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Everyone at the tasting where this wine was presented was rocked (or should I say shocked) by the greatness of this wine. It needs no defense. I rated it 96 seven years ago, and it comes from a beautiful vineyard in Pessac-Leognan near Haut-Bergey. Made by Helene Garcin and her winemaking team at the time, Michel Rolland and Jean-Luc Thunevin (now replaced by Dr. Alain Raynaud), 650 cases of this wine were produced. It has a deep, opaque bluish/purple color and a gorgeously sweet nose of incense, asphalt, blueberry liqueur, coffee, bacon fat, and a hint of meat juices. Full-bodied and dense, with silky tannins but enormous richness, length, and texture, this is a stunner to drink now or to age for another two decades.Robert Parker | 97 RPGood full medium ruby. Expressive aromas of black cherry, raspberry, coffee, tobacco and smoky oak. Sweet, juicy and firm, with ripe acids contributing to an impression of structure. Today this shows more spine than the 2001. Bright, sexy wine, with a finishing flavor of woodsmoke. Prior to 2000, the fruit used in Branon went into Haut-Bergey. This vintage enjoyed the attentions of both Michel Rolland and Jean-Luc Thunevin.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has nice vibrancy, with a core of red and black currant fruit notes streaking along, carried by tarry but fresh structure and backed by a long, warm cast-iron finish. Still youthful too.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Probably the finest Giscours made since the 1975, this black/purple-colored 2000 offers up terrific notes of camphor, creosote, blackberry, and cassis jam intermixed with notions of smoke and earth. Spicy, with low acidity, a big, rich, fleshy, full-bodied palate, outstanding texture, and a long, pure finish, it is, to reiterate, one of the best Giscours produced over the last 25 years. A sleeper of the vintage, it is still available for a realistic price.Robert Parker | 92 RPThis is very perfumed, with mushrooms, berries, and even strawberries. Full and round on the palate with soft tannins and lovely sweet finish. This is very long and balanced, but still needs time. Just starting to open up now, but give it a couple of years. Pull the cork in 2012.James Suckling | 92 JSThis is a big, powerful, firm wine, with a top layer of ripe, glamorous fruit flavors. Blackcurrant jelly fruits are shot through with ripe acidity and soft tannins. It should develop relatively fast, but then last well.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA touch more advanced than the rest of the pack, with beautiful singed alder and juniper notes starting to lead the way while the core of lightly steeped black currant and fig fruit notes is simmering nicely with subtle charcoal and loam elements. Stylish bay-infused finish.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. 27,500 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis is a big, rich style of wine with a deep inner core of colour and fruit that is almost on the overripe side. The extraction seems a little more pushed, the tannins chunky and slightly chewy on the finish. That said, there’s still an innate freshness and gourmand nature to the wine. It will appeal to those that prefer a plusher style, less so those that have a more classic leaning. Drinking Window 2021 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2000 Giscours is a vintage that I last tasted at the 20th-anniversary vertical in 2015. It has a lovely nose, not powerful, but pure and less rustic than some of the others tasted, offering red plum and cedar (as I have noted on previous bottles) and hints of fig jam and black olive. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and just a splash of balsamic infusing the red fruit. It lacks a little length and feels a bit compact on the finish, but there is ample freshness and tension. Decanting would benefit this millennial. Fine.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Although still youthful, I do not think the 2000 Monbousquet will develop much more complexity. It is a seductive, rich, generously endowed effort revealing plenty of spice box, herb, black currant, kirsch, espresso, and toasty oak characteristics in a decidedly modern, but opulent, fleshy style. Enjoy this endearing, long, velvety-textured St.-Emilion over the next decade.Robert Parker | 93 RPBright ruby-red. Roasted currant and black cherry scents complicated by sexy oak. At once chewy and silky in the mouth, with complex, fresh flavors of plum, redcurrant, vanilla, coffee, smoky oak and woodsy underbrush. Finishes sweet and long, with thoroughly ripe tannins. This was bottled in February of this year after 28 months in barrel; it wasn’t too long ago that this wine received barely 18 months of elevageVinous Media | 92 VM

Extremely young with an unbelievable deep purple color, the 2000 Troplong Mondot has hardly budged since I tasted it in 2003. Two recent tastings confirmed that this is the greatest Troplong Mondot between their profound 1990 and more recent vintages such as 2005, 2008, and 2009. Copious chocolate, graphite, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and ink characteristics are present in this full-bodied, powerful, massive St.-Emilion. While the tannins are noticeable, they are better integrated than they were seven years ago, and the fruit, extract, and richness clearly outweigh the wine’s structure. This 2000 will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring (longer than I originally predicted), and has at least two decades of drinkability ahead of it.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Troplong Mondot is another vintage that I have not tasted for a long time. This includes some Cabernet Sauvignon that was north-facing and subsequently removed for the 2001. The youthful bouquet of black cherries, cassis, marmalade and blood orange is vibrant and precocious and shows fewer secondary aromas than some of its peers. It opens nicely to reveal camphor and star anise aromas, almost Rhône-like. The palate is chewy, quite dense and backward but initially lacks a bit of charm. Licorice and sloes come through. Slightly granular in texture, it feels tight at first, but it deserves applause for its freshness and improves with aeration, loosening up and finally developing that missing charm.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SA soft, rich wine that bears all the classic qualities of the Valette family’s winery - a strength of line along and complexity. The fruit is ripe, ultra-generous, but is still tempered with layers of acidity and soft tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WELovely berry, cherry and spice, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a pretty mineral and berry aftertaste. A sexy and refined red. Best after 2009. 7,080 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A wonderfully firm, concentrated wine that walks a fine, balanced line between richness and poised structure. It is classic in the best sense, showing all the shape of a fine Bordeaux, while adding the extra dimension of the freshest of black fruits, complexity from a few hints of wood, and a dark, brooding, long-lasting aftertaste.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2001 Léoville Barton is still a few years from full maturity. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and vanilla pod, it’s medium to full-bodied, rich and muscular, with a deep, concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe but firm tannins that still assert themselves on the finish. If Léoville Poyferré is in its prime today, this Léoville Barton still ideally deserves a few more years’ patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGorgeous aromas of crushed blackberries and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with well-knit tannins and a silky, caressing palate. Long. This is a wonderful wine. Lots of finesse. Best after 2008. 22,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2001 Léoville-Barton presents plenty of brambly red fruit on the nose, along with singed leather and mushroom; it’s just a little more animally than I expected. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and sappy, offering supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and lightly spiced with white pepper and clove. Quite persistent in the mouth. Not sophisticated, perhaps, but classic in style, fresh and toothsome.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The completeness of 2001, with its miraculous balance, is present in this wine. The acidity, ripe blackcurrants sit comfortably on top of dry tannins, the fleshiness of the fruit taking the edge off the tannins. It seems to bring out the structure, the fruit and the refreshing acidity of great Cabernet.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is one of the best vintages of the past 30 years, utterly and absolutely gorgeous. It was first vintage made with Isabelle Davin as the in-house oenologist. Rich and welcoming fruit structure, effortless in how it makes its presence felt, with a mouthwatering finish of charcoal and slate that tempers any suspicions of over-ripeness. This is floating out of the glass, it’s currently at that moment when the great Médoc wines take flight. Even with the gloss of Léoville Poyferré there is no mistaking those Médoc tannins. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 94 DECThe 2001 Léoville Poyferré, which I had not tasted for a decade, is very harmonious on the nose and features slightly darker fruit than the 2000, offering blackberry, cedar, fresh tobacco and smoke aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, lithe tannins, fresher than the 2000 and more backward. It has a disarming velvety texture and turns spicy toward the finish. Hints of clove and bay leaf linger on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMNo written review provided. | 93 W&SSweet notions of plums, black currants, caramel, and spicy oak are provocative and alluring. Subtle but substantial, layered, and textured, with medium body as well as sexy, up-front flavors, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this beauty is among the most evolved and flamboyant of the appellation. Nevertheless, it should age well. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.Robert Parker | 90 RPSmoky and rich with lots of spice and berries. Medium- to full-bodied, with very good tannins with soft and silky texture and a medium finish. Not as impressive in bottle as barrel, but outstanding. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A brilliant dense purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of camphor, graphite, plums, cassis, and barbecue spices. A prodigious, multilayered, medium-bodied effort with exceptional concentration, a fabulous texture, and a 50-second finish, this brilliant achievement is one of the vintage’s monumental wines. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+. P.S. Yields were a mere 28 hectoliters per hectare, which no doubt explains the wine’s stunning concentration.One of the superstars of the vintage, Pape Clement’s 2001 provides further evidence that this property, ambitiously managed with great dynamism by visionary Bernard Magrez, is pushing quality to the maximum and is obviously attempting to go head to head with its most famous rivals, Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion (both located a few miles from Pape Clement).Robert Parker | 95 RPNo written review provided | 93 W&SThe 2001 Pape Clément has a splendid nose, ripe and forward and more complex than the 2000, featuring a mixture of red and black fruit, sprigs of fresh mint, menthol and juniper, all nicely focused and finely delineated. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. Silky-smooth and persistent, it caresses the mouth with notes of white pepper and mulberry. This was burly and tannic in its youth but has since softened. It’s drinking well at this moment and will do so for another 20 years. Very fine. Aged for 18 months entirely in new oak.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of berries, tobacco and meat follow through to a full-bodied palate, with good fruit, silky tannins and a delicate finish. This is a refined Pape. Best after 2007. 7,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This fully mature, gorgeous 2003 Branaire Ducru possesses silky tannins, lots of cedary, spice box, floral, black cherry, forest floor and velvety leather-like notes, full body, and an opulent, complex yet elegant style. A beauty of complexity, richness and finesse, it should continue to drink well for another 5-6 years.Robert Parker | 94 RPExtremely perfumed, with currants, blackberries, and flowers on the nose. Full bodied, with a solid core of beautiful fruit and super chewy, yet polished tannins. This is a brick house. Pull the cork after 2016. Find the wineJames Suckling | 94 JSOpulent aromas of blackberry, olives and toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with big chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Big and muscular wine. Best after 2009. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(72% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 4.5% petit verdot and 3.5% cabernet franc; 3.75 pH; 13% alcohol): Bright ruby-red. Intense mocha and sweet spice notes complicate ripe dark cherry and macerated plum aromas on the very ripe, deep nose. Large-scaled and plush, with ripe but not cooked red and black fruit flavors. Surprisingly lively acidity and seamless tannins give the wine good support. Finishes creamy and long, with a repeating note of mocha. For the most part I am not a fan of the 2003 Bordeaux owing to the furnace-like summer, but the Branaire-Ducru is a knockout and owner Patrick Maroteaux has always told me he thinks it’s one of the best wines he has ever made. Not surprisingly in 2003, the grapes were harvested much earlier and faster than usual, between September 9 and 24.Vinous Media | 92 VMOne of the great estates of southern Saint-Julien, producing wines whose regularity in succeeding vintages is remarkable. For 2003, Branaire has produced a dark wine, with dry, powerful tannins coming from very ripe fruit. The wood is dry and toasty, leaving a general impression of a wine that will age at a stately pace.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is the sleeper of the vintage. Best after 2010. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis shows so wonderfully now with a dense palate yet a delicate chocolate, mineral and walnut skin. Full and velvety. Wonderful with juicy length and a long finish. Almost Burgundian in texture.James Suckling | 94 JSFull ruby-red color. Very fresh aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and dark chocolate; not at all surmuri Then ripe but aromatic and juicy in the mouth, with penetrating, rather powerful flavors of dark berries, minerals and dark chocolate. Conveys an impression of inner-mouth energy, one side-effect of which is that the wine’s substantial density is partly hidden today. Finishes with very fine but firm tannins and superb persistence. This is absorbing its 50% new oak very well.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA powerfully velvety wine, which still packs a walloping punch of Saint-Estèphe tannins. The fruit, under these tannins, is pure, ripe, black and generous. But there is the proper dryness that shows how the team at Calon-Sègur managed to tame some of the excesses of the 2003 vintage. This will develop, slowly, into a great wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, fresh and precise, this wine is just hitting full maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 93 RP

The spectacular 2003 Leoville Poyferre exhibits a dense purple color with a touch of lightening at the edge as well as notes of creosote, barbecue smoke, jammy black currants, licorice and spice box. This intense, voluptuously textured, full-bodied St.-Julien possesses low acidity and ripe tannin. Still fresh and exuberant, it is just entering its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for 10-15+ years.Robert Parker | 96 RPI love the rich and opulent nose to this with flowers, plums and currants. Full and powerful with great freshness and balance. Still a little tight, yet dense and intense. Wonderful wine through and through. Leave it alone for five or six years still. Pull the cork after 2016.James Suckling | 95 JSPure cassis on the nose. Impressive. Full-bodied, thick and powerful, with loads of fruit and big, velvety tannins. Goes on for minutes on the palate. Huge wine. Very, very impressive. This is one of the big surprises of the vintage. Best after 2012. 19,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Léoville Poyferré, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Smells really lovely, you get that burnt caramel note, cola, sour cherry, some bramble blackcurrant and dried flowers in the background. Really chewy and mouth filling, I love the texture - tannins, fruit and acidity are well integrated and gently mouth filling - a charming success without the markers of the hot vintage. You get the minerality on the tongue, the soft cinnamon and turmeric spice with blackcurrant and blackberry fruits and a cooling, lifted finish. Excellent expression. A joy to drink now, and perfect with food. A fantastic 2003. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2022-2036)Decanter | 94 DECA huge, opulent wine that packs sweet, rich tannins and spicy fruit. In the midst of all this decadence, though, is a kernel of tannic dryness. This estate, long the weakest of the three Lèoville wines, is now back in top form. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEVibrant red in color, reserved behind a wall of new oak, this wine offers concentrated black cherry and damson plum flavor with delicious richness. Then the tannins strike, mostly mineral in the end, fine, but not fresh (as the color and fruit had initially led me to believe). Give it a few years to mature, then serve it with a steak for pure hedonism.Wine and Spirits Mag | 92 W&SThe 2003 Léoville-Poyferré has always been one of this infamous vintage’s success stories. Perhaps in recent years it has lost some of its vigour on the nose with black plum, brown spices, leather and that light Bovril aroma, but there is better delineation than many others. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and quite savoury. It is beginning to show some dryness and little monotony on the finish. I wonder whether its best days are behind it? Still a very decent showing however. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier..Vinous Media | 91 VM

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wow. Minerals, cedar, almost like warm stones in the heat. And then some spice. A wine that’s gorgeous, beautiful to taste now, but you know there’s so much more coming to it. Will be better in three to five years. But it’s already gorgeous – decant a couple hours in advance.James Suckling | 95 JSSlowly the potential of this impressive wine is coming out. It is rich, the new wood flavors blending with the ripe blackberry sweetness and tight tannins. Chocolate flavor power through this concentrated wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDeep ruby-red. The nose shows an almost exotic ripeness but also a high-pitched quality to the aromas of fruitcake, graphite and spicy oak. Dense and intensely flavored but at the same time quite juicy and penetrating, with terrific lift to its dark fruit flavors. An outperformer for the vintage, this rather powerfully structured wine has a serious spine for aging.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2007 Pontet-Canet showed well, with a soft, rounded, medium to full-bodied style that is endearing and a joy to drink. Offering up plenty of spicy dark fruits, cedarwood, and lead pencil notes, it has sweet tannins, good, not great concentration, and impeccable balance, all making for an incredibly charming Pauillac to drink over the coming 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDTasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Pontet-Canet has an upfront bouquet with (for the vintage) quite lavish red and black fruit tinged with violet and creme de cassis. The palate is sweet and opulent, displaying impressive concentration and a velvety blueberry and black cherry finish that lingers long in the mouth. You would never ascribe this to the 2007 vintage, a Pontet-Canet determined to overcome the limitations of the growing season. In a sense, it succeeds, yet it must sacrifice some of its Bordeaux typicité in the process. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMCurrant and dark licorice aromas follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a caressing finish. A beauty. Best after 2013. 20,835 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2008 Le Gay is a beauty. Still lively colored, with a complex bouquet of blackcurrants, savory cherries, earth, and dried herbs, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, fine, elegant tannin, and a silky, layered, seamless texture. It has a beautiful finish and is an incredibly classy, elegant wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDOne of the top successes of the vintage, the 2008 Le Gay, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc (13.5% alcohol) was produced from tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet nose of spring flowers intermixed with blueberries, blackberries, dark raspberries, crushed rocks and white chocolate. Full-bodied, super intense and extremely promising (although it is unusually backward for a 2008), it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring and may merit an even higher score in a decade or so. It should last for 30+ years, making it one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage.Robert Parker | 94+ RPRacy blackberry and graphite notes are framed by light toast and mineral in this vibrant, expressive red. The ripe tannins are well-integrated and give backbone to the plush texture. There’s beautiful balance, with depth and drive. Drink now through 2020. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2008 Le Gay has an intense Merlot-driven bouquet that soars from the glass: kirsch, orange zest, rose petal and touches of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, crisp acidity, nicely structured with a structured, saline finish that just lacks the aftertaste that would have clinched the deal. Not bad, though I suspect that decanting, always necessary for this Pomerol cru, would have resulted in a higher score. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 91+ VMFirm blackberry and bilberry fruits are accompanied by smooth tannins in this lovely wine full of Pomerol typicity. No need to wait any longer to start enjoying this - those luscious cappuccino notes allow for an easy entry into the rich fruit and tannic backbone. Drinking Window 2018 - 2036.Decanter | 90 DEC

Remarkably fresh and delicate nose yet full of spicy and graphite notes for this still youthful wine of impressive depth. Merlot seems to dominate at this stage, as evidenced by a juicy, full-bodied, and suave mouthfeel, enhanced by beautifully integrated and subtle oak flavours. Its superb finish is distinguished by delicacy and freshness. Already delicious to drink as of now, it can age for another 15 to 20 years. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 97 DECOne of the richer, sexier wines in the vintage, the 2008 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a rock star perfume of red and black currants, crushed violets, graphite, and charcoal, with a hint of truffle working its way in there as well. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and expansive, it has more fruit and opulence than most, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s a wine to seek out and has another 20 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDA sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Pichon Longueville Baron is one of the densest, most concentrated wines of Pauillac in 2008. An inky/purple color is followed by aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, blackberries, charcoal, coffee and licorice. Exceptionally full-bodied with velvety tannins and undeniable appeal, this gorgeous, well-proportioned, larger than life 2008 should age effortlessly for two decades or more. With the realistic pricing that remains for many 2008s, this is a no-brainer.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2008 Pichon-Baron has a much better bouquet than the 2007 (as you would expect), replete with blackberry, blueberry, minerals and graphite that are all very well defined and focused. The oak here is superbly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, and full of tension and energy. It builds nicely in the mouth, delivering real brightness and vivacity on the finish but retaining that sense of subtle Pauillac austerity. In many ways this is quintessential Pichon-Baron and one of the overachievers in recent years. It comes highly recommended. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 95 VMWow. So much bright fruit in this with orange peel and black currant character. Floral and lively. Full body, silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Hard not to drink now. Do it.James Suckling | 94 JS(Château Pichon Longueville) Currently, the 2008 Pichon-Baron is showing even better than the 2009, as the oak has already fully integrated into the body of the wine and the balance here is now impeccable. The bouquet is deep, complex and really lovely, as it delivers scents of black cherries, cassis, cigar smoke, a nice touch of young cabernet “weediness”, coffee, fine soil tones and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and really classy, with fine focus and balance, firm tannins and excellent length and grip on the poised and classy finish. Really a classic vintage for Pichon Longueville. (Drink between 2020-2060).John Gilman | 93+ JGThis is solidly packed for the vintage, with dark currant, fig and graphite notes framed by bittersweet cocoa, espresso and iron. Still a touch chunky on the finish, but the structure is fine-grained and this should settle in nicely with modest cellaring. Best from 2013 through 2019. 13,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A wine of the vintage candidate in 2008, Troplong Mondot’s offering was produced from yields of 41 hectoliters per hectare and achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. A classic blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it offers copious quantities of blue and black fruits, a full-bodied opulence, sweet tannin and a fabulous texture as well as finish. Already drinking beautifully, it will be even better in 2-5 years and should last for 20 years. A great effort for the vintage, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving proprietor, Christine Valette. Bravo!Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2008 Troplong Mondot (from a bottle purchased locally) checks in as a classic blend of 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in plenty of new oak. This saturated ruby-colored effort offers the backward, almost austere style of the vintage front and center, yet still packs fabulous amounts of fruit and texture. Giving up notions of blackcurrants, tobacco, chocolate, graphite, and smoked herbs, this beauty takes plenty of air to unwind and is full-bodied, rich, and beautifully textured on the palate. It offers far more charm than most in the vintage and is a brilliant 2008 that can be enjoyed any time over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe wine shows plenty of tobacco and vanilla character with chocolate and berries. Full body, with super fine tannins. It’s so long and refined. It’s a divergence from the big, powerful style of the past. This is a beauty and needs at least three years of bottle age.James Suckling | 93 JSBright ruby-red. Superripe, musky aromas of black cherry, minerals and flowers. Lush and silky but quite backward, with excellent energy to the primary dark fruit and mineral flavors. Chewy, powerfully structured wine. The superb building finish features substantial granular tannins and lovely definition.Vinous Media | 93+ VMHeavy new wood influence gives a creamy, toasty palate, the fruit lying under this smooth surface. It is juicy, packed with firm tannins. It will take several years for the wine to properly integrate.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEStill a touch firm, as the cocoa and roasted tobacco notes frame the core of plum, fig and blackberry fruit. The smoky finish has a nice charcoal edge. This is well-defined and should unwind with modest cellaring. Powerful for the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2018.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Richer, purer and rounder than its sibling, Armailhac, this has good concentration of juicy fruits, with inky Pauillac power and tannic hold. But it also shows the beauty of Pauillac, as those fierce tannins begin to show their more gentlemanly side, while still providing structure. Really great quality. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038Decanter | 95 DECThis is very classic for the appellation with as much smoky and earthy character as ripe cassis. Good concentration and a stunning balance of ripe fruit, fine tannins and a long elegant finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 94 JSThis wine continues the upward progression of Clerc-Milon. It has weight and density while also showing sweetness and delicious acidity. A very complete wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2009 Clerc-Milon has more richness and depth than the d’Armailhac: black cherries, blueberry, cedar and touches of mint. This has a lot of generosity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, fresh and harmonious with a persistent peppery finish that lingers in the mouth. This bottle is more representative than the one served blind at Farr’s 2009 horizontal. Superb. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMJuicy and nicely framed with a singed bay leaf note, which allows the medium-weight core of crushed plum and mulled fig to glide along nicely through the velvety finish. This fleshes out considerably as it sits in the glass, showing more layers of dark fruit and lingering minerality. This has some power in reserve, but lovely balance as well. Best from 2013 through 2024. 11,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis fat, fleshy, dense purple-colored 2009 exhibits abundant notes of creme de cassis, roasted espresso, chocolate, berry fruit and underling hints of high quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco. Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a touch of Carmenere, it reveals plenty of structure and tannin, but the evolved aromatics offer a deceptive view that the wine will be drinkable early on. I do not think this is the case as the tannins kick in once it hits the palate. This seriously endowed, powerful, boisterous, muscular Pauillac should hit its prime between 2017 and 2035..Robert Parker | 92 RP(Château Clerc Milon) The 2009 Clerc Milon is a lovely example of the vintage. It is not quite as classically styled as the Batailly above, as it carries a bit of extravagant Mouton toasty, nutty oak, but it is a very well made wine this year. The nose offers up scents of cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, soil and a judicious dollop of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and quite classically proportioned, with good length and grip on the ripely tannic finish. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 89-91 JG