Wine Producing Countries

wines

The classic blend for Figeac with its 32% of Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc gives a beautifully dense wine with great tannins. The wine is perfumed while the complex tannins are finely cushioned by the generous black fruits and acidity. It is a wine for long-term aging. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Figeac has a classic Saint-Émilion bouquet with pure raspberry and crushed strawberry scents, wet stone and smoke, wonderfully defined and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, poised and focused, good backbone with a linear and precise finish that suggests it will require several years in bottle. It is predestined to be overshadowed by the subsequent 2015 and 2016, but you would be foolish to ignore this gem. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2014 Figeac builds on its promise from barrel and delivers a very fulfilling bouquet with red plum, crushed strawberry, cedar and light graphite aromas that I suspect will close down for a period after bottling. (The bottle tasted at the château displayed a subtle incense aroma.) The palate is very well defined with a crisp line of acidity, sorbet fresh in the mouth and fanning out towards its structured, tensile finish. It is a great Figeac, a superb forerunner to the brilliant 2015 and it should not be underestimated. Chapeau winemaker Frédéric Faye and his team. Tasted twice (both in London and at the property) with consistent notes.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMShows cocoa and espresso edges along the core of dark currant and fig fruit, with lots of loamy depth on the finish. Notes of tobacco and warm stone are already emerging, but this will still need some time to muscle into harmony. Best from 2024 through 2037. 8,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2014 Château Figeac had a tough act to follow coming after the 2015 yet it showed beautifully, with the finesse, elegance, and purity that’s the hallmark of the vintage. Black fruits, charcoal, truffle, and tobacco notes are all present in this nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied Figeac which is beautifully balanced and long. Drink it anytime over the coming 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the palate, the subdued fruit on the attack is a reminder that the right bank struggled in 2014 to achieve the same level of success as the exceptional 2015s and 2016s. But this is not a wine to dismiss in any way. A blend of 40% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc, there is dark cassis fruit here, with well-worked silky tannins and a restrained elegance that is given a smile by a coffee bean and smoked almond edge. A well placed wine, working cleverly within its confines, not overstepping them, with huge potential for enjoyment. Drink in six to eight years, as this needs to soften a little.Decanter | 93 DECThe open nose of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry and bitter chocolate pulls you into this ample St.-Emilion that has a very satisfying interplay of sweet fruit and moderately dry tannins. Has only just shaken off the first phase of youthful effusiveness, but still has plenty of life left in it. Long, quite dry finish with a delicate mint-chocolate note. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 93 JS

Dense and beautifully ripe, this is a rounded rich wine. It focuses on the tropical yellow-fruit spectrum. That gives a full wine with wood-spice hints and just the right amount of citrus acidity to give it a lift. Drink this finely structured wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA big black-cherry and bitter-chocolate nose leads into a rich, concentrated palate, where the fruit easily holds sway over the powerful, dry tannins. It’s these that drive everything along right through to the assertive, slightly earthy finish; impressive long-term stuff! Try in 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSIn 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte produced an exceptionally soft, sexy Grand Vin. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice, menthol and red-toned fruit are all nicely delineated, while expressive floral notes give the wine a closing flourish of aromatic intensity. The 2014 is quite pretty, if a touch slender. It will drink well with minimal cellaring given its soft contours and supple, inviting personality. The blend is 62 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 6 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis has a generous feel, with ripe fig, boysenberry and blueberry compote fruit flavors that are entwined with alluring roasted apple wood, melted licorice and warm fruitcake notes. The broad, mouthcoating finish has a terrific graphite underpinning to stay honest. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2014 Smith-Haut-Lafitte has a fragrant mulberry and strawberry scented bouquet with cedar and subtle undergrowth scents emerging with time. There is something almost Musigny-like here (written as a complement incidentally—why not be compared to the greatest Burgundy Grand Cru?). The palate is medium-bodied with a soft and mellow opening. Quite spicy in the mouth with leather-tinged fruit on the open and inviting finish, there is something very approachable about this Smith-Haut-Lafitte, though like the 2014 Pape-Clement, it contains the substance to drink well over 10-15 years.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMThe 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte shows the elegant style of the vintage, yet the depth of fruit that’s common from this estate. Blackberries, currants, scorched earth, spicy oak and tobacco leaf nuances give way to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured 2014 that has ripe tannin and nicely integrated acidity. It has tons of character and is a beautiful, elegant wine to drink over the coming 15 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDHighly successful across white and red in 2014, So much character and grip. Firm varietal definition, but with a touch lower acidity than some as picked late to balance acidity levels. Great persistency and potential. Drinking Window 2017 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2014 Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color and sings of crushed blackcurrants, warm plums and black raspberries with menthol, potpourri, chocolate box and licorice nuances—compelling. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with great freshness, finishing very long with mineral notions. This will be extremely long lived!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe largest scaled of the single vineyards is unquestionably the 2014 Madrona Ranch and this blockbuster comes from a vineyard at the base of Spring Mountain, just outside of St Helena. It boasts a huge nose of blackcurrants, charcoal, dried earth, and chocolate, full-bodied richness, a deep, layered texture, big tannins, and a huge finish. This massive 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and will certainly be one of its longest-lived wines as well. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLove the blackberries, tar, dark mushrooms and flowers. Perfumed to the max. Full-bodied, super velvety and refined. Glorious. Dense and so long yet vivid. What finesse. You want to take this home. Incredible length and texture. Blend of cabernet sauvignon (56%), cabernet franc (27%), petit verdot (9%) and merlot (8%).James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2014 Madrona Ranch has developed beautifully since I first tasted it from barrel in spring of 2015. Specifically, the tannins have melded into the fruit as the wine has gained body and volume. In 2014, Madrona Ranch is quite dark and powerful. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s more floral red-toned character. A wine of sublime elegance and total finesse, the 2014 Madrona Ranch is a winner. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 97 VMIntense, featuring dark fig, blackberry and black currant paste flavors rumbling through, with extra tobacco, bay leaf, bittersweet chocolate and tar notes filling in, this sports obvious heft and muscle. Shows range, cut and drive nonetheless, with a buried graphite spine and sneaky acidity. Just give this a little space in the cellar to round fully into form. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2040. 389 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 95 WSFrom an important St. Helena vineyard, neighbouring Spottswoode and planted in 1980, ’85 and ’86, Abreu’s Madrona Ranch reveals a complex and still-primary bouquet of cherry, black raspberry and smoke, mingling with hints of espresso and rose. It’s rich and multi-dimensional on the palate, with an ample chassis of fine, savoury tannins and a nicely juicy quality to the fruit.Decanter | 94 DEC

A rich style, until the firm structure of vibrant acidity and dusty tannins reveals itself, supporting plenty of cherry, black currant, tobacco and mineral flavors. The essence of black currant lingers on an ethereal frame. Best from 2023 through 2042. 56 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Mazy-Chambertin- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2014 Rousseau version of Mazy-Chambertin is an absolutely quintessential expression of this fine terroir, wafting from the glass in a black fruity blend of sweet dark berries, black cherries, coffee bean, black minerality, a touch of currant leaf, roasted game and a discreet topnote of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very pure on the attack, with great transparency, a lovely core of fruit, ripe tannins and a very, very long, tangy and laser-like finish. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2014 Mazy Chambertin Grand Cru saw 10% new oak and a touch of reduction appeared to accentuate that. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. I like the weight here. There is more body and density than the Charmes-Chambertin, though with the same finesse on the lightly spiced finish. Once the aromatics sort themselves out, this will be a very fine Mazy-Chambertin, though the Charmes has more charm.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92-94 RP-NMModerate reduction renders the nose unreadable. On the plus side there is really lovely freshness and energy to the tautly muscular and slightly more concentrated medium weight flavors that culminate in an overtly austere and powerful yet not hard finale that goes on and on. This is really quite serious and note well that it's not an especially good candidate for early drink.Burghound | 91-94 BH(aged in 10% new oak, but most of the rest of the wine was racked into very young barrels in June): Healthy medium red. Sexy oak notes of coffee, mocha and spices complement dark cherry, berries, red licorice and wild herbs on the nose. Juicy and perfumed in the mouth, conveying an enticing hint of sweetness to the tangy black raspberry, spice, licorice and saline flavors. Finishes with firm, fine-grained tannins and noteworthy aromatic persistence, as well as a touch of roundness from the bit of new oak used for the first time for this cuvée. Previously, this wine has typically been more austere at this stage.Vinous Media | 90-93 VM

Glorious aromatics with currants, flowers, stones and light mushrooms. Medium to full body and fine tannins that are long and polished. Super linear, structured and long. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal expanding scents of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries with suggestions of wood smoke, fragrant earth, cast-iron pan and charcuterie plus a faint waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, the earthy/savory palate has loads of lively black fruit with a refreshing line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2014 Forts de Latour has turned out beautifully. Pliant, supple and open-knit, the wine is super-expressive, even at this early stage. There is lovely depth to the dark red cherry, plum and leather nuances, all in the vivid, articulate style that is found in the best 2014s. Best of all, the 2014 Forts de Latour will drink well with minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe second wine of the estate is the 2014 Les Forts De Latour and this beauty is better than most estate grand vin. Made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, this straight up classic Pauillac is loaded with notions of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, roasted coffee, graphite, and Asian spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and layered, it’s a seriously good wine that’s going to continue drinking beautifully for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDHighly enjoyable, has gorgeous elegance and freshness, and is showing better right now than the 2015 Pauillac de Latour. Extremely fresh, hedgerow and cassis bud backed up by richer seams of liquorice and blackberry. Not yet ready but you can see that with a stiff wind and a good carafe, you could get there in the next few years. Tight black spice uncurls to show carefully-delivered smoked cedar on the finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECPacked with the fruit of the vintage, this wine is bright and crisp. Its acidity and pure black-currant flavors are delicious, juicy, the tannins now sitting easily in the background. The wine, which comes from a specific parcel, is developing well and will be released after 2020. It should be drunk from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEOffers a core of pure cassis and blackberry fruit, with mouthwatering streaks of graphite and anise. Racy-edged, featuring ample grip buried through the finish. Reveals a violet echo for good measure. Textbook. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,022 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A stunner, sporting tropical mango and papaya notes that glide along beautifully, while heather honey, pineapple chutney and toasted coconut flavors fill in through the finish. Delivers an amazing mouthfeel that is both creamy and intense, with a pretty inner floral brightness that contrasts with the fruit. Best from 2020 through 2045. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSVery subtle Yquem on the nose with dried pineapple, lemons, green apples and hints of botrytis. The palate grabs you by the arms and shows you superb concentration of spices, dried fruit, phenolics and incredible energy. Nothing is like this from Sauternes this vintage! Drink whenever you like. Spellbinding.James Suckling | 98 JSApricot tones with lively acidity give this rich wine a vein of freshness. Pear and white peach notes offer weight, while a lime backbone brings levity. There is a richness from the botrytis that is lifted by this wines delicious freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2014 d’Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Château Yquem 2014 was picked over 9 weeks this year, with one-quarter of the grapes picked prior to 15 September. It delivers 134 grams per liter residual sugar and 7.3 grams per liter tartaric acid, with a pH 3.60. It has a captivating bouquet (I know...I know...what else were you expecting) But it entrances with its pure, wild honey notes mixed with almond and white chocolate scents, bestowed with beguiling delineation and focus. The palate is very poised with the acidity nigh on perfect. Occasionally an Yquem only reveals its components parts at this early juncture, necessitates conjecture. However the 2014 has a sense of harmony and completeness already, as if the élevage is merely there to usher it on to its finished state. There is undeniably great depth here, perhaps less conspicuous than other vintages because of that silver thread of acidity: notes of lemon sherbet, orange zest, shaved ginger and again, a few "flakes’ of white chocolate. It is extremely long with tenderness rather than power on the finish. It’s not quite up there in the rarefied heights of say, the 2001 or 2009, but it is what we call in the trade, "the business."Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96-98 RP-NM(Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, White) Lively, pure and fresh aromas, pear and citrus notes. So rich and concentrated on the palate but with a flare of acidity that provides tension and draws the wine out on the finish. (Drink between 2020-2050)Decanter | 96 DEC

The impressive Victorian baronial chateau of Cantenac Brown is one of the landmarks of Margaux. The wine is getting better each vintage. This is ripe and generous, full of freshly minted tannins and layers of wood over the ripe berry fruit. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis was the point at which Cantenac Brown started taking a more consistent step up. Lovely definition to the fruit on the nose, and evident oak smoking adds subtle but effective complexity. Also, you really start to get appellation typicity at this point, in terms of the nuanced aromatics that are extremely appealing. Lovely wine, one that you would be enormously happy to drink and to share. 50% of harvest in 1st wine. 60% new oak. Harvest September 25 to October 15. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of chocolate, vanilla and currants follow through to a full body, tight tannins and a reserved finish. Needs time to open. Better in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a backward nose at first, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, an attractive pastille-like scent emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more extraction than its peers. It feels fleshy and pure, notes of raspberry coulis, confit fruit, orange rind and tobacco towards the well-structured, delicately spiced finish. It makes you want to come back for another sip—always a good sign! A bottle tasted six months later in February 2017 demonstrated a little more cohesion and finesse, suggesting that this Margaux will meliorate with bottle age. One to watch out for.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, cedar, crushed violet and cold stone aromas. I love the detail and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, supple and almost velvety in texture, the acidity well judged with a rounded, lightly spiced finish that feels so tender, yet does not shortchange you on persistence. This is one of the best Cantenac-Brown wines that I have encountered in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMFleshy in feel but restrained in profile, as the plum, blackberry and black currant confiture notes glide in easily, carried by a light espresso edge and backed by a stylish black tea detail. A light echo of warm stone keeps this honest. Best from 2018 through 2026. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS