Wine Producing Countries

wines

Very perfumed with blackberries, currants and vanilla. Full bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. This is tight and racy. Very fine. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Aromas of blackberry, toasted oak, sweet tobacco and espresso. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. I like the texture. Best after 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 16,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSpicy and earthy, with lots of ripe fruit. Full bodied, with soft round tannins and a juicy finish. Yummy and decadent. No need to wait, but it will be much better if you pull the cork after 2014.James Suckling | 91 JSUnder the management of Jean Merlaut, this estate has lost some of the super-opulence of the wines of the 90s, and gained finesse and elegance. That has stood the 2003 in good stead, emphasizing solidity and dry tannins to balance the wood and cranberry flavors of the fruit.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Very ripe aromas of light raisins, spices, and blackberries. Full bodied, with chewy tannins, and a massive structure. This is really powerful, like an old style Bordeaux. Pull the cork after 2015. Find the wineJames Suckling | 95 JSBlackberry, licorice and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, with refined and chewy tannins and a subtle, rich berry and mineral aftertaste. Lovely wine. Best after 2011. 5,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA classic St.-Julien, the 2003 Langoa Barton offers notes of cedarwood, fruitcake, spice box and black currants as well as some light tannins still in evidence. This dark plum/ruby/garnet-colored, medium to full-bodied wine possesses sweet fruit, but no over-ripeness or roasted characteristics. Coming into full maturity, it should continue to drink well for another decade.Robert Parker | 91 RPSweet, rich, dense, very much of its year. At the same time, there is the Barton touch that leaves some fine elegance, to go with the smoky fruits and richness, while acidity gives it a fine lift.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Dense and solid, relying on rich tannins to give it structure and richness. The flavor is deep and concentrated, with dark black fruits piling in under the dry tannins. A wine that will develop slowly.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis vintage presents a clear deepening of colour, switching from tertiary to a plump and rich ruby. 2004 was not the easiest vintage in Bordeaux, with some rain over summer, but the harvest was good. It’s classic in style, with menthol, cassis, tobacco and slate notes. There’s nothing overly intense, and it’s not the most generous of years – this wine needs food to smooth its rough edges - but the balance and freshness make your mouth water and it’s really coming into its own, those hard, youthful tannins beginning to soften. One to enjoy over a long supper with friends. Aged in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC(a blend of 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 6% petit verdot) Ruby-red. Aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, game and dark chocolate. Pliant and smooth, with a rather fine-grained texture for a young wine from this chateau. Doesn’t possess the definition or lift of the best 2004 St. Juliens, but has a solid core of chocolatey-ripe dark fruits and finishes with ripe, horizontal tannins. MargauxVinous Media | 87-90 VM

This is opulent, but with restraint. The fruit is rich, black and delicious. Touches of spice and wood are present, lending complexity to the ripe fruits and balanced tannins. Impressive.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2005 Branaire-Ducru is a gorgeous, super-expressive wine that captures all of the natural radiance of the year. Black cherry, leather, spice, cedar, tobacco and scorched earth envelop the palate, framed by silky tannins that give this supple Saint-Julien so much charm. The 2005 is a very easy wine to drink and enjoy today, but it’s got the stuffing to develop beautifully for years to come.Vinous Media | 94 VMFloral nuances combined with lots of mulberry, raspberry and sweet blackcurrant fruit are followed by a medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, textured, complex wine with soft tannin. It should drink well relatively early on (2-3 years) and last 15 or more.Robert Parker | 93 RPShowing well, the Branaire-Ducru was dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) with 28% Merlot and a bit of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Despite picking fairly early (20 September), the wine was silky and subtle and showed very well-managed tannins. Pronounced blackcurrant fruit with accents of cedar and smoke were apparent from the start and lingered enticingly on the finish. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 92 DECVery floral, showing blueberry, licorice and mineral on the nose. Full and very silky, with beautifully polished tannins. Long and caressing. This is always very well done and good value for the quality. Best after 2010. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Langoa Barton has a lifted nose of small dark cherries, blackberry, incense and marmalade - quite showy for Langoa Barton - but there is joie-de-vivre here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, ripe and demonstrating impressive density plus a firm grip. This really coats the mouth in tannin, although it is still balanced. It just needs another 4-5 years in bottle, the stubborn little lady. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker | 91 RPShows violet and blackberry, with hints of raisin. Full and velvety, with lovely-textured tannins and plenty of ripe fruit on the finish. Balanced and rich. Best after 2013. 4,710 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSoft and ripe, here is a wine that just enjoys being rich and fruity. Blackberry flavors are followed by sweet black cherries, both contained within an elegant structure of tannins. As usual, this will develop more quickly than its more powerful stablemate, Léoville-Barton.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Already the velvet texture is broadening out to give a wine that shows solid fruits, bright and sweet, never heavy, but with plenty of ripeness and polish. Inside this suave character, there is a core of tight tannins, promising medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WETasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Langoa Barton has an attractive bouquet with blackberry, autumn leaves, truffle and salted licorice scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a harmonious entry and a gentle grip in the mouth; it’s quite a compact Saint Julien, which suggests that it could be one of the long-term bets. There is just a touch of bitterness on the finish, but otherwise this has good potential. Tasted February 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

Treated now as a separate wine, rather than a second wine, with its own vineyard, Clos du Marquis has developed a dense, concentrated style. It is firm, chewy, the tannins in suspension in the rich fruit. Good aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEI love the berry and currants and cassis here with minerals. Full and very velvety and rich with beautiful fruit. Long and juicy with lovely fruit. Give it three to four years of bottle age.James Suckling | 92 JS(Clos du Marquis) For several vintages now, Clos du Marquis has been effectively its own wine, as it hails from a specific section of vines each year within the Leoville Las Cases vineyards and is treated as a completely separate entity by Messieurs Delon and Rolland and their team at the estate. The 2008 Clos du Marquis is indeed very special and provides ample evidence of just how fine the 2008 vintage is in Bordeaux. The bouquet is flat out stunning, as it soars from the glass in a vibrant mélange of sappy black cherries, cassis, Cuban cigars, a wonderfully complex base of soil tones, espresso and a judicious framing of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure on the attack and very sappy at the core, with impeccable focus and balance, seamless, ripe tannins and beautiful length and grip on the absolutely balanced finish. This is a beautiful bottle of wine that I am probably underrating just a touch, but one needs to figure out how to give a bit of a spread between the Clos du Marquis and the surreal Leoville Las Cases in 2008- without breaking out the 110 point scale! (Drink between 2019-2050)John Gilman | 92+ JGThe 2008 Clos du Marquis has an expressive bouquet with blackberry, briary and pencil shaving aromas that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with just a light seam of greenness, although it merely adds freshness and asserts its classicism. I find this fresh and balanced, sporting just the right amount of dryness on the cassis-driven finish that balanced with the fruit, lending it a “breezy” and unassuming character that suits it down to the ground. Enjoy this over the next decade. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VMRipe and refined, with pure, driven plum, raspberry and black cherry fruit and sleek structure. Flickers of charcoal, roasted cedar and tobacco hang in the background. Should age nicely. Drink now through 2017. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSSourced from different vines to Petit Lion, in an entirely different section of the vineyard, this is a little softer in expression, even with just one year difference. The vintage itself had a late budburst after a wet and rainy start, followed by a dry July, wet August and a late harvest. It meant that the Cabernet had a little trouble but the Merlot was good and ripe, because they waited to pick it. This is extremely enjoyable to drink today, with a clear line of sight to the main estate signature. It has dense black cherry and blackberries, a silky texture, and enjoyable balance between menthol freshness and still-firm tannins. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028Decanter | 90 DEC

This is really pretty and jumps out of the glass with lots of raspberry and blueberry aromas and floral undertones. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a bright acidity. Drink or hold. Very impressive for the vintage.James Suckling | 92 JSAn open, generous wine that sings easily. It has great ripe berry fruit, with fresh acidity as well as weight and richness, making it more powerful than some vintages of this wine.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEAnother winning 2008 St.-Julien, with the appellation’s telltale beam of black currant, fig and anise wrapped with charcoal and espresso notes. There’s serious grip. Needs some time. Best from 2013 through 2021. 8,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2008 Château Langoa Barton, from the Leoville Barton team, is mature yet still fresh and lively, with impressive amounts of blackcurrant and black raspberry fruits supported by complex spice and bouquet garni notes. It’s balanced, has a beautiful sweetness of fruit, and a good finish. Drink it over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThis potential sleeper of the vintage has come around nicely now that it is in bottle. Elegant yet substantial, it exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of black currants, cassis, cedarwood, herbs, toast and loamy soil undertones. Medium to full-bodied with sweet tannin (a component that was not evident from barrel), it should drink nicely for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 90 RPThis has clear balance, with rich and flexible tannins and a lovely undercurrent of graphite and tobacco. The fruits are well defined and brambly, but they are not hugely intense. One to drink now and over next five to eight years. Drinking Window 2018 - 2033Decanter | 90 DEC

Rich yet firmly structured this is a very classic St.-Julien that’s generous and polished with so much energy driving the long plush finish. Delicious now, but should hold for many years. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 95 JSA beautiful, young, and still burly 2009, the Clos du Marquis comes from a single vineyard in the Léoville Las Cases stable (it’s not a second wine) and is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a beautiful wine offering classic Saint-Julien crème de cassis fruits as well as lots of rocky minerality, cedarwood, graphite, and spring flowers. With full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, stunning purity of fruit, and a great finish, it needs a solid decant if drinking today and has another two decades or more of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDA dense wine, the wood just showing at this stage through its dark tannins and superb rich fruit. The wine is ripe, with a density of tannins that go right down deep. Big and powerful.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENow positioned as a totally separate vineyard and a real clos (enclosed walled vineyard), this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from Jean-Hubert Delon is a beauty. Creme de cassis notes intermixed with some vanillin, crushed rock and spring flowers jump from the glass. Full-bodied and powerful (nearly 14% natural alcohol), this is a generously endowed, rich wine that was first made in 1902. The 2009 should drink well for 20-25 years. Readers need to think of it as a true classified growth, although technically it is not.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe 2009 Clos du Marquis is tightly wound on the nose, gradually unfurling to reveal blackberry pastilles, boysenberry, pencil shaving and subtle mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, good weight in the mouth, and crisp acidity. Fresh and vibrant with a gentle grip on the finish that perhaps would benefit from more persistence. Otherwise this is very fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has a perfumy espresso edge to its racy red currant, briar and blackberry bush notes. Long and refined through the finish, with a pronounced minerality that should soften in a decade. Tight, but a rather elegant expression of Cabernet overall. Best from 2016 through 2024. 15,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Léoville-Las Cases, Clos du Marquis, St-Julien, Red) 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. This is utterly delicious. Around 45% new oak is used; well balanced with tight, dark berry fruits, liquorice and soft tannins. You could certainly start drinking this now, but no question that it will age. (Drink between 2017-2030)Decanter | 91 DEC

Love this 2009, it is so much Gloria at its best - plump black fruits, black cherry, damson, generous without overplaying its hand, offering signature St Julien mixed with a subtle glamour. The fruits are given depth and compleixty by black pepper spice, silky tannins, crushed rocks, aniseed. Beautiful and full of character. 40% new oak. Harvest September 24 to October 8. Remi di Constanzo technical director.Jane Anson | 95 JAOne of the best value St-Juliens, this is an estate that was beginning to come in to its own around 2009, and it shows extremely well here. The tannins increase a touch as you head north in the Médoc, filling the glass, but in St-Julien they’re always tempered by a blast of freshness and elegance. This is succulent, utterly delicious and pliable, with juicy black fruits. It’s pretty much ready to go too, but with tons of life ahead of it. A bloody great wine, one I thoroughly recommend for its quality and value also. Drinking Window 2019 - 2042Decanter | 94 DECGloria has long been one of the most popular wines in America, but I do not believe they have ever made better wines than they have over the last decade, and the 2009 is one of their finest. While this estate is not a classified growth, it certainly performs like one in 2009. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by an expressive, flamboyant bouquet of black fruits, Christmas spices, licorice and roasted Provencal herbs. Fuller-bodied, more concentrated and extracted than most vintages with soft tannins, its low acidity and a sumptuous, plump style remind me of a modern day version of the 1982 (which is fully mature but still in great shape). The 2009 Gloria is a very smart purchase for those looking to maximize their buying power. In fact, this may be the value of the vintage.Robert Parker | 93 RPRipe and fleshy, generous yet balanced, this is a very attractive Médoc wine that’s good to drink now or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2009 Gloria is tightly wound on the nose with lifted blackberry, bilberry, brine and crushed stone aromas - very nicely focused with real vigour and vibrancy. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain but assertive tannin that frame the layers of toasty black fruit laced with brown spices and white pepper. There is real personality to this Saint-Julien, very persistent in the mouth although, I would have liked a little more depth on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VMA serious young wine, crammed with plum cake, blackberry preserves, warm fig confiture and blueberry reduction flavors, all laced with briar and sweet, toasty spice notes and backed by a long, tarry finish. Has a rustic edge but lots of stuffing. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2025. 20,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSmooth, open wine, the ripest fruit layered with soft tannins. It reveals all the opulent fruit of the year while offering medium-term pleasure. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 10-year barrier is just about perfect for such a great second wine in an exceptional vintage, and I highly recommend that you start opening and enjoying it soon. It’s silky smooth and juicy, with saline touches, exotic spices and edges of black truffle - and yet it’s super-elegant. I keep waiting for this to drop off through the palate but it keeps holding on, opening up to reveal a floral edge that adds an extra layer of complexity and balance, with mouthwatering flavours and textures. A brilliant yet softer reflection of the grand vin in this vintage. Drinking Window 2019 - 2034Decanter | 94 DECThis has fruit, with delicious black berry frutis, It cjharms with elegance and ripeness, at the same time as giving a core of tannin. Definitely on the fruity side.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEAromas of blackberry and blueberries, with Chinese spices, follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a mineral, floral and chewy finish. Beautiful already, but needs at least three or four years to soften and open.James Suckling | 93 JS(La Croix de Beaucaillou) Since 2005 the Croix de Beaucaillou has been made each year from a specific section of the estate’s vineyards up on the plateau, and is truly a second wine at the estate, rather than a second label for the younger vines from Ducru-Beaucaillou. The nose on the 2009 is excellent, as it delivers a fine mélange of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones and a nice framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and delivers a fine core of ripe fruit, with firm, beautifully integrated tannins and excellent focus and grip on the long and classy finish. A fine, fine wine. (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 89-91 JGThe grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Up-front, precocious and generous, it possesses a dense purple color, a big, broad, unctuous texture and abundant notes of creme de cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of wood smoke, vanillin and earth. This nearly viscous-styled wine can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15+.Robert Parker | 91 RPShows nice range, with crushed plum, blackberry and steeped fig notes lined with singed mesquite and backed by black tea and licorice snap accents. Should be approachable soon. Best from 2014 through 2024.Wine Spectator | 91 WS(a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot; pH 3.69; 60% new oak) Very deep purple. Fresh cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose shows floral, cassis and graphite aromas. Also vibrant on entry, with ripe, soft black fruit and mineral flavors that resonate through the smooth finish. This very well-made wine shows much more complexity, depth and freshness than usual; while there’s a hint of slightly drying tannins, this looks to be the best Croix ever. Owner Bruno Borie told me that beginning in 2005 this became a wine of terroir too: rather than including grapes from Ducru’s youngest or less favorably situated vines (fruit that now goes into private labels), the Croix is made only with the grapes of certain specific parcels.Vinous Media | 87-90 VM

The 2009 Lagrange was picked from 28 September to 6 October. This has a sensual and very floral bouquet with lavender and violet aromas infusing the plush and generous red berry fruit. It retains fine delineation despite its concentration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, velvety smooth with layers of red berry fruit laced with clove and thyme, gently fanning out towards the caressing finish. Superb. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is a good Lagrange, showing well now with no need to wait too long. It perhaps doesn’t have the concentration and precision of today’s Lagrange, but it’s a good 2009 with lots to enjoy. It has a firm cassis and blackberry purée character, with spiced herbs through the mid-palate, and firm but pliable tannins, all leading to a finish with good lift. Effortless and with St Julien elegance. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.Decanter | 94 DECRipe wine, with soft tannins allied to great density. Weight and lovely, juicy, final fruit flavors meld together easily. This is solid, dense, impressive and for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEMedium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Lagrange rolls out of the glass with beautiful redcurrant jelly, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves notions plus hints of fallen leaves, camphor and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with red and black fruit preserves and lively herbal sparks, with a firm grainy backbone and great freshness on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLovely ripe cassis character, fullish body and elegant tannins make this an easy 2009 to enjoy in spite of the wine’s ample structure. Drink now. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Lagrange) Lagrange harvested from September 28th until October 20th and the team here has produced one of the reference point wines on the Left Bank. The bouquet is deep and simply superb, as it jumps from the glass in a classic mélange of black cherries, dark berries, coffee, woodsmoke, espresso, tobacco leaf, a lovely base of soil and a discreet touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and beautifully length and grip on the palate-staining and impressively tangy finish. There are not a lot of wines on the Left Bank with this type of zesty acidity and pinpoint focus. A terrific 2009. (Drink between 2020-2070).John Gilman | 92-93+ JGOne of the more backward, tight wines in this retrospective, the 2009 Château Lagrange needs lots of air to show at its best, yet still holds things close to its vest. A youthful ruby color is followed by beautiful and classic Bordeaux notes of crème de cassis, cedar pencil, unsmoked tobacco, and a touch of earth. It’s not massive by any means, yet it’s beautifully balanced, with ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. With a Château Lafite-like elegance and seamlessness, it will be loved by the Claret lovers out there and is certainly a beautiful wine. It should evolve for another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThis has a solid core of juicy plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that sits in reserve, while mouthwatering briar and toasty spice notes move along the edges. Grippy and focused through the finish, with well-embedded acidity. Best from 2013 through 2024.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSaturated with the warm ripeness of the 2009 vintage, this is well upholstered rather than hyperripe. Its plump blueberry and currant flavors feel concentrated, completely integrating the oak so that the tannins are cushioned rather than extracted. Its vintage character shows in caramelized notes at the end of the wine, in spice that builds out of the warmth. Enjoyable now with roast duck, this will gain complexity as it ages.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

The 2009 Langoa-Barton has a gorgeous bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and light tobacco aromas that blossom from the glass. This feels so composed and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine-grain tannin, beautifully judged acidity and a svelte, languorous finish that fans out with style. What a gorgeous and utterly seductive Saint-Julien. It turns out to be Langoa Barton, a wine that I have rated very highly in the past. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery dense and still rather reserved, with dark blueberry, blackberry and fig notes rolled together, framed by freshly brewed espresso and Black Forest cake notes. Long and tarry through the finish, with a melted licorice snap note hanging on at the very end. Best from 2014 through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA deceptively approachable wine. Its gorgeous fruits are right up front, their ripeness powered by a generous, complex texture. There is concentration, but it is surrounded by so much richness. It can almost be drunk now, but should age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA rich and fleshy wine, yet it remains decisively dry. Attractive blueberry aroma and impressive supple tannins make this very harmonious. If it was slightly brighter in the nose this would rate even higher.James Suckling | 93 JSBackward, tannic and beefy, this youthful but formidable 2009 Langoa Barton exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, underbrush and black currant aromas and flavors, medium to full body, lively acids and, not surprisingly, massive tannins (a characteristic of all the Barton wines). The overall impression is somewhat incongruous, having a certain precociousness in the aromatics, but then clamping down on the taster in the mouth. I recommend waiting 5-7 years before opening a bottle. It should drink well over the following 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 90+ RP

A charming, undeniably delicious Saint-Julien, the 2009 Les Fiefs De Lagrange offers forward notes of blackcurrants, green tobacco, cedarwood, and a touch of forest floor. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and elegant on the palate, with still nicely balanced acidity and ripe tannins, this is one solid second wine that’s drinking beautifully today. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD(Les Fiefs de Lagrange) For several vintages, the Les Fiefs de Lagrange has been one of my favorite second wines on the Left Bank and the 2009 will be another stellar effort. The nose is deep and beautiful, as it offers up a classy blend of black cherries, dark berries, bitter chocolate, cigar smoke, soil and a deft touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and classy, with lovely, ripe tannins, sound focus and fine length and grip on the poised and beautifully balanced finish. A lovely bottle in the making. (Drink between 2016-2040)John Gilman | 89-90 JG

The 2009 Gruaud Larose is blended of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet colored, it charges forth with warm black raspberries, crème de cassis and redcurrant jelly notes with touches of potpourri, cigar box, new leather, hoisin and molten chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with black fruits and savory layers with a firm, grainy texture and seamless freshness lifting the long earth-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA spicy and fat rich wine, atypical of Bordeaux. There is grip and depth of flavour here with blackcurrant coulis and some lovely menthol edging. A balanced wine. (Drink between 2016-2024)Decanter | 90 DEC

Aromas of cocoa powder and currants, follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a juicy, berry and chocolate aftertaste. Lovely polish to this. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSA firm, complex wine, solidly based on ripe tannins, dark flavors. There is some spice and juiciness to fit with the dense tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA well structured wine with smoke and cedar edging to the aromatics, a generous, ripe fruit structure and soft, well-integrated tannins. It has clear appeal. At this stage, the 2005 seems to better encapsulate the heart of St-Julien but the 2009 offers an extremely enjoyable wine, even if less typical of the appellation. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036Decanter | 93 DEC(Château Talbot) Our sample at the UGC tasting at Branaire-Ducru was a bit reduced, but not enough so as to impact one’s ability to get a read on the wine. The nose underneath is a classic Talbot, with its black fruity mélange of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, soil, woodsmoke and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite soil-driven, with fine focus, a very good core of fruit, and a properly reserved, long and ripely tannic finish. A fine success for the vintage. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 90-92 JGExtremely sexy, soft, supple and opulent, with notes of cedar, herbs, incense and black currant fruit, this is a full-bodied, generously endowed but silky Talbot to drink now and over the next 20+ years. By any standard of measurement, this is irresistible.Robert Parker | 91 RPDark plum and blueberry compote notes lead the way, followed by dark cocoa and tobacco. A fleshy feel runs throughout, with a stony edge adding length and balance on the finish. Best from 2013 through 2021.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2009 Talbot has a much more modest bouquet than the Gruaud Larose, missing the same horsepower and fruit concentration, airy in style, attractive but not as memorable as others. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, and a fine bead of acidity. Quite linear and conservative but with satisfying precision on the finish. It is a classic Talbot that should give 25 to 30 years of pleasure, though not the best amongst its peers. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Dark and winey, with a solid core of steeped blackberry, blueberry and black currant fruit, liberally laced with warm cocoa and tar notes. The mouthcoating feel on the finish features lots of smoldering tobacco. Best from 2015 through 2025. — JMWine Spectator | 90 WSPretty and silky young Bordeaux with currants and minerals on the nose and palate. Full body, with integrated tannins and a clean, fresh finish. Very fine. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 90 JS

Gruaud Larose can be underestimated in its early years but knows exactly how to show itself with a bit of bottle age, and this is a brilliant 2011. It opens, unfurls and picks up the pace through the palate. Cinnamon, sage, rosemary, tar, smoked dried herbs and saffron - totally delicious and with great focus. Strongly recommend. 40% new oak. Delicious now, but should a good decade further. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThis is a powerfully woody wine that shows more wood than fruit at this stage. Structured, austere and powerful, it needs time to flesh out. Drink from 2018.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE(Château Gruaud Larose) The 2011 Gruaud Larose is a very fine example of the vintage. The excellent nose is deep and pure, wafting from the glass in a blend of sweet cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, gravel, tobacco smoke, a touch of violet and a suave base of new oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, tightly-knit and very well-balanced, with a very solid core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and very impressive length and grip on the focused and youthful finish. This will take plenty of time to blossom, but this is one 2011 claret that one does not have to worry about the overall balance of the wine. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 90+ JGThe plum, cassis and raspberry fruit is allied to singed sandalwood and apple wood notes, with a lingering spice accent on the judiciously toasty finish. A rather elegant rendering of St.-Julien that should hold on well enough in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The Langoa Barton is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc cropped at 36hl/ha cropped between 12th and 23rd September. It has a very pure lifted bouquet with fine delineation. It is very feminine with hints of blueberry and cassis just in the background, but there is nice minerality coming through. The palate is rounded on the entry with crisp acidity, hints of pain grille inflecting the black fruit with a seam of graphite on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP-NMThis is a delightful wine with an attractive character that belies that firm structure behind it. It has weight and concentration and firm tannins, while showing the fruity side of the vintage. A wine for pleasure as it ages. Drink from 2016.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA fresh, bright wine with citrus, raspberry and currants. Medium to full body with firm tannins and a crisp finish. Juicy fruit. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 92 JSShowing good definition, this delivers plum pit and bitter cherry hints that weave around the core of red currant and blackberry fruit. Briar-tinged grip holds the finish. Best from 2017 through 2027. 625 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSWell placed black fruits, there is some austerity to the tannins and it is softer through the mid palate than you are going to find in this estate in more recent vintages, but it has a tomato leaf freshness and an appealing grilled cherry and woodsmoke aromatic that builds as it opens in the glass. Good stuff. A yield of 36hl/ha. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2011 Langoa-Barton has an open nose, well defined, a little lean at first though it gains more fruit intensity with aeration. Quite conservative compared to its peers though. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a little oaky perhaps, decent depth with a touch of black pepper and tobacco. What is missing is just some elegance and tension on the finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Real depth of fruit, well judged in terms of its extraction. There is the black pepper spice of the vintage showing natural concentration but also a sense of black chocolate and blueberry. As it opens cedar, cinnamon and smoke appear. It’s austere as many are in 2011 but it has real promise. What a consistent wine this is. Harvest September 15 to 29. 60% new ok. A yield of 42hl/ha. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECOffers a good, sappy core of dark plum, blackberry and fig, layered with brambly tannins and smoldering charcoal accents. Mouthwatering acidity lends the finish cut and length, while the dark fruit plays out through the finish. Best from 2017 through 2026.Wine Spectator | 90 WSShows aromas and flavors of blueberries and minerals. Medium to full body, with polished tannins and a minerally aftertaste. Reminds me of the 2004.James Suckling | 89-90 JS

Already a beautiful wine, this is showing fine, sweet fruits along with a solid structure. The palate is juicy and fruity with new wood flavors showing through. The aftertaste is full of the fresh aspect of the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2012 Lagrange was a late-picked vintage from 8 to 21 October and it has improved since I last tasted it. It has a deep and broody bouquet with cranberry, raspberry and wild strawberry aromas that are nicely integrated with the oak. The palate is very well balanced with supple tannins, spicier than the 2011 with ample fruit concentration on the fleshy, pliant finish. This has panache and class, an underrated Lagrange that should not be missed. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMFirm and balanced with blueberries, blackberries and hints of citrus and minerals. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Best after 2017.James Suckling | 92 JS(Château Lagrange) The 2012 Château Lagrange was made from the lowest yields in the last twenty years at the estate (38.75 hectoliters per hectare), and is two-thirds cabernet sauvignon this year. The remainder of the blend is thirty percent merlot and three percent petit verdot. The harvest was quite late here in 2012, with the merlot brought in between October 8th and 15th and the cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot October 15th to the 21st. The wine is quite classically ripe at 13.2 percent alcohol and offers up a deep and very pure bouquet of cassis, black cherries, dark chocolate, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, a stylish base of new oak and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a fine core of fruit, lovely focus and balance and a long, firm and ripely tannic finish. The acids are on the low side here, but this wine avoids the slightly flat side of the vintage that plagues other 2012s from the Médoc, and will age beautifully. (Drink between 2020 - 2040)John Gilman | 91 JGFine expression of Cabernet fruit, a little discreet in the Lagrange style, with elegance and depth for the future.Decanter | 90 DEC

There’s great concentration here, on this powerful wine with very dry structure and dark character. The palate hints of a more perfumed character with fine fruitiness and lingering freshness on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEFine depth of fruit, with suppleness and charm. Drinking Window 2016 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECPlenty of juicy blackcurrant fruit and background oak are present in this plump, medium to full-bodied, ripe, well-made wine. Not nearly as tannic as I feared, this wine shows a forward plumpness, excellent purity, texture and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP