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If one of 2004’s enduring characteristics is its freshness, then Margaux epitomizes this. It is so deliciously fresh and floating, with great black currant and blueberry fruits, pointed up by spice, mint and a sense of elegance and poise. There’s no doubt about its aging potential either: just feel that heart of firm tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETasted from barrel in 2005, this wine showed the freshness of the vintage in its bright woodland-berry scent before settling into tannins that felt mineral, powerful and black. Directeur général Paul Pontallier commented at the time, "I consider this to be typical, absolutely, of Château Margaux." Two years on, the wine is definitively Margaux, from the fashionable scent of new oak, to the musculature and vinous strength of the fruit. The sweetness of the fraises des bois and plum seems improbable in the context of a completely dry, concentrated yet ethereal taste that doesn’t stop. The wine will taunt you with its delicate, silken power whether you drink it in ten, 20 or 30 years.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SThe 2004 Chateau Margaux has always been a promising wine and here, served blind against the First Growths, it finally proved that patience is necessary when it comes to such wines. It has an exquisite bouquet with brilliant delineation, scents of redcurrant, raspberry coulis, cold stone (almost flint-like) with pencil-lead and cedar lending it a Pauillac-like sense of aristocratic flair. The palate is extremely well balanced with a supple opening, nigh perfect acidity with a surprisingly citric undercurrent that lends so much freshness and tension. While it does not have the weight and power of say, 2000, 2005 or 2009, it cruises along with utmost harmony and you become smitten by its charms - something that is perhaps in short supply among the First Growths in this vintage. This is excellent. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMBright red-ruby. Knockout nose features boysenberry, currant, cedar, graphite and mocha. Suave, gentle and sweet, already displaying ineffable inner-mouth perfume. The 17% merlot component injects a silky component, and the oak element adds a complementary sweetness. Complex, lush, horizontal finish saturates the mouth with flavor. It was not clear to me in April that the 2006 would exceed this-and it will certainly take longer to reach full maturity in bottle.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is lovely, with enticing, velvety plum sauce, macerated red currant fruit, black tea and incense notes that have melded beautifully. This shows a lovely tug of earth at the very end, retaining some grip for further cellaring, despite being approachable now. A lovely wine.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDrinking beautifully, the 2004 Château Margaux (78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) is all about elegance and finesse and has perfumed notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, and sweet red and black fruits all soaring from the glass. With medium body, a silky, seamless texture, ultra-fine tannin, and a great finish, it glides across the palate and is just a joy to drink. While it doesn’t have the weight or richness of a top vintage, it’s a beautiful expression of this estate. Drink it anytime over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

This shows lots of mulled spice, warm tobacco leaf and well-roasted cedar accents, but isn’t short on fruit, offering enticing layers of red currant, plum and blackberry confiture. The long finish is riddled with sweet smoke, black tea and iron notes. A gorgeous wine from an overlooked vintage.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2035. 23,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI drank this 2004 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild the other night at home with some wine producers. I decanted it only right before serving - a mistake made while concentrating on the cooking food. On the nose there were coffee and chocolate aromas with hints of vanilla. It was super fruity, and its medium body was coupled with beautifully soft tannins. This is just coming around now and it’s very New World in style. Overall, a much overlooked vintage from Mouton.James Suckling | 94 JSSupple and grand, Mouton has a heavenly richness in 2004. The flavors are saturated with blackberry and black-cherry fruit, bright on the aroma, quieter and softer in the end. The wine has a laconic beauty, closed off behind its oak and stony tannin. With several days of air, the succulence of the fruit grows more prominent as it will with 15 to 20 years of age.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThe 2004 Mouton Rothschild is supple, forward and inviting. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco and grilled herbs are all pushed forward. This is an especially succulent Mouton, partly because of the high percentage of Merlot that was common during this era. Gravel, pencil shavings, smoke and cured meats add myriad shades of nuance on the powerful, explosive finish. Philippe Dhalluin told me he waited as long as possible to harvest in 2004, the driest vintage Mouton had seen up until that point. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot harvested between September 29 and October 15.Vinous Media | 93 VMA wine that is powerful, highly extracted and intense. The chocolate flavors and serious, dry tannins go with big, fat blackberry fruits and finishing acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEIt is probably unfair to appraise this wine with more mature siblings. It has a deep garnet core. There is good intensity on the nose with cedar, tobacco, pine forest and blackberry leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite masculine and obdurate at the moment with a grainy, austere finish. Moderate length. It needs to muster more charm but I remain cautiously optimistic. Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

The Château l’Eglise-Clinet 2004 was served from magnum ex-cellar. It has a very fragrant bouquet with wonderful purity and delineation: dark cherries, blueberry, a touch of orange sorbet and violets. There is real sophistication here, especially in context of the vintage, one of the few 2004s that possesses a bouquet that locks you in. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, superb acidity, perhaps "classic" in style for want of a better expression, but very long with that spicy kick of black pepper and tobacco on the finish. This is just beginning to drink now, though personally I would afford it another two or three years, just to make sure. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2004 l’Eglise-Clinet is an outstanding wine for the vintage, where notes both from bottles and magnum have been uniformly impressive. It has a fragrant bouquet with copious red cherry, crushed strawberry, orange sorbet and violet aromas that you would think come from a warmer growing season. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grain tannin, a fine bead of acidity, resolutely classic in style with a persistent tobacco-laced finish. It is a quintessential l’Eglise-Clinet that can be broached now, but will also age. Tasted at a private dinner in London.Vinous Media | 94 VMViolet, blackberry, vanilla and fresh leather follow through to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a long finish. Balanced and very pretty. A lovely wine. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

There are tannins, structure and power, but also supreme elegance. The 2004 acidity comes through in the sweet cassis flavors, supported at the back by dry tannins. Currently, the wine is closed up, losing some of its fresh fruit, but this is a moment in its slow evolution towards a classic Latour.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Robert Parker | 95 RPCaptivating aromas of currant, black licorice and spices, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and racy. Best after 2011. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2004 Latour checks in as a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and a splash of Cabernet Franc, all aged in new French oak. It shows the more elegant, silky style of the vintage, yet with plenty of Latour grandeur and depth in its ripe cassis, smoky mineral, graphite, and saddle leather aromas and flavors. It’s medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and has serious length, as well as another two decades of longevity, although it’s certainly drinking beautifully today.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDBright ruby-red. Classic aromas of currant, plum, graphite and minerals. Suave and smooth in the mouth, with a compelling sweetness and lushness for the vintage. At once easygoing and wonderfully complex, conveying a powerful soil character. The finish is ripely tannic, sweet and very long. This is wonderfully expressive today but the young 2006 may have even longer aging potential. Along with Chateau Margaux, my candidate for wine of the vintageVinous Media | 94 VMThe modern Latour has a vast architectural presence. The edges of ferrous power here are tamed on a supple texture, though the choice seems to have been to trade some freshness for that textural grace. The tannins have the potent austerity that grows out of Latour’s deep hill of stones. Closed off for now, the fruit aspect of the wine will not likely show for more than a decade, and the wine will likely need 20 years to reach maturity.Wine and Spirits | 94 W&SThis is surprisingly approachable, especially from a big bottle. It’s soft and fruity with balsamic and sweet tobacco character. Full and round mouthfeel. It will obviously improve with age, but why wait? Served from imperial bottle.James Suckling | 93 JS

There is only one question about what is otherwise a magnificent wine—whether the current dominant wood flavors will soften and blend enough. If they do, then the powerful fruit, spice and freshness will all come together in a stellar wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2004 Pichon Lalande is a strong effort for the vintage (much better than their underwhelming and much more expensive 2005). A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as scents of cocoa, espresso roast, black cherries, and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, this classic wine cuts a stylistic persona somewhere between the 1995 and 1996. It can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe color is deep and concentrated, as is the rich extract that fills the texture of this wine. The aromas hint at currants and violets, though they remain hidden for now. Brisk tannins give it a stony feel. This should develop into a classic. Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CAWine & Spirits | 92 W&SShows balance and finesse with aromas and flavors of currants and sweet tobacco with fine tannins and a refined, caressing finish. Drink and enjoy.James Suckling | 90 JSRuby-red color. Dark plum, graphite, minerals and mint on the nose. Offers a subtle sweetness leavened by lively acidity and nicely framed by a firm tannic spine. A wine of modest flesh but considerable suavity. Very well balanced and persistent, with the mineral notes repeating on the back. Very Pauillac.Vinous Media | 90 VMAromas of currant, flowers and berries follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Round and very caressing. Best after 2010. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Stunning now. A fabulous nose of currants, crushed raspberry and blackberry. Full- bodied, with perfectly integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe tannins dominate this dark, brooding wine. At this stage, it seems to have closed up, leaving the fruit and acidity buried. But with this concentration, the future looks promising. There is a long aging potential here.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELagrange produced a joyous cabernet in 2005, with the lovely textural fatness and kindness of tannin that places it clearly in St-Julien. The dark fruit has youthful energy, the tannins a woodsy undertone, like biting into a fresh grilled porcini. The purity of the flavor makes it delicious; that fruit purity is the factor distinguishing the best wines of the vintage. In the case of Lagrange, it will make the wine approachable through the course of a long life; though if you find pleasure in the details, wait on this until it’s at least ten years old and check on it at twenty.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThe 2005 Lagrange was picked from 21 September until 10 October. It has a harmonious and vigorous bouquet with blackberry, cedar, tobacco aromas and just a light estuarine scent that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins and much more mid-palate presence than prior vintages. There is more body and grip, a sense of boldness towards the finish that should stand it in good stead for long-term ageing. Superb. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 93 VMCurrant, mineral, plum and light toasty oak follow through to a full body, with ultrasilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is thoroughly beautiful. Superbalanced and very pretty. Best after 2011. 24,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Lagrange (St. Julien)) I really like the 2005 vintage of Château Lagrange, which will be an outstanding example of the vintage in due course. The bouquet is starting to show some nice secondary signs of development, though the wine remains still quite youthful on the palate. The nose wafts from the glass in a mix of black cherries, dark berries, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, nutty new oak and a topnote of tobacco leaf. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with fine focus and grip, nascent complexity and a long, ripely tannic and tangy finish. The 2005’s fairly firm tannins and good acidity are going to make this an extremely long-lived wine, but they will also demand a bit more patience before starting to drink the ’05 Lagrange. (Drink between 2025-2085).John Gilman | 92+ JGLagrange 2005 is an impressive effort, if perhaps trying just a bit too hard. If the nose still shows a fair bit of wood, although the wine has the ripe blackcurrant fruit to balance this out. The tannins are firm and somewhat angular on the palate, giving a slightly austere feel to the finish. The blend is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot with 9% Petit Verdot, picked from 21 September, and aged in 60% new casks. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DEC

This needs time in the glass, but unfurls to reveal cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, cassis and rose notes. It’s heady and confident stuff that I’ve tasted several times over the past few months and have been hugely impressed by, especially with food. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECThe Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2005 that was so divisive at birth but as I expected right from the beginning, this is maturing into a lovely Pauillac. It offers compelling tobacco and graphite scents on the nose, belying the Merlot content of this blend, reserved at first but opening gloriously in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and well-judged acidity. There is an effortlessness quality about this Pichon-Lalande. ‘tis not the most powerful or decadent Pauillac but its is very sophisticated and refined.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMIn recent years, Pichon Comtesse has developed an elegance all its own, with great style, smoothing out the real intensity of the wine. This 2005 continues in that tradition, a spice, fruity wine, which has restraint as well as hidden power.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEJuicy and sleek in feel, with a gloss of singed vanilla and alder over the core of lively blackberry, fig and black currant paste flavors. Singed charcoal and sweet tobacco notes score the finish and leave a mouthwatering feel. A tough decision whether to drink now or wait, as both choices will be rewarded.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSWhat a nose on this, with orchids and currants, this is very perfumed and pretty. Full-bodied, with bright and lively acidity. Rose petals and citrus fruit on the palate give way to a long and intense finish. Wait and see where this goes.James Suckling | 93 JS

Extremely lively palate, really quite bright, bold, powerful, chewy tannins fill the mouth but you get such power and concentration here. Feels more alive, slightly linear than the 2008, real tension still, so lively with energy that shoots across the palate. Such depth and just so drinkable. Tannins are mouth filling no doubt, they completely cover the mouth but so expressive, and elegant. Such refinement here but also such power. Only just at the start of its drinking window but one to carry on ageing, . First vintage with Didier Thormann as cellar master. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot.Decanter | 97 DECVery clear and translucent with currants, blueberries and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that are layered and beautiful. Together and polished with plushness and beauty. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis wine’s heady rush of flavor gave one taster goosebumps. She called it sexy. ’Formidable.’ Other technical descriptions included ’the shazam,’ ’has zazz,’ and ’unprintable. That’s some serious s#¡†.’ At the en primeur tastings, this ap­peared to be chunky and superripe. Now it’s massive, with dark extract and exotic spice, a sophisticated wine that ends on sweetness, bitter chocolate and dark berry fruit. With all the flash, it will give a lot of pleasure as a young wine, but it has the plump Poyferré terroir drive to sustain that pleasure for years to come.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SHugely concentrated and packed with tannins, this wine shows considerable amounts of dark, extracted fruit. It wins out on impressive power, driving the fruit through the tannins, giving great richness.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELéoville Poyferré’s dense ruby/purple 2005 is soft, round and juicy, with lots of blackcurrant fruit, plum and Asian spice. It is medium to full-bodied and, along with Léoville Las Cases and Saint-Pierre, probably one of the best St.-Juliens I tasted in this retrospective. It is surprisingly supple and accessible. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2005 Léoville-Poyferré really needed a number of hours to come together. An old school, powerful Saint-Julien, the 2005 Léoville-Poyferré packs a serious punch. Inky dark red fruit, iron, smoke, cedar, mint and white pepper lend striking aromatic depth. This virile, tannic Saint-Julien is a bruiser, but it is also pretty impressive. Tasting it feels like taking a step back in time.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGDark ruby red in color, with aromas of currant, blackberry, toasty oak and light cappuccino. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a beautiful, caressing aftertaste. Touches every part of the palate. Outstanding, but slightly disappointing after such a great showing from barrel. Best after 2009. 18,915 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2005 Langoa Barton is a wonderful surprise. Bright, fresh and so alluring, the 2005 is one of the under the radar jewels of the year. Freshly cut flowers, ripe red berry fruit, mint and blood orange give the 2005 striking aromatic lift and energy to match its mid-weight personality. This classy, polished Saint-Julien is a total delight. I wish I had a case in the cellar.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGWonderful aromas of licorice, crushed blackberry and mineral. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and vanilla, berry and aniseed flavors. Has a long, long finish. Best after 2015. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSBig, ripe, almost exotic, this has developed impressively over the past 18 months. Its tannins are certainly huge, but so is the fruit, warm, rich and enticing. Very powered, it thrusts black currants and acidity right up front.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis vintage emphasizes dark chocolate and French roast coffee scents. Its luscious cherry flavors give a soft, round impression in the middle, then it lightens up a little, needing time for the flavors to extend. The fineness of Langoa is there, and should be more apparent in ten years’ time.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

Of the recent, highly-praised vintages in Bordeaux- 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010, only the 2005 vintage stands out for me as a truly great vintage on the Gironde, with the others masquerading power and overripe fruit as if it were true greatness in the making. However, 2005 is a completely different animal and this is really and truly a great year, but one that is built for the very long haul. It is very rare for a Bordeaux vintage to offer outstanding acidity and excellent ripeness in the same vintage (unless it is a pruney drought year like 2010, which is okay if one wants Amarone, rather than claret). The 2005 Figeac is a perfect example of just how great this vintage is on both sides of the Gironde, as it offers up a deep and stunning bouquet of black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, dark soil tones, woodsmoke and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with lovely nascent complexity peeking out from behind its closed structure. The finish is very, very long, tangy and ripely tannic, with impeccable balance and enormous potential. A great Figeac and a great homage to the superb job that Éric d’Aramon did during his days at the helm here. (Drink between 2025-2100)John Gilman | 97 JGInteresting aromas of cedar, tobacco, dark fruits, cinnamon, and cigar box. Full and solid, with chewy tannins. A very direct, straight, and pure wine with lovely freshness. This is starting to close, give this some time.James Suckling | 95 JSThe tightrope stage of a wine as it shifts from young to mature, the tertiary notes coming to the fore are very welcome in its second decade, although it is perhaps just a little more evolved than I would expect. But this is stunning, there is so much hidden power, with layers of complex cedar, rose petal and soft woodsmoke. As it opens in the glass, the slight dryness on the finish becomes more apparent, but so does the sweet gentleness of this vintage. It can clearly still age for a good few decades, but would also be ready to drink with some decanting first. The 36hl/ha yield in this vintage is due mainly to the extremely dry summer.Drinking Window 2017 - 2038Decanter | 95 DECThis is plush and warm in feel, with lots of currant and fig preserve flavors rolling through, inlaid with tobacco, warm stone and bittersweet cocoa notes. Shows a hefty dose of roasted alder on the finish, but in general this has been absorbed, making this a step ahead in terms of evolution, but there’s no rush, as a racy iron streak is just starting to show up.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 8,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon in Figeac has won out in 2005. It shows in the delicious black currant fruits and very fresh, vibrant acidity. The tannins, curiously, are less apparent—maybe all that fruit overwhelms them. Only on the finish is there some austerity and firmness. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA silken, elegant Merlot, this has a youthful blue tinge to its color and luscious energy to its plummy fruit. It’s bold and powerful, but it doesn’t feel pushed. The pinpoint detail of the tannins provides a beautiful richness that expands with air. A touch exotic, that richness brings Kobe beef to mind, a match for this wine when it’s had some time to mature.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SThe finest Figeac since the 1990 and 1982, the restrained, but complex 2005 exhibits notes of black olives, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and sweet cherry and black currant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied with racy tannins as well as a streamlined style built on finesse and delicacy rather than on power and concentration. Consume it over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

The Château Canon 2005 has a more complex nose than the Clos Fourtet tasted alongside. It is tightly wound at first with black cherries and dried violet petals, terracotta tiles and brown spices. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and very well-judged acidity. This is very harmonious in the mouth, nicely structured with great precision and persistence. There is a sense of reserve here, but it has a compelling complexity that will surely be enhanced with bottle age. It’s wines like these that remind you why this has such as devoted following that includes yours truly among its number.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMThe 2005 Canon is all brawn and muscle. Chunky tannins give the 2005 a decidedly virile feel. There is plenty of depth and freshness - this is after all one of the very best sites in all of Bordeaux - so the 2005 will hold for many years to come. Dark fruit, leather, smoke, gravel, crushed rocks and spice linger on the potent finish. Tasting the 2005 today really highlights how far Canon has come in recent yearsVinous Media | 95 VMThe 2005 Château Canon is beautiful, although I think it checks in behind vintages such as 2009, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Revealing a deep ruby/purple hue as well as mineral-laced notes of black raspberries, black cherries, white flowers, crushed rock, and Asian spice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, incredible purity, and flawless balance. It stays more compact and tight, with little in the way of baby fat, but it’s incredibly elegant and pure. A gorgeous, layered, seamless wine that blossoms with a decant, it unquestionably has another 20-25 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDAromas of fresh cep mushrooms, berries, spices, roses, and sous bois, give way to hints of milk chocolate and vanilla. Full and rich, with beautifully balanced tannins and a long finish. Loads going on in this wine, yet it remains subtle and beautiful. This needs time. Pull the cork after 2015.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Canon) While the 2006 Canon is still open and quite easy to project on into its future, the 2005 has gone into hibernation and is not particularly forthcoming at the present time. The bouquet reluctantly yields up scents of black cherries, dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, some gravelly soil tones and a bit of spicy new wood that is buried deep in the other aromatic elements. On the palate the wine is very full-bodied, deep and rock solid at the core, with the vintage’s beautiful taught acidity really sealing up this beauty from the mid-palate back. The finish is long, firmly tannic and superbly well focused, with excellent grip and a palate-staining persistency. Today this wine is hermetically sealed, but it will be superb at its apogee. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 92-94+ JGShows a lightly roasted edge at first, with raspberry and boysenberry confiture notes laced with melted licorice, singed alder and firm graphite details. Reveals a fine chalky hint, but this has more bass than treble overall. Still rather tight.—Non-blind Canon vertical (December 2016). Best from 2020 through 2030. 4,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFreshness and richness combine in this wine. There’s a eucalyptus freshness that goes with the intense acidity. But alongside this is the dark, dense blackberry fruit that layers with the hints of wood. Keep this for six years before tasting, and then for many more.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

A complete and sexy wine with very polished and refined tannins yet there’s an energy and posture that gives the wine such intrigue. Buy it. James Suckling | 96 JSVery grapey on the nose, with mineral, tarragon and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a light vanilla, berry and milk chocolate aftertaste. Subtle and balanced. The best Nenin in years. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA very smooth, rich wine, with a slight touch of pepper from the alcohol. The tannins are huge but submerged by ripe fruit. There's almost Napa-like ripeness, but also delicious acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEAn attractive minty, almost eucalyptus nose, with red cherry brightness; however, it’s not as dense or long as the 2015. Indeed, while the 2015 is a little closed, the tannins here come across almost hard by comparison, making the wine less charming than you’d expect from a Pomerol. The blend contains 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC

Beautiful ruby red colour, rapsberry puree and cocoa dusting aromatics, still young, a wonderfully embracing tannic frame, rapsberrry, blueberry and loganberry fruits, slate-scraping minerality, just a gorgeous wine that is bursting out of the glass and still has so much more to give. Balanced, mouthwatering, persistent, just at the start of its long and pleasure-filled life, showcasing so much that is wonderful about 2005. Get on board. This is a 2 point higher score than the last time I tasted in April 2021, reflecting that the 2005s are just right now beginning to open up.Jane Anson | 96 JATight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and currants. Full body, superfine tannins and a texture that is so caressing and beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSTasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating nose: blackberry and boysenberry fruit coming at you at full pelt; dried blood and bacon fat developing as secondary aromas just behind. There is fine delineation here - an underlying mineralité sure to surface with time. The palate is very intense and disarmingly youthful, almost ferrous on the entry with layers of ripe black fruit that segue into an earthy finish (with a curious light tang of Marmite on the aftertaste!). It is a fabulous Calon Ségur, though the millennial wine might ultimately possess greater precision. We will see. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMHas a beautiful nose of crushed berry, spices and nutmeg, with a hint of coffee. Then turns to licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish of vanilla, berry and cinnamon. Beautifully crafted. Best after 2014. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm and structured, the Calon-Ségur remains surprisingly muscular. Produced from a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, all aged in new casks, this shows a bright redcurrant and mint nose with a bit of spice and smoke. The feel on the palate is tannic and firm, perhaps lacking a bit of generosity at this point, but the rich extract suggests that with time it should come around. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2005 vintage at Calon-Ségur was comprised of more than fifty percent merlot, and while the wine is a good wine in its way, it lacks the brightness, soil signature and classic profile of the wines from 2006 forwards. The bouquet is deep, reserved and shows admirable depth in its constellation of dark berries, tobacco leaf, woodsmoke, espresso, herb tones, a touch of hoisin sauce, dark soil and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with good purity at the rock solid core, firm tannins and excellent length and grip on the black fruity and still very youthful finish. Qualitatively, this is clearly the equivalent of the 2006, but I have a far stronger preference for the style of the latter vintage, as this is just missing a bit of spark from all of its merlot in the blend. A very good wine, but not a classic Calon-Ségur. (Drink between 2022-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGDeep, bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoked meat, earth and menthol. Chewy, brooding and deep, with concentrated black cherry, menthol, mineral and leather flavors framed by a powerful spine of acids and tannins. Really saturates the palate on the tannic back end. I’d give this classic St. Estephe a decade of aging, at which time this wine may well merit an even higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

This great terroir sandwiched between Vieux Château Certan, Petrus and La Fleur Petrus, on the high plateau of Pomerol, has been owned for many years by the Barrau-Badar family. Beautiful coffee, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit jump from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, multi-layered, and very impressive Certan de May. I don’t remember it showing this well in barrel and post-bottling, but it is strutting its stuff at age 10, and has a good 20 years of upside left to it. This is a beauty. I especially admire the layered, textural style of the wine. Drink it over the next 20 years.Robert Parker | 95+ RPBlackberry and green tobacco aromas, with hints of coffee bean, follow through to a full body, with big, velvety tannins and a complex finish of dark chocolate and berry. Chewy and muscular, yet caressing and pretty. Best after 2015. 2,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WSA hugely perfumed wine with smooth tannins. It’s impressively ripe, with vibrant black fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This is an impressive and dynamic 2005 with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and raw-meat aromas that follow through to a full body with wonderful fruit complexity and succulent tannins. It’s a joy to drink now, but will continue to improve for decades ahead. One of the best ever.James Suckling | 95 JSOffers fabulous aromas of currant, tar, lead pencil and mineral. Full-bodied, with supersoft tannins that caress the palate. Beautiful and impressive. A fabulous wine. The best Clerc in a very long time. Best after 2014. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFine and impressive even in this vintage, Clerc Milon’s 2005 has a dense purple color and a beautifully sweet, creamy blackcurrant nose of cedar wood and flowers. Spicy, earthy, rich, and medium to full-bodied, it will probably be at its best between 2020 and 2035.Robert Parker | 93 RPOn a 107-acre site between Mouton and Lafite, Clerc Milon is part of G.F.A. Baronne Philippine de Rothschild, a group of properties including Mouton and managed by the same team. In 2005, the team produced a great performance from this vineyard, a clean, pure wine with delicacy and energy rather than tannic overload. Not that it isn’t laden with tannins, but the bright, wild cherry fruit flavor is a formidable partner, lasting for minutes through a buoyant finish. A supple, lovely wine that will go the distance with some of its more powerful neighbors.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SThe 2005 Clerc Milon is a very pretty, mature Pauillac. Dark fruit, leather, licorice, game, incense and tobacco give the 2005 a feeling of maturity. The 2005 is in a very pretty spot right now to offer fine drinking, but I would not push my luck, as the edges are starting to fray.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGClerc-Milon continues on its rising path of quality with this rich and rounded magnificent 2005. Driven by rich, red jam fruits, and dominated by the dense, solid tannins, this wine is already approachable, but will develop over 8–12 years.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

A glorious wine from Domaine de Chevalier, this 2005 reveals notes of graphite, subtle charcoal, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a long, multi-dimensional finish. This is a killer effort from the Bernard family, who own this famous terroir in Pessac-Léognan. Drink it over the next 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2005 Domaine de Chevalier is in a gorgeous spot in which it has developed striking aromatic nuance while retaining quite a bit of fruit. Leather, smoke, tobacco, gravel, dried herbs and spice lend quite a bit of complexity. Bold and savory in the glass, with tons of energy, the 2005 will drink well for another decade-plus, maybe more. I very much like the energy here. The red often flies under the radar, but there is no mistaking the beauty and pedigree here. Several recent bottles have been terrific. Olivier Bernard and his family turned out a regal 2005.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGDark plum colour, some walnut edging, again those Domaine de Chevalier tannins are just gorgeously balanced, they are so good at delivering finesse and classic Bordeaux typicity even with a fruit that is not exuberant. Here you get fresh notes of raspberry and bilberries, undergrowth, grilled almonds, everything in its place with a soft build up of tannins through the mouth without ever being drying. Gets better and better in the glass, this is a gorgeous wine. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030Decanter | 95 DECThis is really pure and fruity with flowers and stones. Full and dense, but still a bit tight. Not really giving much at the moment, but beautifully balanced and silky, and opening up to a long, long finish. This is excellent. Pull the cork after 2015.James Suckling | 94 JSDisplays floral, blackberry and mineral aromas, with a hint of fresh tobacco. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Has a fine, polished texture. This is a class act--the best since 1998 for the red.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is more about elegance than power, a fresh wine with sweet fruit, and so elegant. The tannins do promise some good aging, but this is not a long-term wine. Hold for 8–10 years, but it is already a pleasure to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WENo written review provided. | 90 W&S

The 2006 Lafleur, which I had not tasted from bottle prior to this visit, merits 95 points. One of the vintate’s most brilliant wines, this blend of 61% Merlot and 39% Cabernet Franc is neither as dense nor complete as the 2008, but it is structured, closed, and austere (as are many 2006s at present). It reveals a plum/purple color along with a beautifully sweet nose of black and red fruits intermixed with incense as well as a steely/iron-like smell. More open on the palate than the 2008, with more obvious spice and earthy undertones, this powerful Lafleur should be drinkable in 5-7 years, and will last for three decades.The tiny Lafleur vineyard, which was harvested between October 8-14, produced a wine with an atypically high percentage of Cabernet Franc. Proprietor Guinadeau stated that the Cabernet Franc was among the finest he had ever harvested.Robert Parker | 95 RPGood full, deep red. Brooding aromas of black cherry, cherry pit and licorice, plus a note that reminded me of a liqueur of flowers. Sweet, chewy and very ripe, but with restraint and focus to the youthful, mineral-driven flavors of dark fruits, licorice and pepper. This shows the cooler, medicinal cast of a classic young Lafleur and although almost surprisingly silky now, this really calls for extended cellaring.Vinous Media | 93+ VMOn the nose this shows many of the floral and dark berry notes of the 2005, but less intense. Full and silky, with beautiful juicy fruit on the palate and a long, delicate finish. I love how this prepares your palate for pleasure. Don’t touch this until 2015.James Suckling | 93 JSThis starts off very slow, then opens to violet and lilac, with crushed raspberry and strawberry. Full-bodied, with racy, intense acidity and tannins. Powerful and layered, with wonderful, subtle fruit and a long finish. Best after 2015.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

As to the Grand Vin, the 2006 Latour showed beautifully. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot, with a splash of Cabernet Franc, it offers a deep ruby/purple color to go with straight up classic Latour graphite, lead pencil and minerality all balanced by terrific cassis and blackcurrant fruit. With medium to full-bodied richness, present, yet silky tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish, it’s terrific today and I suspect on the early edge of a long drinking plateau.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDDense and rich Latour with layered and velvety tannins and gorgeous fruit. At the same time, there’s lots of wood. Coffee flavor, too. Full-bodied, layered and structured. Needs more time to soften the tannins. Try in 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSLatour has always had the reputation of producing great wines in the less great vintages. The 2006 is a case in point. It brings structure and ripeness into a form that is almost ethereal. That elegance doesn’t take away from the powerful fruit. The fruit in fact melds into the structure with ease. And, as a reminder this is a 2006, the density gives way to freshness on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2006 Latour performed even better from bottle than from barrel. Only 38% of the production (10,000 cases) made it into the grand vin, a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. From barrel, I thought it was a modern day version of the 1996 or 1986, and certainly the 1996 comparison still holds. I thought it was somewhat austere from barrel, but that is no longer an issue. This is a beautifully rich Chateau Latour boasting a dense ruby/purple color, a sweet, smoky, charcoal, cassis, graphite, and forest floor-scented nose, full body, an attractive freshness, and sweet, noble tannins. This layered Latour is one of the vintage’s top dozen or so wines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.Latour’s brilliant manager, Frederic Engerer, has purchased 15 hectares of old vine Grenache and Syrah in the Cotes du Rhone region, the Drome, at a cool-climate elevation. I can’t wait to see the first vintage from this Cotes du Rhone project.Robert Parker | 95 RPOffers a pure nose of currant and blackberry, with crushed fruit. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and very polished, refined tannins. Long and classy. Best after 2016.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Soft and lush, this perhaps shows a hint of dilution from harvest rains. The texture is firm and dense without being forbidding. It is less angular than the 2007 vintage on the palate, but there is a similar length and weight here. The result has a ripe currant and plum fruit with a bit of leather, spice and just a suggestion of violets. The harvest began with the Merlot on 19th September and the Cabernets on 9th October. The final blend is over 91% Cabernet, and here Latour has used a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with Merlot making up the balance. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 95 DECIn describing the feel of this wine, Lacey Burke of Gotham Bar & Grill said it was "like a cat wrapping around your ankles." Such a sensation clearly separates the ’06 Latour from the ’05, which is anything but cuddly. This does have the gravity of classic wines from the deep pile of river stones that counts for soil in this vineyard-its harmonious intensity a direct result of the superior drainage of those stones (and the rigorous farming and selection of the fruit). The tannins hold their share of mystery, both luscious and muscular at once, the source of the wine’s minerality and strength. The fruit is black and compact, completely filling those tannins, with a hint of earthy root vegetable flavor that gives the sweeter aspects a savory cut. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe 2006 Latour is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It is a vintage that I have followed closely since first tasting the wine from barrel, both in sighted and blind conditions. The 2006 has long been one of the best offerings from the Left Bank and this bottle was consistent with previous notes. It retains a disarming sense of purity on the nose: blackberry, raspberry, cedar and pencil shaving scents that seem to burst from the glass with a sense of vim and vigor. There is an underlying ferrous note, signs of secondary scents emerging over the horizon. The palate immediately exerts an insistent grip in the mouth, maybe a touch more backward than I expected. But it still conveys a sense of energy and there is a sense of brightness that Latour does not necessarily always possess. Laden with black fruit, with aeration it leans more towards red and manifests impressive depth allied with a fine bead of acidity that imparts mouth-tingling tension. In banal terms, it is an unashamedly “drinkable” Latour rather than one predisposed to impress and though it does not offer the persistence of giants like the 2005 or 2010, its joie de vivre will be appreciated by those tempted to splash out on one of around 4,000 cases kept back from its original release.Vinous Media | 94 VM

One of the greatest wines of the vintage is, not surprisingly, from proprietor Denis Durantou. A remarkable effort in every sense, the 2006 l’Eglise Clinet is not far off the quality of the prodigious 2005. Its inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by a powerful nose of mocha, caramelized red and black fruits, smoke, graphite, and truffle. Massive and rich with full-bodied power, excellent focus and definition, and moderately high tannin, this is an “outlier” for the vintage (as Malcolm Gladwell would say) with unbelievable length and richness. Unfortunately, patience will be essential as it needs a minimum of 5-6 years of cellaring. It will age effortlessly for three decades.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2006 L’Eglise-Clinet was picked 15 to 21 September and matured in 80% new oak. It has quite a deep color and a little more turbidity than other vintages. It offers brambly red fruit on the nose, secondary aromas of black tea and truffle, not as powerful as the 2009 but with fine precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly candied opening, more a playful l’Eglise-Clinet with finely chiseled tannins, moving towards more secondary notes of liquorice and a light marine note (seaweed?) towards the finish. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 95 VMNot quite up to the soaring standards of 2005, but still there is confidence, poise and stunning depth. Sit back and feel your palate slicing through the fruit, layer by layer, getting down to clean minerality and charcoal smokiness. Don’t waste this – give it further ageing in bottle and share it with friends who will be patient through what is not the easiest of approaches. Drinking Window 2016 - 2035Decanter | 95 DECViolet, black licorice and berry aromas follow through to a full body, with chewy tannins and a powerful finish. Layered and rich or the vintage. Needs time to develop. Best after 2014. 1,350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2006 Pichon Lalande, which blows away the 2005, represents a return to the velvety-textured, rich, sexy style most readers would associate with Pichon Lalande. This blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot no Petit Verdot was included in the final blend exhibits a dense purple color as well as abundant aromas of chocolate, coffee, cedar, black currants, and a subtle touch of smoke, a rich, savory, full-bodied mouthfeel, plump, fleshy fruit, and a superb finish. This is a 21st century version of the brilliant 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.One of the major disappointments in 2005 was Pichon Lalande, but the change in ownership, with the Roederer/Deutz champagne firm taking control in 2006, resulted in a very severe selection being instituted, only 41% of the production went into the grand vin.Robert Parker | 95 RPOne of the most pleasant and unexpected surprises in this tasting, the 2006 Pichon Lalande is gorgeous, which is something I can’t say about too many wines in a vintage marked by climatic ups and downs and irregular ripening. Dark, powerful and intense, the 2006 possesses exceptional balance. A host of black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and menthol flesh out in this decidedly somber, virile Pichon Lalande. In a vintage in which so many wines are so rustic, the 2006 Pichon Lalande is all class. This sleeper Pichon Lalande will drink well for at least the next two decades, perhaps longer.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThe success of this wine owes as much to Merlot as to Cabernet. The Merlot has created the ripeness and smoothness of the wine. While the Cabernet keeps it firm and closed up, there is a base of rich, sweet fruit here that will show over the next two years. The style of the wine is moving away from elegance to power under the new regime of owners, Champagne Roederer.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WERich and powerful but also restrained, with the characteristic perfume of Pichon Comtesse, this offers enormous potential for pleasure. The silky damson fruit also has a supporting cast of cloves and dark chocolate, with black truffles just starting to appear. Drinking Window 2017 - 2040Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Pichon-Lalande) I really like the 2006 vintage on the Left Bank and the Pichon-Lalande is a fine example. The bouquet offers up a deep and complex blend of blackberries, cassis, espresso, fresh herb tones, tobacco leaf, a nice touch of sweet bell pepper, gravel, violets and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and quite refined in profile, with a fine, almost sappy core of fruit, nascent complexity and very good length and grip on the ripely tannic finish. This will be a classic Pichon with sufficient bottle age. (Drink between 2021-2060).John Gilman | 92+ JGDisplays currant and blackberry, with hints of licorice. Full-bodied, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit under the structure. A rich wine for the vintage, needing plenty of bottle age. Best after 2014. 16,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Cheval Blanc is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. It has the most floral bouquet of the four Serié A Grand Cru Classé: an explosion of crushed violets and potpourri, hints of leather and cigar box, the Cabernet Franc clearly lending this complexity and character. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels wonderfully structured and comes with an insistent grip that coats the mouth. This is backward and almost surly, but you have to stand back and admire the precision and arching structure on the mineral-rich finish. Top-dog Saint Emilion? That’s for sure. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 97 RP-NMDark chocolate and mocha flavors, very dark and intense, this is a big, concentrated wine, flavored with bitter cherries and structured. Certainly a great Cheval Blanc.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDisplays lots of milk chocolate, cedar, berry and cappuccino aromas. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins, this is structured and layered for the vintage. Mouthpuckering. Needs time. This is one of the wines of the vintage. Best after 2015. 5,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA supple and heady vintage of Cheval, this gains power and amplitude over the course of several days. What sets it apart is the relaxed sophistication cabernet franc can yield from these 50-year-old vines. That adds vinosity to the Cheval’s tight build, while the beautiful richness of the wine is classic merlot. It’s the color of a black cherry, with the ripe flavor of that fruit darkened by the scent of figs, brightened by a floral note of violets. The tannins are supple, with a depth that will sustain the wine for decades.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SGood deep ruby-red. Captivating nose combines blackberry, menthol, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and a flinty, iron-like element. Densely packed and very fresh, with superb energy and definition to the complex flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice, menthol and minerals. A floral element contributes to the impression of vibrancy. This is more impressive than it was at any stage of its elevage, offering surprising chewy richness and sweetness for a brand-new Cheval. Finishes with broad, toothdusting tannins that mount slowly and saturate the palate. This wonderfully smooth wine gained in precision and floral perfume with 24 hours in the recorked bottle and should be at its best roughly between 2015 and 2035.Vinous Media | 94 VMA blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2006 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a classic wine from this under-the-radar vintage and offers a perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, earth, spice box, and tobacco. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, elegant texture, ripe tannin and impressive length, it’s approachable today yet will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSeptember rainfall hit St Emilion quite hard, and there was some dilution in the grapes, and careful selection and sorting were required. The 2006 Cheval Blanc has recently shown well but this bottle was not entirely satisfactory, though far from faulty. The nose is ripe and intense, with a grapy raspberry character and considerable poise and finesse. On the palate it’s still firm and tannic; it’s certainly concentrated, but quite grippy too and lacks the charm of the nose. A long chewy finish makes one wonder how the wine will evolve, but mature Cheval Blanc is unlikely to disappoint. Drinking Window 2019 - 2032.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2008 Mouton Rothschild checks in as a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot brought up in mostly new barrels. Undeniably one of the top wines in the vintage, it offers a rare opulence and sexiness in its awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, Asian spices, chocolate, and crushed flowers. Deep, full-bodied, powerful, and still young, it fills the mouth with fruit, has sweet tannin, and a great finish. It’s still ruby/plum-colored, with no signs of evolution, but is far from unapproachable and is drinking incredibly well today. It will keep for another two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAnother hit, although this is not as glamorous as some vintages of Mouton. The expression here is just a little more Pauillac, rather than Mouton. Layers of blackberry and grilled almonds are marked by a touch of austerity in the Cabernet which I almost never find in this wine. It remains a beautiful Mouton in a vintage where you don’t always get this level of texture and expression. It’s still young - we are actually nowhere near lift off yet. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038Decanter | 96 DECA rich wine, opulent in character. There is power here, with richness of fruit and texture. It is both serious side and exuberant, with its bursting black berry fruits.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2008 Mouton Rothschild has always been in the shadow of the ensuing couple of vintages, but I was not the only person at this tasting that commented upon the class in show here. It replicated previous showings: cedar and graphite present and correct, though accompanied by something a little more exotic - eucalyptus maybe? The palate is beautifully balanced, very detailed and extremely fresh. This conveys so much energy and animation before reverting towards a more classic and structured, pencil lead finish. Those in the know will stash up on the 2008 Mouton Rothschild because it is destined to turn into one of the "dark horses" of the decade. Tasted May 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMAromas of roasted fruit plus hints of grilled meat and chocolate. Full body, firm and chewy tannins and bright acidity. Tangy and lively. Needs time still to come together to soften the tannins. A little hard. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSAfter the 2009 and 2010, the 2008 Mouton Rothschild comes across as a touch slender. Lavender, smoke, grilled herbs and licorice add the closing shades of nuance in this delightful, mid-weight Mouton. In 2008, the blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot harvested between October 2 and 15. Two thousand eight is remembered as a highly variable year. Overcast skies finally opened in mid-September, which allowed the growing season to conclude on a high note.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis shows the cool, leafy profile of the vintage, with fresh tobacco and bay notes standing out, while the core of plum and blackberry fruit continues to fill in behind them. Shows wet earth and singed alder elements through the finish. This has nearly dropped its angular feel and is developing well, with just a slight twinge of crisp acidity on the finish.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Drink now through 2036.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

(Château Lafleur) The 2008 Lafleur is an absolute classic in the making and likely to be ranked as one of the great vintages at this estate from the first decade of the new millennium. The bouquet is deep, pure and youthfully reticent, as it offers up a complex mélange of black cherries, red currants, coffee, a very strong and complex base of soil, nutskins, cigar wrapper and a deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very soil-driven, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe tannins, very fine acidity and excellent focus and grip on the very long and well-balanced finish. A classic Lafleur and a magically beautiful bottle of wine. (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 96 JGTasted with Baptiste Guinaudeau, the 2008 Lafleur is a wine for which I have a lot of time, and as it approaches a decade old, it is beginning to loosen up a little. There is plenty of fruit on the nose—more than I have encountered on previous bottles, with a mixture of red and black fruit—and a hint of bell pepper and sage. The main difference is that those previously rigid tannin have loosened their collar in recent months; therefore, this Lafleur is now entertaining the notion of drinkability. There remains a linearity to this Lafleur—and there is still that backbone—yet it seems to flow nicely across the mouth, and there is superb mineralité on the finish. It's probably destined to be overshadowed by the succeeding two vintages, but I suggest you do not overlook the 2008 Lafleur.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMThe 2008 Lafleur is a wine that I have tasted several times. It mirrored my previous encounters. There is still impressive fruit concentration on the nose, equally distributed between red and black, a hint of clove and just a touch of Italian delicatessen emanating from the Cabernet Franc. The palate has just melted a little since its obdurate infancy, although it is still quite linear and "strict". You might argue that the 2008 Lafleur is a little charmless at the moment, but bottle age will sculpt and abrade this Pomerol into a very fine, if slightly aloof wine. (This was not shown at BI Wine & Spirit’s horizontal but a bottle was opened at a private dinner when I was in Bordeaux a few days earlier).Vinous Media | 96 VMA bright, fresh, very pure style, with raspberry and bitter cherry fruit flavors laced with judicious toast and a streak of red licorice. The nicely fleshy finish puts on weight as it airs in the glass, developing alluring notes of black tea and incense. Drink now through 2019.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou) The 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou is one of the top wines of the vintage and a stellar bottle in the making. The wine delivers a truly stunning bouquet, as it soars from the glass in a mélange of cassis, dark berries, French roast, tobacco leaf, a complex base of gravelly soil tones and a deft framing of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full and wonderfully suave on the attack, with a sappy core of fruit, ripe, perfectly-integrated tannins and great length and grip on the nascently complex finish. While Ducru has produced exemplary efforts in both 2009 and 2010, make no mistake, the 2008 is the finest of the troika. A great 2008! (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 95 JGA gem from the Left Bank is the 2008 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, which comes from just one-third of the total production and is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. This brilliant Saint-Julien boasts a still vivid ruby/purple color as well as a head-turning bouquet of crème de cassis, high-class smoke tobacco, truffle, and some gravelly, rocky minerality. Possessing medium to full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and thrilling purity of fruit, it’s just at the early stages of its drink window and has an easy two decades or more of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDOne of the stars of the vintage, and a remarkable achievement in 2008, with impressive richness, this dense purple colored wine is almost as opaque as the 2010. Spring flowers, crushed rocks, creme de cassis and some subtle oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine that transcends the vintage character in its power, richness, and aging potential. It also exhibits tremendous precision, purity, and depth of character. It is more forward than the 2010 is likely to be, but probably not as sumptuous as the 2009 will turn out to be. This is a wine to buy. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.Robert Parker | 95+ RP(Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) The 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou smells quite Cabernet-Sauvignon with an appealing bouquet of spices, blackcurrant, black berries, and green bell pepper touches. It has a tense and straight palate with building tannins but perfectly balanced. There is a hint of bell pepper and tobacco on the finish that amplify an impression of freshness on the long, airy finish. Its needs some time (10 years) to chill out. (Drink between 2022-2030)Decanter | 95 DECWow. This is really impressive for the vintage, with a solid core of raspberry, currants and spices. Full and round, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Superb winemaking for the vintage. Try after 2013.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a fresh and vibrant nose. Occasionally this can come across a little stemmy and maybe it does here, but it is a facet that I think lends complexity and intrigue, touches of brine combining wonderfully with the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite firm tannins. There is a solid backbone to this Ducru-Beaucaillou; maybe this bottle is just closing in a little and one that would have benefitted from more decanting (indeed, it develops more precision in the glass.) Very fine, but give it more time. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 94 VMChocolate, coffee and sweet plum notes give this wine great richness. It has wood that needs time to integrate, although the main character is beautiful, velvet-textured, ripe fruit and plenty of sweet tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is dark and brooding, with a tarry wall holding the black currant, melted licorice and espresso notes at bay for now. Extra roasted sage, cedar and briar push in on the finish, which shows an old-school hint. Rock-solid. Best from 2013 through 2021.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Possibly the wine of the vintage, the 2008 Pavie has the elegance of the Pavie Decesse and the power of the Mondotte. It’s a brilliant, sexy beauty loaded with notions of crème de cassis, blackberries, spice box, and licorice, with a classic Saint-Emilion-like liquid rock minerality. This all carries to a full-bodied Saint-Emilion that offers loads of fruit and texture, yet remains fabulous polished, elegant, and balanced. It’s a wine that builds incrementally on the palate, with beautiful depth of fruit and ripe tannins. Bravo to Gerard Perse for another tour de force in Bordeaux! Drink it any time over the coming 30 years or more. The blend of the 2008 is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is starting to be perfect to drink now with chocolate, grilled-meat, plum and wet-earth character. Full-bodied, tight and focused. The acidity has diminished and this shows balance. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSA slightly more compact style of Pavie in this vintage, but still full-bodied, the 2008 has a youthful, dense purple color and is seriously endowed with concentrated, rich fruit, licorice, graphite, forest floor, and loads of dark plum and black and red currant fruit. This wine still has some tannins to resolve, and should be cellared for another 4-5 years. Drink over the following two decades.Robert Parker | 94+ RPDry tannins dominate this wine. Pavie’s style has become less exuberant, more restrained, which allows the terroir to show through in its tannins and concentration. This is for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPavie is all about digging in for the long haul, and at 10 years old it starts to make sense. Those tannins are still chewy but not ferocious, the fruit savoury and concentrated. It has far more power than a typical limestone St-Émilion for at least four of its five beats, until that salted almond taste kicks in on the finish and the slate wall appears before you and you start to ascend, and then you think, hang on, in another 10 years this might just be reaching its peak! (NB: Pavie was upgraded to ’1er Grand Cru Classé A’ status in 2012). Drinking Window 2022 - 2038Decanter | 93 DECA very solid effort in a difficult year, showing light bay and tobacco notes out front, quickly followed by a mix of raspberry and red and black currant fruit. Shows a lightly chewy edge, along with more tobacco and bittersweet cocoa elements, on the finish. This pulls about all it can out of a wet and cool year.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2018 through 2025. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS