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Good deep ruby. Complex, sauvage aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and leather. Soft, sweet and expressive; shows a considerably stronger animal aspect than either Canon La Gaffeliere or Mondotte, Stephan von Neipperg other St. Emilion wines. Quite suave and fresh for the year. Finishes long and ripely tannic. Half of this wine was fermented in wood cuves, which von Neipperg feels has resulted in a more successful integration of the tannins.Vinous Media | 89-90 VM

Pungent aromas of ripe fruit and white truffles, turning to blueberry. Full and very ripe, with velvety tannins and a long, lightly raisiny finish. Open it and see.--’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 9,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA wine of beautiful purity, symmetry, and grace, this complex, dark purple-colored 1998 reveals abundant quantities of black fruits infused with notions of new oak and graphite, medium to full body, sweet tannin, admirable elegance, and beautiful richness. Anticipated maturity: now-2015Robert Parker | 90 RP

Beautiful aromas of chocolate, berries and vanilla, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, with lovely, sweet fruit and layers of velvety tannins. Goes on and on. Give this time, but beautifully balanced.—’88/’98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012. 830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAnother quasi-garage wine made from 10.6 acres of vines planted with 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, this wine enjoys malolactic fermentation in barrel, aging on its lees, and while unfined, does receive a light filtration.A superb effort, the dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers gorgeous aromas of flowers, blackberries, cherries, smoke, licorice, and spice box. It is deep, succulent, medium to full-bodied, with decent acidity, superb purity, and a creamy texture. Tannin is present, but it is well-integrated and balanced by the wine’s depth. Anticipated maturity: now-2014.Robert Parker | 90 RPMedium ruby. Plum, raspberry and graphite on the nose. Very silky and plummy, with excellent depth of flavor but very good rather than outstanding complexity. Suggestions of surmaturite give this a slight heaviness. "Very ripe but a bit simple and lacking something," notes Prissette, adding that the ’99 conveys a stronger impression of the site.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A sleeper of the vintage, this debut effort under the omnipresent management of Jean-Luc Thunevin boasts a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a sweet, chocolatey, blackberry and currant-scented nose, low acidity, a fat, luscious texture, and a heady finish. It is a hedonistic St.-Emilion fruit bomb to drink over the next 6-8 years.Robert Parker | 88-90 RP

A full-bodied red with soft and silky tannins that gives the wine definition and brightness. Savory and fresh. Beautiful now.James Suckling | 93 JSA revelation, this stunning wine (also reasonably priced) has turned out to be even better than I thought. Opaque purple-colored, with gorgeous ripeness and richness, a big, sweet mid-palate, and a seamless finish revealing loads of fruit, chocolate, glycerin, and ripe tannin, this opulently-styled 2000 will have few detractors. It is hard not to be totally seduced by this effort. Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez and his omnipresent oenologist, Michel Rolland. Bravo! Anticipated maturity: Now-2015.Robert Parker | 91 RP

(Les Fiefs de Lagrange) The 2000 vintage of Les Fiefs de Lagrange is noteworthy for having had all of the château’s petit verdot included in the second label, and the wine should prove to be quite ageworthy as a result. The bouquet is initially a bit marked by its toasty oak, which may mean that this vintage of Les Fiefs saw a bit more than the standard ten percent, but there is no issue with the integration of the wood on the palate. The bouquet is deep and powerful, as it offers up notes of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, soil tones and the toasty oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and youthfully reticent, with a rock solid core of fruit, plenty of ripe tannins, sound acids and excellent length and grip on the still very primary finish. This will be a long-distance runner of a second label, and probably demand a good decade in the cellar before it reaches its zenith, but it will certainly be worth the wait. High class juice. (Drink between 2018-2040).John Gilman | 90 JG

Deep medium ruby. Black cherry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Intensely flavored and rather sinewy, with firm acids framing the fruit. Quite backward and firmly tannic, but has the material and structure to age nicely. Finishes with a note of espresso. This chateau has been making consistently strong wine in recent years.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMA wine with delicious berry, nutmeg and fresh tobacco character, with just a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Impressive. Very fine. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2008. 25,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Even better, the 2001 Château Barde-Haut offers a full-bodied, beautifully textured style on the palate as well as incredibly complex notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco, and Asian spices. With resolved tannins, a great mid-palate, and a concentrated, rich, powerful style, it’s another 2001 that’s drinking brilliantly today. As with the 2000, it’s drinking at point yet is going to evolve nicely over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2001 Barde Haut has an open-knit nose of black plum and crushed strawberry; subtle, almost gamy aromas develop in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a pliant texture and fine acidity, fleshier than some Right Bank wines but nicely balanced. While not a complex Saint-Émilion, it has bags of charm and feels carefree and malleable. A 20-year-old that is now à point.Vinous Media | 90 VMBeautiful red with soft, silky tannins and delicious berry, cherry, vanilla and light tobacco character. Full-bodied, with a caressing texture and a long finish. I like this better than the 2000. Best after 2006. 3,080 cases made. —Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A terrific sleeper value, Stephan von Neipperg’s 2001 Clos de l’Oratoire boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as a rich nose of melted licorice, espresso roast, black currants, minerals, smoke, and earth. This opulent, medium-bodied St.-Emilion exhibits abundant quantities of fruit and glycerin along with a fleshy, ripe, expansive finish with no hard edges. Some tannin lurks beneath the surface, but this is a beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 10-12 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Very perfumed with blackberries, currants and vanilla. Full bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. This is tight and racy. Very fine. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Tasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2002 Château Giscours is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot picked between October 1 and 15. There remains that almost Pomerol-like personality on the nose, quite perfumed and floral with sage and burnt toast scents tincturing the dark berry fruit. With continued aeration, there is a just a hint of rooibos. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite ferrous in the mouth and lightly spiced. It does not deliver the same precision as the 2001, although there is decent length here. It does not offer great length, but for the vintage, this should be considered a modest success. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMI like the mineral and blackberry aromas in this wine. Medium- to full-bodied, with a fresh acidity and tannin structure. This is solid and tight. Needs bottle age. Best after 2008. 23,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

No written review provided. | 94 VMA big, generous wine, with sweet black fruit flavors that show well with the acidity and the fresh, open tannins. For a wine from 2002, this has richness and good ripe flavors. There is depth as well as power, and this can certainly be counted one of the success stories of 2002.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Decadent and rich with a meaty and ripe fruit aroma. Full, dense, and juicy, with round, velvety tannins, and a long finish. A big burly wine. Pull the cork after 2015, this needs the time. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JSGood deep red-ruby. Extravagantly ripe, exotic aromas of roasted dark fruits and roasted meat. Large-scaled, fat and full, with atypical sweetness nicely leavened by harmonious acidity. Creamy, dense and full for Lafon-Rochet. Finishes with smooth tannins and excellent palate-saturating length. A great vintage for this chateau.Vinous Media | 91 VMVery exciting aromas of crushed blackberry and lightly smoky barrels. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a medium finish. A bit tight but balanced. 10,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Very ripe aromas of light raisins, spices, and blackberries. Full bodied, with chewy tannins, and a massive structure. This is really powerful, like an old style Bordeaux. Pull the cork after 2015. Find the wineJames Suckling | 95 JSBlackberry, licorice and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, with refined and chewy tannins and a subtle, rich berry and mineral aftertaste. Lovely wine. Best after 2011. 5,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA classic St.-Julien, the 2003 Langoa Barton offers notes of cedarwood, fruitcake, spice box and black currants as well as some light tannins still in evidence. This dark plum/ruby/garnet-colored, medium to full-bodied wine possesses sweet fruit, but no over-ripeness or roasted characteristics. Coming into full maturity, it should continue to drink well for another decade.Robert Parker | 91 RPSweet, rich, dense, very much of its year. At the same time, there is the Barton touch that leaves some fine elegance, to go with the smoky fruits and richness, while acidity gives it a fine lift.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

A smooth, delicious wine. The fruit flavors go right through this ripe, complex wine, leaving the tannins and wood as supporting acts. As with so many 2004s, the aftertaste is fresh, with great acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA big, smoky, tapenade, plum, black currant, and spring flower-scented nose is followed by a medium to full-bodied, textured, layered wine with sweet tannin, low acidity, and impressive concentration as well as depth. This is a gorgeous, hedonistic yet complex Margaux to drink now and over the next 12-14 years.Robert Parker | 91 RPThis is very fresh and firm with really beautiful chocolate, walnut and berry character on the nose and palate. Full body with chewy yet polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Subtle and fine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSA solid red, with blackberry, plum and light cedar aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing aftertaste. All together here. Best after 2008. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dense and solid, relying on rich tannins to give it structure and richness. The flavor is deep and concentrated, with dark black fruits piling in under the dry tannins. A wine that will develop slowly.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis vintage presents a clear deepening of colour, switching from tertiary to a plump and rich ruby. 2004 was not the easiest vintage in Bordeaux, with some rain over summer, but the harvest was good. It’s classic in style, with menthol, cassis, tobacco and slate notes. There’s nothing overly intense, and it’s not the most generous of years – this wine needs food to smooth its rough edges - but the balance and freshness make your mouth water and it’s really coming into its own, those hard, youthful tannins beginning to soften. One to enjoy over a long supper with friends. Aged in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC(a blend of 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 6% petit verdot) Ruby-red. Aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, game and dark chocolate. Pliant and smooth, with a rather fine-grained texture for a young wine from this chateau. Doesn’t possess the definition or lift of the best 2004 St. Juliens, but has a solid core of chocolatey-ripe dark fruits and finishes with ripe, horizontal tannins. MargauxVinous Media | 87-90 VM

At the Union des Grands Crus tasting in 2005, this was elegant red ambrosia; it showed beautifully sweet and ripe at our recent tasting in New York. A gracious pillow of merlot with mineral tannins to make it mouthwatering and lengthen the finish, this only gets better with air. Oak adds to the elegance of the wine and it seems destined to drink well over the course of the next ten years or more. The château was upgraded to Premier Grand Cru Classé status in 2006.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&SAromas of blackberry, with hints of tobacco. Full-bodied, with fine tannins, good length and a delicate, fruity aftertaste. Much more refined than I remember from barrel. Caressing. Best after 2007. 5,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Very pretty aromas of blackberry, with hints of Indian spices and licorice, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a fruity aftertaste. Has lots of green olive, dark olive and plum on the finish. Very balanced. Best after 2014. Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Wow. This really shows wonderful depth and complexity on the nose with blueberries, fresh flowers and hints of stones. It’s full-bodied, with ultra-refined tannins and a long, long finish. Gets better and better with age: gorgeous now but will improve for many years to come. Excellent.James Suckling | 93 JSTasted at BBR’s 2005/2009 tasting in London. This is a great 2005. The Cantemerle is developing a very attractive, lifted nose with more cedar and crushed stone, hints of freshly rolled tobacco and briary. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, gentle grip, leading to a foursquare but precise finish that does not dare put a foot wrong. Sedate at the moment but sure to open up with time. Classic Bordeaux.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMShows blackberry and plum skin aromas, with hints of vanilla. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a pretty, fruity aftertaste. An elegant, balanced style. Lingers on the palate. Best after 2012. 33,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Bernard Audoy usually makes a gracious, middleweight wine at his property across from Cos d’Estournel, at the southern border of St-Estèphe. This 2005 is more powerful, with jasmine and bergamot scents buzzing over serious tannins. The fruit is completely hidden, as black as the tannins that coat the mouth in mineral flavors, neither ripping nor softened up. Sleek and expansive, this is set to age for ten years or more.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&SSaturated medium ruby. Slightly reduced aromas of blackberry, cassis, kirsch, menthol, black olive and shoe polish; a bit inexpressive today. Then broad, ripe and sweet, but with a firm spine of acids and tannins giving shape and thrust to this very young wine. Finishes with broad, serious tannins and noteworthy power and persistence. A very good showing.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

This is a beautiful Giscours with tension and finesse. It’s full-bodied and shows plenty of berry and spice character, not to mention a long, silky-textured finish. It seduces you with each sip. Why wait?James Suckling | 95 JSThis chateau gets better and better. The wine has power, but it is harnessed by the intense fruits, the blackberry flavors, the density and the wood. With the power, though, comes elegance, resulting in a wine that is ready to develop over many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a powerful wine with good ageing potential. The nose is ripe and creamy with plenty of dark fruit and spice complexity. The palate is rich, full and gourmand with Cabernet-cassis notes coming through. There’s a big tannic frame that shows the more masculine side of this Margaux. The finesse may be missing but there’s a lot of wine here. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2005 Giscours captures all the natural radiance of the year in its stylish, racy personality. Sweet tannins wrap around a core of sweet red berry fruit, kirsch, rose petal, mint, spice and blood orange. Soft, curvy and sensual, Giscours is a winner in 2005. It doesn’t quite offer the grandeur of the very finest Left Bank 2005s, but it has plenty of that richness.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGDisplays blackberry, cherry and hints of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very pretty and solid. This is structured and chewy. Needs time. Best after 2013. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSTasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2005 Château Giscours is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot picked between September 22 and October 6. Conspicuously deep in color, both the aromatics and palate replicate the strong performance from earlier this year. The bouquet offers very fine intensity with blackberry and cedar, here a tinge of cassis that becomes accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannin. It is very well balanced and almost Saint Julien in style. It is clearly very focused with a sustained, mineral-rich finish that (as I said before) contains real energy. This is an excellent Giscours that will age nicely over the next 20-25 years. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

Barrel sample. Very opulent, generous and rich. It shows all the glories of the vintage, with huge but sufficiently restrained fruit, and exuberant tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEVery aromatic, showing blackberry and currant aromas, with some licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a rich, decadent, fruity finish. Caresses the palate. Stylish and opulent. Best after 2011. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2005 Haut-Bages Libéral is a very young Pauillac that is just beginning to show the first signals of aromatic opening. Sweet dried cherry, mint, spice, licorice and dried flowers all grace this mid-weight Pauillac. Haut-Bages Libéral is not quite as opulent as most other Pauillacs in 2005, and it could have benefitted from a bit more depth, but it is impeccably done and very rewarding today.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGThe 2005 Haut-Bages Libéral offers loads of blackcurrant fruit, licorice, spice and forest floor. It is medium to full-bodied, with supple tannin and an expansive, textured mouthfeel and finish. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

From another of the small, well-run properties of proprietor Denis Barraud, the 2005 Lynsolence delivers beautiful plum, black cherry and cassis fruit. Some licorice, underbrush and incense are also present in this complex, medium to full-bodied wine, which has terrific purity, length and overall balance. This wine is just starting to be drinkable and should continue to hold nicely for another 10-12 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2005 Lynsolence is a rich, heady Saint-Émilion loaded with inky dark fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, licorice and spice. Although the 2005 has certainly aged well, this style is more enjoyable where there is more fruit, in my view. The 2005 is not exactly in decline, but its best years are behind it.Vinous Media | 90 VMBlackberry and light vanilla aromas follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Soft and pretty. Best after 2011. 650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS