Top Collectible Wines

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Hold on to your hat. This is the best Fonseca since 1977, and it’s probably even better than that classic vintage--more like the breathtaking 1948. Mind-blowing, with masses of color, aroma and fruit flavor. Smells like fermenting berries, boasting loads of crushed grape, violet and berry character. Big, full-bodied and very sweet, with tons of tannins and a sweet finish. Tannic and huge, it’s a long-term, great Port. Best after 2012. 8,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 100 WSTight knit – not giving much away on the nose, but silky fruit is underlying. Pure berry fruit palate initially with a super-fine tannic superstructure rising in the mouth, revealing its freshness and purity on a really beautifully defined finish. There is great architecture here. Drinking Window 2014 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECOne of the most spectacular 1994s, this opaque purple-colored wine is an exotic, flamboyant, ostentatious port. Extremely fragrant and pungent, with a flashy display of jammy cassis, pepper, licorice, and truffles, this port is an attention-grabber. Awesomely rich, and full-bodied, with superb length, richness, and overall balance, it possesses a huge mid-palate, layers of flavor, an unctuous texture, and a blockbuster finish. Everything is in place, with the brandy and tannin well-integrated, even concealed by the masses of fruit and glycerin. This wine will drink fabulously well at age ten, but keep for up to thirty years. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2035.Robert Parker | 97 RP

Pure gold, the 2010 Château Léoville Poyferré, which was drunk beside a perfect 2009 Latour, offers everything you could want from wine. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as an incredible array of crème de cassis, graphite, damp earth, leafy tobacco, and beautifully integrated oak, it hits the palate with an incredible amount of fruit and opulence while always staying pure, precise, and as seamless as they come. It shows the density and power of the 2010 vintage, but it’s remarkable in its balance, purity, and length. As with most 2010s today, it’s still youthful and certainly in its early drinking plateau and has another 40-50 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe wine out distances both Leoville Las Cases and Leoville Barton, but all three of them are compelling efforts. Full-bodied, dense purple in color, with floral notes intermixed with blackberries, cassis, graphite and spring flowers, this full-bodied, legendary effort is long and opulent, with wonderfully abundant yet sweet tannin, a skyscraper-like mid-palate and a thrilling, nearly one-minute finish. This spectacular effort from Poyferre that should drink well for 30+ years.Another spectacular wine from the Cuvelier family, Leoville Poyferre (along with Ducru Beaucaillou) may be one of the two best wines of St.-Julien year after year these days. This is a large estate, covering nearly 200 acres, and the final blend of the 2010 Leoville Poyferre is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, a whopping 34% Merlot and the rest 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker | 98+ RPA wine of architectural strength and classical proportions, this has straight lines that mark the packed, concentrated fruits, which are sustained by its tannins. This is certainly the best wine that Léoville-Poyferré has produced, sumptuous while so finely structured.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WERich and round with cinnamon, anis and black pepper. This has a luxuriously silky texture; very much signature of the property sitting perfectly against the fresh push and kick of the vintage. One of the few that has maintained its violet edging around the rim of the glass, giving great expectations that it has decades ahead of it while maintaining this level. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 97 DECOpulent aromas of blackberry, black cherry and orange peel follow through to a full body with round, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. A big, significant wine that is starting to open and come around. A long life ahead of it. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2010 Léoville-Poyferré takes the 2009 and ups the ante with brilliantly defined, intense black fruit. Perhaps it is just a little more "serious" compared to the previous vintage, but is finely chiseled and displaying more mineralité. The palate has mellowed since I last tasted it, developing more rondeur and a more caressing texture. Extremely pure in style, this fans out wonderful, fills the mouth and lingers for a minute. One of the highlights of Didier Cuvelier’s career, this has a long future ahead. "LP" just does not get better than this. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.Vinous Media | 97 VMFeatures a coating of warm cocoa, with notes of solid currant paste, steeped fig and blackberry fruit. The pastis- and graphite-filled finish pumps along, revealing a well-embedded structure that should soften in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2030. 17,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A monumental wine, this historic La Mission-Haut-Brion was the last vintage made by the descendants of the Woltner family, who had owned this estate for decades prior to selling it to their neighbors, the Dillon family (the American owners of cross-street rival, Chateau Haut-Brion). The 1982 admirably demonstrates the magnificence of La Mission as well as the singularity of this amazing terroir. I had the good fortune of tasting it from barrel (where it was an enormous Graves fruit bomb) and watching it develop more nuances in bottle. At age 30, it remains a majestic, multidimensional, profound Bordeaux with another 20-30+ years of life ahead of it. It’s no secret that the great vintages of Bordeaux have levels of fruit extract and depth that go beyond other years. It is this fruit, often referred to as “fat” or “concentration,” that takes decades to dissipate and fade. As it does so, the extraordinary aromatic expression of the terroir asserts itself. Remarkably, the 1982 is still in late adolescence and has not yet reached its peak. Early in my career, much of my reputation was established on calling this vintage correctly, but I never in my wildest dreams thought the 1982s would mature as slowly and last as long as some seem capable of doing. One of the handful of perfect wines of the vintage, the La Mission still possesses a remarkably dense ruby/purple color with only a slight garnet and lightening at the edge. The fruit-dominated aromatics reveal lots of cassis, blueberry, scorched earth, black truffle, incense, graphite and high-class, unsmoked cigar tobacco-like notes. Still exhibiting remarkable concentration, enormous body, silky sweet tannin, and no perceptible acidity, the 1982 remains fresh, delineated and super-compelling. A massive La Mission made by the Dewravin family and their winemakers, all of whom were dismissed the following year when the estate was acquired by Haut-Brion, this modern day legend shows no signs of decline. In fact, it may not have yet reached its peak. Anticipated maturity: now-2060+.Robert Parker | 100 RPLa Mission really does have its own character. Full body with velvety tannins with hints of berry, gravel and iodine. Some may not like the later but it tells you it’s La Mission. What a wine. Drink now.James Suckling | 97 JSThe register of notes changes as we head to Pessac-Léognan. This is one of the most open on display, with a warmth to the fruit that showcases cloves and spices full of tertiary end-of-summer-fruit goodness. A beautiful wine, but just a tiny bit brittle on the finish, this is not quite living up to the pedigree that it has shown on other tastings. We in fact opened a second bottle, served in a decanter (the rest were all in bottle), but it still remained just a nudge behind the others.Decanter | 94 DECThe 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion is a vintage that I have tasted several times. This bottle has a gorgeous, eucalyptus-tinged bouquet of black fruit plus hints of clove and bay leaf; a light marine scent emerges with aeration. The palate has a ripe pastille-like quality, dark cherries commingling with blackberry and cranberry. A lovely saline undertow lends sapidity on the harmonious finish. This does not equal the 1982 Haut-Brion and may have reached its peak in the late 1990s, but it remains the best La Mission Haut-Brion since the 1978. Tasted at the La Mission Haut Brion dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong.Vinous Media | 94 VMSlightly rustic, but firm and youthful. Dark ruby color. Beautiful aromas of berries and stones, with a hint of black truffles. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, spicy-stony finish.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Best from 2000 through 2010.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Another perfect wine is the 2009 Cote Rotie La Turque. It possesses a slightly denser purple color than the opaque Cote Rotie La Mouline as well as notes of Asian spices, roasted meats, bouquet garni, spring flowers, camphor and truffles. It is a different expression of Syrah as this comes from the more iron-laden soils of the Cote Brune. Although never as aromatic, precocious or enjoyable as La Mouline is in its youth, La Turque is, nevertheless, a remarkably concentrated, profound wine that is built like a skyscraper. It possesses a level of intensity and richness that must be tasted to be believed. Despite the flamboyant personality of the vintage, the 2009 will require 4-5 years of cellaring and should age effortlessly for 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 100 RPPossibly my favorite vintage ever for the Northern Rhône (2010 and 2015 are both in the running), the 2009 Côte Rôtie La Turque is a mammoth of wine that offers everything you could want. Deep purple/plum-hued, this full-bodied, thick, opulent Côte Rôtie offers loads of sweet tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and straight-up heavenly notes of smoked meats, Asian spices, bacon fat, espresso roast, and loads of sweet, perfectly ripe black fruits. It’s much more opulent and sexy than the more classically built 2010 (and 2005 and 2015) and if this doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will. It’s going to shine for another 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA pure, unadulterated raspberry confiture aroma and flavor is the dominant note today in this deep and expressive red, with extra singed anise, alder, juniper and black currant notes filling in the background, followed by a very dense yet supremely polished finish. Features the weight and density of this fleshy vintage, but the fruit is so inviting this is almost approachable now. Better to wait though. Best from 2015 through 2035. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSDark purple. Sexy, expansive aromas of boysenberry, violet and incense, with a bright mineral quality adding lift. Offers an array of ripe, luscious black and blue fruit and floral flavors that become spicier with air. Sappy, broad and sweet on the gently tannic finish, which shows superb clarity and persistence.Vinous Media | 95 VM

I've been lucky enough to have the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin numerous times recently and it has never failed to deliver everything I could want from a wine. Getting the best parcel of Grenache from the estate and a dramatically shifted blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and the rest Syrah and Counoise, it's a massive and concentrated Chateauneuf that surprisingly still seems to show its Mourvedre component front and center. Blackberries, kirsch, truffle, gamy meats, licorice and earth all give way to a full-bodied, seamless, impeccably balanced wine that carries its huge core of fruit with remarkable freshness and grace. While it will no doubt continue to evolve gracefully, it's brilliant today.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is fruit forward with rich, sweet blackberry and cassis notes paired with melted licorice, spice, roast meat and subtle truffle and earth aromas. The palate is full bodied, perfectly balanced and with some real density and depth. Almost chewable, this is silky smooth and doesn't show a hard edge anywhere. The blockbuster finish picks up ripe and sweet tannins.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA wine made with a high quantity of Mourvèdre (60%), and produced only in the best years, in memory of François and Jean-Pierre's father. Superripe, with huge fruit, its' jammy, gamy and rich. Dusty tannins and excellent black-fruit flavors. The final effect is a wine that epitomizes the potential elegance and the power of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in one glass. A great wine with a distinguished future—at least 20 years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEBright saturated ruby. Confectionery aromas of cherry liqueur and roasted meat. A wine of extraordinary density; incredibly thick but, in comparison to the basic '98 Beaucastel bottling, this has more shoulders. More black fruits than red. Finishes with great, lush tannins and explosive berry and cocoa powder flavors. Among the longest wines of my tour of the Rhone Valley. This is "only" 14.2% alcohol.Vinous Media | 97 VMStill a bit of a brute, as the Mourvèdre thoroughly dominates, with tar, pan-roasted liver, graphite and loam notes that hold sway over more typical Châteauneuf notes of currant, licorice, garrigue and mineral. This is very dense on the finish and still somewhat backward, so patience is required for this giant.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Best from 2010 through 2032. 415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe only vintage of Hommage with more Grenache than Mourvèdre, as it was such a brilliant year for Grenache. This is explains its colour: much more pale than a classic Hommage at this stage of maturity. Very much ready now, the aromas come out like a cloud rather than a whisp. Has plenty of meat stock, horse chestnut shells, chestnut and plum scents, with a gentle spicing in the background. Very full-bodied, very generous and rounded. The alcohol is a little more evident than a classic Hommage, the fabric a little looser - it doesn't have the Mourvèdre tannic muscle. The finish is less long than a classic vintage, but more succulent. An atypical vintage for this cuvée, so perhaps should be described as a 'great Châteauneuf' rather than a 'great Hommage'. Either way, it's an exquisite wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 96 DEC

Roederer’s 2002 Cristal, from magnum, is just off the charts. What else is there to say? The magnum format is so well-suited to Champagne. As opposed to still wines, which are just aged in glass, for Champagne, the secondary fermentation takes place in the glass. I am convinced that is a major part of what makes Champagne from magnum (or larger) often so compelling. The texture, breadth and overall pedigree here is just remarkable, with layers of apricot, spice, dried flowers and citrus confit that continue to build over time. The 2002 is neither old nor young; it is quite simply eternal. What a great way to start the night. Wow!Antonio Galloni | 100 AGIf a wine could ever make you want to pull the top down on your ’68 Ferrari convertible, rip off the rearview mirror and take off, this is it. It has a different kind of energy than the ’02 Cristal Rosé, which is more ethereal, like strawberries at the right hand of some ancient Gallic god. This is more insolent, brash, earth bound. All the scents and flavors seem to emanate from limestone, as does the acidity, which hits at the front of the mouth and powers through the wine with the kind of solar energy that lifts mist off the white chalk on a cool morning in Cramant. The wine goes on for miles. It’s already irresistible, and will only improve with ten, 20, 30 and 40 years of age.Wine and Spirits | 100 W&SA re-release of the original 2010 disgorgement. Super fine, super fresh and super savory aromas of chalky stones with hints of flowers, white almonds, lemon peel and grapefruit. The palate has intense, mouth-filling, lemon-curd flavor. Very powerful, very concentrated and very expressive. Smooth finish that’s full of life, leaving a bright, white cherry note. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an exceptional wine, as is the vintage. The fruits—grapefruit, crisp red apple—balance with a fine yeasty character. There is a great depth of flavor, the fruits going in a pure line of freshness. The one problem is that it is much too young, the result of the demand from the market for the next vintage. Age this wine for at least four years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) I last tasted the 2002 Cristal back in the autumn of 2013, when the wine was still a bit on the young side, but it has now started to really blossom beautifully and is really entering its plateau of maturity in 2018. The 2002 Cristal is composed of a blend of fifty-five percent pinot noir and forty-five percent chardonnay, with none of the vins clairs having gone through malo and the finishing dosage ten grams per liter in this vintage. This has been a brilliant vintage of Cristal since its inception and at age sixteen, the wine is just beginning to properly blossom and show some of its secondary layers of complexity, The nose jumps from the glass in a refined blend of pear, apple, fresh almond, gentle smokiness, a touch of the tangerine to come, chalky soil tones and brioche in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and a powerfully-built vintage of Cristal, with a great core, elegant mousse, bright, racy and well-integrated acids and stunning mineral drive on the very long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is a great vintage of Cristal, and though it is now beginning to show some lovely generosity and secondary layering, a bit more cellaring would still be richly rewarded. (Drink between 2018-2075)John Gilman | 97+ JG(Louis Roederer, Cristal (Magnum), Champagne, France, White) From one of the true landmark vintages of Champagne, this is a titanic Cristal which pulsates with energy and verve. Though already fifteen years of age, it is still remarkably young and taut with tensile mineral strength. The stone and citrus-laden fruit is still in its infancy with just a developing hint of toasty brioche, vanilla and almond. Its purity, depth, weight and mouthfeel is balanced by a great arc of acidity, which will frame the wine for the long haul. A hugely impressive Cristal, but this is still not ready. (Drink between 2022-2050)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2002 Cristal is one seriously big, huge even, Champagne, and while this cuvee normally shows a seamless, elegant style, the 2002 vintage’s fruit profile dominates this wine. Toasted bread, oak spice, orchard fruits and toasted nuts give way to a full-bodied, mouthfilling, rich 2002 that stays light, graceful and elegant on the palate, with good to moderate acidity. It’s beautiful today, yet has two more decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDTasted from the original 2009 disgorgement, the 2002 Cristal is a broad, vinous wine, bursting with aromas of honeyed yellow orchard fruit, warm butter, brioche and fresh peaches. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, textural and mouthfilling, rendering the fine-boned chalky structure and textural finesse that distinguish this quintessentially elegant style of this cuvée in a broader-shouldered, more enveloping register. The 2002 is beginning to enter its plateau of maturity and is drinking beautifully today, though it still has many years ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA suave customer, with hints of citrus, berry and coffee. Harmonious and refined, with freshness and a bright structure. The finish shows a lot of potential, with a mouthwatering aftertaste. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2030. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Made up of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the opaque bluish/purple 2005 from Bellevue-Mondotte offers amazing chocolate espresso notes along with blueberry and blackberry liqueur, some incense and a hint of flowers. Full-bodied and staggeringly concentrated, this blockbuster wine (in a blockbuster vintage) is unreal. Talk about a wine that is beyond belief – this is a great achievement from Chantal and Gérard Perse. Drink it over the next 25-30 years. Sadly, there were only 340 or so cases produced.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe crushed blackberry and raspberry are wonderful in this wine. Full-bodied, with superpolished tannins and loads of ripe fruit, toasty oak and coffee on the palate. Goes on and on. An opulent young red. Best after 2016. 420 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSBright ruby. Aromas of cassis, black raspberry and liquid graphite. Hugely concentrated but very backward, with exotic and extremely dark flavors of black fruits, licorice and violet. This has a surprisingly silky texture (a year ago it seemed to be a bit more chunky) but the major tannins are going to require considerable patience. Better than I thought last year, but not for the faint of heart.Vinous Media | 91-94 VMIncredible velvety texture, refined tannins, noble taste including the classic truffle undertones of the area, very intelligent winemaking. Super-first growth level. Drink from 2013.Decanter | 91 DEC

This is a wine that had extreme intensity of electrifying tannins and acidity, with supercharged fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and lively. It touches every taste bud on your palate. Chocolate mousse and fruit. I am lost for words. Legendary 1950 all over again. Try it in 2020.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2009’s nearly 14% natural alcohol, exquisite ripeness, and incredible complex bouquet of Asian spices, fruitcake, licorice, smoke, blackberries and black currants are to die for. A blend of 84% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it possesses a viscous texture as well as a freshness and vibrancy that are remarkable given the wine’s weight, richness and potential massiveness. This extraordinary effort is one of the finest Vieux Chateau Certans made over the last sixty years. It will undoubtedly shut down in bottle, requiring a decade or more of cellaring. It should keep for 50 years thereafter. Proprietor Thienpont thinks it is a modern day version of the 1948.As I wrote in my barrel tasting notes, the 2009 ranks alongside four of the legendary vintages of Vieux Chateau Certan’s ancient past, 1945, 1947, 1948 and 1950. It is undoubtedly a cleaner wine than those older vintages, and the selection process under proprietor Alexandre Thienpont was far more severe in 2009 than it would have been sixty years ago.Robert Parker | 99 RPThis shows gorgeous silk and polish, brimming with beguiling plum, cherry eau de vie and red currant fruit flavors laced with supple toasty vanilla and cedar hints. But in the background brews a darker side, with loam, maduro tobacco and iron notes, which take over on the finish authoritatively. This feels like it will get a lot bigger before it fully melds--and that will be a while. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2018 through 2035. 4,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Vieux Château Certan) The 2009 Vieux Château Certan is a great wine in the making, but it will be a rather atypical vintage for this great estate, as the rains of the 19th and 20th of September played havoc a bit with the cabernet franc vineyards here, and a much larger percentage of merlot ended up being used for the grand vin in this vintage. Consequently the ’09 VCC is comprised of eighty-four percent merlot this year, with the balance made up of equal pars of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. But despite the atypical blend, the wine is stunning, as it offers up a beautiful nose of black cherries, blood orange, tobacco leaf, really lovely minerality, espresso and a discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure, with plenty of power, a rock solid core of fruit, tangy acids, fine-grained tannins and great length and purity on the complex and beautifully poised finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 93-94+ JGThe 2009 Vieux-Château-Certan has a gorgeous bouquet with red fruit, warm bricks, just a hint of sloes and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with tarry red fruit, firm tannin and well judged acidity. It tapers in slightly towards the finish where I would like a little more roundness but there is persistence here. Readers know I am huge fan of Alexandre Thienpont and this property, but I aver that this growing season never suited them. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Fabulous structure for a Sassicaia with powerful, polished, chewy tannins and ripe, subtle fruit. Aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants, rosemary and lavender. Full body, bright acidity and a savory finish. Juicy and lively. Better to drink this beginning in 2020 but so impressive now.James Suckling | 98 JSRed berry, cedar and light spice aromas lead the way on this dazzling red. The vibrant palate is loaded with finesse, delivering bright red currant, red raspberry, white pepper and chopped herb alongside bright acidity and firm, polished tannins. Impeccably balanced, it’s loaded with elegance, energy and intensity but it’s still young, so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2020–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEI had reviewed this wine just a few months prior and my impression has remained pretty much the same. One difference I did notice at this more recent tasting of the 2013 Bolgheri Sassicaia is the bouquet. It has shifted to slightly more delicate and finessed aromas of pressed flower and blue violets. You do of course get that solid core of dark fruit and spice that characterizes this famous Tuscan blend. But that extra time in the bottle has awarded wiggle room for profound precision and focused detailing. The wine’s complexity emerges slowly with subtle notes of savory spice and tobacco. There is power and depth here, especially in terms of the mouthfeel. As the wine evolves in the glass, it begins to show ethereal tones of road paving, tar and licorice. This Sassicaia should go straight into the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA racy, tightly wound style, this offers violet, black currant, cherry, wild herb, spice and mineral flavors matched to a dense, smooth texture. Shows finesse and intensity in a seemingly effortless manner. The aftertaste is long and focused. Should provide years of pleasure. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2019 through 2035. 18,000 cases made, 4,200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLight cherry red in colour, with a beautiful vibrancy. On the nose we have clean, bright redcurrant fruits. This is not the most intense year for Sassicaia, yet the palate comes through slowly but steadily, building in momentum until a smoky edge adds depth to the fruit. Gently, carefully the perfumed layers and fragrant richness really start to kick in through the mid palate. There is a sense of the sheer cleverness of the balance. Lingering flavours of sage and blackberry that peep over your shoulder and prove themselves to be remarkably tenacious. Subtly beautiful. They use one-third new oak in all the recent vintages, and it is exceptionally well integrated for such a young wine.Decanter | 95 DECThis is an elegant and balanced vintage of Sassicaia, with flavors of ripe red plum and cherry that saturate the palate, mingling with notes of toasted nuts, tobacco and dried fennel. It feels subdued, hemmed in by the polished tannins that will benefit from several years in the cellar. The wine gains depth over several days, maintaining freshness while taking on earthy notes of rooibos tea and roasted beets.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SThe 2013 Sassicaia is a wine of grace and understatement. Silky, perfumed and medium in body, the 2013 is one of the most delicate young Sassicaias I can remember tasting. At times, the 2013 does not taste much like a wine from Bolgheri at all. That is not positive nor negative, but simply an observation. Scents of lavender, sage and menthol wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit. There is good definition to the aromatics, but several recent bottles haven’t been as impressive as barrel samples were last year.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2005 Valandraud is off the charts. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, the 2005 Valandraud possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Moreover, it has aged exquisitely. Inky red fruit, iron, smoke, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and blood orange infuse the 2005 with striking layers of nuance to play off all that unctuous fruit. This full-throttle Saint-Émilion is a prodigious effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGThis may be the most prodigious wine Jean-Luc Thunevin and his partner Murielle Andraud have made to date. Inky purple to the rim at age ten, this wine’s explosive aromatics include espresso, chocolate, plum, blackberry and cassis. The oak is well-hidden behind an extravagant, full-bodied, multi-layered palate. Stunningly pure, super-intense and just beginning to move into middle adolescence, the “Bad Boy” of Bordeaux has produced a legend in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.Robert Parker | 97 RPDark ruby in color, with intense aromas of blackberry, mineral and dried lavender. Full-bodied, very dense and layered, with powerful tannins. This is big and very rich. A bodybuilder. Needs time. Best after 2016. 1,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the likely candidates for promotion to Grand Cru Classé status, this is Jean-Luc Thunevin’s original estate. This year there is considerable restraint in what is normally an immensely opulent wine: it is elegant, rather than having a no-holds-barred attitude, that will make this wine a classic.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

(Krug, Clos du Mesnil, Champagne, France, White) Singly and emphatically the greatest Champagne release of recent years. Grand malic acidity of dizzyingly heightened proportions is swept up in an immense, all-consuming tidal wave of frothing, sea-salt minerality, crashing with such structure that any mortal wine would collapse breathless in its wake. Yet herein lies the triumph of 2002, the vintage that more than any other reverberates with looming structure, yet meets it commandingly with awe-inspiring fruit presence. This sets it with a life expectancy of a century, no less. (Drink between 2022-2102)Decanter | 100 DEThis is a wine with staggering length and immense purity. It’s as powerful as chardonnay can be, showcasing an incredible depth of pure fresh lemons, yellow grapefruit, honey and dried white and yellow flowers. The concentration and complexity of primary fruits are outstanding, and there are some more exotic flavors here too in the peach and green-mango spectrum. The texture is ultra-fine and creamy through the mid-palate, its majestic curves sweeping long around a sturdy mineral core. This is very silky and focused, offering gently creamy moments before twisting towards a composed, restricted and compressed chalk-like finish. It delivers an impression of chardonnay that captures incredible richness, fleshiness, persistence and power. Yet the acidity is staggering while being simultaneously perfectly balanced. Drink now but this will have a lot more to come after 2020.James Suckling | 100 JS(Krug “Clos du Mesnil” Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime (Reims) ID #415068) I have been waiting the release of the 2002 Clos du Mesnil bottling from Krug since soon after the quality of this exceptional vintage was confirmed. Like all wines from the house of Krug, patience has been required, as the team here is not about to let a legend out of the cellars until it has had its proper and relaxed elevage, but at age fifteen, the wait is over and this monument to this great and unique terroir is now hitting the market. The wine aged thirteen years sur latte in the Krug cellars in Reims, prior to disgorgement in the winter of 2015. The wine offers up a deep, pure and youthful bouquet of fresh apricot, pear, a marvelously complex base of chalky soil tones, hints of the crème patissière to come, a dollop of fresh nutmeg and a nice touch of citrus zest in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and seamless, with the inherent power of the 2002 vintage very much in evidence in its bottomless core, but with the overall profile of the wine one of unrepentant refinement. As stunningly beautiful as the fruit component is here, the wine is more defined by its brilliant mineral drive on the palate, with its elegant mousse, perfect balance and very, very long, nascently complex and laser-like finish the stuff of legends. The wine seems to attain its lift and backend energy from its limestone mineral drive, rather than the bright, zesty acidity and the overall impression is of almost otherworldly perfection. I have been fortunate to taste every single vintage of Clos du Mesnil since the inaugural vintage of 1979, but the 2002 is the finest I have ever come across in the first blush of youth. It will live for more than half a century and really deserves many more years in the cellar to allow it to completely blossom, but it is going to be no easy task to defer gratification, as the wine is pure magic already! (Drink between 2025-2085)John Gilman | 100 JGPure Chardonnay from the walled vineyard in the heart of Le Mesnil, this intense wine from a great vintage is tight and mineral, still showing hints of toast from its barrel fermentation. With its taut texture, complex acidity and crisp citrus, it’s very young, but will age indefinitely. Showing the beauty of Chardonnay in Champagne at its best, it will certainly still be impressive come 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEKrug’s beautifully citrus colored 2002 Blanc de Blancs Brut Clos du Mesnil (ID 415068 - disgorged IV/2015) shows a deep, complex, very clear and precise if not etherial bouquet with citrus aromas intertwined with chalk and noble brioche notes in the background. Pure, profound and vibrantly fresh on the palate, this is a straight, athletic, very intense and expressive yet highly elegant and finessed Clos du Mesnil with a unique fresh fruit character! The 2002 reveals a great mineral structure and chalky texture on the palate. The highly complex, energetic finish reveals bracing freshness and vitality as well as the charm and creaminess from the vinification in barrels and possibly the dosage wine that seems to boost the Krug style. While terroir wine is the result of hands-off winemaking, Krug’s Clos du Mesnil is perhaps a very particular Krug Champagne—it has great quality, style and complexity that is the result of the winemaking and the addition of the dosage wine. How the Clos du Mesnil would taste if farmed biodynamically, picked later and dosed with nothing but itself is a pointless question, but it hasn’t left my mind since I tasted the paradoxical 2002, which is terribly fresh on one hand and also has this unique Krug reserve style. Notabene: This doesn’t include the hypothesis that the wine could be any better. It would just be different and surely less "Krug," which is not what we really want, do we? Tasted April 2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPA lovely, lacy Champagne, with ripe apricot, fennel seed and espresso aromas. This caresses the palate with a finely detailed mousse and expansive flavors of pineapple pâte de fruit, toasted brioche, fleur de sel and grated ginger. Long and chalky on the finish, this is a prima ballerina, showing power cloaked in grace. Disgorged winter 2015. Drink now through 2032. — ANWine Spectator | 98 WSNo written review provided. | 98 W&SThe 2002 Clos du Mesnil is brilliant right out of the gate. Vibrant, focused and crystalline, the 2002 hits all the right notes. Lemon peel, grapefruit, slate and white flowers give the 2002 its high-toned personality. The ripeness of the vintage has softened some of the typically angular young Clos du Mesnil contours. Best of all the 2002 is a rare Clos du Mesnil that drinks well right out of the gate, even if it will surely be more complex with more time in bottle. The 2002 has been absolutely stellar on both occasions I have tasted it so far. The 2002 was vinified by Nicolas Audebert, who is now making the wines at Rauzan-Ségla and Canon.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2000 possesses an impenetrable black/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of melted licorice, creosote, new saddle leather, blackberry and cherry fruit as well as roasted meats. Sweet and full-bodied, with great intensity, huge power, and a finish that lasts for 67 seconds by my watch, this is an amazing tour de force in winemaking. Even in a flattering, forward-styled vintage such as 2000, it will need 7-8 years of cellaring, yet this is the most accessible Jacques Perrin I have tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 99 RP(the blend, based on 60% mourvedre, was to have been bottled a week after my visit) Saturated bright deep ruby. Incredible kaleidoscope of a nose: blackberry, currant, violet, espresso, bitter chocolate, truffle, eucalyptus, gibier, licorice, pepper and wild spices. Similarly multifaceted in the mouth; hugely concentrated and lush but lively and light on its feet. This boasts an extraordinary core of dark fruit. Finishes extremely long, juicy and young. This is even stronger than it appeared to be a year ago. In comparison to this wine, the 1999 version, which I retasted alongside the 2000, was a bit more port-like, with strong notes of fruit cake and maple syrup and a superripe, chocolatey finish; I rated the wine 96 but felt that the 2000 showed even greater long-term potential.Vinous Media | 95-98 VMA wine that continues to show beautifully is the 2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin. Still vibrant ruby-colored with an incredible nose of blackcurrants, beef blood, truffle, incense and cured meats, it’s a huge, opulent, concentrated 2000 that has a stacked mid-palate, sweet tannin, no hard edges and a finish that just won’t quit. It’s a heavenly red that can be enjoyed anytime over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA seducer, this Old World blockbuster dazzles with its class. Ultrarich, pitch-black, it remains elegant and refined despite its monster structure, but it’s open-knit, delivering earthy, mineral, iron and wet fur character along with the plum and blackberry. Long, refined finish. Drink now through 2025. 500 cases made. — PMWine Spectator | 95 WS(Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, Red) Bloody on the nose, fresh meat and iron. Mature now, with some earthy notes among the autumnal fruits underpinned by a distinctly spicy aromatic vein. Only medium-bodied, ready to drink now, in fact it’s time to drink up - it’s unlikely to improve. Sappy acidity and a touch of polished wood on the finish. Tannins are a little lacking in finesse, but there’s good complexity and a regal touch - ageing royalty. (Drink between 2020-2022)Decanter | 94 DEC(Châteauneuf du Pape “Hommage à Jacques Perrin”- Château de Beaucastel) The 2000 Hommage from Château de Beaucastel is quite marked by brettanomyces and this will affect one’s appreciation of the wine, depending on one’s tolerance of brett. The bouquet is a mix of cassis, saddle leather, a fair bit of barnyard, dark soil tones and a topnote of bonfires. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and classically proportioned, with a good core, moderate tannins and a long, nascently complex finish that closes with good grip. If one really dislikes brett, then deduct several points from my score, but for those with some tolerance, this is a good bottle in the making- though still in need of far more time in the cellar to really blossom! (Drink between 2025-2055)John Gilman | 92 JG

This is a magnificently solid wine, initially even a bit severe. At this young stage, the tannins dominate, but it’s also full of black fruit notes. Very dense and concentrated, this is a wine that’s even better than the legendary 2005. The structure tells of its extraordinary aging potential: don’t even attempt to drink this for 10 years.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WELove the depth and the power of this, it grips the walls of the glass. These tannins are muscular and yet ready to roll and still so powerful that you can’t help but smile. The cassis fruits are concentrated and layered with tobacco, slate, pencil lead and smoked earth. Hard not to recommend this wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 97 DECAromas of pure blackberries and violets follow through to a full body, with super velvety tannins and a delicious balance of sweet fruit, light vanilla and nuts. Really savory and beautiful. Superb wine. I like this better than 2009. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSTakes a modern approach, with dark mocha- and espresso-infused toast leading the way, featuring an extra ganache kicker before dark currant preserves and roasted plum fruit strides in. Dense and extracted through the polished finish, this features a charcoal spine that gives rise to extra blueberry and pastis notes. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2018 through 2038. 13,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2010 Léoville Barton is cut from a very different cloth to the Langoa this year with more amplitude on the nose and more red fruit. It is very well delineated, very intense with almost honey-like aromas emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins. This is a multi-dimensional Léoville-Barton with tobacco-infused black fruit gripping the finish and not letting go. Afford this wine another few years in bottle. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2010 Leoville Barton is deep garnet in color, and the nose is a little tired, with notes of stewed plums and dried cherries over hints of balsamic, tobacco, spice box and fried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid backbone of firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the mature fruit, finishing spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

I certainly underrated the 2010 Pape Clement from barrel, rating it only 93-95+. (Thank God I put a “plus” there!) Having tasted it four times in Bordeaux, and rating it perfect three times and 99 the fourth time, this final blend of 51% Merlot, 47.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% Petit Verdot is perfection in a bottle. Tipping the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol, there are 8,000 cases of it. Its sublime elegance, the power, the medium to full-bodied texture, the silky tannins, the subtle notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black currants, charcoal, camphor, blueberry and cassis fruit are all remarkable. It is a rich, full-throttle wine, but the elegance and the great terroir of Pape Clement come through in abundance. It is slightly more developed and evolved than the 2005 was at a similar point in its evolution, but it certainly needs another 5-7 years to develop further nuances, which it surely will. This wine will last 30-40+ years.Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez, who has built an empire based on high quality more than any other characteristic.Robert Parker | 100 RPIntense blueberry nose with great precision and expression. Full and vibrant on the palate with a minty note. Vanilla. Wonderful structure. Firm but ripe tannins and very long. Needs time to soften. Great potential. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2010 Pape Clément has a gorgeous bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, camphor, raspberry preserve and just a hint of marmalade - very seductive and classy. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and good density, as you would expect. Whilst a little grainy in texture it feels structured with tarry black fruit, although I would have liked to see a touch more persistence on the aftertaste. As such, leave it for another three or four years because it has a lot of potential. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMNicely toasty, with a lovely broad stroke of mocha and ganache spread over the velvety core of plum sauce, blackberry coulis and steeped currant fruit. The long, polished finish keeps a tarry thread running along with the fruit, adding length and range. Not shy on style. Best from 2018 through 2035. 7,966 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA smooth, dense wine, ripe and polished. It brings out a modern view of Bordeaux, dark and concentrated, hinting at the new-wood aging. At the same time, the wine has a serious edge that promises proper aging.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEPape Clement was still all about shoulders and pecs at this point; and even at 10 years old this is a serious beast. There is a lovely elegant uptick through the finish, offering a counterpoint to black chocolate shavings, black olive, cut herbs, rosemary and cinnamon, just full of spice and power. It’s a good wine, no question; if not particularly signature Pessac. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Pape Clément) The 2010 Pape Clément has turned out very well indeed, and while I would still prefer to see it in the guise of an unabashed champion of traditionalism, it is hard not to enjoy the more modern rendition in the context of its success in this challenging vintage in the Graves. The ripe nose is deep, complex and classy, as it offers up scents of black cherries, cassis, Cuban cigars, soil tones and plenty of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with impressive complexity, good depth at the core and very good length and grip on the fairly tannic finish. Today the new oak obtrudes a bit on the finish, but one hopes that there is sufficient stuffing to carry the wood tannins along with those from the skins. I am still not convinced that the new style here is an improvement upon the old, but this is at least very well done in 2010. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 90+ JG

The 2010 is a more structured, masculine and steely version of the utterly compelling 2009. Tasting like black raspberry confiture with subtle notes of graphite and crushed chalk along with enormous floral notes, the wine displays a slightly smoky character but a voluptuous attack, mid-palate and finish. Its is full-bodied and massively endowed, with every component perfectly etched in this extraordinary wine, which should be drinkable after 7-8 years of bottle age and last for a half-century or more. This is brilliant stuff. Composed of 73% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from yields of 21 hectoliters per hectare, the alcohol is the highest ever registered at Beausejour-Duffau, coming in at 15%, but remarkably, the pH is modest and the acids relatively elevated, giving the wine an astonishing freshness and precision that is hard to believe in view of its power, density and length. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055+.Anyone who has read this publication or visited St.-Emilion knows that this is a magical terroir capable of great things. It was only fully exploited in the past in the 1990 vintage, but has reached more consistently great heights over the last three or four years. Kudos to the duo of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt for what they have achieved over the last few years at Beausejour-Duffau.Robert Parker | 100 RPClearly the best wine from here since 1989 or 1990. The intensity of dark fruits is insane with citrus and flowers as well as dark fruits. Full and lively with a finish that lasts for minutes but it is dense and impressive.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe Left Bank character of this St-Émilion wine is on full display. Concentration and depth, liquorice root and dark bitter chocolate. This is intense and the tannins remain just a little impenetrable. An impressive wine that speaks of its terroir and is packed with estate signature. Will age extremely well (I enjoyed a 100 year old wine from Larcis Ducasse in 2019, and wouldn’t bet against this one making the grade). 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECA beautiful, floral-tinged style, with a delightfully expressive core of kirsch and linzer torte that bursts forth, while lots of red licorice, bergamot, black tea and blood orange notes fill in the remaining space. This has terrific range, with a long, creamy finish as well, but don’t be fooled, there’s serious grip in reserve and should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSVivid ruby. Captivating aromas of blackcurrant, red cherry, sweet spices and minerals are complemented by a strikingly pure violet nuance. Enters the mouth lush and concentrated, offering sweet dark berry and coffee flavors lifted by notes of black pepper, graphite and Asian spices. Turns more austere on the back half but remains very pure, hinting at uncommon depth and complexity. This classic, elegantly styled BDL finishes long and crisp, with very polished tannins and floral and mineral echoes.Vinous Media | 95 VMA solid and dense wine, showing the big improvements at this château. It hovers deliciously between acidity and ripe, forward fruit. The touch of smokiness from the wood aging goes with the fragrant, juicy black cherry and berry fruits. The wine will certainly age over many years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe aromas of mushrooms, tobacco, vine bark, stones and black fruit. It changes so quickly and then comes back. Full-bodied and remarkably balanced, concentrated and structured. Such precision and beauty. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JS(Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarosse, St-Émilion, Red) I just love this - it's compact, closed and tense, and yet aromatically rich, juicy and powerful. It's totally delicious and easily one of my favourite St-Emilion 2016s. It combines the austerity of limestone with the power and seductive appeal of clay. It will take its time opening, but will amply reward patience. (Drink between 2026-2045)Decanter | 97 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse) slips seductively out of the glass with perfumed scents of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, lavender and baked plums with nuances of redcurrants, forest floor, mossy bark and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of grace and finesse with a super fine-grained frame and lovely freshness lifting the intense, perfumed fruits to a very long, mineral-tinged finished. Gorgeous.Robert Parker | 97 RPWhile this wine offers superripe fruit, it also has the freshness that comes from the vintage. It is both opulent and juicy with spice and a smoky character from the judicious wood aging. Drink this generous wine from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2016 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a finely tuned bouquet that has gained a little delineation and detail since I tasted it from barrel. There is now more mineralité and greater focus. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine line of acidity, and the smooth texture belies the backbone underneath. The intense finish features small black cherries, melted tar and graphite notes. This is an excellent Saint-Émilion, though it will needVinous Media | 95 VMDark and winey in feel, with lots of coiled-up macerated dark currant, fig paste and blackberry compote flavors laced with smoldering tobacco and alder notes, all backed by a chalky persistence through the finish. A touch austere now, but with serious length, so tuck this one away in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A perfect wine that’s up with the top handful of wines in this incredible vintage, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud (60/40 Grenache and Mourvèdre) boasts a sensational nose of currants, cured meats, kirsch, exotic spices, and sandalwood. Deep, full-bodied and powerful, yet with an incredible sense of elegance and purity, it just glides across the palate and, despite its awesome intensity, it never seems heavy or over the top. Give it 2-3 years, and it will keep for two decades or more. Proprietress Isabel Ferrando has taken her Saint Prefert estate to France’s highest level, and she’s unquestionably making some of the most profound wines on earth today, including both reds and whites. The estate is located in the southern portion of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and covers roughly 55 acres, from which she releases five cuvées: two whites and three reds. Looking at the reds, the classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape is always a rough blend of 90% Grenache (from 70-year-old vines) and the balance Syrah and Mourvèdre aged in demi-muids and smaller barrels. The Reserve Auguste Favier comes from 60- to 100-year-old vines and is based largely on Grenache with around 15% Cinsault, aged all in older barrels. This cuvée always shows a seamless, elegant profile. Lastly, and what I would consider her top wine, the Collection Charles Giraud is always a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, with the Grenache aged in tank and the Mourvèdre in demi-muids. I’ve also included her Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis cuvée here, which is released under the Isabel Ferrando label. It’s 100% Grenache from the sandy soils of the Colombis lieu-dit located on the western edge of the appellation. As I’ve written in the past, readers looking for the essence of Grenache shouldn’t miss this beauty. While the style changed slightly in 2009, when she started including more stems and harvesting earlier, these latest releases show sensational depth of fruit and texture, and are almost overflowing with Provençal charm. Today, she is assisted by consultant Baptiste Olivier, who’s increasingly working with the top estates in the region. Madame Ferrando is at the top of her game. (Drink between 2021-2041)Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has a large core of well-steeped plum, blackberry puree and warm cassis flavors, inlaid liberally with ganache, graphite and Turkish coffee notes. There’s a wide swath of tobacco and roasted alder detail through the finish, matched by racy acidity for balancing focus. This is very deep and very long, capturing the intense yet fresh fruit feel of the vintage to a T. Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud is a 60-40 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, fermented with all the stems. There’s a hint of cocoa, but raspberries and strawberries are the dominant fruit flavors in this lively, zesty wine. Trace notes of mint, lavender and tea leaf add complexity. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, it’s intensely concentrated and rich yet not overly heavy or overripe (it weighs in at 15.5% alcohol), with a lingering, elegant finish. It’s a tour de force that should age for two decades or more, and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the perfect 2010 after it’s had a few years in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPVivid glistening violet. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-tinged red and blue fruit preserves, incense and exotic spices, and a sexy floral nuance gains power as the wine opens up. Fleshy, seamless, appealingly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering densely packed, finely detailed raspberry, boysenberry, lavender and candied licorice flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Suggestions of five-spice powder and smoked meat appear on the penetrating finish, which shows outstanding clarity, finely wrought tannins and endless red fruit and floral notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMFresh, lifted violets and blueberries with a touch of liquorice on the nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, concentrated juice that is very precisely tailored. Everything is in the right proportion: acidity, fruit, ripe tannin. It’s big but not massive, and very well balanced. A consistently strong performer, this will be a really good wine, generous in fruit but structured. (Drink between 2020-2032) | 96 DECThe hedonistic favorite among this producer’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings, this weighty blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre juxtaposes pristine mulberry and plum flavors against a creamy, voluminous palate. Flamboyant and explosively fruity, its immediately appealing style is accentuated by fine, ripe tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

What fun, excitement and joy it will be to compare the four perfect wines Perse has made in 2005, 2009, 2010 and, of course, the 2000, in 25 or so years. This wine is truly profound Bordeaux. Everything is in place – remarkable concentration and a beautiful nose of cedar and ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with some kirsch and spice box in the background. Lavishly rich, with slightly more structure and delineation than the more Rabelaisian 2009, this wine does show some serious tannins in the finish, and comes across as incredibly youthful. Of course, it’s five years old, but it tastes more like a just-bottled barrel sample than a 2010. In any event, this wine is set for a long, long life and should be forgotten for at least another decade. Consume it over the following 75 or more years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Château Pavie is straight-up magical, and while it matches the 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2015, it has a style all its own. (It’s probably most similar to the 2005, yet even more tannic and backward.) Checking in as blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare, it’s still ruby/plum-colored and has a powerful, inward bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, chocolate, and white truffle. Deep, powerful, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly delineated and focused, it’s shed just a touch of the baby fat it had in its youth and still needs another 4-5 years to hit prime time. Given its depth of fruit, flawless balance, and both purity and freshness, it’s going to be a 75- to 100-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis is really exceptional with such freshness, firmness and focus. Full body, incredibly tight tannins and a lengthy finish. Such power and elegance at the same time. The beginning of a new era of Pavie.James Suckling | 99 JSA brick house, still rather tight, with loads of apple wood and juniper flavors holding the core of red currant, blackberry and bitter plum fruit in check. Offers ample grip through the finish, with a mouthwatering chalk, graphite and tobacco spine. A huge wine that hasn’t budged and probably won’t for some time.--Non-blind Pavie vertical (March 2017). Best from 2025 through 2050. 7,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is accomplished and enjoyable, starting to come into its own at ten years old, and very much infused with the limestone impact of its soils. One of my favourite Pavies that scrapes along the palate in that way that just weakens my knees. A style of vintage that suits this property, where the acidity provides a natural break but doesn’t detract from the fruit and concentration. It is exerting its power gently and imperceptibly, turning the screw until the tannins are barring your way at the close of play. Brilliant stuff. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2010 Pavie has a very generous bouquet with intense red cherries, cassis, orange essence and even a hint of dried honey. This is exuberant and very intense. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, wonderful detail and precision. The energy in this Pomerol is palpable and it fans out gloriously towards the finish. This represents one of the best examples of the 2010 Pavie that I have tasted. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis feels very juicy, the fruit almost over-ripe. There is a generous new world feel to it, very opulent, super-rich. Open black plum and damson fruits push through the dark, perfumed tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Disgorged October 2016 and will be the first Cristal to be released ten years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. 35 parcels used from a possible 45 in this vintage. The assemblage is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. This is so fresh and tense and mineral with extremely exuberant chardonnay notes on the nose of white peach, lemon and yellow grapefruit, and hints of almost brambly sous bois aromas. The yeast characters are also super fresh, and there are subtle woody notes, with a hint of vanilla bean and light spices. The palate is super long, and very pure, powerful and focused. It drives deep and taut. Pinot noir is a strong core and the chardonnay sits at the edge offering lemon and white nectarine sorbet flavors. Staggeringly concentrated, yet the balance makes it seem airy and light. Acidity is perfectly positioned, and the power is intense and long. This is an ultra precise Cristal, finishing with a mere suggestion of savoriness and warmth to come. Impressive on release, this will be at its best drinking from 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThis latest incarnation of the famous brand is a superb wine. It is on par with, maybe even better than, the already legendary 2002. Its balance is impeccable: Apple and citrus flavors working with the tight minerality to give a textured yet fruity wine. Produced from Roederer’s own vineyards which are mainly biodynamic, the wine has its own intense purity and crispness. It has amazing potential and is likely to age for many years. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEThe 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Millésime (Reims)) As I mentioned in my feature on Maison Louis Roederer a couple of years ago, the 2008 Cristal was the first vintage here to spend fully ten years in the cellars in Reims prior to release. It is a great, great vintage of Cristal and I was very much looking forward to revisiting it this past November, as it is now due for its re-release from the maison. Readers may recall that this is the “rare bird” of Cristal vintages that included some vins clairs that went through malo, as about sixteen percent of the blend underwent its secondary fermentation prior to blending and bottling for aging sur lattes. The wine is brilliant on both the nose and palate, with time not really seeming to have touched it much since I last tasted a bottle. The bouquet is deep, complex and still properly youthful in personality, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of apple, pear, a touch of fresh almond, complex, chalky minerality, incipient notes of caraway seed, citrus peel and lovely floral tones in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still fairly primary, with a rock solid core, lovely cut and grip, laser-like focus, refined mousse and a very, very long, very pure and still quite youthful finish. As I have noted in the past, twenty percent of the vins clairs for the 2008 Cristal were barrel-fermented and the wine was finished with a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter. It was disgorged in September of 2017. (Drink between 2030-2095)John Gilman | 99 JGThe 2008 vintage in Champagne is one of the most interesting of the last decade, and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has made an outstanding Cristal. It’s a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) from 36 plots in Grand Cru terroirs, with a dosage of 7.5 g/l. Fresh, delicate and lively, the bouquet is complex and shows elegant aromas of citrus, flowers, mirabelle and spices. The palate is chiseled and precise, with a powerful mid-palate and plenty of freshness supported by a chalky and saline finish.Decanter | 99 DECThe 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.”Antonio Galloni | 99 AGDisgorged in September 2017 with 7.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Cristal was produced from 37 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in this cuvée—some 40% of which were farmed organically back in 2008—and it’s a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The finest young Cristal in decades, the wine wafts from the glass with a pure and vibrant bouquet of crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm brioche, citrus zest and white flowers. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, intense and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. Pristinely balanced, there are some 500,000 bottles of this legend-in-the-making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThere’s a sense of focus and vibrancy to the overall structure, while the palate is all grace and charm. A fine, lacy texture carries a tapestry of ripe white cherry, toast point, blood orange zest, honey and ground ginger notes, with a minerally, mouthwatering finish. A stunning Champagne with a long future ahead of it. Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Louis Roederer Brut - Cristal Champagne/Sparkling) An ultra-elegant, pure and already highly complex nose speaks of yeast, brioche, Meyer lemon, quinine and green apple. There is equally excellent depth to the utterly delicious and highly sophisticated flavors where the supporting effervescence is very firm yet quite fine while the strikingly long if compact finish makes it crystal clear (pun intended) that this beauty is definitely built for the long haul. I was very impressed with this though with that said, I would observe that it’s presently so firm that at least another 5 years of cellaring will be necessary before this begins to unwind. In a word, excellent. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 95 BH

I was also able to taste the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Da Capo, which comes mostly from older vines in the La Crau lieu-dit and spends an additional year in a large foudre. The 2016 vintage was truly magical for the region, and this Cuvée Da Capo is unquestionably one of the finest vintages for this cuvée ever made, in the same league as, if not surpassing, the 1998, 2003, 2007, and 2010. Sensational notes of cured meats, crème de cassis, crushed violets, ground pepper, tapenade, truffle, and sweet herbes de Provence all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied style that stays seamless, weightless, and as pure as they come. Traditional, classic Châteauneuf Du Pape doesn’t get better. I hate to be the guy who throws out the “best to date” line very often, but this is truly magical stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDAs impressive as the Cuvée Réservée is, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée da Capo brings an extra level of intensity. Turn that volume up to 11 or even 12. Waves of black cherries, plums and chocolate wash across the full-bodied, velvety palate, lingering nearly forever on the finish. As big and bold as it is, it remains breathtakingly elegant and fine. It should evolve gracefully through at least 2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPBlack-cherry and plum flavors are ripe but pertly balanced in this Grenache blend. It’s spicy and intensely aromatic, wafting of cloves, allspice and caramel, yet revitalizing and mineral too. The finish is endlessly long, fringed by fine, taut tannins. It’s stunning now but should improve through 2036 and hold further still.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEAll 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There’s some complexity and interest on the nose already, with aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries and a touch of tobacco leaf. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but without any heaviness, with sublime freshness and piercing acidity. This has real life, and a lightness of touch which delivers real drinkability. Very fine, abundant ripe tannins work like a lattice through the fruit. The fairly raised levels of alcohol don’t give a sense of imbalance in the wine, and it finishes on a lifted note. The best Da Capo in a long time. Real elegance. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 97 DECVivid ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry, cherry preserve and licorice aromas are complemented by hints of game, exotic spices and candied lavender. Deep, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering densely packed raspberry, cola and floral pastille flavors and a strong suggestion of spicecake. Shows superb clarity and power on a ridiculously long, sappy finish that eventually leaves behind cherry liqueur and bitter chocolate notes.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is richly fruited, with succulent plum, boysenberry and fig preserve flavors that are seamlessly layered and laced with warm anise, black tea and smoldering tobacco notes. The long finish features well-embedded chalky grip that gives this cut to match the lush fruit. A beauty. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2040. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is the second year in a row that the Férauds have bottled this rare cuvée, made only in exceptional vintages. The 2016 is even more intense than the 2015, with a bright energy that makes it inviting despite its size. A blend of all 13 red-wine varieties permitted in the appellation, fermented in whole bunches with ambient yeasts in tank, it uses stemmy herbal notes to lift the masses of dark, figgy fruit, taking it into higher, fresher registers of roses and seedy strawberries, cracked peppercorns and garrigue. The tannins and alcohol are not harsh, but intense enough to suggest this is best left untouched in the cellar for five years, or even 15.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SAn impressive wine for the concentration and punchy fruit impact. Pears, melons and assertive lemon citrus weighs in on the palate. The length and purity is stunning. A gently savory, pastry-like edge to the finish. Will age superbly. Try from 2020.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2009 Cuvee Madame, composed of 100% Sémillon, is pale lemon-gold in color with a beguiling fragrance of peach blossoms, mandarin peel, jasmine and allspice with core of pineapple, lemon pie, peach preserves and ginger plus a waft of musk perfume. Very big, powerful and seductive with decadent richness and loads of spice and floral layers accenting the ripe stone fruit flavors, it finishes with epic persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2009 Coutet Cuvée Madame is the fifteenth release due in January 2019. It is a slightly larger production than the usual 1,200 bottles: 1,900 bottles produced of which 1,600 are planned for release. It has a very complex bouquet with dried honey, barley sugar, orange zest, frangipane and hints of ginger. This just takes a little while to coalesce. The palate is a party in the mouth with an effervescent entry, Clementine, honey, a touch of Chinese 5-spice and ginger, certainly one of the spicier Cuvée Madames that I have tasted with pain d’épices on the finish. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Another perfect wine is the 2015 Ermitage le Meal Blanc. The most decadent, unctuous and layered in the lineup, with to-die-for notes of white currants, toasted nuts, celery seed and licorice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a huge mid-palate and a refreshing, pure, yet blockbuster finish that just won’t quit. If I had to pick a desert island white, this might be it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLovely, featuring waves of Jonagold apple, mirabelle plum, lemon curd and white peach flavors, all gilded with hints of honeysuckle, verbena and jasmine. Shows terrific range, with superior detail through the finish and lingering minerality adding length. Drink now through 2030. 636 cases made, 29 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLurid yellow-gold. Penetrating aromas of ripe, mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits are complicated by hints of chalky minerals, saffron and chamomile. Juicy, smoky and deeply concentrated but lithe on the palate, offering densely packed peach nectar, pear liqueur, Meyer lemon and buttered toast flavors that show superb drive and focus. The mineral note repeats emphatically on the incisive, smoke-laced finish, which lingers with outstanding persistence.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is dressed to impress with fresh oak framing up fragrant, ripe and slightly tarry black-fruit and cassis aromas. Pepper and graphite, too. The palate is superbly weighted, showing a classic interplay of elegance and power. Deeply succulent blackberries and black cherries snap fresh into the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 96 JS

One of the monumental wines in the vintage is the 2016 Château Eglise Clinet from proprietor Denis Durantou. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this utterly perfect wine boasts a saturated purple color as well as an essence of Pomerol bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackcurrant liqueur, smoked tobacco, camphor, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and layered, yet always with class and balance, it offers a remarkable marriage of power and finesse. It’s already sexy and seductive yet also a baby, and needs 7-8 years of cellaring. It should keep for 3-4 decades (probably longer), but why wait?Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDWe are now levitating somewhere above the rest of Denis Durantou’s excellent range. Typical of the incredibly deft and precise way of working that is his signature, this wine brings cinammon and clove then hugely deep, rich dark fruits. Utterly elegant, it completes a circuit around your mouth. This is a physical reaction to a wine that you only get in certain vintages and in very few wines. A great European wine. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in 80% new oak. 43hl/ha yield from 4.2ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThe depth and beauty in the aromas really draw you in with black truffles, blackberries, crushed stones, violets and other flowers. Black olives, too. Full-bodied, super refined and structured with perfectly manicured tannins and a very, very long finish. It’s full of soul and precision. Take a look after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 L’Eglise Clinet has a medium to deep garnet-purple color with aromas of warm black cherries, mulberries and Black Forest cake slipping seductively from the glass plus nuances of rose hip tea, baking spices, fragrant soil and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, it’s wonderfully elegant in the mouth with fantastically plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and very perfumed. Beautiful!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2016 L’Eglise-Clinet was matured in 80% new oak and bottled in mid-April 2018. Crystal clear in color, it has an equally crystal clear bouquet that is utterly seductive, featuring red cherries, wild strawberry, peony and iris flowers and a hint of bay leaf. You could sit and nose this all day. The balanced palate is medium-bodied and grippy in the mouth, displaying supple tannin and a perfect line of acidity. Again, there is a symmetry about this Pomerol that is utterly beguiling, and the persistence is up there with the very best. Simply put, this is one of the best L’Eglise-Clinet wines I have tasted in recent years. Stunning.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis pulls it all together, with a gorgeous core of creamed plum, blackberry and boysenberry confiture notes, laced with singed anise and incense accents and backed by long echoes of anise and black tea. Delivers ample flesh from start to finish, and should easily finish soaking up its toast with some time in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has shut down slightly since I tasted it last year, yet it’s still a magical, perfect wine. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, it offers incredible notes of pure crème de cassis, blueberries, camphor, crushed rocks, and lead pencil shavings. This rich, full-bodied beauty always reminds me of a great vintage of Château Margaux with its beautiful complexity, power, and elegance. As I wrote last year, do your best to give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and it should evolve for three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is still very tight and youthful, slowly unfurling to reveal a multifaceted wine with tons of black, blue and red fruit sparks—plums, cherries, black currants and red currants—with dark chocolate, cedar chest, black tea and red roses in the background plus wafts of pencil lead and prosciutto. Medium-bodied and firmly textured by superbly ripe, grainy tannins, it has a fantastic core of intense, complex layers, finishing on an edifying mineral note. Wow!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPSpottswoode, nudged about against Spring Mountain is situated on an ancient alluvial fan. The tiny vineyard has been owned and run by the Novak family since 1972. President Beth Novak and winemaker Aron Weinkauf are known for crafting Cabernets that paradoxically possess gentility and vivid concentration at the same time. The reverberating flavours always remind me of the sound of a church bell that someone has just struck hard. Wonderful exotic, spicy mulberry and cranberry notes. Fine tannin. Drinking Window 2019 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECSpottswoode's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely gorgeous. Medium in body, translucent and super-expressive, the 2016 is sublime, not to mention on the understated side of things for the year. Dark red cherry, red plum, mocha and espresso add lovely shades of nuance. The 2016 is racy, but also clearly holding back much of its ultimate potential. I imagine the 2016 will always be a wine of finesse, first and foremost.Vinous Media | 96+ VMBlended with small percents of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this vintage marks the winery's 35th year of making this wine, the grapes all estate-grown and organically farmed. Rich and grippy, it expands to reveal expressive notes of dried herb, leather and salty stone, at first demure in black fruit, with an elegant structure and undoubtable time to age. Enjoy best from 2026–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBeautifully rendered, with a focused beam of gently mulled red and black currant fruit that glides through atop a subtle but persistent loamy structure. Light tea and alder notes fill in throughout, ending with a wave of fruit that is alluringly lined with latent mineral tension. Best from 2021 through 2040. 4,030 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis blend of 85 per cent cabernet sauvignon, nine per cent cabernet franc and six per cent petit verdot has strikingly pure blackcurrant aromas and flavors. The palate has flavorful and fleshy, ripe mixed berries, cast in plush, seamlessly even tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse checks in as 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc that comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won’t hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I’ve ever tasted.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDPolished aromas of lavender, plum, dried blueberry, clove, sandalwood and dark chocolate. Hints of praline. It’s full-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Supple, seamless layers with great length and precision. Still reserved and tight. A toned and textured red with great structure. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2018 Larcis Ducasse is one of the real overachievers of the vintage. Richness and classicism meld together in a Saint-Émilion that dazzles from the very first taste. Rich dark fruit, mocha, licorice, espresso and leather all open in the glass. Time brings out bright acids and that firm spice of Larcis tannin. More than that, though, Larcis impresses with its exquisite balance and class. It is easily one of the most undervalued wines on the Right Bank. Don’t let its modest price fool you. Larcis is one the most compelling wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Larcis Ducasse needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of crushed blackberries, plum preserves and boysenberries with suggestions of black truffles, tapenade and crushed rocks coming through, building to a subtle underlying perfume of roses and cloves. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits and loads of savory sparks, framed by firm, slightly chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPowerful but with a sense of restraint, this is extremely well handled in 2018. The difference between this and a more massive St-Emilion is subtle for sure - it’s unquestionably on the dark fruit register - but you notice it in the way that the tannins respond and bounce rather than stiffen up in the mouth. You can enjoy them as they close in around you rather than beg for air. The palate has lots of dark chocolate, liquorice and slate notes, with cassis and blackberry fruits. This is from south-facing slopes, so there’s plenty of ripeness in the grapes, but the limestone helps to temper it, along with the natural water sources that are found at this spot. Owned by Famille Gratiot-Attmane, but with the Nicolas Thienpont team overseeing winemaking. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA concentrated wine with big tannins and a smoky character, this is rich, darkly textured and full of blackberry fruit. The wine is powerful, spicy and fresh on the end.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEWarm cherry, raspberry and plum preserve flavors form the core here, with nicely polished structure supporting it through the finish where anise, black tea, singed alder and savory details steadily emerge. A touch austere in feel, but the breed and length is there. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 2,416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS