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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

A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 L’Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Explosive and rich in the glass, the 2012 boasts superb depth throughout. Sweet floral and spiced notes develop first, followed by intense red and blue-fleshed fruit. Violets, mint, sage and sweet spices add nuance as the 2012 opens up, but it is really the wine’s vertical structure that stands out above all else. I very much like the pure energy that is so central to the wine’s personality. This is a superb showing, and one of the clear highlights of the year. Readers should cellar the 2012 for at least a few years.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis delivers a gorgeously pure and racy core of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, melded perfectly with singed black tea leaf, dried star anise and roasted apple wood notes. Velvety and alluring overall, but there’s a bright minerality buried on the finish. Best from 2016 through 2027. 1,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRich, ripe and dense. Expressive red berry nose with toasted oak evident. Sweet, plush mid-palate (heightened by 14.5% alcohol although that doesn’t show). Long, firm finish. A touch dry on the end. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2012 Las Posadas Proprietary Red is a massive fruit bomb from that high-elevation vineyard. Forest floor, floral notes, lead pencil shavings, licorice, fruitcake, cedar wood and oodles of black fruits soar from the glass and from the palate of this full-bodied, majestic, multi-layered wine. Like most 2012s, it is really strutting it’s stuff. It is still obviously young, but dramatic and flamboyant. This sensational wine should age effortlessly for 25-30+ years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2012 Las Posadas is marvelous in the way it marries the intensity of this site with the softer, gentler aspect of the year. This makes it a tremendous choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, dark chocolate and spice all meld together. Deep and sensual to the core, the 2012 is lights out. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2012 is just magnificent. This is a big wine, but all the elements are impeccably put together. A recent magnum was superb. Note: This wine was called ’Howell Mountain’ when it was first released.Vinous Media | 98 VMSo much tar with blackberry and blueberry aromas. Perfumed. Black olive. Forest floor. A fabulous Bordeaux blend with complexity and subtlety. Full-bodied yet polished and refined. Incredible length and finish. Wonderful spice. Hard not to drink now. About 300 cases made. March release.James Suckling | 97 JS

This has a lovely copper color with aromas of cloves, spiced apples, raspberries, gingerbread and pastries. Delicious yeasty and spicy undertones. Excellent density and focus, with fine and firm bubbles, yet it’s light on its feet and so fresh. Long, chalky and salty at the end. Chardonnay and pinot noir. 3.8g/L dosage. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elizabeth Salmon offers up hints of red berry fruit, ginger, spice, rosewater, mint and crushed flowers. There is a feeling of classic austerity that runs through the 2012. I would prefer to cellar this for at least a few years, as it is quite reticent at this stage. Chalk, mint, white pepper and bright saline accents linger on the pointed finish. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: first trimester 2023.Vinous Media | 96 VMElisabeth Salmon 2012 shows all the signs of being a true classic for Billecart-Salmon, beautifully balanced between the most alluring Pinot aromatics – black cherry juice, peach melba and fresh raspberry – and an engine of pure, persistent Chardonnay energy of bright clementine and zesty length, all lifted with subtle details of allspice, rose petal and nougat and delivered on an effortlessly silky mousse. Open for business, yet without the showiness that the wines of this vintage can sometimes display, it’s a rosé of assured refinement and quiet intensity that seems set for a long future. 55% Chardonnay from Chouilly, Avize, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger with 45% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Ambonnay, with 8.3% red wine addition from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. 2.9% fermented in barrel, and released after 115 months on lees with a dosage of 3.8g/L.Decanter | 95 DEC

This is amazing on the nose with blackberries, black truffle, dried cherries and hints of tobacco. It’s so complex on the nose that you almost don’t need to taste it. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a persistent, fabulous finish. The mouthfeel is magic. 80% sangiovese and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2013 Tignanello represents the beginning of a new chapter for Italy’s ultimate game-changer wine. The blend remains 80% Sangiovese with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc but Renzo Cotarella tells me "stylistically-speaking, this is what we wanted to achieve." The winemaking formula remains the same, but one of the major differences and benefits to this wine is vineyard age. The celebrated Tignanello single vineyard is now reaching 15 years old. In other words, it is in its production prime. This is a harmonious and beautifully integrated wine that reveals black fruit and baking spice. I’m told the 2014 Tignanello will have a greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 vintage will have more Sangiovese.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2013 Tignanello is a real knock-out. Rich and intense, but also linear in style, the 2013 is endowed with superb energy from start to finish. In this vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc character is especially evident, especially in the aromatics. Today, the 2013 is tightly wound and not ready to show all of its cards. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013, but the wine has plenty to say. Above all else, this is a remarkable level of quality for a wine with Bordeaux First Growth production (but not price) often in excess of 25,000 cases.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGDefined by licorice and black currant aromas and flavors, this is intense and harmonious. A crisp, vibrant feel pervades as this winds down, showing excellent length and a minerally element.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2023 through 2043. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSWinemaker Renzo Cotarella declared the 2013 to be one of the most vibrant Tignanellos Antinori has ever made. It recalls 2010 but is a slightly less powerful package. The Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly evident at the moment, with well-defined nuances of blackberry bush. Notes of fresh dark earth, red cherry and minerality lurk underneath. The tannins are long and refined but not quite ready to relax their grip. Currently austere rather than generous, this needs time to knit together. Drinking Window 2021 - 2036.Decanter | 95 DECVibrant and loaded with finesse, this blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc opens with enticing scents of red woodland berry, new leather, Asian spice and a touch of menthol. The youthful palate delivers red currant, wild cherry, star anise and clove alongside a backbone of firm acidity and polished, tightly wound tannins. It will age majestically; drink 2020–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFlavors of black currant and tobacco bring the influence of Cabernet Sauvignon (15 percent) and Cabernet Franc (5 percent) to the fore in this Sangiovese-based blend. Ample alcohol lends a Bourbon-like edge to the wine’s oak-derived accents of vanilla and coconut, but Sangiovese’s firm, raspy tannins guide the wine back toward red cherry flavors and into a long, smoky finish.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine is showing incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and incredible finish, with incense and licorice. This is magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe most exotic and aromatically seductive of the Verité wines, wild red and black fruits marry with nuances of cigar tobacco and incipient floral details. While similarly large-scalled, La Desir's tannic structure is more supple than its siblings and its palate presence appealingly energetic. 62% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThis is a tannic and rich red that is tightly wound and very muscular. Full-bodied, very intense and powerful. Needs time to show its full self. Try in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2013 Le Désir is once again alluring. Le Désir is quite powerful and intense, but it also has fairly soft contours for the year. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, chocolate, mocha, licorice and cloves are all pushed forward. Energetic and explosive, the 2013 is going to need at least a few years in bottle to settle down, but it has plenty to offer. I tasted the 2013 from tank just prior to bottling.Vinous Media | 92-95 VM

The 2013 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot, shows great intensity, with a slightly more burning ember and scorched earthiness to it, giving it a more Graves-like character compared to the purity of the Tychson Hill. The wine is full-bodied, rich, layered and possibly slightly more tannic and backward than the Tychson Hill, but that could be because it had recently been bottled. It should evolve over the course of 30+ years.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2013 Cariad is fabulous. Pliant, expressive and nuanced in the glass. Here, the tannins are suave and supple, which makes the wine unusually accessible today. There is plenty of delineation in the dark, mineral-laced flavors, but the 2013 impresses for most of its superb textural depth. Cariad is made mostly from fruit sourced from David Abreu's Madrona Ranch vineyard in St. Helena.Vinous Media | 98 VMSuperb aromas of black fruits, black truffle and leather. Black olives. Full body, fabulous soft and velvety tannins, and superb length. The texture to this is so luxurious and sexy. Cardamom, game, earth and intense fruit. Yet poised. A blend as always of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. Hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 97 JSExhibits a tight bundle of rich, extracted dark berry, mocha, licorice, savory herb and underbrush flavors, with accents of smoky oak. A tour de force that is best served after a long decant or some cellar time. The finish is deep and extracted. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is quite chalky with firm phenolics that frame the wine beautifully. It’s medium-to full-bodied with strawberries and earth. Dense, linear and intense. Hints of brioche and pie crust at the end. Very structured and gorgeous. Salty and lightly chewy. One third of the base wines fermented and aged in oak. Connoisseur Champagne. From organic vineyards of the Roederer domains. Smaller production than normal. Seven years on the lees. Give it two or three years to open.James Suckling | 98 JSI've revisited Roederer's 2013 Cristal four times since I reviewed it in April of this year—including several times from my own cellar—and I had to admit that even my lavish praise didn't do it full justice. Combining the cool-vintage cut of 2008 with the more completely mature fruit of 2012, the 2013 Cristal might well be said to represent the perfect combination of the two from a purist's perspective. The wine unwinds in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, almond paste and citrus oil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional palate that's intense but weightless, with racy acids, a pinpoint mousse and a long, penetrating finish. Drink the 2008 Cristal on its own, and you're unlikely—to put it mildly—to have any complaints; but compare it directly with the 2013 and you'll see Roederer's rapid progress in the vineyards writ large.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2013 Cristal is a wine of extraordinary precision and tension. Searing acids drive a bold, racy Champagne that won’t be ready to offer its best drinking anytime soon. In recent vintages, Cristal has been quite open on release. That is far from the case with the 2013. Readers should plan on being quite patient. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle) and 40% Chardonnay (Mesnil, Avize, Cramant). Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon was especially selective and used only 30 out of the potential 45 plots that are typically available for Cristal. About 32% of the lots were done in oak, the rest in steel, with the malolactic fermentation blocked across the board. It was an October harvest, the sort of harvest that has become increasingly rare in Champagne. Lecaillon describes the summer as similar to 2012, but adds the vines were a month behind in their development. In tasting, the 2013 reminds me of the 1996 in its austerity, even more so than the epic 2008.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AG(Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Millésime (Reims)) The 2013 vintage of Cristal from Maison Louis Roederer is the only one in the last two decades to be made from fruit that was harvested in October, as global warming has pushed most picking dates in the Champagne region forward into September. Spring was cool and flowering in 2013 did not occur until the month of July- almost unheard of in recent times! The cépages this year is sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay, with one-third of the vins clairs barrel-fermented for this vintage. As always, none of the vins clairs went through malolactic fermentation and the wine was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter. The wine delivers a beautiful young bouquet of apple, a hint of pear, yellow plum, a complex base of chalky minerality, brioche and a lovely array of fruit blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with impeccable balance, a superb core, laser-like focus, very elegant mousse and a long, vibrant and very classy finish. This has the structure to age long and gracefully and may well close down a bit over the next couple of years, but for the moment, it so seamlessly balanced that I find it very easy to drink out of the blocks (which is not customary for my palate with Cristal, which I usually want to bury in the cellar for a decade!). This is a very beautiful vintage of Cristal and a very, very worthy follow-up to the stellar 2012 version! (Drink between 2021-2075)John Gilman | 97 JGA pale rosé color of this great Champagne leads to a wine that has toast, spice and layers of citrus and red fruits. Its richness is balanced by freshness that will take several years to fully mature. So, even at eight years, the wine has plenty of room to develop. Drink from 2023. ROGER VOSS | 97 WEThe peak of drinkability is between 15 and 20 years from the harvest; so says Jean-Baptiste, but he has not spared the taster the wondrous early impression of perfection in the making. A soft gold with glistening highlights, like the river meadow at dawn; the nose effortlessly marries a panoply of flavours, the citric grip nodding to hints of passion fruit and Mirabelle plum, with hazelnut and almond signalling the grace of development. Texturally generous, yet tightly wound, taut and flinty yet ripe and open, the wine faithfully underlines the vigneron’s philosophy, every nuance of its template deftly rehearsed and charmingly enacted. Disgorged: autumn 2020. Dosage: 7.5g/L. Drinking Window 2021 - 2033.Decanter | 96 DECI think the 2013 Cristal checks in behind the 2008, but it's nevertheless a beautiful wine. Lots of ripe orchard fruits, toasted bread, brioche, and chalky mineral notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, nicely concentrated, tight, inward style, beautiful precision and purity, and a great finish. It needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age to hit its stride and will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA wine of chalk soils, from mid-slope estate parcels, Cristal is a blast of pale limestone power in 2013. Its textures are grand and sumptuous against the chalk, its flavors layering sunny apple briskness, smoky lees and earthy acidities ghosting the finish, lasting for minutes, suggesting a long life ahead in the cellar.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SExotic hints of tangerine and candied ginger are an enticing entrance for this vivid Champagne, accenting a finely meshed range of ripe green apple and cassis fruit, with rich notes of chopped almond, brioche and lemon curd. An underscoring streak of salinity gains momentum through the mouthwatering finish, echoing as it rides the plushly creamy mousse. This is decadence in a sleek and graceful package. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2033. 9,181 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Lightly toasted marshmallow and macadamia nut aromas lead the way, followed by incredibly juicy mirabelle plum, green fig, and glazed pear and peach flavors. As big as this is, there are still plenty of honeysuckle, quinine and chamomile notes kicking the finish into yet another gear. This has purity and length to burn, with decades more to go. Best from 2020 through 2050. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSBright aromas of sliced mangoes, papaya, botrytis, and lemon follow through to a full body. Medium sweet with a phenolic palate that gives the wine structure and beauty. Electric acidity and freshness combined with impressive energy and length. A strict selection was made. 40% of the production was destined to the grand vin. About 80,000 bottles made. This is 70% semillion and 30% sauvignon blanc. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSThe beautifully aromatic, honeyed scent leads into flavors of bitter orange and honey, along with extreme freshness. Notes of white peach and Rocha pear give richness to a wine that is not huge, but wonderfully balanced.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEFirstly, you notice the color, which is a touch deeper than recent vintages at this stage. The bouquet is quite honeyed and rich for Yquem at this early juncture, with subtle scents of peach skin, white flowers, and a puff of chalk and frangipane. The palate is viscous on the entry, all about the texture at first, coating the mouth with luscious botrytized fruit. There are touches of Seville orange marmalade, fresh apricot, a hint of spice and passion fruit. This is imbued with impressive depth and weight, perhaps an Yquem that is determined to make an impression after last year-s absence. It might not possess the finesse of a top flight Yquem, but it has immense power and persistency.A majority of the 2013 Chateau d-Yquem was picked between September 25 and October 2, augmented by a second trie on October 11 after rains had provoked botrytis and then a third trie from October 21 and 24, before a final pass through the vineyard at the end of the month. Winemaker Sandrine Garbay told me that all the lots were used, but only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend, which equates to around 70,000 and 80,000 bottles. During assemblage of different lots, the blend ended up 30% Sauvignon Blanc, a little higher than usual, and 70% Semillon, while the residual sugar comes in at 140gm/L, which is a little higher than average. The reason is that the fermentation stopped naturally at this level, therefore the alcohol is a tad lower than average at 13.1 degrees.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95-97 RP-NMExcellent intensity and density for this vintage, with ripe pineapple and mango flavours. High residual sugar at 140 grams per litre balanced by fresh, crisp acidity. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2013 Yquem is a wine that I tasted from barrel but for some inexplicable reason, never in bottle. It was picked over four tries from 25 September to 24 October. There is 140g/L residual sugar. As it was a relatively late vintage, they elected to use more Sauvignon Blanc (30%) to engender freshness. I feel this does not possess the dimension of the 2011 on the nose, clean and crisp, certainly well defined, yet maybe just denied amplitude by the growing season. The palate is well balanced and pure, very harmonious with fine weight. Here, there is more complexity than intimated by the nose, lightly spiced with Seville orange and marmalade towards the finish. Fine. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 92 VM

So much purple fruit here like blueberries as well as minerals and black pepper. Full body, firm and silky tannins. Tight and compressed style with great persistence. Better in 2020, but so gorgeous now.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2012 Proprietary Red Blend (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot) is fabulous with complex notes of plum, blackcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, licorice and very subtle background oak followed by a full-bodied, opulently textured wine. This has voluptuous texture, tremendous opulence and is a sexy beast. Perfect purity also highlights this marvelous wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 15 more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPA real knock-out, the 2013 Proprietary Red is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. A wine of tension, energy and opulence, the 2013 has all the signatures of the vintage in spades. Red cherry jam, smoke, licorice, spices and white pepper are some of the notes that meld into the super-expressive, delineated finish. The 2013 is the first vintage of the Proprietary Red that is more than 50% estate, while the rest of fruit was sourced from Stagecoach and Rancho Chimiles.Vinous Media | 94 VMAn amped-up style, with overt blackberry, açaí berry and black currant preserves, though time has settled this down just a touch, allowing for floral, wood spice and apple wood nuances to peek in. On the finish, the toast still holds sway, with roasted cedar and baker’s chocolate having the upper hand on the fruit. Fans of the showy style will dig this, for sure. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2030. 4,900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA powerfully rich and concentrated Bordeaux-style blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of four other Bordeaux varieties, this wine presents itself as juicy and fresh on entry, with high-toned sparks of cranberry, cherry and cassis. It takes on more strength and structure as it opens, suggesting its worth for the cellar. Hold until 2023–2028. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2013 Cappella is dense, young and full of energy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and licorice are front and center. Still young and vibrant, the 2013 is seriously impressive. It can be enjoyed now, but another few years in bottle will help soften the tannins further. What a stellar wine it is. The 2013 is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. At this stage, this is the most approachable 2013 in the range.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it’s a small cuvée from this vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. It displays sweet espresso notes, loads of white chocolate, blackberry, Asian spice and incense. It is full-bodied and opulent, with the tannins surprisingly silky and well-disguised, which is somewhat unusual in this vintage of extraordinary power and density. This is a 35- to 50-year wine.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis has the broad-shouldered persona of the vintage, but its muscular physique is deftly cloaked in velvety structure, with loam, warmed cassis, alder, steeped plum and sweet tobacco notes that are seamlessly layered. The long finish shows latent drive as a graphite underpinning plays its role, giving the fruit the support for a lengthy encore. There’s plenty of life ahead for this too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2040. 239 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

With 83% Sémillon in the blend, this wine has weight as well as richness. At the same time, it has a crisp edge, a smoky character from wood aging and the fine balance between citrus and more exotic fruits. It is a wine to age for many years. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe typicity of La Mission is really here. Aromas of iodine, oyster shell, currants and orange peel are evident. Full-bodied, tight and tannic with a muscular and toned texture that holds the wine down at the moment, but it’s waiting to release its joy and true nature. Fine-grained. Give it until 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2014 La Mission Haut-Brion has a sophisticated, very detailed bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and graphite. This is very focused and yet at the same time quite controlled and discrete. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, cedar and touches of allspice. I love the depth of this wine and the gentle grip towards the finish. It knows not to push too hard in this growing season and that results in a very classy wine. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 96 VMFresh attack, dominated by late summer fruits, perfectly ripe. Floating gossamer structure, the tannins are deceptively fine and tight; blackberry and raspberry fruit firmly in check. A lovely wine, medium to long term potential for pleasure. 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château La Mission Haut Brion is slightly more elegant and pretty compared to the richer, slightly more masculine Haut Brion. A blend of 54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, it shows a kiss of red fruits in its core of darker currants, smoke tobacco, scorched earth, vanilla bean, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, impeccable balance, fine tannin, and a great, great finish, it’s a downright classy La Mission that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 La Mission Haut Brion is a blend of 54% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between 15 September and 8 October and raised in 55% new oak. It has retained that engagingly fresh and vibrant bouquet, the bashful nature that it showed in barrel replaced by a more outgoing personality. This is an exquisite bouquet with pure black fruit, cold stone, a touch of black olive and later a suggestion of boysenberry preserve. The palate is still structured and considering that a majority is Merlot, quite masculine. There remains some new oak to be fully assimilated, although there is clearly the fruit to soak that up. It comes more alive on the second half with a lovely spiciness and impressive persistence. It will have more to give down the line and the strictness implies that this La Mission Haut Brion should be afforded a decade in the cellar before it will show what it can do.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMFleshy and very compact, with layers of dark fig, black currant paste and blackberry reduction still sorting themselves out. Sports a serious spine of tar while a well-roasted apple wood element forms the backdrop on the dense finish. The range and density set this apart. Should be rather long-lived for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2014 Calon Ségur is a real show-stopper. Unusually ripe, powerful and seductive, the wine exudes class. Myriad shades of plum, sweet red cherry, pomegranate, spice and blood orange are all on display. Wild flowers, tobacco and host of more aromatic notes develop in the glass. Above all else, though, the 2014 is a wine of pure power and breadth. This is yet another fabulous showing for the 2014 Calon Ségur, a wine that vies for top honors in this vintage. Don’t miss it. The blend is 67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 15 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThis is real powerful and sexy with a voluptuous style of ripe fruit, mushrooms and wet earth. Leafy. Full and seductive. Better after 2021 but already fantastic.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Calon Ségur, Merlot, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) In Vincent Millet’s view, this is a vintage in which the St-Estèphe appellation really stood out for quality thanks to very fine weather conditions there from September to October. A nose of complex yet fresh aromatic intensity is composed of blackberry, black cherry, and cassis with a floral flourish to boot. The palate benefits from juicy and ample substance with the effect lengthened thanks to its fine-grained and finely-etched tannic structure. This is a quintessential Calon Ségur that already gives drinking pleasure, but it will also stay the distance for up to twenty years or more. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECThis is a beautifully perfumed wine. With a high proportion of ripe Cabernet Franc, it is not only structured but has a fine dried fruit character that gives the wine a memorable richness. The wine is tight with its tannins, likely to age over decades. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2014 Calon Ségur has to be considered an undeniable success in the vintage, offering the elegance, balance, and charm that’s the hallmark of this late growing season. Still relatively tight and reserved, with beautiful notes of black currants, smoked earth, graphite, and tobacco leaf, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity, and a layered, elegant style that opens up with time in the glass. It has more density than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDOn the darker side of the spectrum, with dark currant, plum and blackberry fruit, inlaid with ample dried bay and tobacco notes. Pepper and charcoal details fill in the finish, adding range and energy. A touch [i]sauvage[n] in style, this will have fans for sure. Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2014 Calon Ségur has a much more reticent bouquet than either the 2014 Montrose or Cos d’Estournel. There is blackberry here, a hint of cassis and violets, fine purity but bolshie and withdrawn at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannin, more red fruit than the Montrose with a smooth, quite silky Merlot-like, graphite finish. Tasted on two occasions in Bordeaux, the second bottle exuded more panache and joie-de-vivre, coming across a little more spicy with a longer aftertaste.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

The purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is what impresses here. Subtle and energetic plum and currant aromas follow through to a gorgeously harmonized palate of wonderful fruit and an ultra-long finish. Current bush and light earth adds to the complexity. Lasts for minutes. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 97 JSThere is a sense of pure juicy black-currant fruit that shoots through this great wine. With tannins that are firm while not a jot too much, the wine is crisp, packed with fruit and set for many years of aging. It is beautiful, fruity and intensely structured. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Château Margaux represents 36% of the year’s total production and is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Affording the glass five to ten minutes to open, the aromatics are very similar to those expressed out of barrel, those dark cherries and violets, tightly wound at first but unfurling beautifully and seemingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and it appears to have fomented a little more finesse during its élevage. There is wonderful mineral tension and dash of spiciness on the persistent finish. There remains some tightness here, the implication that this is a Château Margaux determined to give long-term pleasure. Therefore, do not be afraid to give it a decade in the cellar.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThis is solidly packed, with layers of warm fig bread, plum compote and black currant preserves, carried by a silky yet substantial structure. As the fruit plays out, the anise, black tea and singed alder notes in the background come into clearer focus, giving this remarkable range. Everything glides beautifully through the suave, gently toasty finish. Best from 2020 through 2035. 10,835 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe grand vin from the Mentzelopoulos family and late manager Paul Pontallier is the 2014 Château Margaux which checks in as a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, as always, raised in 100% new barrels, and represents a scant 36% of the total production from the estate. A regal, classy, and nuanced beauty, its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a terrific perfume of cassis, licorice, spicy oak, sandalwood and a hint of vanilla. With a beautiful core of sweet fruit, ripe, polished tannin, no hard edges, and a great finish, this full-bodied 2014 shows the classy, elegant style of the vintage brilliantly. Give bottles 5-7 years and it should deliver plenty of pleasure over the following three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDStriking black fruits from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, yet restrained – even severe – with less charm and more firmness; the opposite of showy. With great natural density and tannins that do not overwhelm, this is a classical Château Margaux that will need time to fully open up. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2014 Château Margaux, has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, graphite and light violet aromas. This feels very refined, very Margaux as banal as that sounds. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite precise tannin. This is an unreservedly understated First Growth, more masculine then I remember from barrel and just after bottling, firming up a little for the long-haul. In some ways, the higher Cabernet Sauvignon renders this a little more Pauillac-like in flavour profile, although it has the finesse that is synonymous with this estate. Excellent. Tasted at the property.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Intense blackberry and blueberry aromas as well as mushroom undertones. Violets, too. Sweet tobacco. Full-bodied and layered with polished tannins. Very long and beautiful. Give it two or three years to show what it has but already a beauty.James Suckling | 96 JSIn a vintage that can lack a little pizzazz, the 2014 Pape Clement stands out for its exuberant, sexy, full-bodied style. Checking in as a blend of 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a layered, ripe, sexy wine that has loads of currants, blackberries, smoke tobacco, and forest floor aromas and flavors, with just a touch of chocolaty oak. Silky and incredibly pure on the palate, with impeccable balance and sweet, yet present tannin, it’s already impossible to resist, yet is going to deliver the goods for another 20-25 years. It’s a beauty!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2014 Pape Clement has quite a potent bouquet with lavish red cherry, kirsch, iodine and pastille-like scents, the oak probably needing another couple of years to fully integrate. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine line of acidity, quite refined and focused with appreciable tension towards the finish that comes laden with succulent, tobacco-infused blackberry fruit. This is a sumptuous and yet refined Pape-Clement that demonstrated the most matière or substance out of all the Pessac-Léognan 2014s that I tasted, except for the Haut-Brion. It is certainly a wine destined for a long future.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2014 Pape Clément is strikingly beautiful. Dark, sumptuous and creamy, it exudes class. Black cherry, mocha, spice, espresso, menthol and new leather are all pushed forward in a spherical, rich wine that captivates all the senses. As always, this is an overt style, but the purity of the fruit comes through nicely now that the oak has started to integrate. There is plenty of the Magrez trademark richness, but done in a slightly more restrained style than in the past. This is a gorgeous wine by any measure. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGRestrained compared to some vintages and all the more successful for it. Fine but firm tannins; grip and lovely hold to the dark, brambly, bilberry and cassis fruit. Great potential. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DECRipe and richly fruity, the wine is full bodied with great acidity as well as firm tannins. It will keep for many years. Bold tannins and a fine tension between the fruit and acidity are all promising for the future. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELavish in profile, this sports a range of warm fruitcake, anise and black tea aromatics followed quickly by a gush of raspberry, plum and boysenberry confiture notes. Velvety, showing ample structure through the finish, pulling the fruit and wood notes together. A rare bird, stylistically, in this generally understated vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035. 11,667 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2014 Montrose is without question one of the standout wines of the vintage. Black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and lavender are some of the many aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. But the 2014 is a much deeper wine than just a bunch of descriptors can conjure. In 2014, Montrose is a wine of exceptional finesse and polish. The late-ripening vintage allowed for perfect maturation of the tannins and resulted in a silky wine that exudes class and pedigree. The 2014 is not an obvious or bombastic Montrose, but rather a wine of sublime enchantment. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGIncredible aromas of currants, blackberries, slate and flowers. Full-bodied yet so tight and beautiful with superb polish and brightness. The length is fantastic. Truly superb. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a very fine wine showing a new level of quality at Montrose. With its almost velvet tannins inside the intense black fruits, the wine is rich, smooth and generous. Blackberry and black-plum fruits are to the fore along with the fine acidity and great structure. A wine to age for decades, it will be ready to drink from Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the château, the 2014 Montrose builds on the promise it showed in barrel with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended—one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NM(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) The velvety texture of the fruit and the tannins seem to shine through here, even on the aromatics. It’s one of the wines of the vintage and is showing beautifully after four years. Of course, it’s nowhere near ready to drink, but the tannins have an astonishingly vibrant, tactile quality against the palate. This is coupled with concentrated flavours of cassis, bilberry, charcoal, liquorice, deep woodsmoke and cedar. One for the cellar, and then some. 1% Petit Verdot finishes the blend. Harvested through until 16 October as with many of these St-Estèphes, given the luxury of the beautiful October weather. (Drink between 2024-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is seriously built, with an admirable core of red and black currant paste and bitter plum fruit inlaid with notes of tobacco, bay and smoldering charcoal. The finish is ramrod straight thanks to an iron girder supporting everything with ease. A tremendous effort for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI loved the 2014 Montrose and it has an incredible purity and elegance that sets it apart from its peers. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it offers a deeper, richer profile with gorgeous cassis and currant fruits intermixed with licorice, chocolate, graphite and beautiful minerality. A spitting image of class on the palate, with fine tannin, integrated acidity, and medium to full-bodied richness, this terrific 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the Médoc and keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The highlight in this range, the exquisite 2014 Tignanello is all about persistence and understated class. The aromatics alone are captivating. Sculpted, finely delineated flavors add to the wine’s vivid personality. Because of the challenges posed by the growing season, the blend leans more heavily toward Cabernet Sauvignon than is typically the case. Above all else, though, the 2014 is all about harmony, and there is plenty of that here. Unfortunately, production is down 30%.Vinous Media | 96 VMExotic spice, cedar, purple flower, forest floor and wild berry are some of the aromas you’ll find in this fragrant, focused red. It’s loaded with finesse, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, cassis, star anise and white pepper with remarkable precision. It’s fresh and balanced by vibrant acidity and elegant, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2019–2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEReally pretty aromas of currants and roses follow through to a medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Very well done for 2014 and a wonderful Tignanello to drink now or later. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSTignanello has this amazing ability of always being, well, Tignanello. Its very DNA makes it among the most distinctive and recognizable wines in the world. I’m happy to report that this is also the case for the 2014 Tignanello that faced very different growing conditions compared to most. The wine is beautiful and balanced with sweet tannins and a supporting oak texture that is neatly folded at the back. The wine is all about measure and proportion, and it aspires to these goals with an impressive sense of natural harmony. This is not an overtly powerful or muscular expression. Instead, it shows a tasty, almost savory form of elegance. This vintage was made with 75% Sangiovese, which means that the Cabernet presence is a tad bigger than normal. Ultimately, this wine is more finessed and delicate, and I appreciate the careful tannic management on display here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA fresh, linear style, displaying cherry, iron, earth and spice flavors on a slim frame. Fine length.—Non-blind Tignanello vertical (October 2019). Best from 2021 through 2035. 5,000 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 91 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

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

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

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

Has a velvety edge, with notes of steeped plum and warm cherry sauce, flecked with light tobacco and savory hints. Offers a gentle, pretty finish. Drink now through 2024. 3,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe mellow richness and generous scale of this wine helps to keep the tannins in check. Full and juicy. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 90 JS

Aromas of strawberries and cherries follow through to a full body, silky tannins and a tangy finish. Fresh and clean. Linear and pretty. Purity of fruit is impressive. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Gruaud Larose marks the first step in the right direction, with much more freshness on the nose than previous vintages: blackberry, melted tar and cedar. There is simply a greater sense of purpose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp and sculpted, less rustic than before. I suspect this has much more longevity than the 2011 or 2012, with more grip and backbone evident on the finish. Very fine. Tasted at the Gruaud Larose vertical at the château in February 2023 and blind at the Southwold tasting in February 2024.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe wine is all about fruit and balanced tannins. It is juicy, so drinkable now, although with enough structure to promise good aging. Perfumed black-currant fruits show strongly. The wine shows how this chateau continues to perform reliably. Drink from 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEFragrant and floral fruit at the start, less weighty than in the past, with fine sweetness on the mid-palate. Much more complexity to come.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2014 Gruaud Larose has a light and airy bouquet at first, one that gathers depth with aeration. It is a little conservative at the moment, dusky black fruit mixed with sage and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, slightly angular tannin. It is certainly fresh in the mouth, although it feels a tad pinched towards the finish; therefore, afford this 4-5 years in bottle to develop more substance and ambition.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPShows a perfumy hint, with black tea and singed allspice notes out front, followed by a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. Light anise and apple wood details fill in on the finish. Supple yet well-packed. Best from 2020 through 2030. 12,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSWhile I wasn’t able to taste the 2015, the 2014 Graud Larose is an attractive, classically styled Saint-Julien that has ripe currant fruits as well as lots of herbal/tobacco undertones, cedary spice, and earthy aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied, concentrated, and texture, with a chewy, rustic, endearing style. I like its balance and this old-school beauty will keep for at least 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDMedium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Gruaud Larose features delicate notes of crushed rocks and forest floor over a core of blackcurrant preserves and Christmas cake with a touch of cigar box. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing on a lingering minerally note.The Wine Independent | 90 TWI

Incredible perfumes of flowers, berries and cherries. Ethereal. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and super length. The evolution in this in barrel has been wonderful. Only the best plots with old vines were used here — so one-third of the production of the site. Drink in 2021, even if this is already gorgeous.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2014 Nenin was a bit of a whipcracker when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to find whether it would replicate that performance now in bottle. The bouquet is very well defined, perhaps more minerally and taut than previous vintages with truffle-tinged red berry fruit unfurling in the glass. There is also a potent tang of the sea (kelp or oyster shell perhaps). The palate is very well balanced, supple in the mouth, but it exerts a pleasant grip in the mouth and much more purity than vintages tasted over the 1990s and 2000s. This builds on that promise in barrel and is really quite a lovely Pomerol deserving of its newly designed label.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2014 Nenin has a simple, clean redcurrant and cranberry scented bouquet that feels a little anonymous, does not quite exude Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, nicely balanced with red cherry, cranberry and raspberry laced with black pepper and sage. The finish feels cohesive and persistent. This is a fine Pomerol that should offer 15 to 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis has grip, with charcoal and dark earth notes running throughout. The ample flesh is balanced by bright acidity, allowing the core of plum, raspberry and cherry preserve flavors to hold the upper hand through the finish. Best from 2020 through 2032. 3,533 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis a finely perfumed wine with its 32% Cabernet Franc, unusual for this estate. It gives a wine with great structure and concentration as well as layers of ripe black fruits. The wine needs to age so drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEMedium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Nenin features fragrant scents of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and underbrush with hints of leather and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate is soft and lively, with an impressive amount of fruit and a perfumed finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIOwned by Léoville-Las Cases and produced in the same vein. Layered fruit. Touch of Merlot sweetness. Firm, tight structure. Reticent and austere but will definitely age.Decanter | 90 DEC