Wine Ratings

wines

I loved this bottle of 1982 Cos d’Estournel, and it was easily the best bottle I’ve had of this wine, which has always shown slightly tired and over the hill for me. It shows classic, even youthful notes of lead pencil, currants and saddle leather, was full-bodied, had beautiful depth of fruit, and a great, great finish, all pointing to a fully mature yet grand Saint Estephe. Drink up.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a silky finish. It appears to have hit full maturity, but it can easily be held in a cold cellar for another 10+ years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 1982 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. I have always fallen for the aromatics of this 1982: roasted chestnut and a touch of aniseed that combines effortlessly with the melted red berry fruit, touches of tar developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, perhaps not quite as extravagant as it showed a few years ago, but there is genuine depth and grip here. There is that lovely savory, lightly spiced finish and a very persistent aftertaste that is thoroughly enjoyable after 36 years. This is a wonderful 1982 that will give pleasure for many more years. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 95 VMBuilt for aging. Very dark ruby in color, with a garnet rim. Dried flower and berry aromas. Full-bodied and very solid, with masses of fruit and tannins. Still has plenty of time to go.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Tasted 7 Times Since Bottling With Consistent NotesThe 1986 is a highly extracted wine, with a black/ruby color and plenty of toasty, smoky notes in its bouquet that suggest ripe plums and licorice. Evolving at a glacial pace, it exhibits massive, huge, ripe, extremely concentrated flavors with impressive depth and richness. It possesses more power, weight, and tannin than the more opulent and currently more charming 1985. Anticipated maturity: 1996-2010.Robert Parker | 95 RPVibrant deep colour, this has masses of spice box and minerals on the nose. Of course, the 86 was famous for its power and tannic structure and this is still muscular and foursquare, but the tannins are beginning to yield and soften. Very fresh acidity and classic sweet cassis fruit with notes of minerals, underbrush and tobacco. Very pure and long. Impressively, the wine had been decanted two hours previously and was still evolving in the glass more than an hour later. Tasted at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2015. Drinking Window 2015 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThe 1986 Cos d’Estournel replicates the performance from my 30-year on tasting that I conducted a few months back. The bouquet is attractive with mint and juniper berries that grab the attention of the olfactory senses, later accompanied by liquorice and graphite. The palate is understated on the entry but then builds in the mouth with wonderful spice and black pepper infused black fruit that form the foundation of this Cos d’Estournel. Sure, it feels masculine and structured on the finish and perhaps translates more the growing season that Saint-Estèphe. Yet it is very well crafted and should continue to drink well for another decade. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property.Vinous Media Neal Martin | 92 VMNo written review provided. | 92 WS

