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Search Flickinger Wine Inventory
Inventory updated: Sun, Apr 26, 2026 10:44 AM cst
Your search criteria:
Regions: Bordeaux Red
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. d' Aiguilhe |
2014 |
Cotes de Castillon (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$212.99 |
4 |
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2017 |
Cotes de Castillon (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$216.99 |
4 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Ampelia |
2019 |
Cotes de Castillon (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$198.99 |
10 |
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| Ch. Angelus |
1995 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML) 
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,239.97 |
1 |
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WA 92+ (8/2015): This is typical 1995 in that it’s young, tannic, masculine and still vigorous and foreboding. This vintage at age 20 seems reluctant to evolve in the most graceful manner possible, but it is still easily holding on to life and still has a fair amount of tannin left to resolve. The wine is concentrated, but will the tannin ever soften to the point where it is well-integrated? This can be drunk now, as the aromatics are enticing and complex. Although, be aware of the tannin clout the wine still possesses. Drink 2017-2030.
VM 93 (6/1998): Bright dark ruby. Sweet, superripe aromas of raspberry, plum, black cherry, tobacco, toffee and game. Like liquid velvet in the mouth: sweet, voluptuous, seamless. Palate-staining flavors of black cherry, chocolate and smoky oak. Finishes with chewy, toothfurring tannins and great persistence. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2000 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$7,808.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (8/2015): Approaching perfection, this wine is inky, bluish/purple-colored to the rim, offering up notes of incense, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, licorice, graphite and spring flowers. A touch of roasted espresso bean is also present. The wine has great concentration, a magnificent, full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning purity, and well-integrated acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. This beauty seems to be in mid-adolescence with at least 25-30 years of life ahead.
JS 95 (5/2012): Furnished with wonderful richness, this has notes of amazingly dark fruit and dark chocolate on the nose. Full-bodied and soft, this has a lovely velvety texture and a chocolate and coffee character. This is extensive and fresh, with hints of mint and spice on the finish. Don’t drink this for another five years, pull the cork in 2015.
VM 93 (5/2003): Impressive saturated ruby. Black fruits, shoe polish, licorice, truffle, leather and a hint of game on the nose; at once superripe and fresh. Fat, sweet and deep, but retains lovely inner-mouth aromatic character and precision of flavor for such a rich wine, thanks to sound acidity. Effortlessly carries its 14% alcohol. This builds impressively on the back end, finishing with strong but lush tannins (the index of polyphenols was 92!) and powerful fruit. This wine was racked a total of three times. |
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2004 |
St. Emilion |
$325 |
1 |
|
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WA 95 (6/2007): This 7,500-case blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc is one of the strongest wines of the vintage. A deep blue/purple hue is accompanied by classic aromas of smoky blueberries and blackberries as well as incense and floral notes in the background. A beautiful texture, opulence, flamboyance, and purity characterize this stunningly deep, full-bodied effort, another great success from proprietor Hubert de Bouard. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022.
JS 94 (3/2012): Full of dark fruits and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied, with super fine, silky tannins and a long finish. Give it another three years.
VM 91 (6/2007): Deep ruby. Wild aromas of plum, redcurrant, game, underbrush and flowers; hints of liqueur-like superripeness. Supple and suave but also rich and large-scaled; seriously concentrated and deep for the vintage but less sweet than the 2005. This boasts lovely texture and broad, ripe tannins but I find more intensity and incipient complexity-not to mention purity and lift-in the young 2006. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2004 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,503.99 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95 (6/2007): This 7,500-case blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc is one of the strongest wines of the vintage. A deep blue/purple hue is accompanied by classic aromas of smoky blueberries and blackberries as well as incense and floral notes in the background. A beautiful texture, opulence, flamboyance, and purity characterize this stunningly deep, full-bodied effort, another great success from proprietor Hubert de Bouard. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022.
JS 94 (3/2012): Full of dark fruits and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied, with super fine, silky tannins and a long finish. Give it another three years.
VM 91 (6/2007): Deep ruby. Wild aromas of plum, redcurrant, game, underbrush and flowers; hints of liqueur-like superripeness. Supple and suave but also rich and large-scaled; seriously concentrated and deep for the vintage but less sweet than the 2005. This boasts lovely texture and broad, ripe tannins but I find more intensity and incipient complexity-not to mention purity and lift-in the young 2006. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2005 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$7,107.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2015): Following the stunning fragrance of acacia flowers, blueberries, espresso and graphite, this prodigious wine hits the palate with amazing blue and black fruits, sweet tannin, a full-bodied mouthfeel, incredible purity, texture and length. Little is left to chance or imagination in this compelling effort. It is a quintessential style of l’Angelus, only more concentrated and dense than usual. The tannins are sweet and well-integrated, so this is a wine that one can drink despite its infancy at age 10, but it will keep for 40-50 years.
JS 97 (5/2012): Beautifully focused notes of figs and ripe fruit on the nose, this is very perfumed. A lot of material in this wine, the center palate is incredible, lasting for minutes. This is full-bodied and super silky with fine tannins. A pinpointed ball of fruit, think lychee, and hints of chocolate on the finish. Leave this for six to eight years, should be about right in 2018.
VM 96 (6/2008): Good red-ruby. Deep, sweet aromas and flavors of black raspberry, cassis, graphite and licorice. Wonderfully lush, silky and seamless, with a near-perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Very full in the middle palate but with terrific verve leavening the wine's total ripeness. This really coats the palate with flavor and the very long, slow-building finish features utterly sensual tannins. A great performance for this property. |
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2006 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,254.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 95 (2/2009): A spectacular effort (what’s new?), this brilliant offering from proprietor Hubert de Bouard is another classic. A blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of creosote, blueberry pie, espresso roast, blackberries, and graphite. Extremely full-bodied and stunningly rich with a multi-layered texture, sweet tannin, and a 45-second finish, this exceptional 2006 is one of the great wines of St.-Emilion. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.
VM 93 (6/2009): Full ruby. Vibrant aromas of crushed blueberry and bitter chocolate are further brightened by a violet quality. Dense, sweet and lush, with terrific depth and freshness to its dark fruit, mineral and violet flavors. This is really creamy-rich for the vintage. Finishes with smooth, chocolatey tannins and Outstanding palate-saturating length. It's hard to imagine how Hubert de Bouard managed to get such a deep, layered middle palate without any sign of overextracted tannins or heaviness, but he has managed this neat trick. |
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2011 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,939.99 |
1 |
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2013 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,010.97 |
1 |
|
| |
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|
2015 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,719.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 99 (3/2018): A great wine with superb concentration and richness. yet it's ever so agile and polished. Spices, blueberries, cinnamon and dried flowers. Full body and polished and full tannins. Great length. The refinement to the tannins is amazing. Compacted. Essence-like. Needs five or six years to open. Try in 2025.
JD 97+ (11/2017): A total blockbuster is the 2015 Angelus and it’s reminiscent of a slightly more elegant 2009. Made from 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, this rich, opulent beauty boast killer notes of blackcurrants, blackberry liqueur, truffle, chocolate and scorched earth. With full-bodied richness, building, ripe tannin and a stacked profile on the palate, this hedonistic Bomb of a wine from Hubert de Boüard needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for three decades or more.
WA 97 (2/2018): A blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Angelus reveals a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant aromas of crushed red currants, warm plums and pencil shavings with hints of incense, sage, violets and tobacco. Full-bodied, very fine and intense yet exquisitely delicate with wonderful freshness, it has ripe yet firm, very finely grained tannins and an epically long, perfumed finish. With bags of perfume and a captivating plushness, this Angelus is a real head-turner!
VM 97 (7/2019): The 2015 Angélus has a calm, cool and collected bouquet of tightly wound black fruit that unfurls with aeration to reveal blackberry, gravel and pencil box notes; classic, almost Left Bank in style, and delivered with real panache. The palate is exquisitely balanced with fine but grippy tannin, layers of black and red fruit tinged with vanilla and perfect acidity. The harmonious, sensual finish is very alluring. What a stunning 2015 this is going to be! Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin.
JA 96 (9/2020): A vintage that favoured St-Émilion, and they have made the most of it at Angélus. There are signals of a hot year in the black cherry, cinnamon and fresh fig notes, given depth and complexity with cassis, cigar box, crushed stone and a freshly-crushed mint leaf finish, along with a tingling minerality that cuts through the exuberance and concentration of the vintage. Harvest September 22 to October 14. New cellar as of 2014 also. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$422.99 |
2 |
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JS 99 (1/2019): Subtle and profound aromas of blackberries, wet earth and sweet tobacco. Hints of spice, too. Full-bodied and so deep. It’s incredibly vertical and long. Just like looking down a well. Firm and powerful tannins, yet polished and balanced. Goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever. Try after 2025.
WA 98+ (10/2020): Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2016 Angelus erupts from the glass with powerful notes of blackberry pie, ripe black cherries and juicy black plums with an undercurrent of star anise, rose petals, chocolate mint, pencil shavings and woodsmoke plus a waft of allspice. The palate is pure decadence. Medium to full-bodied, rich and generously fruited, this wine is by no means heavy—it positively glimmers with freshness and vivacity, lending an ethereal nature to all that richness and power, beautifully framed by velvety tannins and finishing with epic length. The generosity, layers and plushness make for an absolutely DELICIOUS drink right now, but I'd suggest waiting 3-5 more years for the fireworks to really begin.
JD 97 (2/2019): The 2016 Château Angelus is incredibly elegant and finesse-driven, with a soaring perfume of crème de cassis, white flowers, crayon, forest floor, and spice. Compared to the 1996 by the Angelus team, it has a deep, layered style, its oak is beautifully integrated, there are ample tannins, and despite leaning toward the finesse-driven side of the spectrum, it has thrilling depth of fruit and length. It’s a brilliant wine from this estate that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 30+ years or more. The blend of the 2016 is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, brought up all in new French oak.
VM 98 (1/2019): The 2016 Angelus is a total stunner. Despite its late bottling in September 2018, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Soaring aromatics and layers of bright, vibrant fruit are two of the main signatures in the 2016. The tannins, so often hard in young Angelus, are almost impossibly refined. Pomegranate, blood orange, raspberry jam, wild flowers and mocha are some of the many notes that race through the 2016. All the elements fall into place in a memorable, exquisite Saint-emilion that is clearly one of the wines of the year. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,470.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 99 (1/2019): Subtle and profound aromas of blackberries, wet earth and sweet tobacco. Hints of spice, too. Full-bodied and so deep. It’s incredibly vertical and long. Just like looking down a well. Firm and powerful tannins, yet polished and balanced. Goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever. Try after 2025.
WA 98+ (10/2020): Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2016 Angelus erupts from the glass with powerful notes of blackberry pie, ripe black cherries and juicy black plums with an undercurrent of star anise, rose petals, chocolate mint, pencil shavings and woodsmoke plus a waft of allspice. The palate is pure decadence. Medium to full-bodied, rich and generously fruited, this wine is by no means heavy—it positively glimmers with freshness and vivacity, lending an ethereal nature to all that richness and power, beautifully framed by velvety tannins and finishing with epic length. The generosity, layers and plushness make for an absolutely DELICIOUS drink right now, but I'd suggest waiting 3-5 more years for the fireworks to really begin.
JD 97 (2/2019): The 2016 Château Angelus is incredibly elegant and finesse-driven, with a soaring perfume of crème de cassis, white flowers, crayon, forest floor, and spice. Compared to the 1996 by the Angelus team, it has a deep, layered style, its oak is beautifully integrated, there are ample tannins, and despite leaning toward the finesse-driven side of the spectrum, it has thrilling depth of fruit and length. It’s a brilliant wine from this estate that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 30+ years or more. The blend of the 2016 is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, brought up all in new French oak.
VM 98 (1/2019): The 2016 Angelus is a total stunner. Despite its late bottling in September 2018, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Soaring aromatics and layers of bright, vibrant fruit are two of the main signatures in the 2016. The tannins, so often hard in young Angelus, are almost impossibly refined. Pomegranate, blood orange, raspberry jam, wild flowers and mocha are some of the many notes that race through the 2016. All the elements fall into place in a memorable, exquisite Saint-emilion that is clearly one of the wines of the year. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$347.99 |
5 |
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JD 97 (2/2020): The top wine here is terrific, and the 2017 Chateau Angelus is in the top two or three wines on the Right Bank. Checking in as 70% Merlot and a full 30% Cabernet Franc, it shows the slightly more elegant, polished style favored at the estate these days yet still packs ample richness and depth. Deep purple-hued with awesome creme de cassis-like fruit as well as plenty of unsmoked tobacco, new saddle leather, white truffle, and white chocolate aromas and flavors, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a wine of power and elegance. You could be excused for drinking bottles even today, but ideally, it should be given 7-8 years of bottle age, at which point it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years.
WA 95 (10/2020): Composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Angelus wafts slowly, sensuously out of the glass with notes of warm red currants, Black Forest cake, blackberry compote and pencil shavings with nuances of rose oil, black tea, cloves and cumin seed. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully elegant and refreshing, sporting very finely grained tannins and layers of red and black fruit preserves, finishing long with mineral fireworks. What a beauty!
VM 94 (3/2020): In 2017, Angelus leans much more toward finesse than power. Dark cherry, chocolate, spice, leather and mint are all finely knit. The 2017 was just bottled the month before this tasting - normal by the château's standards but late for the Right Bank. Today, the 2017 is powerful, brooding and closed, especially in its aromatics. My impression is that it needs time to recover from its recent bottling. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97 (12/2019): This is so pure and aromatic with a level of complexity and refinement for the vintage that few have. Sweet tobacco, flowers, herbs and stone with underlying richness of fruit. It opens on the palate to a full body that is tight and reserved with an extremely focused tannin mouth feel. Length and excitement at the end. Very polished Angelus. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Drink in 2024 and onwards. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,836.99 |
2 |
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JD 97 (2/2020): The top wine here is terrific, and the 2017 Chateau Angelus is in the top two or three wines on the Right Bank. Checking in as 70% Merlot and a full 30% Cabernet Franc, it shows the slightly more elegant, polished style favored at the estate these days yet still packs ample richness and depth. Deep purple-hued with awesome creme de cassis-like fruit as well as plenty of unsmoked tobacco, new saddle leather, white truffle, and white chocolate aromas and flavors, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is a wine of power and elegance. You could be excused for drinking bottles even today, but ideally, it should be given 7-8 years of bottle age, at which point it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years.
WA 95 (10/2020): Composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Angelus wafts slowly, sensuously out of the glass with notes of warm red currants, Black Forest cake, blackberry compote and pencil shavings with nuances of rose oil, black tea, cloves and cumin seed. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully elegant and refreshing, sporting very finely grained tannins and layers of red and black fruit preserves, finishing long with mineral fireworks. What a beauty!
VM 94 (3/2020): In 2017, Angelus leans much more toward finesse than power. Dark cherry, chocolate, spice, leather and mint are all finely knit. The 2017 was just bottled the month before this tasting - normal by the château's standards but late for the Right Bank. Today, the 2017 is powerful, brooding and closed, especially in its aromatics. My impression is that it needs time to recover from its recent bottling. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97 (12/2019): This is so pure and aromatic with a level of complexity and refinement for the vintage that few have. Sweet tobacco, flowers, herbs and stone with underlying richness of fruit. It opens on the palate to a full body that is tight and reserved with an extremely focused tannin mouth feel. Length and excitement at the end. Very polished Angelus. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Drink in 2024 and onwards. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,225.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 97-99 (6/2020): Composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Angelus was harvested from the 13th of September until the 4th of October. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of Morello cherries, lilacs, chocolate box and potpourri with a core of Black Forest cake, blueberry crumble, fragrant soil and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the intensity on the palate builds from delicate, beguiling nuances with ethereal weight to a full-on fireworks display of flavor sparks, framed by fantastic freshness and very finely pixilated tannins, finishing long, layered and invigorating.
VM 96-98 (6/2020): The 2019 Angelus has a sophisticated bouquet with extraordinarily pure blackberry, raspberry, inkwell and crushed iris petals scents, like the Carillon but HD in terms of its clarity. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, the Cabernet component steering it towards say, Figeac or Cheval Blanc stylistically. It already feels very harmonious, the satin-like texture is supported by real substance and grip on the finish, perhaps more density than some of its peers. This is an outstanding Angelus, one likely to surpass the 2016, a wine that will give 30-40 years of pleasure, maybe more. Neal Martin.
JD 96-99 (6/2020): The grand vin 2019 Château Angelus, a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, is certainly up with the top wines in the vintage. (It actually reminds me a little of a more elegant version of the 2005.) Deep purple-hued, with a blockbuster bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, spice box, violets, spring flowers, and chocolate, it has a terrific sense of minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and an incredible sense of elegance pair with power. A quintessential example of the style now emerging from this estate, it's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age to hit maturity (it won't disappoint in its youth either) and will evolve gracefully for 20-30 years.
JS 98-99 (6/2020): An extremely refined and sharpened Angelus with super fine tannins and sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and so very polished. Silky. Very subtle. Bright blue fruit, black fruit and stones. Supple and minerally. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,997.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-99 (6/2020): Composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Angelus was harvested from the 13th of September until the 4th of October. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of Morello cherries, lilacs, chocolate box and potpourri with a core of Black Forest cake, blueberry crumble, fragrant soil and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the intensity on the palate builds from delicate, beguiling nuances with ethereal weight to a full-on fireworks display of flavor sparks, framed by fantastic freshness and very finely pixilated tannins, finishing long, layered and invigorating.
VM 96-98 (6/2020): The 2019 Angelus has a sophisticated bouquet with extraordinarily pure blackberry, raspberry, inkwell and crushed iris petals scents, like the Carillon but HD in terms of its clarity. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, the Cabernet component steering it towards say, Figeac or Cheval Blanc stylistically. It already feels very harmonious, the satin-like texture is supported by real substance and grip on the finish, perhaps more density than some of its peers. This is an outstanding Angelus, one likely to surpass the 2016, a wine that will give 30-40 years of pleasure, maybe more. Neal Martin.
JD 96-99 (6/2020): The grand vin 2019 Château Angelus, a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, is certainly up with the top wines in the vintage. (It actually reminds me a little of a more elegant version of the 2005.) Deep purple-hued, with a blockbuster bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, spice box, violets, spring flowers, and chocolate, it has a terrific sense of minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and an incredible sense of elegance pair with power. A quintessential example of the style now emerging from this estate, it's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age to hit maturity (it won't disappoint in its youth either) and will evolve gracefully for 20-30 years.
JS 98-99 (6/2020): An extremely refined and sharpened Angelus with super fine tannins and sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and so very polished. Silky. Very subtle. Bright blue fruit, black fruit and stones. Supple and minerally. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,043.97 |
1 |
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JD 98 (3/2023): The flagship from this great estate, the 2020 Château Angelus checks in as 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months in new barrels. It’s darker and more concentrated compared to the 2019, offering beautiful, medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of redcurrants, black raspberries, sandalwood, spring flowers, and smoked tobacco. With just about flawless balance, it's not the blockbuster style of a decade ago, but it has gorgeous purity, ultra-fine tannins, a round, seamless mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It's very much in the classic, balanced, structured style of the vintage, and a solid 7-8 years of bottle age are recommended. It will have 30+ years of prime drinking.
WA 98-100 (5/2021): The 2020 Angelus has an opaque purple-black color, pulling you in with a captivating perfume of kirsch, Black Forest cake, ripe plums, violets and molten licorice, followed by wafts of underbrush, raspberry leaves and graphite, plus a hint of clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate already offers beautiful balance and expression at this nascent stage, featuring bright, crunchy red and black fruits with remarkable energy and tension. Its amazingly plush, silken texture carries all these shimmering flavors to a very long and fragrant finish. This jaw-dropping expression of 2020 is simply stunning.
VM 95-97 (5/2021): The 2020 Angelus was given 30–40 minutes to open. It has a very intense nose of multilayered blackberry, blueberry and wild strawberry scents, crushed violet and hints of iodine. It is quintessential Angelus in many ways, sleek and smooth, harmonious and seductive. Those qualities also come through on the palate. This is framed by fine tannins, the Cabernet components coming through strongly on the midpalate. Quite ferrous in some ways, allspice and subtle minty notes lending complexity toward the finish. It is not quite as persistent as the recently tasted 2018 from bottle, but it comes across a little more chiseled and intellectual. Neal Martin.
JS 98-99 (4/2021): This is wonderfully refined and balanced with such pretty depth. Full-bodied and so polished and pure. Subtle at first, then it takes off and keeps coming. Sophisticated. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,861.99 |
2 |
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WA 96-98 (5/2023): This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Angélus is racy and super-expressive right out of the gate. These days a more restrained style has become the norm at Angélus, and yet there is plenty of mid-palate pliancy and overall richness. As good as this is, the most impressive 2022s I tasted at Angélus were straight out of barrel, which makes me think the Grand Vin could perhaps be at another level with a bit more selection. Even so, the 2022 is quite alluring. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angélus is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that will spend 22 months in new French oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc aged in foudre. This estate doesn't put a foot wrong, and this is clearly a profound Angélus with a deep purple, almost blue hue, extraordinary notes of cassis, blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a dense, concentrated mid-palate, all of which is grounded by a vibrant sense of freshness and purity. While older vintages were more closed and backward on release, this has a certain accessibility given its balance and purity, and I suspect it will offer incredible pleasure right out of the gate. It will evolve for 40+ years as well. |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,872.98 |
5 |
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WA 96-98 (5/2023): This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): The 2022 Angélus is racy and super-expressive right out of the gate. These days a more restrained style has become the norm at Angélus, and yet there is plenty of mid-palate pliancy and overall richness. As good as this is, the most impressive 2022s I tasted at Angélus were straight out of barrel, which makes me think the Grand Vin could perhaps be at another level with a bit more selection. Even so, the 2022 is quite alluring. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-99 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angélus is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that will spend 22 months in new French oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc aged in foudre. This estate doesn't put a foot wrong, and this is clearly a profound Angélus with a deep purple, almost blue hue, extraordinary notes of cassis, blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a dense, concentrated mid-palate, all of which is grounded by a vibrant sense of freshness and purity. While older vintages were more closed and backward on release, this has a certain accessibility given its balance and purity, and I suspect it will offer incredible pleasure right out of the gate. It will evolve for 40+ years as well. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion Hommage a Elisabeth Bouchet
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,147.99 |
3 |
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| WA 100 (9/2021): This is the first release of this new 100% Cabernet Franc wine from Chateau Angelus. Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Hommage à Elisabeth Bouchet hits the ground running with an intense, profound nose of blackberry preserves, boysenberries and redcurrant jelly, plus suggestions of beef drippings, black olives, damp soil and unsmoked cigars with wafts of pencil lead and truffles. The full-bodied palate bursts with vibrant, shimmery black and red fruits, inlaid with mineral accents and supported by firm, exquisitely ripe and finely grained tannins. Electric sparks of bright acidity course through the densely packed core, delivering incredible energy and freshness to the finish, leaving you wanting more. That this estate has managed to craft such a complete, jaw-dropping beauty entirely from Cabernet Franc is a triumph and, I hope, not the last of its kind. A masterpiece! |
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2020 |
St. Emilion Hommage a Elisabeth Bouchet
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,729.99 |
6 |
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| Le Carillon de l' Angelus |
2006 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$151.99 |
1 |
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2009 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,925.97 |
2 |
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2010 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$873.99 |
2 |
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| WA 87-89 (5/2011): A good, possibly excellent effort, the 2010 Carillon d’Angelus is made from a selection from the larger Angelus vineyard, but it does not live up to the quality that vineyard routinely produces. Composed of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it offers lots of red and blue fruits along with medium body, but it seems somewhat monolithic and uncharacteristically straightforward for a wine from proprietor Hubert de Bouard. It should be consumed during its first 10-12 years of life. |
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2012 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$873.99 |
5 |
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2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$647.99 |
1 |
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| WA 90 (2/2018): Composed of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Le Carillon d'Angelus sports a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a very spicy nose of cloves, cinnamon and fenugreek over core of warm red fruits and freshly crushed blackberries plus wafts of rose hips and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, very fresh and delicate in the mouth, it offers soft tannins with a savory, slightly chewy finish. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,227.97 |
1 |
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| JD 93 (2/2019): From the team at Angélus yet from a separate terroir, the 2016 Carillon d’Angélus comes from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 14-16 months in 50% new oak. This medium to full-bodied effort has some true Angélus character in its rocking nose of cassis, dried herbs, graphite, spice box, and chocolate-laced aromas and flavors. This gives way to a seamless, balanced, impressively textured wine that’s already drinking nicely yet promises to evolve for 10-15 years. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$975.99 |
1 |
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JS 93-94 (4/2018): Fascinating that this second wine of L’Angelus is 90% merlot and is so tight and structured. Full-bodied, tight and layered with linear tannins and freshness. Focused and serious.
JD 91-93 (4/2018): The second wine of the estate is the 2017 Angelus Le Carillon d'Angelus, which is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc in 2017. This surprisingly deep, medium to full-bodied, rich second wine has rocking notes of blue fruits, violets, spring flowers and a hint of minerality. It’s a seriously good second wine in a vintage that was hard on second wines.
VM 89-92 (5/2018): The 2017 Le Carillon d'Angelus is pretty, succulent and forward, all qualities that are easy to appreciate today. In the 2017, the Carillon is 90% Merlot, which is one of the consequences of the April frost that wiped out 50% of the production across the three sets of vineyards that inform this wine. I would prefer to drink the 2017 sooner rather than later, while the fruit is bold and luscious. Antonio Galloni.
WA 88-90 (4/2018): Composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Le Carillon d'Angelus is very deep purple-black in color and features a lovely core of crushed black cherries, blackberries and blueberries with touches of violets and cedar chest plus a waft of cinnamon stick. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and fresh with soft tannins and plenty of juicy fruit, finishing on a peppery note. |
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2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$691.99 |
3 |
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VM 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Le Carillon d'Angélus is silky, pliant and wonderfully expressive. Dark red cherry fruit, mocha, cedar and dried flowers all flesh out. The Carillon benefits immensely from air, which really brings out its aromatic presence and layers. Silky tannins wrap around the finish. This is such a pretty wine. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91 (3/2021): Composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Le Carillon d'Angélus rolls out of the glass with upfront notions of baked plums, stewed black cherries and raspberry pie, plus suggestions of potpourri, Chinese five spice, tilled soil and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate is generous and spicy, supported by soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing savory. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$568.99 |
1 |
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WA 91-93 (6/2020): Composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Le Carillon d'Angelus is aging in French oak barrels, 60% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with floral notes of lavender and red roses with a baking spice undercurrent and a core of redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, black raspberries and cracked black pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant and refreshing with loads of mineral-laced black fruit layers and a firm, fine-grained frame, finishing with great energy and bags of perfume.
VM 92-94 (6/2020): The 2019 Le Carillon d'Angelus, matured in 60% new oak and the rest in one-year old, is perfumed on the nose with detailed black cherry, raspberry and pressed iris petal scents that are neatly integrated with the oak. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with finely detailed black fruit laced with cracked black pepper. This feels very cohesive and focused with a sensual finish, completing a classy second wine that will give up to 15 years of drinking pleasure. Neal Martin.
JD 93-95 (6/2020): The second wine of Château Angelus, the 2019 Le Carillon D'Angelus is Merlot-dominated yet includes 10% Cabernet Franc. It's a more backward, serious wine compared to the fleshy, upfront N3 and offers a deep purple hue as well as impressive crème de cassis, crushed stone, chocolate, graphite, and violet aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured, with the vintage's supple, sweet tannins, this brilliant second wine will compete with most châteaux grand vin.
JS 94-95 (6/2020): A really succulent, refined second wine with berries, chocolate and light toasted oak. It’s full and completely integrated with seamless tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely, sweet ripe fruit in the center palate. Extremely refined. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,010.97 |
1 |
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WA 90-92 (5/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Le Carillon d'Angelus (a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc) rocks up with ready-to-go scents of plum preserves, blackberry pie and mulberries, plus hints of spice cake, aniseed and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has lovely freshness and an approachable, soft texture framing the crunchy black fruits, finishing long and savory.
JD 91-93 (5/2021): The 2020 Le Carillon D'Angelus bring things up a notch, offering wonderful purity of fruit as well as notes black cherries, cassis, graphite, and leafy herbs. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has wonderful tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. It's a beautiful wine.
JS 94-95 (4/2021): This is very fine and racy with refined tannins that are long and really precise. It’s medium-bodied with a lovely, creamy texture. Really long and bright. |
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2021 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$327.99 |
1 |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$742.99 |
10 |
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| Ch. d' Angludet |
2023 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$603.98 |
5 |
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| Ch. Anseillan |
2019 |
Pauillac |
$89 |
1 |
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| Ch. d' Armailhac |
2001 |
Pauillac (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$577.98 |
1 |
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| WA 89 (6/2004): Medium deep ruby/purple-colored with a sweet perfume of cedar wood, chocolate, oak, and black currants, this medium-bodied, attractive, soft Pauillac is ideal for drinking now and over the next 12-13 years. |
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2004 |
Pauillac
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$127.99 |
6 |
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WA 89 (6/2007): A dark ruby color is accompanied by crisp acids, sweet cranberry, black cherry, and darker fruit aromas, and a clean, pure, classically built, medium weight Pauillac. Still firm and tannic, this medium-bodied, elegantly wrought wine will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for 12-15 years.
VM 88 (6/2007): Deep red. Expressive aromas of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather and rose petal, plus a whiff of tobacco. Juicy, fresh and precise; not fat but youthful and juicy, with good ripe acidity and flavor intensity for the year. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins and very good length. Still, I'd give this a couple years for its tannins and acids to fully harmonize. |
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2012 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$507.99 |
1 |
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JS 92 (2/2015): This is very polished and refined with blackcurrant, raspberry and citrus-peel undertones. Full body, extremely fine texture and a long, long finish.
WA 89-91 (4/2013): A stronger effort than its stablemate, Clerc-Milon, the 2012 d’Armailhac is an intriguing blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Complex notes of menthol, coffee beans, black cherries and black currants are followed by a rich, medium-bodied wine with copious tannin as well as sufficient fat and flesh to cover the structure. The harvest took place during the first ten days of October, most of the grapes being brought in prior to the deluge that began on October 7 and lasted until October 9. This excellent Pauillac is a successful Medoc in this challenging vintage for this region.
VM 88-91 (5/2013): (54% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 14% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot): Good medium ruby-red. Enticing, pure aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry, red licorice, violet and crushed stone on the knockout nose. Fresh, dense and suave; a step up in intensity from most Pauillacs in this vintage, with brisk acidity framing the perfumed flavors of dark berries, sweet spices and minerals. Finishes very long and smooth, with sneaky aromatic persistence. As usual, Armailhac is heavily dominated on the nose by its cabernet franc component, giving it amazingly refined violet and cocoa aromas. If you are surprised by the 3% petit verdot in a vintage characterized by a very wet late season (which is normally when the late-ripening petit verdot needs sunlight and warmth), the 18-year-old petit verdot vines at Armailhac are of particularly high quality, according to general director Philippe Dhalluin. "Petit verdot likes to have its head in the sun and its feet in the water," said Dhalluin. "The best vines we own are located in the Behère area at the southwestern tip of our estate near the river, so these vines have lots of heat and water, which allowed them to weather the difficult conditions of 2012." Superb wine in the making. |
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2015 |
Pauillac (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$183.99 |
3 |
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2016 |
Pauillac (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$388.98 |
3 |
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JD 94 (2/2019): A thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Château d’Armailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
WA 93 (11/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.
VM 93 (1/2019): The 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made. Neal Martin.
JS 95 (1/2019): This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023. |
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2016 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$740.98 |
9 |
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JD 94 (2/2019): A thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Château d’Armailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
WA 93 (11/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.
VM 93 (1/2019): The 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made. Neal Martin.
JS 95 (1/2019): This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023. |
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2016 |
Pauillac (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$831.99 |
1 |
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JD 94 (2/2019): A thrilling bottle of wine that readers should snatch up is the 2016 Château d’Armailhac. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied, powerful Armailhac gives up a lovely perfume of blackberry and plums fruits, violets, graphite, cedar pencil, and earthy, herbal nuances. Classic, ripe, layered, and just a beautiful Pauillac any way you look at it, it has plenty of upfront sex appeal but is going to keep for 20-25 years as well. Bravo! The 2016 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
WA 93 (11/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.
VM 93 (1/2019): The 2016 d’Armailhac, which was bottled in May 2018, has an elegant bouquet that unfolds in the glass, offering blackberries, briar and a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannin, grippy in the mouth, and quite voluminous, with perhaps more density on the solid, almost broad-shouldered finish compared to the Clerc-Milon. This fulfills all my expectations from my barrel tasting and is quite simply one of the best d’Armailhac wines ever made. Neal Martin.
JS 95 (1/2019): This is a really driven d’Armailhac showing blackcurrants and fruit tea with hints of bark on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, very firm and structured with a long and powerful finish. Direct and linear. Try after 2023. |
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2017 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$748.99 |
1 |
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2019 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$421.99 |
2 |
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WA 91-93 (6/2020): This year the blend is 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 19th of September to the 9th of October. The 2019 D'Armailhac sports a medium to deep garnet-purple color and notes of warm plums, stewed cherries, mulberries and blackcurrant pastilles with touches of aniseed, wild thyme and chocolate box. The medium-bodied palate has a firm frame of fine-grained tannins and bold freshness supporting the expressive black and blue fruits, finishing with a provocative herbal lift.
JD 92-94 (6/2020): I've always loved this château, and it offers lots of bang for the buck. The 2019 Château D'Armailhac reveals a dense purple hue to go with textbook Pauillac graphite and lead pencil notes as well as more cassis style fruits, background tobacco, and subtle oak. Medium to full-bodied and elegant on the palate, it's a seamless, balanced effort to drink over the coming two decades or more.
JS 92-93 (6/2020): A polished, refined red with blueberries, blackberries and some dark chocolate and spice, such as cloves and black pepper. Full-bodied, round and ripe. Crisp and fresh at the end. Juicy and delicious already. |
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2020 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$376.99 |
7 |
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JD 91+ (3/2023): The 2020 Château D'Armailhac is a blockbuster that's going to reward patience. Based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, its inky purple hue is followed by a deep, concentrated, mouth-filling Pauillac offering classic darker currant fruits, notes of graphite and lead pencil, building tannins, and outstanding length. This chewy, tannic, backward wine will need 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.
WA 90-92 (5/2021): Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 D'Armailhac strides confidently out of the glass with classic scents of cassis, warm plums and cedar chest, plus wafts of pencil lead, bay leaves and kirsch. The medium-bodied palate has a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and plenty of freshness to support the crunchy black and red fruits, finishing savory. The blend this year is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.3%.
VM 92-94 (5/2021): The 2020 d’Armailhac, raised in 50% new oak with a planned 17-month barrel maturation, is a little deeper in color compared to the Clerc Milon. I find more complexity on the nose of blackberry, briar, cedar and pencil box aromas, less extravagant than previous vintages and more terroir-driven, perhaps. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that have a little more edge than the Clerc Milon, p us there is slightly more mineralite and depth. In particular, the finish is very harmonious and fans out wonderfully. This Château d’Armailhac is a splendid wine in the making, and one of the best examples from the estate that I have tasted out of barrel. Neal Martin. |
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2021 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$376.99 |
1 |
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2022 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$372.98 |
3 |
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JD 94-96 (5/2023): Another wine that showed beautifully on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château D'Armailhac checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a full-bodied, ripe, sexy profile that carries lots of blueberry, cherry, and cassis fruit, notes of spice, leafy herbs, and chocolate, velvety tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. It should have a broad, lengthy drink window.
VM 93-95 (5/2023): \The 2022 Château d'Armailhac was picked from 8 to 27 September and matured in 50% new oak. This has a very pure and sensual bouquet with precocious black plum, cassis violet and espresso scents. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannins on the entry, though I find just a little more complexity compared to the Clerc Milon this year. There's a gentle and discrete crescendo toward its delineated and minerally finish. Excellent. This is more like the d'Armailhac that I was familiar with, say, ten years ago. It will surely be irresistible once it reaches its peak. You've been warned. Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (5/2023): Deep aromas of raspberries, cherries, crushed mint and spices preface the 2022 d'Armailhac, a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that's deep, lively and seamless, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a penetrating finish.
JA 94 (5/2023): The difference from a typical vintage colour is more marked in Armailhac than Clerc Milon, where we are more used to deep colours. This in contrast is an extremely intense Armailhac, really stepping into its Pauillac boots, a ton of deep plum, cassis and damson. Great expansion through the palate, beautiful depth of flavour, this is extremely impressive, with an edge of eucalyptus and graphite on the finish, and more grip than usual. Yields down to 26hl/h (there are more new plantings here so young vines). Second vintage with the new winery, and new technical director Lucille Lauilhé. Harvest September 8 to 27, 50% new oak, 3.83ph. |
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2023 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$789.98 |
5 |
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JD 92-94 (4/2024): Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2023 Château D'Armailhac is based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new oak. It's a ripe, medium to full-bodied, spicy, impressive Pauillac that has both red and black fruits, ripe, round, velvety tannins, the fresher, vibrant style of the vintage, and some classy tobacco and lead pencil aromatics. It's going to need at least 4-5 years of bottle age to come together, but it’s beautiful wine in the making. The alcohol is 13.5%, and it has a pH of 3.75.
VM 91-93 (4/2024): The 2023 d'Armailhac was picked from September 7 to 30 and aged in 50% new oak. It contains the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon to date. Its tightly wound bouquet demands encouragement from the glass, perhaps just missing the panache that elevated the previous vintage. You could argue that this seems more “serious.” The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a firm backbone. It’s a little pepperier than previous vintages, closing with a streamlined finish. Give this two or three years in bottle. Neal Martin.
WA 92-93 (4/2024): The 2023 d'Armailhac is an attractive effort, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, licorice and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, with a pretty core of fruit, sweet powdery tannins and lively acids, it's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot—which is a rather high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for this address.
JA 94 (4/2024): High Cabernet, as is the story of the vintage on the Left Bank. A wine that also continues the new story of Armailhac following serious investment in vineyards and cellar, and technical director Lucie Lauilhé. Bright and vivid from the first moment, layered cassis, crushed mint, liqourice root, crushed rocks, an excellently precise, structed and textured Armailhac. Love it. Harvest September 7 to 30. 80ha in production, 50% new oak barrels for ageing. |
|
| Ch. L' Arrosee |
1983 |
St. Emilion |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (1/1998): This fully mature wine exhibits a certain rusticity to its aggressive tannin, a characteristic I do not believe will ever fully dissipate. Dark garnet-colored with amber at the edge, the wine offers forceful aromatics consisting of damp earth (or is it a hint of black truffles?). It is medium-bodied, with excellent fruit, but coarse tannin in the finish keeps this wine from receiving an Outstanding rating. It should continue to drink well for another 7-8 years. |
|
|
1983 |
St. Emilion Wine-Stained Label |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (1/1998): This fully mature wine exhibits a certain rusticity to its aggressive tannin, a characteristic I do not believe will ever fully dissipate. Dark garnet-colored with amber at the edge, the wine offers forceful aromatics consisting of damp earth (or is it a hint of black truffles?). It is medium-bodied, with excellent fruit, but coarse tannin in the finish keeps this wine from receiving an Outstanding rating. It should continue to drink well for another 7-8 years. |
|
|
1983 |
St. Emilion Bin-Soiled Label |
$119 |
7 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (1/1998): This fully mature wine exhibits a certain rusticity to its aggressive tannin, a characteristic I do not believe will ever fully dissipate. Dark garnet-colored with amber at the edge, the wine offers forceful aromatics consisting of damp earth (or is it a hint of black truffles?). It is medium-bodied, with excellent fruit, but coarse tannin in the finish keeps this wine from receiving an Outstanding rating. It should continue to drink well for another 7-8 years. |
|
| L' Aurage |
2019 |
Cotes de Castillon (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$520.99 |
6 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Cotes de Castillon (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$513.99 |
21 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes de Castillon (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$541.99 |
13 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Cotes de Castillon (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$562.99 |
4 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Ausone |
1998 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,820.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95+ (8/2002): aturated deep ruby, much darker and brighter than the other vintages tasted. Sappy, fresh aromas of boysenberry, cassis, minerals, bitter chocolate and espresso, with complicating notes of underbrush and earth. Extremely pure and penetrating, with fruit of steel and a powerful mineral underpinning. Finishes with strong, firm tannins and great persistence. Essence of Ausone, without the funkiness shown by so many past vintages of this wine. Offers exciting potential. Drink 2008 to 2030.
WA 94 (4/2001): A dense opaque purple color offers up restrained, but pure aromas of liquid minerals, blackberries, black raspberries, and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, with high tannin but a long, super-pure, symmetrical mouth-feel, this dazzling, extremely complex Ausone requires 6-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050. |
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|
1999 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,640.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95 (4/2002): Is the 1999 Ausone the wine of the vintage? Dense purple color, a compelling bouquet of licorice, minerals, black and blueberry liqueur, extraordinary delineation, high tannin, superb extract, and phenomenal richness all are the stuff of a legend. This wine seems impossible to have emerged from a vintage like 1999. Proprietor Alain Vauthier produced only 20,000 bottles because he eliminated one-fourth of the tiny crop. The result is out-and-out fabulous, but the wine needs 12-15 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.
VM 92 (6/2002): Full medium ruby. Aromas of plum syrup, spice cake, minerals, Valrhona chocolate and tobacco. Sweet, suave and fairly full in the mouth, with strong underlying minerality. Finishes subtle and persistent, with dusty, even tannins and some new oak showing. |
|
|
2000 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$13,427.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (6/2010): Two bottles were badly corked, which is certainly a scary situation for a wine where only 1,000 or so cases were produced. However, a third bottle was magical and just short of perfection. Its saturated purple color was followed by a surprisingly more evolved and open wine than I had written in my tasting note in 2003, where I predicted maturity between 2020 and 2075. This wine displays wonderful, sweet tannin and a big, sweet kiss of truffle, crushed rock, blueberry, blackberry, and licorice. Extremely rich, full-bodied, with astonishing power, precision, and delicacy, this is a sumptuous wine that should age well for 50-60 years, but in the case of the one bottle out of three that was not corked, it seemed far more evolved and forward than I suggested in my write-up in 2003.
VM 97+ (5/2003): Bright ruby-red. Profound nose melds raspberry, black cherry, mocha and minerals. Wonderfully silky and spherical, with monumental solidity and yet incredible inner-mouth perfume. This builds and builds toward the back, finishing with big but suave tannins and extraordinary minerally length. One of the two or three greatest wines I tasted on my spring trip to the Bordeaux region. Stephen Tanzer. |
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|
2002 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,939.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95 (4/2005): In many respects, the 2002 may be even more impressive than the 2003. A far more challenging vintage to get everything right, and especially in St.-Emilion, where many disappointments have been produced, this is one of the wines of the vintage and (along with Pavie) among the finest wines from the Right Bank. It possesses a deep purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, blackberries, wet stones, and wonderfully perfumed floral notes. When the wine hits the palate, it exhibits impressive purity, medium to full body, a multi-layered texture, and extraordinary precision and intensity with a finish just short of 50 seconds. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2035.
VM 93+ (6/2005): Saturated ruby-red. Explosive aromas of blackberry, minerals, violet, espresso and bitter chocolate. Fine-grained and pliant but with terrific precision of flavor and grip. Finishes juicy and very long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent life and lift. |
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|
2003 |
St. Emilion Bin-Soiled Label; Scuffed Label |
$649 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2006): The 2003 Ausone is off the charts in terms of richness. While I gave a 3-digit score to the 2000, I think this profoundly concentrated wine may be even more sublime and exotic. Its inky/blue/purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of flowers, crushed rocks, sweet raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and God knows what else. The impression is one of extraordinary richness and purity, and a multilayered texture yet a surreal lightness as well as laser-like precision. This exquisite offering must be tasted to be believed. Incredibly young, it will undoubtedly close down over the next few years, re-emerging after 15-20 years. It should last for 70-100 years. It is a wine for anthology!
VM 95+ (6/2006): Full ruby. Black raspberry, mocha, minerals, graphite and nutty oak on the superripe nose. Extravagantly rich and sweet in the mouth without coming off as heavy. This boasts extraordinary fruit intensity and verve (it's hard to imagine cabernet franc better than this), and finishes with great palate-staining persistence. But this powerfully tannic wine may already be starting to shut down in the bottle. Like the 2005, it will need a decade of aging at a minimum, and possibly a lot longer. |
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|
2003 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,611.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2006): The 2003 Ausone is off the charts in terms of richness. While I gave a 3-digit score to the 2000, I think this profoundly concentrated wine may be even more sublime and exotic. Its inky/blue/purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of flowers, crushed rocks, sweet raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and God knows what else. The impression is one of extraordinary richness and purity, and a multilayered texture yet a surreal lightness as well as laser-like precision. This exquisite offering must be tasted to be believed. Incredibly young, it will undoubtedly close down over the next few years, re-emerging after 15-20 years. It should last for 70-100 years. It is a wine for anthology!
VM 95+ (6/2006): Full ruby. Black raspberry, mocha, minerals, graphite and nutty oak on the superripe nose. Extravagantly rich and sweet in the mouth without coming off as heavy. This boasts extraordinary fruit intensity and verve (it's hard to imagine cabernet franc better than this), and finishes with great palate-staining persistence. But this powerfully tannic wine may already be starting to shut down in the bottle. Like the 2005, it will need a decade of aging at a minimum, and possibly a lot longer. |
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|
2009 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,577.98 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (2/2012): Incredible nose of currants and blueberries. Flowers too. Licorice. Such purity on the nose of Cabernet Franc. Full body, incredible structure, with fabulous tannins and a long, long finish. Built out of stone. The perfect Ausone. Try after 2022.
WA 98+ (2/2012): A masterpiece in the making, proprietor Alain Vauthier’s 2009 Ausone boasts a dense purple color along with notes of powdered chalk, crushed rocks and wild blue, red and black fruits. Extravagantly rich with great minerality, precision and freshness as well as a voluptuous texture (unusual for a baby Ausone), this is an extraordinary wine. Sadly, there are fewer than 1,200 cases ... for the world. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+.
VM 97 (3/2019): The 2009 Ausone has a sumptuous bouquet with pure blackberry, raspberry, rose petal and orange blossom aromas. The wine is beautifully defined blossoms with aeration. It becomes very liquorice and menthol-like after 10 minutes’ aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It is not a powerful 2009 and it feels sleek and quite tensile. Pure red fruit linger in the mouth with a very deft, almost understated finish. So elegant, so Ausone. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin. |
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|
2010 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,999.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 98+ (8/2013): Deep, saturated ruby-red. Musky aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, coffee, violet, Christmas spices, minerals and exotic oak, complicated by graphite minerality. Boasts uncanny intensity, calcaire energy and power on the palate, but there's also a deeply creamy texture brought by this superripe vintage. Boasts extraordinary inner-mouth aromatic character and finishes with great tannic spine. The building, endless finish boasts great clarity and perfume. A transcendent Ausone in its combination of power and elegance. This stunning wine will be improving in bottle long after I've expired. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 96 (3/2020): Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Ausone opens with notes of sweaty leather, iron ore, Marmite toast and prunes with hints of dried herbs and charcuterie plus a medicinal waft. Full-bodied, the palate has a very racy line of acidity and well-played, chewy tannins supporting the maturing fruit, finishing with an herbal lift.
JS 98 (2/2013): The nose is so deep and almost endless with dried strawberries, blueberries, and incense. Citrus too. Some prunes. Full body, with chewy yet polished tannin quality and tension. Beautiful focus and balance with a richness and delicacy at the same time. Something almost Burgundian. It's the purity of fruit. 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Try in 2020. |
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|
2011 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,037.97 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 95+ (4/2014): Its bigger sibling, the 2011 Ausone increases the level of intensity, elegance, complexity, richness and length. Nearly a mirror image of the La Chapelle, just with more going on, the Ausone boasts a more saturated purple color, and the wine has everything in large, intense proportions. The finesse and delicacy of all its components are what make it such a remarkable wine. The quality of the tannins and purity of the fruit make this another legendary effort that should age for 30-40 years. |
|
|
2011 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,753.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 95+ (4/2014): Its bigger sibling, the 2011 Ausone increases the level of intensity, elegance, complexity, richness and length. Nearly a mirror image of the La Chapelle, just with more going on, the Ausone boasts a more saturated purple color, and the wine has everything in large, intense proportions. The finesse and delicacy of all its components are what make it such a remarkable wine. The quality of the tannins and purity of the fruit make this another legendary effort that should age for 30-40 years. |
|
|
2012 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,677.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96 (1/2016): Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Ausone took more time to settle in the glass than its peers, eventually deciding upon briary, violet and cassis scents—very floral and Margaux-like in style, not powerful but insistent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity, blackcurrant pastille mixed with cedar and a dash of spice, the wine finally revving up towards an intense and persistent finish that almost stains the mouth with its opulence. It is a gorgeous Saint Emilion from Pauline and Alain Vauthier. Tasted January 2016.
VM 95+ (1/2016): One of the wines of the vintage, the 2012 Ausone boasts gorgeous depth, aromatic intensity and overall balance. Dark red stone fruits, menthol, licorice, smoke and savory herbs flesh out as this layered, seductive Saint-Emilion shows off its pure pedigree and class. Further time in bottle should allow the 2012 to flesh out even more, but it is pretty special today. I remember tasting the 2012 straight from barrel with Alain Vauthier in the spring of 2013. The bottled, finished wine is every bit as special. The blend is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Antonio Galloni.
JS 98 (2/2015): Wild aromas of mint, spearmint, cool chalk and dark fruits. Full-bodied, tight, linear and incredibly long with a evening-stone, blueberry, cherry and mineral undertone. Crisp and extremely persistent. Iodine and oyster shell here to round it all off. Better in 2018. |
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|
2013 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,396.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2014 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,860.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (1/2017): Fabulous aromas of currants, rose petals, dried strawberries and hints of lemon rind. Wet earth and chalk. Full and dense and so compacted and squeezed. What a texture. Phenomenal. Needs five to six years to open, but it’s a joy to taste. Amazing. Such energy! From organically grown grapes as well. I am in awe.
VM 95 (3/2018): The 2014 Ausone has an almost pastille-like purity on the nose, equally red and black fruit laced with allspice and clove, gaining complexity all the time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, fleshy and generous, a fine bead of acidity, gaining volume and mass towards the succulent, velvety smooth final third. This is a very seductive wine with not a hair out of place, though it is not the most cerebral Ausone that I have tasted in recent years. More an Ausone intent on sensory pleasure. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Neal Martin.
WA 95 (3/2017): The 2014 Ausone, a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, was matured in barrel for 20 months with 85% new oak. Compared to the Chapelle d'Ausone, this Grand Vin demanded gentle coaxing from the glass. It eventually unfurls to reveal mineral-rich red berry fruit, oregano, orange blossom and later on blackcurrant winegums. It displays superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin. There is an almost sorbet-like freshness conferred upon this Saint Emilion by the growing season, very harmonious and poised with one of the most precise and tensile finishes that you will find this vintage. One of the stars of the vintage, this may merit a higher score with bottle age. This is a great success. |
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|
2016 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,309.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (11/2018): The 2016 Ausone is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it's quite closed at first glance, slowly unfurling to reveal the most incredible perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, warm black plums, Black Forest cake and roasted nuts with suggestions of charcuterie, wood smoke and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate offers a quiet intensity of flavors that grow in the mouth to unveil layer after layer of black and red berries intertwined with beautiful savory notions framed by firm yet velvety tannins, finishing with epic length and amazing energy. It practically tingles on the palate!
JD 98 (2/2019): The 2016 Château Ausone is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and isn’t far off the thrilling 2015, although it shows a more seamless, elegant character. Loads of spice, crushed violets, floral notes and subtle oak give way to a full-bodied beauty that has thrilling cassis and black raspberry fruits, polished tannin, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. This thrilling Ausone needs 4-6 years of bottle age but will keep for 30 years or more.
VM 97+ (8/2020): The 2016 Ausone initially left me nonplussed, and so I left my glass for 10 or 15 minutes before returning to a different wine. The nose had opened up to reveal red cherries, wild strawberry, rose petals and touches of crushed stone and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and perfectly matched acidity. This is very refined and fleshy, almost Burgundian toward the finish, with just the right amount of bitterness. A brilliant wine, but it needs time. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Neal Martin.
JS 98 (1/2019): Very exotic and fascinating with dark-berry, floral and violet aromas that follow though to a full body that is tight and polished with ultra-fine and driven tannins. They really are amazing. A wine with such strength and finesse at the same time. Confident and real Ausone. A blend of 50 per cent merlot and 50 per cent cabernet franc. Better after 2025. |
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|
2017 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,550.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98 (3/2020): The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked red and black plums, wild blueberries and boysenberries plus touches of violets, espresso, licorice and melted chocolate with wafts of iron ore and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully ripe, silken tannins and bold freshness to support the fragrant multi-layers, finishing very long and very minerally.
VM 97 (3/2020): The 2017 Ausone is incredibly precise and sculpted, but also tightly wound in the early going - not that that will be a problem for readers who own it and will cellar it. Wild flowers, mint, blood orange and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that open up in the glass, but the 2017 is not in any mood to show all of its cards. Vertical, rich and explosive with tons of inner energy, the 2017 is a truly regal wine, but it also needs a number of years to be at its very finest. Here, too, the Franc (55% of the blend) really shines. This is a stellar showing from the Vauthier family. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97 (12/2019): Love the perfume and pretty, transparent fruit. Purity. Raspberries. Full-bodied, extremely focused and bright with clarity and beauty. Juicy and savory. Chalk and light chocolate at the finish. Try after 2024, but gorgeous to taste already.
JD 96 (2/2020): From a vintage compared to 2011 and 2014 by the estate, the 2017 Chateau Ausone is a classic blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot that’s from the pure limestone hillsides just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. This full-bodied, elegant, almost Burgundian beauty offers a terrific seamlessness as well as lots of ripe cassis and black cherry fruits, notes of truffle-laced earth, tobacco, and crushed stone, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is classic Ausone, with its complexity and elegance paired with plenty of richness and depth. It needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades. |
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|
2017 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,501.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98 (3/2020): The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked red and black plums, wild blueberries and boysenberries plus touches of violets, espresso, licorice and melted chocolate with wafts of iron ore and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully ripe, silken tannins and bold freshness to support the fragrant multi-layers, finishing very long and very minerally.
VM 97 (3/2020): The 2017 Ausone is incredibly precise and sculpted, but also tightly wound in the early going - not that that will be a problem for readers who own it and will cellar it. Wild flowers, mint, blood orange and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that open up in the glass, but the 2017 is not in any mood to show all of its cards. Vertical, rich and explosive with tons of inner energy, the 2017 is a truly regal wine, but it also needs a number of years to be at its very finest. Here, too, the Franc (55% of the blend) really shines. This is a stellar showing from the Vauthier family. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97 (12/2019): Love the perfume and pretty, transparent fruit. Purity. Raspberries. Full-bodied, extremely focused and bright with clarity and beauty. Juicy and savory. Chalk and light chocolate at the finish. Try after 2024, but gorgeous to taste already.
JD 96 (2/2020): From a vintage compared to 2011 and 2014 by the estate, the 2017 Chateau Ausone is a classic blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot that’s from the pure limestone hillsides just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. This full-bodied, elegant, almost Burgundian beauty offers a terrific seamlessness as well as lots of ripe cassis and black cherry fruits, notes of truffle-laced earth, tobacco, and crushed stone, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is classic Ausone, with its complexity and elegance paired with plenty of richness and depth. It needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2-3 decades. |
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|
2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,721.97 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98-100 (4/2019): The 2018 Ausone is composed of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 25 and 27, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested October 3, 8 and 9. Deep purple-black in color, it is an impenetrable wall to begin, unrelenting without persistent coaxing, at last uncoiling to offer glimpses at preserved plums, blueberry coulis, molten licorice and underbrush with emerging scents of lavender, iron ore, crushed stones, charcoal and Indian spices plus a waft of red roses. Full-bodied, rich, decadent and tightly knit, it offers layer upon layer of fruit, spice and mineral nuances with a firm frame of exquisitely fine tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and heart-stopping beauty.
VM 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Ausone is off the charts. Deep, sensual and mysterious, the 2018 is going to need many years to show the full breadth of its potential. And yet, there is so much there. Rich and concentrated on the palate, with phenomenal persistence, the 2018 is loaded with energy, tension and precision, offering a compelling interplay of opulence, saline intensity and structure. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-99 (5/2019): Ratcheting up the intensity, the 2018 Château Ausone has an essence of limestone-like character as well as thrilling notes of blackberries, black raspberries, white flowers, truffle, forest floor, and graphite. Possessing full-bodied richness, a deep, beautifully concentrated mid-palate, ample tannins, and a great finish, this is a powerful, layered Ausone that’s going to need 5-7 years of bottle age but should knock your socks off over the following 25+ years. The 2018 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): This is really exotic with wild-fruit character that I have seldom encountered in Ausone. Full-bodied yet reserved and very tight. Amazing depth and purity of fruit. Incredible beauty. Sexy. |
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|
2018 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,970.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98-100 (4/2019): The 2018 Ausone is composed of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 25 and 27, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested October 3, 8 and 9. Deep purple-black in color, it is an impenetrable wall to begin, unrelenting without persistent coaxing, at last uncoiling to offer glimpses at preserved plums, blueberry coulis, molten licorice and underbrush with emerging scents of lavender, iron ore, crushed stones, charcoal and Indian spices plus a waft of red roses. Full-bodied, rich, decadent and tightly knit, it offers layer upon layer of fruit, spice and mineral nuances with a firm frame of exquisitely fine tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and heart-stopping beauty.
VM 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Ausone is off the charts. Deep, sensual and mysterious, the 2018 is going to need many years to show the full breadth of its potential. And yet, there is so much there. Rich and concentrated on the palate, with phenomenal persistence, the 2018 is loaded with energy, tension and precision, offering a compelling interplay of opulence, saline intensity and structure. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-99 (5/2019): Ratcheting up the intensity, the 2018 Château Ausone has an essence of limestone-like character as well as thrilling notes of blackberries, black raspberries, white flowers, truffle, forest floor, and graphite. Possessing full-bodied richness, a deep, beautifully concentrated mid-palate, ample tannins, and a great finish, this is a powerful, layered Ausone that’s going to need 5-7 years of bottle age but should knock your socks off over the following 25+ years. The 2018 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): This is really exotic with wild-fruit character that I have seldom encountered in Ausone. Full-bodied yet reserved and very tight. Amazing depth and purity of fruit. Incredible beauty. Sexy. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,397.98 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (4/2022): Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of wild berries, vine smoke, orange rind, exotic spices and violets, framed by a deft application of classy new oak, the 2019 Ausone is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with beautiful purity of fruit, lively acids and ripe but abundant structuring tannins. Deep, layered and vibrant, it's full of potential and will likely emerge as one of the most long-lived 2019s. This is another magical wine from what many consider to be Saint-Émilion's greatest terroir, and it will demand and richly reward patience.
JD 98 (3/2023): A brilliant wine in every way, Alain Vauthier's 2019 Château Ausone reveals a dense purple color as well as an incredible bouquet of ripe black cherries, blueberries, acacia flowers, lead pencil, and classy oak. It shows the elegant style of the vintage yet brings a wealth of fruit, lavish richness, and a great, great finish, all while holding onto beautiful precision and purity. It has some accessibility today (surprising for a young Ausone) but deserves at least 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for well over three decades.
VM 98 (2/2022): The 2019 Ausone is a deep, statuesque Saint-Émilion that is at the beginning of what will surely be a very long, long life. Its vertical energy, stunning aromatics and persistence are all things of beauty, but it is the balance here that is so captivating. The acids and tannins are at once searing in their intensity and yet also totally woven into the wine's fabric. Ausone can be quite flattering in its youth. The 2019 is a wine that readers will have to wait for. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle for a decade or more. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2020 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$10,187.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,112.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L) 2021 en Primeur Release |
$1,350 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,365.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,052.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,615.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,311.99 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,960.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): The Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.
VM 95-97+ (5/2023): The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn't help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol. Neal Martin
WA 94-96+ (5/2023): A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.
JA 98-100 (5/2023): Intense and concentrated, with fennel, aniseed and liqourice root. Where Chapelle d'Ausone celebrates a wave of opulence in the vintage, this focuses more clearly on black tea, slate, intense black chocolate. Precise and well cut, this is creamy and exuberant without sacrificing elegance and balance. Amazing depths of flavour and grip. A true En Primeur sample where you know you are a long long way from this being ready to drink. The first year, incidentally, of not Premier Grand Cru Classé A, although the ranking has not been featured on the label since 2012. No irrigation at Ausone. 100% new oak. Harvest September 5 to 27. 7.25ha. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. Potential 100. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,983.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): The Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.
VM 95-97+ (5/2023): The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn't help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol. Neal Martin
WA 94-96+ (5/2023): A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.
JA 98-100 (5/2023): Intense and concentrated, with fennel, aniseed and liqourice root. Where Chapelle d'Ausone celebrates a wave of opulence in the vintage, this focuses more clearly on black tea, slate, intense black chocolate. Precise and well cut, this is creamy and exuberant without sacrificing elegance and balance. Amazing depths of flavour and grip. A true En Primeur sample where you know you are a long long way from this being ready to drink. The first year, incidentally, of not Premier Grand Cru Classé A, although the ranking has not been featured on the label since 2012. No irrigation at Ausone. 100% new oak. Harvest September 5 to 27. 7.25ha. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. Potential 100. |
|
| Chapelle d' Ausone |
2022 |
St. Emilion 2023 en Primeur Release |
$199 |
9 |
|
| |
JD 94-96 (5/2023): Cassis, red plums, graphite, chalky minerality, violet notes, and a hint of espresso all emerge from the 2022 Chapelle D'Ausone, which is based on 60% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. With a vivid purple hue, medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish, it's one hell of a second wine that will probably have 20-25 years of longevity.
VM 92-94 (5/2023): The 2022 Chapelle d’Ausone is a powerful but also embryonic wine. Here, too, the wine’s balance is impeccable. Super-ripe red cherry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal all meld together. Chapelle is a powerhouse second wine, if that term can even be used. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91-93+ (5/2023): A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Chapelle d'Ausone offers up aromas of cherries, raspberries and rose petals mingled with subtle hints of incense. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's taut and youthfully firm, concluding with a mineral finish.
JA 95 (5/2023): An impressive Chapelle that opens with a wave of opulence, rich and confident in its construction. Majors on tobacco, cigar box, liqourice, chocolate, creamy damson, black cherry puree, velvety tannins. Incredible to think that this character can be teased out of pure limestone soils, but their fingerprint, with a welcome edge of salty cracker, comes in on the finish. Takes the character of the vintage and leans right in to it. Highly accomplished. 3.5ph, 100% new oak. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. |
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|
2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,473.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. du Balestard La Tonnelle |
2016 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$521.98 |
2 |
|
| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Tangy and fruity at the same time with blackberry and blueberry character. Medium to full body, integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish. All here. |
|
| Ch. Barde-Haut |
2008 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$717.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JS 90 (12/2010): Lots of ripe blackberry and cherry aromas follow through to a full body, with good fruit and a silky finish. Very polished and pretty. Best after 2013.
WA 89 (5/2011): Fruity, soft and fully mature, the 2008 Barde-Haut offers up notes of licorice, roasted herbs, cedar and spice. Medium-bodied with an evolved, endearing character, it should be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. |
|
|
2009 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$717.97 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 94 (2/2012): Made from tiny yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare (May hail damage resulted in this small crop), the opaque purple-colored 2009 reveals an extraordinary nose of mulberries, black cherries, charcoal, barbecue smoke and forest floor. Rich, full-bodied and opulent with silky tannins as well as a broad, unctuous texture, this beauty can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years. It is fashioned from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.
VM 93 (7/2012): Bright ruby-red. Ripe, slightly high-toned aromas of kirsch and smoky oak. At once dense and juicy, with terrific sappy concentration to its powerful but fine-grained dark fruit and sexy oak flavors. Has the sheer grip and energy to buffer its captivating sweetness. Finishes with serious building, dusty tannins and terrific chocolatey persistence. A superb vintage for this clay-over-chalk vineyard, and a lot of wine for the price. |
|
|
2015 |
St. Emilion ex-Negociant |
$48 |
39 |
|
| |
JD 96 (3/2020): An awesome Saint Emilion, the 2015 Château Barde-Haut showed even better on this occasion than on release. A huge nose of sweet crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, leather, and dried herbs gives way to a full-bodied wine that has a great mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and a great, great finish. I love it even today, yet it has a full two decades of prime drinking ahead of it.
JS 95 (2/2018): Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, wet earth and black tea. Full-bodied, dense and layered with medium, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows focus and power. Needs three or four years to start coming together.
WA 92 (4/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Barde-Haut gives up notions of plum preserves, potpourri and baked cherries with underlying Chinese five spice and cigar box hints. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm backbone of grainy tannins and background freshness supporting the spicy black fruits, finishing on a lingering earthy note.
VM 87 (2/2018): The 2015 Barde-Haut is forward, simple and lacking in both depth and structure, just as it showed en primeur. The dark cherry, espresso, plum, licorice and mint flavors are attractive, but there is just not enough textural richness to be compelling. Sadly, the 2015 is short, compact and missing the exuberance and complexity that have been the norm here in the past. |
|
|
2017 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$148.99 |
42 |
|
| |
JS 93-94 (4/2018): Very tight and direct with lots of limestone and salt aromas and flavors. Full body and firm and silky tannins. Tightly wound. Impressive.
VM 92-94 (5/2018): The 2017 Barde-Haut was picked from 18 September to 2 October, matured in 80% new oak for 18 months. It has a sensual bouquet with black cherries, a touch of oyster shell and iodine, well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, more volume than the Poesia, especially towards the finish that exerts a gentle grip in the mouth. It feels very silky in texture with a persistent finish. This is a really excellent Barde-Haut, in my opinion, with the upper hand over the Clos l’Eglise this year, frankly not far off the 2016 in quality. Bravo Helène et Patrice Garçin-Leveque. Neal Martin
JD 92-94 (4/2018): The deep, inky-colored 2017 Barde-Haut is a seriously good 2017 from Helène Garcin-Levêque that offers tons of kirsch, ripe black cherries, and spice aromas and flavors in a rounded, silky, sexy style. It has wonderful purity of fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. I suspect it will be reasonably approachable on release yet capable of lasting for 10-15 years. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc which will spend 18 months in 80% new French oak.
WA 91-93 (4/2018): Barde-Haut didn't see any frost this year due to the altitude of the vineyards. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Barde-Haut gives notions of baked blackberries, blueberry compote and Black Forest cake with touches of potpourri, dusty soil and cast iron pan. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and minerally. |
|
| Ch. Batailley |
2008 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$842.98 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (5/2011): Wood spice, earth, black currant and sweet cherry characteristics are found in this elegant, medium to full-bodied, surprisingly rich, well-textured effort. From the bottle, it confirms the high quality I noted two years ago from barrel. More forward than usual for Batailley, it is a dark plum-hued wine that requires 2-4 years of bottle age, but should easily last 15+ years. |
|
|
2009 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$976.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 96 (5/2013): Yummy young Sauternes with caramel, honey, dried apples, pears, and tarte tatin. Full body, layered and compacted. Medium sweet and a flavorful finish. So much to come still. Give it three or four years to understand all it has.
WA 94 (2/2012): The finest Batailley I have had in many years, the dense purple-colored 2009 exhibits a boatload of tannin as well as sweet, caramelized, black currant fruit intermixed with hints of charcoal, cedarwood and smoke, a full-bodied mouthfeel and the aforementioned high, but sweet, well-integrated tannin displaying no jaggedness. Batailley often requires considerable patience as it can be one of the longest-lived Pauillacs. Atypically for Batailley, the 2009 should be ready to drink in 5-7 years and keep for three decades. |
|
|
2010 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,043.98 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2013 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$659.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2015 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$623.97 |
5 |
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2016 |
Pauillac (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$406.98 |
8 |
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2016 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$715.98 |
1 |
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2016 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$448.98 |
60 |
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2017 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$363.98 |
24 |
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2019 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$322.97 |
1 |
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2020 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$562.99 |
4 |
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2021 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$527.97 |
1 |
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2021 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$521.97 |
5 |
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2021 |
Pauillac (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$372.98 |
12 |
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2022 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$650.98 |
1 |
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| Ch. Beau-Sejour Becot |
1996 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,249.99 |
1 |
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| WA 89 (4/1999): The lavishly-oaked, hedonistically-styled 1996 exhibits a dark plum/purple color. The nose offers up sweet jammy fruit (primarily black currants and cherries) intermixed with toasty new oak. Medium-bodied, with excellent, nearly Outstanding richness, a nicely-layered mid-palate, and sweet tannin in the long finish, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age, and should last for 15+ years. |
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2005 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,641.97 |
1 |
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WA 94+ (6/2015): A beautiful wine from Beau-Sejour Becot, the color of the 2005 is an opaque purple and the wine is loaded with notes of cedar wood, Asian spice, blackberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied and tannic, but broad, huge, and massive, this wine is still an infant and needs another 7-10 years of cellaring. This is a 40- to 50-year wine from the Becot family.
VM 92 (6/2008): Good ruby-red. Very ripe but lively aromas of kirsch, licorice, bitter chocolate, nuts and violet. Dense and sweet but vibrant, with a medicinal reserve and terrific grip to the superripe fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. Wonderfully rich, pliant wine with late-arriving tannins and a terrific spine for a slow evolution in bottle. Much more tightly wound today than the Becot family's La Gomerie, but there's plenty of fat fruit lurking. |
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2008 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,247.99 |
1 |
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VM 92 (8/2011): Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, lavender and oak-driven cola, mocha and spices on the nose and palate. Lush, round and mouthfilling, with harmonious acidity restraining the wine's sweetness. Vinous, long wine with impressive focus.
WA 91+ (5/2011): This exceptional wine is presently as impressive as the 2010, but obviously it is much more drinkable. Made from yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare with 14% natural alcohol, this blend of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon reveals some spicy new oak along with lots of vanillin, underbrush, black currants and black cherry jam. Dense ruby/purple-colored and full-bodied with moderate tannin, it is more supple and forward than the 2010. Nevertheless, this big 2008 needs 2-3 years of cellaring and should keep for 15-20 years. |
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2011 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,010.98 |
5 |
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2013 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$864.99 |
1 |
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2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$533.99 |
2 |
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VM 95 (2/2018): Just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel, the Beau-Sejour-Becot is superb. Expressive plum, grilled herb, lavender and spice flesh out in the glass. Voluptuous and racy, with no hard edges, the 2015 has much to offer. This is in an especially dense, explosive style, and yet all the elements are wonderfully fused together. I would give the 2015 a few years in bottle to start showing at its best. ANtonio Galloni.
WA 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Beau-Sejour Becot is composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 85% new and 15% one-year-old French oak for 17 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose opens with blackberries, black cherries and crushed black plums with touches of spice box, lavender and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, it's rich, velvety and decadent in the mouth with a firm backbone and long, spicy finish. Yum!
JS 95 (2/2018): Very perfumed with crushed berries and blackberries. Wet earth and great intensity. Decadent. Full-bodied, layered and very velvety and intense. Extremely long and intense. A sexy and opulent wine yet poised and tight. One of best ever. Needs at least three to five years bottle age.
JD 94 (11/2017): The 2015 Beau- Sejour-Becot is a sensational powerhouse of a Saint-Emilion that does everything right. Mostly Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s a ripe, voluptuous effort loaded with notions of cassis, ripe plum, and black cherry fruit intermixed with incense, spring flowers, and damp earth. It has enough tannin to warrant short-term cellaring, but it’s still undeniably delicious today. It will drink nicely for two decades. This cuvee comes from 19.5-hectare vineyard sitting on the upper, limestone dominated plateau, from vines averaging 40 years in age, was harvest between October 5th to the 9th and was aged 17 months in 85% new French oak. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$993.99 |
2 |
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| JS 93-94 (4/2017): This is really beautiful in 2016 showing blackberry, blueberry and walnut character. Full-bodied, tight and focussed with fantastic length. Serious. Best ever modern vintage? |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$510.99 |
1 |
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| JS 93-94 (4/2017): This is really beautiful in 2016 showing blackberry, blueberry and walnut character. Full-bodied, tight and focussed with fantastic length. Serious. Best ever modern vintage? |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$430.99 |
7 |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$423.97 |
1 |
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WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Displaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot prances out of the glass with showy scents of preserved plums, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries and raspberry preserves, plus suggestions of rose oil, ground cloves and licorice. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate shimmers with energy, offering a fantastic intensity of crunchy red and black fruits, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Simply stunning.
VM 92-94 (5/2021): The 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot was picked 8 September until 30 September, but mostly between 8-12 September, around 70% of the production. It is one of the highest percentages of Merlot in recent years partly due to restructuring of the vineyard and also higher yields (47-48hl/ha) compared to the Cabernets. With no SO2 used during fermentation and matured in 55% new oak (20hl Stockinger and Taransaud foudres and regular barriques) it is tightly wound on the nose, so I afforded the sample an hour to really open. It offers predominantly red berry fruit, wild mint and traces of dried honey, more floral scents emerging, violet and iris flower blossoming with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very well judged acidity, a very graceful and unpretentious Saint-emilion, harmonious with a touch of white pepper enhancing the precise finish. This is a classically styled Beau-Sejour Becot that conveys a brooding intensity, so I would give it several years in the cellar. Neal Martin.
JD 94-96 (5/2021): The vivid purple-hued 2020 Château Beau-Sejour Becot is another ethereal, incredibly perfumed, mineral-laced Saint-Emilion, which is common from wines from the upper, limestone plateau. Gorgeous cassis and black cherry fruits as well as floral notes, violets, and chalky minerality all define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, has wonderfulness and purity, and reveals a liqueur of rocks-like minerality on the finish. It’s another thrillingly complete wine from this team that shines for its purity, elegance, and complexity.
JS 96-97 (4/2021): This has a fantastic finish with crushed blackberries and raspberries and salt undertones. It’s full-bodied, yet really racy and polished with such fine, intense tannins. Love the length to this. Very distinguished and toned. Excellent energy. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon. |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$705.98 |
1 |
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| |
VM 100 (1/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot is a total stunner. What a wine! The 2022 was magnificent en primeur, and it is all that from bottle. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, new leather and cedar meld into a core of pliant red-toned fruit. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's precision and finesse. I have never tasted a Beau-Séjour Bécot like this. Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (2/2025): Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is flat-out sensational, as well as the finest wine I’ve tasted from this château. Powerful aromatics of red, blue, and black fruits as well as crushed stone and violets define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins. Based on 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this heavenly Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 3-5 years of bottle age and have 30 years or more of overall longevity. Back up the truck.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of sweet wild berries mingled with rose petals, orange zest, violets, gentian and espresso roast, it's full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of cool, layered fruit, beautifully vibrant flavors and polished structuring tannins, concluding with a saline finish. As I wrote when I tasted it from barrel, this is a Saint-Émilion of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out.
JA 96 (4/2023): This has double the amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend as of this year after vineyard restructuring, and the chalkiness of the limestone helps underline the curling peony and violet floral character on the opening beats, balancing the intensity of the vintage. Plenty of blueberry and damson fruit, with bitter cocoa bean and coffee, saffran and smoked dried herbs. Highly successful. No irrigation, instead used cover crops, and reduced the height of the canopy by 15cm to limit the transevaporation. Cold maceration for 10-15 days, 55% new oak, 30% oak casks, and amphoras. Jean de Cournuaud technical director. 33hl/h yield after frost impact, harvest September 5 to 23. The new cellar will be ready for the end of August for the 2023 vintage. |
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| Ch. La Croix de Beaucaillou |
2006 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$656.98 |
1 |
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2008 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$969.97 |
1 |
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| |
| WA 90 (5/2011): An Outstanding wine and a great sleeper of the vintage, this second wine exhibits a denser purple color along with a sweet kiss of creme de cassis, licorice, incense and graphite. Fruity and medium to full-bodied , with an impressive texture and supple tannins, this wine should drink well for 10-15 years. |
|
|
2009 |
St. Julien (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$800.97 |
1 |
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| |
JS 93 (2/2012): Aromas of blackberry and blueberries, with Chinese spices, follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a mineral, floral and chewy finish. Beautiful already, but needs at least three or four years to soften and open.
WA 91 (2/2012): The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Up-front, precocious and generous, it possesses a dense purple color, a big, broad, unctuous texture and abundant notes of creme de cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of wood smoke, vanillin and earth. This nearly viscous-styled wine can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15+. |
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|
2020 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$279.99 |
1 |
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| |
WA 89-91 (5/2021): The 2020 La Croix de Beaucaillou is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It has 13.75% alcohol and a pH of 3.78 with an IPT of 91. It is set to age for 12 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant scents of crushed redcurrants, black raspberries and fresh black berries, plus hints of bay leaves, lavender and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is full of energetic red and black berry layers with a grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.
JD 92-95 (5/2021): The second wine of the estate is the 2020 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou, composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak. It's a much more concentrated, structured wine offering classic cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notes of scorched earth, tobacco, graphite, and chocolate. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a great mid-palate as well as the vintage's rich, deep, powerful style. It's going to have some up-front appeal given its balance as well as the quality of the tannins, but this is a serious wine for reserving 2-4 years in the cellar, and it should easily have 15-20 years of prime drinking.
JS 94-95 (4/2021): This is really serious. It’s full-bodied, tight and linear with fantastic length. Racy, so fine and intense. Very fine tannins. One of the best Croix Ducru. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, and 3% petit verdot. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$445.97 |
2 |
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| |
WA 89-91 (5/2021): The 2020 La Croix de Beaucaillou is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It has 13.75% alcohol and a pH of 3.78 with an IPT of 91. It is set to age for 12 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant scents of crushed redcurrants, black raspberries and fresh black berries, plus hints of bay leaves, lavender and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is full of energetic red and black berry layers with a grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.
JD 92-95 (5/2021): The second wine of the estate is the 2020 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou, composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak. It's a much more concentrated, structured wine offering classic cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notes of scorched earth, tobacco, graphite, and chocolate. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a great mid-palate as well as the vintage's rich, deep, powerful style. It's going to have some up-front appeal given its balance as well as the quality of the tannins, but this is a serious wine for reserving 2-4 years in the cellar, and it should easily have 15-20 years of prime drinking.
JS 94-95 (4/2021): This is really serious. It’s full-bodied, tight and linear with fantastic length. Racy, so fine and intense. Very fine tannins. One of the best Croix Ducru. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, and 3% petit verdot. |
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| Ch. Beauregard |
2019 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$717.98 |
3 |
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2020 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$319.98 |
60 |
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2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$337.98 |
32 |
|
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| Ch. Beausejour (J. Duffau-Lagarosse) |
2000 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,223.97 |
2 |
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WA 92 (4/2003): Undeniably the most complete Beausejour Duffau since the mythical 1990, the black/purple-colored 2000 exhibits a port-like bouquet of licorice, blackberry liqueur, minerals, blueberries, camphor, and melted asphalt. Medium rather than full-bodied, it has a multi-layered texture in addition to gorgeous ripeness. While it is not as rich or super-concentrated as the colossal 1990, the 2000 still merits significant interest. Pure, complex, and reasonably priced, it will be at its apogee between 2013-2025+.
VM 90 (6/2003): Bright red-ruby. Extravagantly ripe nose combines redcurrant, coffee bean, five-spice powder, stewed tomato and exotic oak scents; slight resiny whiff of surmaturite Then silky and bright in the mouth, with plump, dense red berry flavors framed by healthy acidity. Finishes long and broad, with chewy, ripe tannins. This has been nicely opened up by its elevage |
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2002 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,268.97 |
1 |
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2005 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,695.99 |
1 |
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| |
VM 91+ (6/2008): Medium red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of black cherry and licorice; slightly liqueur-like. Intensely flavored and gripping, with impressive power and a serious spine to the sweet black cherry flavors. Finishes with sneaky length and excellent backbone for aging. Aeration brought more minerality and more sweetness.
WA 91 (4/2008): While no one will confuse the 2005 with this estate’s prodigious 1990, it is an Outstanding effort from one of St.-Emilion’s finest terroirs. In terms of potential, the vineyard is exceeded only by Ausone, Pavie and Belair for micro-climate and exposition. A beautiful dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by an ethereal nose of blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, melted licorice, raspberries, and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with good acidity, sweet but high tannin, a broad mouthfeel, and admirable elegance as well as freshness, this beauty should age easily for 25+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. |
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2005 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,215.97 |
1 |
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| |
VM 91+ (6/2008): Medium red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of black cherry and licorice; slightly liqueur-like. Intensely flavored and gripping, with impressive power and a serious spine to the sweet black cherry flavors. Finishes with sneaky length and excellent backbone for aging. Aeration brought more minerality and more sweetness.
WA 91 (4/2008): While no one will confuse the 2005 with this estate’s prodigious 1990, it is an Outstanding effort from one of St.-Emilion’s finest terroirs. In terms of potential, the vineyard is exceeded only by Ausone, Pavie and Belair for micro-climate and exposition. A beautiful dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by an ethereal nose of blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, melted licorice, raspberries, and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with good acidity, sweet but high tannin, a broad mouthfeel, and admirable elegance as well as freshness, this beauty should age easily for 25+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. |
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2008 |
St. Emilion (12X750ML) 12-bottle OWC |
$1,308 |
1 |
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| WA 89+ (5/2011): The closed, austere 2008 represents the old school philosophy of winemaking employed at Beausejour-Duffau before Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt controlled the viticulture and winemaking starting in 2009. A 21,000-bottle blend of 70% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 exhibits high tannin, medium body and an impressively elegant style. It is already revealing the nobility of this exquisite vineyard. However, the wine does not possess the extra gear of aromatic and flavor dimensions to merit an Outstanding review. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20. |
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|
2008 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,235.98 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 89+ (5/2011): The closed, austere 2008 represents the old school philosophy of winemaking employed at Beausejour-Duffau before Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt controlled the viticulture and winemaking starting in 2009. A 21,000-bottle blend of 70% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 exhibits high tannin, medium body and an impressively elegant style. It is already revealing the nobility of this exquisite vineyard. However, the wine does not possess the extra gear of aromatic and flavor dimensions to merit an Outstanding review. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20. |
|
|
2009 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,010.97 |
1 |
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| |
| WA 100 (2/2012): This big wine (nearly 15% natural alcohol) is a blend of 77% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. It boasts an opaque blue/purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of charcoal, incense, truffles, blackberry jam, black currants, raspberries and flowers. While enormous in the mouth, the limestone soils in which the grapes are grown give the wine good freshness as well as laser-like clarity and precision. Amazing to taste, this massive, super-concentrated powerhouse comes across as ethereal and almost feminine despite its extravagant fruit, density and richness. It is a modern day legend for sure! Anticipated maturity: 2025-2050+ |
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|
2011 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$663.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 94+ (4/2014): Another brilliant wine of great nobility and finesse, the 2011 Beausejour-Duffau reveals a saturated chalky minerality as well as plenty of blue and black fruits, and fabulous precision and purity. It possesses a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and a distinctive/singular style only possessed by the greatest wines. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. It promises to be one of the longest lived wines of the vintage. At 14.7% alcohol, this is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
JS 92 (2/2014): This is a little hard and firm now but it is so serious. Full body with firm tannins and a flavorful, intense finish. Excellent style and class. Needs five years to soften: better in 2019.
VM 91 (7/2014): Deep inky purple. Aromas of dark cherry, plum and blackcurrant are lifted by violet and mineral nuances. Silky on entry, then tight and bright in the middle, with very good energy to the red cherry, blackcurrant syrup and sweet spice flavors. The broad, extremely long finish offers refined tannins and very pure mineral and floral nuances. |
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2012 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$680.97 |
2 |
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| |
VM 96 (1/2016): The 2012 Beausejour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is simply magnificent. Succulent black cherries, hard candy, savory herbs, smoke, licorice and tobacco all burst from the glass in a rich, voluptuous, concentrated wine. The tannins are there, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Grilled herbs, smoke, cedar and tobacco meld into the explosive, resonant finish. The 2012 is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that spent 16-18 months in French oak, 75% new. There are a number of talented people who work on the Beausejour wines, including Nicolas Thienpont, David Suire, Stephane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu, but the most important thing is the terroir. And it is world class. Vivid and beautifully sculpted throughout, the 2012 has closed down since I last tasted it, about four months ago. There is little doubt it is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
JS 95 (2/2015): This is really sexy and polished with ultra-fine tannins, dark fruit, dark mushrooms, berries and dried strawberries. Wonderful. Better in 2019. |
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2022 |
St. Emilion 2023 en Primeur Release |
$146.09 |
2 |
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JD 96-98+ (5/2023): The 2022 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) looks to be another brilliant wine from this incredible terroir located just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. Based on 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc resting in 68% new oak, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a floral, intense bouquet of cassis, liquid violets, black cherries, truffly earth, and graphite. Hitting 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.5, it's full-bodied and has a pure, layered, opulent mouthfeel and just about perfect tannins. There's a little bit more clay in the soils at this estate (there's still plenty of limestone) which gives the wines plenty of power and richness, and the 2022 holds onto a beautiful sense of elegance.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse was picked on 6-9 September for the Merlot and 23 for the Cabernet Franc, representing the highest percentage to date. It was cropped at 42hL/ha with 14.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.5. Aged in 68% new oak, it has a delicate nose that completely disguises that summer' warmth. Precise redcurrant and raspberry fruit aromas are laced with minerals. The limestone soils percolate and evince the estate' style under Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse. It seems to deepen, to "stretch out" with aeration, manifesting more darker fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, mineral-driven and almost pastille-like in terms of purity with its mélange of red and blue fruit and granular texture. Background notes of tobacco and black truffle begin to surface with time. There' just a trace of white pepper on the finish. Precise, focused and with plenty of substance, this is a characterful and intellectually satisfying Duffau. Most importantly, not only will it be flippin' delicious, but you get the sense that Joséphine is only just getting started. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) promises to be the finest wine that this superb limestone terroir has produced in at least several decades. In recent years, the quality of the site always shone through, but it was sometimes obscured by an impactful vinification and élevage (plenty of creamy new oak and malolactic fermentation in barrel). Much of the estate's Cabernet Franc was frequently eliminated from the blend. Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse has changed that, incorporating fully 31% Cabernet Franc in the blend to deliver a complex and compelling wine evocative of wild berries, plums, rose petals and violets. Medium to full-bodied, pure and vibrant, it's supple and layered, with beautifully refined tannins, terrific depth at the core and a long, chalky finish.
JA 98-100 (5/2023): Just so good, so much uplift, direction and power, with vivid violet reflections to the ruby coloured fruit. Intense and concentrated on the opening, then a soaring limestone juice comes in through the mid palate, with the whole thing showing precision and character. A jumbled, joyful mix of blueberry, cassis, peony, roses, pummice stone and slate limestone, cocoa bean and coffee, showing real depth and seduction. This is always one of the wines that for me most leans in to the character of limestone, and you really feel the full impact in this hot year. Old vines 45 years average. Stopped all punch down during fermentation, now only soft pumpovers and infusion. Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. Highest Cabernet Franc percentage in the estate's history, and a full 40hl/h yield, 3.5ph. Potential 100. |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,199.98 |
5 |
|
| |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,126.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Belair-Monange |
2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$750.99 |
1 |
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| |
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2018 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,098.97 |
7 |
|
| |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,030.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,039.98 |
5 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Belgrave |
2017 |
Haut Medoc (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$355.99 |
10 |
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| |
JS 90-91 (4/2018): This is very cabernet sauvignon with a tight palate of ripe fruit and firm and chewy tannins. Medium-to full-bodied, compacted and driven. All the merlot was hurt by the frost here. Juicy finish.
VM 87-89 (5/2018): The 2017 Belgrave offers crisp blackberry and tobacco scents on the nose, a touch of gravel developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin, masculine and rather austere towards the finish where I would have liked more flesh. A second showing towards the end of my tasting did indicate a wine developing more fruite towards the finish and my score reflects anticipated amelioration during its barrel maturation. Neal Martin.
JD 87-89 (4/2018): Offering lots of black (and some blue) fruits, charcoal, and graphite, the inky-colored 2017 Château Belgrave is firm and tannic on the palate, with nicely integrated acidity. I’d like a touch more flesh on these bones, but it’s certainly a serious effort that I suspect will benefit from short-term cellaring. |
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2018 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$569.99 |
7 |
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| |
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2019 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$508.99 |
21 |
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| |
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| Ch. Bellefont Belcier |
2010 |
St. Emilion |
$69 |
1 |
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| |
JS 93 (2/2013): Wonderful aromas of black truffles and berries with hints of wet earth. Full body, with velvety tannins and a rich and chewy finish. Yet the fruit and acidity balance this muscular wine. Try in 2018.
WA 92 (2/2014): The wine offers up notes of jammy black cherries, black currants, licorice, camphor, underbrush and some subtle vanillin. The wine is full-bodied, voluptuously textured and rich, with good acidity, surprising freshness and laser-like definition given its ampleness and length. It can be drunk early on for its beautiful fruit, but look for this wine to hit its stride in 5-7 years and last for two decades. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion |
$54 |
1 |
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JD 95 (4/2022): A beautiful, elegant Saint-Emilion that will be loved by both modernists and traditionalists out there, the 2019 Château Bellefont-Belcier comes from a south-facing, limestone terroir just beside Château Pavie and Larcis Ducasse. A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it starts out reticent and understated yet builds beautifully with time in the glass and has wonderful cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with notes of truffle, tobacco, damp earth, and violets. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has silky tannins, perfect overall balance, and a great finish. It's not a powerhouse, but it shines for its purity, finesse, and elegance. Drink bottles over the coming 15-20 years or so.
VM 94 (2/2023): The 2019 Bellefont Belcier is delineated and focused on the nose with pure blackberry, briary, crushed stone and cedar scents, the oak here nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, cohesive and smooth, blackberry and white pepper tinged with cedar towards the finish. This sashays along in style, and it is very promising. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Neal Martin. |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$799.98 |
5 |
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JD 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Château Bellefont-Belcier is beautiful, with a more focused, elegant, mineral-laced style. Black raspberries, chalky minerality, and spring flowers are just some of its nuances, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, layered mouthfeel, ripe yet present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity. It's going to need some time, but it's clearly a beautiful wine. The blend is 72% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, resting in 30% new oak, with 40% in once-used barrels and 30% in foudre.
VM 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Bellefont-Belcier is dark, pliant and super-expressive. This heady, explosive wine is packed with dark fruit, gravel, incense and licorice. Pencil shavings, lavender and chocolate linger on the potent, resonant finish. Interestingly, Bellefont-Belcier was once quite opulent. Consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos dialed it back starting with the 2018 vintage but now seems to be searching for more of a middle ground. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-95 (4/2024): The 2023 Bellefont Belcier demonstrates this property's continuing renaissance, exhibiting more density and seriousness as the team starts to get the best out of their holdings on the plateau of Saint-Émilion overlooking the slopes that surround the château. Offering up aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of burning embers and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish.
JA 84 (4/2024): Fresh aromatics, attractive raspberry leaf and violet, deeply coloured, well textured, there is clear oak influence, but it is well integrated, and the texture has resistance and rise through the finish. Good quality. 30% new oak. 45hl/ha yield, Vignobles K owners. |
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| Ch. Bellegrave |
2018 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$369.99 |
33 |
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2018 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$696.99 |
2 |
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| |
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2019 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$342.99 |
15 |
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| |
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2020 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$398.99 |
23 |
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| |
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| Ch. Bellevue |
2012 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$864.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JS 93 (2/2015): A solid wine for the vintage with dark fruit, chocolate and spice character. Full body, integrated and pretty tannin structure and a long and polished finish. Very fine indeed.
VM 91 (1/2016): The 2012 Bellevue is a dark, inviting wine. Mocha, black cherries, leather and spice flesh out in a supple, open-knit Saint-Emilion. The 2012 is forward, mid-weight and gracious, all qualities that suggest it will offer its best drinking sooner rather than later. This is a strong showing from the Bellevue, which is now made under Hubert de Boüard's purview. Antonio Galloni.
WA 90+ (4/2015): Now owned by a partnership of the Boüard and Lavaux families, this famous estate, sitting on the limestone outcrops of St.-Emilion, has produced a dense ruby/purple wine with unmistakable minerality and a medium to full body. It has a nice attractive, juicy, concentrated palate, with a certain tightness and austerity from the minerality and high tannins, but overall it is very impressively made and built for long-term cellaring. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following two decades. The final blend, tipping the scales at 13.8%, was 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. |
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2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$561.97 |
1 |
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| |
JS 96-97 (4/2016): A sexy and beautiful wine with incredible blackberry, dark chocolate and salt character. Full body, chewy and powerful. Great length. 100% merlot.
WA 93-95 (4/2016): The 2015 Bellevue is a pure Merlot picked on September 17, then a pause for two weeks before picking again from October 4-7. It has quite an intense bouquet with lovely floral tones, crème de cassis mixed with licorice, almost brine-like aromas. The palate is very smooth on the entry with good weight in the mouth, plush but structured underneath with fine tannin and precision all the way through to the minerally finish. This estate deserves greater attention.
VM 90-92 (4/2016): The 2015 Bellevue is energetic and nicely delineated, especially for such a powerful wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, mint and sweet spices fill out the wine's frame nicely. I very much like the sense of freshness that runs through some of the darker flavors. I expect the 2015 will drink well early. Today, it is super-impressive. Antonio Galloni. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.99 |
7 |
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| |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$380.99 |
21 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$387.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$750.99 |
2 |
|
| |
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| Ch. La Caze Bellevue |
2019 |
St. Emilion |
$22 |
12 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Bellevue Mondotte |
2008 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,522.97 |
1 |
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| |
| WA 95+ (5/2011): An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14% natural alcohol. Michel Rolland has been the consultant for all the Perse estates since their acquisition, and the 2008's fruit was harvested very late, October 20. The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years. |
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|
2009 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,005.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 100 (2/2012): The inky/blue/purple-colored 2009 Bellevue Mondotte offers aromas of creme de cassis, mulberries, licorice, white flowers, forest floor and candied cherries. Extremely thick, rich and full-bodied, it is nearly overwhelming in its textural richness, colossal concentration and mind-blowing finish that lasts nearly a minute. Undeniably massive and over-sized, but perfectly balanced, it is made for those looking for something to put away for 30-50+ years. One has to admire a proprietor who is making a wine for the history books, not for near-term gratification.
JS 97 (4/2012): Loads of fruit with blueberries and blackberries. Cassis. Full and juicy with super fine tannins. Very flamboyant. Powerful structure. Goes on for minutes. 90% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Try in 2018.
VM 95+ (7/2012): (90% merlot with 5% each cabernet franc and sauvignon): Deep ruby. Superripe, slightly inky aromas of blueberry liqueur and violet. Like liquid silk in the mouth, but with surprisingly firm acidity leavening the wine's sweetness and giving shape to its blue and black fruit flavors. A compellingly rich, thick wine with palate-staining length and the tannic clout to support at least a couple decades of positive evolution in bottle. |
|
| Ch. Bellevue Peycharneau |
2018 |
Bordeaux Superieur |
$25 |
10 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Berliquet |
2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$313.97 |
4 |
|
| |
| JS 95-96 (4/2017): This is a really powerful red with fantastic density and richness. Silky and chewy tannins. Lots of chalky, crushed limestone character. Impressive. Let’s see what is better: the 2016 or 2015. |
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|
2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$270.99 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 94-96 (5/2021): The 2020 Berliquet is composed of 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.5% alcohol. It is aging in French oak barrels, 50% new. Deep purple-black colored, it trots casually out of the glass with effortlessly flamboyant scents of stewed black cherries, warm plums and baked blackberries, plus hints of chocolate mint, violets and licorice with a touch of fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with layers of ripe black fruits and earthy accents, framed by finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
VM 88-90 (5/2021): The 2020 Berliquet has an open, quite generous bouquet of high-toned, quite floral aromas (iris and violet petals) mixed with Dorset plum, bilberry and wild strawberry. The palate is medium-bodied with a medicinal, menthol-tinged opening, ripe and again, generous. The candied finish just needs to show a little more restraint. Fine, but it will have to manifest more elegance and composure by the time of bottling. Perhaps it was unfair to pour this against the 2020 Canon, also owned by the Wertheimer family, but it highlighted the difference between their respective terroirs. Neal Martin.
JD 92-94 (5/2021): Notes of iron, toasty oak, violets, and ample red and blue fruits emerge from the 2020 Château Berliquet, a medium to full-bodied, gorgeously balanced and textured Saint-Emilion based on 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc. It has a solid kick of background oak, but the fruit is incredibly pure and it has a great mid-palate and outstanding length. Still aging in 50% new French oak, it should benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for 15 years or more in cold cellars.
JS 95-96 (4/2021): Very soft and polished with beautiful tannins that are poised and beautiful. It’s medium-to full-bodied and gorgeously proportioned. Ready for even more polishing. |
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| Ch. Beychevelle |
1982 |
St. Julien Base Neck Fill |
$229 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94 (6/2009): I have noticed serious bottle variation with this wine, but recently it has been consistently scoring in the 94-96 point range. Beautifully sweet, slightly herbaceous black currant, licorice, and earthy notes emerge from this nearly opaque, dark ruby/purple-tinged 1982. Compared to the more elegant, feminine-styled wine often produced here, it is a beast. Dense, thick, rich, concentrated, and impressive, it can be drunk now and over the next two decades.
VM 89+ (7/2002): Full medium ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of sour cherry candy, currant syrup, violet and minerals. Thick and rich, but a bit unyielding owing to its solid spine of acidity. Still rather youthfully austere on the finish. Stephen Tanzer. |
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|
1990 |
St. Julien Slightly Depressed Cork; Signs of Old Seepage; Wine-Stained Label |
$150 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 84 (6/2009): Although better than I initially rated it, the 1990 Beychevelle remains an insipid wine, exhibiting a certain dilution and shallow character. It offers herbal, earthy, raspberry, and red currant fruit followed by elevated tannins in the austere finish. It is an atypical effort for the 1990 vintage. |
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|
2000 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,906.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 91 (4/2003): Deep ruby/purple in color, with a sweet nose of black currants, earth, licorice, and mineral, the 2000 is relatively powerful and dense for the normally restrained and elegant Beychevelle. Medium to full-bodied, dense, and chewy, it is showing even better out of bottle than it was from cask. While it appears to be the finest example made at Beychevelle since the 1989 and 1982, patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.
VM 88 (6/2003): Good ruby-red. Exotic, highly aromatic nose features leather, cedar, roast coffee, minerals and chocolate. Smooth on entry, then a bit pinched in the mid-palate, with a faint peppery herbaceousness. Not overly tannic but seems a bit dry for a 2000. |
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|
2003 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,552.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 92 (8/2014): Despite the extreme heat of June, July and August, this beautiful wine’s terroir shows through. A dense plum/purple color is accompanied by sweet cassis and black currant aromas, broad, round, juicy fruit flavors, medium body, and hints of figs, spice box and cedar. This complete, juicy, fully mature, impressive wine can be consumed over the next 7-8 years.
JS 90 (3/2011): Earthy, leafy, funky, and rich, with a decadent undertone of ripe fruit and spices. Full and velvety, with soft tannins and a decadent finish. Yummy, no need to wait. Find the wine.
VM 89 (6/2006): Dullish ruby-red. Full-blown, exotic aromas of plum jam, roasted meat and leather, with a suggestion of tropical chocolate. Big, plush and full; a seamless wine that avoids coming off as flat. Finishes with ripe tannins and a lingering flavor of chocolate. I underrated this wine in barrel. Unusually fleshy for Beychevelle, which is not a bad thing. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2007 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,468.99 |
2 |
|
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|
2008 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,315.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 90 (2/2019): Showing some maturity, the 2008 Château Beychevelle offers plenty of minerality as well as mature red and black fruits, hints of chocolate, medium body, and an elegant, charming, ready-to-go vibe. Drink it over the coming decade or so. |
|
|
2010 |
St. Julien (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$645.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JS 95 (11/2013): Beautiful aromas of blackberries, currants and flowers. Very aromatic. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and gorgeous fruit. It's polished and very refined. One of the best Beychevelles in years. Try in 2018.
WA 94 (2/2013): Showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, where it was also impressive, but not quite at this level, the 2010 Beychevelle displays sweet black currant, black cherry, foresty notes, medium to full-bodied texture with impressive purity and moderately high tannins (although they’ve softened considerably during the wine’s upbringing in barrel). Layered and rich for a Beychevelle, this wine should easily withstand three decades of cellaring. I would give it another 3-4 years of bottle age, but this is a fabulous effort from the first chateau one sees upon entering the appellation of St.-Julien.
VM 91+ (5/2011): Good deep red. Lively aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice and flowers. Gripping and energetic, with captivating flowers and spices lifting the medicinal dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. More intense than usual for this property: the tannins are serious but suave and this very youthful wine appears to have the density of material for two or three decades of evolution in bottle. It may well ultimately merit a higher score. |
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|
2010 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,636.99 |
1 |
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| |
JS 95 (11/2013): Beautiful aromas of blackberries, currants and flowers. Very aromatic. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and gorgeous fruit. It's polished and very refined. One of the best Beychevelles in years. Try in 2018.
WA 94 (2/2013): Showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, where it was also impressive, but not quite at this level, the 2010 Beychevelle displays sweet black currant, black cherry, foresty notes, medium to full-bodied texture with impressive purity and moderately high tannins (although they’ve softened considerably during the wine’s upbringing in barrel). Layered and rich for a Beychevelle, this wine should easily withstand three decades of cellaring. I would give it another 3-4 years of bottle age, but this is a fabulous effort from the first chateau one sees upon entering the appellation of St.-Julien.
VM 91+ (5/2011): Good deep red. Lively aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice and flowers. Gripping and energetic, with captivating flowers and spices lifting the medicinal dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. More intense than usual for this property: the tannins are serious but suave and this very youthful wine appears to have the density of material for two or three decades of evolution in bottle. It may well ultimately merit a higher score. |
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|
2011 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,281.99 |
2 |
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2012 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,714.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
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2012 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$867.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2015 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,542.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 92-94 (4/2016): The 2015 Beychevelle was picked between 22 September and 8 October, a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot that will be matured in 50% new oak. It has quite a high IPT at 81, a pH of 3.72. It has a clean and crisp bouquet, tightly-wound at first, then unfurls with redcurrant, cranberry and raspberry scents, leaning towards the red spectrum rather than black. There is impressive delineation here, no frills, almost clinical in its "aromatic efficiency." The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is a suave Beychevelle in the making, harmonious in the mouth, supple even, gently building towards a lightly spiced finish. Among the Saint Julien wines, this is clearly one of the more understated 2015s. It is only when you swallow the wine that its lingering flavors remind you that this could evolve into one of Philippe Blanc's great Beychevelles. While it is not a headline-grabbing wine, a decade in bottle will be handsomely rewarded. |
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|
2016 |
St. Julien |
$129 |
4 |
|
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WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.
VM 95 (3/2023): The 2016 Beychevelle has a very intense, slightly more introverted bouquet than other 2016s that I have tasted: blackberry, incense, cedar and light graphite aromas emerging with time. This is quite Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a well-built and structured Beychevelle with ample freshness - more than the 2010 tasted alongside. Based on this showing, the 2016 might be entering a closed phase, so cellar it away for several years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property. (Drink between 2028-2055). Neal Martin. |
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2016 |
St. Julien (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$670.98 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.
VM 95 (3/2023): The 2016 Beychevelle has a very intense, slightly more introverted bouquet than other 2016s that I have tasted: blackberry, incense, cedar and light graphite aromas emerging with time. This is quite Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a well-built and structured Beychevelle with ample freshness - more than the 2010 tasted alongside. Based on this showing, the 2016 might be entering a closed phase, so cellar it away for several years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property. (Drink between 2028-2055). Neal Martin. |
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2016 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,526.97 |
1 |
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| |
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.
VM 95 (3/2023): The 2016 Beychevelle has a very intense, slightly more introverted bouquet than other 2016s that I have tasted: blackberry, incense, cedar and light graphite aromas emerging with time. This is quite Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a well-built and structured Beychevelle with ample freshness - more than the 2010 tasted alongside. Based on this showing, the 2016 might be entering a closed phase, so cellar it away for several years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property. (Drink between 2028-2055). Neal Martin. |
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2016 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$818.99 |
1 |
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| |
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.
VM 95 (3/2023): The 2016 Beychevelle has a very intense, slightly more introverted bouquet than other 2016s that I have tasted: blackberry, incense, cedar and light graphite aromas emerging with time. This is quite Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, a well-built and structured Beychevelle with ample freshness - more than the 2010 tasted alongside. Based on this showing, the 2016 might be entering a closed phase, so cellar it away for several years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property. (Drink between 2028-2055). Neal Martin. |
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2017 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,341.99 |
1 |
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VM 92-95 (5/2018): The 2017 Beychevelle is absolutely gorgeous. Creamy and beautifully layered on the palate, Beychevelle exudes exotic richness in its ripe red/purplish berry fruit. Even though the 2017 is rather flamboyant in style, it retains quite a bit of brightness to play off its more extroverted leanings. Beychevelle was impressive on the several times I tasted it. Antonio Galloni.
JS 93-94 (4/2018): Very fine tannins already with a solid core of blackberry and blueberry character. Hints of flowers. Full-bodied, well-integrated and tight, not to mention fresh and long.
JD 92-94 (4/2018): Only 52% of the production went into the 2017 Château Beychevelle (they normally shoot for 60%), and the blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc that’s still aging in 60% new oak. This inky purple-colored beauty gives up loads of blue fruits, black cherries, underbrush, and a touch of minerality in a medium to full-bodied, pretty, elegant package that’s very much in the style of the vintage. This estate has been on a serious roll lately, and the 2017 isn’t going to break the trend. Tasted twice.
WA 90-92 (4/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Beychevelle opens with gregarious cassis and blackberry pie notes with touches of baking spices and underbrush plus a waft of lavender. Medium-bodied with a great core of ripe black fruits, it has a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins and balancing freshness, finishing long. The final blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4 Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. |
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2018 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,384.99 |
1 |
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WA 94-96+ (4/2019): The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Beychevelle wafts sensuously from the glass with fragrant Black Forest cake, potpourri, star anise and black tea scents over a core of black raspberries, warm blackcurrants and kirsch with touches of fallen leaves and lavender. Full-bodied and packed with fragrant red and black fruit layers, it has a firm, velvety texture and fantastic freshness lifting the very long, perfumed finish. Beautiful! Anticipated time in barrel is 18 months, 60% new and 40% second fill. The tentative blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
VM 93-96 (5/2019): The 2018 Beychevelle is an exceptional, utterly vivid wine. Deep and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2018 has so much to offer. Super-ripe black cherry, crème de cassis, licorice, new oak and chocolate infuse this unctuous, spectacularly ripe Saint-Julien. Beychevelle is exotic, flamboyant and full-throttle, not to mention absolutely stunning. The high presence of Merlot in the blend gives Beychevelle much of its sensuality. What a wine! The 2018 is 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 95-97+ (5/2019): Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016!
JS 93-94 (4/2019): This is concentrated with a solid core of fruit, yet it’s energetic and driven with plenty of pretty and forceful tannins. Dusty texture. Persistent finish. |
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2018 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$696.99 |
1 |
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WA 94-96+ (4/2019): The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Beychevelle wafts sensuously from the glass with fragrant Black Forest cake, potpourri, star anise and black tea scents over a core of black raspberries, warm blackcurrants and kirsch with touches of fallen leaves and lavender. Full-bodied and packed with fragrant red and black fruit layers, it has a firm, velvety texture and fantastic freshness lifting the very long, perfumed finish. Beautiful! Anticipated time in barrel is 18 months, 60% new and 40% second fill. The tentative blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
VM 93-96 (5/2019): The 2018 Beychevelle is an exceptional, utterly vivid wine. Deep and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2018 has so much to offer. Super-ripe black cherry, crème de cassis, licorice, new oak and chocolate infuse this unctuous, spectacularly ripe Saint-Julien. Beychevelle is exotic, flamboyant and full-throttle, not to mention absolutely stunning. The high presence of Merlot in the blend gives Beychevelle much of its sensuality. What a wine! The 2018 is 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 95-97+ (5/2019): Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016!
JS 93-94 (4/2019): This is concentrated with a solid core of fruit, yet it’s energetic and driven with plenty of pretty and forceful tannins. Dusty texture. Persistent finish. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$935.99 |
1 |
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JD 97 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a tiny selection representing just 55% of the total production of the estate. The blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot which spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, hitting 13.5% natural alcohol. Surpassing both the 2016 and 2018, this inky-hued Saint-Julien offers a round, lush, full-bodied style as well as gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, blueberries, loamy earth, chocolate, and spring flowers. The vintage doesn't get any sexier, and this has sweet tannins, an opulent mouthfeel, and riveting purity and finesse. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 25+.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Beychevelle is a wild, exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, gravel, crushed rocks menthol and espresso ristretto give Beychevelle its flamboyant personality. All the elements are so well balanced in this full-throttle, hugely enjoyable Saint-Julien. The 2020 is lights out. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (12/2022): A very polished and refined 2020 with a medium body, integrated tannins and a pretty texture. Nice currant, light chocolate and cedar undertones. Fresh finish. Drink after 2026.
WA 94-96 (5/2021): Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$855.97 |
1 |
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JD 97 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a tiny selection representing just 55% of the total production of the estate. The blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot which spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, hitting 13.5% natural alcohol. Surpassing both the 2016 and 2018, this inky-hued Saint-Julien offers a round, lush, full-bodied style as well as gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, blueberries, loamy earth, chocolate, and spring flowers. The vintage doesn't get any sexier, and this has sweet tannins, an opulent mouthfeel, and riveting purity and finesse. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 25+.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Beychevelle is a wild, exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, gravel, crushed rocks menthol and espresso ristretto give Beychevelle its flamboyant personality. All the elements are so well balanced in this full-throttle, hugely enjoyable Saint-Julien. The 2020 is lights out. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (12/2022): A very polished and refined 2020 with a medium body, integrated tannins and a pretty texture. Nice currant, light chocolate and cedar undertones. Fresh finish. Drink after 2026.
WA 94-96 (5/2021): Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$393.99 |
2 |
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JD 97 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a tiny selection representing just 55% of the total production of the estate. The blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot which spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, hitting 13.5% natural alcohol. Surpassing both the 2016 and 2018, this inky-hued Saint-Julien offers a round, lush, full-bodied style as well as gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, blueberries, loamy earth, chocolate, and spring flowers. The vintage doesn't get any sexier, and this has sweet tannins, an opulent mouthfeel, and riveting purity and finesse. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 25+.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Beychevelle is a wild, exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, gravel, crushed rocks menthol and espresso ristretto give Beychevelle its flamboyant personality. All the elements are so well balanced in this full-throttle, hugely enjoyable Saint-Julien. The 2020 is lights out. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (12/2022): A very polished and refined 2020 with a medium body, integrated tannins and a pretty texture. Nice currant, light chocolate and cedar undertones. Fresh finish. Drink after 2026.
WA 94-96 (5/2021): Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed. |
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2021 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
3 |
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2022 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.98 |
1 |
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WA 92-94 (5/2023): Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and licorice, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Beychevelle is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by rich, unusually suave and polished tannins in the context of recent vintages at this address. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.85, quite typical for this address.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Beychevelle is fabulous. In most recent vintages Beychevelle has been a flamboyant, extravagant Saint-Julien, but in 2022 is its surprisingly vibrant and fresh, almost shockingly so. Ripe red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, rose petal and spice are all beautifully delineated. More than anything, I admire the wine’s freshness and drive, qualities that have not often been present in recent vintages. That makes the 2022 one of my favorite recent vintages here. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 95-97+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.
JA 93 (5/2023): Silky and supple fruit and texture, this is impressive, with carefully built architecture, and clear ageing potential. Conveys the creamy ripe fruits of the vintage but sets them in a serious tannic frame, with bitter chocolate and slate character. Heat climbs on the finish, but the St Julien fresh mint leaf signoff comes in to keep things balanced. 36hl/h yield, 60% new oak. |
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2023 |
St. Julien (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$697.99 |
5 |
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JD 93-96 (4/2024): From a château that seems to have hit another gear over the past five to seven years, the 2023 Château Beychevelle is based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, pulled from 60% of the total production, and will see 18 months in 70% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Saint-Julien loaded with ripe red and blue fruits, leafy herbs, truffle, iron, and spring flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, has a remarkable sense of freshness and purity, velvety tannins, and outstanding length. The 2023 hit 13.3% alcohol with a rock-solid pH of 3.67.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 Beychevelle is fabulous. As always, Beychevelle includes quite a bit more Merlot than most wines in the appellation, but the Cabernet is especially high here. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and lavender build in the glass. This juicy, extroverted Saint-Julien has a ton to offer. The combination of fruit intensity, acid and supporting structure is superb. The 2023 is showy, but not at all overdone. Beychevelle remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux. It is especially classy in this edition. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Beychevelle has turned out especially well this year, exhibiting a more integrated, seductive style than recent vintages that were constructed in a punchier, more extracted register. Offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pen ink, violets and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit and a classy, suave profile that foregrounds the estate's prime vineyard holdings on the plateau around Ducru-Beaucaillou. It's a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that represents 50% of the estate's production.
JA 94 (4/2024): Plummy red fruits, fresh acidities, sculpted tannic architure, this has balance and finesse, white pepper, capsicum spice, black tea, cigar box, liqourice root, rose petals, fine tannins, St Julien balance with a kick of smoked oak on the finish. |
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| Les Brulieres de Beychevelle |
2018 |
Haut-Medoc Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$30 |
1 |
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| Ch. Le Bon Pasteur |
2019 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$776.98 |
16 |
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| |
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| Ch. Le Boscq |
2014 |
St. Estephe (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$431.99 |
4 |
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2020 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$482.99 |
15 |
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2020 |
St. Estephe (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$292.99 |
5 |
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2020 |
St. Estephe (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$283.99 |
2 |
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2021 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$270.99 |
9 |
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| Ch. Bourgneuf |
2016 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$696.99 |
1 |
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2021 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$760.99 |
8 |
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| |
|
| Ch. Boyd-Cantenac |
2000 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,344.97 |
2 |
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| WA 90 (6/2010): I need to pay more attention to this estate as Boyd-Cantenac is never that expensive. The beautiful 2000 exhibits a dense purple color as well as a beautifully pure nose of creme de cassis, asphalt, and a hint of forest floor. Having shed much of its tannin, it is a round, medium to full-bodied, elegant Margaux already revealing considerable complexity. Entering its plateau of full maturity, it should drink well for another decade. |
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2005 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,110.97 |
1 |
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| WA 92 (4/2008): This chateau, which is often under the radar (production is only 5,500-6,000 cases), has fashioned a terrific, inky/blue/purple-hued 2005 with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers, creme de cassis, pain grille, and blueberries. Powerful and concentrated with full-bodied richness, stunning purity, and a tannic, 40+-second finish, this beauty requires patience. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2030+. |
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| Ch. Branaire-Ducru |
2002 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,165.99 |
1 |
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VM 90+ (6/2005): Medium ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose combines black raspberry, cedar, menthol and leather. Sweet and supple but also nicely delineated, with penetrating, moderately dense flavors of dark berries and exotic spices. Finishes with solid structure and very good length. I'd hold this for three years or so.
WA 90 (4/2005): The successful 2002 exhibits a beautiful, dense ruby/purple color, a lovely concoction of raspberries, cassis, flowers and licorice in the fragrant aromatics, medium to full body, surprising opulence for a 2002, and soft and supple tannin. A beauty, it is ideal for drinking now and over the next 15+ years. |
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2003 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,060.99 |
1 |
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WA 94 (8/2014): This fully mature, gorgeous 2003 Branaire Ducru possesses silky tannins, lots of cedary, spice box, floral, black cherry, forest floor and velvety leather-like notes, full body, and an opulent, complex yet elegant style. A beauty of complexity, richness and finesse, it should continue to drink well for another 5-6 years.
JS 93 (3/2011): Extremely perfumed, with currants, blackberries, and flowers on the nose. Full bodied, with a solid core of beautiful fruit and super chewy, yet polished tannins. This is a brick house. Pull the cork after 2016.
VM 92 (6/2006): Sexy aromas of raspberry, mocha and milk chocolate. Fat, sweet, rich and full; a large-scaled, seamless wine with terrific volume. Just a hint of exotic roasted character on the palate-caressing finish. As appealing as this is right now, it appears to be shutting down in the bottle. |
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2005 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,344.97 |
1 |
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WA 95 (4/2008): As usual, the 2005 Branaire-Ducru is one of the more distinctive wines of St.-Julien. Proprietor Patrick Maroteaux has turned out another classic. While not as opulent or fleshy as the 2003, and it remains to be seen if it will eclipse the 2000, the 2005 is a big, structured, intensely rich effort with raspberry, blueberry, and spring flower garden characteristics, stunning purity, full-bodied power, and good underlying acidity as well as harmony. The hard tannins suggest 8-9 years of cellaring will be beneficial; it should last for three decades. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.
VM 94 (4/2021): The 2005 Branaire-Ducru is a gorgeous, super-expressive wine that captures all of the natural radiance of the year. Black cherry, leather, spice, cedar, tobacco and scorched earth envelop the palate, framed by silky tannins that give this supple Saint-Julien so much charm. The 2005 is a very easy wine to drink and enjoy today, but it's got the stuffing to develop beautifully for years to come. Antonio Galloni. |
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2006 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$889.99 |
2 |
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VM 91+ (6/2009): Bright red-ruby. Pure, high-pitched nose offers blueberry, dark chocolate, menthol and cedary oak. Suave, sweet and serious, with lovely inner-mouth lift and energy and sneaky density of texture. Hints of pepper and herbs serve to perk up the wine. Not a particularly chocolatey style for Branaire. Finishes with a lovely light touch and plenty of structure for a leisurely evolution in bottle.
WA 90+ (2/2009): By no means comparable to their sensational 2005 or 2003, but still an Outstanding wine, this singular St.-Julien always possesses notes of spring flowers, boysenberries, black currants, and graphite. The complex aromatics are followed by a medium-bodied, classic Bordeaux displaying a deep ruby/purple color as well as moderately high tannin. It needs 3-5 years of bottle age, and should last for two decades or more. |
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2008 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,085.97 |
1 |
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| VM 91+ (3/2014): (68% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc 3.75 pH; 13% alcohol): Deep red with a pale rim. An intense underbrush quality complicates cassis and coffee aromas on the complex nose. Then fruitier on the palate, with red cherry and musky plum flavors lifted by herb, coffee and earthy nuances. Brisk acidity and youthfully chewy tannins leave an impression of austerity on the long, dry finish. Although this is an Outstanding example of the 2008 vintage's classical style, I liked this a lot more during the Primeurs: currently, it's in a dumb phase. Don't touch a bottle for another five years at least; less opulent than usual, this Branaire-Ducru is built to last. The grapes were harvested between September 30 and October 15. |
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2009 |
St. Julien (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,074.97 |
1 |
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WA 96 (2/2012): Haut couture becomes a wine! This dense purple wine has the tell-tale notes of flowers and pencil shavings, and its broad aromatics are intense and totally captivating. Powerful, rich, and full, but less tannic than the 2005 and more opulent, this is a dazzling Branaire to drink between 2017-2035.
JS 95 (2/2012): Gorgeous aromas of dark berries and wet earth, with hints of graphite. Full body, with juicy, chewy tannins and a long rich, fruity, and succulent finish. Best ever from here. Try in 2019.
VM 93+ (7/2012): Bright, deep ruby. Superripe, brooding aromas of black cherry, bitter chocolate and licorice. Sweet, concentrated and fine-grained, with terrific depth to the plush cassis and coffee liqueur flavors. Serious dusty, fine tannins will not stand in the way of early approachability but this wine has the structure for a 20+-year life in bottle. |
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2012 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$381.98 |
8 |
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JS 91 (2/2015): A clean and fresh wine with blueberry, mineral and floral character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. This is a very refined and beautiful Branaire. Better in 2017.
WA 90 (4/2015): Deep ruby/purple, with sweet cranberry, mulberry and raspberry/blueberry fruit, this is always a distinctive St.-Julien and the 2012 has managed to avoid any of the hollowness or harsh tannins that can afflict some of the Medocs. It is elegant, well-made and an Outstanding effort in this vintage. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.
VM 90 (1/2016): The 2012 Brainaire-Ducru is a soft, forward but very pleasing Saint-Julien that is likely to offer its best drinking sooner rather than later. Sweet tobacco, wild flowers, mint and red-fleshed fruits find support in silky tannins that add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2012 is a bit light, but all the elements are in the right place, which is a great credit to proprietor Patrick Maroteaux and his team. Antonio Galloni. |
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2014 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$381.98 |
12 |
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JS 92-93 (3/2015): This really builds on the palate with round and velvety tannins and a juicy, savory finish. Layered and complex. Shows real potential.
VM 91-94 (4/2015): The 2014 Branaire Ducru is beautifully textured in the glass. Lavender, plum, mint and spice open up nicely in the glass. Initially quite dense and powerful, the 2014 turns more floral and lifted over time. Sweet red cherry, graphite, violet and licorice add further shades of dimension on the finish. Creamy, silky tannins add to an overall impression of sophistication. The style is round, supple and quite giving, even at this early stage. Tasted three times.
WA 90-92 (4/2015): The Château Branaire-Ducru is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc picked between 24 September with the early-ripening Merlot, and finishing on 11 October. The yields came in at 40 hectoliters per hectare and Patrick Maratoux explained the importance of waiting for the correct maturity of each parcel. It has a tightly wound bouquet with black cherries and orange peel aromas, focused if not quite as complex as say, Château Beychevelle. The palate is medium-bodied, sinewy in the mouth with tensile tannins. This is a wine that seems to be making a huge effort in this vintage, but I would like to see more finesse manifested on the finish by the time it is in bottle. You know, I think that will develop. That 12 to 13% vin de presse lends this Branaire Ducru impressive sustain on the finish and I suspect that it will coalesce throughout the barrel ageing in two-thirds new oak (though the sample shown at the château was 100% new oak). |
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2015 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$431.98 |
15 |
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VM 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Branaire Ducru is a gorgeous, totally sexy wine. Rose petal, lavender, mint, sweet red berry and gently spiced notes give the wine much of its gracious, lilting personality. Precise and nuanced to the core, the 2015 Branaire is all class. It's easy to overlook Brainaire in the context of Saint-Julien, where most of the other important wines are much more powerful. Branaire always speaks with a hushed, discreet voice. Readers who appreciate finesse will find much to admire here. The 2015 is a wine of pure and total sensual pleasure. In 2015, the blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. Don't miss it. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JS 93 (2/2018): More open than many 2015 St.-Juliens at this stage in spite of the firm, dry tannin structure behind the bright cassis. The tannins need some integration, but with some patience (from 2021 or 2022), this will become a rather fine wine. |
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2016 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$466.98 |
12 |
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JS 95 (1/2019): The best vintage of this wine since 2009! Effusive, fresh redcurrant and cassis aromas give this St.-Julien terrific drive and energy, the elegant, dry tannins beautifully married to the medium body, right through the long, agile finish. Drink or hold.
JD 92+ (2/2019): The 2016 Château Branaire-Ducru checks in as a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. This medium to full-bodied, downright pretty Saint-Julien has a complex, layered style in its mulberries, blackberries, saddle leather, and forest floor aromatics, with hints of graphite developing with time in the glass. Possessing terrific tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish, I’d certainly be happy to have bottles of this in the cellar. Give it a few years and it promises to shine for 20-25 years. |
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2018 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$693.99 |
4 |
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JS 97 (1/2021): Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made. Try after 2026.
VM 96 (3/2021): The 2018 Branaire-Ducru is every bit as captivating as it was en primeur. Ripe, silky tannins give the 2018 a striking air of sensuality that only grows as the wine sits in the glass. Succulent red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint, spice and gravel inflections all open more over time. Even with all of its natural radiance, Branaire remains a model of grace. It is unquestionably one of the under the radar wines of the year. Antonio Galloni.
JD 94 (3/2021): A beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2018 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a deep purple color as well as ample, earthy cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with sous bois, earth, lead pencil, and cedar. With that classic Saint-Julien pure fruit, sumptuous aromas and flavors, sweet yet present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity, it's going to need 5-7 years to hit maturity yet should keep for 20-25 years or more. I don't think it's going to match the blockbuster 2009 (it's more in the pretty, elegant style of the 2016), but it's a gorgeous, elegant wine you will love to have in the cellar.
WA 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an upfront, expressive nose of baked black plums, boysenberries and Morello cherries with an undercurrent of dried mint, spice box and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a very pleasant fruit wallop, featuring juicy black fruits and a firm, grainy frame, finishing long with lovely purity. |
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2018 |
St. Julien (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$192.99 |
5 |
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JS 97 (1/2021): Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made. Try after 2026.
VM 96 (3/2021): The 2018 Branaire-Ducru is every bit as captivating as it was en primeur. Ripe, silky tannins give the 2018 a striking air of sensuality that only grows as the wine sits in the glass. Succulent red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint, spice and gravel inflections all open more over time. Even with all of its natural radiance, Branaire remains a model of grace. It is unquestionably one of the under the radar wines of the year. Antonio Galloni.
JD 94 (3/2021): A beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2018 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a deep purple color as well as ample, earthy cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with sous bois, earth, lead pencil, and cedar. With that classic Saint-Julien pure fruit, sumptuous aromas and flavors, sweet yet present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity, it's going to need 5-7 years to hit maturity yet should keep for 20-25 years or more. I don't think it's going to match the blockbuster 2009 (it's more in the pretty, elegant style of the 2016), but it's a gorgeous, elegant wine you will love to have in the cellar.
WA 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an upfront, expressive nose of baked black plums, boysenberries and Morello cherries with an undercurrent of dried mint, spice box and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a very pleasant fruit wallop, featuring juicy black fruits and a firm, grainy frame, finishing long with lovely purity. |
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2019 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$345.97 |
1 |
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WA 95 (4/2022): The 2019 Branaire-Ducru unwinds in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, sweet soil tones and hints of cigar wrapper, rose petals and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's youthfully tightly wound, with terrific concentration, tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. While this is a little reserved out of the gates, its energy and classical proportions will richly reward bottle age.
JD 94-96 (6/2020): Beautiful blue fruits, tobacco, damp earth, and floral notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Branaire-Ducru. It's medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, has silky tannins, and shows the quality of the vintage perfectly. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more. It reminds me of the 2009.
VM 94 (2/2022): The 2019 Branaire-Ducru is one that I was eager to re-taste in bottle. Deep in color, it has a very well-defined nose of tightly packed dark berries, the tobacco element less obvious than before, and slightly more floral, with light sous-bois notes developing with aeration. The 60% new oak is neatly integrated. The palate shows real vivacity and tension on the entry and delivers crunchy black fruit, touches of blue fruit and a little iodine. Sappy from start to finish, this has a real saline tang that urges you back for another sip. There is definitely is more substance compared to previous vintages, and I wager that this represents the best Branaire-Ducru in recent years.
JA 93 (12/2021): Hard to resist this finessed and silky Branaire, with finely boned tannins, well balanced black fruits, nuanced tobacco leaf and a crushed mint sign-off. Plenty to enjoy in this wine, there are good tannins. 43hl/h yield. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$650.99 |
1 |
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JD 93+ (3/2023): Showing beautifully, the deeper purple/ruby-hued 2020 Château Branaire-Ducru offers a deep, masculine bouquet of blackcurrants, plums, smoked tobacco, and iron. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, nicely balanced Saint-Julien with plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, integrated tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.
WA 91-93+ (5/2021): The 2020 Branaire-Ducru displays a deep garnet-purple color and pronounced blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves and boysenberries scents, plus hints of sauteed herbs, unsmoked cigars and graphite. The medium-bodied palate has a lot of verve, delivering appealing tension among the tightly wound black fruits and grainy tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.
JS 93-94 (4/2021): A polished, creamy red with blue fruit, such as blackcurrants, and pretty, ripe and fine tannins that fill your mouth. |
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2020 |
St. Julien (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$202.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 93+ (3/2023): Showing beautifully, the deeper purple/ruby-hued 2020 Château Branaire-Ducru offers a deep, masculine bouquet of blackcurrants, plums, smoked tobacco, and iron. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, nicely balanced Saint-Julien with plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, integrated tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.
WA 91-93+ (5/2021): The 2020 Branaire-Ducru displays a deep garnet-purple color and pronounced blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves and boysenberries scents, plus hints of sauteed herbs, unsmoked cigars and graphite. The medium-bodied palate has a lot of verve, delivering appealing tension among the tightly wound black fruits and grainy tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.
JS 93-94 (4/2021): A polished, creamy red with blue fruit, such as blackcurrants, and pretty, ripe and fine tannins that fill your mouth. |
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2021 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$641.99 |
2 |
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2021 |
St. Julien (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$344.99 |
11 |
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2023 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$752.98 |
5 |
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JD 93-95 (4/2024): Located just across from Château Beychevelle, the 2023 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a dense ruby/purple hue as well as absolute classic notes of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, sappy, and cedarwood. It's medium to full-bodied, has a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and ultra-fine tannins. It's one hell of a classy, balanced 2023 that will have 20+ years of prime drinking.
VM 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Branaire Ducru was picked from September 12, on the same day as last year, albeit with a longer harvest, as they finished on October 4. Yields were 53hL/ha, and the blend is almost the same as the 2022. This is the second vintage made in the new winery. My sample came from a new-oak barrel, but the final blend will include 60%. Lucid purple in color, it has a charming, very pure bouquet, perhaps less opulent than some of its Saint-Julien peers, yet precise. Delicate floral scents permeate the predominant red fruit, never bursting from the glass but unfurling with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly edgy tannins that impart tension, veering slightly more to black fruit on the mid-palate. This is certainly one of the most elegant Branaire-Ducru vintages to date, but it has more weight on the finish (something that has been addressed in recent years.) Understated and sapid, it should be open for business a little earlier than others, but it will age well over 20 to 25 years. Antonio Galloni.
WA 93-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Branaire-Ducru has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with classy aromas of dark berries, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, cool and layered palate that's seamless, complete and enveloping, with terrific depth and vibrancy of fruit, refined tannins and a long, suave finish. At 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 3.5% Petit Verdot, it's almost the same blend as the 2022, though at 13.1% alcohol and a pH of 3.63, it's more classically proportioned. Harvest began on September 12 and dragged on through October 4, parcel by parcel, with the vintage's healthy yields meaning the team could use their new winery, equipped with 63 smaller tanks, to keep all those components separate.
JA 94 (4/2024): Bright fruits, slate tannins, peony florals, black tea, tobacco and tons of St Julien finesse. Cabernet dominant in aroamtics and fruit character, a delicious Branaire. 53hl/ha yields. |
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| Baron de Brane |
2015 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$322.98 |
60 |
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2016 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$344.99 |
6 |
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2019 |
Margaux Ex-Negociant |
$32.99 |
35 |
|
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VM 92 (2/2022): The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours. Drink it over the next handful of years. Tasted two times.
JA 89 (10/2026): Inky plum colour, deep and rich damson and raspberry fruits, with touches of peony aromatics. This is good quality, confident stuff. An upscore from En Primeur.
JD 88 (4/2022): The second wine of Brane-Cantenac, the 2019 Baron De Brane is more Merlot-dominated and has a fleshy, medium-bodied, supple style as well as rock-solid aromatics of black cherries, cedar pencil, and chocolaty herbs. It's already drinking nicely yet should keep for a decade. |
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2019 |
Margaux (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$221.98 |
1 |
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VM 92 (2/2022): The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours. Drink it over the next handful of years. Tasted two times.
JA 89 (10/2026): Inky plum colour, deep and rich damson and raspberry fruits, with touches of peony aromatics. This is good quality, confident stuff. An upscore from En Primeur.
JD 88 (4/2022): The second wine of Brane-Cantenac, the 2019 Baron De Brane is more Merlot-dominated and has a fleshy, medium-bodied, supple style as well as rock-solid aromatics of black cherries, cedar pencil, and chocolaty herbs. It's already drinking nicely yet should keep for a decade. |
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2019 |
Margaux (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$486.98 |
6 |
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VM 92 (2/2022): The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours. Drink it over the next handful of years. Tasted two times.
JA 89 (10/2026): Inky plum colour, deep and rich damson and raspberry fruits, with touches of peony aromatics. This is good quality, confident stuff. An upscore from En Primeur.
JD 88 (4/2022): The second wine of Brane-Cantenac, the 2019 Baron De Brane is more Merlot-dominated and has a fleshy, medium-bodied, supple style as well as rock-solid aromatics of black cherries, cedar pencil, and chocolaty herbs. It's already drinking nicely yet should keep for a decade. |
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2020 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$247.99 |
10 |
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2023 |
Margaux ex-Negociant |
$35.99 |
60 |
|
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| JA 92 (4/2024): Baron de Brane once again sets the bar high once again in terms of 2nd wines, with fragrant floral aromatics, nuance and depth from the attack and continuing through the mid palate, firm atannins and concentrated black fruits. 20% new oak. |
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| Ch. Brane-Cantenac |
2004 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,110.98 |
1 |
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WA 90 (6/2007): A beauty from the Margaux appellation, this savory, floral, plum, cherry, and black currant-scented 2004 exhibits wonderful sweetness, medium body, and enough fresh acids to provide definition. An ethereal quality results in a pure, seductive wine that should drink well for 12-15+ years. How good it is to see this famous estate back on track.
VM 89 (6/2007): Red-ruby. Expressive, inviting aromas of plum, redcurrant, smoked meat, mocha, tobacco and cedar. Suave, juicy and bright, with lovely inner-mouth aromatic character to the flavors of redcurrant, minerals and dried flowers. Focused and primary. Lovely subtle claret with a juicy quality and lingering perfume. |
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2005 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,790.97 |
1 |
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WA 94 (4/2008): This is the finest Brane-Cantenac I have tasted in over thirty years. Unusually perfumed and already approachable (atypical for most 2005 Medocs), it reveals a deep plum/purple color as well as a stunningly flamboyant bouquet of smoked herbs, licorice, camphor, black cherries, currants, and notions of plums and blackberries. Elegant with silky tannin and medium body, it is clearly a classic statement on the Margaux appellation. While not a powerhouse, it is beautifully concentrated, stunningly balanced, and surprisingly forward. It could be drunk now after several hours of decanting, but it should age easily for 20+ years.
VM 91+ (6/2008): Good bright red-ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of currant, dark chocolate and sexy oak. Moderately sweet, medium-bodied and vinous, with ripe acidity and a floral element providing mid-palate lift. Still a bit medicinal and unevolved, but this has the serious structure to develop slowly and well in bottle. Finishes long and firm. |
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2008 |
Margaux (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$672.98 |
5 |
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WA 92 (5/2011): This stunning, evolved, dark plum/ruby-hued 2008 reveals aromas of forest floor, sweet black and red currants, licorice and roasted herbs. Classic, elegant and medium to full-bodied, it provides a sexy, complex, intellectual as well as hedonistic turn-on. Drink this delicious Margaux over the next 12-15+ years.
VM 90+ (8/2011): Full red. Aromatic nose of raspberry, plum, currant, licorice and menthol lifted by a floral element. Vibrant and light on its feet, with strong but harmonious acidity giving energy and lift to the flavors of currant, fresh herbs and flowers. Dry, classic claret with a note of fresh herbs on the subtly long aftertaste. I'd cellar this for three or four years. |
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2012 |
Margaux ex-Negociant |
$99.89 |
12 |
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JA 93 (5/2025): Confident ruby colour, with slow releasing aromatics on the opening, this is impressive, one of the best 2012s in the appellation. Blackberry and damson fruits, clear graphite and crayon flavour and slate textured tannins. Great stuff, you can drink this now and be very happy, but there are decades ahead. Harvest September 27 to October 16, 70% new French oak for ageing, 3.69ph, 45.5hl/h yield, Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.
VM 92 (9/2025): The 2012 Brane-Cantenac was a relatively late-ripening vintage for which harvest finished on October 16. This is far better than the 2011 with more fruit and vigour. Finely delineated blackberry, wild hedgerow and graphite scents continue to lend it a Pauillac-like allure. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and vivid black fruit laced with white pepper, leather and tobacco. Very harmonious and quite elegant in style, this has a very endearing poise on the finish. The 2012 is just entering its drinking window now and should give another 20 years' drinking pleasure. Impressive for the vintage. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. (Drink between 2025-2045). Neal Martin. |
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2014 |
Margaux (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$415.98 |
2 |
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| |
| WA 92 (3/2017): The 2014 Brane-Cantenac has a very classy bouquet, very well defined with blackberry, cedar and tobacco scents, that trademark graphite scent emerging with a few swirls of the glass. It is exactly what you expect from this Margaux estate. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, well-judged acidity, graphite and cedar towards the linear finish that will clearly need several years to unfold. Classic Margaux really, but wise owls will cellar it away for several years. |
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2014 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$508.98 |
60 |
|
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| WA 92 (3/2017): The 2014 Brane-Cantenac has a very classy bouquet, very well defined with blackberry, cedar and tobacco scents, that trademark graphite scent emerging with a few swirls of the glass. It is exactly what you expect from this Margaux estate. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, well-judged acidity, graphite and cedar towards the linear finish that will clearly need several years to unfold. Classic Margaux really, but wise owls will cellar it away for several years. |
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2015 |
Margaux (24x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,899.97 |
1 |
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VM 96 (2/2018): The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years to become approachable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age. Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (11/2017): Right from the attack this has beautiful intensity and focus, with tannins covered by a layer of silk. A dash of violet and white pepper comes in from the Carmenère and Cabernet Franc two-step (from now on you can expect this partnership to appear more regularly). This is frankly delicious, the generous berry fruits reverberating with some wonderful notes of coffee bean and charcoal smoke, outlined by a mouthwatering minerality. A step up in poise and texture from the 2014. 39% of production.
JD 94 (11/2017): The 2015 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a mix of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Carmenere brought up in roughly 75% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied beauty excels on all accounts and gives up gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil, spice and hints of toasted bread. Polished, impeccably balanced, concentrated, and with ripe tannin, it’s a rock star in 2015 that can be drunk young or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo!
WA 94 (2/2018): The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carménère. As usual, this Margaux takes a little time to open up in the glass, eventually revealing scents of blackberry, cedar, mint and a light sprinkling of pencil shavings. That minty element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine line of acidity. I adore the harmony and texture of this Brane-Cantenac: very svelte and silky on the surface but underneath there is backbone and very fine focus. The finish has a touch of chalkiness, quite saline in the mouth with a long, persistent finish. What an outstanding Margaux this is going to be although like many great vintages it will require several years in bottle. |
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2016 |
Margaux (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$569.98 |
1 |
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JA 99 (9/2025): Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed and so delicious, waves of subtle cumin, cocoa and liquorice spice, cassis, cedar, mint leaf, smoked tea, oyster shell, slate tannins. Can easily hold for another few decades, but honestly it is tasting so good right now, you might want to at least open one bottle so you can begin to follow its progress. Harvest September 22 to October 17, 52.5hl/h yield, 70% new oak barrels. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.
VM 95 (9/2025): The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has a wonderful bouquet. Pure blackberry, cedar and graphite scents blossom in the glass with exquisite delineation and harmony. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins and a sense of symmetry that the estate had not seen before. Very focused and mineral-driven towards the finish, this was quite simply the best Brane-Cantenac that Henri Lurton had overseen to date. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. (Drink between 2026-2050). Neal Martin.
JD 95 (11/2019): I missed this wine in my recent 2016 Bordeaux report, but I was able to purchase a bottle locally. A tremendous Margaux, the 2016 offers the quintessential elegance of the appellation as well as plenty of density, concentration, and ripe tannins. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedarwood, and flowery incense all emerge from the glass, and it builds nicely with air, offering medium to full body, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is classic Margaux as well as a classic 2016. It’s already approachable, and I doubt it will close down, yet it’s going to develop additional nuances with another 4-6 years of bottle age and have 25-30 years of prime drinking. |
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2016 |
Margaux (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,157.98 |
1 |
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JA 99 (9/2025): Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed and so delicious, waves of subtle cumin, cocoa and liquorice spice, cassis, cedar, mint leaf, smoked tea, oyster shell, slate tannins. Can easily hold for another few decades, but honestly it is tasting so good right now, you might want to at least open one bottle so you can begin to follow its progress. Harvest September 22 to October 17, 52.5hl/h yield, 70% new oak barrels. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.
VM 95 (9/2025): The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has a wonderful bouquet. Pure blackberry, cedar and graphite scents blossom in the glass with exquisite delineation and harmony. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins and a sense of symmetry that the estate had not seen before. Very focused and mineral-driven towards the finish, this was quite simply the best Brane-Cantenac that Henri Lurton had overseen to date. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. (Drink between 2026-2050). Neal Martin.
JD 95 (11/2019): I missed this wine in my recent 2016 Bordeaux report, but I was able to purchase a bottle locally. A tremendous Margaux, the 2016 offers the quintessential elegance of the appellation as well as plenty of density, concentration, and ripe tannins. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedarwood, and flowery incense all emerge from the glass, and it builds nicely with air, offering medium to full body, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is classic Margaux as well as a classic 2016. It’s already approachable, and I doubt it will close down, yet it’s going to develop additional nuances with another 4-6 years of bottle age and have 25-30 years of prime drinking. |
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2017 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$808.99 |
1 |
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| JS 94 (12/2019): A tight, focused center palate to this red with blackberries, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and smoke. Medium to full body, polished tannins and a juicy, lightly chewy mouthfeel. A blend of 74% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Try after 2022. |
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2020 |
Margaux (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$316.99 |
1 |
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JD 97 (3/2023): This estate has been on a roll, and their 2020 Château Brane-Cantenac is another brilliant wine that readers will love. Largely in the mold of the 2019, it has a deep purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, freshly sharpened pencils, tobacco, and flowers. This medium to full-bodied, richly textured, concentrated, yet remarkably elegant 2020 has the vintage's fresher, focused, elegant profile but still brings plenty of flesh and opulence. Beautifully done, it’s going to evolve for a solid 30 years in cold cellars and offer incredible pleasure all its life.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Brane-Cantenac screams with Cabernet Sauvignon character, concentrated by the natural richness of the year. Super-ripe dark blue/black fruit, blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, sage and menthol meld together, giving the Brane-Cantenac an exotic quality that is impossible to miss. The oak imprint remains quite present, but at the same time, it is well balanced. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of floral and savory notes that add character and a feeling of updated classicism. Yields were 31 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the more typical 40 or so. Antonio Galloni. |
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2021 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$410.99 |
2 |
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JD 93 (2/2024): I loved the nose on the 2021 Château Brane-Cantenac, which has good intensity as well as the vintage's fresher, vibrant, focused style. Ripe red and blue fruits, violets, tobacco, and a beautiful sense of graphite and minerality all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a supple, elegant, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. The overall balance here is spot on, and while this is approachable and delicious even today, it should shine for two decades. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and Petit Verdot, with the élevage spanning 18 months in new barrels. (Drink between 2024-2044).
WA 93 (2/2024): The 2021 Brane-Cantenac offers up aromas of sweet dark berries mingled with mint, vanilla pod and spices. It shows its élevage and malolactic fermentation in new oak more prominently than it did en primeur. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and concentration, it's bright and velvety, with plenty of structuring barrel tannin and a vanillin-inflected finish. The quality of Brane's terroirs and a strict selection shows through, so if it can digest its oak more completely, this will prove exceptional.
VM 92 (9/2025): The 2021 Brane-Cantenac clearly has less fruit than the 2019 and 2020, though it retains delineation and focus as blackberry meets graphite and pencil shavings. It simmers with anticipation, but will never deliver aromatics like the previous two vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine delineation, not as complex or as pixelated as the best vintages, but there is plenty of fruit on the finish and a surprisingly sweet aftertaste. Give this four to five years in bottle. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. (Drink between 2029-2049). Neal Martin. |
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| Ch. Branon |
2010 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$559.99 |
1 |
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| WA 97 (2/2013): Once again in 2010, notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis and scorched earth soar from this opaque purple-colored wine. It is aged in 100% new oak, but that is hardly noticeable given the wine’s sensational richness and extravagant fruit. This wine is classic, full-bodied and intense. It’s just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles are usually made. This wine is still backward, but very full, rich, and impressively pure in texture. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20+ years. |
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| Ch. La Cabanne |
2013 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$251.99 |
30 |
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2016 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$342.99 |
12 |
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JS 94-95 (4/2017): A juicy and fruity red that shows reserve and structure. Full body, polished and chewy tannins and a long finish. Big wine for the vintage. Serious... again!
WA 91-93 (4/2017): The 2016 La Cabanne is a blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc picked from the end of September. François Estager told me that like last year, he did not add any sulphites until after the malolactic fermentation. It has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, a touch of cassis, a lovely marine influence and crushed violets. It opens beautifully in the glass. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp, tensile tannin and very well-judged acidity. This Pomerol displays great energy and poise, fanning out on the second half that demonstrates superb mineralite. This is an unmissable follow-up to the 2015 La Cabanne. Tasted twice with consistent notes. |
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2019 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$344.99 |
10 |
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| Ch. Calon |
1955 |
Montagne St. Emillion ex-Chateau |
$129 |
3 |
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| Ch. Calon-Segur |
1990 |
St. Estephe Heavily Scuffed Label; Slightly Depressed Cork; Signs of Old Seepage |
$179 |
1 |
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| WA 87 (6/2009): An amber/orange edge to the color suggests full maturity, and the aromas and flavors confirm it. The medium-bodied 1990 Calon Segur exhibits sweet cedar, currant, herb, plum, and kirsch notes along with a dusty earthiness. It lacks the concentration of the finest vintages from the mid-nineties as well as every top vintage from 2000 onward. No doubt high yields and a lack of a strict selection have resulted in a wine that has consistently been on a fast evolutionary track. There is a sensuality and sexiness to it because of its full maturity. Very pleasant at present, it needs to be drunk up over the next 4-5 years. |
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2003 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,798.97 |
1 |
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| WA 94 (4/2006): Bottled in July, 2005, the saturated ruby/purple-colored 2003 exhibits a tightly-knit, but promising nose of mulberries, blackberries, cherries, and hints of new oak and truffles. This 60% Cabernet Sauvignon / 40% Merlot blend possesses a gorgeous texture as well as an expansive, exotic softness, and 13% alcohol (according to the proprietor, Madame Denise Gasqueton). Generous and rich, this high class, full-bodied wine will undoubtedly be more approachable than its closest spiritual sibling, the 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030. |
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2005 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,144.97 |
2 |
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JS 94 (11/2015): Tight 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.
WA 93 (6/2015): The 2005 is a beautiful Calon Segur, with sweet mocha, black cherry, leathery fruit, medium to full body, attractive purity, a gorgeous texture, and serious nobility, gravitas and density. Drink it over the next 20-30 years, yet it is surprisingly accessible.
VM 92+ (6/2008): Deep, 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. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2012 |
St. Estephe (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$797.97 |
1 |
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2017 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,410.97 |
1 |
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JS 94-95 (4/2018): This is very delicate on the attack but it grows on the palate with firm and silky tannins that turn lightly chewy. Builds consistently. Compacted and tight.
WA 92-94 (4/2018): The 2017 Calon-Segur is tentatively blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with pronounced black currants, crushed blackberries and fresh black plums with hints of cigar box, sandalwood and cinnamon stick plus a waft of mossy bark. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, energetic and fresh with layers of black fruit, perfumed incense and fragrant earth notions, lingering nicely with exotic spices coming through on the finish.
VM 92-94 (5/2018): The 2017 Calon-Segur was cropped at 43.5hl/ha and underwent a 20-day cuvaison after which it is matured entirely in new oak for 20 months. It contains 13.2° alcohol. At the moment the aromatics convey the 100% new oak but there is sufficient fruit underneath. There is a palpable sense of “coolness” imbuing the aromatics and like other Saint-Estèphe barrel samples, it conveys a subtle estuary-like tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, beautifully integrated new oak that lends this a silky texture. Perhaps this is the smoothest of all the 2017s I encountered within this appellation, a classy and sophisticated Calon-Segur in the making and heightened by the thrilling tension towards the finish and the latent energy that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. Neal Martin.
JD 92-94 (4/2018): The 2017 Calon Segur is a smoking effort and lends credence to the idea that the northern Medoc (Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe) was the place to be in 2017. Deep purple-colored, it’s packed with notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries, crushed rocks, and Asian spice characteristics that all flow to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated, sexy 2017 that has more fruit, depth, and richness than most. The 2017 is a rough blend at the moment of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, which will spend 20 months in new French oak. |
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2017 |
St. Estephe (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$350.99 |
5 |
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JS 94-95 (4/2018): This is very delicate on the attack but it grows on the palate with firm and silky tannins that turn lightly chewy. Builds consistently. Compacted and tight.
WA 92-94 (4/2018): The 2017 Calon-Segur is tentatively blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with pronounced black currants, crushed blackberries and fresh black plums with hints of cigar box, sandalwood and cinnamon stick plus a waft of mossy bark. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, energetic and fresh with layers of black fruit, perfumed incense and fragrant earth notions, lingering nicely with exotic spices coming through on the finish.
VM 92-94 (5/2018): The 2017 Calon-Segur was cropped at 43.5hl/ha and underwent a 20-day cuvaison after which it is matured entirely in new oak for 20 months. It contains 13.2° alcohol. At the moment the aromatics convey the 100% new oak but there is sufficient fruit underneath. There is a palpable sense of “coolness” imbuing the aromatics and like other Saint-Estèphe barrel samples, it conveys a subtle estuary-like tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin, beautifully integrated new oak that lends this a silky texture. Perhaps this is the smoothest of all the 2017s I encountered within this appellation, a classy and sophisticated Calon-Segur in the making and heightened by the thrilling tension towards the finish and the latent energy that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. Neal Martin.
JD 92-94 (4/2018): The 2017 Calon Segur is a smoking effort and lends credence to the idea that the northern Medoc (Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe) was the place to be in 2017. Deep purple-colored, it’s packed with notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries, crushed rocks, and Asian spice characteristics that all flow to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated, sexy 2017 that has more fruit, depth, and richness than most. The 2017 is a rough blend at the moment of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, which will spend 20 months in new French oak. |
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2018 |
St. Estephe (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,474.97 |
1 |
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WA 96-98 (4/2019): The 2018 Calon-Segur is blended of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (14.9% alcohol). It is anticipated to age for 20 months in barriques, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs just a little coaxing before it reveals seductive notes of baked cherries, warm cassis, licorice and smoked meats with nuances of hoisin, camphor, Chinese five spice and dried roses with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied and completely packed with concentrated black fruit and spice layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and a wicked backbone of freshness giving an energetic lift to the very long finish. There's lots of brightness coming from the Cabernet Franc component in here, but it is nonetheless a decadent expression.
VM 96-99 (5/2019): A stratospheric, regal wine, Calon Segur embodies all the best qualities of the vintage. Rich to the point of being exotically ripe, 2018 reminds me of the 2014 in its composition, but with more of everything. On the palate, the 2018 is towering and statuesque, with soaring structure and tremendous overall intensity. Striking aromatic top notes and bright saline underpinnings give the 2018 its energy, tension and nuance. As in 2014, the entirety of the château's Cabernet Franc went into the Grand Vin. Inky, powerful and explosive, Calon Segur is a headspinning wine. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-100 (5/2019): In the running for the wine of the vintage in Saint-Estèphe (if not the whole Medoc), the 2018 Château Calon Segur is a tentative blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that will spend 20 months in new French oak. In comparison to the more backward Montrose and more classically styled Cos d’Estournel, this beauty is as sexy and opulent as Saint-Estèphe gets, revealing a saturated purple color, awesome notes of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, spicy oak, and cedar pencil, full body, remarkable purity, and sweet, mouth-coating tannins. Checking in at 14.9% natural alcohol, it’s a big wine, no doubt, yet is perfectly ripe (not overripe or underripe), has terrific purity of fruit and a seamless texture, all making for a singular, thrilling 2018.
JS 97-98 (4/2019): The quality of the tannins is most notable here; they are present, but totally integrated and folded into the wine. Medium-to full-bodied with lovely savory fruit and a persistent and long finish. Very harmonious and fine. Yet, with air, it takes off with tannin power. |
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2018 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$733.99 |
4 |
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| |
WA 96-98 (4/2019): The 2018 Calon-Segur is blended of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot (14.9% alcohol). It is anticipated to age for 20 months in barriques, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs just a little coaxing before it reveals seductive notes of baked cherries, warm cassis, licorice and smoked meats with nuances of hoisin, camphor, Chinese five spice and dried roses with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied and completely packed with concentrated black fruit and spice layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and a wicked backbone of freshness giving an energetic lift to the very long finish. There's lots of brightness coming from the Cabernet Franc component in here, but it is nonetheless a decadent expression.
VM 96-99 (5/2019): A stratospheric, regal wine, Calon Segur embodies all the best qualities of the vintage. Rich to the point of being exotically ripe, 2018 reminds me of the 2014 in its composition, but with more of everything. On the palate, the 2018 is towering and statuesque, with soaring structure and tremendous overall intensity. Striking aromatic top notes and bright saline underpinnings give the 2018 its energy, tension and nuance. As in 2014, the entirety of the château's Cabernet Franc went into the Grand Vin. Inky, powerful and explosive, Calon Segur is a headspinning wine. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-100 (5/2019): In the running for the wine of the vintage in Saint-Estèphe (if not the whole Medoc), the 2018 Château Calon Segur is a tentative blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that will spend 20 months in new French oak. In comparison to the more backward Montrose and more classically styled Cos d’Estournel, this beauty is as sexy and opulent as Saint-Estèphe gets, revealing a saturated purple color, awesome notes of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, spicy oak, and cedar pencil, full body, remarkable purity, and sweet, mouth-coating tannins. Checking in at 14.9% natural alcohol, it’s a big wine, no doubt, yet is perfectly ripe (not overripe or underripe), has terrific purity of fruit and a seamless texture, all making for a singular, thrilling 2018.
JS 97-98 (4/2019): The quality of the tannins is most notable here; they are present, but totally integrated and folded into the wine. Medium-to full-bodied with lovely savory fruit and a persistent and long finish. Very harmonious and fine. Yet, with air, it takes off with tannin power. |
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2019 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$726.99 |
1 |
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| |
WA 95-97+ (6/2020): Displaying a very deep purple-black color, the 2019 Calon-Segur strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, pencil shavings and clove oil plus nuances of lilacs, cinnamon stick, chocolate box and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with tightly wound, muscular black fruits and loads of bright floral accents, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and graceful.
VM 96-98 (6/2020): A total knock-out, the 2019 Calon Segur is shaping up to be truly epic. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2019 soars out of the glass with stunning intensity. Graphite, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, new leather, spice and chocolate infuse the 2019 with stunning intensity. The 2019 is looking to be a wine for the ages. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98 (6/2020): Another tremendous wine from this estate, the 2019 Château Calon Segur comes from 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and a tiny splash of Petit Verdot. Brought up all in new French oak, its ruby/purple color is followed by a ripe, sexy Saint-Estèphe loaded with notions of crème de cassis, black cherries, roasted herbs, lavender, and tobacco leaf. It shows more classic lead pencil and damp earth notes with time in the glass, and it's full-bodied, has a rocking opulence and decadence in its mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and a beautiful finish. This is as sexy and seductive as Saint-Estèphe gets, yet it still has class, with flawless balance, sound structure, and just everything in the right place. It's rare for a young wine to pack so much richness while at the same time staying weightless. Bravo to the team at Calon Segur yet again.
JS 95-96 (6/2020): A racy, refined red with a solid core of ripe fruit and a long, linear finish. Medium-to full-bodied and subtle, yet structured. Turns salty and spicy with some cloves. Builds on the finish. |
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2021 |
St. Estephe
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$147.99 |
1 |
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2022 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$835.99 |
24 |
|
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JD 97-99 (5/2023): A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Neal Martin.
WA 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."
JA 94 (5/2023): This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. |
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|
2022 |
St. Estephe (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$436.99 |
1 |
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| |
JD 97-99 (5/2023): A wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required. Neal Martin.
WA 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."
JA 94 (5/2023): This is powerful, underlining how much last year's more softly sculpted wine was a departure from recent vintages of Calon, and back in my mind to the complicated 2018 vintage, where it was overly marked by the heat of the vintage. This is full on concentrated fruit, with strong tannins that build through the palate. Plenty of complexity with black truffles, cassis, olive paste, sandalwood and fresh mint on the finish, along with cloves and cinnammon spice. 3.8ph, 100% new oak, 26hl/h yields. 53% Grand Vin, higher than usual. Vincent Millet technical director. Harvest September 6 to 27. |
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| Le Marquis de Calon-Segur |
2016 |
St. Estephe (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$300.98 |
7 |
|
| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Dark berry, tar and stone character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Balance and intensity. Very pretty density. Pretty fruit. Second wine of Calon. |
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2016 |
St. Estephe (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$544.98 |
3 |
|
| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Dark berry, tar and stone character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Balance and intensity. Very pretty density. Pretty fruit. Second wine of Calon. |
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|
2016 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$328.98 |
60 |
|
| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Dark berry, tar and stone character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Balance and intensity. Very pretty density. Pretty fruit. Second wine of Calon. |
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|
2016 |
St. Estephe (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$633.98 |
1 |
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| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Dark berry, tar and stone character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Balance and intensity. Very pretty density. Pretty fruit. Second wine of Calon. |
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2018 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$286.97 |
1 |
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| |
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2019 |
St. Estephe (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$443.98 |
1 |
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| |
WA 90-92 (6/2020): Deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Le Marquis de Calon-Segur wafts out of the glass with fragrant potpourri, garrigue and Darjeeling tea scents over a core of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves and blackcurrant pastilles plus a touch of cracked black pepper. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins with loads of freshness supporting the crunchy black fruits, finishing long and savory.
VM 92-94 (6/2020): The 2019 Le Marquis de Calon Segur is a stunning wine. Dark cherry, blackberry jam, plum, gravel, menthol, licorice, inky spice and new leather meld together in a Saint-Estèphe that is rich, unctuous and potent to the core. In the glass, the 2019 is virile and expansive, with tremendous depth, persistence and aromatic breadth. Not a timid wine, the 2019 packs plenty of punch and 15.1% alcohol that is remarkably well-integrated. Antonio Galloni.
JS 92-93 (6/2020): A solid red with a deep, dense center palate and a balance of berry, spice and chocolate character. It’s full and linear at the finish. Better than the 2018. |
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| Dom. de Cambes |
2013 |
Bordeaux Superieur (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$412.97 |
4 |
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| |
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2016 |
Bordeaux Superieur (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$481.97 |
3 |
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2017 |
Bordeaux Superieur (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$389.97 |
4 |
|
| |
|
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2018 |
Bordeaux Superieur (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$722.97 |
1 |
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| |
|
| Roc des Cambes |
2011 |
Cotes de Bourg (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$483.98 |
1 |
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| |
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2014 |
Cotes de Bourg (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$474.98 |
10 |
|
| |
| VM 89-92 (4/2015): The 2014 Roc de Cambes is all perfume and silk in the glass. Understated and lifted in style, the 2014 is beautifully layered, with plenty of sweet red cherry, rose petal, mint and spice. All the elements are nuanced and delineated in an open-knit wine that should offer a wide window of fine drinking. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Antonio Galloni. |
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|
2016 |
Cotes de Bourg (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,206.97 |
2 |
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| |
| VM 91-94 (4/2017): A wine of precision and understated intensity, the 2016 Roc des Cambes is nevertheless quite powerful and virile, both of which become increasingly evident as it sits in the glass. Ripe red cherry, smoke, tobacco, licorice and incense run through this deeply expressive, savory Merlot-based blend from vineyards in the Mitjaville family's Côtes de Bourg estate. I imagine the 2016 will drink well for a number of years, but it will also need some cellaring to be at its best. Antonio Galloni. |
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|
2018 |
Cotes de Bourg (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$466.98 |
6 |
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| |
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|
2020 |
Cotes de Bourg (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$909.98 |
7 |
|
| |
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| Ch. Cambon La Pelouse |
2015 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$393.99 |
11 |
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| |
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2015 |
Haut Medoc (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$382.99 |
6 |
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| Ch. Canon |
2000 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,329.97 |
1 |
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| |
VM 90 (3/2003): Moderately saturated red-ruby. Cassis, black raspberry and tarry new oak on the nose. Bright, fresh and firm in the mouth, with dark fruit flavors supported by a solid spine of acids and tannins.
WA 89 (4/2003): A stylish, elegant and restrained 2000, this medium-bodied wine reveals notes of strawberry jam intermixed with black cherries, minerals, oak, and herbs. The tannin is sweet and the mid-palate firm, even beefy. This is an attractive, medium-bodied effort with impressive ripeness, length, and balance, yet it is not a blockbuster. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. |
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|
2001 |
St. Emilion (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,439.98 |
2 |
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| |
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2004 |
St. Emilion (5.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,145.97 |
1 |
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| |
JS 92 (7/2013): A beautiful red just opening now, with pretty currants, smoke and spice aromas that follow through to a solid core of ripe tannins, focused fruit and a silky, textured finish. Drink now or hold.
WA 88 (6/2007): Earthy, mineral-like nuances intermixed with cranberry and cherry notes are present in this medium-bodied, superficial, but complex, charming St.-Emilion. While lacking power and richness, it offers complex aromatics and flavors in a mid-weight, delicate format. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
VM 87 (6/2007): Red-ruby. Fresh, subtle aromas of dark berries, licorice, violet and minerals. Suave, fine-grained and rather gentle, with an absence of rough edges. An easygoing, attractive wine that finishes with granular tannins that build with air. |
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|
2006 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,468.99 |
4 |
|
| |
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2007 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$143.99 |
4 |
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| |
|
|
2009 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,356.98 |
1 |
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| |
JS 96 (2/2012): Aromas of nuts, spices, chocolate powder, then changes to fruits and flowers. Fascinating. Full body, with silky tannins and a wonderful intensity and super polished tannins with a long, long finish. Super refined. Best Canon in years. Try in 2016.
WA 94 (2/2012): The finest Canon since the 1982, the 2009 (75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense blue/purple color along with a classic nose of chalk dust, blueberries, black raspberries, black currants and a touch of wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and loaded with an inner framework of minerality and moderately high tannins, this backward, but stylish, concentrated Canon will benefit from 7-8 years of cellaring and last for three decades.
VM 92 (7/2012): Ruby-red. Superripe, slightly roasted aromas of cherry, graphite, spices and herbs. Then thick, sweet and very ripe on the palate but a bit youthfully restrained. This full-bodied Canon could use a bit more lift but maintains very good focus. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and excellent length. |
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|
2013 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$481.99 |
2 |
|
| |
| JS 91-92 (4/2014): A delicate, refined young red with a seductive, fresh character. Medium to full body with lovely subtle tangerine peel and a very fine, silky texture. Bright acidity. Elegant. |
|
|
2014 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,060.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95 (3/2018): The 2014 Canon has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, briary and light tobacco scents, gradually gaining more precision with aeration yet remaining classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, harmonious and poised with a structured yet precise finish that is pure class. Perhaps you might argue that it lacks some charm at this early stage but at the same time, I am fascinated to see how it will age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Neal Martin.
WA 94 (3/2017): The 2014 Canon has a very well-defined, precise bouquet with ebullient raspberry and wild strawberry scents infused with minerals. The aromatics here are utterly captivating. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and very well-judged acidity. There is tension and poise to this Saint Emilion, gently fanning out with a delicate spicy finish that lingers long in the mouth. Though surely destined to be over-shadowed by the extraordinary 2015, this Canon deserves a berth in your cellar.
JS 96 (2/2017): Intense aromas of minerals, chalk, bright cherries and stones. Full-bodied, tight and silky; very linear. Like a straight shot. Give it three to four years to soften. Vibrant is the word. |
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|
2015 |
St. Emilion (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,121.98 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (2/2018): From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine's vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual - well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn't matter. Don't miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon. Antonio Galloni.
JS 100 (12/2018): Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. Best from 2022.
JD 98+ (11/2017): One of the wines of the vintage is the 2015 Château Canon which is 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a perfect example of the old saying “iron fist in a velvet glove” and boasts gorgeous notes of black cherries, framboise, spring flowers and exotic spices. All these lead to a full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless 2015 that marries incredible richness and depth with a sense of purity, elegance, and weightlessness that needs to be tasted to believed. This multi-dimensional, seamless 2015 needs forgotten for 4-5 years and will keep for three decades or more. Bravo! |
|
|
2015 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,490.97 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 100 (2/2018): From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine's vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual - well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn't matter. Don't miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon. Antonio Galloni.
JS 100 (12/2018): Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. Best from 2022.
JD 98+ (11/2017): One of the wines of the vintage is the 2015 Château Canon which is 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a perfect example of the old saying “iron fist in a velvet glove” and boasts gorgeous notes of black cherries, framboise, spring flowers and exotic spices. All these lead to a full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless 2015 that marries incredible richness and depth with a sense of purity, elegance, and weightlessness that needs to be tasted to believed. This multi-dimensional, seamless 2015 needs forgotten for 4-5 years and will keep for three decades or more. Bravo! |
|
|
2016 |
St. Emilion (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$787.98 |
9 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (11/2018): Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!
VM 97 (1/2019): The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks. Neal Martin.
JS 97 (1/2019): Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024. |
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|
2016 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,639.98 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (11/2018): Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!
VM 97 (1/2019): The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks. Neal Martin.
JS 97 (1/2019): Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024. |
|
|
2016 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,641.97 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (11/2018): Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!
VM 97 (1/2019): The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks. Neal Martin.
JS 97 (1/2019): Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024. |
|
|
2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$830.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98+ (11/2018): Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!
VM 97 (1/2019): The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks. Neal Martin.
JS 97 (1/2019): Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024. |
|
|
2017 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,010.98 |
1 |
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JD 97 (2/2020): Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol (the pH is 3.66), it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert as well as the team of Thomas Duclos for one of the wines of the vintage!
WA 96+ (3/2020): Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Canon bursts from the glass with expressive notions of baked black cherries, kirsch, plum preserves and black raspberries plus hints of red roses, Ceylon tea, black olives and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant and refined, with a soft, finely grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and it was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
JS 95 (12/2019): Extremely perfumed with blackcurrants, flowers, gunmetal, gunpowder and blackberries. Full-bodied, tight and reserved. The tannins are so tightly knit and just run through the center. Needs at least three or four years to open. A blend of 77% merlot and 23% cabernet franc. Better after 2023. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$533.99 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 97 (2/2020): Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol (the pH is 3.66), it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert as well as the team of Thomas Duclos for one of the wines of the vintage!
WA 96+ (3/2020): Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Canon bursts from the glass with expressive notions of baked black cherries, kirsch, plum preserves and black raspberries plus hints of red roses, Ceylon tea, black olives and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant and refined, with a soft, finely grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and it was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
JS 95 (12/2019): Extremely perfumed with blackcurrants, flowers, gunmetal, gunpowder and blackberries. Full-bodied, tight and reserved. The tannins are so tightly knit and just run through the center. Needs at least three or four years to open. A blend of 77% merlot and 23% cabernet franc. Better after 2023. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$688.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 97 (2/2020): Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol (the pH is 3.66), it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert as well as the team of Thomas Duclos for one of the wines of the vintage!
WA 96+ (3/2020): Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Canon bursts from the glass with expressive notions of baked black cherries, kirsch, plum preserves and black raspberries plus hints of red roses, Ceylon tea, black olives and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant and refined, with a soft, finely grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and it was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
JS 95 (12/2019): Extremely perfumed with blackcurrants, flowers, gunmetal, gunpowder and blackberries. Full-bodied, tight and reserved. The tannins are so tightly knit and just run through the center. Needs at least three or four years to open. A blend of 77% merlot and 23% cabernet franc. Better after 2023. |
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2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$629.97 |
5 |
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| |
JD 98 (3/2021): The Grand Vin is the 2018 Château Canon, which is based on 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc brought up in 52% new French oak. Its incredible bouquet delivers richness paired with amazing freshness and precision, offering loads of crème de cassis and darker berry fruits intermixed with classic Saint-Emilion chalky minerality, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers. Gorgeous on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again, this wonderful sense of freshness paired with ample richness, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. The 2009 and 2015 are still my favorite vintages of this wine, but this is up there with the best of them.
VM 98 (3/2021): The 2018 Canon is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Maybe more so. Vertical and explosive in the glass, Canon sizzles with tension and vibrancy. Readers will find a majestic, soaring Grand Cru Classé that captures all the magic of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau. Canon exudes mind-blowing precision and deliciousness. It is another magnificent effort from Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and his team. Antonio Galloni.
JA 98 (11/2020): A beautiful Canon that performs the 360-degree trick in your mouth of expanding up, down and out. Of course a little austere right now at this young age, but already walking the tightrope towards richness; the creaminess in the texture becomes clear after 20 minutes in the glass. This has salinity, purity, precision and grip, showing its distinct personality and its ability to draw juice and mouthwatering expression from the fruits.
WA 97+ (3/2021): A blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Canon has a pH of 3.69 and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles effortlessly out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of candied violets, preserved plums, black cherry compote and Ceylon tea with hints of kirsch, powdered cinnamon, chocolate box and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with juicy black fruit layers, supported by plush, oh-so-soft tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and fragrant. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$805.97 |
1 |
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| |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$895.99 |
2 |
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| |
WA 98-100 (5/2021): The 2020 Canon is a blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% new. It weighs in with 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.53. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with vivacious notes of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of powdered cinnamon, clove oil, star anise and dusty red soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in grace, delivering exquisitely ripe, finely pixilated tannins and bold freshness to support the tight-knit black, red and blue fruit layers, finishing long with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks. An exhilarating triumph!
VM 96-98 (5/2021): The 2020 Canon nailed it this year, the best since the benchmark 2015/2016 vintages. It has one of those bouquets that stops the clock thanks to its breathtaking delineation and focus, fragrant black cherries, bilberry, shucked oyster shell and crushed rock aromas. It is cool, calm and collected. The palate possesses exquisite definition, armed with simply crystalline red fruit matched with a perfect silver bead of acidity. There is tangible tension from the start and it fans out gloriously toward the pixelated finish. This brilliant Canon should offer 20–30 years of drinking pleasure, probably more. Chapeau! NEal Martin.
JD 96-98 (5/2021): The 2020 Château Canon is another brilliant wine in a long line of brilliant wines from this incredible team and consistent estate. Coming from the upper plateau (unquestionably one of the finest terroirs on the upper plateau) and 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, it offers a perfumed, ethereal nose of red and blue fruits, violets, white flowers, and unsmoked tobacco. With riveting purity, full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and a great, great finish, it’s going to push the upper limits of my scale. The tannins here are incredible as well, and this beauty should drink well for 20-30 years. Hats off to technical director Nicolas Audebert and his team for another insanely good wine.
JS 98-99 (4/2021): Wow. This is really exceptional with super density of fruit that remains clear and agile. Blackberries, currants, violets and spice, as well as some chalk and salt. It really goes on for minutes. Best of the trilogy? |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,013.99 |
2 |
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JD 97-99+ (5/2023): Tasted on three separate occasions (and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine on one of those), the 2022 Château Canon is an incredible wine in the making, and it might be the finest in the series starting in 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc harvested between August 30 and September 22, it comes from yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare and hit 14.5% alcohol. The élevage will run 16-18 months in just 30% new French oak. As classy as they come, it has a beautiful perfume of red and blue fruits as well as notes of white flowers, truffly earth, woodsmoke, and forest floor. With incredible density, a multi-layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and integrated acidity, this incredible Canon will evolve for 30-40 years. I finished my rough note on this with "Pure class."
VM 96-99 (5/2023): The 2022 Canon is elegant and sensual, with virtually no sensation of tannin. A wine with no beginning and end, Canon is totally seamless. All the Canon signatures are there, but woven together in an effortless, gracious expression of this site. It's the sort of wine that is about subtlety and nuance more than power. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice caress the palate, but ultimately, Canon is above all else a wine of exquisite detail. Haute couture. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 99-100 (5/2023): From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age.
JA 98 (5/2023): The inky intensity of the colour might make you worry that the limestone signature will be swamped, but it is very much guiding proceedings on the palate here. Expect waves of red roses, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, salinity, but also real intensity, there is a depth and complexity that quite stunning as the wine expands through the palate, with creamy blue and black fruits, and a mouthwatering oyster shell finish. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, 50% new oak, with four larger-sized oak casks. A standout in the vintage, more proof of the exceptional level that Canon is playing at right now. 50% new oak. |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,879.98 |
5 |
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JD 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 Château Canon is an ultra-classic wine from this terroir offering textbook limestone-driven, black raspberry, floral, chalky, and spicy aromas and flavors. As always, it's not massive and is more medium-bodied, with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and no hard edges. It actually reminds me a little of the 2001 from this estate. It's a gorgeous wine that will evolve for 25+ years, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it drink nicely in its youth as well. Tasted multiple times.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): A wine of classicism and reserve, the 2023 Canon is less overtly expressive than most recent vintages, keeping much of its personality in reserve. Nevertheless, I watched it grow considerably over the two weeks I spent in Bordeaux. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint and spice are some of the many notes that open in the glass. It is a wine that marries generous fruit with classical rigor. I won't be surprised if it shows even better with time. Tasted four times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-98 (4/2024): Wafting from the glass with aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with spices, rose petals, licorice and violets, the 2023 Canon is another brilliant wine from a property whose excellence can almost be taken for granted. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's seamless and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins and girdled by lively acids, concluding with a long, mineral finish.
JA 96 (4/2024): Finesse and saline limestone character on full display, spiced plum, textural as ever, with finely boned architecture, in the line of great Canon vintages, with density to the black fruits and the mouthwateringly precise tannic grip and oyster shell salinity. 50% new oak for ageing, harvest September 6 through to October 4 (with Merlot going right through until the end, unlike many places, here they really waited). 45hl/ha yield, in organic conversion. Tasted twice. |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$878.99 |
10 |
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| |
JD 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 Château Canon is an ultra-classic wine from this terroir offering textbook limestone-driven, black raspberry, floral, chalky, and spicy aromas and flavors. As always, it's not massive and is more medium-bodied, with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and no hard edges. It actually reminds me a little of the 2001 from this estate. It's a gorgeous wine that will evolve for 25+ years, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it drink nicely in its youth as well. Tasted multiple times.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): A wine of classicism and reserve, the 2023 Canon is less overtly expressive than most recent vintages, keeping much of its personality in reserve. Nevertheless, I watched it grow considerably over the two weeks I spent in Bordeaux. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint and spice are some of the many notes that open in the glass. It is a wine that marries generous fruit with classical rigor. I won't be surprised if it shows even better with time. Tasted four times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-98 (4/2024): Wafting from the glass with aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with spices, rose petals, licorice and violets, the 2023 Canon is another brilliant wine from a property whose excellence can almost be taken for granted. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's seamless and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins and girdled by lively acids, concluding with a long, mineral finish.
JA 96 (4/2024): Finesse and saline limestone character on full display, spiced plum, textural as ever, with finely boned architecture, in the line of great Canon vintages, with density to the black fruits and the mouthwateringly precise tannic grip and oyster shell salinity. 50% new oak for ageing, harvest September 6 through to October 4 (with Merlot going right through until the end, unlike many places, here they really waited). 45hl/ha yield, in organic conversion. Tasted twice. |
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| Ch. Canon La Gaffeliere |
2005 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,691.98 |
1 |
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| |
WA 94 (4/2008): For opulence, decadence, and sexiness, this 2005 is hard to resist. One of the vintage’s most flamboyant efforts, it is a gorgeous blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. With a stunningly exotic nose of espresso roast, a juicy meat and herb concoction, spice box, chocolate, incense, and copious quantities of sweet, ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit, this full-throttle St.-Emilion exhibits good structure (because of the vintage’s sound acid levels) and high, but velvety tannin. It is a brilliant effort from proprietor Stephan von Neipperg. I would not discount its aging potential as the 1990, which I thought would have a short aging curve, is still going strong at age 18. The 2005 should easily last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.
VM 92+ (6/2008): Medium red. Reticent aromas of red fruits, coffee, roasted meat and mocha; a bit low-toned today. Superripe, sweet and densely packed; large-scaled for a wine from this property but quite closed today, hinting at an almost roasted ripeness. Atypically deep cabernet franc here. Finishes with broad tannins and lovely floral lift, leaving behind a captivating violet perfume in the empty glass. Very unevolved wine, in need of a decade of patience and likely to merit a higher score at its peak. |
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2013 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$963.99 |
2 |
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| |
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2014 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$494.99 |
6 |
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| VM 92 (4/2018): The 2014 Canon-la-Gaffelière has a clean and pure bouquet with black cherry and raspberry coulis mixed with rose petal and tobacco scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, and gentle grip. This is nicely proportioned with a fresh, marine-like finish that beckons you back for another sip. Another typically refined and succinctly crafted Canon-la-Gaffelière. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Neal Martin. |
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2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$656.99 |
1 |
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WA 97 (2/2018): Composed of 55% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak, 55% new, for 17 months, the 2015 Canon la Gaffeliere features a deep garnet-purple color and a cedar-laced nose to begin, giving way to fragrant underlying scents of roses and violets with a core of crushed black currants, blackberries and Bing cherries plus hints of fallen leaves and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, the seductively perfumed red and black fruit fills the mouth, framed with plush tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing very long and minerally.
VM 97 (2/2018): The 2015 Canon La Gaffelière is deep, powerful and explosive. Seamless and captivating in the glass, it possesses magnificent richness, volume and intensity in every dimension. The Cabernet Franc, usually such a strong signature, is nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the Merlot fruit. Espresso, mocha, licorice and plum infuse the racy finish. The 2015 is going to need the better part of a decade to be expressive. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JS 96 (2/2018): The aromas of violets and rose petals are prevalent here with blue fruits as well. Full body, integrated and firm tannins and a long finish. Structured yet fine and shows such finesse. Give it five or six years to come together.
JD 95 (11/2017): From an incredible terroir just outside the village of Saint-Emilion and a blend of 55% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Canon-La-Gaffeliere is a beautiful, elegant, complex beauty readers should snatch up. Blueberries, violets/spring flowers, Asian spices, and a salty minerality all emerge from this full-bodied, yet elegant 2015 that has sweet tannin, a big mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Still tight and reserved, give bottle 3-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades or more. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,213.99 |
1 |
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VM 96 (1/2019): The 2016 Canon La Gaffelière is just as striking from bottle as it was from barrel. Bright, intensely aromatic and precise, the 2016 has it all. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and rose petal all race through this silky, super-expressive Saint-emilion. In 2016, Canon La Gaffelière is especially polished, refined and nuanced, which means also less overly powerful than in the past. It was compelling both times I tasted it from bottle. Antonio Galloni.
JS 96 (2/2019): The aromas are very complex with sweet tobacco, black truffles, blueberries and blackberries. Subtle. Menthol, too. Full-bodied yet so elegant. Structure with finesse and purity. The tannins are melted in the wine. Fabulous young wine. Try tasting it from 2023.
JD 95 (2/2019): One of the most elegant and seamless wines in the vintage is the 2016 Canon-la-Gaffelière, a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 60% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied beauty has brilliant minerality as well as tons of cassis fruits, notions of spice box, cedarwood, licorice, and dried earth, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It shows the purity and elegance of the vintage to a T. Drink this fabulous Saint-Emilion any time over the coming 20+ years. |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$261.99 |
5 |
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WA 91-93+ (4/2018): Composed of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Canon la Gaffeliere contains a large part of second-generation fruit because 65% of the crop was affected by frost. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has pronounced crème de cassis, blueberry pie, red currants and red plums notes with touches of Chinese five spice, fragrant earth, tapenade and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with nice firm tannins giving a sturdy frame along with plenty of freshness supporting
VM 92-95 (5/2018): The 2017 Canon La Gaffelière is superb. Compelling in its aromatics and overall balance, the 2017 has so much to offer. All the elements simply fall into place. As is the case with all of Stephan von Neipperg's wines, the 2017 is wonderfully fresh and nuanced, with less muscle than in the past and noticeably more finesse. Bright floral and mocha notes add lift to the dark red stone fruits. What a gorgeous wine this is. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 92-94+ (4/2018): A blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 55% new French oak, the 2017 Canon-la-Gaffelière offers a Burgundian mineral-laced bouquet of crushed flowers, forest floor, earth and both black and blue fruits. It has sensational purity, moderate depth, building tannin, and a great finish. It’s certainly one of the fresher, more vibrant wines in the vintage, and the tannins will need to be watched, but its purity and elegance are something. I suspect the cellar will be your friend and it should be long-lived. Tasted twice.
JS 94-95 (4/2018): This is really excellent for the vintage with wonderful density of fruit in terms of plum liqueur and creme de cassis. The palate’s plush but velvety with round tannins and a long finish. Should drink fabulously when young. So generous but silky and dialed-in. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion Ex-Negociant |
$79 |
2 |
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JD 97 (4/2022): The 2019 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is another brilliantly perfumed wine in the vintage that shines for its complexity, finesse, and nuances. Giving up awesome notes of red and black currants, tobacco, exotic flowers, cedarwood, and loamy earth, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, beautifully polished, integrated tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is serious juice that warrants at least 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 to 40 years. (Drink between 2026-2067).
WA 96 (4/2022): The 2019 Canon la Gaffelière has turned out brilliantly, bursting from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of wild berries, blood orange, exotic spices, rose petals, violets and burning embers. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's supple and perfumed, with a deep core of lively fruit, melting tannins and a long, saline finish. This contains the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc of any of Stephan Von Neipperg's wines, which no doubt helps to account for its singular personality.
VM 93 (2/2023): The 2019 Canon-la-Gaffelière is quite punchy and bold on the nose. Blackberry and raspberry fruit, cedar and mint emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, quite plush yet cohesive, fanning out towards the velvety finish with a brush of white pepper on the aftertaste. One of the more approachable Saint-Émilion wines in this vintage. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2024-2040). Neal Martin. |
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2021 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$454.99 |
5 |
|
| |
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2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$561.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is brilliant stuff and should be snatched up by readers. Black cherries, iron, tapenade, and exotic floral notes all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and no shortage of mid-palate depth or length on the finish. A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that will see 40% new oak, it's a flawlessly balanced, incredibly impressive Saint-Emilion that will have no problems competing with the 2019 and 2020.
VM 94-96 (5/2023): The 2022 Canon La Gaffelière is bright, punchy and full of character. Blood orange, rose petal and spice overtones brighten a core of red/purplish fruit in Saint-Émilion that impresses with its saline intensity, energy and focus. If tasting this blind, I would never say it is a wine from a warm, drought year. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 retains its youthful vibrancy through élevage. This is super promising. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Canon la Gaffelière exhibits aromas of raspberries and plums, complemented by notions of iris, rose petals, incense and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's supple, suave and sophisticated, with a lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish.
JA 94 (5/2023): Intense blackberry, raspberry, loganberry fruit chracter, love that this is ripe but not overly sweet, has confident sinewy and muscular tannins, well balanced by a ton of fresh fruit with juice and character. Great stuff, with waves of fragrant floral aromatics, and plenty of nuanced personality. Ludovic Neipperg technical director and owner. 47hl/h yield, certified organic since 2014. 40% new oak. |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$467.99 |
4 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Cantemerle |
2008 |
Haut Medoc (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$256.97 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (5/2011): Cantemerle tends to produce somewhat understated and restrained, but finesse-filled wines. The medium-bodied 2008 offers elegant notes of raspberries, red currants, crushed rocks and oak backed up by good concentration, sweet tannin and no hard edges. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. |
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2010 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$809.97 |
3 |
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| |
WA 94+ (2/2013): The wine needs a good 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 30 more years, but this is the finest Cantemerle I have encountered in my professional career of tasting young vintages (dating back 34 years now). Stunningly deep ruby/purple, with a beautiful nose of spring flowers intermixed with perfumed raspberry and blueberry notes, it exhibits a sort of cool-climate character. Broad, rich and intense on the palate, the wine has plenty of tannins, but they are sweet and well-integrated. Everything is delicately entwined into this beautiful, medium to full-bodied, dense purple wine, which shows stunning character and a prodigious potential for development. This is definitely a major sleeper of the vintage and even better than I thought from barrel.
JS 94 (4/2011): Layered and rich with lots of blueberry character and ripe velvety tannins. Lovely texture. Best wine from here in years.
VM 90+ (7/2013): Good full ruby-red. Musky aromas of black cherry, blueberry, espresso, menthol and licorice, lifted by a cool floral element. Densely packed and savory, displaying sappy energy to its intense dark berry flavors. With a serious structure and no easy sweetness today, this vibrant wine will need a good five to seven years in the cellar and should last well. This may eventually merit an even higher score. |
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|
2012 |
Haut Medoc (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$450.98 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2012 |
Haut Medoc (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$598.98 |
24 |
|
| |
|
|
2015 |
Haut Medoc (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$563.97 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 91 (11/2017): Based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the inky colored 2015 Château Cantemerle offers a terrific bouquet of black currants, smoked herbs, earth, and hints of charcoal. Ripe, concentrated, rounded, and undeniably delicious, with ripe tannin, it's a terrific vintage for Cantemerle to drink anytime over the coming 10-15 years. |
|
|
2023 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$486.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Les Allees de Cantemerle |
2015 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$371.98 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Haut Medoc (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$335.98 |
50 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Haut Medoc (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$380.98 |
13 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Cantenac-Brown |
1982 |
Margaux Very Top Shoulder Fill; Heavily Torn Label; Signs of Old Seepage |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 77 (12/1995): This wine is typical of so many efforts of Cantenac-Brown. It started off life formidably tannic, with meager levels of fruit quality. Thirteen years of cellaring have not been kind to this wine, which has lost what little fruit it once possessed. The color is a murky ruby/garnet, and the nose offers up earthy, old cellar, damp cardboard aromas. Some fruit is noticeable in the attack, but the wine quickly dries out to reveal severe tannin and an unpleasant astringency. It has no place to go but down . Despite the enormous investment in this chateau over recent years, I am not sure recent vintages of this wine are any better. What does that say about terroir? Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes. |
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|
1982 |
Margaux Depressed Cork; Very Top Shoulder Fill; Signs of Old Seepage |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 77 (12/1995): This wine is typical of so many efforts of Cantenac-Brown. It started off life formidably tannic, with meager levels of fruit quality. Thirteen years of cellaring have not been kind to this wine, which has lost what little fruit it once possessed. The color is a murky ruby/garnet, and the nose offers up earthy, old cellar, damp cardboard aromas. Some fruit is noticeable in the attack, but the wine quickly dries out to reveal severe tannin and an unpleasant astringency. It has no place to go but down . Despite the enormous investment in this chateau over recent years, I am not sure recent vintages of this wine are any better. What does that say about terroir? Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes. |
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|
1982 |
Margaux Very Top Shoulder Fill, Scuffed Label |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 77 (12/1995): This wine is typical of so many efforts of Cantenac-Brown. It started off life formidably tannic, with meager levels of fruit quality. Thirteen years of cellaring have not been kind to this wine, which has lost what little fruit it once possessed. The color is a murky ruby/garnet, and the nose offers up earthy, old cellar, damp cardboard aromas. Some fruit is noticeable in the attack, but the wine quickly dries out to reveal severe tannin and an unpleasant astringency. It has no place to go but down . Despite the enormous investment in this chateau over recent years, I am not sure recent vintages of this wine are any better. What does that say about terroir? Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes. |
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|
1982 |
Margaux High Shoulder Fill |
$159 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 77 (12/1995): This wine is typical of so many efforts of Cantenac-Brown. It started off life formidably tannic, with meager levels of fruit quality. Thirteen years of cellaring have not been kind to this wine, which has lost what little fruit it once possessed. The color is a murky ruby/garnet, and the nose offers up earthy, old cellar, damp cardboard aromas. Some fruit is noticeable in the attack, but the wine quickly dries out to reveal severe tannin and an unpleasant astringency. It has no place to go but down . Despite the enormous investment in this chateau over recent years, I am not sure recent vintages of this wine are any better. What does that say about terroir? Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes. |
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|
1982 |
Margaux Very Top Shoulder Fill, Scuffed Label, Nicked Capsule |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 77 (12/1995): This wine is typical of so many efforts of Cantenac-Brown. It started off life formidably tannic, with meager levels of fruit quality. Thirteen years of cellaring have not been kind to this wine, which has lost what little fruit it once possessed. The color is a murky ruby/garnet, and the nose offers up earthy, old cellar, damp cardboard aromas. Some fruit is noticeable in the attack, but the wine quickly dries out to reveal severe tannin and an unpleasant astringency. It has no place to go but down . Despite the enormous investment in this chateau over recent years, I am not sure recent vintages of this wine are any better. What does that say about terroir? Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes. |
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|
2009 |
Margaux |
$89 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 89+ (7/2012): Full ruby-red. Brooding aromas of blackberry, espresso and licorice complicated by truffley underbrush. Then intensely flavored, juicy and tight, dominated today by its firm tannic spine and sound acidity. Quite primary in a positive way, this rather backward wine may merit a 90-point rating with five or six years of cellaring.
WA 89 (2/2012): Tasted twice in Bordeaux, I must say that whatever was shown to me in cask certainly did not appear to be performing as well from bottle. It could be just that the wine has closed down, but I had thought this was an extraordinary wine and one of the big time sleepers of the vintage. The tannins have taken hold, and although the wine is still Outstanding, any hopes of achieving a mid-90 point score, as I had hoped, seem highly questionable. Dense ruby/purple with notes of graphite, blackberries and forest floor, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, excruciatingly tannic and closed, and that may be why it’s not showing as well as I predicted. Certainly, this was the biggest discrepancy between barrel and bottle that I saw in the vintage, but the wine is still Outstanding, just not profound. It will be interesting to revisit this wine in a number of years. Forget it for 7-8 years and drink it over the following 30. |
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|
2015 |
Margaux |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (11/2017): Readers who need more proof that Margaux was the place to be in 2015 just need to taste the 2015 Château Cantenac Brown. Based on roughly 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot it offers an extraordinary nose of crème de cassis, caramelized cherries, flowers, and spices. This medium to full-bodied effort has plenty of tannins, as well as toasty oak, yet is perfectly balanced and has a great mix of both freshness and richness. It’s a tour de force that will be drinkable in 4-5 years and last for 25-30 years! |
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2015 |
Margaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$474.98 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (11/2017): Readers who need more proof that Margaux was the place to be in 2015 just need to taste the 2015 Château Cantenac Brown. Based on roughly 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot it offers an extraordinary nose of crème de cassis, caramelized cherries, flowers, and spices. This medium to full-bodied effort has plenty of tannins, as well as toasty oak, yet is perfectly balanced and has a great mix of both freshness and richness. It’s a tour de force that will be drinkable in 4-5 years and last for 25-30 years! |
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|
2020 |
Margaux (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$812.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 97 (2/2023): The 2020 Cantenac Brown is a knock-out. A Margaux of towering intensity, the 2020 is dense and vertical at the same time. It’s a combination that works so well. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves all saturate the palate. There's real depth and concentration here from the summer heat and small size of the berries, but at the same time the 2020 has more freshness and energy than some recent years. There have been quite a few changes here in recent years, starting with a new parcel on the Margaux plateau that entered the blend in 2019 and move towards lower toast levels in the barrels. Cantenac Brown remains a potent, opulent Margaux, but 2020 has a measure of classicism as well. Superb. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96 (3/2023): The 2020 Château Cantenac Brown showed beautifully and is a serious, concentrated, powerful Margaux that's going to need bottle age. Ripe blackcurrants, toasty oak, ripe tobacco, and dried flower notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more focused, slightly understated style of the vintage, yet everything is in the right place, it has terrific purity, and it’s just a brilliant Margaux. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it never put a foot wrong. It will hit its prime drinking window in 7-8 years and evolve for two decades.
JS 95 (12/2022): Plenty of blackberry, spice, iron and crushed lead pencil aromas follow through to a full body with chewy, velvety tannins and a rather cool side to it. Crushed stone and slate undertones. Try after 2026. |
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2023 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$759.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Cap de Faugeres |
2009 |
Cotes de Castillon Mouleyre |
$30 |
11 |
|
| |
WA 95 (2/2012): The new baby project from proprietor Silvio Denz is the 200-case lot called Mouleyre, which is from the best block in the entire vineyard. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc at 14.5% alcohol, the vines were cropped at 20 hectoliters per hectare. In short, this may be the very finest wine ever produced in the Cotes de Castillon. Bottled unfined and unfiltered by consultant Michel Rolland, the wine has an opaque purple color, a gorgeous nose of graphite, black truffles, blackberry jam, incense, acacia flowers and forest floor. Layer upon layer of richness, an unctuous texture, impressive purity and a long, long finish make this a huge sleeper of the vintage and a major overachiever. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2023.
JS 93 (2/2012): A wine, with tangy acidity and sweet tobacco, berry and plum character. Full body, with a cranberry and lemon rind undertone. Juicy and tangy. Impressively balanced. Better in 2015. |
|
| Ch. Capbern |
2016 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$319.97 |
1 |
|
| |
| JS 92-93 (4/2017): Love the stone, tar and black currant in this. Full and tight with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Spicy, too. Can’t wait to see how this evolves. Serious. |
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|
2017 |
St. Estephe (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$216.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 91-92 (4/2018): Dark berries and crushed stones. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Tightness.
JD 90-92 (4/2018): This large estate has turned out a classic wine in 2017 that just screams of Saint-Estèphe. Checking in as a rough blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak. Textbook Saint Estèphe dark fruits, damp earth, and tobacco leaf all flow to a medium-bodied, rounded, nicely textured wine that has the cooler, perfumed, aromatics style of the vintage, good mid-palate depth, and gorgeous purity of fruit. Classic Bordeaux lovers will dig this.
VM 89-91 (5/2018): The 2017 Capbern was cropped at 43.5hl/ha and matured in 60% new oak. It has a fresh, lively cranberry and blackcurrant-scented bouquet, a little savory in style with hints of Japanese nori (seaweed). The palate is nicely structured with a keen thread of acidity. There is a little compactness on the entry but it gently unfolds towards the finish that exerts subtle grip. It is the precision rather than the power that defines this Capbern and if released at similar prices to previous vintages, could be one of the must-buys of 2017. Neal Martin. |
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2019 |
St. Estephe Ex-Negociant |
$32 |
43 |
|
| |
JD 94 (4/2022): I love the nose on the 2019 Château Capbern, a medium to full-bodied, spicy, rich, tobacco and cedar pencil-filled beauty with ripe yet building tannins, a great mix of richness and freshness, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's incredibly impressive, and while it offers pleasure even today, it deserves 5-6 years of bottle age, and I can't imagine it not evolving for two decades. (Drink between 2027-2042).
VM 89 (2/2023): The 2019 Capbern has improved since I tasted it just after bottling. Finally, it has developed a more elegant bouquet, mainly black fruit fused with cedar and undergrowth scents. It has mustered more classicism. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong graphite element on the entry, fine depth, quite fresh with a structured, gritty finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2025-2045). Neal Martin. |
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2019 |
St. Estephe (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$437.98 |
6 |
|
| |
JD 94 (4/2022): I love the nose on the 2019 Château Capbern, a medium to full-bodied, spicy, rich, tobacco and cedar pencil-filled beauty with ripe yet building tannins, a great mix of richness and freshness, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's incredibly impressive, and while it offers pleasure even today, it deserves 5-6 years of bottle age, and I can't imagine it not evolving for two decades. (Drink between 2027-2042).
VM 89 (2/2023): The 2019 Capbern has improved since I tasted it just after bottling. Finally, it has developed a more elegant bouquet, mainly black fruit fused with cedar and undergrowth scents. It has mustered more classicism. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong graphite element on the entry, fine depth, quite fresh with a structured, gritty finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2025-2045). Neal Martin. |
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|
2023 |
St. Estephe (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$463.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Capbern Gasqueton |
2009 |
St. Estephe |
$39 |
6 |
|
| |
VM 87-90 (6/2011): (a 73/27 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot; 3.75 ph; 14% alcohol) Dark ruby. Perfumed, floral aromas of black cherry, violet and lavender. Enters bright and fruity, with savory black cherry and blackcurrant flavors, then turns increasingly tight and austere on the back, finishing with slightly astringent tannins and persistent, pure black fruit flavors. Though this is a little tannic at present, there's enough fruit here to allow for optimism: after an excellent 2009, this is yet another very good Capbern-Gasqueton. That it's taken very seriously by the staff at Calon-Segur, which owns this property, can be inferred from the 80% new oak used to age this wine.
WA 85-87 (4/2010): This cool terroir has produced a tannic yet attractive wine with lots of minerality, an elegant black cherry and slightly herbaceous note, good texture, and a traditional style. It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It should drink well for a decade or more. |
|
| Ch. Carbonnieux |
2019 |
Pessac Leognan Ex-Negociant |
$37.95 |
26 |
|
| |
JD 94 (4/2022): The 2019 Château Carbonnieux sports a deep purple/ruby hue to go with a brilliant nose of red and black currants, spring flowers, spicy oak, and hints of tobacco. It's beautiful on the palate as well and is medium to full-bodied, has a seamless, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's the finest wine I've tasted from this estate. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all brought up in 40% new barrels. It’s well worth tracking down some bottles and will keep for two decades. (Drink between 2022-2042).
WA 91 (4/2022): Exhibiting aromas of earthy black fruits, bay leaf, burning embers and forest floor, the 2019 Carbonnieux is medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with a broad attack that segues into a fleshy core of fruit framed by ripe acids and fine, powdery tannins that assert themselves gently on the finish.
VM 90 (2/2023): The 2019 Carbonnieux has quite a showy, pastille-like bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and light violet scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite plush and showy with a touch of white pepper on the finish. This should age well in bottle although it fails to replicate its deeply impressive showing after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2024-2040). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion |
2010 |
Pessac Leognan (12X750ML) 12-bottle OWC |
$2,100 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 93 (2/2013): The blueberries, walnut and chocolate character here is impressive. Full and very silky with refined tannins and a silky finish. Very pretty. Wonderful balance like the 2009. Try in 2016.
WA 90 (2/2013): The wine is less complex than a Chevalier, but displays plenty of raspberries, red currants and sweet cherries as well as hints of vanilla, smoke and Christmas fruitcake. The blend is 45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, tipping the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol. Always elegant, stylish and medium-bodied, it should drink best between 2015 and 2030.
VM 90 (8/2013): Bright red-ruby. Aromas of cherry, spiced plum, smoke and earth, plus a whiff of sweet butter. Juicy and a bit tight, showing moderate flesh and depth but good complexity to its flavors of red fruits, spices and minerals. There's a good dollop of cabernet franc in this wine, and it shows in the youthfully imploded texture. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lingering minerality. |
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|
2015 |
Pessac Leognan |
$175 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 96 (11/2017): The 2015 is an interesting blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a fair amount of whole clusters in the fermentation and 90% of the blend brought up in barrel and the rest in amphoras. Its deep purple color is followed by a beautiful perfumed of ripe currant and plums fruits, chocolate, ground herbs, and damp earth. With full-bodied richness, terrific ripeness, building tannin, and an underlying sense of elegance and purity that only grows with time in the glass, it needs 4-5 years of cellaring but is going to cruise in the cellar for 3-4 decades. An estate that’s on the upswing is unquestionably Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, which lies just to the northeast of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. Today the wines are made by Cuillaume Pouthier, who left Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône in 2011. (Drink between 2022-2062).
JA 95 (2/2022): The succulent depth and width to this wine is clear as soon as your nose hovers over the glass. Concentrated tannins hum underneath a more sculpted aerian side of fragrant peonies and raspberry leaf that take off through the palate. This was a warm vintage and we are on a warm site here, and yet you feel a freshness, with crushed mint leaf and juicy cranberry that belies the vintage and speaks to deft winemaking. This is the point at which Carmes begins to fully take on its own personality that is not necessarily reflective of the appellation as a whole. 3.7ph, 40% new oak.
WA 94+ (2/2018): The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in 80% new and 20% one-year-old oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has pronounced notes of crushed black and red currants, warm blackberries and black pepper with touches of cedar chest, pencil lead and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, very fine and with plenty of black and red fruit layers, it has a plush backbone and seamless acid, finishing earthy.
VM 93 (6/2025): The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a lifted, finely delineated nose with black cherry, wild mint and a dab of cough candy in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins, but there is structure behind that slightly glossy façade. This has gentle grip and the right amount of black pepper that lends complexity on the finish. It just requires a bit of time. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners. (Drink between 2027-2042). Neal Martin. |
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|
2015 |
Pessac Leognan (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$954 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96 (11/2017): The 2015 is an interesting blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a fair amount of whole clusters in the fermentation and 90% of the blend brought up in barrel and the rest in amphoras. Its deep purple color is followed by a beautiful perfumed of ripe currant and plums fruits, chocolate, ground herbs, and damp earth. With full-bodied richness, terrific ripeness, building tannin, and an underlying sense of elegance and purity that only grows with time in the glass, it needs 4-5 years of cellaring but is going to cruise in the cellar for 3-4 decades. An estate that’s on the upswing is unquestionably Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, which lies just to the northeast of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. Today the wines are made by Cuillaume Pouthier, who left Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône in 2011. (Drink between 2022-2062).
JA 95 (2/2022): The succulent depth and width to this wine is clear as soon as your nose hovers over the glass. Concentrated tannins hum underneath a more sculpted aerian side of fragrant peonies and raspberry leaf that take off through the palate. This was a warm vintage and we are on a warm site here, and yet you feel a freshness, with crushed mint leaf and juicy cranberry that belies the vintage and speaks to deft winemaking. This is the point at which Carmes begins to fully take on its own personality that is not necessarily reflective of the appellation as a whole. 3.7ph, 40% new oak.
WA 94+ (2/2018): The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in 80% new and 20% one-year-old oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has pronounced notes of crushed black and red currants, warm blackberries and black pepper with touches of cedar chest, pencil lead and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, very fine and with plenty of black and red fruit layers, it has a plush backbone and seamless acid, finishing earthy.
VM 93 (6/2025): The 2015 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a lifted, finely delineated nose with black cherry, wild mint and a dab of cough candy in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins, but there is structure behind that slightly glossy façade. This has gentle grip and the right amount of black pepper that lends complexity on the finish. It just requires a bit of time. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners. (Drink between 2027-2042). Neal Martin. |
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|
2016 |
Pessac Leognan |
$197.99 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 99 (2/2019): Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.
VM 98 (1/2019): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of many notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is a towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (1/2019): With 51% whole-bunch fermentation for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is the highest proportion in this wine. This is just gorgeous, with a beautiful sweetness on the attack from ripe fruit and a touch of smoked caramel. It really rises through the palate, gripped by liquorice, hazelnut, dark chocolate and black cherry fruits that ripple through the palate. I loved this wine En primeur and it is absolutely living up to its billing. It has an IPT of 90, but the tannins are full of life, yielding in just the right places while still confident and keeping everything in line.Great persistency too. 3.49pH. 80% new oak, 10% Stockinger and 10% amphoras.
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish. |
|
|
2016 |
Pessac Leognan (2.25 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,443.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 99 (2/2019): Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.
VM 98 (1/2019): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of many notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is a towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (1/2019): With 51% whole-bunch fermentation for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is the highest proportion in this wine. This is just gorgeous, with a beautiful sweetness on the attack from ripe fruit and a touch of smoked caramel. It really rises through the palate, gripped by liquorice, hazelnut, dark chocolate and black cherry fruits that ripple through the palate. I loved this wine En primeur and it is absolutely living up to its billing. It has an IPT of 90, but the tannins are full of life, yielding in just the right places while still confident and keeping everything in line.Great persistency too. 3.49pH. 80% new oak, 10% Stockinger and 10% amphoras.
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish. |
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2016 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,132.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (2/2019): Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice.
VM 98 (1/2019): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Breathtaking in its beauty, the 2016 soars from the glass with stunning aromatic and flavor intensity. Red cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and sage are some of many notes that develop. In the glass, the 2016 is a vivid, statuesque, exotic wine that takes over all the senses as it delivers tons of pure pleasure. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2016 for at least a few years, but that will be virtually impossible. The 2016 is a towering masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (1/2019): With 51% whole-bunch fermentation for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is the highest proportion in this wine. This is just gorgeous, with a beautiful sweetness on the attack from ripe fruit and a touch of smoked caramel. It really rises through the palate, gripped by liquorice, hazelnut, dark chocolate and black cherry fruits that ripple through the palate. I loved this wine En primeur and it is absolutely living up to its billing. It has an IPT of 90, but the tannins are full of life, yielding in just the right places while still confident and keeping everything in line.Great persistency too. 3.49pH. 80% new oak, 10% Stockinger and 10% amphoras.
WA 95+ (11/2018): The 2016 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 65% new and 35% one-year-old oak for 22 months. This vintage represents one of the largest percentages of Cabernet Franc for this wine. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it gives notes of kirsch, black raspberries and black plums with touches of cassis, violets, chocolate box and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy and lively with loads of layers and a long, well-poised finish. |
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|
2017 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,174.98 |
1 |
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| |
JS 94-95 (4/2018): A tight and linear red with a firm and intense, pretty center palate of blackberry and wet-earth character. Full-bodied, reserved and focused. Really compacted.
VM 93-96 (5/2018): The 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is subtle and understated, but it’s all there. Lifted aromatics, bright, red-toned fruit and silky tannins add to the wine's brilliant, chiseled personality. I find the 2017 more precise and nuanced than in the recent past, with less overt power. It's hard to know exactly if the style of the 2017 is a result of the growing conditions of the year, or the result of an evolution in winemaking that includes the introduction of terra cotta, among other things. I certainly get the sense Guillaume Pouthier reined the wine back a bit in 2017. No matter. The end result is all that counts, and in 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is positively stellar. As always, the high percentage of Cabernet Franc and a healthy dollop of whole clusters give Les Carmes an explosive bouquet and plenty of saline-infused energy. A closing flourish of sweet red berry fruit, mint, rose petal and mocha leaves a lasting impression. The 2017 is not an obvious wine, but it sure is gorgeous. Don't miss it! Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 92-94+ (4/2018): Complex damp herbs, underbrush, exotic flowers and ample black fruits emerge from the 2017 Château Les Carmes Haut Brion, which is made by Guillaume Pouthier, who previously worked for Michel Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône Valley. A blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, still aging in 65% new French oak, this medium to full-bodied, rounded, impressively concentrated red will need 3-4 years of bottle age yet keep for two decades. Tasted twice.
WA 91-93+ (4/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a little reticent to begin, opening up to fragrant notes of potpourri and oolong tea over a core of crushed red and black currants plus hints of violets, dark chocolate and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, it has an ambitious palate with firm, grainy tannins slightly masking the elegant fruit, finishing with good length though just a tad chewy. |
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2018 |
Pessac Leognan |
$153.99 |
1 |
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| |
JD 100 (3/2021): The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! (Drink between 2028-2078)
JA 98 (2/2021): A beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It's closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. (Drink between 2026-2044)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. (Drink between 2026-2048). Antonio Galloni.
WA 96+ (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years. |
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|
2018 |
Pessac Leognan (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$870 |
1 |
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| |
JD 100 (3/2021): The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! (Drink between 2028-2078)
JA 98 (2/2021): A beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It's closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. (Drink between 2026-2044)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. (Drink between 2026-2048). Antonio Galloni.
WA 96+ (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years. |
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|
2018 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-magnum OWC |
$895 |
1 |
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| |
JD 100 (3/2021): The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! (Drink between 2028-2078)
JA 98 (2/2021): A beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It's closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. (Drink between 2026-2044)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. (Drink between 2026-2048). Antonio Galloni.
WA 96+ (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years. |
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2021 |
Pessac Leognan |
$99.99 |
3 |
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VM 98 (2/2024): The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very possibly the wine of the vintage. Vertical and explosive, the 2021 possesses mind-blowing intensity and dynamic energy to burn. The 2021 is a heady, racy wine that captivates all the senses. Tobacco, mocha, cedar, leather, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and plum saturate the palate in a wine that dazzles from start to finish. The 2021 was bottled in late September 2023, much later than most wines, yet it is so expressive today. It was magnificent from barrel, and it is every bit as breathtaking today. Quite simply, Les Carmes is on another level. Bravo! (Drink between 2031-2061). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95 (2/2024): The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully in bottle, though it is more introverted and brooding than it appeared during en primeur tastings, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with spices, loamy soil, licorice, rose petals, gentian and black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a concentrated core of fruit framed by ripe but abundant structuring tannins and bright acids, it concludes with a long, palate-staining finish. As readers may remember, it's a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. |
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2021 |
Pessac Leognan (3.0 L) 2021 en Primeur Release |
$525 |
1 |
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VM 98 (2/2024): The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is very possibly the wine of the vintage. Vertical and explosive, the 2021 possesses mind-blowing intensity and dynamic energy to burn. The 2021 is a heady, racy wine that captivates all the senses. Tobacco, mocha, cedar, leather, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and plum saturate the palate in a wine that dazzles from start to finish. The 2021 was bottled in late September 2023, much later than most wines, yet it is so expressive today. It was magnificent from barrel, and it is every bit as breathtaking today. Quite simply, Les Carmes is on another level. Bravo! (Drink between 2031-2061). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95 (2/2024): The 2021 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully in bottle, though it is more introverted and brooding than it appeared during en primeur tastings, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with spices, loamy soil, licorice, rose petals, gentian and black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a concentrated core of fruit framed by ripe but abundant structuring tannins and bright acids, it concludes with a long, palate-staining finish. As readers may remember, it's a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. |
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| Le C de Carmes Haut Brion |
2014 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$242.99 |
1 |
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| |
|
| Le C des Carmes Haut Brion |
2022 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$41.99 |
60 |
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| |
WA 94 (3/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion is punching above its weight this year. Unfurling in the glass with a gourmand, lively and vibrant bouquet of raspberry, mulberries, rose, violet and cassis, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered with refined, velvety tannins and a deep core of fruit, concluding with a harmonious, elegant profile that avoids any excess, enhancing its distinctive personality. Guillaume Pouthier, Guillaume Deschepper and their team have done a fantastic job at this address, delivering an exceptional wine.
JD 94 (2/2025): The 2022 C Des Carmes Haut-Brion is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest 1% Petit Verdot that was fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged 12 months in a new foudre (there's a small part in used barrels) followed by four months all in concrete tanks. There are fewer stems in this cuvée as the vines are younger, and it has a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a spicy, peppery, complex perfume of darker berry and plum fruits, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and a beautiful sense of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant, and loaded with character, it's a singular Pessac-Léognan that will have two decades of longevity. (Drink between 2025-2045).
VM 92 (2/2025): The 2022 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) from gravelly soils, will be kept for one year in bottle before release. It has 13.3% alcohol, reduced by the 30% whole cluster contribution with infusion rather than maceration, using a coffee plunger concept to push down the cap in the vat. It aged for one year in barrel and one year on foudres. The nose presents blackberry, clove and curry leaf aromas, with a touch more mint than before. The medium-bodied palate has slightly chalky tannins and is fresh thanks to the whole bunch contribution. Quite linear and a little Syrah-like towards the finish, this lovely wine will age well over the next 12 to 20 years. (Drink between 2028-2048). Neal Martin. |
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| Carruades de Lafite |
1996 |
Pauillac |
$275 |
1 |
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| |
| WA 86-88 (2/1998): I have noticed in my tastings that the second wine of Lafite-Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite, has improved over recent years. The 1996, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, may turn out to be the finest Carruades I have ever tasted. It possesses as much power, ripeness, and fleshy fruit (because of the high percentage of Merlot) as I have ever detected in this offering. While it does not quite have the characteristics of Lafite, being fleshier and more accessible, it is a beautifully made wine with a subtle dosage of toasty new oak, an appealing texture, and excellent length. Given its power, this second wine will need 2-4 years of cellaring, and keep for 15+ years (I would not be surprised to see it last for two decades). |
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|
1996 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,894.97 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 86-88 (2/1998): I have noticed in my tastings that the second wine of Lafite-Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite, has improved over recent years. The 1996, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, may turn out to be the finest Carruades I have ever tasted. It possesses as much power, ripeness, and fleshy fruit (because of the high percentage of Merlot) as I have ever detected in this offering. While it does not quite have the characteristics of Lafite, being fleshier and more accessible, it is a beautifully made wine with a subtle dosage of toasty new oak, an appealing texture, and excellent length. Given its power, this second wine will need 2-4 years of cellaring, and keep for 15+ years (I would not be surprised to see it last for two decades). |
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|
2006 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,446.97 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (2/2009): The second wine, which has soared in quality over the last decade, is an Outstanding effort displaying a character similar to that of Lafite, without the size, depth, and aging potential of that wine. The 2006 Carruades de Lafite offers up aromas of graphite, cedar, black currants, sweet cherries, and smoky herbs. This complex, more evolved, medium-bodied, silky-textured, sexy offering will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 15+ years. |
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|
2006 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,039.97 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (2/2009): The second wine, which has soared in quality over the last decade, is an Outstanding effort displaying a character similar to that of Lafite, without the size, depth, and aging potential of that wine. The 2006 Carruades de Lafite offers up aromas of graphite, cedar, black currants, sweet cherries, and smoky herbs. This complex, more evolved, medium-bodied, silky-textured, sexy offering will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 15+ years. |
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|
2008 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,882.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2009 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,882.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2010 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,923.97 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2011 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,724.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2019 |
Pauillac (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,272.98 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 92-94 (6/2020): The 2019 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 19th of September to the 7th of October. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, fresh notions of wild blueberries, ripe plums and redcurrant jelly plus hints of cinnamon stick, cumin seed, oolong tea and violets with a waft of black olives. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers loads of rich, ripe, spicy flavors with a soft texture of nicely rounded tannins and with the freshness in the background, finishing on a lingering allspice note. In a word: Yum!
JD 94-96 (6/2020): The second wine of the estate, the 2019 Carruades De Lafite offers a beautiful, Lafite-like bouquet of crème de cassis, cedar pencil, tobacco, and new leather. Gorgeously complex, medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins, and a great finish, it's a brilliant wine that would certainly do just fine in a blind lineup of Lafite. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.
JS 95-96 (6/2020): The purity of fruit is so enticing here with strawberries, flowers, lavender and currants. Black earth, too. Some stone and cement. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine tannins. It shows so much cabernet sauvignon character. It’s 68% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot and the rest cabernet franc. |
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|
2023 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,990.97 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 92-94 (4/2024): The second wine of this reference point château, the 2023 Carruades De Lafite is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, resting in 50% new French oak. Crème de cassis, graphite, wildflowers, spicy wood, and lead pencil notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a focused, classic Lafite elegance, ample mid-palate depth, and ripe tannins. I love its overall purity, balance, and length.
VM 91-93 (4/2024): The 2023 Carruades de Lafite is notable for some of the Cabernet being picked prior to the Merlot, between September 7 and 29. This year, there is no Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot in the blend. It has a far superior bouquet to some of the vintages I was tasting a decade or so ago—much more purity and precision, with notes of black plum, wild strawberry and a touch of cassis. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky texture and a crisp line of acidity. It’s fresh, precise and saline, with a long tail on the finish. This is surely one of the best Carruades I have tasted at this stage. Neal Martin.
JA 94 (4/2024): Medium intensity ruby, fairly austere right now, structured, with the same mint leaf and ink quality as Lafite. The sweet brambled black fruits only come in through the mid palate, this is well paced, unrolls slowly, a serious and concentrated Carruades that has its eye on the future. 12% pres wine, harvest September 7 to 29, unusually only using Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. |
|
| Ch. La Croix du Casse |
2000 |
Pomerol |
$45 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (4/2003): Some leathery, astringent tannin kept me from scoring this wine higher. It is certainly extracted, with an impressively saturated ruby/purple color, noticeable smoky new oak, thick, juicy blackberry and currant flavors, but high tannins that possess a certain astringency. As I indicated in my tasting notes last year, in the conflict between fruit and tannin, history usually favors the tannin. I do no see any reason to change that thought. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018? |
|
| Ch. Certan de May |
2012 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,210.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2015 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,143.98 |
47 |
|
| |
|
|
2016 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,110.98 |
23 |
|
| |
|
|
2016 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$561.98 |
35 |
|
| |
|
|
2017 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$720.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$934.99 |
5 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Pomerol (12x375ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$934.99 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Pomerol (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$948.99 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$733.99 |
14 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. de Chambrun |
2009 |
Lalande de Pomerol |
$59 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 92 (12/2011): The 2009 Chambrun, cropped at 20 hectoliters per hectare, is a final blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc that hit just over 14% natural alcohol. Bottled unfined and unfiltered by oenologist Michel Rolland, the wine possesses notes of chocolate fudge, blackberry jam, toasty oak, charcoal and graphite. A superb texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel and a terrific finish all make for a wine that should cost two or three times what this will fetch. Drink it over the next decade.
VM 89 (7/2012): Bright red-ruby. Plum, toffee, smoky minerality and a hint of game on the nose. Lush, sexy and sweet, with dark fruit flavors complicated by a flinty quality. Solid acidity gives this wine good mid-palate verve and leavens its sweetness. Finishes with dusty, firm tannins. Good stuff: I'd wait three or four years before pulling the cork. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Ch. Charmail |
1998 |
Haut Medoc Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$25 |
3 |
|
| |
| VM 87-89 (5/1999): Dark purple-ruby. Blackberry, violet, mint and spicy oak on the nose. Juicy, ripe dark berry flavors show lovely pliancy for the vintage. But the tannins are on the tough side, and it remains to be seen if they will integrate successfully with the wine strong fruit. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Ch. Chasse Spleen |
2011 |
Moulis (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$486.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| La Chenade |
2021 |
Lalande de Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$362.98 |
60 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Lalande de Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$428.98 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2023 |
Lalande de Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$375.98 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Le Petit Cheval |
2018 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,158.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 94 (3/2021): The 2018 La Petit Cheval comes from designated parcels and is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. It shares similarities to its big brother with its complex, layered bouquet of red and black currants, ripe cherries, camphor, leafy tobacco, cedarwood, and flowers. Beautifully textured, medium-bodied, and as elegant as they come on the palate, this gorgeous Saint-Emilion can be drunk any time over the coming 15-20 years. It's one of the top second wines in the vintage.
VM 93 (3/2021): The 2018 Petit Cheval is a rich, heady wine. The natural intensity of the year comes through loud and clear in the wine's super-ripe profile and voluptuous feel. Black cherry, tobacco, new leather, licorice and menthol saturate the palate. When I tasted it from barrel I thought the Petit Cheval would drink well upon release, but I suggested cellaring for a few years. There's a lot here. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Ch. Cheval-Blanc |
1981 |
St. Emilion Very Top Shoulder Fill; Bin-Soiled; Scuffed Label |
$500 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (10/1990): I had this wine several times from the barrel, and also twice in comparative tastings prior to bottling. I never gave it more than average marks. Tasted numerous times after bottling, it is a different wine, relatively rich, spicy, plummy, with soft, silky, layered flavors, good concentration, and moderate tannin. It continues to drink well, yet it has the potential to last for 5-7 more years. Not a blockbuster in the mold of the 1982 and 1983, it is delicious and fully mature. |
|
|
1995 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$847.99 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 93 (10/2011): (a 53/47 blend of cabernet franc and merlot; 13% alcohol; yield of 45 h/h): Bright red. Pure aromas of strawberry, flowers, soy sauce, espresso and minerals. Then clean and straightforward on the palate, with nicely balanced flavors similar to the aromas. Finishes very long and smooth. A very good Cheval Blanc, bigger than the 1996 but perhaps a touch less delineated; choosing between the two amounts to a case of different strokes for different folks. This was a warm year: temperatures during the 1995 growing season were on average 1.5C higher than the previously recorded annual averages, with a very hot July and August, and the harvest took place early, between September 15 and 28. In fact, only the 1989 and 1990 harvests began earlier.
WA 92 (2/1998): A pretty, attractive Cheval Blanc, the 1995 contains a higher percentage of Merlot in the final blend than usual (50% Merlot/50% Cabernet Franc). This wine has not developed as much fat or weight as its younger sibling, the 1996, but it appears to be an Outstanding Cheval Blanc with an enthralling smoky, black currant, coffee, and exotic bouquet. Complex, rich, medium to full-bodied flavors are well-endowed and pure, with surprisingly firm tannin in the finish. Unlike the sweeter, riper 1996, the 1995 may be more structured and potentially longer-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020. |
|
|
1998 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$15,202.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (9/2013): This structured and powerful red is finally coming out its sleep. It shows intense aromas of dried fruits, mushrooms, forest floor and berries. It's full-bodied, very dense and velvety, and has an Outstanding, ripe and richly fruity finish. A wine that harkens back to the legendary 1947 Cheval-Blanc. Drink or hold.
WA 96+ (12/2002): I seriously underestimated this wine, as I have often tended to do with Cheval Blanc. A potentially immortal example that has gained significant weight since it has been bottled, this blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot has a saturated purple color and a glorious nose of menthol, plums, mulberries, new saddle leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably fuller-bodied than I ever remembered it young, with an amazingly seamless texture and tremendous concentration and extract, this full-bodied yet gorgeously pure and elegant wine is impeccably balanced and certainly one of the all-time great Cheval Blancs. If it continues to improve as much as it has over the last three years since bottling, this wine will certainly rival the 2000, 1990, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.
VM 94+ (10/2011): (a blend of 56% merlot and 44% cabernet franc; 13% alcohol; 32 h/h): Bright ruby. Ripe, intensely pure black cherry, blackcurrant, floral and milk chocolate aromas. Enters silky and suave, with rich red cherry and blackcurrant flavors that give the middle palate a fruit cocktail quality. Almost more Pomerol than Saint-Emilion here, with a rich, fleshy mouth feel and highly polished tannins. Finishes very long and suave, with a pretty smoky, floral note. I also had the opportunity to taste the pure bottlings of the 1998 Cheval's merlot and cabernet franc, and the cabernet franc was absolutely mesmerizing; the best of these lots went into the Cheval Blanc, and the wine is noticeably better than the Petit Cheval of the same year. That said, given the truly amazing quality of the cabernet franc this vintage, I am utterly convinced that having included more of it in Cheval Blanc's final blend would have turned this into one of the estate's five or six best wines ever. The 1998 vintage recorded temperatures close to the yearly averages throughout the growth cycle, and though not particularly hot, it was one of the drier years on record; the harvest took place from September 28 through October 6. Ian d'Agata. |
|
|
2000 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,147.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (11/2017): A wine of exquisite aromatic depth and grace, the 2000 Cheval Blanc is fully captivating. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. It’s frankly hard to move past the 2000 Cheval, because at this point, I want nothing to compete with it. Antonio Galloni.
WA 99 (6/2010): Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.
JD 98 (6/2019): Closed and backward over the past decade, the 2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc seems to have turned the corner and is drinking spectacularly well today, with the hallmark elegance and complexity of this estate front and center. Sweet red and black fruits, spice box, dried flowers, and forest floor notes all develop with time in the glass, and it has a balanced, resolved style on the palate that’s a joy to drink. The 2000 is blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, and while mature, it has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it.
VM 98 (2/2012): The 2000 Cheval Blanc was pure seduction. Espresso, plums and graphite were some of the many notes that emerged from this warm, expressive Cheval Blanc. Immensely harmonious and balanced, the 2000 was firing on all cylinders. Although I am quite sure the 2000 will continue to evolve positively, I also can't blame those who want to enjoy it today. Everything was simply in the right place.
VM 94+ (10/2011): (a blend of 53% merlot and 47% cabernet franc; 43 h/h): Deep ruby. Penetrating blackcurrant, menthol, herbal, cocoa and tobacco aromas. Rich, ripe and dense, with a chocolatey, voluptuous mouth feel but also plenty of acidity to provide lift to the blackcurrant, plum and licorice flavors. Dominated by its merlot component, this wine finishes long and suave, with lingering notes of blackberry and black truffle. Although it's hard to resist this wine's thick creamy fruit, amazing balance and very polished tannins, I find it lacks the sheer complexity of great vintages of Cheval Blanc in which cabernet franc is prevalent. Finishes very long, and still extremely young.
JS 94 (3/2011): A very nice nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, and flowers. Full bodied and smokey, with a meaty, mushroom, tobacco, and berry character. Wonderfully long, long finish to this muscular wine with fine tannins. This is still evolving but needs another five or six years. |
|
|
2000 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$13,490.98 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (11/2017): A wine of exquisite aromatic depth and grace, the 2000 Cheval Blanc is fully captivating. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. It’s frankly hard to move past the 2000 Cheval, because at this point, I want nothing to compete with it. Antonio Galloni.
WA 99 (6/2010): Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.
JD 98 (6/2019): Closed and backward over the past decade, the 2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc seems to have turned the corner and is drinking spectacularly well today, with the hallmark elegance and complexity of this estate front and center. Sweet red and black fruits, spice box, dried flowers, and forest floor notes all develop with time in the glass, and it has a balanced, resolved style on the palate that’s a joy to drink. The 2000 is blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, and while mature, it has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it.
VM 98 (2/2012): The 2000 Cheval Blanc was pure seduction. Espresso, plums and graphite were some of the many notes that emerged from this warm, expressive Cheval Blanc. Immensely harmonious and balanced, the 2000 was firing on all cylinders. Although I am quite sure the 2000 will continue to evolve positively, I also can't blame those who want to enjoy it today. Everything was simply in the right place.
VM 94+ (10/2011): (a blend of 53% merlot and 47% cabernet franc; 43 h/h): Deep ruby. Penetrating blackcurrant, menthol, herbal, cocoa and tobacco aromas. Rich, ripe and dense, with a chocolatey, voluptuous mouth feel but also plenty of acidity to provide lift to the blackcurrant, plum and licorice flavors. Dominated by its merlot component, this wine finishes long and suave, with lingering notes of blackberry and black truffle. Although it's hard to resist this wine's thick creamy fruit, amazing balance and very polished tannins, I find it lacks the sheer complexity of great vintages of Cheval Blanc in which cabernet franc is prevalent. Finishes very long, and still extremely young.
JS 94 (3/2011): A very nice nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, and flowers. Full bodied and smokey, with a meaty, mushroom, tobacco, and berry character. Wonderfully long, long finish to this muscular wine with fine tannins. This is still evolving but needs another five or six years. |
|
|
2000 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,745.98 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (11/2017): A wine of exquisite aromatic depth and grace, the 2000 Cheval Blanc is fully captivating. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. It’s frankly hard to move past the 2000 Cheval, because at this point, I want nothing to compete with it. Antonio Galloni.
WA 99 (6/2010): Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.
JD 98 (6/2019): Closed and backward over the past decade, the 2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc seems to have turned the corner and is drinking spectacularly well today, with the hallmark elegance and complexity of this estate front and center. Sweet red and black fruits, spice box, dried flowers, and forest floor notes all develop with time in the glass, and it has a balanced, resolved style on the palate that’s a joy to drink. The 2000 is blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, and while mature, it has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it.
VM 98 (2/2012): The 2000 Cheval Blanc was pure seduction. Espresso, plums and graphite were some of the many notes that emerged from this warm, expressive Cheval Blanc. Immensely harmonious and balanced, the 2000 was firing on all cylinders. Although I am quite sure the 2000 will continue to evolve positively, I also can't blame those who want to enjoy it today. Everything was simply in the right place.
VM 94+ (10/2011): (a blend of 53% merlot and 47% cabernet franc; 43 h/h): Deep ruby. Penetrating blackcurrant, menthol, herbal, cocoa and tobacco aromas. Rich, ripe and dense, with a chocolatey, voluptuous mouth feel but also plenty of acidity to provide lift to the blackcurrant, plum and licorice flavors. Dominated by its merlot component, this wine finishes long and suave, with lingering notes of blackberry and black truffle. Although it's hard to resist this wine's thick creamy fruit, amazing balance and very polished tannins, I find it lacks the sheer complexity of great vintages of Cheval Blanc in which cabernet franc is prevalent. Finishes very long, and still extremely young.
JS 94 (3/2011): A very nice nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, and flowers. Full bodied and smokey, with a meaty, mushroom, tobacco, and berry character. Wonderfully long, long finish to this muscular wine with fine tannins. This is still evolving but needs another five or six years. |
|
|
2001 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,145.97 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (6/2004): I was surprised by how soft, opulent, even voluptuous the 2001 Cheval Blanc performed out of bottle as this estate’s wines tend to shut down when young. Its deep ruby/purple color was accompanied by sweet aromas of cranberries, black currants, menthol, Asian spices, and underbrush. This seductive blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc reveals a lush sweetness, medium body, and ripe, well-integrated tannin. A racy effort filled with personality, it should be at its finest between 2007-2018. |
|
|
2005 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$14,234.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2015): The 2005 from Cheval Blanc is a quintessentially elegant, beautiful, deep bluish/ruby-colored wine from St.-Emilion, with raspberry, blueberry, and floral notes, impressive density, great precision, freshness and purity. Full-bodied, but extremely light on its feet, I don’t mean to gush, but it is super-intense, rich and just so meticulously crafted! This is another fabulous wine and a perfect expression for this vintage. It is difficult to forget the gorgeous blueberry and raspberry fruit, full body, sweet tannin, a multi-layered texture, and purity and palate presence of this stunning wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. In 2005, this was 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.
VM 100 (11/2015): The 2005 Cheval Blanc is another wine that is utterly mesmerizing from the moment it is opened. Exquisite in its aromatics, the 2005 Cheval is sublime on the palate, where the interplay of Merlot and Cabernet Franc proves to be captivating. In a night of truly spellbinding wines, the Cheval makes a deep impression because of its overall finesse and nuance. Along with the Margaux and Haut-Brion, the Cheval speaks to total refinement and polish. The Cheval is of course not one of the bigger, more imposing wines of the night, but it is among the most complete, which makes it the perfect wine to close out an incredible night. When we first opened the 2005, I thought it might very well be the wine of the night. A few hours later, it was every bit as impressive. Antonio Galloni.
JS 98 (11/2015): Always a fabulous nose of black fruit, dark chocolate, nuts and spices. It's full-bodied with beautifully dense tannins reminiscent of cashmere. A long, long finish rounds out this beautiful wine. It would be better to leave it alone until 2020 but so hard not to revel in its splendor now. |
|
|
2005 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,433.98 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2015): The 2005 from Cheval Blanc is a quintessentially elegant, beautiful, deep bluish/ruby-colored wine from St.-Emilion, with raspberry, blueberry, and floral notes, impressive density, great precision, freshness and purity. Full-bodied, but extremely light on its feet, I don’t mean to gush, but it is super-intense, rich and just so meticulously crafted! This is another fabulous wine and a perfect expression for this vintage. It is difficult to forget the gorgeous blueberry and raspberry fruit, full body, sweet tannin, a multi-layered texture, and purity and palate presence of this stunning wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. In 2005, this was 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.
VM 100 (11/2015): The 2005 Cheval Blanc is another wine that is utterly mesmerizing from the moment it is opened. Exquisite in its aromatics, the 2005 Cheval is sublime on the palate, where the interplay of Merlot and Cabernet Franc proves to be captivating. In a night of truly spellbinding wines, the Cheval makes a deep impression because of its overall finesse and nuance. Along with the Margaux and Haut-Brion, the Cheval speaks to total refinement and polish. The Cheval is of course not one of the bigger, more imposing wines of the night, but it is among the most complete, which makes it the perfect wine to close out an incredible night. When we first opened the 2005, I thought it might very well be the wine of the night. A few hours later, it was every bit as impressive. Antonio Galloni.
JS 98 (11/2015): Always a fabulous nose of black fruit, dark chocolate, nuts and spices. It's full-bodied with beautifully dense tannins reminiscent of cashmere. A long, long finish rounds out this beautiful wine. It would be better to leave it alone until 2020 but so hard not to revel in its splendor now. |
|
|
2005 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$13,801.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2015): The 2005 from Cheval Blanc is a quintessentially elegant, beautiful, deep bluish/ruby-colored wine from St.-Emilion, with raspberry, blueberry, and floral notes, impressive density, great precision, freshness and purity. Full-bodied, but extremely light on its feet, I don’t mean to gush, but it is super-intense, rich and just so meticulously crafted! This is another fabulous wine and a perfect expression for this vintage. It is difficult to forget the gorgeous blueberry and raspberry fruit, full body, sweet tannin, a multi-layered texture, and purity and palate presence of this stunning wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. In 2005, this was 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.
VM 100 (11/2015): The 2005 Cheval Blanc is another wine that is utterly mesmerizing from the moment it is opened. Exquisite in its aromatics, the 2005 Cheval is sublime on the palate, where the interplay of Merlot and Cabernet Franc proves to be captivating. In a night of truly spellbinding wines, the Cheval makes a deep impression because of its overall finesse and nuance. Along with the Margaux and Haut-Brion, the Cheval speaks to total refinement and polish. The Cheval is of course not one of the bigger, more imposing wines of the night, but it is among the most complete, which makes it the perfect wine to close out an incredible night. When we first opened the 2005, I thought it might very well be the wine of the night. A few hours later, it was every bit as impressive. Antonio Galloni.
JS 98 (11/2015): Always a fabulous nose of black fruit, dark chocolate, nuts and spices. It's full-bodied with beautifully dense tannins reminiscent of cashmere. A long, long finish rounds out this beautiful wine. It would be better to leave it alone until 2020 but so hard not to revel in its splendor now. |
|
|
2005 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$11,627.97 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2015): The 2005 from Cheval Blanc is a quintessentially elegant, beautiful, deep bluish/ruby-colored wine from St.-Emilion, with raspberry, blueberry, and floral notes, impressive density, great precision, freshness and purity. Full-bodied, but extremely light on its feet, I don’t mean to gush, but it is super-intense, rich and just so meticulously crafted! This is another fabulous wine and a perfect expression for this vintage. It is difficult to forget the gorgeous blueberry and raspberry fruit, full body, sweet tannin, a multi-layered texture, and purity and palate presence of this stunning wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. In 2005, this was 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.
VM 100 (11/2015): The 2005 Cheval Blanc is another wine that is utterly mesmerizing from the moment it is opened. Exquisite in its aromatics, the 2005 Cheval is sublime on the palate, where the interplay of Merlot and Cabernet Franc proves to be captivating. In a night of truly spellbinding wines, the Cheval makes a deep impression because of its overall finesse and nuance. Along with the Margaux and Haut-Brion, the Cheval speaks to total refinement and polish. The Cheval is of course not one of the bigger, more imposing wines of the night, but it is among the most complete, which makes it the perfect wine to close out an incredible night. When we first opened the 2005, I thought it might very well be the wine of the night. A few hours later, it was every bit as impressive. Antonio Galloni.
JS 98 (11/2015): Always a fabulous nose of black fruit, dark chocolate, nuts and spices. It's full-bodied with beautifully dense tannins reminiscent of cashmere. A long, long finish rounds out this beautiful wine. It would be better to leave it alone until 2020 but so hard not to revel in its splendor now. |
|
|
2007 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,873.98 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 92 (8/2010): Bright red-ruby. Perfumed aromas of violet, licorice and smoke. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with captivating inner-mouth perfume of berries, smoky oak and flowers. The broad, dusty tannins reach the front teeth. Doesn't possess the force or dimension of a great vintage but offers the advantage of early sweetness. Not particularly backward today, but there's more to come.
WA 91 (4/2010): A strong effort in this vintage, the evolved, perfumed, purple-tinged 2007 Cheval Blanc offers complex aromas of menthol, cedarwood, mulberries, and black currants. Medium-bodied with beautiful fruit, sweet tannin, and a heady finish, this lovely wine should drink well for 10-15 years. |
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2007 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,228.97 |
1 |
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VM 92 (8/2010): Bright red-ruby. Perfumed aromas of violet, licorice and smoke. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with captivating inner-mouth perfume of berries, smoky oak and flowers. The broad, dusty tannins reach the front teeth. Doesn't possess the force or dimension of a great vintage but offers the advantage of early sweetness. Not particularly backward today, but there's more to come.
WA 91 (4/2010): A strong effort in this vintage, the evolved, perfumed, purple-tinged 2007 Cheval Blanc offers complex aromas of menthol, cedarwood, mulberries, and black currants. Medium-bodied with beautiful fruit, sweet tannin, and a heady finish, this lovely wine should drink well for 10-15 years. |
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2009 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,433.98 |
2 |
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JD 100 (6/2019): Reminding me a little of the 2015, the 2009 Chateau Cheval Blanc is another powerful yet elegant wine that tops out on my scale. A huge nose of kirsch, cassis, flowery spices, forest floor, and tobacco all give way to a full-bodied, sweetly fruited 2009 that has no hard edges, perfect balance, integrated, perfectly ripe tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s one of those magical wines that carries enormous richness and depth yet stays weightless and ethereal on the palate. Bravo!
WA 100 (3/2019): Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cheval Blanc offers up profound notions of baked blueberries, blackberry compote and crème de cassis with suggestions of chocolate mint, new leather and cloves plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance with very classy, super fine-grained tannins, beautiful freshness and layer upon layer of mineral-laced blue and black fruits, finishing long and perfumed.
JS 99 (3/2019): Super-spicy, this is an extremely elegant 2009 with enormous concentration and finesse. The complex finish lights up the sky and you wonder how this spectacular ripeness could have been more perfectly expressed. Drink or hold.
VM 98 (3/2019): The 2009 Cheval Blanc has a rambunctious nose with copious red fruit, meat juices, sage and crushed stone aromas, ineffably complex. This is so refined, constantly mutating in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannin. There is a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cassis, cardamom and allspice. Immense depth and grip towards the finish expresses ripe Cabernet Franc. This is an outstanding 2009 destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin. |
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2009 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,291.98 |
4 |
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JD 100 (6/2019): Reminding me a little of the 2015, the 2009 Chateau Cheval Blanc is another powerful yet elegant wine that tops out on my scale. A huge nose of kirsch, cassis, flowery spices, forest floor, and tobacco all give way to a full-bodied, sweetly fruited 2009 that has no hard edges, perfect balance, integrated, perfectly ripe tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s one of those magical wines that carries enormous richness and depth yet stays weightless and ethereal on the palate. Bravo!
WA 100 (3/2019): Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cheval Blanc offers up profound notions of baked blueberries, blackberry compote and crème de cassis with suggestions of chocolate mint, new leather and cloves plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance with very classy, super fine-grained tannins, beautiful freshness and layer upon layer of mineral-laced blue and black fruits, finishing long and perfumed.
JS 99 (3/2019): Super-spicy, this is an extremely elegant 2009 with enormous concentration and finesse. The complex finish lights up the sky and you wonder how this spectacular ripeness could have been more perfectly expressed. Drink or hold.
VM 98 (3/2019): The 2009 Cheval Blanc has a rambunctious nose with copious red fruit, meat juices, sage and crushed stone aromas, ineffably complex. This is so refined, constantly mutating in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannin. There is a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of cassis, cardamom and allspice. Immense depth and grip towards the finish expresses ripe Cabernet Franc. This is an outstanding 2009 destined for long-term ageing. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin. |
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2011 |
St. Emilion (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,894.97 |
1 |
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JD 96 (6/2019): A vintage that’s being drunk with abandon in France these days, the 2011 Chateau Cheval Blanc showed beautifully, and the firm tannins that define this vintage are nowhere to be found here. Sweet black fruits, spice, incense, and exotic flowers define the bouquet and it has classic Cheval Blanc complexity. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, with sweet tannins and a great finish, it’s a beautiful Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.
WA 94 (8/2018): Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2011 Cheval Blanc features a nose of warm mulberries, preserved plums and figs with suggestions of dried herbs, dusty soil and underbrush plus a touch of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, taut and muscular in the mouth, it has a solid frame of chewy tannins supporting the restrained fruit and a long earth and Provence herbs-layered finish.
VM 94 (12/2019): The 2011 Cheval Blanc has a classic nose with blackberry, briary, cedar and pine aromas. The Cabernet Sauvignon makes its mark. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, still a little chalky as I remember, hints of blue fruit emerging with time. I admire the symmetry and poise of this Cheval Blanc and despite some broodiness on the finish, this is turning into a very promising wine from an oft-overlooked vintage. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at Berry, Brothers & Rudd. Neal Martin.
JS 94 (1/2014): A beautiful nose of ripe black fruits such blackberries, as well as cocoa, black truffle and mint. Full body with a solid core of very refined tannins that lasts for minutes. Very refined texture, especially for the vintage. 57% cabernet franc and 43% merlot. Try after seven to eight years. |
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2011 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,237.97 |
1 |
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JD 96 (6/2019): A vintage that’s being drunk with abandon in France these days, the 2011 Chateau Cheval Blanc showed beautifully, and the firm tannins that define this vintage are nowhere to be found here. Sweet black fruits, spice, incense, and exotic flowers define the bouquet and it has classic Cheval Blanc complexity. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, with sweet tannins and a great finish, it’s a beautiful Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.
WA 94 (8/2018): Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2011 Cheval Blanc features a nose of warm mulberries, preserved plums and figs with suggestions of dried herbs, dusty soil and underbrush plus a touch of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, taut and muscular in the mouth, it has a solid frame of chewy tannins supporting the restrained fruit and a long earth and Provence herbs-layered finish.
VM 94 (12/2019): The 2011 Cheval Blanc has a classic nose with blackberry, briary, cedar and pine aromas. The Cabernet Sauvignon makes its mark. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, still a little chalky as I remember, hints of blue fruit emerging with time. I admire the symmetry and poise of this Cheval Blanc and despite some broodiness on the finish, this is turning into a very promising wine from an oft-overlooked vintage. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at Berry, Brothers & Rudd. Neal Martin.
JS 94 (1/2014): A beautiful nose of ripe black fruits such blackberries, as well as cocoa, black truffle and mint. Full body with a solid core of very refined tannins that lasts for minutes. Very refined texture, especially for the vintage. 57% cabernet franc and 43% merlot. Try after seven to eight years. |
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2012 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,484.97 |
1 |
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JA 98 (3/2022): Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage and white pepper spice, this is a nuanced and sculputed wine, full of personality and grace. Not the depth of the truly great vintages at Cheval such as the 2010 or 2016, but this is one of the wines of the tasting, with layers of flavour that will take decades to fully unwind. 100% new oak.
VM 97 (1/2016): The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this vintage. Dark and almost brooding in style, the Cheval is a rare 2012 that absolutely demands cellaring. Smoke, tobacco, incense and dark spices open up with time, but the 2012 is a reticent, tannic wine that is only showing the barest hints of its ultimate potential. This is a magnificent showing and one of the clear highlights of the year. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96+ (6/2019): A step up over the 2011, the 2012 Chateau Cheval Blanc offers a similar medium to full-bodied, elegant style yet has slightly more freshness and purity. Smoked black fruits, cassis, tobacco leaf, and sappy flower notes all emerge from this thrillingly textured, balanced, focused 2012. It opens up with time in the glass, has ripe, sweet tannins, and it’s another one of those wines that offers pleasure today yet will cruise for decades. The final blend is the usual 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc. Readers should be happy to have bottles in their cellars.
WA 95+ (8/2018): Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Cheval Blanc reveals lovely cassis, warm black cherries and redcurrant jelly notions with underlying hints of cedar chest, garrigue, Indian spices and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses wonderful energy and freshness on the palate with a beautifully poised ethereal nature and long mineral-tinged finish. This elegantly crafted beauty should enter its drinking window in a couple of years and cellar gracefully for another 20+ years.
JS 94 (2/2015): A Cheval Blanc with an impressive center palate of blueberries, chocolate, almonds and spices. Full body, a solid core of fruit and a long, long finish. Goes on for minutes. Beautiful wine. Seamless tannins. Needs a few years of bottle age. Better in 2017. |
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2013 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,006.99 |
1 |
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| JS 94 (2/2016): This is has a very beautiful structure and length for a 2013. Full to medium body, ultra fine tannins and a long and lively finish. Impressive. Racy and refined. Tight still. Better in 2018 but pretty now. |
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2014 |
St. Emilion (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,613.98 |
4 |
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VM 96+ (2/2017): A wine of exceptional finesse, the 2014 Cheval Blanc lifts from the glass with captivating aromatics and sculpted red-fleshed fruit, all with the extra kick of acidity and overall freshness that are such a signature of this vintage. The 2014 is bright, finessed and persistent. It will almost certainly put on weight in bottle. I have a feeling something special is developing here. Antonio Galloni.
WA 96 (3/2017): The 2014 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. It has a very succinct, almost understated bouquet, here a mixture of red and black fruit, cold limestone and crushed rose petals (the latter observed when the wine was in barrel). It is not a set of aromatics that go out and grab your attention, rather the sophistication creeps up on you. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. Unlike the Deuxième Vin, there is real structure and backbone here, a gentle but insistent grip in the mouth. It errs towards black instead of red fruit, intermingling with sage and cumin, then segueing into a precise finish with a long, lingering ferrous finish (à la Pomerol!), finally a hint of oyster shell on the aftertaste. It is one of the most subtle Cheval Blancs that I have tasted in a long time, although it will doubtlessly be deceptively long lived. This is a serious Cheval Blanc for serious oenophiles.
JS 96 (2/2017): Aromas of strawberries, flowers and rose petals. Medium to full body and such beautiful polish and finesse. The texture is remarkably silky. It’s a wine all in elegance and harmony. Such length. Try in 2022 but already a joy to taste. |
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2014 |
St. Emilion (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,112.99 |
2 |
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VM 96+ (2/2017): A wine of exceptional finesse, the 2014 Cheval Blanc lifts from the glass with captivating aromatics and sculpted red-fleshed fruit, all with the extra kick of acidity and overall freshness that are such a signature of this vintage. The 2014 is bright, finessed and persistent. It will almost certainly put on weight in bottle. I have a feeling something special is developing here. Antonio Galloni.
WA 96 (3/2017): The 2014 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Merlot, picked from 19 September until 8 October. It has a very succinct, almost understated bouquet, here a mixture of red and black fruit, cold limestone and crushed rose petals (the latter observed when the wine was in barrel). It is not a set of aromatics that go out and grab your attention, rather the sophistication creeps up on you. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. Unlike the Deuxième Vin, there is real structure and backbone here, a gentle but insistent grip in the mouth. It errs towards black instead of red fruit, intermingling with sage and cumin, then segueing into a precise finish with a long, lingering ferrous finish (à la Pomerol!), finally a hint of oyster shell on the aftertaste. It is one of the most subtle Cheval Blancs that I have tasted in a long time, although it will doubtlessly be deceptively long lived. This is a serious Cheval Blanc for serious oenophiles.
JS 96 (2/2017): Aromas of strawberries, flowers and rose petals. Medium to full body and such beautiful polish and finesse. The texture is remarkably silky. It’s a wine all in elegance and harmony. Such length. Try in 2022 but already a joy to taste. |
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2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,749.99 |
5 |
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WA 100 (8/2018): Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is still incredibly primary at this very youthful stage. With coaxing, it unfurls to reveal beguiling notions of ripe black cherries, mulberries, licorice, baking spices and smoked meats with touches of incense and potpourri plus wafts of cast iron pan and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, very rich, very firm/taut and with very ripe, fine-grained tannins, it allows a glimpse at its incredible depth of flavors with a very long multi-layered finish. Wow.
VM 99 (2/2018): Totally seamless in the glass, with no beginning and no end, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is simply extraordinary. It's hard to describe the 2015, because all of its elements are so perfectly in place. Beautifully delineated aromatics make a strong opening statement. Vibrant and wonderfully nuanced on the palate, the wine exudes energy and vitality through to the persistent, silky finish. Many other 2015s speak with more assertiveness and volume, but Cheval Blanc is more understated. In 2015, Cheval Blanc created quite a stir in announcing that a whopping 91% of their crop would be bottled as Grand Vin. There will be no Petit Cheval, while the rest of the wine was sold internally. Antonio Galloni.
JS 99 (2/2018): Phenomenal aromas of cherries, flowers, blackberries and sandalwood. Pure fruit. Full-bodied, dense and polished with incredible tannin quality like the finest, densest silk ball. In perfect proportions. Compact. Seamless and endless. Gorgeous to taste now but give it six or seven years to understand it better.
JD 98 (6/2018): I continue to absolutely love the 2015 Chateau Cheval Blanc. It’s one of those powerful, sexy, yet also weightless and elegant wines that’s going to drink well all its life. Checking in as a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels, it offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors led by beautiful sweet fruits as well as incredible floral, spice, and graphite nuances. It’s full-bodied, with a rich, rounded, opulent texture, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster finish. As with a lot of 2015s, it has the sweetness of fruit and ripe tannin that allows it to drink well today, but it’s going to be very long-lived and have 3-4 decades of prime drinking. |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,723.99 |
1 |
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WA 100 (11/2018): The 2016 Cheval Blanc is blended of 59.5% Merlot, 37.2% Cabernet Franc and 3.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is incredibly youthful yet not so shy as some other 2016s at this stage, giving wonderfully intense scents of red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries and violets with nuances of star anise, cinnamon stick, rose hip tea, cigar box and wood smoke plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping elegance and depth, offering up layer upon layer of fragrant red and black fruits plus an extraordinary array of mineral sparks, supported by a rock-solid grainy texture, finishing with epic persistence and an edifying perfume. This is a very different style from the rich, opulently hedonic 2015, yet this wonderfully fragrant, beautifully poised and intellectually compelling 2016 is equally extraordinary.
VM 98 (8/2020): The 2016 Cheval Blanc has an exquisite bouquet of pixelated black and red fruit, crushed stone, violets and seamlessly integrated new oak; this is utterly seductive. The medium-bodied palate reveals a hint of marmalade on the entry. Powerful and dense, this is an impressive, almost heady nascent wine with plenty of grip and sinew toward the finish. Maybe it lacks that crystalline detail at the moment, but it is clearly a long-term proposition. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Neal Martin.
JD 97 (2/2019): The grand vin 2016 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as 60% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in new barrels, and this is the first year a replanted block of Cabernet Sauvignon has made the top cuvee. Compared to the 2001 by Pierre Lurton, it displays stunning aromatic fireworks with notions of blackcurrants, forest floor, iron bar, graphite, and spice all soaring from the glass. It develops more floral nuances with time in the glass and, as always with this cuvee, it’s all about complexity and elegance. More medium to full-bodied, with beautiful tannins and perfect balance, it’s a decidedly classic, focused, elegant wine from this estate that will keep for 3-4 decades.
JD 99 (1/2019): Wet earth and sliced, fresh mushrooms. Menthol. Dark berries, such as blackberries and blueberries. Full-bodied, dense and whole, but you don’t feel the tannins, even though it is so powerful and structured. Detailed and defined. Cashmere. Wonderful finish. Glorious young Cheval. Try after 2025, but so wonderful already. |
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2018 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$647.99 |
1 |
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WA 97-99 (4/2019): Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine, out of the 43 in production. Five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. The 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is more open at the core of the wine than the Le Petit Cheval, strutting out of the glass with bold, ripe black cherries, cassis, warm plums and raspberry preserves notes. With coaxing, a whole array of fragrant spice, floral and earth notes emerge, followed by candied violets, star anise, powdered cinnamon, iron ore, tapenade and truffles plus wafts of camphor and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm yet possesses a beautifully plush structure of velvety tannins wrapping round the densely packed, complex, fragrant fruit, with seamless freshness and a very long, layered finish.
VM 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Cheval Blanc is dazzling. Creamy, supple and inviting, the 2018 is endowed with phenomenal balance. The tannins and overall structure are imposing, and yet the richness of the fruit and perfect ripeness of the tannin really stand out. In 2018, Cheval is a bit richer than is often the case, but that is not at all a bad thing. I am struck by how much freshness and energy the 2018 has. Hints of lavender, spice and licorice add shades of nuance, but it is the wine's overall sense of harmony that leaves the strongest impression. A precise counterpoint of fruit richness and finesse makes for a truly unforgettable Cheval Blanc. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Cheval Blanc is another magical wine from this estate and is certainly in the same league as the 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2015. A blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, its deep purple color is followed by a thrillingly complex bouquet of red and black fruits, smoked herbs, liquid flowers, and incense. Possessing medium to full body, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a terrific mid-palate, and a great finish, it shows the sunny, sexy style of the vintage yet has incredible purity and precision at the same time. It will be accessible with just short-term cellaring yet evolve for 30-40 years.
JS 98-99 (4/2019): What strikes you is how aromatic this already is at this stage. Complex and decadent, showing lots of dark berries, smoked meat, wet earth, and dried leaves. Decadent. Full-bodied with very ripe and polished, velvety tannins. Great finish. |
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2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,559.99 |
1 |
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WA 97-99 (4/2019): Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine, out of the 43 in production. Five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. The 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is more open at the core of the wine than the Le Petit Cheval, strutting out of the glass with bold, ripe black cherries, cassis, warm plums and raspberry preserves notes. With coaxing, a whole array of fragrant spice, floral and earth notes emerge, followed by candied violets, star anise, powdered cinnamon, iron ore, tapenade and truffles plus wafts of camphor and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm yet possesses a beautifully plush structure of velvety tannins wrapping round the densely packed, complex, fragrant fruit, with seamless freshness and a very long, layered finish.
VM 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Cheval Blanc is dazzling. Creamy, supple and inviting, the 2018 is endowed with phenomenal balance. The tannins and overall structure are imposing, and yet the richness of the fruit and perfect ripeness of the tannin really stand out. In 2018, Cheval is a bit richer than is often the case, but that is not at all a bad thing. I am struck by how much freshness and energy the 2018 has. Hints of lavender, spice and licorice add shades of nuance, but it is the wine's overall sense of harmony that leaves the strongest impression. A precise counterpoint of fruit richness and finesse makes for a truly unforgettable Cheval Blanc. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Cheval Blanc is another magical wine from this estate and is certainly in the same league as the 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2015. A blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, its deep purple color is followed by a thrillingly complex bouquet of red and black fruits, smoked herbs, liquid flowers, and incense. Possessing medium to full body, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a terrific mid-palate, and a great finish, it shows the sunny, sexy style of the vintage yet has incredible purity and precision at the same time. It will be accessible with just short-term cellaring yet evolve for 30-40 years.
JS 98-99 (4/2019): What strikes you is how aromatic this already is at this stage. Complex and decadent, showing lots of dark berries, smoked meat, wet earth, and dried leaves. Decadent. Full-bodied with very ripe and polished, velvety tannins. Great finish. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,920.99 |
1 |
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WA 100 (4/2022): One of the unequivocally great wines of the vintage is the 2019 Cheval Blanc, a stunning young Saint-emilion that wafts from the glass with aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with notions of lilac, pipe tobacco, violets, raw cocoa, licorice, crushed mint and burning embers. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's deep and intense, with beautifully rich, powdery tannins and vibrant flavors. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this rivals the 2016 as the finest Cheval Blanc of the decade, and in many respects it might be thought of as the latter vintage's sun-kissed cousin. Bravo to Pierre-Olivier Clouet and his team!
VM 100 (2/2022): The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a stunning, riveting wine. There is simply nothing like a great Cheval in all of Bordeaux. Soaring aromatics are immediately alluring. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, espresso and dried herbs build in a Cheval that possesses tremendous layers and exceptional balance. Clean, mineral notes lend tension and drive. The 2019 is a bit strict today and not ready to show all its cards, but it is very clearly a special, special wine in the making. In 2019, the Grand Vin represents 82.5% of the estate’s production, a very high amount by any measure. I wouldn’t dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. The 2019 is an eternal Cheval Blanc. Drink: 2034-2059. Antonio Galloni.
JS 100 (3/2022): Blackcurrants, cassis, graphite and earth on the nose, then changing to roses, violets and berries. Full-bodied with incredible energy of fine tannins and lively acidity. It grows on the palate and escalates to the summit of perfect wine. Very powerful at the end. Holding back and a great finish. Quantity and quality. Menthol. Cool. One of the greatest young Cheval Blancs I have ever tasted. 58% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Great finish. Give it time. Try after 2028.
JD 99 (4/2022): Reminding me slightly of the 1990, the 2019 Château Cheval Blanc is a brilliant, brilliant wine from this estate that’s up there with the true greats. It shows the purity, finesse, and elegance of the vintage beautifully yet backs it up with density, concentration, and depth, revealing a stunning nose of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, new saddle leather, and spring flowers, with absolutely perfect ripeness. As complex and nuanced as only Cheval Blanc can be, even at this young age, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, abundant opulence, fat, and sweetness, polished tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's almost in a class all its own. It deserves at least 5-7 years of bottle age and will shine for 30+ years. Hats off to Pierre-Olivier Clouet, who continues to keep this estate at the top of the pyramid in Saint-Emilion! |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,150.97 |
2 |
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JD 100 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form.
VM 99 (2/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JA 99 (5/2021): Spice, anis, rosemary, blackcurrant leaf, redcurrants, mint and peonies - the full array of aromatics are on display here, and there is an enveloping aspect to the fruit once you get to the body of the wine. The tannins are compact and powerful but they are wrapped in plump raspberry and blackberry brambled fruits. The wine feels full of life, with acidity that pulls the palate forward from the first moment, before austerity kicks in on the finish and closes things in, suggesting an extremely long life ahead. Hard to argue with this. 71% of overall production. The driest year at Cheval Blanc for 50 years (since 1959). Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points.
WA 96 (4/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, plums and cherries mingled with hints of rose petals, licorice, sweet spices and lilac. Full-bodied, broad and voluptuous, it's layered and fleshy, with a ripe core of fruit, sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. While purists will gravitate toward the purer and more precise and perfumed 2019, the 2020 will appeal to readers who love the richest, most powerful expressions of Cheval Blanc. |
|
|
2020 |
St. Emilion (6X750ML) 6-Bottle OWC |
$3,500 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form.
VM 99 (2/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JA 99 (5/2021): Spice, anis, rosemary, blackcurrant leaf, redcurrants, mint and peonies - the full array of aromatics are on display here, and there is an enveloping aspect to the fruit once you get to the body of the wine. The tannins are compact and powerful but they are wrapped in plump raspberry and blackberry brambled fruits. The wine feels full of life, with acidity that pulls the palate forward from the first moment, before austerity kicks in on the finish and closes things in, suggesting an extremely long life ahead. Hard to argue with this. 71% of overall production. The driest year at Cheval Blanc for 50 years (since 1959). Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points.
WA 96 (4/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, plums and cherries mingled with hints of rose petals, licorice, sweet spices and lilac. Full-bodied, broad and voluptuous, it's layered and fleshy, with a ripe core of fruit, sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. While purists will gravitate toward the purer and more precise and perfumed 2019, the 2020 will appeal to readers who love the richest, most powerful expressions of Cheval Blanc. |
|
|
2020 |
St. Emilion (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,636.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form.
VM 99 (2/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JA 99 (5/2021): Spice, anis, rosemary, blackcurrant leaf, redcurrants, mint and peonies - the full array of aromatics are on display here, and there is an enveloping aspect to the fruit once you get to the body of the wine. The tannins are compact and powerful but they are wrapped in plump raspberry and blackberry brambled fruits. The wine feels full of life, with acidity that pulls the palate forward from the first moment, before austerity kicks in on the finish and closes things in, suggesting an extremely long life ahead. Hard to argue with this. 71% of overall production. The driest year at Cheval Blanc for 50 years (since 1959). Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points.
WA 96 (4/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, plums and cherries mingled with hints of rose petals, licorice, sweet spices and lilac. Full-bodied, broad and voluptuous, it's layered and fleshy, with a ripe core of fruit, sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. While purists will gravitate toward the purer and more precise and perfumed 2019, the 2020 will appeal to readers who love the richest, most powerful expressions of Cheval Blanc. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion |
$449 |
3 |
|
| |
VM 95-97 (5/2022): The 2021 Cheval Blanc was picked between September 22 and October 14, and for the first time in many years there is a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc. This has a lovely bouquet, very clean and precise, featuring black cherry, wild mint, sous-bois and orange sorbet, all vivacious and very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite structured and very linear and strict. A bit like Ausone, this is an uncompromising Cheval Blanc, very saline and marine-influenced. While not as flattering as the 2020, it will appeal more to those who prefer a cerebral Cheval Blanc. One of the stars of the Right Bank in this challenging growing season. Neal Martin.
WA 95-97 (4/2022): A terrific achievement, the 2021 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, vine smoke, rose petals and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with an elegantly muscular chassis of ripe, powdery tannin and lively animating acids. Long and penetrating, this is a serious, rather structured young Cheval Blanc that will require and reward patience. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$607.99 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion 2023 en Primeur Release |
$675 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,618.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
|
|
2022 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,594.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97-99+ (5/2023): One of the stars of the vintage is the striking 2022 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, cherries and wild berries mingled with mint, orange zest, pencil lead, vine smoke and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and gourmand, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, pungently perfumed finish. Harvest began on 29 August, with all the Merlot picked before the month was out, and the result is a wine that is as vibrant as it is lavish.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): I was able to taste the 2022 Château Cheval Blanc in its individual components as well as a final blend, which is incredibly insightful when trying to understand a young barrel sample. The final blend is 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is similar to the 2010), and as always, it's resting in new barrels. A deep, concentrated, structured Cheval Blanc, it has beautiful cassis, violets, flowers, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2022 that stays tight, focused, and firm on the palate, with very little in the way of baby fat, yet the tannins are fine and polished. With a stacked mid-palate and a great finish, this masculine, structured, dense, powerful 2022 is going to need a decade or more of bottle age, but it should be brilliant. |
|
| Domaine de Chevalier |
1982 |
Pessac Leognan Top-Shoulder Fill; Bin-Soiled Label |
$139 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 83 (8/2002): Moderately saturated medium red. Aromatic nose of leather, coffee grounds and current leaf, with a distinct green component. Then firm but a bit hollow, with a sour quality and a green edge on the end. Avoids hardness but gives little pleasure.
WA 69 (6/2000): Medium ruby with amber at the edge, this wine offers up vegetal, green aromas intertwined with scents of minerals, toasty new oak, and washed-out red currant fruit. Thin, sharp, attenuated, and drying out, Domaine de Chevalier's 1982 is a failure for the vintage. |
|
|
1982 |
Pessac Leognan Top-Shoulder Fill; Nicked Capsule; Very Heavily Bin-Soiled Label |
$139 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 83 (8/2002): Moderately saturated medium red. Aromatic nose of leather, coffee grounds and current leaf, with a distinct green component. Then firm but a bit hollow, with a sour quality and a green edge on the end. Avoids hardness but gives little pleasure.
WA 69 (6/2000): Medium ruby with amber at the edge, this wine offers up vegetal, green aromas intertwined with scents of minerals, toasty new oak, and washed-out red currant fruit. Thin, sharp, attenuated, and drying out, Domaine de Chevalier's 1982 is a failure for the vintage. |
|
|
1982 |
Pessac Leognan Base Neck Fill; Bin-Soiled Label |
$139 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 83 (8/2002): Moderately saturated medium red. Aromatic nose of leather, coffee grounds and current leaf, with a distinct green component. Then firm but a bit hollow, with a sour quality and a green edge on the end. Avoids hardness but gives little pleasure.
WA 69 (6/2000): Medium ruby with amber at the edge, this wine offers up vegetal, green aromas intertwined with scents of minerals, toasty new oak, and washed-out red currant fruit. Thin, sharp, attenuated, and drying out, Domaine de Chevalier's 1982 is a failure for the vintage. |
|
|
2001 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,344.98 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (6/2004): Deep ruby/purple-colored with classic aromas of smoke, earth, black cherries, and creme de cassis, this elegant, layered 2001 possesses Outstanding depth and richness as well as impeccable finesse, well-integrated wood, and a long, concentrated finish. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016. |
|
|
2004 |
Pessac Leognan (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$975.99 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 90 (6/2007): Thankfully, this estate appears to have scaled down their use of new oak as the wood component is much more subtle than in previous vintages. The classic southern Graves version of elegance, the 2004 Domaine de Chevalier exhibits aromas of lead pencil shavings, sweet cherry and strawberry fruit, cedar, spice, and subtle smoke. Medium-bodied with Outstanding purity, richness, and texture, this soft, round beauty is ideal for drinking over the next 15+ years.
VM 90 (6/2007): Good ruby-red. Expressive aromas of plum, redcurrant, tobacco and gravel. Supple and juicy, with good energy to the flavors of cassis, flowers and tobacco. Very savory wine with subtle sweetness of fruit. Finishes broad and sweet but quite firm, with sneaky length. |
|
|
2006 |
Pessac Leognan (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,394.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 92 (2/2009): The brilliant St.-Emilion-based consultant, Stephane Derenoncourt, is working his magic at this great vineyard in Leognan. The 2006, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, is a revelation of sweet, lush, black raspberry and black currant fruit intermixed with subtle notes of scorched earth and barbecue spices. Round, luscious, sexy, and exceptionally complex, the wine is dominated by that smoky minerality that comes from this area. It is the quintessentially elegant yet substantial Pessac-Leognan with class, complexity, and potential. Despite wanting to drink most of the bottle when I was tasting it, I know it will be even better with 2-4 years of bottle age, and should keep for two decades.
VM 91 (6/2009): Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, licorice, tobacco and cedary oak on the nose. Dense and fine-grained, with a distinctly cool quality to the black fruit and floral flavors. Pliant in the middle palate but with cedar, floral and herbal notes providing very good lift. This rich, chewy wine boasts lovely depth of flavor and finishes with sweet tannins and noteworthy energy. |
|
|
2009 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,427.98 |
13 |
|
| |
WA 95 (2/2012): In late 2011, I had the last bottle in my cellar of the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier. Much to my surprise, it was still holding on to life and remained gorgeously complex in that ethereal Graves style. The 2009, one of the finest Domaine de Chevaliers yet produced, reveals a striking bouquet of burning embers, sweet cherry, black and red currant fruit, spice box, cedar and lead pencil shavings. The tannins are sweet in this fleshy, full-bodied offering. It is built on the notion of extraordinary harmony, elegance and complexity. While not the most concentrated or flamboyant 2009, its intense aromas are already reasonably evolved and its lusciousness and balance are terrific. Made from an interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, its yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare were slightly higher than many of its neighbors achieved. Drink it over the next 25 years.
VM 93+ (7/2012): Bright, medium ruby-red. Nuanced, expressive nose combines dark cherry, redcurrant, mocha, graphite, cedar and hot bricks. Plush on entry, then sweet but firm in the middle, with a solid mineral spine giving shape to the fine-grained dark berry and cedar flavors. This wonderfully glossy wine boasts excellent structure on the subtly long back end, with its ripe cabernet sauvignon component much more apparent today than its merlot. |
|
|
2009 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$755.97 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 95 (2/2012): In late 2011, I had the last bottle in my cellar of the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier. Much to my surprise, it was still holding on to life and remained gorgeously complex in that ethereal Graves style. The 2009, one of the finest Domaine de Chevaliers yet produced, reveals a striking bouquet of burning embers, sweet cherry, black and red currant fruit, spice box, cedar and lead pencil shavings. The tannins are sweet in this fleshy, full-bodied offering. It is built on the notion of extraordinary harmony, elegance and complexity. While not the most concentrated or flamboyant 2009, its intense aromas are already reasonably evolved and its lusciousness and balance are terrific. Made from an interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, its yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare were slightly higher than many of its neighbors achieved. Drink it over the next 25 years.
VM 93+ (7/2012): Bright, medium ruby-red. Nuanced, expressive nose combines dark cherry, redcurrant, mocha, graphite, cedar and hot bricks. Plush on entry, then sweet but firm in the middle, with a solid mineral spine giving shape to the fine-grained dark berry and cedar flavors. This wonderfully glossy wine boasts excellent structure on the subtly long back end, with its ripe cabernet sauvignon component much more apparent today than its merlot. |
|
|
2010 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,349.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 96 (2/2013): Dark fruits such as raspberries and blueberries with subtle perfume on the nose. Full body, with super well-integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Racy young wine. Shows classy structure and richness. Try in 2018.
WA 95 (2/2013): This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Leognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the 2009. An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more.
VM 93+ (8/2013): Saturated, bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of cassis, plum and minerals, plus a hint of hot stones. Then juicy but tight and imploded in the mouth, showing terrific concentration and grip to its flavors of black fruits, minerals and licorice. Very cabernet in its precision and cut. Finishes with a solid spine for two or three decades of positive evolution in bottle. I would not want to touch this until at least 2020. |
|
|
2011 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$526.99 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 94 (4/2014): A spectacular effort, especially for this challenging vintage, Olivier Bernard’s 2011 Domaine de Chevalier boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of subtle charcoal, graphite, black currants and black cherries. Rich and full-bodied with a multilayered mouthfeel and a long, complex, stunning finish, this is a profound example of a 2011 from a great terroir. Consume it over the next 20 years.
JS 92 (2/2014): This is a rich wine for the vintage with mineral, raspberry and lemongrass character. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. Need three or four years to come together.
VM 90+ (7/2014): Ruby-red. Perfumed, fruity aromas of blackcurrant, minerals and violet. Very fresh and fruity on the palate as well, with bright blackcurrant and floral flavors lingering nicely through the aftertaste. Boasts sneaky concentration and building sweetness. The finish features very polished tannins and none of the harshness or green character of so many other 2011s. Ian d'Agata. |
|
|
2013 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$579.98 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 93 (2/2016): This is excellent. Blueberry, black currant and stone aromas and flavors. Medium body, lovely density, fine tannins and a bright finish. A triumph for the vintage. Drink or hold.
VM 91-94 (4/2014): Graphite, smoke, plums and violets meld together in the 2013 Domaine de Chevalier. One of the most impressive wines of the year, the 2013 stands out for its energy, delineation and brilliant textural balance. With a little time in the glass, the 2013 opens up beautifully, showing off its multi-faceted personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. Violets, sage and new leather add the final layers of complexity to what is easily one of the wines of the vintage. The 2013 has been striking the three times I have tasted it. In 2013, the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Antonio Galloni.
WA 90 (10/2016): The 2013 Domaine de Chevalier has a refined bouquet, laid back and languorous with blackberry, briary notes, a touch of bay leaf developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, quite edgy tannin, nicely balanced and fresh with a simple but harmonious finish. It's the kind of 2013 that you'll just enjoy as a fine Claret, leaving you with a smile on your face. This constitutes a very commendable effort in such a challenging vintage, the bottom line being that it is one of the most pleasurable releases in 2013. |
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2013 |
Pessac Leognan (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$700.98 |
12 |
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| |
JS 93 (2/2016): This is excellent. Blueberry, black currant and stone aromas and flavors. Medium body, lovely density, fine tannins and a bright finish. A triumph for the vintage. Drink or hold.
VM 91-94 (4/2014): Graphite, smoke, plums and violets meld together in the 2013 Domaine de Chevalier. One of the most impressive wines of the year, the 2013 stands out for its energy, delineation and brilliant textural balance. With a little time in the glass, the 2013 opens up beautifully, showing off its multi-faceted personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. Violets, sage and new leather add the final layers of complexity to what is easily one of the wines of the vintage. The 2013 has been striking the three times I have tasted it. In 2013, the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Antonio Galloni.
WA 90 (10/2016): The 2013 Domaine de Chevalier has a refined bouquet, laid back and languorous with blackberry, briary notes, a touch of bay leaf developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, quite edgy tannin, nicely balanced and fresh with a simple but harmonious finish. It's the kind of 2013 that you'll just enjoy as a fine Claret, leaving you with a smile on your face. This constitutes a very commendable effort in such a challenging vintage, the bottom line being that it is one of the most pleasurable releases in 2013. |
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2014 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$756.98 |
4 |
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| |
| JD 94 (11/2017): A blend of 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot, harvest quite late, the 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is more refined and understated than the 2015 yet still offers more opulence, texture, and mid-palate depth than most in the vintage. Revealing a deep ruby, opaque color and a gorgeous array of blackberries, black cherries, smoked earth, forest floor, and tobacco leaf, this beauty offers full-bodied richness, a layered, silky texture, perfect balance and a great finish. It has the class and balance to offer incredible pleasure today, yet will keep for another two decades. |
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2014 |
Pessac Leognan (6X1.5L) 6-magnum OWC |
$900 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (11/2017): A blend of 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot, harvest quite late, the 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is more refined and understated than the 2015 yet still offers more opulence, texture, and mid-palate depth than most in the vintage. Revealing a deep ruby, opaque color and a gorgeous array of blackberries, black cherries, smoked earth, forest floor, and tobacco leaf, this beauty offers full-bodied richness, a layered, silky texture, perfect balance and a great finish. It has the class and balance to offer incredible pleasure today, yet will keep for another two decades. |
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2015 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,371.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 97 (11/2017): I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannin and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades. (Drink between 2022-2052).
WA 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish.
VM 94 (6/2025): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has a typical nose from this Pessac-Léognan estate. It's understated but beguiling, with cedar, undergrowth-tinged red fruit and just a subtle background dab of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is fleshy for a Domaine de Chevalier and perhaps has less grip. A judicious dash of black pepper enlivens the finish and there is a bit more persistence than I recall. The 2015 is delicious from the start. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index. (Drink between 2025-2048). Neal Martin. |
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2015 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$472.99 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 97 (11/2017): I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannin and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades. (Drink between 2022-2052).
WA 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish.
VM 94 (6/2025): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has a typical nose from this Pessac-Léognan estate. It's understated but beguiling, with cedar, undergrowth-tinged red fruit and just a subtle background dab of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is fleshy for a Domaine de Chevalier and perhaps has less grip. A judicious dash of black pepper enlivens the finish and there is a bit more persistence than I recall. The 2015 is delicious from the start. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index. (Drink between 2025-2048). Neal Martin. |
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2015 |
Pessac Leognan (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$474 |
1 |
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| |
JD 97 (11/2017): I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannin and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades. (Drink between 2022-2052).
WA 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish.
VM 94 (6/2025): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has a typical nose from this Pessac-Léognan estate. It's understated but beguiling, with cedar, undergrowth-tinged red fruit and just a subtle background dab of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is fleshy for a Domaine de Chevalier and perhaps has less grip. A judicious dash of black pepper enlivens the finish and there is a bit more persistence than I recall. The 2015 is delicious from the start. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index. (Drink between 2025-2048). Neal Martin. |
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2015 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-Magnum OWC |
$555 |
1 |
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| |
JD 97 (11/2017): I was able to taste the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier twice and it showed sensationally both times. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was harvested between October 1st and October 15th, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort has soaring aromatics of caramelized black cherries, cassis, lead pencil shavings, and forest floor. Deep, full-bodied, intense and beautifully pure, with fine tannin and moderate acidity, it’s a gorgeous Pessac-Leognan that needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will evolve for three decades. (Drink between 2022-2052).
WA 95 (2/2018): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish.
VM 94 (6/2025): The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has a typical nose from this Pessac-Léognan estate. It's understated but beguiling, with cedar, undergrowth-tinged red fruit and just a subtle background dab of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is fleshy for a Domaine de Chevalier and perhaps has less grip. A judicious dash of black pepper enlivens the finish and there is a bit more persistence than I recall. The 2015 is delicious from the start. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index. (Drink between 2025-2048). Neal Martin. |
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2017 |
Pessac Leognan (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$222.99 |
5 |
|
| |
JS 96 (12/2019): Lots of blueberry, hot-stone, slate and walnut aromas. Terracotta, too. Iodine. Full-bodied, round and dense with layers of fine tannins. Lovely depth and intensity. Extremely long and focused. Needs three or four years of bottle age just to start. Try after 2024.
JD 95 (2/2020): A gem that readers should snatch up is unquestionably the 2017 Domaine De Chevalier, which is based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in just 35% new French oak. This deeply colored effort offers classic blackberry and blackcurrant fruits as well as medium to full body, complex notes of tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This is a classy, flawlessly balanced 2017 that offers up pleasure even today, yet it will keep for 30+ years. Having just had the good fortune to drink a bottle of the 1920, now at 100 years after the vintage, the longevity of this cuvee should not be underestimated.
WA 94 (3/2020): The 2017 Domaine de Chevalier is deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of baked plums, black cherry compote, fruitcake and violets plus wafts of fragrant earth and rosehip tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has loads of fruit with plush, rounded tannins and a lively finish. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, this vintage spent 18 months in French oak, 35% new.
VM 93 (2/2020): The 2017 Domaine de Chevalier was impressive from barrel. Bottled since June 2019, it has clearly retained that gorgeous nose with delineated scents of blackberry, black olive, shucked oyster shells and orange rind. Wonderful vigour here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, lithe and very focused. It is not a powerful nor indeed a long-term Domaine de Chevalier, ergo my lower score than 2016. Bottom line is that it is just a delicious wine to consume. Still, it will offer 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Neal Martin. |
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2018 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$889.99 |
2 |
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| |
WA 94-96+ (4/2019): This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot to be aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 35% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier starts a little closed before bounding out of the glass with bold expressions of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, black raspberries and fragrant earth plus nuances of lilacs, Sichuan pepper and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate maintains elegance and sophistication, with a lovely ripe, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness to back up the floral and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed.
VM 94-97 (5/2019): The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier is magnificent. Bright, lifted and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. Olivier Bernard turned out a dazzling Domaine de Chevalier in 2018 that speaks to precision and nuance above all else. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and crushed rocks add striking aromatic top notes to this stunning, breathtakingly beautiful wine. The tannins need time to soften, but I doubt readers will be in a rush. The 2018 is simply majestic - that's all there is to it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98 (5/2019): Possibly one of the finest wines ever to come from the Bernard family’s flagship estate near Leognan, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier checks in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that hit 13.5% alcohol and will spend 18 months in just 35% new French oak. Its saturated purple/plum color is followed by a mammoth bouquet of cassis, black currants, gravelly earth, smoked herbs, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, brilliantly balanced, and seriously concentrated, it has polished tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s a heavenly Graves that will keep for 30+ years.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth and beauty. 65 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 30 per cent merlot and 5 per cent petit verdot. Greatest ever? |
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2018 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-Magnum OWC |
$555 |
1 |
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| |
WA 94-96+ (4/2019): This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot to be aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 35% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier starts a little closed before bounding out of the glass with bold expressions of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, black raspberries and fragrant earth plus nuances of lilacs, Sichuan pepper and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate maintains elegance and sophistication, with a lovely ripe, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness to back up the floral and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed.
VM 94-97 (5/2019): The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier is magnificent. Bright, lifted and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. Olivier Bernard turned out a dazzling Domaine de Chevalier in 2018 that speaks to precision and nuance above all else. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and crushed rocks add striking aromatic top notes to this stunning, breathtakingly beautiful wine. The tannins need time to soften, but I doubt readers will be in a rush. The 2018 is simply majestic - that's all there is to it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98 (5/2019): Possibly one of the finest wines ever to come from the Bernard family’s flagship estate near Leognan, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier checks in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that hit 13.5% alcohol and will spend 18 months in just 35% new French oak. Its saturated purple/plum color is followed by a mammoth bouquet of cassis, black currants, gravelly earth, smoked herbs, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, brilliantly balanced, and seriously concentrated, it has polished tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s a heavenly Graves that will keep for 30+ years.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth and beauty. 65 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 30 per cent merlot and 5 per cent petit verdot. Greatest ever? |
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2019 |
Pessac Leognan (3.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$415.98 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 97 (4/2022): I loved the 2019 Domaine De Chevalier, which is unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that saw just 35% new oak, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a killer, quintessential Graves bouquet of darker black fruits, scorched earth, truffle, cold fireplace, tobacco, and graphite. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has brilliant purity, ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It's not a blockbuster but has this incredible sense of class, balance, and finesse while being rich and concentrated. It's a gorgeous wine, and wine lovers will adore being able to compare this side by side with the 2015, 2016, and 2018 over the coming 3-4 decades. (Drink between 2022-2062)
WA 97 (4/2022): The 2019 Domaine de Chevalier is a magical wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild plums, crushed blackcurrants and violets mingled with hints of pencil shavings, subtle spices and coniferous forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a vibrant core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins and lively acids, it's exquisitely elegant and harmonious, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. Stylistically, this wine exhibits a much closer affinity with the great Domaine de Chevalier of yesteryear than much of what was produced here in the early 2000s. It's a masterclass in what contemporary Bordeaux can deliver, and worth a special effort to seek out.
VM 97 (2/2023): The 2019 Domaine de Chevalier has a precise and complex bouquet with blackberry, cedar and tobacco scents, quite Médoc-like in style. This is thoroughly engaging. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, exquisitely integrated oak, fleshy and fine-boned with a precise finish. This is outstanding. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2025-2055). Neal Martin.
JA 95 (10/2021): This is just gorgeous, you see exactly where it is going, with waves of unfussy but powerful black fruit aromatics, a beautiful wine that is full of density and complexity, pared back with restrained cassis and bilberry at this point. Hints of cocoa bean, tobacco, slate, truffle and smoked earth coming through, that will no doubt build over the next few years in bottle. Tasted twice, two months apart, both times hugely successful, easy to recommend. In organic conversion. |
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2020 |
Pessac Leognan (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$790.98 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 98+ (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier is brilliant. Bright, poised and wonderfully pure, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier marries the radiance of the year with tremendous freshness. Red cherry fruit, blood orange, mint, star anise and cinnamon all meld together. The 2020 is a wine built on aromatic presence and persistence, more so than heft, with all the elements very nicely balanced. What a wine! Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier comes skipping out of the glass with energetic scents of ripe red and black currants, fresh blackberries and boysenberries, plus nuances of wild sage, cloves and cedar with a waft of lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate surprises and delights with an unexpected richness and depth that remains locked away on the nose, revealing layers of fragrant earth and floral notions framed by fantastic freshness and firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with the most gorgeous, long-lingering perfume.
JS 96-97 (4/2021): Iron, black mushroom and dark berry with some burnt orange peel. Flowers, too. It’s full-bodied with round tannins that turn linear and tight at the end. Excellent energy. Brightness and purity. |
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2020 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$909.98 |
8 |
|
| |
JD 98+ (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier is brilliant. Bright, poised and wonderfully pure, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier marries the radiance of the year with tremendous freshness. Red cherry fruit, blood orange, mint, star anise and cinnamon all meld together. The 2020 is a wine built on aromatic presence and persistence, more so than heft, with all the elements very nicely balanced. What a wine! Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier comes skipping out of the glass with energetic scents of ripe red and black currants, fresh blackberries and boysenberries, plus nuances of wild sage, cloves and cedar with a waft of lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate surprises and delights with an unexpected richness and depth that remains locked away on the nose, revealing layers of fragrant earth and floral notions framed by fantastic freshness and firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with the most gorgeous, long-lingering perfume.
JS 96-97 (4/2021): Iron, black mushroom and dark berry with some burnt orange peel. Flowers, too. It’s full-bodied with round tannins that turn linear and tight at the end. Excellent energy. Brightness and purity. |
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2020 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-magnum OWC |
$465 |
1 |
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| |
JD 98+ (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Domaine De Chevalier ratchets everything up another notch and will be one of the legendary wines from this address. Notes of pure cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth define its incredible aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is pure, classic, regal Pessac-Léognan is as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years and it will evolve for 50, 60, 70+ years. I absolutely love this wine. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.
VM 96 (2/2023): The 2020 Domaine de Chevalier is brilliant. Bright, poised and wonderfully pure, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier marries the radiance of the year with tremendous freshness. Red cherry fruit, blood orange, mint, star anise and cinnamon all meld together. The 2020 is a wine built on aromatic presence and persistence, more so than heft, with all the elements very nicely balanced. What a wine! Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Domaine de Chevalier comes skipping out of the glass with energetic scents of ripe red and black currants, fresh blackberries and boysenberries, plus nuances of wild sage, cloves and cedar with a waft of lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate surprises and delights with an unexpected richness and depth that remains locked away on the nose, revealing layers of fragrant earth and floral notions framed by fantastic freshness and firm, finely grained tannins, finishing with the most gorgeous, long-lingering perfume.
JS 96-97 (4/2021): Iron, black mushroom and dark berry with some burnt orange peel. Flowers, too. It’s full-bodied with round tannins that turn linear and tight at the end. Excellent energy. Brightness and purity. |
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2021 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$363.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94+ (2/2024): The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier reveals a deep, complex bouquet with aromas of blackberries and blueberries mingled with spices, cigar wrapper and coniferous forest floor, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and concentrated palate animated by bright acids and framed by fine, powdery tannins. It's an impressive effort that will reward a bit of bottle age. It's a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
VM 94+ (2/2024): The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier comes across as quite shy and reticent in this vintage. The aromatics are beguiling, but on the palate, the wine feels a bit strict and clamped down. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, spice, mint and blood orange emerge, but only with great reluctance. It will be interesting to see how the 2021 develops over time. Tasted twice. (Drink between 2031-2061). Antonio Galloni.
JD 93 (4/2024): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2021 Domaine De Chevalier is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with harvest not wrapping up until October 15. It's a terrific wine in the vintage offering ripe currant and darker berry fruits as well as classy oak, graphite, and scorched earth nuances. This medium-bodied, concentrated, balanced 2021 has ripe tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It actually reminds me slightly of the estate’s 2014, albeit in a slightly fresher package. |
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2021 |
Pessac Leognan (6X750ML) 6-Bottle OWC |
$384 |
1 |
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WA 94+ (2/2024): The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier reveals a deep, complex bouquet with aromas of blackberries and blueberries mingled with spices, cigar wrapper and coniferous forest floor, followed by a medium to full-bodied, sweet and concentrated palate animated by bright acids and framed by fine, powdery tannins. It's an impressive effort that will reward a bit of bottle age. It's a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
VM 94+ (2/2024): The 2021 Domaine de Chevalier comes across as quite shy and reticent in this vintage. The aromatics are beguiling, but on the palate, the wine feels a bit strict and clamped down. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, spice, mint and blood orange emerge, but only with great reluctance. It will be interesting to see how the 2021 develops over time. Tasted twice. (Drink between 2031-2061). Antonio Galloni.
JD 93 (4/2024): Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2021 Domaine De Chevalier is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with harvest not wrapping up until October 15. It's a terrific wine in the vintage offering ripe currant and darker berry fruits as well as classy oak, graphite, and scorched earth nuances. This medium-bodied, concentrated, balanced 2021 has ripe tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It actually reminds me slightly of the estate’s 2014, albeit in a slightly fresher package. |
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|
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$641.97 |
1 |
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| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier delivers aromas of minty dark berries, cherries and ripe plums mingled with hints of licorice, coniferous forest and spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and layered, textured and elegant, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, long finish. Olivier Bernard and his team have crafted an outstanding wine that will bear a special label commemorating his 40th vinification at this Péssac-Léognan reference point.
JA 96 (5/2023): Showing how it's done in 2022, Domaine de Chevalier comes in strong with a deep ruby red colour, a vibrant rim, smoked oak on the nose, edges of tar, red roses, liquorice root, and a confident delivery of full-on tannic architecture that frames the cassis and bilberry fruit. Delivers vintage signature in a carefully controlled way, with enough slate, pummice stone, mint and eucalyptus to balance things out and slow down delivery. The fruits are fully ripe, heading towards baked plum and fig, but met step by step with a corresponding cooling flavour. 40th harvest of Olivier Bernard (meaning a special label). |
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|
2022 |
Pessac Leognan (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$289.99 |
1 |
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| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.
VM 95-97 (5/2023): The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96 (5/2023): A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier delivers aromas of minty dark berries, cherries and ripe plums mingled with hints of licorice, coniferous forest and spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and layered, textured and elegant, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, long finish. Olivier Bernard and his team have crafted an outstanding wine that will bear a special label commemorating his 40th vinification at this Péssac-Léognan reference point.
JA 96 (5/2023): Showing how it's done in 2022, Domaine de Chevalier comes in strong with a deep ruby red colour, a vibrant rim, smoked oak on the nose, edges of tar, red roses, liquorice root, and a confident delivery of full-on tannic architecture that frames the cassis and bilberry fruit. Delivers vintage signature in a carefully controlled way, with enough slate, pummice stone, mint and eucalyptus to balance things out and slow down delivery. The fruits are fully ripe, heading towards baked plum and fig, but met step by step with a corresponding cooling flavour. 40th harvest of Olivier Bernard (meaning a special label). |
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| Esprit de Chevalier |
2018 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$249.98 |
53 |
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| |
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2020 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$28.99 |
34 |
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| |
VM 92 (11/2024): The 2020 L'Esprit de Chevalier has a tad too much wood influence on the nose, but there is sufficient fruit to absorb it. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, fleshy, lively and detailed, with a dash of white pepper toward the finish. This is another delicious, classically styled Pessac-Léognan. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Drink between 2026-2042). Neal Martin.
JD 91 (3/2023): The 2020 L'Esprit De Chevalier is more restrained aromatically, yet has outstanding purity in its red and black fruits as well as notes of dried herbs, tobacco, chocolate, and damp earth. It's a medium-bodied, elegant, balanced, and certainly delicious second wine that will benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and shine for a decade. (Drink between 2023-2033)
WA 90 (4/2023): Fleshy and demonstrative, the 2020 L'Esprit de Chevalier bursts with aromas of sweet berries, plums and petals. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with polished tannins and an expansive finish, it will drink well young. |
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| Ch. Cissac |
2017 |
Haut Medoc (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$218.99 |
20 |
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| |
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| Le Clarence de Haut Brion |
2008 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,006.97 |
4 |
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WA 91 (5/2011): Le Clarence de Haut-Brion: The super 2008 (45% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc) exhibits soft, ripe tannins as well as copious black cherry and loamy soil notes intermixed with notions of smoke and roasted herbs. It is a beautifully pure, deep, already delicious and complex wine that should drink nicely for 10-12 years.
JS 90 (7/2013): The second wine of Haut-Brion. Very pretty, subtle tannins, with hints of dried fruits and tobacco. Medium-to-full body with integrated tannins. |
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2009 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,089.97 |
3 |
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JS 95 (2/2012): This is very, very Haut-Brion. Perhaps this second wine is like the gran vin in 1995? Full body, with rich ripe tannins, with a silky texture. It is dense and powerful. Long and rich. Better in 2016. Best second wine of Haut-Brion ever? It has just about everything Haut-Brion has in an excellent year like this. Try in 2019.
WA 92 (2/2012): The second wine, the 2009 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, is almost as large a cuvee as the grand vin. This 7,000-case cuvee is a blend of 46% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Once again the burning ember/scorched earth characteristic that often comes from Haut-Brion is found in the second wine, along with more kirsch and cassis, fewer nuances and less complexity than its bigger sibling. The wine is full-bodied with the minerality offered by this terroir as well as plenty of sweet tannins. This is the finest second wine Haut-Brion has produced since the astonishing 1989 Bahans-Haut-Brion. Enjoy it over the next two decades.
VM 89+ (7/2012): Dark ruby-red. Blackcurrant, cedar and minerals on the forward nose. Fresh, sweet and smooth on entry, then slightly austere in the middle, with rich black fruit and herb flavors joined by an emerging hint of underbrush. The finish is chewy and moderately persistent. Though Le Clarence has lately been a rather austere wine when young, I'm not sure I like it this time around as much as I did at the Primeurs. I suspect this is in a very closed phase. As the fruit is pure and clean, I am willing to bet it will come around. |
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|
2010 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$835.99 |
1 |
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JS 94 (2/2013): Quite jammy on the nose with lots of fruit. Plums, berries and jam. Full body, with a fluid center palate and chewy tannins. Round and rich. Seems more upfront and friendly than the second wine of La Mission. 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Better in 2018.
WA 93 (2/2013): The second wine of Haut-Brion is now called Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, and the 2010 is among the finest I have tasted there. It is a broad, powerful and more muscular wine than its cross-street rival, La Chapelle de la Mission, but all the same, it is wonderfully fresh and precise, with notes of blueberry and boysenberry as well as hints of smoke and wet stones. Endowed with gorgeous fruit, texture, purity and elegance, this relatively dense second wine demonstrates how draconian the selection process has become for the top estates in Bordeaux in recent years. The blend of this wine is 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Cabernet Franc with just a touch of Petit Verdot. I would expect it to last at least 20 years, which is remarkable. |
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2012 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,468.99 |
2 |
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JS 92 (2/2015): Extremely aromatic and lively with pure currant and berry character. Full-bodied, very fine and intense. Attractive fruit and tannin tension to this. Better in 2017.
VM 91 (1/2016): The 2012 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a dark, beguiling beauty. Smoke, violets, dried flowers and savory herbs lead to a core of expressive blue/purplish fruit in a powerful wine that is going to need time to settle down. Far from an easygoing 2012, the Clarence boasts notable depth and intensity to match its virile personality. This is an impressive second wine, that much is obvious.
WA 90 (4/2015): A wonderfully expansive, velvety textured, rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, are super and very impressive in the 2012 Le Clarence de Haut Brion. This is far higher quality than what most people would consider a second wine, even when coming from a first-growth chateau. Mulberry, spice box and expansive, rich flavors backed up by velvety tannins characterize this medium to full-bodied beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 15-20 years. Bravo. |
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|
2012 |
Pessac Leognan (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$697.99 |
6 |
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JS 92 (2/2015): Extremely aromatic and lively with pure currant and berry character. Full-bodied, very fine and intense. Attractive fruit and tannin tension to this. Better in 2017.
VM 91 (1/2016): The 2012 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion is a dark, beguiling beauty. Smoke, violets, dried flowers and savory herbs lead to a core of expressive blue/purplish fruit in a powerful wine that is going to need time to settle down. Far from an easygoing 2012, the Clarence boasts notable depth and intensity to match its virile personality. This is an impressive second wine, that much is obvious.
WA 90 (4/2015): A wonderfully expansive, velvety textured, rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, are super and very impressive in the 2012 Le Clarence de Haut Brion. This is far higher quality than what most people would consider a second wine, even when coming from a first-growth chateau. Mulberry, spice box and expansive, rich flavors backed up by velvety tannins characterize this medium to full-bodied beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 15-20 years. Bravo. |
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| Clarendelle |
2012 |
Bordeaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$419.97 |
2 |
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| |
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2015 |
Bordeaux (5.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$298.97 |
1 |
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| |
|
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2016 |
Bordeaux (5.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$320.97 |
1 |
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| |
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2017 |
Bordeaux (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$204.99 |
10 |
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| |
|
| Ch. Clauzet |
2016 |
St. Estephe (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$339.99 |
2 |
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| |
| JS 87-88 (4/2017): A balanced and chewy young red with some berry and cherry character and a medium to light body. Fresh finish. |
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| Ch. La Clemence |
2005 |
Pomerol |
$125 |
1 |
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WA 91 (6/2015): From proprietor Christian Dauriac, this wine, which has a tendency to be very oaky, has evolved nicely, with the oak well-measured and restrained. The color is a dense purple and the wine full-bodied, rich, heady and youthful. There is still plenty of meat, tannin and body, so this wine would probably be best cellared for another few years. Forget it for now and drink it between 2020 and 2035.
VM 89-92 (5/2006): Moderately saturated ruby-red. High-toned aromas of black cherry, violet, licorice and menthol, plus a whiff of smoked meat. Pliant, nicely delineated flavors of black cherry and spices offer an insidious sweetness. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent, with lovely violety lift. The best young vintage I've tasted to date from this chateau. |
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| Ch. Clerc Milon |
2010 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$750.99 |
1 |
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| |
JS 94 (2/2013): Gorgeous currants and spices with licorice on the nose. Full body, with super integrated tannins and a long, long finish. The texture and beautiful fruit just wants you to drink this. Give it time but hard to wait. Try in 2016.
WA 94 (2/2013): One the finest Clerc Milons I have ever tasted, and showing better from bottle than from barrel, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and the rest a tiny bit of Carmenere and Petit Verdot has a complex nose of cedar wood, red and black fruits, white chocolate and creme de cassis. A very powerful wine at 14.5% natural alcohol (quite high for a Medoc), this wine has impressive purity and texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel, relatively sweet tannin, but an already endearing complexity, length and richness that are hard to ignore. This is a superb effort and one of the wines that is usually reasonably priced among the classified growths.
VM 90-93 (6/2011): (50% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 11% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot and 1% carmenere; 14% alcohol) Deep ruby-purple. Dense, rich nose redolent of cassis, dried herbs and violet, with a refreshing note of mint emerging with air. Smooth, full and rich on entry, with pure, precise black fruit and herbal flavors. Big, strapping tannins are silky and sweet. A very big, expressive Clerc Milon that manages to deploy its considerable power with uncommon charm and refinement. Call me crazy, but I thought I could pick up the green pepper note given by the carmenere. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, who was previously at Opus One for ten years, has worked for the past two years at Clerc Milon with Philippe Dhalluin (the technical director and general manager of the Mouton estates), and his involvement is starting to show in a string of ever-improving wines from Clerc Milon. And the greater attention to detail can't be a bad thing either, given the difficulties presented by working with such a high-quality but complex site (230 different parcels of vines!). This 2010 struck me as much better than the 2009. |
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|
2014 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,344.97 |
3 |
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| |
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2014 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$699.99 |
1 |
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2017 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,172.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
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2017 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$608.99 |
1 |
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| |
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2023 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,210.98 |
5 |
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JD 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Château Clerc Milon is gorgeous, with a salty, slightly bloody character in its red and black fruits, flowers, chalky mineral, and spicy oak-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, focused, elegant, yet beautifully concentrated red that has ripe tannins, beautiful overall balance, and outstanding length. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Carmenere and Petit Verdot, it’s aging in 55% new barrels and hit 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.83.
VM 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Clerc Milon was picked from September 7 to 29 and is matured in 55% new oak. It has much more fruit concentration on the nose than the Pastorelle—quite precocious, with blackberry and cassis fruit. It's floral and more flamboyant than the d'Armailhac. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly creamy texture and a lovely mouthfeel. Its concentration is neatly counterbalanced by the acidity, and it feels very harmonious and long on the finish. Superb. If Mouton-Rothschild is beyond your budget—yes, I am familiar with that feeling—then this is where you should look. Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (4/2024): Revealing aromas of red berries, cherries and blackcurrants mingled with hints of pencil shavings and new oak, the 2023 Clerc Milon is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, sweet velvety tannins and a seamless, succulent profile. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and the balance Carmenère and Petit Verdot.
JA 96 (4/2024): Pauillac was close to normal rainfall, with less mildew than other parts of the region, helping to usher in the excellent crop of wines that you will find in the appellation in 2023. This joins the best of them with its superb quality, and a real sense of excitement and drive. Expect vivacity and tension in the blue and black fruits, with liqourice root, squid ink, salted cracker, white pepper spice and freshly cut herbs. September 7 to 29 for harvest, 55% new oak barrels for ageing. Carmanère dating from 1947 is in this 1st wine, with the massal selection descendents in Pastourelle. Caroline Artaud director. |
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|
2023 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$521.99 |
4 |
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| |
JD 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Château Clerc Milon is gorgeous, with a salty, slightly bloody character in its red and black fruits, flowers, chalky mineral, and spicy oak-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, focused, elegant, yet beautifully concentrated red that has ripe tannins, beautiful overall balance, and outstanding length. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Carmenere and Petit Verdot, it’s aging in 55% new barrels and hit 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.83.
VM 92-94 (4/2024): The 2023 Clerc Milon was picked from September 7 to 29 and is matured in 55% new oak. It has much more fruit concentration on the nose than the Pastorelle—quite precocious, with blackberry and cassis fruit. It's floral and more flamboyant than the d'Armailhac. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly creamy texture and a lovely mouthfeel. Its concentration is neatly counterbalanced by the acidity, and it feels very harmonious and long on the finish. Superb. If Mouton-Rothschild is beyond your budget—yes, I am familiar with that feeling—then this is where you should look. Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (4/2024): Revealing aromas of red berries, cherries and blackcurrants mingled with hints of pencil shavings and new oak, the 2023 Clerc Milon is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, sweet velvety tannins and a seamless, succulent profile. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and the balance Carmenère and Petit Verdot.
JA 96 (4/2024): Pauillac was close to normal rainfall, with less mildew than other parts of the region, helping to usher in the excellent crop of wines that you will find in the appellation in 2023. This joins the best of them with its superb quality, and a real sense of excitement and drive. Expect vivacity and tension in the blue and black fruits, with liqourice root, squid ink, salted cracker, white pepper spice and freshly cut herbs. September 7 to 29 for harvest, 55% new oak barrels for ageing. Carmanère dating from 1947 is in this 1st wine, with the massal selection descendents in Pastourelle. Caroline Artaud director. |
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| Ch. Clinet |
1998 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,285.99 |
2 |
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| |
| WA 90 (4/2001): I had high hopes for this wine prior to bottling, but Clinet often goes through a reduced, awkward stage following bottling. The 1998 reveals a dense, thick-looking purple color, as well as a closed bouquet. With coaxing, notes of damp earth, spicy new oak, truffles, blackberry and plum fruit emerge. Dense, with jagged tannin, considerable power, and a roasted, chocolatey character, this wine has not yet meshed together. I had hoped it would be less disjointed, but I still feel there is a strong likelihood that it will deserve an Outstanding score. However, patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. |
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|
2000 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,651.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 99 (4/2012): Incredible concentration and richness in this wine. This is good stuff, loads of complexity with notes of flowers, vanilla, and ripe fruit. Still drinking like a baby, this is full, soft, and long. Opulent and gorgeous right now but give this five years and you’ll be better off. Pull the cork in 2015. So much fruit for a Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
WA 93 (6/2010): Beautiful aromas of plums, soy, black currants, black raspberries, espresso, and spring flowers jump from the glass of this perfumed, dense plum/ruby/purple-tinged Pomerol. Medium to full-bodied and pure with sweet tannin and impressive extract, it will benefit from 2-3 more years of bottle age, and should last for an additional two decades.
VM 90 (5/2003): Dark red, but more brown than ruby. Roasted, wild aromas of game, truffle and stewed tomato. Slightly sauvage flavors of gamey red fruits, coffee, cedar and spices; sweet and superripe but with adequate supporting acidity. More pliant than it appeared to be a year ago from barrel. Surprisingly subtle on the firm back end, yet the notes of cedar and coffee seem rather evolved. Perhaps best suited for drinking over the next ten years. Stephen Tanzer. |
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|
2005 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,289.97 |
1 |
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| |
| WA 96 (6/2015): The opaque ruby/purple 2005 Clinet offers incredibly fragrant aromatics, an opaque ruby/purple color, and a wonderfully sweet nose of flowers, blackberries, licorice, truffle and caramel. Full-bodied, powerful and rich, it is not as nuanced or complex as the top four or five Pomerols, but close. This is a broad, meaty, masculine, super-rich and concentrated wine, with lavish plum, blackcurrants and blackberries. Drink it five years from now, and over the following 30 or more years. |
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|
2006 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,394.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 90+ (2/2009): Extremely backward, firm, and virile, this macho wine exhibits full-bodied power, a dense blackberry, smoky nose, huge tannins, but impressive stuffing and depth. This is not for the faint of heart, and also not for those who need immediate drinkability. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027.
VM 90 (6/2009): Red-ruby. Highly aromatic, inviting nose offers black raspberry, mocha, chocolate, licorice and a minty nuance. Lush, sweet and round, with very good richness and vinosity to the black raspberry, smoke and mocha flavors. The broad, firm finish shows a distinct medicinal reserve, suggesting that this will be better for five years or so in the cellar. |
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|
2008 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$805.97 |
3 |
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| |
| WA 94+ (5/2011): Another resounding success for the vintage, the opaque purple-colored 2008 Clinet (14.4% alcohol) is composed of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare, while higher than in 2010, were still modest. Another powerful, big, large-scaled effort, the 2008 exhibits an inky/purple color as well as sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, Asian spice, licorice and incense notes. Layered and full-bodied with stunning purity and a 40+ second finish, this beauty needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for 25-30 years. |
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|
2010 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,056.98 |
1 |
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JS 97 (2/2013): Gorgeous nose with lots of dark fruit like plum and blueberries. Crushed pepper and chalk with wild strawberries and vanilla. Dense and velvety on the palate with superbly polished tannins and great depth. It's absolutely gorgeous now but needs at least five to six years of bottle age to really shows its great quality.
WA 96+ (2/2013): The blend is largely dominated by 85% Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Cabernet Franc also included. Inky/purple-colored, the wine has an exceptionally full-bodied, layered, moderately tannic mouthfeel and impressive power. Loads of melted chocolate/fudge and black fruits galore along with some coffee bean, mocha, as well as some background oak are all present in this big, formidably endowed, masculine style of Pomerol that will take longer to shed its tannin than the 2009. I would give this wine 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years.
VM 93 (7/2013): Good deep ruby-red. Brooding, superripe aromas of blackberry, plum and coffee. Seriously concentrated and dense, but with juicy acidity giving energy and definition to the thick flavors of dark plum, flowers and potpourri spices. This very suave, plush wine finishes with substantial but noble tannins that dust the front teeth. This big boy has the stuffing and structure for a slow and graceful evolution in bottle. Stephen Tanzer. |
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2011 |
Pomerol (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$990.97 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95 (4/2014): Clinet has produced a blockbuster wine, even in the lighter, less consistent vintage of 2011. It reveals a dense purple color as well as an abundance of black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice, incense and a touch of camphor. Full-bodied, opulent and fleshy with a substantial finish, this showy, dramatic 2011 should drink well for 15-20 years. Brilliant!
JS 92 (2/2014): This is a rich Pomerol for the vintage with plenty of berry, chocolate and toasted-oak character. Full body with round, soft tannins. Needs two or three years to come together. |
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2013 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$563.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 90-93 (4/2014): The 2013 Clinet is terrific. Dark red and blue fruits, new leather, violets, menthol and sweet spices meld together in a wine of rare distinction for the year. This is one of the more pliant, expressive 2013s readers will come across. The finish is long, silky and polished. The oak needs time to fully integrated, but I don't think that is going to be a problem. This is a terrific showing. Antonio Galloni.
WA 91 (10/2016): The 2013 Clinet was one of the better wines that I tasted from barrel. Indeed both Robert Parker and I scored this Pomerol around the same mark and now it is in bottle, it has fulfilled my expectations as a delicious, easy-going, but still well-crafted wine from Ronan Laborde. It has a delicate but precise bouquet that gains intensity in the glass, cassis and a touch of wild mint, ground pepper emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannin that need another 12-18 months to soften, however there is adequate fruit underneath with a linear, slightly sappy finish. Enjoy this over the next 10-12 years.
JS 91 (2/2016): Aromas of black berry, blue berry, and wet earth. Full body, firm and silky tannins. A little hollow in the mid-palate but give it time to come together. Better in 2018. |
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2014 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,193.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 94+ (2/2017): The 2014 Clinet is powerful, deep and enveloping. Black cherry, smoke, graphite, chocolate and French oak give the wine its intensity and gravitas. Hints of lavender and violet develop in the glass, adding lovely aromatic nuance, but the 2014 remains a big, imposing wine in need of cellaring. This is impressive juice. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (2/2017): A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.
JD 93 (11/2017): For whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.
WA 91 (3/2017): The 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time. |
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2014 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$595.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 94+ (2/2017): The 2014 Clinet is powerful, deep and enveloping. Black cherry, smoke, graphite, chocolate and French oak give the wine its intensity and gravitas. Hints of lavender and violet develop in the glass, adding lovely aromatic nuance, but the 2014 remains a big, imposing wine in need of cellaring. This is impressive juice. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (2/2017): A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.
JD 93 (11/2017): For whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.
WA 91 (3/2017): The 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time. |
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2014 |
Pomerol (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$595.99 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 94+ (2/2017): The 2014 Clinet is powerful, deep and enveloping. Black cherry, smoke, graphite, chocolate and French oak give the wine its intensity and gravitas. Hints of lavender and violet develop in the glass, adding lovely aromatic nuance, but the 2014 remains a big, imposing wine in need of cellaring. This is impressive juice. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
JS 94 (2/2017): A tight and subtle wine with very pretty ripe-fruit character and chocolate. Medium to full body. Needs time to open. Better in 2020.
JD 93 (11/2017): For whatever reason, Chateau Clinet was not interested in having their 2015 tasted for this report and I was unable to taste it during my trip through the region. I’ll do my best to review it from bottle once it’s available in the United States. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Château Clinet locally and it showed beautifully, revealing a deep purple color, loads of plum, crème de cassis, spice-box, dried flowers, and graphite aromas and flavors, full-bodied richness, and a terrific minerality the developed with time in the glass. This is an elegant, balanced, beautifully pure 2014 that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It will keep for 20+ years.
WA 91 (3/2017): The 2014 Clinet was a wine that perplexed when I tasted it from barrel and as a consequence, it was one that I went back and retasted three or four times during that primeur campaign. Now in bottle, the bouquet has improved and developed more fruit concentration, armed with red plum, wild strawberry and blueberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied and quite refined, certainly not as opulent as other vintages from the estate, perhaps just missing a persistence on the angular finish. It is not a bad Clinet by a long stretch, it just feels a little constricted, especially compared to say the 2010 or 2015. I tasted this on three occasions, drawing the same conclusion each time. |
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|
2015 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,757.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 99 (2/2018): An immaculate wine with pristine blackberries and dark plums as well as fresh, earthy nuances and dark crushed violets. An upright palate with lightly peppery dark berries and plums. The inflection of cabernet here makes for an impressively powerful wine that still exudes Pomerol’s suave, seductive charm. Chalky, seamless tannins. Super fresh. Try from 2022.
VM 96 (2/2018): A dramatic, sweeping Pomerol, the 2015 Clinet is ample, racy and voluptuous from the very first taste. Those qualities are going to make the 2015 nearly impossible to resist young. Readers who can wait will be rewarded with a racy, deeply layered Pomerol of the highest level. For now, the raciness of the dark red cherry and plum fruit suggests a very bright future. Hints of rose petal, mint and licorice add the closing shades of nuance. What a gorgeous wine this is. Antonio Galloni. |
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2017 |
Pomerol (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$915.97 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 93-95 (4/2018): Reminding me of the 2014, the 2017 Château Clinet is a beautiful, dense, concentrated wine that has terrific notes of blueberries, spring flowers, and chocolaty oak. It’s very much in the style of the vintage with its cool, perfumed aromatics and sensational purity of fruit, yet it also has richness and weight. It’s a brilliant Pomerol.
VM 92-94 (5/2018): The 2017 Clinet was picked from 19 to 26 September for the Merlot and on 29 September for the Cabernets at 35hl/ha. It is matured in 72% new oak and the remainder one year old. The alcohol is 13.1° compared to say 14.4° for 2016. It has a perfumed bouquet with mainly red berry fruit, top notes of loam and a touch of violet. It is certainly well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well delineated, and saline in the mouth. It is quite open towards the finish, perhaps with less grip than other Pomerols that I have tasted, but it is undeniably elegant and well balanced with a hint of cured meat cropping up on the aftertaste. Classic Clinet! Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (4/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Clinet opens slowly to reveal vibrant red and black fruits: red currants, black cherries, plums and cassis with touches of roses, yeast extract, wood smoke and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and a taut, muscular palate of tightly wound fruits and compelling mineral accents, it finishes long with wonderful purity and fragrant earth accents.
JS 92-93 (4/2018): Some green-olive and herb character. Medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Shows some solid and linear length on the finish. |
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2017 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$481.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 93-95 (4/2018): Reminding me of the 2014, the 2017 Château Clinet is a beautiful, dense, concentrated wine that has terrific notes of blueberries, spring flowers, and chocolaty oak. It’s very much in the style of the vintage with its cool, perfumed aromatics and sensational purity of fruit, yet it also has richness and weight. It’s a brilliant Pomerol.
VM 92-94 (5/2018): The 2017 Clinet was picked from 19 to 26 September for the Merlot and on 29 September for the Cabernets at 35hl/ha. It is matured in 72% new oak and the remainder one year old. The alcohol is 13.1° compared to say 14.4° for 2016. It has a perfumed bouquet with mainly red berry fruit, top notes of loam and a touch of violet. It is certainly well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well delineated, and saline in the mouth. It is quite open towards the finish, perhaps with less grip than other Pomerols that I have tasted, but it is undeniably elegant and well balanced with a hint of cured meat cropping up on the aftertaste. Classic Clinet! Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (4/2018): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Clinet opens slowly to reveal vibrant red and black fruits: red currants, black cherries, plums and cassis with touches of roses, yeast extract, wood smoke and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and a taut, muscular palate of tightly wound fruits and compelling mineral accents, it finishes long with wonderful purity and fragrant earth accents.
JS 92-93 (4/2018): Some green-olive and herb character. Medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Shows some solid and linear length on the finish. |
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|
2018 |
Pomerol (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,074.97 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (3/2021): Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won't hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.
WA 97+ (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.
VM 95 (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future. Neal Martin.
JS 96 (1/2021): Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous. |
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|
2018 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$578.99 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 99 (3/2021): Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won't hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.
WA 97+ (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.
VM 95 (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future. Neal Martin.
JS 96 (1/2021): Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous. |
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|
2018 |
Pomerol (3x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$583.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (3/2021): Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won't hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.
WA 97+ (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.
VM 95 (3/2021): The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future. Neal Martin.
JS 96 (1/2021): Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous. |
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2019 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,243.98 |
3 |
|
| |
VM 97-99 (6/2020): The 2019 Clinet is just so fragrant on the nose: black and red fruit vying for attention, iris and incense, touches of truffle in the background. The purity that Ronan Laborde and his team have achieved should be applauded. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfect acidity, brilliant focus and a killer sense of tension on the finish. This is a stunning Clinet, the best that I have encountered in barrel over 20 years of tasting. That creamy texture takes your breath away. Up there with the very best - a Clinet that rivets you to the spot. Neal Martin.
JS 97-98 (6/2020): A firm, silky red with blackberry, black-olive, green-olive and stone aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. The balance and texture of this wine is exceptional. |
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2019 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$629.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 97-99 (6/2020): The 2019 Clinet is just so fragrant on the nose: black and red fruit vying for attention, iris and incense, touches of truffle in the background. The purity that Ronan Laborde and his team have achieved should be applauded. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfect acidity, brilliant focus and a killer sense of tension on the finish. This is a stunning Clinet, the best that I have encountered in barrel over 20 years of tasting. That creamy texture takes your breath away. Up there with the very best - a Clinet that rivets you to the spot. Neal Martin.
JS 97-98 (6/2020): A firm, silky red with blackberry, black-olive, green-olive and stone aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. The balance and texture of this wine is exceptional. |
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2019 |
Pomerol (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$326.98 |
8 |
|
| |
VM 97-99 (6/2020): The 2019 Clinet is just so fragrant on the nose: black and red fruit vying for attention, iris and incense, touches of truffle in the background. The purity that Ronan Laborde and his team have achieved should be applauded. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfect acidity, brilliant focus and a killer sense of tension on the finish. This is a stunning Clinet, the best that I have encountered in barrel over 20 years of tasting. That creamy texture takes your breath away. Up there with the very best - a Clinet that rivets you to the spot. Neal Martin.
JS 97-98 (6/2020): A firm, silky red with blackberry, black-olive, green-olive and stone aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. The balance and texture of this wine is exceptional. |
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|
2020 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$578.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 98 (12/2022): What a beautiful young wine, showing so much finesse and tension, with ultra-fine tannins and subtle and long flavors and character. It’s medium-bodied with extremely silky tannins that grow on the palate to a seamless finish. Harmonious. Another fine Pomerol for the cellar. Drink after 2027.
VM 95 (2/2023): The 2020 Clinet is hugely impressive, as it was from barrel. Dark and imposing, with notable vibrancy, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, gravel, incense, plum, game and licorice. I would give this a few years in bottle, as the tannins are pretty imposing. Cabernet Sauvignon is so distinctive here. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (5/2021): I continue to love the wines from this estate, and the 2020 Château Clinet is no exception. Straight-up sensational notes of blueberries, cassis, violets, tobacco, and earth all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is full-bodied, with a rich, concentrated mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish. It shows the tighter, fresher, more focused style of the vintage, yet it still brings plenty of mid-palate depth as well as an expansive texture. It has enough oak to warrant short-term bottle age but will have 25-30 years of overall longevity. This is a gorgeous wine.
WA 96-98 (5/2021): The 2020 Clinet (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) has an opaque purple-black color, needing a little coaxing to unleash bold, powerful notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote and black raspberries, followed by suggestions of cracked black pepper, menthol, cedar chest and rose oil with a hint of licorice. The big, rich, full-bodied palate is a powerhouse, bursting with impactful black and blue fruit preserves flavors, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and fantastically perfumed. |
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2021 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$561.97 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2021 |
Pomerol (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,174.99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2022 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$733.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Château Clinet showed beautifully, with an almost Médoc-like style in its darker cassis, graphite, cedar pencil, and tobacco aromas and flavors. Full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and remarkable purity. Pomerol was one of the erratic appellations in 2022, but this beauty does everything right and brings a beautiful mix of richness and elegance. It should round into form with just short-term bottle age and evolve for two decades. The blend is the usual 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin.
WA 94-96+ (5/2023): A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that represents the earliest harvest in this estate's history (beginning on September 6), the 2022 Clinet is a success, offering up aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of spices and a discreet patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's impressively vibrant, with a rich core of fruit framed by powdery tannins from judicious extraction. This has more in common with the more refined 2018 and 2019 vintages at this address than with the powerhouse 2020, and that is no mean feat in an even more extreme vintage. Bravo to Ronan Laborde and his team.
JA 96 (5/2023): Sleek, concentrated, red roses, violets, creamy smoked caramel, bilberry, cassis, blackberry pastilles, biscuit, mint leaf, great estate signature, maintains its sleek intense concentated and supremely classy character. Strong tannic build up, muscular and full of intent, with a fennel and oyster shell signoff. Ronan Laborde owner. |
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2023 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,260.98 |
5 |
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JD 93-95+ (4/2024): The 2023 Château Clinet is flat-out gorgeous, and it's certainly going to be up near the top end of the pyramid in the vintage. Based on Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep ruby/plum hue as well as ripe, darker red and black fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, chocolate, and spring flowers. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol with a round, seamless mouthfeel, present, ripe, polished tannins, and outstanding length. While it clearly plays in the lively, elegant style of the vintage, it packs plenty of muscle and depth.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 Clinet is powerful and racy right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, spice, mocha and a kiss of French oak meld into a core of dark red- and black-toned fruit. This modern, stylish Pomerol is so expressive. Hints of graphite, lavender, crushed rocks and pencil shavings linger on the substantial finish. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-95 (4/2024): Rich and layered, the 2023 Clinet wafts from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, with a rich chassis of powdery tannin underpinning its sweet core of fruit, it concludes with a broad, vanillin-inflected finish. As is routinely the case at this address, it's a successfully rendered Pomerol in a more modern style.
JA 95 (4/2024): Deep rich plum in colour, great balance and careful extraction, you are held by steady hands here. Cloves, cocoa bean, liqourice, freshly cut dried herbs, thyme and fresh sage, slow-build and slow progress with slate-textured tannins. A great quality Clinet, well judged appellation typicity, and floral kick on the finish. 80% new oak, 42hl/ha yields. |
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2023 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$557.99 |
2 |
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JD 93-95+ (4/2024): The 2023 Château Clinet is flat-out gorgeous, and it's certainly going to be up near the top end of the pyramid in the vintage. Based on Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep ruby/plum hue as well as ripe, darker red and black fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, chocolate, and spring flowers. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol with a round, seamless mouthfeel, present, ripe, polished tannins, and outstanding length. While it clearly plays in the lively, elegant style of the vintage, it packs plenty of muscle and depth.
VM 94-96 (4/2024): The 2023 Clinet is powerful and racy right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, spice, mocha and a kiss of French oak meld into a core of dark red- and black-toned fruit. This modern, stylish Pomerol is so expressive. Hints of graphite, lavender, crushed rocks and pencil shavings linger on the substantial finish. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni.
WA 94-95 (4/2024): Rich and layered, the 2023 Clinet wafts from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, with a rich chassis of powdery tannin underpinning its sweet core of fruit, it concludes with a broad, vanillin-inflected finish. As is routinely the case at this address, it's a successfully rendered Pomerol in a more modern style.
JA 95 (4/2024): Deep rich plum in colour, great balance and careful extraction, you are held by steady hands here. Cloves, cocoa bean, liqourice, freshly cut dried herbs, thyme and fresh sage, slow-build and slow progress with slate-textured tannins. A great quality Clinet, well judged appellation typicity, and floral kick on the finish. 80% new oak, 42hl/ha yields. |
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| Clos du Clocher |
2019 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$440.98 |
8 |
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VM 93-95 (6/2020): The 2019 Clos du Clocher has a very seductive bouquet with layers of dark cherry, wild strawberry, soy and truffle scents. Later a touch of vanilla emanates from the oak, perfectly in sync with the fruit. The palate is very well balanced and super-smooth, fine acidity and a graceful, yet quite intense finish that leaves a residue of spice on the aftertaste. Very persistent. Outstanding. Neal Martin
JD 92-94 (6/2020): The 2019 Clos Du Clocher was closed and backward aromatically, yet has beautiful richness and depth on the palate, with pure cassis and black raspberry fruit, ripe, present tannins, a good sense of freshness and purity, and a great finish. It's going to be a serious Pomerol that will benefit from short-term cellaring yet drink nicely for two decades.
JS 93-94 (6/2020): Lots of dark fruit and chocolate with blackberry and walnut character. It’s full-bodied with round, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Some earth, too. |
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| Ch. Clos Beausejour |
2020 |
Pomerol |
$150 |
3 |
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| JD 90 (3/2023): The deep ruby/purple-hued 2020 Château Clos Beausejour has lots of up-front vanilla oak that gives way to more caramelized cherry, strawberry, and blueberry fruits as well as notes of spice, candied violets, and flowers. The rock-solid palate is medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant profile, fine tannins, and terrific length on the finish. An attractive, elegant wine, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully for a decade. (Drink between 2027-2037). |
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| Ch. Clos Dubreuil |
2015 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
3 |
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2016 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
12 |
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2017 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$628.99 |
15 |
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2018 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
16 |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
16 |
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2020 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$690.99 |
14 |
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2021 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$664.99 |
15 |
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| Ch. la Clotte |
2020 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$725.98 |
1 |
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2023 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,314.98 |
5 |
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VM 93-95 (4/2024): The 2023 La Clotte was picked September 11 to 28 and aged for 18 months in new oak barrels. This has a little more precision and mineralité on the nose compared to the Moulin Saint-Georges, quite vibrant with shucked oyster shell in the background. The palate is medium-bodied, with svelte tannins that lend a satin-like texture. It’s very harmonious though not deep, and maybe it misses a bit of grip. That said, more extraction probably would have thrown off the balance here. Very seductive. Neal Martin.
WA 92-94 (4/2024): Crafted from vines planted in one of the best terroirs of Saint-Émilion, the 2023 La Clotte, a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, reveals aromas of almonds, cherries, dark wild berries and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and tense palate with youthfully structured tannins and a fleshy core of fruit with bright acids that segues into a long, penetrating and saline finish.
JA 96 (4/2024): The reworking of La Clotte under the Vauthier family continues to impress, and this is one to look out for. The terroir was always there, and the precise vineyard work is now fully accentuating the iris and lily floral aromatics, the arresting slate and pumice stone texture, where autumnal fruits are sweet and ripe, cassis pastille and raspberry puree, but they take second place to the fennel, annis, cold ash, rhubarb, lavender. One of my wines to watch in this vintage, demands attention. |
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| Ch. La Clusiere |
1998 |
St. Emilion Bin-Soiled Label |
$191.25 |
3 |
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| WA 90 (4/2001): The 1998 possesses an opaque purple color as well as a firm, but promising bouquet of black fruits, crushed stones, and smoky new oak. There is plenty of depth and purity, as well as a well-delineated style in this backward, tannic, muscular effort. While it is the finest La Clusiere yet produced, it requires 4-5 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Readers can expect this wine to continue to improve now that new proprietor, Gerard Perse, is in charge. No expense is being spared in the pursuit of quality. |
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2000 |
St. Emilion |
$749 |
1 |
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WA 100 (6/2010): Now extinct, as this tiny 2.6-acre micro-vineyard was absorbed into Chateau Pavie, the 2000 La Clusiere (100% Merlot) was bestowed a perfect score seven years ago, and I see no reason to change that as it remains a monumental effort. Aromas of creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur, charcoal, licorice, and graphite are followed by a stunningly rich, full-bodied, elegant, pure, gentle giant of a wine. Approaching full maturity, it should age effortlessly for another 30+ years. Kudos to proprietor Gerard Perse.
VM 93 (6/2003): Good medium ruby. Superripe but lively aromas of kirsch and chocolate. Sweet, sappy and full, with high-toned flavors of cherry, blackberry and licorice. This offers compelling sweetness and concentration of flavor without going over the top, thanks to its firm mineral spine. Lively and very long on the finish. Bottled without filtration in February of this year. |
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| Ch. La Confession |
2006 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$730.97 |
3 |
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2010 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$734.97 |
3 |
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WA 92-95 (5/2011): Proprietor Jean-Philippe Janoueix has hit a bull’s-eye with both vintages of La Confession. The 2010, which is a larger production wine given his acquisition of a large vineyard near both Lucia and Fonroque, has turned out to be a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that tips the scales at a boisterous 14.7% natural alcohol. Production is now up to approximately 2,600 cases. This is a sensational wine that I had on three separate occasions with identical results. Opaque purple, with an exquisite nose of blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice, graphite, and forest floor, the wine has fabulous fruit, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, full-bodied opulence, and a stunning finish. There is plenty of tannin, but I suspect the extravagant fruit and glycerin this wine possesses will make it approachable in its exuberant youth, yet carry it nicely for 15 or more years.
JS 92-93 (4/2011): Solid and structure with mineral and blueberry character. Long and silky. Intense and balanced. Confession of high quality here. |
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2010 |
St. Emilion (6x1.5L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$809.97 |
5 |
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WA 92-95 (5/2011): Proprietor Jean-Philippe Janoueix has hit a bull’s-eye with both vintages of La Confession. The 2010, which is a larger production wine given his acquisition of a large vineyard near both Lucia and Fonroque, has turned out to be a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that tips the scales at a boisterous 14.7% natural alcohol. Production is now up to approximately 2,600 cases. This is a sensational wine that I had on three separate occasions with identical results. Opaque purple, with an exquisite nose of blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice, graphite, and forest floor, the wine has fabulous fruit, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, full-bodied opulence, and a stunning finish. There is plenty of tannin, but I suspect the extravagant fruit and glycerin this wine possesses will make it approachable in its exuberant youth, yet carry it nicely for 15 or more years.
JS 92-93 (4/2011): Solid and structure with mineral and blueberry character. Long and silky. Intense and balanced. Confession of high quality here. |
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2019 |
St. Emilion (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$309.99 |
7 |
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| Ch. Conseillante |
1998 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,000.97 |
1 |
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| WA 90 (4/2001): An evolved dark plum/garnet color is followed by captivating, sexy, raspberry, soy, Asian spice, kirsch liqueur, and toasty vanillin aromas. While not a blockbuster, this opulently-textured, medium-bodied effort is a model of elegance, harmony, finesse, and complexity. This wine's low acidity as well as wonderfully ripe fruit invite immediate consumption; it should last for 12-15 years. |
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