Boasting knockout aromas of herbal, floral, tea-like stems, sous bois, smoked meat and black cherries, the 2018 Sangreal Pinot Noir is a treat just to smell. On the palate, it's medium-bodied and silky textured, smooth and polished in feel, showing ample concentration and length on the finish, which adds hints of orange zest, cranberries and exotic spice. Complex, mouthwatering and elegant, it's a beauty to drink now and over the next 7-8 years. Issue 253 End of February 2021, The Wine Advocate, 27 Feb 2021, Joe Czerwinski
A blend of Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale fruit, the 2010 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz presents a very deep purple black color and is profoundly scented of warm black berries, blueberry pie filling, licorice and cloves with hints of Chinese five spice, mocha and cedar. Very rich, powerful and very full bodied, the concentrated fruit is well balanced by a medium to firm level of rounded tannins and lively acid. It has a very long milk chocolate and coconut laced finish. Give this wine another year for the oak to marry and drink it 2013 to 2020+. 199, The Wine Advocate, 23 Dec 2011, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Simultaneously incredibly rich and incredibly fragrant, the 2010 RunRig seems capable of aging at least another 15 years. Scents of violets and red berries combine with darker fruit, ample dried spice and hints of savory meatiness. It's a complete wine and one of the ultimate expressions of Barossa Valley Shiraz. The Wine Advocate, Sep 01, 2018, Joe Czerwinski
The 2005 The Struie was sourced from cooler Eden Valley and Barossa Valley hillside vineyards. It is David Powell’s attempt to showcase the cooler side of the region. Vine age ranges from 46-110 years old. The wine was aged for 18 months in older French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It delivers a splendid bouquet of lead pencil, game, blueberry muffin, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by an elegant Shiraz which is nevertheless full-bodied, dense, and richly flavored. Plush on the palate, it has superior depth and length and the structure to evolve for 6-8 years. Drink it through 2027. Wine Advocate (173), Oct 2007, Jay Miller
Deep brick-colored, the 1994 Hill of Grace offers notes of stewed plums, dried berries and baking spices with nuances of aniseed, vanilla and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, it has great concentration and structure in the mouth, with crisp acid plus firm, grainy tannins, and is packed with layered, dried berry and spice flavors before finishing long with tons of remaining fruit. This wine still has many years to go. Drink it now to 2030+. Wine Advocate (206), Apr 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2019 Clinet is showing beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, licorice, subtle spices and smoke. Full-bodied, sensual and velvety, it's seamless and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, resonant finish. This precise, concentrated wine is the finest young Clinet I've ever tasted, and it exemplifies the tremendous progress that Ronan Laborde has made at this estate over the last decade. April 2022 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 7 Apr 2022, William Kelley
A fine effort from this cru classé located between Lynch-Bages, Forts de Latour and Pichon Lalande, the 2019 Haut-Batailley offers up aromas of minty berries, loamy soil, violets, cedar and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, succulent palate with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and powdery structuring tannins. This is the second vintage produced by the Cazes family since their acquisition of the château in 2017. April 2022 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 7th Apr 2022, William Kelley
Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak, the 2019 Haut-Brion is full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a textural attack that segues into an ample and enveloping core of fruit, concluding with a long, expansive finish. Broad-shouldered and muscular, its rich, powdery tannins are already seamlessly integrated; and though it's labeled at 15% alcohol, far higher than the great vintages of yesteryear, it avoids any sense of over-ripeness. April 2022 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 7th Apr 2022, William Kelley
The 2019 Léoville Las Cases is a brilliant young wine that will delight Bordeaux purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, layered and tightly wound, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and an abundance of rich, powdery tannins. Concentrated and serious, much like its immediate neighbor Château Latour, it is likely to emerge as one of the vintage’s longest lived—and greatest—wines. April 2022 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 7th Apr 2022, William Kelley