A wine of extraordinary intensity and accessibility, the 1995 Cos d’Estournel is a sexier, more hedonistic offering than the muscular, backward 1996. Opulent, with forward aromatics (gobs of black fruits intermixed with toasty pain grille scents and a boatload of spice), this terrific Cos possesses remarkable intensity, full body, and layers of jammy fruit nicely framed by the wine’s new oak. Because of low acidity and sweet tannin, the 1995 will be difficult to resist young, although it will age for 2-3 decades. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2025.Both the 1995 and 1996 vintages of Cos d’Estournel were even more impressive in late 1997 than earlier in the spring.Robert Parker | 95 RPUtterly classic Saint-Estèphe notes of earthy black currants, tobacco, and cedarwood emerge from the 1995 Château Cos D’Estournel. This beauty is medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a terrific sense of concentration paired with considerable elegance.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDGorgeous blackberry, toasted oak, Indian spice and light sweet tobacco on the nose. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a caressing texture. Pretty and refined. Holding back. Give it time. --’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 1995 Cos d’Estournel was matured in 100% new oak and according to the estate was intentionally picked at a higher ripeness level than previous years. It is definitely showing more maturity than the 1996 Cos d’Estournel with more bricking evident on the rim. Similarly the nose does not convey the same vigor and fruité as the following vintage, with notes of cigar humidor, woodland and autumn leaves. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, which is probably its best quality. It is a little drier than I would like, although the acidity is well judged and there are attractive notes of clove and bay leaf towards the finish. It translates Saint-Estèphe typicité but just falls short of the superior wines produced from the modern day onwards. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Saturated ruby-red. Pure, highly perfumed aromas of black cherry, currant, plum, minerals, tobacco, leather and fresh herbs. Very ripe, suave and spicy; at once subtle and gripping. Lovely cabernet character dominating today. Very firm, long finish is youthful but not hard-edged. Showing extremely well.Vinous Media | 93+ VMThe 1996 may not be as profound as I had predicted from cask, but it is an exceptional wine. Dark ruby-colored, with a complex nose of dried herbs, Asian spices, and black cherry jam intermixed with cassis, it possesses outstanding purity, and considerable tannin in the finish. This classic, medium to full-bodied, traditionally made wine improves dramatically with airing, suggesting it will have a very long life. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2028.Robert Parker | 92 RPFully mature and drinking wonderfully well, the 1996 Château Calon Ségur has a classic nose of green tobacco, cedarwood, currants, and sous bois. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a wonderful sense of purity, polished tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. This is classic, focused, old school yet pure, balanced Bordeaux goodness. It has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD(Château Calon-Ségur) Along with the 2001, the 1996 vintage at Calon-Ségur is one of my favorite from the merlot-centric era at the estate, probably because the vintage favored cabernet sauvignon so clearly in the Médoc and a bit more of this grape was included in the blend at Calon in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, vibrant and youthfully precise, wafting from the glass in a mix of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, dark soil tones, a touch of curry and a gentle framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively tangy, with a fine core of fruit, currently a quite tightly-knit personality, well-integrated tannins and very, very good length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. This is going to be a lovely wine in another eight to ten years’ time and should prove to be quite long-lived. I love to imagine what the current team at Calon would have done with a vintage such as 1996 today! (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGCurrant and fresh herbs. Full- to medium-bodied, with plum flavors and a medium finish.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Not a great vintage (very hot August, rain in the last half of September), but the Merlot was luscious and wines made from the best plots of Cabernet were very rich. Perfectly evolved, the wine is now silky textured, showing smoky notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035.Decanter | 92 DECNo written review provided. | 92 W&SA classic effort, the 1998 Montrose exhibits a dense purple color in addition to a sweet nose of jammy cassis, licorice, earth, and smoke. It is a powerful and full-bodied wine with well-integrated tannin. Given Montrose’s tendency to shut down, it is performing better out of bottle than I expected. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 1998 Montrose was the only recent vintage that was omitted from the series of verticals that I conducted in 2016. It is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot picked between 22 September and 6 October. Funnily enough, I had not tasted it since en primeur! It has a high-toned and expressive bouquet with blackberry, leather, a touch of menthol and dried herbs, a little earthiness coming through with time. There is still plenty of freshness here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin. This offers fine balance and a smooth texture, slightly lactic in texture with tobacco and even a touch of latte towards the black fruit-driven finish. There is almost a case for this Montrose being too melted in character. Fine, but I think it could have been better. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A dense, traditionally crafted wine for those with patience, the 2000 Calon-Segur rivals the estate’s finest wines of the last two decades, the 1995, 1988, and 1982. But be forewarned, this wine has already closed down, something totally in character with all top vintages from this estate. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc exhibits a plum/purple color along with gorgeous aromas of creosote intermixed with spring flowers, black cherries, cassis, licorice, and stony, liquid minerals. A powerful, tannic, full-bodied and opulent wine, it possesses considerable structure that is reasonably well-concealed by considerable glycerin and intensity. Look for it to be at its best between 2012-2040. Patience, patience, patience!Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2000 Calon-Ségur still appears quite youthful on the rim. The well-defined nose offers brambly red fruit, red currant, crushed strawberry, rose petals and cedar, and some sous-bois just loitering in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins. This has mellowed since I tasted it in London five years ago, and touches of tobacco and tart red cherries enliven the finish. I have always loved this millennial Calon-Ségur and now it is à point and drinking beautifully. Aged in 50% new oak and 50% one-year-old for 12 months (less than nowadays.)Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is a solid, huge wine, with rich but very dry tannins. With its dense, almost black color, and its sense of brooding power, it promises long aging. It will never be in the opulent Bordeaux camp, despite its prominent new wood flavors, but will probably outlive all but a handful top wines.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis shows a noticeable leafy edge, with tobacco, light cedar, bay and worn leather notes holding sway over a core of lightly mulled red currant and plum fruit flavors. Not as dense as the top examples, but everything pulls together nicely through the fine-grained finish.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020.Wine Spectator | 90 WS(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2000 Calon-Ségur is a very closed, very grumpy wine at the present time, and this is a characteristic that it shares at the present time with a great many wines from this vintage. The blend here included forty-two percent merlot in 2000 and the wine offers up a very deep-pitched and adolescent bouquet of black fruit, inky tones, damp, dark soil, dried eucalyptus, coffee grounds and cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, closed down and quite dense at the core, with a gritty edge to its firm and chewy tannins, little generosity at the present time, but also with impressive grip on the closed, but very, very long finish. The length on the backend here really gives me some hope for the future of this wine, but it is really in a very difficult place for current assessment and I do not have a strong sense of whether or not this wine will always be a bit charmless, or if this is simply a passing phase and it will blossom to deliver some of Calons’ inherent breed with sufficient bottle age. (Drink between 2025-2065)John Gilman | 88-92+ JG

This estate has frequently hit the bull’s eye over recent vintages, and the 2000 Montrose is the finest effort produced since the compelling 1990 and 1989. This gigantically sized, tannic, backward effort boasts a saturated inky purple color followed by a huge nose of acacia flavors, crushed blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, hickory smoke, and minerals. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, dense, and multi-layered, this unreal Montrose should last for 30+ years. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this is a special wine that has exceptional purity and length. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Montrose is a straight-up gorgeous bottle of wine that while, still young, is offering up tons of pleasure. Classic Saint Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, damp earth, tobacco leaf, cedar, and hints of truffle all emerge from this dense, concentrated, powerful red that has the classic 2000 structure and richness. With sweet tannins, full body, impeccable balance, and a great, great finish, it’s at the early stages of its drink window and has another 3+ decades of longevity ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDJust starting to open, it shows beautiful spices and dark fruit on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with ultra-fine, integrated tannins and an extremely complex, refined finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Montrose, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Just beginning to soften and open after a stubborn few decades. Tobacco and crushed mint leaf sit against blackberry and bilberry fruits that continue to be held by a firm frame of tannins. A stately Montrose that has a long future ahead, and is packed with the power and finesse that is so signature to this estate. Harvest September 22 to October 7. First year in the new stainless steel vat room. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECFull red-ruby. Roasted, smoky aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice. Plush, dense and large-scaled; expands impressively in the mouth. Chocolatey-ripe but kept fresh by nicely integrated acidity. Offers lovely sweetness without going over the top. Finishes with big, dusty, horizontal tannins and lovely aromatic persistence. Offers extraordinary texture and depth of flavor for a wine with just 12.8% alcohol.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis has a relatively polished feel, with rounded tannins, though they are substantial enough to give the core of tobacco, black currant paste and warmed fig flavors a nice loamy tug through the finish. Rather refined and with noticeably more depth than AOC colleagues in this vintage, with a very alluring hint of fresh bay at the very end.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023.Wine Spectator | 93 WSNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

The 2001 Calon-Ségur has a delightful bouquet, very pure and a little more vivacious than the preceding vintage, featuring lovely brambly red fruit, rose petals, autumn leaves and a touch of cigar box, all well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more cohesive than the 2000, and slightly granular in texture, with a graceful, elegant and quite persistent finish. This is one of the few châteaux where it’s difficult to choose between the 2001 and 2000. Drinking perfectly now.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2001 Calon-Ségur was comprised of fully forty-seven percent merlot, which is too bad, as it might have been even finer with a higher percentage of cabernet sauvignon in the blend. That said, this is a very strong bottle from this era and I have little doubt that it will ultimately surpass the more highly-touted, but currently far more closed 2000 vintage at this property. The bouquet offers up a very promising blend of red and black cherries, cigar smoke, dried eucalyptus, gravel, cigar ash and cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a classic claret profile, firm, ripe tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very long, youthful and potentially superb finish. This should prove to be one of the strongest vintages produced in the more merlot-centric style at Calon-Ségur during the stretch from 1975 to 2005. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGShowing beautifully, the 2001 Calon-Segur is now fully mature, yet should hold at this stage for another decade or two. Beautiful currants and assort dark fruits, notes of lead pencil, tobacco, and forest floor, medium to full body, and integrated, silky tannins all define this elegant 2001 that’s a joy to drink today. It’s not going to get any better, but it’s a beautifully regal Claret that offers loads of pleasure.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDI suspect this 2001 will shut down (as most young Calon-Segurs do), although it appears more forward and evolved than the huge, backward, but totally dormant 2000. The plum/ruby-colored 2001 reveals aromas of damp earth, cranberries, cherries, herbs, and forest floor. While lighter than its older sibling, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and should emerge from its post-bottling sleep in 4-5 years, and drink well for 14-15. Think of it as a lighter-weight 1988 (one of the stars of the vintage).Robert Parker | 90 RPElegant and spicy, with blackberry and earth character. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a medium to long finish. Not quite up to par with the barrel sample, but outstanding. Best after 2006.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is the sleeper of the vintage. Best after 2010. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis shows so wonderfully now with a dense palate yet a delicate chocolate, mineral and walnut skin. Full and velvety. Wonderful with juicy length and a long finish. Almost Burgundian in texture.James Suckling | 94 JSFull ruby-red color. Very fresh aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and dark chocolate; not at all surmuri Then ripe but aromatic and juicy in the mouth, with penetrating, rather powerful flavors of dark berries, minerals and dark chocolate. Conveys an impression of inner-mouth energy, one side-effect of which is that the wine’s substantial density is partly hidden today. Finishes with very fine but firm tannins and superb persistence. This is absorbing its 50% new oak very well.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA powerfully velvety wine, which still packs a walloping punch of Saint-Estèphe tannins. The fruit, under these tannins, is pure, ripe, black and generous. But there is the proper dryness that shows how the team at Calon-Sègur managed to tame some of the excesses of the 2003 vintage. This will develop, slowly, into a great wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, fresh and precise, this wine is just hitting full maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 93 RP

This wine was the unanimous favourite of the flight, impressing with its deep colour and pronounced currant and mulberry fruit and hints of cedar, eucalyptus, and spice. The texture is firmly tannic and dense, but there is enough extract to ensure that it does not seem astringent. The wine is still youthful, and while it is beginning to open up, it is decidedly at the outset of its trajectory and should age comfortably for at least another 20 years.Decanter | 94 DECThis one of my favorite 2004 Bordeaux to drink at the moment. It shows lovely sweet tobacco, flowers and currants on the nose and palate. It’s full-to-medium-bodied, with silky, firm tannins and a spicy, fresh finish. So delicious now.James Suckling | 93 JSTasted at the château, the 2004 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 15 October. It has a foursquare but precise bouquet that unfolds in the glass to offer brambly red berry fruit, tar, undergrowth and cedar aromas. There is a touch of mint that emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that gently grip. It is more savory than other vintages: hints of bacon fat and bell pepper towards the harmonious finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. Probably earlier drinking that other vintages, yet this Montrose has personality and will give drinking pleasure for 15-20 years. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMDark-colored, with beautiful spice, blackberry and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and velvety, with wonderful balance and a long, long finish. This is a Montrose that caresses your palate. Best after 2011. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep, bright ruby-red. Sexy, ripe aromas of currant, black plum, raspberry, smoked meat, mocha, jasmine, black olive and earth. Smooth in texture but vinous and bright, with a penetrating character to the flavors of plum, currant, mocha and tobacco. Finishes bright and fresh, with dusty, tactile tannins and a classic St. Estephe medicinal note. This tightened up with aeration.Vinous Media | 91 VM This is a modern take on Montrose, which for years had been one of the stodgiest of the great Médocs. The wine has the intensity this vineyard often gives, black as indigo ink and concentrated, but without excess weight. Instead of stolid, the tannins feel luscious and sweet, riper and softer than the classical profile of Montrose. The complexity and foresty freshness is there to develop over the course of a decade or more.Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 91 W&S

A lesson in genuinely great wine, the 2005 Cos d’Estournel is a monster of a wine that delivers an incredible level of opulence and decadence while staying weightless and elegant on the palate, with no sensation of heaviness. This is what truly great wine is all about. Based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the final 4% Cabernet Franc, this dense ruby/plum-hued Saint-Estèphe offers up a monster bouquet of blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, licorice, toasted bread, classy oak, and cedar pencil. While it starts out reserved and almost understated, this is a wine that blossoms with air (I drank this bottle over two days, showing best on day two). Full-bodied, powerful, and decadent on the palate, with moderate acidity, it has a wealth of silky tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of the 2009, if not an improved 1982, or even a slightly fresher 2003. Regardless, it’s a thrilling wine in every sense, and I fear with the focus on acidity and freshness in today’s wine world, we might not see this style of great wine for some time.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe purity of fruit in this is fascinating with plums, currants and other dark fruits. Then there is another layer of spices and chocolate. So much cassis. Full and very layered with chewy polished tannins and a long, long finish. Just starting to open. Changes all the time.James Suckling | 99 JSWhile I am not convinced the 2005 Cos d’Estournel will eclipse the compelling 2003 Cos, it is unquestionably another superb classic from proprietor Michel Reybier and his brilliant winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats. Made from an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) and the balance mostly Merlot with a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc, this superb effort requires plenty of time in the bottle. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of licorice, Asian spices, creme de cassis, blackberries, and toasty oak. This full-bodied St.-Estephe is exceptionally powerful, pure, and dense with a layered mid-palate that builds like a skyscraper. While there are massive tannins, they are remarkably velvety and well-integrated in this big, backstrapping effort that should enjoy an unusually long life. Forget it for 8-10 years, and drink it between 2017-2040.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005 Cos d’Estournel is a vintage that I have encountered several times over the years. Here, as part of a 2005 horizontal of the top Bordeaux, it mirrors previous bottles. It has a tightly-wound bouquet at first with blackberry, scorched earth, juniper and hints of leather. More backward that its peers and clearly requiring another three to five years or an extremely long decant. The palate is robust, masculine, dense and yet comes with fine tannins and plenty of energy. It has a precision that derives from its propitious terroir and yet there is no question that it needs 15, perhaps 20 years before it will reach its drinking plateau. Tasted at the Goedhuis’s 2005 Bordeaux pre-dinner tasting at the Savoy in London.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGSaint-Estèphe has a reputation for tannins, and this 2005 Cos lives up to that. But it does much more, because the tannins add richness along with intensely ripe black fruits, dark plums and figs. The dense tannins are finely balanced with fresh acidity, and a long-lasting aftertaste. Impressive.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEStill tight despite a gorgeous wave of rich melted licorice, fig bread, warm plum compote and steeped blackberry flavors. Lovely alder, black tea and balsam wood details give this added range and a sense of detail through the finish before a wall of graphite-edged grip shows up. We’re still in wait mode here.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis inky, dark wine is seductive and immediately approachable, with a nose of sweet black fruit touched with honey and a bit of earth. The texture is silky and dense but not lacking in substance or structure. The blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot with a bit of Cabernet Franc was one of the leading lights in the appellation in 2005, as is often the case. Drinking now, it should continue to improve for decades. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 95 DECJean-Guillaume Prats allowed the vintage to steer Cos toward unprecedented power in 2005; the wine comes in at 13.95 percent alcohol, and it’s grand in every sense. It smells like first-growth juice, with the kind of oak integration that accentuates the wine’s beauty rather than masks it. You can feel the tart black cherry fruit and the black tannin along with a burn in the end that is distinct to this vintage. With several days of air, the tumble and rush of the structure settles and the fruit becomes all-powerful, a taut density of sweet purple plum. There’s little doubt this will be an astonishing wine at 12 to 15 years of age; its ripeness leads into uncharted territory after that, which makes Cos one of the more interesting wines of the vintage to watch. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 95 W&S

The 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it’s still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it’s one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn’t own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP Here we are fully crossing the threshold into younger, more primary aromatics, but they are also well integrated, beautifully softened and gorgeous. This is sappy with a chalky minerality and fully pliable tannins. It’s powerful, with a smile-inducing purity of fruit expression and excellent persistency of exotic coffee notes. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window: 2017 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Montrose is spectacular. Bright, perfumed and vertically explosive, the 2005 possesses remarkable energy right out of the gate. In 2005, Montrose doesn’t quite have the heft that it can, but that actually works to its advantage. Readers will find a wine that marries elegance with power so well. Gravel, dried herb, lavender and mocha lend striking complexity to the dark fruit in this gorgeous, regal Montrose. If anything, the 2005 still needs more time in bottle!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is still a bit dark and brooding, with a charcoal frame around well-steeped fig and black currant fruit. The long finish lets a deep river of smoldering tobacco and warm stone notes course through. Austere and seemingly taciturn, yet thoroughly beautiful. May not be your style, but this is undeniable.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2022 through 2042. 25,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2005 Montrose continues to drink beautifully, with a complex yet powerful bouquet of blackcurrants, black raspberries, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and spice. This beauty has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, a supple style, sweet tannins, and is a charming, layered and ready to go Montrose that has loads to love. It continues to be surprisingly accessible and is a beauty to drink over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is so big it is blinding, a storm of mineral tannin and plum-skin extract. The volume is turned up high, and even as the tannic noise factor begins to diminish with days of air, the wine is still closed tight. The comportment of its power shows this to be a wine from a great terroir; the property, in fact, has some parallels to Latour, with its similarly shaped gravel promontory above the Gironde. Montrose consistently grows one of the staunchest, long-lived wines of the Médoc and though accommodations have been made in recent years to soften it, the tannic index in February 2006 read at 82, a force to reckon with over the decades to come. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Beautiful ruby red colour, rapsberry puree and cocoa dusting aromatics, still young, a wonderfully embracing tannic frame, rapsberrry, blueberry and loganberry fruits, slate-scraping minerality, just a gorgeous wine that is bursting out of the glass and still has so much more to give. Balanced, mouthwatering, persistent, just at the start of its long and pleasure-filled life, showcasing so much that is wonderful about 2005. Get on board. This is a 2 point higher score than the last time I tasted in April 2021, reflecting that the 2005s are just right now beginning to open up.Jane Anson | 96 JATasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a captivating nose: blackberry and boysenberry fruit coming at you at full pelt; dried blood and bacon fat developing as secondary aromas just behind. There is fine delineation here - an underlying mineralité sure to surface with time. The palate is very intense and disarmingly youthful, almost ferrous on the entry with layers of ripe black fruit that segue into an earthy finish (with a curious light tang of Marmite on the aftertaste!). It is a fabulous Calon Ségur, though the millennial wine might ultimately possess greater precision. We will see. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMTight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and currants. Full body, superfine tannins and a texture that is so caressing and beautiful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSHas a beautiful nose of crushed berry, spices and nutmeg, with a hint of coffee. Then turns to licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish of vanilla, berry and cinnamon. Beautifully crafted. Best after 2014. 17,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFirm and structured, the Calon-Ségur remains surprisingly muscular. Produced from a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot, all aged in new casks, this shows a bright redcurrant and mint nose with a bit of spice and smoke. The feel on the palate is tannic and firm, perhaps lacking a bit of generosity at this point, but the rich extract suggests that with time it should come around. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECDeep, bright ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoked meat, earth and menthol. Chewy, brooding and deep, with concentrated black cherry, menthol, mineral and leather flavors framed by a powerful spine of acids and tannins. Really saturates the palate on the tannic back end. I’d give this classic St. Estephe a decade of aging, at which time this wine may well merit an even higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VM(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2005 vintage at Calon-Ségur was comprised of more than fifty percent merlot, and while the wine is a good wine in its way, it lacks the brightness, soil signature and classic profile of the wines from 2006 forwards. The bouquet is deep, reserved and shows admirable depth in its constellation of dark berries, tobacco leaf, woodsmoke, espresso, herb tones, a touch of hoisin sauce, dark soil and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with good purity at the rock solid core, firm tannins and excellent length and grip on the black fruity and still very youthful finish. Qualitatively, this is clearly the equivalent of the 2006, but I have a far stronger preference for the style of the latter vintage, as this is just missing a bit of spark from all of its merlot in the blend. A very good wine, but not a classic Calon-Ségur. (Drink between 2022-2050)John Gilman | 92 JG

Beautiful, rich and incredibly softly textured, this is still very young. Also supremely measured and stately, with buttery tannins. The palate is just starting to show truffles and leather, but is still set against game, cassis and liquorice root. Great persistency and a real sense of lift on the finish. Drinking Window 2016 - 2038Decanter | 95 DECThe first vintage under new owner Martin Bouygues,who convinced Jean-Bernard Delmas to come out of retirement to produce this wine, the 2006 Montrose is an undeniable success. A blend of approximately two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, the most dramatic difference between the 2006, and wines made by the previous administration is that Jean Delmas produces wines with sweeter, silkier tannins, although analytically, they are as high as those found in the great Montrose vintages of the past. The 2006 is extraordinarily elegant and finesse-styled, but it exhibits stunningly concentrated, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit with hints of flowers and minerals. Full-bodied with a savory, expansive mid-palate as well as sweet, noble tannins, this beauty will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 20-25+ years.Robert Parker | 94+ RPYes, this wine is tannic. To begin with it seems austere and mineral. But then the substrate of black berry juice asserts itself. The fruits are fresh rather than sweet, combining with leather, spice and a presence of new wood. Typical of Montrose, it is hard to appreciate this young, with those tannins needing to open out. But wait 10 years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELocated on one of the deep gravel promontories of the Médoc, Montrose has long been known for impenetrable wines on release. In 2006, the Charmolüe family, who had owned the vineyard since 1896, sold it to Martin Bouygues, a French construction magnate, and his brother, Oli­vier. The new owners brought in Jean Delmas, recently retired from his brilliant tenure at Haut-Brion, to direct winemaking. This first release from the new team is a lovely, fragrant cabernet, its deep earthiness and dark mushroom tones the only clues that it’s a Montrose. The wine may be compressed in its structure, but it’s supple and elegant, with purity and precision to its layers of currant, fennel, blueberry and blackberry. Lively acidity drives the fruit, its freshness lengthening the flavors. Built for 20 or more years of development, this young Montrose makes its beauty apparent from the outset.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThere’s currant, spice, chocolate and berry character on the nose. Deep, complex and full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A solid wine. Chewy. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 93 WSMontrose is so typically Saint-Estephe in 2006, with dried spices such cardamom and cloves as well as delicate currants. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a dense center palate. It needs another three or four years of bottle age to soften.James Suckling | 92 JS

Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s tasting and at the château, the 2006 Calon Segur was current winemaker Vincent Millet’s first vintage. In many ways, you can see it as one of the last of the "old style" Calon Segur wines with a higher percentage of Merlot than nowadays (the 2006 consists of 33% Merlot), while I aver that the tannins are not as fine as they are nowadays. The Merlot component is vividly expressed on the nose with ravishing ripe red cherries, kirsch and strawberry, just slightly smudged by the alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, quite sexy in style but it does not have the class of more recent vintages and it seems to have remained tough up on the finish. It will loosen up with time, so afford this another 6-8 years in bottle. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMNot a wine that will please everyone. This has the austerity and backward thinking of 2006 mixed with the sleek fruit of Calon; rich, dark and not at all showy. Instead, it is subtle, delicate and thoroughly lovely. Drinking Window 2017 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECFocused and fresh, with violet and blackberry aromas and vanilla undertones. Full-bodied, with very pretty berry fruit character, fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Refined. Best after 2014. 14,445 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS(Château Calon-Ségur) The 2006 Calon-Ségur (as noted above) was the first vintage produced under the guiding hand of Vincent Millet and this wine was a return to the classic cépages at the estate of predominantly cabernet sauvignon, after the detrimental increase in the percentage of merlot in the blend between 1990 and 2005. The wine is very, very closed today, but it is going to be a lovely wine with sufficient bottle age, as the wine is very well-balanced and simply needs time alone in the cellar to resolve its considerable chassis of tannin. The deep and still quite youthful nose reluctantly offers up scents of black cherries, curry, blossoming notes of dried eucalyptus, dark soil tones, cigar ash and a stylish base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full- bodied and completely in its dumb phase, with a very good core, ripe, chewy tannins, lovely focus and a very long, currently quite hermetically-sealed finish. This is a good eight to ten years away from blossoming, but it will be excellent if given sufficient patience. (Drink between 2022-2050).John Gilman | 92 JGAromas of perfumes and blueberries with minerals. Medium-to-full body, fine tannins and a tangy, fresh finish. Attractive tension and austerity to this. Savory and juicy. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSBright ruby-red. Perfumed, terroir-driven aromas and flavors of redcurrant, licorice, iron, cinders, woodsmoke, minerals and pepper, plus a whiff of meat. At once dense and suave, with herbal and peppery nuances contributing to the wine’s impression of insinuating vinosity and inner-mouth aromatic character. Almost rustic in its soil tones but not in its refined texture. Finishes with building tannins and a juicy freshness. A wine worth following.Vinous Media | 90+ VMThis wine’s rich red fruit rides above firm, stony St-Estèphe tannins, the contrast providing some delicate detail and more serious depth. As the tannins increase their grip with air, the fruit gets redder, like the skin of a ripening plum. Calon-Ségur, on a hill just outside the village of St-Estèphe, often grows vin de garde; this vintage should be a keeper.Wine & Spirits | 90 W&S

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d’Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. Give it another 4-5 years in bottle and this will be stunning!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe 2010 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet colored, it needs a lot of shaking and swirling to unlock notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie, and Indian spices, leading to fragrant wafts of dusty soil, cigar box, and dried lavender. The palate gracefully grows into a rich, full-bodied behemoth, delivering a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 99+ TWIThere’s clarity and beauty to this wine as always with pure dark berry, stones and spices. Some clove too. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long finish. Pure and precise wine with so much class. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2010 Cos d’Estournel is initially backward on the nose, yet it eventually unfurls to reveal pixelated black fruit, crushed stone, cedar and pine cones, wonderful precision and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins that frame the multi-layered black fruit laced with cedar and black pepper. Great body, superb length and outstanding precision on the finish - what more would you want? Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 97 VMA great contrast to the ’09, this feels even denser, with dark plum, black currant and fig sauce flavors that pump along. The spine is all graphite and chalk, giving this a riveting feel through the finish. The cut is terrific, no easy feat considering how dense the fruit is. A stunning wine.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Château Cos d’Estournel, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Starting to really open up at this 11 year point, although the tannins remain in full control. Deep rich chocolate, edges of smoked cinnamon, anis, Crème de cassis, cigar box and earth. Plenty of the Cos signature of exotic spices on display, making it a little more exuberant than some 2010s at this point, balanced beautifully by the savoury edge of Cabernet that means it narrows to a fresh and mouthwatering finish. This is young but you can see where it is going, and 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (Drink between 2021-2045)Decanter | 95 DECThis is a complex and rich wine dominated by superripe fruit. It is a wine of extremes, of fruit, of dark tannins allied to some bitterness from the black chocolate extract. Ripe plums and sweet black fruits are given a lift at the end with bright acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Cos d’Estournel) The 2010 Château Cos d’Estournel is the ripest of the three wines at the estate this year, as it weighs in at a hefty 14.5 percent alcohol, but this is most certainly down significantly from the 2009. On the nose the wine is remarkably pure for its octane level, as it offers up a reasonably complex mélange of black cherries, a touch of kirsch, stony soil tones, fine cigar smoke and a very, very refined base of new oak that is mostly redolent of lead pencil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very, very powerful in personality, with stunningly fine balance for such a large scale wine. The mid-palate depth here is absolutely exceptional, and the very firm tannins are seamlessly integrated into the body of the wine. The finish is truly massive, but I find no signs of uncovered alcohol on the backend and the balance here is remarkably suave for such a big-boned wine. Like several other high alcohol 2010s, the ripeness here really is most keenly felt in a loss of focus and precision from the high octane, in addition to a touch of overripe aromatics and flavors. But in comparison to what was an egregiously out of balance 2009 Cos, the 2010 is remarkably more impressive in terms of harnessing its power and crafting a perfectly balanced wine. It must be said that if I were the proprietor at this fabled estate, this is emphatically not the kind of wine I would be making from such a great terroir, but the 2010 Cos d’Estournel is a dramatic step up in quality from the 2009. It is still a very tannic 2010 and will need plenty of cellaring to start to soften, but it should prove to be extremely long-lived as well. I would score it even higher, for to achieve this kind of seamless balance at this alcohol level is no small feat, but there is a slight lack of focus and some notes of sur maturité here that has to result in the deduction of at least a few points. (Drink between 2025-2100)John Gilman | 91+ JG

The 2010 Meyney is a superb follow-up to the 2009, perhaps displaying more definition to the dusky black fruit, sous-bois, graphite and pressed rose petal scents that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, a clean line of acidity and more precision on the finish compared to the previous vintage. Excellent. Tasted at a vertical at Château Meyney.Vinous Media | 92 VMA wine with a pretty balance of spices, blackberry, mint, and ripe fruit follow through to a full body, fine tannins and a spicy, chocolate and walnut character. Pretty balance of fruit and tannins. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 92 JSIt is good to see this well-situated estate in St.-Estephe get back on track. The 2010 has loads of beef blood, charcuterie and smoked game along with black currant fruit. Some underlying graphite notes are also present in this full-bodied, meaty, fleshy wine, which has outstanding concentration and the potential to last for 15 or more years. It is a major sleeper of the vintage.Robert Parker | 90 RPSolid, if a bit chunky in feel, with a slightly squared-off charcoal and ganache frame surrounding a core of dark plum, black currant and licorice root. Shows more austerity than flesh, but displays outstanding length and cut. This has added lots of grip in élevage. For fans of the taut style. Best from 2016 through 2026. 11,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 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

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 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

Intensity and clarity of fruit is so insane. Blackberries, spices such as cloves, blueberries, sandalwood and dried lavender. Full body and such a beautiful, dense center palate with perfectly polished tannins. Extremely long and beautiful. One of the best young Montroses in a long, long time. Drink in 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThis sumptuous, powerful wine has a great sense of structure and tannins. It is also overwhelmingly dense with black fruits and swathes of rich black currants. In this vintage, even more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the blend has given a ripe wine set for a far-distant future. Drink from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Montrose opens with broody black fruits, menthol and anise notes with a core of cassis, blueberries and mulberries plus a touch of cedar chest. The medium-bodied mouth is firm and chewy with a good core of muscular fruit and a long, earthy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2015 Montrose has a very intense bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, iodine and violet scents that blossom in the glass, demonstrating more exuberance than (what transpired to be) the 2015 Meyney. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well judged acidity, taut and linear with satisfying freshness and poise on the finish. Maybe this just has the edge over the Meyney. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMAnother wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Montrose is a certainly the wine of Saint-Estèphe in 2015. Notes of cassis, damp earth, violets, and graphite/lead pencil notes all flow to a beautifully pure, elegant and multi-dimensional 2015 that has fine, polished tannin, perfect balance, and a great finish. The 2015 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, all of which was brought up in 65% new oak. This isn’t a blockbuster yet is pure class all the way. It will be better in 4-5 years and keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Red) An imposing wine which shows the excellence of the winemaking and terroir, but it’s not as deft or effortless as the 2016. Montrose is often austere in its youth, and the well-knitted black fruits wound with tight strands of liquorice are clearly capable of long ageing. There is something extremely special here, although the tannins are very much closed up right now. The smallest selection for the grand vin for 15 years. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 93 DECFleshy for the vintage, with good plum and dark currant fruit lined with ample tobacco, warm paving stone, bay leaf and alder notes on the slightly dusty finish. Not a charmer, but this is integrated and shows range and depth for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Super aromas of nutmeg, cloves and dried flowers with plums and blackberries. Subtle yet so complex. Full-bodied, tight and integrated with ultra-fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Lasts for minutes. Very, very Cos. Harmony. Texturally marvellous. Drink in 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSWhile this wine is rich, it has a classical demeanor, with fine tannins that support but never dominate the ripe black fruits. Full of juicy acidity, it offers black currants and some fine, firm tannins at the end. This will take some time to mature, and the wine will not be ready to drink before 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23.5% Merlot and 1.5% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cos d’Estournel is muted at this very young stage. The nose offers fleeting glimpses at provocative cherry tart, chocolate mint, baked redcurrants, warm cassis and wild blueberry scents plus suggestions of lilacs, cinnamon stick and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate absolutely explodes with vibrant red and black fruit bursts and tons of exotic spice accents, framed by super ripe, super firm tannins and a lovely line of freshness, finishing very long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2015 Cos d’Estournel is a little recalcitrant and broody on the nose, like it always has been from bottle, unfolding gradually with enticing, quite intense blackberry, pencil box and subtle tobacco scents. The medium-bodied palate immediately impresses by its volume and depth, the new oak neatly embroidered with layers of tightly coiled tobacco and graphite infused fruit whose veins of earthiness betray its origins. Whilst it does not quite deliver the flair and untrammeled ambition of the 2016, this is a very impressive forerunner. Wise owls will afford it a decade bottle age before reaching for the corkscrew. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical in London.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGOpulent and generous, this is a sexy and confident Cos d’Estournel. After only one year in bottle this already has strong caramel notes. It’s more marked by the heat of summer than the 2014, displaying sweet, rich fruit. Although almost accessible today, I predict that it will close down over the next few years. It’s very good, so look to drink this in four to five years, and have no worries about it continuing for another decade after that. The wine suggests an evolution in how this château began approaching warm vintages after the 2009 vintage. (Drink between 2023-2042)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2015 Cos D’Estournel is a classic wine from this estate and a terrific effort from the northern Médoc. Compared to both 2007 and 2004 by the estate and representing only 39% of the total production, it offers a fresh, classy bouquet of crème de cassis, black raspberries, toasty oak, graphite and damp earth. Made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, this medium to full-bodied 2015 has solid mid-palate depth, fine, polished tannin, and a great finish. It’s going to improve with short-term cellaring and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThis has a gently steeped core of currant, plum and black cherry fruit, infused with black tea, singed juniper and smoldering tobacco notes. The vintage’s overt austerity is less evident here, with a gloss of alluring toast adding polish to the finish. A strong effort. Best from 2020 through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Wow. This second wine shows such beautiful cedar, tobacco and berry character. Full-bodied, layered and juicy. Lots of gorgeous fruit and spice character. Long finish. Second wine of Calon-Segur. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThis finely perfumed wine has a percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend giving elegance as well as contrasting well with the ripe, jammy Merlot. This generously structured wine is smooth, juicy with red fruits and acidity. It will age well over the medium term. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2015 Calon Ségur Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is similar in style to the 2014 yet has slightly more oomph and hedonistic charm. Black cherries, damp earth, leafy herbs, and a hint of graphite all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, rounded, fleshy, pleasure-bent beauty that I’d be thrilled to drink any time over the coming decade or more. (Drink between 2018-2028)Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDBeautifully expressed fruit: ripe 57% Merlot with a lift from 10% Cabernet Franc. Wonderful purity and freshness and extremely elegant for St-Estèphe; a perfect second wine.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2015 Marquis de Calon has a gorgeous bouquet of ample blackberry and raspberry fruit, crushed limestone and hints of blue fruit that emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannin. The acidity is very well judged and lends real tension. The finish, while it might not be the most complex, it is surfeited with energy. This is a delicious second wine. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

An enticing nose oscillating between pure black fruit and fine spices that becomes more floral in character after airing and refreshed by minty notes. This is a wine of remarkable finesse thanks to the harmonious proportions of its tannic and acidic architecture that shapes its juicy substance. This is a vintage marking a change of style towards more precision and purity, as well as finesse, without losing the essential aging capacity that should impart even more delicacy to this outstanding wine. (Drink between 2030-2060)Decanter | 100 DECSuperb aromas of crushed berries, violets and sandalwood with hints of cedar and roses. Full body, very fine tannins and savory, delicious fruit. Vibrant acidity combines beautifully with the fruit and structure. Harmonious and attractive. Fine-toned. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Calon Ségur is dense and radiant on the palate, just as it was from barrel. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 is distinguished by its sense of freshness, lift and nuance, much of which comes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Sweet floral, spice and minty notes add aromatic intensity to a core of sweet red cherry and plum fruit. There is plenty of underlying structure, but the tannins are sweet, silky and perfectly ripe. In short, the 2016 Calon Ségur is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Technical Director Vincent Millet and his team did a tremendous job with the 2016. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA monumental wine in the making, the 2016 Château Calon-Ségur is blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that spent a full 20 months in all new French oak. It offers an incredibly powerful, concentrated, classic style in its crème de cassis, graphite, scorched earth, tobacco, and lead pencil aromas and flavors. These give way to an inky, full-bodied 2016 that has perfectly integrated acidity and tannins, subtle background oak, thrilling depth and purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. My money is on it being the greatest wine ever made at this address. Although it shines even today on its purity and balance, it needs 5-7 years of bottle age to hit prime time and will keep for three to four decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2016 Calon-Ségur is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing warm red and black currants, kirsch and plum preserves with wafts of fragrant earth, violets, chocolate box and wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly expressed and finely crafted, it has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bold freshness supporting the densely packed black fruits, finishing long and mineral-laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis sports a big, juicy core of delicious dark plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavors streaked with violet, bay and tobacco notes that add energy. Loam and charcoal accents add the bass line on the finish, where the fruit really kicks into second gear. A no-brainer for the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2040. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFine perfumes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend are balanced by the firm, dark tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has weight and richness as well as a bold, dark structure. It is going to take its time and this powerful wine will not be ready before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The blueberry and blackberry aromas are certainly attractive here. Full-bodied and dense with a very velvety texture and a long, generous finish of ripe fruit and spice. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2016 Lilian Ladouys is opulent and vivacious on a nose of red currant and raspberry fruit, well integrated oak and lovely rose petal aromas. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins, well-judged acidity, good body and a grippy but detailed finish with veins of blue fruit. This is a joy to drink, but it needs a couple of years. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMA perennial overachiever, the 2016 Château Lilian Ladouys brings the goods in 2016 and has a complex, medium to full-bodied, character-filled style to go with loads of blue fruits, incense, dried herbs, and a hint of violets. A blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot all raised in 30% new barrels, this charming, front end-loaded effort is well worth seeking out. It should keep for 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDMade by the same team as at Château Pedesclaux, this Cru Bourgeois was promoted to Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020, reflecting all the improvements at the property. The 2016 and the 2018 are on par for quality, but the blend for 2016 emphasises Merlot (62%), along with 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, while 2018 is Cabernet dominant. The 2016 was harvested from Oct 3 to 17, and the wine spent 15 months in barrels, 30% new. It’s generous and even opulent, with expansive aromas of cassis, sensuous red fruit tones to the flavour, silky textures, and really a lush, lifted finish. The character shifts slightly with the 2018, after the Lorenzetti family incorporated vineyards from two neighbouring estates with similar gravelly soils. Drinking Window 2022 - 2037.Decanter | 92 DECNow under the same ownership as vastly improved Château Pedesclaux in Pauillac, this estate is also on the upward quality curve. This wine has the structure and tannins of a classic Saint-Estèphe as well as juicy, rich black fruits. With aging potential, the wine should be ready to drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2016 Lilian Ladouys is a blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot aged in 30% new French oak for 15 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of baked plums, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake with bay leaves, pencil lead and menthol. Medium-bodied, elegant and packed with vibrant flavor layers, it finishes long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPVery lively, featuring a fun mix of cassis, plum paste and cherry preserve flavors, framed with floral and mineral notes. The light-handed toast lets the fruit shine through the finish, with persistent chalky minerality. Best from 2021 through 2031. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS