is a brilliant wine, and one of the finest efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2017.Robert Parker | 94 RPSolid red with loads of spicy, rich berry fruit, with just the hint of spice. Full-bodied, with a well-integrated fruit and tannin structure. Long finish. Tight and firm now. Needs time. This is very serious. Best after 2006. 740 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2001 La Mondotte, which I had tasted twice before, has a pleasant bouquet of raspberry coulis and crushed strawberry scents, hints of peppermint and orange blossom emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with simple red berry fruit, maraschino cherries and touches of blueberry, fine acidity and dark chocolate and espresso notes toward the finish. This was always a more elegant style of La Mondotte, one that did not appeal to me in its youth, but does now. Cropped at 20hl/ha and matured in 100% new oak for 18 months.Vinous Media | 92 VM

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

The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres elicits “wows”. Aged 60% in neutral wood foudres and 40% in one, two, and three-year old Burgundy barrels, this 2001, which tips the scales at an awesome 16.2% natural alcohol, boasts an inky/purple color along with a sensationally pure bouquet of blackberries, graphite, acacia flowers, licorice, and sweet kirsch liqueur. Unctuously textured and full-bodied, with high tannin as well as a closed personality, this prodigious yet fabulous Chateauneuf du Pape is a potential legend in the making. It requires 3-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for two decades. The texture, purity, and magnificent concentration suggest tiny yields, old vines, and non-interventionalistic winemaking. By the way, this wine represents a selection of the finest lots in the cellar as the sources are the same as for the Cuvee de Mon Aieul, although a large component of Deux Freres is from the Usseglio holdings in the sector of Chateauneuf du Pape called La Crau. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2022+.Robert Parker | 99 RPBright ruby-red. Superripe, roasted aromas of singed red fruits, carob, marzipan and walnut. A huge, roasted wine showing strong evidence of surmaturite; flavors of dried fruits and walnut. With alcohol in the 16% range this is undeniably massive, but I found myself wishing it had more primary fruit and verve. Quite different in style from the Cuvee de Mon Aieul. A rare and expensive bottling, recommended for fans of the type.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Only 43% of the production made it into the final blend of this remarkable 2002. Produced from a low 17 hectoliters per hectare, it includes 66.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 13.9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It has the highest alcohol ever achieved in a Leoville Las Cases (13.5%) as well as a lofty pH of 3.85. Nevertheless, the impression is one of a structured wine with considerable density, a ruby/purple color, layers of flavor, and a classic overall personality. The wine exhibits pure black currant, licorice-infused fruit, huge body, a viscous mid-palate, and a long, heady finish. I suspect this wine won’t be nearly as charming as the 2003 in its youth, but it hasn’t yet closed down, and I am amazed at just how rich, intense, and full-bodied it tastes even after bottling. This is certainly one of the half dozen or so candidates for wine of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030+.Robert Parker | 95 RPAromas of tobacco box, currants, cedar and mushrooms. It’s medium-to full-bodied with austere tannins and black-chocolate and licorice flavors. So much licorice, in fact. Linear and tight with a racy finish. Delicious now. Why wait?James Suckling | 94 JSThis is the essence of currants and berries with minerals and flowers. Full-bodied, with silky, refined tannins. Superlong and impressive. A beauty. Love it. As it should be. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WSNot the easiest summer, although hot weather in September meant that this is a better vintage on the Left Bank where Cabernet was able to ripen - and here 81% of the blend is either Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc. Intense cassis, clear Las Cases signature, slight austerity still with a beautifully silky texture and a crushed mint leaf freshness. This has the understated savoury Cabernet character of the vintage, not as intense as some Las Cases vintages for certain, but this is packed with confident fruit and tannins and it is starting to open up, softening and showing its personality. As it evolves in the glass, the delicate complexity of the structure starts to exert its charm, and gentle truffled liquorice notes sit next to smoked blackberries. I started this as a Coravin sample, but in the end felt that was unfair, because it needs to be opened for a few hours before really starting to show what it’s about. Think of this as a great way to access Las Cases at an earlier window than usual, but it is not one to cellar indefinitely. Tasted twice, once at home and once at the château. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend - the last time that this variety is in the 1st wine of Las Cases, as they were then field grafted over to Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvest 28th September to 11th October. 3.49pH, IPT70. Drinking Window 2021 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DECModerately saturated red-ruby. Captivating if cooler nose of blackcurrant, licorice and minerals. Very intensely flavored and gripping if currently quite tight. The black fruit and menthol flavors show an almost medicinal austerity and uncanny penetration on the palate. Very ripe for 2002, at 13.5%, with a pH of 3.85. Today, I find a more classically firm finish and a bit more personality than in the young 2004, but then the new vintage has a long way to go before it’s in bottle.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Dense aromas of licorice, tobacco, cedar and currants. Subtle yet complex. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a rich, long finish. Very pretty. One of the best from Pauillac this year, and clearly better than 2001. One of the surprises of the vintage. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBlack fruits and cherry interlaced with pleasant notes of mint, anise, and truffles. On the palate, the fine, precise tannic structure seems quite delicate but provides excellent length on the finish. This provides another example of stylistic evolution toward greater precision along the lines of that of the 2001, possessing as these two wines do both vivacity and weightlessness on the finish. Even if this bottle has reached its apogee, it remains very elegant. (Drink between 2022-2030)Decanter | 92 DEC

One of the best wines of the vintage, this is a classic Pauillac that is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. Dense ruby/purple in color with a glorious nose of melted licorice, lavender, barbecue smoke, black currants, and graphite, the wine is tannic, classically structured with an opaque ruby/purple color, beautiful definition, and a 1996-ish personality. This deep, full-bodied, elegant yet powerful 2002 should age handsomely for over two decades. Some patience will be required since this vintage exhibits more muscle and virility than normal. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.Robert Parker | 94 RPGood deep ruby-red. Inky aromas of currant, black cherry, minerals and smoky oak. Tightly wound but not at all hard. The flavors of black fruits, minerals and graphite are enlivened by bright acidity (3.56 grams). A very classy wine with sneaky depth of flavor, in a distinctly cooler style than the 2003 but built to age.Vinous Media | 92+ VMAromas of blackberries, cassis with fresh mushrooms and licorice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, refined finish. Slightly austere now but should come around very nicely. Best after 2007. 15,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

No written review provided. | 99 RPDoesn’t give much on the nose, with subtle lemon, honey, tangerine and apricot. Full-bodied and very sweet, with a long finish. Thick and compacted, with loads of mango and sweet candied fruit. Best after 2010. 150 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is a giant wine with lots of muscular tannins and rich fruit. Full and beautiful, very ‘Cabernet’ with currants and spices in the forefront. Broad shouldered, with notes of fresh mushrooms, pure fruit, souis bois, and a very long, long finish. This shows incredible class for the vintage. Robert de Luxembourg says it reminds him of the 1975 vintage with the powerful tannins. Pull the cork after 2015.James Suckling | 95 JSAromas of blackberry, tobacco and hints of oak. Full-bodied, with lots of silky and round tannins and a long finish. Lots going on here. Layered and powerful. Best after 2010. 460 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSEvery year, this estate turns in a wine which closely rivals the neighboring Haut-Brion. This year, the rivalry is just as intense. This has sweet, ripe, beautiful fruit, delicious acidity already. But wait for the tannins to kick in.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion shows more creme de cassis, plenty of cedar wood, melted licorice and charcoal in a medium to full-bodied wine. It is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Rustic tannins in the back knock down the ultimate pleasure, and the point score, ever so slightly, but there’s no doubting the complex, perfumey, noble aromatics this wine has managed to attain despite the staggering heat and drought in June, July and August. This has reached full maturity, but should hold nicely for another 7-10 years.Here’s a case where the second wine comes very close in quality to its bigger sibling, possibly because it is showing great complexity and is even more evolved than the Mission Haut-Brion. 2003 was tough in the Pessac-Leognan because of the lighter soils and the enormous heat and drought. Hence, the harvest here started in mid-August, which was historic.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion is one of the few examples of this infamous vintage that has improved in bottle, though it’s still far from a first- or even second-tier La Mission. My most recent bottle displays all the tropes of that hot summer: black cherries, fig, singed leather and cooked meats. It does not have the delineation of the best vintages. The palate is reasonably well balanced with sweet black fruit, still displaying those fennel and garrigue notes. The finish is opulent yet slightly monotone. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Riper than 2000 with sultanas and plums. It’s full with ripe tannins and a juicy finish. Be patient. Try in a year or two.James Suckling | 93 JSBeautiful aromas of berry, currant and toasted oak. Intense currant character. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, intense finish. This is very structured and superclean. Excellent stuff. Best after 2011. 7,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2003 Les Forts de la Tour possesses a dense ruby/plum/purple color in addition to notions of cold steel, lead pencil shavings, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied, opulent, heady, rich, and lush, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years.What can one say about proprietor Francois Pinault and his manager, Frederic Engerer? A strong argument can be made that in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Latour produced the wine of the vintage, although it has plenty of competition in the Northern Medoc in 2003. Moreover, the bargains are the estate’s least expensive cuvee, Pauillac, followed by Les Forts de Latour, Latour’s second wine which continues to increase in quality.Robert Parker | 92 RPDeep ruby-red. Wonderfully vinous and sappy for the vintage, with aromas of redcurrant, mineral and spice. Sweet, rich, lush and exotic but with good spice character giving lift to the flavors. A very fine-grained wine that will give relatively early pleasure, but it can’t match the 2004 or 2005 for backbone. Finishes dry and classic, with plenty of richness.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Aromas of blackberry and lightly toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a rich, fruity aftertaste of plum, berry and vanilla. All there. Solid wine. Best after 2011. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSBright red-ruby. Pure aromas of raspberry, violet and minerals. Suave and supple but classically dry, with an enticing floral character throughout. Very stylish, smooth wine, with tannins nicely buffered by berry fruit.Vinous Media | 88-91 VMBig, round, and juicy, with lots of plummy and chocolate character. Full and round, very yummy. Why wait?James Suckling | 90 JSAlso a stunning wine, the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is a sleeper of the vintage. Much fresher and less evolved than I would expect a second wine to be from this vintage, it is a Margaux-like effort with a flowery character, good precision and freshness, red and black currant notes, and an attractive, medium-bodied, surprisingly concentrated mouthfeel. It is clearly one of the finest second wines made in this vintage. It can be consumed over the next 5-8 years.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe second wine of Château Margaux is certainly as good as many crus bourgeois. This vintage is ripe and elegant. For fruit that is so ripe what is fascinating is the way the wine finishes with acidity and a great lift. Delicious in three to five years.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Sweet tobacco and plum with hints of leather and cassis on the nose. Full bodied, with big velvety tannins and lots of fruit. Very rich and powerful, even chewy. Give this some time to mellow out. Pull the cork after 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSNot surprisingly for such a hot vintage, the wine has a degree of solar expression, but it also presents freshness and elegance, and has no element of cooked fruit whatsoever. Complex scents of dried flowers mingle with those of gentle spices. The powerful, fleshy attack is juicy but on the palate the wine is shaped by a solid tannic structure so characteristic of this vintage yet one that is impressively silky. Ready to be enjoyed but will stay the distance for another 15 years. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 96 DECWow. This shows so much ripe fruit and berry character with just the right hint of lead pencil and spice. Full-bodied and very chewy. Big and powerful. Beautiful wine. Superb. Best after 2012. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA brilliant effort, this 2003 displays a vigorous, intact, deep blue/purple color as well as notes of scorched earth, barbecue spices, incense, creme de cassis and cedarwood. Long, lush, medium to full-bodied, round and generous, this opulent Pauillac can be drunk now and over the next 5-8 years.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2003 Pichon-Longueville Baron comes from a freakishly hot vintage, yet the Pauillac appellation escaped relatively unscathed. The 2003 offers a ripe, sexy bouquet of blackcurrants, spice-box, licorice, and tobacco leaf. It ripe and powerful on the palate, with sweet tannin, some evolution in its fruit, still present, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s certainly an outstanding wine and will continue drinking nicely for another 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDPowerfully structured, with great depth and huge, ripe fruit, along with a muscular freshness of both fruit and tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2003 Pichon-Baron has one of the better aromatics this vintage compared to its peers, featuring mulberry and cranberry fruit, orange peel, leather and a touch of star anise. The palate is medium-bodied with furry tannins and lower acidity than the 2002, yet more freshness than in many Left Bank wines. It shows commendable depth and volume, offering attractive tarry, lightly spiced black fruit toward a sinewy finish that shows more energy than you would expect given the infamous heat of that summer. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Impressively dense, dark flavored wine, very rich and quite extracted. But it still keeps the elegance and some of the freshness of 2004, and there is plenty of blackberry flavor to push the wine along. Heavier than many 2004s, it still shows that great acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEOne can’t say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the “Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien.” An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Also tasted: 2004 Croix de Beaucaillou (88; $25.00)Robert Parker | 93 RPAgainst my expectations, this is not quite as appealing as the 2003 to drink right now, a little more foursquare although extremely classic with plenty of St Julien finesse. The tannins are tight and firm, and this still feels extremely young - you certainly see the majestic ageing ability of Ducru in both the 2003 and 2004. The fruit character is dark, rich and powerful, with a menthol edge growing bright through the palate along with a ton of liquorice root. Extremely good, but lacks the thrill of the 2003. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 93 DECGorgeous aromas of crushed blackberry and currant. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is a Ducru with reserve and lots of finesse. Best after 2011. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis Ducru is such a harmonious wine, with cedar, berry and truffle character. It’s full-bodied with gorgeous tannins and a pretty finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSNo written review provided. | 92 W&SDeep ruby-red. Reticent nose hints at violet, menthol and spicy oak. Sweet and lush on entry, then broad and classically dry in the middle, with slightly edgy acidity currently dominating the wine’s precise berry and licorice flavors. Finishes with serious, broad tannins that reach the incisors. This is long but the 2006 is longer.Vinous Media | 90+ VM