The 2019 Château Margaux is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, accounting for 37% of the crop. The alcohol came in at 13.9%, the IPT was 75, and the pH was 3.66. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose begins with intense scents of crushed blackberries, warm cassis and plum preserves before fanning out into a whole array of floral, exotic spice and earth scents: iris, red roses, star anise, cassis, tilled soil, moss-covered bark and black truffles, with an emerging waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate quivers with energy, emitting loads of mineral sparks, featuring bold freshness and fantastically ripe, finely grained tannins to support the delicate, perfumed layers, finishing very long and wonderfully poised. The juxtaposition between the acidity and the richness in this Château Margaux is just extraordinary! June 2020 Week 3, The Wine Advocate, 18th Jun 2020, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The enormously endowed, backward, ferociously tannic, massively extracted 2010 Mouton-Rothschild exhibits an opaque blue/purple color as well as a tight but promising nose of incense, licorice, lead pencil shavings, vanilla, blackberries and cassis. Full-bodied in the mouth, extremely young, and tasting like a barrel sample, this remarkable effort requires 10-15 years of cellaring. It should age well for half a century or more. 216, The Wine Advocate, 30 Dec 2014, Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An absolutely amazing wine, from grapes harvested between the end of September and October 17, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot has close to 15% natural alcohol. It comes from one of the few biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux, but you are likely to see many more, given the success that Tesseron seems to be having at all levels, both in his vineyards and in his fermentation/winemaking. An astounding, compelling wine with the classic Pauillac nose more often associated with its cross-street neighbor, Mouton-Rothschild, creme de cassis, there are also some violets and other assorted floral notes. The wine has off-the-charts massiveness and intensity but never comes across as heavy, overbearing or astringent. The freshness, laser-like precision, and full-bodied, massive richness and extract are simply remarkable to behold and experience. It is very easy, to become jaded tasting such great wines from a great vintage, but it is really a privilege to taste something as amazing as this. Unfortunately, it needs a good decade of cellaring, and that’s assuming it doesn’t close down over the next few years. This is a 50- to 75-year wine from one of the half-dozen or so most compulsive and obsessive proprietors in all of Bordeaux. Is there anything that proprietor Alfred Tesseron is not doing right? Talk about an estate that is on top of its game! Pontet-Canet’s 2010 is a more structured, tannic and restrained version of their most recent perfect wine, the 2009. Kudos to Pontet-Canet! Wine Advocate (205), Feb 2013, Robert Parker
The 2010 Vieux Chateau Certan, a blend of 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Production was lower than in 2009 and the alcohol slightly higher, but the pH is 3.7, which is surprisingly reasonable given the lofty power and alcoholic clout this full-bodied wine possesses. Dense purple-colored , the 2010 displays a vivid yet astonishing array of spice box, red, blue and black fruits, crushed rock and spring flowers. The oak is well-concealed behind the lavish concentration and richness. Exceptionally pure, this unbelievable wine flirts with perfection. Unfortunately, there is 20% less of it than in 2009, and the tannins warrant a good 8-10 years of cellaring, as I suspect it could actually close down. This is another 40- to 50-year effort in 2010 that should elicit considerable interest from wine consumers. 205, The Wine Advocate, 28 Feb 2013, Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2007 Lafite Rothschild (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot) reveals classic Lafite aromas of graphite, unsmoked cigar tobacco, black currants, cherries, and a hint of truffles. The complex aromatics are followed by a round, medium to full-bodied wine with silky tannins, an overall subtle smoky component, and a rich, round, generous, plump finish. Already evolved and delicious, it should continue to drink well for two decades. Wine Advocate (188), April 2010, Robert Parker
Certainly this was a wine born under considerable controversy, receiving accolades and kudos from me and several of my American colleagues, but generally excoriated by the British press. The French wine critics were very positive. This wine has calmed down considerably as it was a blockbuster, somewhat of a Bordeaux fruit bomb in its youth, and now has toned itself down to a serious candidate for one of the wines of this rather bizarre, but interesting, vintage. 2003 offered everything, from pathetically dilute and thin wines to some massive blockbusters. That was true especially in the Northern Médoc and from the limestone hillsides of St.-Emilion (where Pavie is situated). The color is a dark garnet, with a touch of amber beginning to appear on the edge. The wine has a stunning nose of roasted herbs, grilled meats, charcoal, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, with some oak still present. Dense, full-bodied and very succulent and lush, this wine seems to be in late adolescence, ready to enter a relatively mature stage. There is always a suspicion because of the extreme heat in July and August that these wines will crack up very quickly, and certainly that will always be a worry, but this one looks set for at least another 10-15 years of drinkability. 220, The Wine Advocate, 28 Aug 2015, Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1999 is the greatest Palmer made since 1961, 1966, 1970, 1983, and 1989. It is one of the superstars of the vintage. The wine is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. It boasts a staggering bouquet of violets and other spring flowers intermixed with licorice, black currants, and subtle wood. Only 50% of the production made it into the grand vin. This is a multidimensional, compelling effort with both power and elegance, it offers sweet tannin along with flavors that caress the palate, and a 45-second finish. This is terrific stuff! Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. Wine Advocate (140), Apr 2002, Robert Parker
The finest Trotanoy since the 1961, this structured, formidably-endowed, deep ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, super-rich wine exhibits notes of toffee, truffles, and abundant blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. It cuts a large swath across the palate, and possesses copious but sweet tannin as well as a chewy, muscular mid-palate and finish. This is a compelling effort from one of the great vineyards of Pomerol. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Bordeaux Book (4), Jan 2003, Robert Parker
This is actually a younger, more concentrated wine than the 1990. A dense plum/garnet color with a slight lightening at the edge is followed by a sensational Figeac nose of mint, fruitcake, Asian spices, gobs of sweet black and red fruits, and a smoky component in the background. Medium to full-bodied with lovely freshness, this 1982 appears to be fully mature, but it tasted the same a decade ago, and it should hold at this level for another 10-20 years. Wine Advocate (183), Jun 2009, Robert Parker
The 2017 Blanc prances out of the glass with pretty, cheerful scents of fresh green apples, lemongrass, lime leaves and white peaches plus spicy touches of fresh ginger, coriander seed and white pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastic intensity and tension, with a racy backbone cutting through the tightly knit citrus and spice layers, finishing long and mineral laced. March 2020 Week 3, The Wine Advocate, 17th Mar 2020, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Pale to medium lemon-gold, the nose is simply WOW—an absolute show-stopper, delivering vibrant, youthful lime cordial, pink grapefruit and lemon meringue pie scents followed up by suggestions of chamomile tea, saffron, cassis and nutmeg plus wafts of marzipan, crushed rocks and beeswax. The palate is beyond-belief intense, offering a myriad of decadent citrus fruit preserves and earthy/mineral-inspired nuances, instilling incredible depth, all punctuated by profound freshness and finishing epically long and exquisitely delicious. The alcohol this vintage is 13.6%, while the residual sugar is a whopping 150 grams per liter, beautifully balanced by a total acidity of 4.5 grams per liter of H2SO4. Obviously, the longer readers are willing to cellar this, the more they will get of that ethereal tertiary complexity/experience. This said, for those who love great Sauternes in its youthful/primary flushes, even at this very early stage in its evolution, the multifaceted 2001 d'Yquem will not disappoint. Issue 244 End of August 2019, The Wine Advocate, 31 Aug 2019, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
This is aromatically similar to the Clos St. Denis but even more floral. Here too there is a wonderfully attractive mouthfeel on the powerful, muscular and dense broad-shouldered flavors that are also blessed with an abundance of dry extract that buffers the massively persistent finale. This terrific effort is a blend of power and refinement and a wine that should age accordingly. A "wow" wine and on the better wines of the vintage. Jan 10, 2022 , Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
There is plenty of whole cluster influence on the perfumed aromas of red berries, spice, red and dark berries and a pretty hint of exotic tea. The energetic and suave yet nicely delineated medium weight flavors exhibit focused power on the almost painfully intense and lightly stony, youthfully austere and hugely long finish. This is also excellent and should age gracefully for years. Jan 10, 2023, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
Intensely floral notes of rose petal, lavender, violet and acacia add both elegance and breadth to the dark cherry and wonderfully spicy aromas. The rich, dense and highly seductive medium weight plus flavors possess a dusty, mouthcoating and balanced finish that delivers outstanding length. This is also going to require at least some patience as it needs to develop better depth but should eventually mature into a seriously good Ech. Jan 10, 2023, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
This is the first wine to show any appreciable reduction though the whole cluster vinification does peek through the funk. Once again, the bigger-bodied and much more muscular flavors possess a highly attractive texture thanks to the generous dry extract that partially buffers the prominent tannic spine supporting the robust, powerful and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is a classic Malconsorts which is very much built to reward longer-term cellaring. Jan 10, 2022, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
A perfumed and spicier than usual nose of both red and dark cherry freely offers up its nuances of violet, lavender and lilac. There is again a really lovely texture to the succulent but concentrated and overtly powerful big-bodied flavors that deliver stupendous length on the compact, palate drenching and hugely long finish. This is a very impressive, but also very firmly structured, Bonnes Mares that should still be around 50+ years from now. Jan 10, 2023, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
An ultra-floral-suffused nose speaks mostly of ripe dark berries, spice and a whiff of jasmine tea. The racy and almost painfully intense medium weight flavors brim with both dry extract and minerality before terminating in a gorgeously complex, persistent and balanced if very compact finale where the only nit is a touch of warmth. This beauty is going to need at least a few years to unwind. In a word, excellent. Jan 10, 2023, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
Discreet wood sets off the exceptionally cool and wonderfully pure spicy essence of red currant, plum and rose petal scents. The delicious and impressively intense medium weight flavors also possess excellent precision on the strikingly long finale. This isn't quite as complex as the Les Réas today though I suspect that will change with time in bottle. This too is well-worth checking out. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
A pretty and perfumed nose offers up notes of red and dark currant, violet, lavender and a whiff of anise. The notably finer medium weight flavors possess both good detail and a subtle salinity that adds a sense of refreshment to the mildly rustic if persistent finale. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
A markedly floral-suffused nose that is equally cool and restrained grudgingly displays notes of both red and black currant along with smoky spice wisps. The more elegant and polished middle weight flavors don't possess the same muscle or power, but the lilting and refined texture is highly seductive, all wrapped in stony, wonderfully complex and beautifully well-balanced finale. This is terrific and while the mouthfeel is certainly very refined, the fine but dense tannins will ensure a long life. Textbook CSD. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
More deeply pitched aromas are comprised by notes of poached plum, newly turned earth and the sauvage. The exceptionally fresh large-scaled flavors possess a suave mid-palate texture while displaying outstanding depth on the sneaky long and very firm finale. This moderately austere effort has the potential to be superb though one will have to be prepared to wait for enjoy it at its peak. Jan 10, 2022, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
A plethora of spice and floral influences add breadth to the nose of purple fruit, exotic tea and hoisin. The succulent and almost delicate middle weight flavors possess a suave mid-palate mouthfeel before tightening up on the dusty, moderately austere and sneaky long finale. This could use a bit more overall depth though it should be more than capable of extended cellaring but it's sufficiently supple that it should also be approachable after only 7 to 8 years. Jan 10, 2022, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
An overtly spicy nose reflects notes of various red and dark berries, rose petal and exotic Asian-style tea. The mouthfeel of the broad-shouldered flavors is sleek with an almost silky mid-palate that contrasts markedly with the muscular and notably firm finale that displays focused power on the dusty, youthfully austere and serious finale. Patience an absolute must. Jan 10, 2022, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
This is definitely ripe yet again quite fresh with its overtly floral combination of cassis, poached plum, anise, rose petal and discreet wood-suffused aromas. Once again there is a really lovely texture to the more obviously mineral-driven flavors that culminate in a highly refreshing, chiseled and youthfully austere finale that delivers notably better length. Impressive stuff that should age effortlessly. Jan 10, 2022, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
A ripe, spicy and fresh nose is comprised by notes of cassis, black cherry and floral top notes. The middle weight flavors are rich to the point of opulence while offering equally good length if not the same robust power on the balanced and slightly less structured finale. This too is one to consider. Jan 10, 2021, Allan Meadow's (Burghound.com)
A slightly more deeply pitched nose features notes of poached plum, dark raspberry and newly turned earth. There is very good power to the medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a dusty, delicious and nicely complex finish that flashes a bit of rusticity. A quality villages. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
A mildly toasty nose is comprised by the very fresh essence of red currant and a similar array of floral elements. The noticeably more refined barely middle weight flavors exude evident minerality on the delicious and equally refreshing finish. This isn't especially dense but it's certainly very pretty and has the structure to repay up to a decade of cellaring. Jan 10, 2019, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
A brooding, ripe and restrained nose features notes of plum, violet, dark currant and spice nuances only grudgingly reveals itself. The super-sleek, intense and delicious middle weight flavors possess a lovely texture thanks to the fine-grained tannins shaping the stony, sneaky long and balanced finale. This is very Feusselottes in style. Jan 10, 2020, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
This is also moderately reduced though the underlying fruit seems ripe. There is more volume to the caressing but punchy and tautly muscular flavors that also culminate in a youthfully austere finish that leans out as it sits on the palate. The supporting tannins appear to be fully ripe so I suspect that this will come together once it is in bottle. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
This is also relatively cool and restrained with its nicely layered nose of ripe red currant, game and whiffs of spice and earth. The caressing and gorgeously textured larger-scaled flavors that are quite finely balanced and more mineral-driven on the sneaky long finish. In contrast to the typical example of Corton, the mouthfeel is almost delicate and overall, this is lovely. Jan 10, 2021, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)