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(Château Mouton Rothschild) This was a good solid bottle of ’66 Mouton, which has always been my favorite between the ’62 and the ’70. There was a time fifteen years ago when I crossed paths with this wine very often, as it offered much better value than the 1970, but as the market has realized the sleeper status of this vintage of Mouton, its price has risen commensurately. The nose is complex and classy, offering up notes of red currants, cherries, woodsmoke, tobacco, a bit of old Rioja-like nuttiness, ginger and cedar. On the palate the wine is medium-full, complex and resolved, with solid acidity, melting tannins, and a good, long, clean finish of impressive balance. Fine juice, though this particular bottle lacked just a touch of vibrancy vis à vis the best bottles I have crossed paths with. (Drink between 2005-2020)John Gilman | 91 JGThis review may be generous, but I have always liked this wine, even though it borders on being slightly too dry, austere, and restrained. Nevertheless, the dark garnet color and classic sweet, spicy, tobacco, coffee, and black currant aromas are enticing. The wine still has powerful tannin in the finish, which contributes to the dry, austere character this example has always exhibited. One of the more intellectually-styled Moutons, the 1966 is a classic example of the vintage, as well as of the chateau's Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated style. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted 10/97Robert Parker | 90 RP

Awesome, richly textured, powerful still with its ripe yet now-savoury red fruits on display, the sweetness edged out by truffles and spice. A great wine that remains full of life. One of the best Pauillacs in the vintage. 8% Petit Verdot finishes the blend (although in all likelihood this is the vineyard planting, not the specific blend that was being recorded). Harvesting began on October 1. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBold pepper, savory and roasted cedar notes lead the way, with a core of steeped plum, macerated black currant and bitter cherry fruit. Extra tobacco, alder and juniper accents stud the finish, which still has plenty of grip.—Non-blind Pichon Lalande vertical (July 2014). Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WS(Château Pichon-Lalande) We did not have the 1983 Pichon-Lalande in our vertical tasting, as the host discovered he only owned the wine in magnum, and given the number of wines that we had in our lineup, it seemed that opening a magnum would only result in the wasting of half of its contents as people tried to stay fresh for the older wines coming round the bend. So, this note dates back a few years to the last time I drank the 1983 Pichon-Lalande out of bottle. It is a truly lovely wine that is now fully mature and drinking beautifully. The deep, pure and complex nose wafts from the glass in a very stylish blend of cassis, fresh herb tones, mocha, cigar ash, gravelly soil nuances and a lovely base of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and classically plush on the attack, with a fine core, lovely breed and complexity, tangy acids and just a bit of remaining tannin perking up the long and classy finish. This has always been one of my favorite vintages from this era at Pichon-Lalande and the wine is drinking at its apogee at age thirty, but still has decades and decades of life ahead of it. Fine juice from a great stretch at this superb Second Growth. (Drink between 2013-2040).John Gilman | 93 JGThe 1983 Pichon-Lalande shows much better here than a bottle I tasted a couple of years ago. This has an open, generous bouquet featuring mineral-infused black fruit laced with black truffle. The fresh, vibrant palate is very well balanced, offering graphite-tinged black fruit and a fine bead of acidity. This is no lightweight Pichon-Lalande; though not intense or powerful and conveying a sense of unpretentiousness, it shows more energy and focus than the 1982. I have found bottles a little up and down, including one corked bottle in September. But this is undeniably a fantastic showing, the best example I have encountered in more than 20 years of tasting this vintage. Tasted at Brat restaurant in London.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis wine seems to be just beginning to turn the corner and was excellent in its most recent tasting. For much of its life it has been a stunning wine, not far off the mark from the prodigious 1982. The color is still a healthy dark garnet with some amber creeping in at the edge. The wine shows a very distinctive nose of asphalt, tobacco, and cigar box, intermixed with some sweet cherries and black currants. In the mouth it is medium to full-bodied, but the fruit seems to be ever-so-slightly fading. In the finish, the tannins and acidity are beginning to poke through. Nevertheless, this is still underrated and always a sleeper vintage for Pichon-Lalande, but it requires consumption. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 9/02.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Elegant and well-defined Pauillac with layers of vanilla, cedar, plum and currant flavors wrapped in thick tannins that clamp down on the finish. Pretty aftertaste of black cherry and spice. Almost drinkable now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1996 Duhart-Milon-Rothschild is aging in wonderful fashion, to wit, a straight down the fairway Pauilliac. Now at 20 years of age, it has developed a fresh and very brine-scented bouquet with plenty of undergrowth and bell pepper aromas. You could almost imagine a bit of Loire Cabernet Franc in here! The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip on the entry, impressive body and backbone, likewise more than enough freshness on the structured finish laced with white pepper and bell pepper. Very classic in style, this is a Duhart for traditionalists, but I for one appreciate its style. It is drinking perfectly now but will continue to offer pleasure for another 20 years. Tasted July 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 1998 Pontet Canet was made at a time when the property practiced green harvesting that began in 1994 but is not done today. “The changes were in the mind at this stage,” commented Jean-Michel Comme wryly. Initially it felt a little muddled on the nose but it gains focus with time. Eventually it offers straightforward blackberry, briary and cedar scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, plenty of cedar and mint-laced black fruit with a pleasant, quite lively and lightly spiced finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a commendable 1998 from the château before they really began to embrace biodynamics. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Flowers, sweet tobacco and berries on the nose follow through to a full body, with silky tannins and a medium finish. Lovely mouthfeel. Lots of life ahead here, but delicious now. Still one of the best buys of the vintage.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Best after 2011. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Open-knit yet deep and powerful, the 2005 Les Forts de Latour is striking today. The pedigree of the vintage comes through in spades. Expressive, perfumed aromatics meld into a core of supple, open-knit fruit in a mid-weight, impeccably balanced Forts de Latour. Hints of red fruit, iron, smoke and tobacco add lovely shades of nuance. Latour's President Frédéric Engerer adds that that 2005 was the easiest and most balanced growing season (including 2009 and 2010) he has seen because his team had the total flexibility of choosing when to harvest.Vinous Media | 94 VMShows blackberry, coffee, cedar, and raisin on the nose, turning to licorice and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with refined, silky tannins and a long finish. Balanced and juicy. Builds on the palate, with currant, licorice and mineral character, followed by a powerful finish. An amazing second wine. Best after 2015. 13,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAlways the equivalent of many classed growths, Les Forts de Latour is hardly a second wine, deriving from a particular parcel of the Latour vineyard. This 2005 is beautifully balanced, with lively fresh acidity, dense tannins and ripe, juicy black fruits. The acidity stays right to the end.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Tasted at a vertical tasting at the château. The 2006 Haut Batailley is a wine that I have always appreciated and at ten years of age, I have no reason to change that view. It has a such a lively and vivacious bouquet, especially when compared to the sultrier (if ultimately superior 2005 Haut-Batailley). The palate is underpinned by very fine tannin, the acidity quite noticeable but simply lending freshness and tension. There is a sense of this being a Pauillac that is tightly coiled and there is a lot of energy on the finish. This is a great success for the vintage, but if you can wait another couple of years, it should manifest more intriguing secondary notes and turn into a more interesting Pauillac. Tasted July 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NM

From the same stable as Mouton Rothschild and d’Armailhac, Clerc Milon, despite the relatively high percentage of Merlot (44%) combined with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Cabernet Franc, is dense, rich, tannic, and backward. Surprisingly muscular for this offering, which often exhibits a more precocious side, it offers up abundant amounts of creme brulee, chocolate, cedar, and black currants. This full-bodied Pauillac displays gorgeous purity and depth as well as moderately high tannins in the finish. Because of its freshness, structure, and density, it is reminiscent of a 1996 Medoc. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028.Robert Parker | 91+ RPOffers a gorgeous nose of crushed blueberry and cream, with a hint of milk chocolate. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a pretty finish. Best after 2014. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAromas of currants and dark berries with hints of minerals. Full body with super-integrated tannins and a slightly austere and intense tannin backbone. But it’s pretty and attractive. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 90 JSBright ruby-red. Expressive aromas of currant, tobacco, graphite, herbs, roast coffee and smoky oak. Supple, solid and broad, with a mouthfilling fleshiness leavened by good energy and vinosity. There's a medicinal reserve to the redcurrant and dark chocolate flavors. Finishes broad and long, with substantial dusty tannins and very good length. A more muscular style than Armailhac, also from the team at Mouton-Rothschild, and in need of at least five years of cellaring.Vinous Media | 90 VMRounded, relatively soft wine, but one that shows balance. Sweet fruit plays with black currant acidity, giving density, even if the tannins are lightweight. Clerc-Milon, made by the team that also produces Mouton-Rothschild, has become a delicious Pauillac.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

You start to feel the dial turning up the power as this travels through the palate. Even at 10 years old, the tannins go in deep around the fruit, with luscious menthol notes on the finish. This is one of the juiciest of the Pauillacs, with layers of plum fruits, tobacco and melted tannins. It's totally firing on all cylinders, although not a blockbuster, reflective of this vintage. But that means you can drink this now, or you can wait; either way you can enjoy what is going on here. Drinking Window 2018 - 2034Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste) The 2008 Grand-Puy-Lacoste was not showing quite as well as its stable-mate, Haut-Batailly, during my visit to the property in April, but one has to assume that this was simply a moment of adolescent awkwardness for the wine. The nose is very deep and still very closed, as it reluctantly offers up scents of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, plenty of gravelly soil tones, cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with lovely, nascent complexity, a superb signature of soil, plenty of ripe tannins, very good acids and fine length and grip on the very gravelly and smoky finish. This will take longer to come around than the Haut-Batailly, but should also prove to be a fine example of the vintage. (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 91 JGThe 2008 Grand Puy Lacoste has a very expressive bouquet with blackberry, cedar and graphite notes, quintessentially Pauillac, building in intensity all the time in the glass but remaining "correct". The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin on the entry, more red fruit here than black, good density with a fine bead of acidity. This all leads to a cohesive finish that might be more forward than I expected or would have liked. It is a fine GPL albeit one that feels conservative and does not reach for the stars like other vintages under Xavier Borie. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting).Vinous Media | 91 VMA beautiful, classic wine, the 2008 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has an old school nose of currants, saddle leather, ground herbs, cherries, hints of dried flowers and just a touch of cedar. It's ripe, medium-bodied, lightly textured, and has true Pauillac character. Drink it over the coming decade or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

On the palate, deep red and black fruits, silky, caramel. This is a very good expression of Pauillac Cabernet fruit, with lots of flesh and depth, tannins and acidity for the future. Very good! Drinking Window 2016 - 2024.Decanter | 93 DECSo much crushed raspberry and hints of currants on the nose. Full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Second wine of Lynch Bages. Try after 2018.James Suckling | 91 JSDelivers a lesson in Pauillac, with sleek black currant and fig fruit melded together, laced with graphite, tobacco and roasted cedar notes and backed by a long, iron-driven finish. This has grip, but the wine is made in a more accessible style for mid-term cellaring. Best from 2013 through 2019. 14,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2009 Echo de Lynch Bages has a fragrant bouquet with estuarine-infused black fruit, crushed rose petals and hints of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, weighted evenly from start to finish with a composed cedar and mint infused finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Smells heady and hedonistic, a mix of dark ripe bramble fruits, exotic spices and medicinal herbs with liquorice, clove and a soft floral violet scent. Refined, elegant and so finessed on the palate, juicy with high acidity that is quickly countered by a richness of flavour. Such classic Claret markers, driving, deep, round and expansive with a touch of sweetness and overall delectability. I love the purity of the expression, it’s not shouting - so quietly confident with detail and precision all the way through. Supremely harmonious with an underlying spice aspect and fresh ending. Maybe still a bit too young, given the 1996 at this point, but I love it. From magnum.Decanter | 97 DECA blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2009 d’Armailhac has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of cherry pie, blueberry preserves, and blackcurrant pastilles, leading to suggestions of vanilla pod, dark chocolate, cinnamon toast, and lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with youthful, expressive red and black fruits, supported by velvety tannins, and finishing with fantastic length.The Wine Independent | 94 TWIPlenty of ripe cassis and chocolate with a hint of smoke on the nose lead you into a ripe and velvety Pauillac that now gives a lot of pleasure thanks to the excellent harmony and good length. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 93 JSDeliciously fruity, with chocolate notes and acidity. The wine has dense but soft tannins that merge seamlessly into the black fruits. It is ripe, sweet, densely juicy.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2009 d’Armailhac has a lovely bouquet with ample blackberry, boysenberry, graphite and light mint aromas - very Pauillac and very well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannin, moderate acidity, good depth and very grippy. It is not the most complex Pauillac in this group but there is fine persistence with pure black cherry and hints of cassis towards the finish. Fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has density, structure and drive, offering seriously dark baker’s chocolate, plum, currant and fig flavors all wound up tightly by singed cedar, tar and dark tapenade notes, with a tight, mineral-driven finish. Needs a little time to unwind. Best from 2013 through 2023.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2009 d’Armailhac is a very well-made wine this year, but based on the sample at the UGC tasting at Branaire-Ducru, I would have had to give a slight nod to its stable mate, Clerc Milon in ’09. However, a much fresher sample was on display at Mouton-Rothschild as well, and the d’Armailhac is certainly excellent in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, classy and quite extroverted, as it offers up scents of cassis, black cherries, coffee bean, soil , tobacco leaf and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and classically proportioned, with beautiful balance and excellent focus and grip on display on the long, ripely tannic finish. This is a very, very good result this year. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 90-91 JGThe 2009 D’Armailhac has a medium to deep garnet color, and vibrant red and black fruit preserves, incense, earth and dried herbs all spring from the glass with a faint undercurrent of beef drippings. Medium-bodied, firm and chewy in the mouth, it has just enough maturing, savory fruit to fill the palate, with a lively line of freshness and an herbal lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

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

This has ethereal transparency to it with a fresh, red-berry and cherry nose. Terra-cotta and dried-flower notes. Plums, too. Quite complex. The palate has a very detailed tannin texture with attractive cassis and blueberries that hold very long, fresh and pure. Fruity and fresh. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSComposed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet gives up beautifully fragrant notes of rosehip tea, lilacs, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves and underbrush with a core of kirsch, raspberry coulis, warm plums and red and black currants plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, minerally and wonderfully elegant with a well-played texture of approachable, plush tannins and a long, fragrant finish. Beautiful. Aging took place in 50% new and 15% in second fill barrels and the remaining 35% in amphorae for 16 months, much of the material for which came from the soil at Pontet-Canet!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe perfume intensity of this wine is remarkable. Firm and velvet at the same time, the tannins are the prelude to the pure, opulent blackberry fruits and balanced acidity. The lines of the wine are clear and direct, a true promise for aging. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA gorgeous, alluring Pauillac, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is racy and exceptionally polished, with floral top notes that bring out the natural brightness of the red-toned fruit. Super-silky tannins add to the wine's immediacy and sheer allure. The 2017 was the first wine made with the new sorting table. About half the fruit was destemmed by hand. As always, visiting Pontet-Canet is like stepping back into another time, a time in which wines were made much more manually than they are today. Here that means manual punch downs and pump overs, with no electricity. Harvest ran from September 18 through October 4. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aging was done 50% in new oak, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old oak. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery tight, with notes of wet stone, plum pit and chalky minerality leading the way, backed by an ample core of steeped currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit waiting to unfurl. The finish smolders with cast iron details. Should round into form with cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WSCompared to the flamboyant 2018 and the fantastic 2016, this comes in a lower gear, with less potential complexity. I like the ripe cassis, red and black berry aromatics with a lovely tannic finesse, but I wanted more palate density here. Medium finish. Aged 50% new oak , 35% amphora. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 93 DECDeep ruby/purple-hued and based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Chateau Pontet-Canet spent 16 months in a 50% new barrels, 35% in amphora, and the balance in once-used barrels. It's an exceedingly elegant Pontet-Canet that has textbook Pauillac notes of blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, lead pencil shavings, new leather, and flowery incense. It's not a blockbuster and reminds me slightly of the 2004, yet it has wonderful depth of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, and beautiful purity and elegance. It's already approachable, but it’s going to be even better with 5-6 years of bottle age and have 20-25 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD