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Take that quality and add additional layers of concentration, power, extract and wood, and you have the 2009 La Plus de La Fleur de Bouard. Only about 500 cases of this 100% Merlot are made. With notes of blueberry and blackberry liqueur intermixed with graphite and spring flowers, this wine is absolutely massive and not for everybody, but it is an example of what a conscientious and driven producer pushing the envelope can do in a satellite appellation such as Lalande de Pomerol. Moreover, I suspect it will last for at least two decades.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis full-throttle red bets on power, with a thick, syrupy texture and muscular, body armor tannins. The flavor range is dominated by sanguine, mineral and espresso notes, but there’s a core of blackberry and currant flavors. Thanks to fresh acidity, this remains balanced and alluring. Best from 2014 through 2028. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis has a great nose of dark chocolate, blueberries, and blackberries. Full and chewy, with powerful tannins and a long finish. The palate has flavors of fresh herbs, blackberries, and mulberries galore. Stay tuned. Barrel sample.James Suckling | 93+ JS(I tasted a barrel sample in June; the wine was scheduled to be bottled in July): Deep, saturated ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice and minerals, with an exotic note of charred oak. Superconcentrated, plush and sweet but not heavy, with graphite minerality lifting the black raspberry and blackberry flavors. The very long, rising black fruit finish features chewy tannins and plenty of exotic oak tones. Truly amazing for its appellation.Vinous Media | 92-93 VM

Proprietor Denis Durantou has produced a blockbuster Pomerol from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, tipping the scales at just over 14.5% natural alcohol. A riveting wine, pure, elegant, but at the same time, extremely powerful and concentrated, with stunning texture, opulence and density, the tannins are abundant, and the wine certainly in need of a decade of cellaring. Fabulous creme de cassis and cherry liqueur notes are intertwined with hints of licorice, truffle, and graphite. Full and rich, but still in an infantile state of development, this wine needs to be cellared for 10 years but should keep for five decades or more. This 2009 is absolutely profound.Robert Parker | 99+ RPThe 2009 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 14 to 28 September and matured in 80% new oak. It remains remarkably youthful on the nose, rendering the brilliant 2010 a bit introverted by comparison. This comes racing out of the blocks with ebullient red cherries, crushed strawberry and raspberry fruit, touches of dried rose petal and melted tar. With aeration there is just a touch of liquorish. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that belies the arching structure underneath. It manages to retain awesome power and yet deliver a refined finish that feels long and tender. Stunning. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe nose on this already suggests a deep and contemplative wine with blackberry, dried flowers and sweet berries. Evolves to black olive and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and tangy, rich fruit. It really grabs hold of you and wants to tell you it’s special. Loads of ripe tannins too. Big and structured. Turns to tapenade.Wine Spectator | 97-100 WSAromas of dark fruits, hazelnut and dark chocolate, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and refined. Beautiful depth of fruit to this. Best in 2018.James Suckling | 96 JS

This is a crazy nose of tangerines and blueberries, with raspberries and mushroom and berries. Full-bodied, with ultra fine tannins. This wine is all about texture, with phenomenal tannins and subtle fruits that just make you think. Evocative. It is layered, yet changes all the time. I can’t believe it really. Speechless. Amazes me. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 100 JSAn absolutely prodigious blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the 2009 Lafleur displays the tell-tale characteristics of this great estate. Kirsch liqueur, licorice and floral notes are intermixed with raspberry in a very full-bodied, super-intense, opulent and multi-dimensional style. Extraordinarily dense and pure, but not heavy by any means, the intensity, texture, and richness of the 2009 Lafleur are reminiscent of the perfect 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2009 Lafleur (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot) is an incredible wine in the vintage, not due to its concentration or richness, but due to its purity, finesse, and elegance! Revealing a deep ruby/purple color and perfumed notes of black raspberries, violets, forest floor, and spring flowers, this seamless Pomerol hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional, weightless texture, and ultra-fine tannin. With perfectly integrated oak, a perfumed, complex style, and no hard edges, it’s as sexy and seamless as it gets. If this wine doesn’t put a smile on your face, I can’t imagine what would. It’s already impossible to resist (it blossoms with time in the glass) but I suspect it will cruise in the cellar for another 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2009 Lafleur is intense on the nose with darker fruit than the 2009 Ausone: freshly tilled earth, touches of pressed rose petals and a subtle ferrous scent, involving and quite mercurial. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, velvety smooth and a cashmere texture. A mixture of blue and black fruit laced with spice leads to a very composed but powerful finish that lingers for 60+ seconds. This is only just beginning to show what it can do. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97+ VMThis gushes with mouthwatering blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, leading to a long black tea– and incense-filled finish. Darkens up considerably as it airs, with layers of extra flesh, Kenya AA coffee and charcoal notes striding through the finish. Shows an exotic side, and gorgeous mouthfeel. Best from 2015 through 2030. 950 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Even in this super-ripe vintage Figeac retains its usual red bell pepper aroma (from the cabernet sauvignon grape) and that adds a light touch to the opulent fruit cake and spice character. The full fine tannins beautifully support the rich palate and make the finish very long and plush. A great 2009! Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 97 JSDistinctive, with atypical (for St.-Emilion) force and drive to the black currant, roasted cedar and maduro tobacco flavors, which are supported by a dense, loam-tinged structure. Terrific roasted espresso, ganache and fig paste notes wait in reserve. Very muscular, but with the cut for balance. Best from 2017 through 2035. 9,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis is quite a luscious full-bodied Figeac, brimming with black cherry, cassis, raspberry, and other black fruits. Aeration releases an array of spices that adds to its seductive style, with a peppery top note coming from Cabernet Franc. Magnificent depth on the palate with underlying energy and tension. What is remarkable is how subtle and fresh the wine remains despite its strength of character. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 96 DECA ripe year like 2009 is kind to the Cabernet Sauvignon of Château Figeac. The wine is perfumed with new wood and sweet fruits, delicious black currant flavors giving both ripeness and freshness. The wine has weight and impressive density. A star of the vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2009 Château Figeac is the normal blend of close to equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a beautiful wine that has classic Figeac style, yet is more reserved and backward than most in the vintage. Forest floor, truffle, blackcurrants, cigar ash and green tobacco notes all emerge from this full-bodied, ripe, yet pure, elegant Saint-Emilion that has good acidity and plenty of length. The tannins are ripe, yet firm, it’s nicely balanced, and it blossoms with time in the glass. Nevertheless, it needs another 4-5 years of cellaring to hit prime time, and it should keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe medium garnet colored 2009 Figeac features a very pretty perfume of rose hip tea, lilacs and cinnamon stick over a core of red and black currant preserves plus hints of dried herbs and sweaty saddles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers bags of savory fruit layers with plenty of floral sparks, framed by rounded tannins, finishing on a earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2009 Figeac is a gorgeous wine that is really coming into its own. It has quite a precocious bouquet with wild strawberry, blood orange, fig jam, marmalade and gravelly aromas courtesy of the Cabernets. There is real depth on what is quite lush aromatics. The palate is beautifully balanced, very pure with a velvet texture, plenty of ripe red fruit, white pepper, clove, blood orange and kirsch notes, building wonderful towards a powerful yet controlled finish. This is drinking supremely well now, but it will cruise at high altitude for a number of years. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Figeac) I had not seen the 2009 Figeac since the En Primeur barrel tastings in April of 2010, and I was happy to see that it has found its way into bottle with its character intact. This is a very ripe, plush and powerful vintage of Figeac, and at our Washington tasting, it was served at the end of the vertical and may have not shown at its best in the context of following several mature or maturing vintages. In any case, this broad-shouldered Figeac offers up a very ripe and opulent nose of black cherries, a touch of black raspberry, chocolate, sweet nutskins, Cuban tobacco, smoke and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very plush on the attack, with a fine core of thick fruit, ripe, beautifully-integrated tannins and excellent length and grip on the powerful and succulent finish. After wines such as the ’98, ’95 and ’86, this comes across as quite fruit-driven in style- which may simply be a function of such a young wine following on the heels of wines starting to approach maturity- but there is little doubt that the 2009 Figeac is one of the top successes of the vintage. I had initially thought that this might age along the lines of the fine 1982 Figeac, but it seems likely that this will always be a more powerful wine that will not be able to replicate the beautiful elegance of the velvety 1982. That said, the 2009 Figeac is still a beautifully made wine, but stylistically, I much prefer the classic 2008, even if the two vintages are not that dissimilar in terms of absolute quality. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2009 Gracia competes handsomely with the spectacular 2005 and 2000 vintages. A slightly more evolved and fleshy effort, the inky/purple-hued 2009 (75 % Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a massive, thick powerhouse with 14.5% natural alcohol. Proprietor Michel Gracia often makes a wine that is similar to that of his friend, the proprietor of Ausone. Blueberry, blackberry, licorice, forest floor, smoke and graphite aromas jump from the glass of this unctuously textured, layered, multidimensional St.-Emilion. Displaying an inner core of extract (yields were only 19 hectoliters per hectare) and not a hard edge to be found, this youthful 2009 tastes more like a barrel sample than a finished wine. It will benefit from 5-10 years of cellaring and should last for 3-4 decades.Robert Parker | 98 RP(15% alcohol): Bright, deep ruby-red. Sexy blueberry, mineral and smoky oak aromas are lifted by a violet topnote. Fat, sweet, dense and plush but not monolithic, showing good spicy lift and delineation to the superconcentrated black fruit and smoky oak flavors. Finishes with very suave tannins and a hint of chocolate mint. This may well surpass Michel Gracia’s outstanding 2005 release, as the new wine shows flamboyant early personality.Vinous Media | 94 VMBlackberry with earth and spices follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a long caressing finish. Plenty of ripe fruit underneath the structure. Try in 2017.James Suckling | 94 JSThis exhibits ripe, succulent flesh and nice concentration to its core of plum, cassis and blackberry fruit, all laced with anise, toasted spice and sweet tobacco notes. Has heft but stays nicely polished through the finish. Very solid. Drink now through 2019. 375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A delicious Pomerol that manages to combine the richness the appellation is famous for with a lovely freshness and vitality. I love the elegant tannins that makes this turn ever drier as it flows over the palate. Plenty of life at the bright finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)James Suckling | 94 JSThis is a noticeably grippier style, showing a chunky edge to the bittersweet cocoa and charcoal notes which support the core of dark fig and blackberry fruit. This has good, racy structure though, so it should settle down with cellaring. Best from 2014 through 2027. 4,580 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 93 WSThis has some evident caramel on the palate, going long on silky, gourmet edging. Those brushed, rich Pomerol tannins are clearly in evidence too, along with dark cassis fruits that add a more sombre edge, emphasising a concentrated expression. Good quality, although lacking some finesse.Decanter | 93 DECStructured, but so rich, with the tannins enveloped by sweet plum fruits and excellent acidity. The wine is juicy, sweet and darkly rich. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2009 Nenin is medium garnet colored and features notes of menthol, pencil lead and damp soil over a core of warm red and black currants, stewed plums and sautéed herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, restrained and refreshing in the mouth with a pleasantly chewy texture framing the red and black fruits, finishing with an herbal lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2009 Nénin has a high-toned bouquet with cassis, liquorice and cough candy aromas, attractive in a way although, not enough Pomerol for my liking. The palate is medium-bodied with a very sweet core of fruit, cassis and blueberry, low in acidity with a sumptuous and rounded finish. I appreciate the smooth texture but, I have encountered plenty of other vintages of Nénin with more complexity. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits’ Ten Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMBased on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 Château Nenin is showing beautifully, with a touch of maturity in its ripe blackcurrant and smoky blackberry fruits as well as notes of dried tobacco, chocolate, crushed rock, and cedary aromas and flavors. With plenty of tannins, good concentration, and medium to full-bodied richness, it’s in the early stages of its drink window and will be even better with another 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15+.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

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

Inky, bluish/black/purple, with notes of spring flowers, licorice, camphor, graphite, and a boatload of blueberry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit, this is a powerful, full-bodied Troplong Mondot. All the building components of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol are judiciously and impressively integrated. It is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente with the consultancy help of Michel Rolland. I-m not sure what the heady alcohol level is in Troplong Mondot in 2010 (it certainly must be in the 15%+ range), but it is well-concealed behind the extravagant, richness, full-bodied power, and pure nobility of this majestic wine. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades.An absolutely stunning wine from this estate, which seems to be on a mission to produce exquisite world-class wines with enormous aging potential, the 2010 is showing better from bottle than it even did from barrel.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2010 Troplong Mondot, which clocks in at 15.8% alcohol no less, actually has developed an elegant bouquet with perfumed red berry fruit laced with rose petal, sous-bois and pencil box aromas, focused and quite delineated. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. There is a fair whack of new oak and alcohol evident here, but that velvety finish and its persistence will be irresistible to those that like almost "brash" Saint-Émilions. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VMRipe and dense, but very vibrant and energetic, as a torrent of cassis, blackberry coulis and fig paste rushes through, framed by enticing black licorice and evenly roasted alder and juniper notes. The long finish has lots of grip and acidity, but they work together and are deeply embedded. Captures the fruit and structure of the vintage superbly. Best from 2015 through 2030. 6,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSVery intense blackberry and blueberry character on the nose. Full body with super refined tannins and beautiful fruit. So delicious and pretty. Very rich and a little high-octane. Yet luscious and flamboyant. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSOne of the wines that I was most excited about retasting, just to check in on how this older style of Troplong has aged. The fruit factor here centres on fig and prunes, it is impressive, broad shouldered, concentrated and full of exotic spicing. No one would say this won’t make an impression on a table, but you feel the manipulation, it is far from effortless. Higher alcohol evident, in a way that is rare in this vintage that has everything turned up to the max, and frankly 16%abv is extremely hard to reconcile with the balance that most people look for in Bordeaux. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040Decanter | 92 DECClocking in at 16%, this is a massive wine. Heady smoky wood aromas have given the wine a dry character. The immense palate has bitterness, extract and a solid core of tannins. It has considerable weight, just beginning to develop, although the alcohol does show through at the end.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Another spectacular effort from L’Evangile, the 2010 is a close rival to the 2009 and should be fascinating to compare with that vintage over the next 30 or so years. Stunningly rich and black/purple in color, the 2010 L’Evangile offers up the tell-tale floral note as well as black raspberry jam intermixed with cassis and kirsch. There are also ethereal floral notes and a hint of background oak. The pH is slightly above average (3.7 versus the pH of 4.0 that the 2009 and 2000 possessed). This is a massive, rich, very impressive L’Evangile, and readers should take note of the “+” in my rating, which could certainly push this wine way up there. Remarkably, I was shocked when I learned that this wine was aged in 100% new oak, as the oak is a background element in this blockbuster l’Evangile. Forget it for 3-5 years, and drink it over the following 30-40.With an alcohol level hitting the scales at 14.8%, the 2,000 cases of 2010 L’Evangile come from a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, which I assume is much less Cabernet Franc than what was used under the old administration of the Ducasse family versus what is being done now by Eric de Rothschild and his team. The new administrators have added some vineyard parcels from neighboring sites, particularly Le Croix de Gay, and they have also replanted part of this vineyard, which sits on the St.-Emilion border next to La Conseillante and facing Cheval Blanc and La Dominique.Robert Parker | 98+ RPA Pomerol of a different color, relying heavily on dense muscle and dark charcoal notes, with a core of fig, blackberry paste and blueberry reduction waiting in reserve. Very solid through the finish, displaying a thick ganache coating and extra loam, black licorice and dark fig notes rolling through. Best from 2017 through 2037. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSConcentrated and closed on the nose, this has silky, seductive, finely-layered tannins, with tons of fruit and acidity providing the counterpoint. We are very definitely stepping up a level here, even among the extremely good quality wines that I am tasting. The depth and texture are striking, as are the exotic notes of anis and black peppercorns, and the whispers of iris and violet flowers as things open up in the glass. Such a lovely property, really showing what it can do.Decanter | 97 DECSuperb aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violets and citrus peel. Some oyster shell and dark chocolate. Full body, dense and powerful with chewy tannins and lots of rich fruit at the finish. Turns to walnut and dark berry. I love the texture and richness. A wine to follow for your lifetime. Just opening a little now.James Suckling | 96 JSGood medium ruby. Enticing aromas of dark plum, blackcurrant, coffee liqueur and cinnamon are lifted by an intense note of violet. Sweet, lush and round, combining a fine-grained texture and terrific focus thanks to vibrant but harmonious acidity. Finishes very long and pure, with ripe but still youthfully chewy tannins. This very attractive 2010 ought to evolve gracefully for decades.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château l’Évangile) The 2010 Château l’Évangile is one of the big-boned wines in Pomerol in this vintage, with an alcohol content of 14.6 percent, due to eighty-eight percent of the blend this year being comprised of merlot. The wine offers up a very deep, complex and slightly overripe nose of black raspberries, black cherries, chocolate, a bit of new leather, some meaty tones, soil and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite well-balanced for its high octane, but with a slightly marinated aspect to the fruit tones. The finish is very long, ripely tannic and tangy, but with both the substantial tannins and the tangy acids very well-integrated into the body of the wine. This will probably never be the most refined of vintages of Château l’Évangile, but if it can shed a bit of its overripe qualities with bottle age, it should place at the higher end of the scale. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 87-92 JG

The most fun in Bordeaux these days is getting a ’10 and ’09 side by side. This has the fruit to match its older counterpart, though it’s a shade darker, with anise, plum, blackberry and black currant notes stitched together, while the charcoal and graphite structure is more evident but just as integrated. Remarkably dense, but without any sense of brooding or unnecessary muscle, this is about as finely tuned as a wine can be.—Non-blind La Fleur-Pétrus vertical (December 2015). Best from 2020 through 2040. 3,700 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 98 WSWhat a complex nose of dark fruits, truffles and wet earth. Fascinating. Full, yet super long with ultra refined tannins and a long, long finish. It is tannic and muscular but polished and reserved. It’s a wine with refinement and power.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThis is an incredible effort from this 35-acre vineyard (almost the identical size as Petrus). I had visited the 2010 Petrus about an hour before I had La Fleur Petrus. I was dumbfounded – it appeared to have a character nearly identical to the great Petrus! The fabulous 2010 La Fleur Petrus boasts a dense purple color in addition to a big, sweet perfume of mocha-infused black raspberry and black cherry fruit that is extravagantly rich, textured and long. Super-pure, deep and full-bodied, this remarkable wine will be one for the history books. The tannins are elevated, but the depth of fruit and richness are amazing. For those who will never be able to afford a bottle of Petrus, this is about as close as one can get to the aromas and flavors of that mythical wine. It should drink well for three decades or more.Robert Parker | 95-98+ RP(Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Perhaps not the depth of today’s La Fleur Petrus but packed full of elegant, silky and sexy tannins, and is open right now, ready to welcome you in with tobacco, ash, crushed blackberry and blueberry fruits, chocolate shavings and creamy vanilla bean. (Drink between 2020-2042)Decanter | 95 DEA majestic wine, grand in every sense. It has weight, the firmest of tannins and an immense sense of structure. This neighbor of Château Pétrus is firmly dense, showing both the fruits and the tannins in balance. Give this wine at least 10 years in the cellar.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2010 La Fleur-Pétrus does not quite compete with the 2010 Gazin on the nose. It is more low-key than expected with brambly red fruit, loamy soil, wild heather and bay leaf scents, but it just lacks a little intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. This feels well balanced and poised, a more gentle Pomerol than its peers with a feminine and quite persistent finish. You could drink this now although I would prefer to leave it another couple of years to see if it can replicate its more impressive showing after bottling. Tasted at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Lafleur-Pétrus) The 2010 Lafleur-Pétrus is an unqualified success in this vintage, as it offers up excellent complexity and depth on both the nose and palate. The first rate bouquet delivers scents of black cherries, plums, chocolate, a nice touch of tobacco leaf, gravelly soil tones, coffee bean and a discrete framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with ripe, firm tannins, fine focus and balance and truly exceptional length and grip on the complex finish. This is one 2010 Pomerol that does not push the envelope of ripeness and is much the better for its veneer of restraint. Lovely wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG

A big, bold wine with unbelievable power and concentration. Low yields and a dominance of Cabernet Franc have produced an immensely concentrated wine. Still very young, this magnificent wine holds the promise of great aging.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2010 Ausone struck me as another brilliant, potentially perfect wine, which should come as no shock to people who have been following Vauthier’s work over the last decade or more. Backward and intense, this wine offers up notes of crushed chalk/rock mineralilty interwoven with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis as well as some graphite and vanillin. It is incredibly rich but at the same time precise, fresh and vivacious. This is a super wine, but it will require enormous patience from its potential suitors. Forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 50+ years.One of the other perfectionist, compulsive producers in St.-Emilion is Alain Vauthier, who is now capably assisted by his daughter.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe nose is so deep and almost endless with dried strawberries, blueberries, and incense. Citrus too. Some prunes. Full body, with chewy yet polished tannin quality and tension. Beautiful focus and balance with a richness and delicacy at the same time. Something almost Burgundian. It’s the purity of fruit. 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2010 Ausone has a rich, opulent, modern style bouquet with crème de cassis and blueberry aromas tinged with crushed violet. There is plenty of new oak here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a ton of blue and black fruit. It does not quite deliver the personality of its peers, although the velvety texture is very alluring. Maybe it will develop into something more interesting with bottle age, possibly going through a close phase? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94+ VMVery sappy and intense, offering racy red licorice, red currant and violet notes, with nice taut acidity and a long, minerally finish. Combines power and austerity, with excellent drive. For those who like backbone in their wines.Wine Spectator | 94-97 WS(Château Ausone) The 2010 Ausone is a bit of a letdown, but this was not a particularly good vintage on the Right Bank. The nose is deep, sappy and very ripe, but nearly avoids overripeness, as it offers up a complex blend of black cherries, coffee, woodsmoke, tobacco leaf, a suave blend of classy new oak and just a touch of framboise in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and just a touch fiery, with firm, ripe and well-integrated tannins, some brusque acidity and a very long, complex and seriously tannic finish. The free range acids here are currently more worrisome than the hard tannins, as there should be sufficient depth of fruit here to eventually outlast the tannins. But those acids will need to be assimilated into the body of the wine to allow this wine to attain Ausone’s customary level of seamless elegance when the wine is eventually mature. At this point in time, this is not at all clear that this will happen, but perhaps the 2010 Ausone was just very late out of malo and the coarseness of the acidity today is simply a reflection of that phenomenon. However, no one at the château seemed non-plussed about the showing of the wine. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 87-92+ JG

(Château Canon, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Vivid, crystal-clear fruit aromas, juicy black cherry, ripe plum and succulent blackberry, combining with artisanal dark chocolate, violet and fresh tobacco leaf, making this wine incredibly complex and still very youthful. Its layered and finely textured palate almost hides powerful density, with freshness to balance opulence, leading to a long finish. Serve with beef Wellington. Or cellar for 10 years for more tertiary flavours. (Drink between 2022-2065)Decanter | 98 DECDeep garnet colored, the 2010 Canon features wonderfully expressive notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and baked black cherries with hints of mocha, bay leaves and fallen leaves. Full-bodied, opulent and super spicy, it has a plush texture with a racy line supporting the hedonic fruit, finishing with jaw-dropping persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPWonderful nose with strawberries, cherry blossom, and vanilla. The red opens up with blueberries, milk chocolate and sweet licorice. Full and juicy on palate with pure dark fruit and velvety tannins. So nicely layered texture and long in the finish with red fruit and crushed chalk. The texture is superb. Drink from 2018.James Suckling | 96 JSPowerful, complex and ripe, this is a magnificent and concentrated wine. Juicy blackberry fruits, tight acidity and finely integrated tannins give a smooth, rich texture. This beautiful wine has long-term aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShows the velvety, more hedonistic style that marked the wines under the previous winemaker, with lush blackberry and boysenberry fruit inlaid with ample toast and singed spice, displaying wonderful integration. This has shed some of its flash, as the vintage is big enough to soak it up. Still has a ways to go to.—Non-blind Canon vertical (December 2016). Best from 2020 through 2030. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Château Canon) The 2010 Château Canon is one of the absolute successes in the commune in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, powerful and nicely reserved, offering up scents of black cherries, dark berries, menthol, woodsmoke, tobacco ash, soil and just a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, broad-shouldered, full-bodied and impressively pure for the vintage, with a fine core, substantial, ripe tannins, low acids and excellent length and grip on the chewy finish. The blend this year is comprised of seventy-five percent merlot and twenty-five percent cabernet franc and (sadly), one-quarter of the wine’s malo was done in small barrels this year. There is no mention of the wine’s alcohol level in 2010 in the technical data that I received, but it is probably around 14.5 percent. But a noteworthy success. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2010 Canon is a little disappointing on the nose in the context of a strong Right Bank flight. It feels a little loose-knit, lacks the same pixelation as its peers. It almost reminds me of a mature Chambolle-Musigny! The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly minty opening. Matters improve with fine structure, gentle grip and some lovely black truffle notes towards the finish. Perhaps there are better bottles out there? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Tasted at the Trotanoy vertical in Hong Kong, the 2010 Trotanoy was consistent with my previous tasting notes. The bouquet, this time, was unapologetically Pomerol whereas in the past it has swayed a little towards Saint Emilion. There are still those hints of marmalade that infuse the black fruit, although there is now more mineralité emerging. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine but firm tannin. Again, the mineralité locked into this wine is at a level that I have not seen before, and the energy, the coiled-up tension on the finish is just outstanding. Is it as good as the 2009? Perhaps not quite...but, it is not far off. Tasted November 2016.Robert Parker | 98 RPDense and slightly chewy, this features girders of charcoal-coated grip running from start to finish, along with bay leaf, smoldering tobacco and warm tar. But don’t be fooled--there’s also loads of fruit, offering dark plum, blackberry and black currant notes, laced with hints of mulling spice and alder. Terrific old-school grip powers the finish, and should easily pull this through two decades in the cellar. The brick-house Pomerol of the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2040. 1,900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSWarm days and cold nights were the signature of 2010, similar in many ways to a typical Californian vintage. This is particularly good for giving concentration and complexity to the resulting wines, and the abundance of polyphenols is clear in the colour that you see in the glass. This is still seriously closed compared to the 2009 - the structure is bigger but the fruit between the lines is fleshy and welcoming. It’s not as exuberant as the 2009, and still needs time or a serious few hours in a decanter. The tannic power of Trotanoy is on full display here, but so too is the purity of expression, and layers of liquorice, blackberry, blackcurrant, slate and smoked rosemary you can peel off one-by-one. Drinking Window 2020 - 2044.Decanter | 98 DECStunning nose with wild strawberries, vanilla and raspberries. Opens up with a little time in the glass to sweet licorice, blueberries and some graphite. Round and full on the palate with an amazing fruit and refined tannins. Truly superb. Hard not to drink now. Try from 2016.James Suckling | 98 JSA complex wine, exhibiting smoky tannins, rich fruit, a dark texture and concentration. Produced by the Moueix winemaking team, it feels complete with its sense of style and elegance as well as weight. Give this powerful wine many years in the cellar.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2010 Trotanoy is surly and backward on the nose, clearly a Pomerol demanding extended cellaring. The palate is medium-bodied, its bold tannic chassis just beginning to soften. This has a superb bead of acidity threaded through the bell pepper-tinged, tertiary black fruit with a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. This is clearly a Pomerol of real pedigree and I adore its truffly aftertaste. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94+ VM(Château Trotanoy) I had been very impressed with 2010 Château Trotanoy out of barrel, as I found this to be one of the very finest examples of the vintage. Out of bottle, the wine seems to be delivering on its early promise, and tough it will always be a big-boned and very ripe example of Trotanoy (tipping the scales at 14.5 percent alcohol), there is a lot more to like here than in most examples of this vintage! The nose is very ripe, but does not show any signs of sur maturité in its sappy bouquet of black cherries, plums, chocolate, cigar ash, violets, lovely soil tones and toasty oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and opulent on the attack, with a rock solid core, with firm, very substantial tannins, tangy (but, reasonably ripe) acids and a very, very long, complex and youthful finish. The wine is starting to show just a touch of backend heaviness from the vintage, and it seems that I overrated this a touch from barrel. But, although this will never be my favorite recent vintage of Trotanoy (give me the powerful, but much more classic 2009 or the utterly refined and majestic 2008!), but it is a stellar success for the vintage. (Drink between 2025-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG

A little darker and deeper in colour than the 2009 at this stage, but both remain young, fresh and full of promise. The depth to the fruit is evident, black cherry, chocolate shavings and black truffles with great shots of acidity through the entire body of the wine. Just dripping with succulent fruit and seduction, this is the most Pomerol of the lineup, surprisingly, perhaps, taking that crown from the 2009. Still young even at 11 years old, will settle in and open further over the next few years. Violet aromatics curl out of the glass as it opens. 85% new oak. A yield of 39hl/ha. (Drink between 2021-2044)Decanter | 98 DECBeautiful nose with cocoa powder, exotic flowers, candied violets and loads of dark berries. Great aromatic complexity. Amazing texture on palate with a superb precision and silky tannins. So beautifully composed showing already great harmony. Difficult to wait! Better in 2018.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2010 La Conseillante has a magnificent bouquet with pixelated black fruit laced with cedar and pencil lead aromas. It is a penetrating and multi-faceted bouquet that just blossoms with aeration. The palate is supremely well balanced with filigree tannins and immense purity, very sustained and conveying immense energy on the finish. Surely the best La Conseillante under former winemaker Jean-Michel Laporte. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2010 La Conseillante is a tour de force that will rival the 2005, 2000 and 1990 at maturity. Just loaded with notions of blackcurrants, damp earth, tobacco leaf, violets and toasty oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building, ripe tannin, and a huge finish. Sexy and opulent, yet also classy and elegant, it’s a sensational Pomerol that has another three decades of life ahead of itJeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDA brilliant effort from this property, known for the sheer elegance and finesse of its wines, the 2010 La Conseillante offers back-to-back monumental efforts, particularly given the remarkable 2009. This estate has been on a hot streak of late. The 2010 is a slightly bigger, richer wine, but without losing its floral, elegant mulberry, black raspberry and sweet kirsch notes. Combine those with some licorice, subtle new oak and a hint of forest floor, and the result is a medium to full-bodied, rich, complex wine that has striking aromatics and perfect balance in the mouth. Forget it for 3-5 years and drink it over the following 30.Robert Parker | 96 RPFeatures substantial but very velvety structure running from start to finish, delivering a muscular feel for now. The hard edges are fully absorbed by the core of plum sauce, steeped blackberry and warm boysenberry reduction notes. The finish offers gorgeous tobacco and ganache accents lurking in the wings, along with flickers of anise and incense that should guide this version to increased elegance with age. Best from 2016 through 2034. 4,000 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe tannins are huge, very dense, packing through the ripe fruit. At first it tastes like a mouthful of wood and fruit tannins, then the potential of the fruit becomes apparent. That gives a wine with a great, final acidity and finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE(Château La Conseillante) Despite the 2010 La Conseillante tipping the scales at 14.5 percent alcohol, this wine seems decidedly cooler and more poised than its 2009 counterpart did a year ago. The blend this year is made up of eighty percent merlot and twenty percent cabernet franc. The lovely bouquet is deep, pure and shows no signs of overripeness in its mélange of black raspberries, black cherries, chocolate, gravelly soil tones, smoke and a very judicious base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and tangy, with lovely focus and mid-palate depth, moderate, ripe tannins and excellent length and grip on the classy finish. One can certainly sense that the folks at La Conseillante were very careful not to over-extract the wine in 2010, and the result is one of the best, “hot vintage” La Conseillantes that I can ever recall. A superb wine. (Drink between 2020-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2010 Le Gay is performing sensationally, even better than my wildly enthusiastic tasting notes from barrel might have predicted. Inky opaque purple, and presenting a formidable and foreboding nose of camphor, black truffles, graphite, blueberries and blackberries as well as hints of smoked meats and floral nuances. Just about everything seems to be present in this smorgasbord of aromatics delights. The wine hits the palate with power, richness and purity, full-bodied texture, and enormous intensity. The final blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. This wine needs at least 8-10 years of cellaring, based on its masculinity and structure, and should easily eclipse 20-40 years in a good cellar.This tiny gem of a property has been pushing the quality envelope aggressively since it was purchased by proprietress Catherine Pere-Verge in 2004, and it has hit pay dirt in 2010.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2010 Le Gay is a powerhouse in the vintage and is still young and backward, but oozes potential. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, wood smoke, and an incredible minerality all emerge from this concentrated, rich, yet oh, so elegant and seamless 2010. Full-bodied, deep, layered and concentrated, with perfectly integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol, this tour de force needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for another 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDFeatures a gorgeous, velvety mouthfeel, offering layer upon layer of crushed plum, warm linzer torte, steeped blackberry and anise notes, lined with black tea and well-singed wood spice notes. A beautiful combination of weight and grace, boasting a long, mineral-tinged finish that lets the fruit drip luxuriously. A real showstopper. Best from 2015 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA lovely example of how enjoyable Pomerol can be in 2010, this is already open and relatively accessible, but still powerfully packed with flavour and personality. A truly impressive vintage from this property, showcasing the full potential of this corner of the appellation, rippling with tar, graphite, truffles and vanilla bean. Great stuff from the late Catherine Pere-Verge. 100% new oak. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045Decanter | 95 DECThe 2010 Le Gay has a fabulous concentrated bouquet with black plum, brambly red fruit, orange pith and light black truffle aromas, complex and among the finest that you will find in the appellation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannin, an equal measure of red and black fruit laced with white pepper, Chinese 5-spice and bay leaf. Very cohesive, this fans out wonderfully on the finish and retains impressive delineation from start to finish. One of the best wines from Le Gay in recent years though my score implies it may be amidst a dumb phase. Tasted at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94+ VMFeminine violet nose with beautiful polished purple fruit, vanilla and some Seville orange. Dense and full-bodied on the palate with dancing acidity and soft fine tannins. Very pleasant already now. So delicious. Give it time. Try after 2016.James Suckling | 94 JS

Power combined with elegance in the 2010. A dusting of dark cocoa powder, cola, mint, exotic sweet spices, caramel, toast and blackcurrants on the nose. Juicy and vibrant, more lean than I was expecting, tannins are fine and supportive with clear austerity and bitterness around the edge, giving a spiced frame that lets the fruit pulse through the middle. This is certainly on the intense side, but not weighty at all, concentration balanced by high acidity and a lovely stony minerality underneath that, really puts you in St-Emilion on the terroir. Direct and focussed, precise and lifted with a minty, liquorice finish. Feels like a very representative TrotteVieille though give this more time before opening.Decanter | 96 DECAn extracted wine, showing bitter chocolate as much as fruit. There is a core of dark tannins, very firm, with licorice, wood and a tight texture. Often Trottevieille shows this austerity when young, and this 2010 is no exception. It will develop slowly into a serious and concentrated wine.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEComposed of 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Merlot, the 2010 Trotte Vieille is deep garnet in color and starts off with some sweaty leather notions on the nose, giving way to a core of baked black plums, dried mulberries and fruitcake plus wafts of fallen leaves and tobacco. Full-bodied, the palate has a taut line of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the baked berry layers, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2010 Trotte Vieille is very ripe and almost Mediterranean in style on the nose: black olives and liquorice infusing the rich red fruit, just a hint of hung game in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous, almost Châteauneuf in style with a pinch of spicebox and sage towards the finish. Drinking perfectly now, but where is it going to go? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 91 VMDark and ripe, but nicely polished, with a dark tea and roasted cedar frame to the currant paste and fig notes. The solid finish is well-coated with ganache and smolders nicely with a lingering tobacco hint that should emerge steadily in this slightly old-school version. Best from 2014 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

An absolutely stunning example from this up-and-coming estate, which has been performing on all cylinders of late, the 2010 Rouget has a dense plum/purple color, a beautifully sweet, expansive nose of spice box and a touch of toasty oak as well as copious quantities of black currants, cherries and plum. Supple and full-bodied, with a powerful mouthfeel and a hint of graphite, this is a deep rich, full-throttle, very sexy and opulent Rouget to drink over the next 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 93 RPSpicy nose with coffee, mulberries and milk chocolate. Bright red fruit on palate with a wonderful sweetness and fine soft tannins. Dense and profound but very subtle at the same time. Beautifully structured and with good length. Very enjoyable now, but tannins will soften over the next two to three years. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 93 JSDense, with good mouthfeel, offering notes of velvety, warm raspberry and boysenberry confiture. Kept lively by enticing spice, anise, bergamot and mandarin orange hints. The long, clove- and charcoal-studded finish glides along impressively. Best from 2015 through 2027. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2010 Rouget has a well defined and pure bouquet with brambly red berry fruit, undergrowth and cedar developing in the glass. I appreciate the control of these aromatics. The palate is fleshy on the entry with ripe red fruit, supple and lithe with a fair bit of creamy oak on the finish that is admittedly very seductive. Enjoy over the next twelve years. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This is more precise and focused with black truffle and berry. Full body, layered and refined. Beautiful freshness and form. Framed.James Suckling | 97 JSThis takes the power of the vintage and puts it in its pocket for later, preferring instead to let mouthwatering briar, loganberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit strut its way forward, enlivened with roasted wood spice and supported by suavely but thoroughly embedded iron-tinged structure. Should cruise for two decades. Best from 2016 through 2035. Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2010’s final blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc offers up impressive levels of red, blue and black fruits as well as some toasty oak and crushed rock, giving it minerality. Of course, the acidity in this vintage, with its lower pHs than 2009, provide a freshness and precision that is rare for wines so rich. This wine has plenty of tannin, so give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25-30 years.This is a great wine from Comte Leo de Malet Roquefort’s estate, which has been owned by his family since the 1400s. Normally this estate tends to produce a relatively finesse-styled St.-Emilion, and the 2010 still leans in that direction, but it has more fat, muscle and sinew than in most vintages. The choice of Stephane Derenoncourt to manage the vineyard seems to have resulted in much lower yields, and ultimately a wine with much more richness and persistence on the palate.Robert Parker | 95+ RPA big, bold, ripe wine with firm tannins and dark, solid fruits. The wine has acidity coming from the black currant flavors. Continuing the impressive quality of wines from La Gaffelière, it has weight and a rich feel to it, along with a tight, mineral final texture. This is a wine that is elegant as well as powerful.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WELightly savoury nose, but the black fruits still come through. Good natural tannins refresh the palate and there’s very good, lifted fruit, with fine texture and good length. A well-balanced, stylish, poised and elegant St-Émilion.Decanter | 91 DEC

From a great, great vintage for all of Bordeaux, the 2010 Pavie Decesse is based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that emerges from a vineyard sitting just above Chateau Pavie and was raised in new French oak. This inky beauty is still a baby yet offers incredible opulence in its huge nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, scorched earth, woodsmoke, chocolate, and graphite. With a distinct sense of minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, good acidity, and a monster of a finish, it is accessible today in a youthful sense yet needs another decade at a minimum to approach maturity. It will be a 50-60+ year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis is fascinating with a nutty, dried herb, spices, berry and hints of toasted character. Full body, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. This has a wonderful density of fruit and length. Amazing. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 97 JSA Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% natural alcohol, the higher percentage of Merlot in this wine than in the Pavie gives it a stunning opulence, thickness and luxuriousness. Opaque purple, with notes of mulberry and kirsch liqueur leaning toward blacker fruits, subtle smoked meats and some lead pencil and vanillin, this is another brawny, full-bodied, yet remarkably precise and fresh style of wine despite its sensational extract and power. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30-40 years.This vineyard has shrunk, as part of it was incorporated into its more famous sibling, Chateau Pavie. It is now 8.5 acres sitting slightly higher on the slope above Pavie.Robert Parker | 96 RP(15% alcohol): Saturated dark ruby. High-toned aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and crushed-rock minerality. Layered and powerful on the palate, but with highly concentrated cassis, black raspberry and dark chocolate flavors energized by pungent chalky minerality and strong acidity. One feels the 15% alcohol in the wine’s sheer size and chewy texture but the impressively long finish shows more tangy energy than heat. Needs five or six years of patience, but this comes across as considerably less tanninc and forbidding than the Pavie.Vinous Media | 94 VMHedonist alert—dense, fleshy layers of fig sauce, warm cocoa, dark currant confiture and exotic spice fill this red, which also shows plenty of grip, with a smoldering wood note on the back end.Wine Spectator | 93-96 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

Tasted from several bottles in recent months, the 2012 Canon is a stupendous wine for the vintage and if anything, it appears to be improving with each encounter. It clearly serves up more than enough volume and fruit intensity on the nose compared to the impressive 2011 Canon: it is very pure with black cherries, wild strawberry, asphalt and blood orange. This is very well defined and beautifully focused. The palate is medium-bodied, silky smooth and with that thrilling sense of frisson. There is so much vivacity wound up inside this Saint Emilion that it would not surprise me if it turns out to be one of the very best in 2012. Tasted January 2017.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2012 Canon is a rich, smoky, meaty 2012 that checks in as blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Ripe black cherries, melted licorice, chocolate, and a touch of scorched earth all emerge from this classic, structured effort that has terrific concentration, a pure, backward style, ripe tannin, and a great finish. It’s nowhere near ready for primetime (this wine didn’t start to open up until the second day after opening) and needs a solid 5-7 years of cellaring but will see its 30th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDA red with blueberry, blackberry and walnut character. Chocolate too. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. This is tight and dense. Extremely polished tannins and a long finish. Another 2001. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 93 JS(Château Canon) Château Canon is one of the top wines yet again in St. Émilion in the 2012 vintage, despite the percentage of the blend undergoing malo in barrel creeping up to thirty percent in this vintage (it was about twenty-five percent in 2010- though I am not sure when this practice started here). The cépages this year is seventy percent merlot and thirty percent cabernet franc, the alcohol content is fourteen percent, and the wine was raised in eighty percent new wood. The harvest started here on October 3rd for the merlot, and was completed by October 16th for the last of the cabernet franc. The superb nose offers up a ripe and very pure blend of blackberries, black cherries, menthol, Cuban tobacco, a great base of soil, espresso and a stylish base of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with ripe tannins, excellent focus and balance and a long, nascently complex and very, very classy finish. A beautiful Canon in the making. (Drink between 2025-2070).John Gilman | 93+ JGThis dense, extracted wine has dark coffee and bitter chocolate flavors that are followed by wood and tannins. The fruit is still obscured, and may need many years for its dark character to emerge.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEGood bright red-ruby. Coffee and chocolate scents of new oak complement deep strawberry and dark cherry aromas on the brooding nose. On the palate, sweet cassis, black plum and mineral flavors are lifted by an element of peppery herbs. Finishes youthfully dry, with building tannins and suggestions of herbs, pepper and mint. Lovely balance and precision here: Canon has really turned the corner in the last several years.Vinous Media | 89-92 VMDisplays a rather firm coating of chalk dust and vanilla notes, with a core of subdued plum and blackberry fruit. Verges on an extracted feel, but comes out solid and sculpted in the end.Wine Spectator | 88-91 WSBeautifully poised wine. Fresh, elegant and perfumed on the nose. Juicy and fine on the palate. Delicate extraction. Fine, long tannins. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

Aromas of flowers, stones and hints of tobacco. Medium-bodied, very fine and pretty. The 18% cabernet sauvignon and 13% cabernet franc make the difference. Coolest Quinault ever. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Quinault L’Enclos has meat and dried blood-infused red fruit on the nose, possibly with some expressive Cabernet Franc in the mix. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly green tannins on the entry that are framed by fresh black fruit. There is fine tension and a sense of energy conveyed by the finish and it should age well. Time to raise my score. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2014 Quinault l’Enclos, which was the first vintage to utilize larger 500-liter barrels and also the first to utilize the newly planted Cabernet Sauvignon to lend structure. Now in bottle, this Saint Emilion has an attractive bouquet with brambly red berry fruit, predominantly raspberry preserve and a touch of loganberries. The oak here is neatly folded into the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with soft tannin on the entry. Although the Cabernet Sauvignon does lend more backbone, I was quite surprised how approachable this Quinault l’Enclos is, partly because of the growing season. It is certainly harmonious, without enormous depth or grip, the dash of black pepper on the finish a pleasing way to finish off.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NMThe wine from this estate within the city of Libourne is packed with the most delicious Merlot. Ripe, layered with acidity and with intense red fruits, it is a rich red. Red currant and red-berry flavors dominate this generous full-bodied wine. Drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

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

A wine that will be a candidate for perfection at maturity, the 2015 Valandraud is a heavenly wine that exhibits a deep, saturated ruby/purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, crème caramel, graphite, and chocolate. This full-bodied, expansive, super concentrated 2015 is a hedonistic dream and has exceptional purity, balance, and equilibrium. While it offers pleasure today, it needs short-term cellaring and will keep for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2015 Valandraud is blessed with a stunning, brilliantly defined and focused bouquet, quite penetrating in style yet so young and primal. This is all about potential. The palate is supremely well balanced with perfectly assimilated oak, satin-like in texture with wonderful precision and length. About as good as it gets. Class, class, class. Jean-Luc hits the ball out of the park. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMPlenty of toasty oak and extract here. This has immensely concentrated fruits with powerful yet silky tannins. Blackberry and dark-plum aromas dominate the nose with hints of dark chocolate and candied orange. Flavors follow suit amid fluid, muscular tannins that hold long into the finish. Great wine. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSSince the first vintage in 1991, this wine and its vineyard have travelled far. Now close to the top of the classification tree in Saint-Émilion, this vintage shows the impressive nature of this powerful wine. With a good balance between acidity and black fruits backed up by tannins, the wine is powerful and stylish. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEJean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud acquired their first 0.6 hectare site near Château Pavie-Macquin in 1989. They continued to purchase further plots in Saint-Émilion over the years and now own eleven hectares in total. Closely associated with the garagiste movement and much heralded by Robert Parker, the couple’s wines are often described as pioneering. Château Valandraud was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé status in 2012 and has an annual production of 30,000 bottles. The vines are an average of 30 years old and are grown on limestone clay soils.JA: This is an excellent flight so far, real depth and quality on display, gorgeous juice and texture and definition. Persistency through the finish, this hangs on and delivers, clear sapidity and salinity on the finish.AH: Needs a little more time to fully resolve. Firm tannins, quite dry on the palate at the moment. Lots of ripe fruit here, dark berry and plum but restrained oak and potential to age. Tannins a little grainy. Great focus and depth. Classy and memorable.TT: Opaque ruby. Very intense aromatics ranging from violet fragrance to black ink to cherry to allspice. Rich concentrated plum and cherry fruit flavours and velvety fine tannins with a long finish and mouth-filling flavours. (Drink between 2024-2043)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2015 Valandraud is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a profound nose of baked cherries, warm black plums, blueberry preserves and smoked meats with tilled earth, mocha, Indian spices and dried herbs nuances plus a touch of licorice. The mouth is big, full-bodied and powerful with notable, velvety tannins and it is packed with savory and spice flavor layers, finishing with epic length. This big-boned, voluptuous, Rubenesque beauty will blow hedonists’ minds!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPMelted licorice, plum sauce and blackberry puree notes flow through here, with ample but velvety structure running underneath. Alluring ganache, violet and tobacco accents add nuance on the finish. Long and beguiling, featuring echoing fruit and a captivating mouthfeel. Drink now through 2035. 3,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Pure perfection in a glass and unquestionably one of the great vintages for this cuvée, the 2015 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Sharing some similarities with the 2009, this tour de force sports a saturated purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, white truffle, and licorice. Its oak is perfectly integrated and balanced by this wine’s massive fruit and structure. Full-bodied, deep, and superbly concentrated, with building tannins, it’s a massive wine by any measure, but what sets it apart is that it still glides across the palate and retains an incredible sense of purity, balance, and elegance. It’s drinking well today due to the vintage’s opulence, yet won’t hit prime time for another 5-10 years and I suspect will keep for upward of 50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIn 2015, the blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine was matured 80% in new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pavie is still sporting a bit of its oak to begin, giving way to a glorious nose of crushed black cherries, blackberries and mulberries plus hints of dried roses, stewed tea, unsmoked cigars and garrigue. The rich, concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins and a racy line of freshness cutting through the dense layers of perfumed black fruits and savory notions, finishing with epic length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPHeady, exotic and absolutely compelling, the 2015 Pavie is one of the standouts of the vintage. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of super-ripe red plum, cherry jam, rose petal, mint and lavender in this sensual, voluptuous Saint-Émilion. Even with all of its flamboyance, the 2015 possesses remarkable nuance and delineation. This is an overwhelmingly beautiful wine that seduces both the intellectual and hedonistic senses. Don’t miss it. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis start off richly, featuring beautifully rendered layers of fig, boysenberry and plum pâte de fruit flavors coursing through. The structure is refined and integrated, with a light chalky edge adding tension and vivacity while being absorbed by the fruit. The finish has pyrotechnics of anise, black tea and singed mesquite that are formidably long. Best from 2025 through 2045. 5,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSGigantic nose of very ripe black fruit. Enveloping richness, but the abundant fine tannins make this feel remarkably elegant and decisively dry for the richness. Very long and firm finish that has extraordinary energy and vibrancy. Great aging potential. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. James Suckling | 98 JSDeep and rich in both colour and taste, this is a monument to the fine wine triumvirate of tannins, fruit and acidity. It’s extremely muscular, with layers of black fruits, graphite and pencil shavings, as well as a smoky, tarred edge and the telltale salinity on the finish that places you on the limestone plateau of St-Émilion. There’s impressive fruit density and finely-worked tannins, although I found the 2016 Pavie to have better balance - the 2015 is rather one to admire in my eyes, not to love. It should go 30 years easily. 70% new oak. (Drink between 2025-2045)Decanter | 96 DECAlthough this wine is ripe, it is the fruit that sings. Firm and rich, the tannins support the wonderful fruitiness. Its perfumed Cabernets give the wine great presence as well as freshness. It is ready for long aging. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE