Wines with Age

wines

A sleeper of the vintage, this debut effort under the omnipresent management of Jean-Luc Thunevin boasts a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a sweet, chocolatey, blackberry and currant-scented nose, low acidity, a fat, luscious texture, and a heady finish. It is a hedonistic St.-Emilion fruit bomb to drink over the next 6-8 years.Robert Parker | 88-90 RP

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

(Les Fiefs de Lagrange) The 2000 vintage of Les Fiefs de Lagrange is noteworthy for having had all of the château’s petit verdot included in the second label, and the wine should prove to be quite ageworthy as a result. The bouquet is initially a bit marked by its toasty oak, which may mean that this vintage of Les Fiefs saw a bit more than the standard ten percent, but there is no issue with the integration of the wood on the palate. The bouquet is deep and powerful, as it offers up notes of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, soil tones and the toasty oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and youthfully reticent, with a rock solid core of fruit, plenty of ripe tannins, sound acids and excellent length and grip on the still very primary finish. This will be a long-distance runner of a second label, and probably demand a good decade in the cellar before it reaches its zenith, but it will certainly be worth the wait. High class juice. (Drink between 2018-2040).John Gilman | 90 JG

Aromas of jam, berry and cherry follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine yet round tannins and a long chocolate and berry aftertaste. Loads of sweet fruit here. Exciting stuff. This small producer makes fine wines. Best after 2008. 1,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSMade in a soft, but not over-ripe style, the deep ruby/plum-tinged 2003 reveals broad, sexy notes of vanilla, black cherry jam, dried herbs, and sweet currants. This fleshy, round, low acid, seductive, luscious effort will provide pleasure over the next decade. Only 1,250 cases were produced, and the 2003 tipped the scales at 13.5% alcohol.Robert Parker | 90 RPGood deep red-ruby. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, violet, minerals, smoke and nutty oak. Fat, broad and opulent but not overly sweet; manages to retain its typical aromatic quality even in this hot year, no doubt partly due to the fact that this wine gets minimal racking. Wonderfully easy to drink already and probably best suited for consuming over the next seven or eight years.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This 15+ acre estate, situated on a south/southwest-facing slope, has been making sensational wines since 2000, when the management of the vineyard and winemaking were taken over by Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt. The 40-year-old, bio-dynamically farmed vineyard is planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The 2003 possesses superb ripeness as well as a stony, mineral liqueur-like intensity, a reticent but promising perfume of black raspberries, sweet kirsch, and blacker fruits, a full-bodied, powerful, concentrated attack and mid-palate, and a blockbuster, long, powerful, moderately tannic finish. It is an infant in terms of development. No doubt this site’s clay and limestone soils were the perfect antidote for the summer’s torrid heat and drought. This superb effort should only be purchased by patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2025+Robert Parker | 93 RPPlenty of berry and cherry character with chocolate and vanilla. Medium-bodied, with soft and balanced tannins. Lovely balance. This is right next to Angélus and Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarosse. A small property with about 15 acres. Best after 2008. 1,625 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

No written review provided. | 94 VMA big, generous wine, with sweet black fruit flavors that show well with the acidity and the fresh, open tannins. For a wine from 2002, this has richness and good ripe flavors. There is depth as well as power, and this can certainly be counted one of the success stories of 2002.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

No written review provided | 92 WS

Tasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2002 Château Giscours is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot picked between October 1 and 15. There remains that almost Pomerol-like personality on the nose, quite perfumed and floral with sage and burnt toast scents tincturing the dark berry fruit. With continued aeration, there is a just a hint of rooibos. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite ferrous in the mouth and lightly spiced. It does not deliver the same precision as the 2001, although there is decent length here. It does not offer great length, but for the vintage, this should be considered a modest success. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMI like the mineral and blackberry aromas in this wine. Medium- to full-bodied, with a fresh acidity and tannin structure. This is solid and tight. Needs bottle age. Best after 2008. 23,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Deep medium ruby. Black cherry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Intensely flavored and rather sinewy, with firm acids framing the fruit. Quite backward and firmly tannic, but has the material and structure to age nicely. Finishes with a note of espresso. This chateau has been making consistently strong wine in recent years.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMA wine with delicious berry, nutmeg and fresh tobacco character, with just a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Impressive. Very fine. Much better than from barrel. Best after 2008. 25,415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A terrific sleeper value, Stephan von Neipperg’s 2001 Clos de l’Oratoire boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as a rich nose of melted licorice, espresso roast, black currants, minerals, smoke, and earth. This opulent, medium-bodied St.-Emilion exhibits abundant quantities of fruit and glycerin along with a fleshy, ripe, expansive finish with no hard edges. Some tannin lurks beneath the surface, but this is a beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 10-12 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Good deep ruby. Complex, sauvage aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and leather. Soft, sweet and expressive; shows a considerably stronger animal aspect than either Canon La Gaffeliere or Mondotte, Stephan von Neipperg other St. Emilion wines. Quite suave and fresh for the year. Finishes long and ripely tannic. Half of this wine was fermented in wood cuves, which von Neipperg feels has resulted in a more successful integration of the tannins.Vinous Media | 89-90 VM

Even better, the 2001 Château Barde-Haut offers a full-bodied, beautifully textured style on the palate as well as incredibly complex notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco, and Asian spices. With resolved tannins, a great mid-palate, and a concentrated, rich, powerful style, it’s another 2001 that’s drinking brilliantly today. As with the 2000, it’s drinking at point yet is going to evolve nicely over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2001 Barde Haut has an open-knit nose of black plum and crushed strawberry; subtle, almost gamy aromas develop in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a pliant texture and fine acidity, fleshier than some Right Bank wines but nicely balanced. While not a complex Saint-Émilion, it has bags of charm and feels carefree and malleable. A 20-year-old that is now à point.Vinous Media | 90 VMBeautiful red with soft, silky tannins and delicious berry, cherry, vanilla and light tobacco character. Full-bodied, with a caressing texture and a long finish. I like this better than the 2000. Best after 2006. 3,080 cases made. —Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

Decadent and rich with a meaty and ripe fruit aroma. Full, dense, and juicy, with round, velvety tannins, and a long finish. A big burly wine. Pull the cork after 2015, this needs the time. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JSGood deep red-ruby. Extravagantly ripe, exotic aromas of roasted dark fruits and roasted meat. Large-scaled, fat and full, with atypical sweetness nicely leavened by harmonious acidity. Creamy, dense and full for Lafon-Rochet. Finishes with smooth tannins and excellent palate-saturating length. A great vintage for this chateau.Vinous Media | 91 VMVery exciting aromas of crushed blackberry and lightly smoky barrels. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a medium finish. A bit tight but balanced. 10,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

A full-bodied red with soft and silky tannins that gives the wine definition and brightness. Savory and fresh. Beautiful now.James Suckling | 93 JSA revelation, this stunning wine (also reasonably priced) has turned out to be even better than I thought. Opaque purple-colored, with gorgeous ripeness and richness, a big, sweet mid-palate, and a seamless finish revealing loads of fruit, chocolate, glycerin, and ripe tannin, this opulently-styled 2000 will have few detractors. It is hard not to be totally seduced by this effort. Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez and his omnipresent oenologist, Michel Rolland. Bravo! Anticipated maturity: Now-2015.Robert Parker | 91 RP

A rich and ripe nose of dried fruits, figs and spices with hints of cedar. Full body, a juicy fruit character and soft tannins. Lots of pretty fruit. Lightly earthy tobacco undertones. Still fresh. Gorgeous now to drink.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2003 La Lagune was the first vintage whereby Denis Dubourdieu acted as consultant. It has a more fruit forward bouquet compared to the 2002 and it has aged well, offering redcurrant, dried fig and a touch of tinned prune on the nose, yet without the VA or sur-maturité that afflict other 2003s. The palate is medium-bodied with a peppery opening, fine tannin, admirable freshness for this vintage with more tension on the finish than one might expect, plus I appreciate the discrete touch of bay leaf and white pepper on the aftertaste. Tasted at the La Lagune vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VMA big chunky wine which still has grace and elegance along with the power. This is an excellent performance from a property which is worth watching.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE