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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

Borderline perfection in a bottle, the 2010 Pichon-Longueville Baron (79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot) boasts a saturated purple color as well as truly extraordinary aromatics of crème de cassis, licorice, crushed rock-like minerality, graphite, and spring flowers. Possessing full-bodied richness, a huge, unctuous mid-palate, and building tannin, it shows the purity, grandeur, and precision that makes this vintage so remarkable. Hide bottles for another 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99+ JDIncredible depth apparent from the first whiff as well as powerful aromatics combining graphite, black fruit and spices. The palate is concentrated but brimming with energy, yet what really stands out is its confounding freshness as well as the finesse and precise contours of the tannic framework. An already profound wine that will reach new heights over the next two decades. (Drink between 2022-2050)Decanter | 99 DECAdministrator Christian Seeley thinks the 2010 is the greatest Pichon Longueville Baron he has ever made, equaling some of the estate’s colossal wines from vintages such as 1989 and 1990. It was certainly showing well when I stopped by the chateau in January. Opaque purple, with loads of charcoal, licorice, incense and some exotic Asian spices along with abundant cassis liqueur, blackberry and hints of roasted coffee and spring flowers, it is full-bodied and opulent, with relatively high tannins, but they have sweetened up considerably and seem less aggressive than they did from barrel. The oak is clearly pushed to the background by the wine’s wealth of fruit, glycerin and full-bodied texture. This sensational Pichon Longueville Baron needs 5-6 years of cellaring, and should keep 30+ years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThis is quintessential Pauillac, a great wine with its Cabernet proudly at the fore. It ranks with the 2009 and, with its tannins, is sure to age longer than that vintage. Solidly structured, powerful and dense, with fruit promised for the future, it succeeds with its weight and great concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2010 Pichon-Baron is simply one of the greatest wines produced under Christian Seely’s tenure. It has a stunning bouquet with penetrating black fruit, wilted violet and a touch of sea spray, a distinctive marine note verging on shucked oyster shells. The palate is very well balanced with fine grain tannins, layers pf graphite infused black fruit and a very detailed, captivating finish. Brilliant. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMSolidly built, with a roasted edge to the steeped fig, blackberry and black currant flavors, quickly followed by brambly tannins and notes of bay leaf and espresso. Stays dark and tarry through the finish, with superb drive and verve. Best from 2017 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA dense and layered wine with lots of ripe and sweet fruit. Loads of currants, plums and tar. This is concentrated and almost jammy with velvety tannins. Powerful. Chewy. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Pichon-Longueville) The 2010 Pichon-Longueville is also quite ripe at 13.75 percent alcohol, and includes a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon than usual at seventy-nine percent in this vintage. However, with most of the merlot exiled to the second wine, the result is a more precise and focused wine than the Les Tourelles de Longueville, as it offers up a ripe and pure nose of black cherries, cassis, coffee bean, cigar ash, herb tones, gravelly soils and a generous base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and shows a very nice note of youthful cabernet tobacco leaf, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and excellent length and grip on the chewy and slightly oaky finish. The 2010 Pichon-Baron was raised in eighty percent new wood this year (with thirty percent hailing from Taransaud), and the wine is currently showing just a bit of oak spice and uncovered wood tannins on the backend. I expect that this is just a reflection of the extreme youth of the 2010 and that it will eventually absorb its wood seamlessly. This will be a very long-lived wine and will need plenty of time in the cellar to start to blossom. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 92+ JG

A highlight of the tasting, with rocking energy, dense black currant and black berry fruit and loads of singed wood thoroughly embedded throughout. Juicy bramble, alder and bay leaf notes chime in, with a mouthwatering mineral spine buried deep on the finish.—Non-blind Ridge Monte Bello vertical (June 2019). Best from 2022 through 2042. 3,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSDeep and fascinating nose of dry earth, cedar, black olive and candied orange, as well as a slew of delicate, spicy notes. Rich, concentrated and extremely well structured, this has stacks of fine tannins that push the stony finish way out towards infinity. Still so much vitality! A cuvee of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Tasted at the Thomas Kammeier Monte Bello vertical. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2010 growing season was long and cool, reflecting the influence of an El Niño year, defined by a short but intense heat wave in late August. But whereas Ridge’s Sonoma County vineyards experienced a high of 117 degrees Fahrenheit for two days, Monte Bello ridge only reached 105 degrees. The ensuing 2010 Monte Bello is very classic in profile, offering up aromas of crushed cassis, plums, cigar tobacco, rich loamy soil, black tea and dark chocolate. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a deep and concentrated core of vibrantly crunchy fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, tangy finish that’s still youthfully chewy. Though the two vintages are very close in quality, the 2010 is very different in profile from the somewhat larger scaled 2012: it’s less expansive, but built around a brighter vertical line. I’d recommend cellaring it for an additional three or four years and don’t expect it to truly hit its stride until after 2025. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPEric Baugher and Paul Draper select this wine from 58 acres at Monte Bello, predominantly cabernet sauvignon (74 percent in 2010), with merlot (20 percent), petit verdot and cabernet franc. They shape the wine through careful sorting of the grapes, fermenting without added yeast, pressing to new American oak barrels after seven days. The wine then ages two stories down in the 19th-century limestone cellar carved out of the ridge 2,600 feet above the Pacific. The vines, rooted in that same limestone, provide a massive wine, substantial in its structure, generous in its vibrant fruit flavors, gracious in its tannins. While fruit is at the center of the wine, it’s savory and sophisticated rather than overtly sweet. The flavors touch on small berries—black currants, wild blueberries—and also hint at herbs (tarragon, tobacco). This is a terrific vintage of Monte Bello: It feels healthy and sound, with tension and drive that will sustain it for decades in the cellar.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SDeep ruby-red to the rim. Deep, complex scents of black cherry, black raspberry, cassis, soil, minerals, pipe tobacco and cedar. Enters the mouth utterly seamless and suave but extremely primary and backward; more savory than sweet in spite of the fruit’s full ripeness. Sharply delineated but youthfully backward flavors of dark berries, black cherry, licorice, minerals, flower and spices. Fairly large-scaled for Monte Bello but with a terrific mineral spine and definition and tannic backbone. Today I find this wine stubbornly backward and in need of more aging. But it has all the elements to make a very long-lived cellar classic. This powerfully structured wine has buns of steel and really clings to the palate.Vinous Media | 95+ VMRidge can trace the first vintage of wine being made from the Monte Bello site back to 1892 and this rich history of production is certainly matched by the esteem in which the wine is held today. The expert hand of Chief Winemaker Paul Draper, Decanter Man of the Year (2000), ensured another successful vintage from this iconic Californian estate in 2010, which concluded with the wine spending 18 months in US oak barrels. Stephen Brook: Refined blackcurrant and garrigue nose. Herbal but not herbaceous. Quite rich, and solid, concentrated and firm, with a good tannic backbone. This is robust and structured, with refreshing acidity on the long finish. Still plenty of life in it. Delicious! Alex Hunt MW: Masterful composure on the nose here. Some tannin (possibly wood-derived) to resolve, but there is abundantly classy and precise blue and black berry fruit, and a real richness of flavour achieved without resorting to high ripeness and alcohol. Still very young, this wine is a strong long-term bet. Piotr Petras MS: Fruit-driven, spicy and chocolatey aromas. The palate is generous and dense, yet showing firm tannins and characterful, stone character. Very well-made.Decanter | 95 DECOne of the lowest-alcohol prestige Cabs on the market, Ridge’s 2010 bottling is dry, softly tannic and light in body for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet it’s complex in flavor, offering tiers of blackberries, cherries, currants, herbs and spices. Wants some time, but not a lot. Drink 2015–2018.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This is an extraordinary performance once again from the Cathiard family, the proprietors of Smith-Haut-Lafitte. They think the 2010 is even better than the 2009. (I disagree, but only slightly.) This wine has laser-like definition in its an remarkable nose of a subtle charcoal fire interwoven with spring flowers, creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur and spicy wood. Full-bodied, stunningly concentrated, long, rich and moderately tannic, this wine is set for an exceptionally long life of 30-40 years but can be drunk in 5-7.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2010 vintage at Smith Haut Lafitte was one of the wines that woke me up to what was happening at this estate, and it is absolutely delivering today. Very much coffee beans and black chocolate; it is on the gourmet side but with layers and freshness by the bucketload. Accomplished, confident winemaking and a showcase in winemaking precision. Great stuff, cassis, blueberry; blackberry, juicy and vibrant. (Drink between 2020-2048)Decanter | 97 DECGorgeous, with alluring black tea and warm ganache notes that unfurl slowly, while the core of intense steeped plum, anise, blackberry compote and black currant confiture sits patiently in reserve. The beautiful loam-, tobacco- and tar-filled finish displays major heft, but also remarkable polish and grace. Should age very slowly.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA beautifully ripe wine with great black fruits that burst through the classic tannins. In its richness and in its structure, it combines the best of the vintage. Dark, complex, fruity and very rich, a magnificent wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Smith Haut-Lafitte has one of the most backward bouquets among its peers and required more coaxing from the glass. It eventually offers well defined blackberry, wild strawberry, sous-bois and tobacco notes, quite serious but very engaging. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. There is good body and density here, but it loosens up towards the finish with a lovely touch of sea salt and liquorice on the aftertaste. Superb. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMAromas of blueberries, blackberries and plums follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a fruity finish. Lots of mushroom and fruit undertones. Very polished. Such finesse yet structure to this young wine. Better in 2007.James Suckling | 95 JSMonsieur Derenoncourt really seems to be sinking his teeth into the Smith Haut-Lafitte red these days, and the 2010 is really a pretty good example of the vintage and seems decidedly more successful than several of the Right Bank estates where his consulting firm also oversaw the winemaking. I much prefer it at this stage the 2010 Smith Haut-Lafitte to the 2009 here, as there seems to be quite a bit better overall balance in the newer wine. The nose offers up a deep and powerful mélange of sappy cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, chocolate and plenty of well-integrated new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite extracted, with good mid-palate density, firm, but ripe tannins and very good length and grip on the well-balanced finish. There is a certain sense of density here that cannot be overlooked, but one has the feeling that the wine has the equilibrium to age quite well and could be even more impressive ten years down the road. One has to say that the ripeness of the vintage was negotiated very well here. (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 88-90+ JG

The 2011 Ermitage l’Ermite is a killer Hermitage that offers a huge bouquet of thick crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as the classic minerality, graphite, and licorice notes this cuvée always shows. Full-bodied, dense, and concentrated on the palate, it’s a glorious effort that’s still moderately backward and tannic yet is just now starting to round the corner. It’s going to be very long lived, especially for a 2011.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe opaque black/purple-tinged 2011 Ermitage l’Ermite offers a combination of crushed stones, creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, barbecue smoke and roasted meats. It is a powerful, slightly austere, backward effort that will need 5-6 years of bottle age after its release next year. It may turn out to be a 30-50-year wine in a vintage that made relatively forward wines. In that sense, it is an outlier in this vintage.Robert Parker | 95-98 RPOpaque ruby. An explosively perfumed bouquet features blackberry, cassis, cola, potpourri and smoky Indian spices. Broad, concentrated and alluringly sweet, with pliant dark fruit and violet pastille flavors showing wonderful depth as well as purity and vivacity. Bright mineral and spice notes accent the long, penetrating finish, which is firmed by silky, harmonious tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VM

As for the 2012 La Mission Haut Brion, this wine (41% of the total production) continues to perform as it has for nearly a century. At first-growth levels of quality, this is s stunning wine that is full-bodied and very concentrated with notes of graphite, subtle charcoal embers, crème de cassis, blackberry and underlying subtle earthiness. The wine is full and powerful, rich and concentrated. And sure enough, the alcohol level tips the scales at 15% from a blend 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. This is a big, blockbuster La Mission Haut Brion that should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. However, the tannins suggest that this wine should not be touched for another 5-6 years, as its one of the more backward of the 2012 Pessac-Léognans. Bravo!Robert Parker | 97 RPContinuing to show brilliantly, the 2012 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion is a quintessential Graves, boasting a deep purple color as well as heavenly aromatics of blackcurrants, tobacco, scorched earth, graphite, and licorice. It’s a big, full-bodied beauty yet has a weightless, elegant style, building tannins, and a great finish. It needs a solid hour in a decanter if drinking today and promises to evolve beautifully for another 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDOne of the clear wines of the vintage, the 2012 La Mission Haut-Brion shows off a vertical sense of structure along with imposing tannins and serious depth. The flavors are dark, bold and extremely vivid. Dark red cherry, smoke, grilled herbs, graphite and blackberry jam are some of the many notes that come alive on the finish. This brooding La Mission needs a few years to settle down after which it will offer spectacular drinking for several decades. In a word: magnificent!Antonio Galloni | 96 AG(Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Red) Ripe roasted fruit with considerable extract and personality. Full, powerful mid-palate and length of flavour. This benefited in 2012 from the property’s early-ripening terroir. (Drink between 2022-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is closed up, dry and tough on the outside. But you can feel the rich weight and the dark tannins along with the powerful structure. That makes this wine both replete with a firm character and also full of generous, concentrated black fruits. It’s a powerful wine, ready for good aging; drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEGorgeous aromas of stones, currants and blueberries. Very aromatic. Mesmerizing. Full body, silky tannins and a long finish. Dense and rich. Layered. Earth and bark character. Lots of structure for the vintage. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe rigid tar and bramble frame should eventually meld with the core of plum, blackberry and macerated black currant fruit, featuring ample energy and a graphite note through the finish. Just a little bit of patience required here. Best from 2018 through 2025. 5,176 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard, which is also 100% of this varietal, behaves similarly to how the 2013 Altagracia did compared to its older sibling. Inky, bluish purple with a beautifully pure nose of blueberries, blackberries and cassis with background floral notes, this full-bodied wine (14.8% alcohol) tastes a lot younger and less evolved than its 2012 counterpart. I’d think this was a barrel sample, then again, it’s only been in bottle for three months. Beautiful layers of fruit, velvety more noticeable tannin, exquisite purity and an almost endless finish make for a remarkable effort that needs another 5-6 years of cellaring and should keep 30 to 40+ years, particularly in view of how Eiseles from the early 1970s have lasted.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe aroma of dried rose petals is stunning. Hints of dark fruits too. Intensely perfumed. Full-bodied, deep and condensed with incredible depth and subtlety. Powerful tannins that are hidden under the beautiful fruit. The finish lasts for minutes. Precise and gorgeous. Very tight. Needs four to five years to soften and amalgamate. One of best ever from Araujo? The first wine from grape to bottle from the new owner, Francois Pinault, who also owns Château Latour.James Suckling | 98 JSA deep-pitched bouquet of fresh red-black fruit, deep soil tones and floral top notes introduces a youthfully primary wine with a refined, three-dimensional tannic structure and signature Eisele minerality. The first wine produced ’from berry to bottle’ by the Pinault regime is thus a great success, with notably superior barrel integration to some of its predecessors. The vineyard is now front-and-centre: on the label, and in the bottle. Drinking Window 2023 - 2045Decanter | 95 DECPure and pleasantly focused, driven by a supple core of dark berry, licorice, sage, underbrush and mineral notes that stand up to the cedary oak. Ends long, deep and persistent, echoing the core flavor themes.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is dark, intense and jammy, with good up-front richness and mid-palate depth. Today, the oak is a bit prominent, which is unusual for this wine. Araujo’s 2013 Eisele is solid, but doesn’t quite hit the high notes that are so typical of the year.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a deep garnet color and nose of crème de cassis, blueberry compote and candied violets with hints of red roses, chocolate mint, stewed tea and yeast extract plus a hint of cumin. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, the palate is completely packed with spicy fruit, finishing with lingering earthy notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPCreamy, mocha-scented oak provides a seductive introduction, easing the way for a rich mix of cherry, currant, plum and licorice flavors. This continues to gain depth and nuance, ending as it begins. Drink now through 2032. 960 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Estate Oakville is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak. This is perfection and an absolutely amazing effort. The wine is dense purple with sweet tannin, oodles of blueberry and blackberry fruit caressed by toasty new oak, and a full-bodied multi-dimensional mouthfeel -- akin to a skyscraper in the mouth, but without any heaviness. The finish goes on for a good 45+ seconds, and the wine is super-pure and majestic. Truly a tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon. Kudos to Plumpjack. Drink 2018-2040.Robert Parker | 100 RPA dark, sumptuous wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a total knock-out. Crème de cassis, blueberry jam, new leather, espresso and cedar flesh out effortlessly. The Reserve captures all the magic of this fabled corner of Oakville, where the wines boast texture, nuance and volume, but with no sense of heaviness. A prototypical modern Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2013 Reserve hits all the right notes.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA wine of considerable size and proportion, this is very dense, rich and focused, with an intense beam of lively, gravel-laced currant, blackberry, anise, sage and cedar flavors. Though the size of the wine merits cellar time, there’s a beauty within. Best from 2020 through 2033. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The aromas of iodine, oyster shells and mushrooms turn to blackberries. Full body, polished tannins and a plush, velvety texture. Gorgeous length and tension. Aftertaste turns to leaves, forest floor and blackberries. Salty and savory. Wow.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2014 Cariad is wonderfully expressive, open-knit and gracious. Sweet floral and spice notes give the 2014 much of its aromatics, while fruit is bright, vibrant and intense. I imagine the 2014 will drink well pretty much upon release. Today, the 2014 is showy, plush and inviting, but there is also plenty of depth to back it all up. Although I wouldn’t dream of opening any of the 2014s early, but if I had to choose one wine to open before the others, this would be it. Cariad is a blend of fruit from several David Abreu ranches, with Madrona Ranch as the central component.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2014 Proprietary Red Cariad, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon but also contains important percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is made from purchased fruit from David Abreu’s vineyard holdings on Howell Mountain and in St. Helena. This wine offers loads of unsmoked cigar tobacco, melted licorice, charcoal embers, blackberry and mulberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning intensity, impressive equilibrium, and well-integrated acidity and tannin. It is another beauty, obviously coming from first-growth terroirs. This should drink beautifully for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPA big, rich, deep and caressing style, with wonderful textural nuances that smooth out the chewy dark berry, graphite, gravel and black licorice flavors. Most impressive on the finish, which sails along, gaining depth and persistence. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2038. 810 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an immensely dense wine that is going to be a classic. The dark tannins are still lined with wood aging but that will go because the fruit underneath is also just as dense and intense. Blackberry, black plum and damson plum give power and sweetness. This is a great wine with huge potential. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Cos d’Estournel is rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades. The 2014 needs time to shed some baby fat, but it is quite impressive, even in the early going. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot and 2 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThe grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThere’s a clear consistency across Cos d’Estournel’s wines – the quality is absolutely unmissable, but don’t open the 2014 just yet. Remember that from the end of August the weather really favoured St-Estèphe, with the result that all those key elements - tannins, acidity and fruit - are here in force. It’s still young and closed, with tight tannins, but after 10 minutes or so in the glass olive paste and rosemary notes emerge, followed by graphite and bilberry fruit. Give it time, then reap the rewards. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Cos d’Estournel has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed at this stage, offering slowly emerging scents of fresh blackcurrants, black plums and blackberries plus nuances of pencil shavings, dried lavender, bay leaves and fertile loam with a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a generous mid-palate of muscular, youthful fruit with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIntense, with a roiling core of luscious loganberry, blackberry and black currant fruit. Singed spice, apple wood and black tea accents emerge steadily on the finish. Has a rare combination of density and precision. Will cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Loads of dark tobacco aromas with blackcurrants and black olives. Boysenberries, too. Full to medium body, ultra-fine tannins and lots of flavors of smoke, dried roasted chillis, black truffles, mushrooms and fruit. Bright acidity on the finish. Sexy and subtle austerity. Alluring. Very approachable now but better in 2021.James Suckling | 98 JSComing from their valley floor site in Yountville, the 2014 Dominus is a rich, concentrated red, especially in 2014. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, it sports a deep ruby/plum color as well as a ripe nose of blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, lead pencil, licorice and smoked earth. With a ripe, full-bodied, concentrated style, sweet tannin, and a great finish, it has some similarities to the 1990 and will evolve for three decades or more. There’s 4,300 cases of this beauty.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2014s, where the production of Napanook was only 2,200 cases and Dominus slightly more than the 2015 at 4,000 cases, was another early harvest, although somewhat later than 2015. The 2014 Dominus, which is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot really struts its stuff. Moueix’s belief in dry farming seems to be paying off with stronger and stronger vintages, each successive year, and the 2014 is a sexy, opulent, layered, multidimensional wine with notes of red and blackcurrant, cedar wood, tobacco leaf , spice box and licorice. The color is a dense plum/ruby/purple, much like the Napanook. This is a beauty that is already drinking gorgeously – as most 2014s are – and will continue to evolve for 25 or so years.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 2014 Dominus is endowed with tons of depth, power and muscle. Black cherry, plum, smoke, menthol, licorice, chocolate, dried herbs and dark spices are all pushed forward. Deep, pliant and exquisitely layered, the 2014 possesses tons of concentration and mid-palate depth. Like so many wines in this vintage, the 2014 comes across as a hybrid of 2013 and 2012. I very much like the energy and focus in this wine. This is a fabulous wine in every way. With time in the glass, the flavors gain in brightness and focus. There is certainly much to look forward to.Vinous Media | 96 VMAn initially reticent bouquet opens in the decanter and glass to reveal notes of blackberry, rich spice, tobacco leaf, elderberry and lily pollen. On the palate, fine, powdery tannins frame an elegant, deep wine with a lovely core of cool fruit. This will require some time in the cellar to reveal all its potential. Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECCedar, herb and savory sage open into a strong element of forest floor and rose garden. Tight firm tannin wrap around a robust ripeness that finds balance in accompanying acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, there's 928 cases of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, graphite, and damp earth all flow from this ethereally textured, seamless, gorgeous wine that has no hard edges, excellent acidity and a great finish. It’s slightly more elegant and polished than the more powerful 2015 and will shine for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFrederick Ammons’ winemaking degree is from the University of Bordeaux, and his wines at Rudd always seem to have a great classicism to them. They are, like their neighbor Screaming Eagle, immaculate Cabernets of great restraint, beauty, and purity. Gorgeously long, they are texturally more like silk than velvet. The Rudd vineyards sit on a sloping landslide of volcanic rock and red iron-rich soil in the eastern foothills of Oakville. The estate is now run by young Samantha Rudd after the unfortunate death of her father in 2018. Drinking Window 2019 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECThere are two reds wines from the estate, the proprietary red wine, which is a Bordeaux blend, and Samantha’s Cabernet Sauvignon. The Rudd Estate Proprietary Red starts off life relatively slowly, and that probably works against it, but the color of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 is an inky purple. The wines display notes of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, the with 2013 and 2014 both showing more up-front forwardness and a more approachable style, but they are still dramatic, flamboyant and full-bodied. The epic 2013 is not ready for drinking for at least another 4-5 years, but the 2014 can be approached already. Both wines are full-bodied, classic Oakville corridor wines, but made with almost a Bordeaux inspiration, but without sacrificing the extraordinarily rich, concentrated fruit of Napa. The 2013 is a 35-year wine and the 2014 probably a 25- to 30- year wine. The 2013 is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec and Petit Verdot. The 2014 has 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec and Petit Verdot.Robert Parker | 97 RPA hugely promising wine, the 2014 Oakville Estate Red is bursting with energy and class. A classic, focused Cabernet-based red, the 2014 Estate is a bundle of tightly wound energy. The 2014 represents a big departure from previous vintages, yet the oak is well-integrated and all the elements are very nicely balanced for such a big, structured wine. Lavender, graphite and savory herbs add nuance in the finely-cut finish. There is so much potential here.Vinous Media | 96 VMWarm and inviting, with an open, aromatic profile of menthol, sassafras and bay leaf leading to a rich core of cassis, blackberry compote and gently mulled plum fruit flavors. Everything knits solidly through the loam-tinted finish. Solidly built, this is a textbook expression of Oakville. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2033. 927 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2014 Único was produced with grapes from 40 hectares of vines selected from the 210 hectares the winery has. The grapes were picked between September 20th and October 3rd, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first part of the aging was in 225-liter barrels and the second one in 20,000-liter oak vats, and the élevage lasts 10 years between oak and bottle. It’s a year that combines power and elegance; it’s concentrated but has subtleness. I had a unique opportunity to taste it from magnum one year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting was consistent with those sensations. 2014 was a good vintage in the zone, a year with good rain and a big crop, not as powerful as 2012 or 2015 but a year with finesse. The wine feels very balanced, lower in alcohol and with integrated oak, crunchy, fresh and still young. It feels quite classical; it’s fine-boned, elegant but also powerful, more like the Únicos from yesteryear. It has to be one of the finest vintages of recent times. It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and five grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine. One of the largest vintages of Único, 104,606 bottles, 3,612 magnums, 356 double magnums, 50 imperials and five Salmanazars were produced. It was bottled in June 2020. It seems like years ending in four—94, 2004, 2014 (but not 84, that was not produced)—are very good here. We’ll have to wait and see about the 2024...Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA refined, ethereal and elegant Unico. Streamlined layers of mixed peppercorns, smoked paprika, blackberries and spiced dark fruit. Hints of orange zest and flowers. Spicy, with tightly wound tannins. The length is impressive. 94% tempranillo and 6% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Coming along nicely. Try on release in 2026 or after.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2014 Unico is primarily composed of Tempranillo with an additional 6% dash of Cabernet Sauvignon, both sourced from the eponymous property in Ribera del Duero. Aged at length in barrels and large oak vats, the combination of aging methods brings out the wine’s nuances in what was a generous year. A dark garnet-red in the glass. The aromas offer licorice and cedar notes alongside hints of orange peel, petit four, cola and pine. There’s a background of ripe dark fruit. The palate is dry and plush with a chalky texture and supple tannins, contributing to the complex character. A nuanced red just at the beginning of its life.Vinous Media | 97 VMPowerful aromas of fine oak. Arrives crisp, fresh and smooth, swelling to redcurrant and red cherry. Very youthful still, full-bodied and round, but always remaining crisp and fresh. Tannins are firm but well-balanced. Promising a long life ahead but remarkably approachable now. 2014 followed a mild winter with a warmer spring and summer. Yield 25.2hl/ha. One of the first years with the influence of new technical director Gonzalo Iturriaga. One year in new barrels, six months in used barrels, then three and a half years in large-format tanks. Bottled May 2020. Tasted from magnum.Decanter | 97 DEC