James Suckling (95-96)

Beautiful depth here, with currants and blackberries, as well as hints of fresh herbs and wet earth. Medium-to full-bodied, layered and long, with depth and beauty. Savory. Impressive for the vintage. Persistent.

Wine Advocate (98)

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.

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2017 Belair-Monange has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It waltzes out with flamboyant notes of warm black plums, blackberry preserves, and wild blueberries, plus suggestions of star anise, dusty soil, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with black fruit and spicy layers, supported by plush, velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

James Suckling (97)

Exquisitely fine tannins to the currant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. The palate is full, yet very refined and linear with a long, lingering finish. Such polish and tension. The tannins are intense, yet so fine, giving almost a powdery texture. So Lafite-like. Best Carruades ever? 56% cabernet sauvignon and 38% merlot, the rest cabernet franc. Drink after 2026.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (89)

(a blend of 63% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon,10% petit verdot and 7% carmenère): Fully saturated inky purple. Coffee, cocoa and cassis on the nose, along with a musky note that I attribute to the carmenère. Then ample and sweet in the mouth, with syrupy blackberry and vanilla flavors that linger on the tangy, rather light finish.

Experience the superior quality craftsmanship of 'De Pez 2019', a testament to true Bordeaux mastery from one of St. Estephe's oldest vineyards. Meticulously produced at Château de Pez, a keen emphasis is laid on environmentally friendly agriculture and hand harvesting to inspire, realise and winnow the best produce. Devotion in every detail results in a wine that mirrors the terroir's authenticity.

Alluringly deep ruby in appearance, the De Pez 2019 presents a complex blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Matured in French oak barrels, it exudes profound notes of ripe red fruits adorned with hints of tobacco and spicy undertones. On the palate, it delivers a captivating combination of deep fruitiness mingled with polished tannins, culminating in an alluringly long finish. This full-bodied red orchestrates a symphony of taste, true to its Bordeaux lineage.

Unquestionably, De Pez 2019 is a benchmark exemplar of refined winemaking; a timeless choice for devotees of exceptional Bordeaux wines.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. 41 out of 53 blocks have had a part to play this year, representing 10 different soil types. The Grand Vin in 2019 represents 82% of production. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose fragrant scents of Indian spice, potpourri, star anise, and cardamom, over a core of preserved plums, boysenberries, and charcoal with touches of wood smoke and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and immediately impactful in the mouth, the layered nuances slowly expand, beautifully framed by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with cascading savory and earth flavors and lots of lingering mineral notes.

James Suckling (98)

A dense and powerful wine as always with very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity with tobacco, dried fruit and fresh spices such as lemon grass and Thai basil. Layered and long. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95-96)

This is really clear and bright. Medium- to full-bodied with a solid tannin structure. Tight layers of phenolics to this. Racy and long finish. Firm and focused. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 23% cabernet franc, 15% merlot and 5% petit verdot.

James Suckling (93)

Deep, dark and rich fruit, from plums to berries. Full bodied, layered, dense and very rich. Best after 2022.

James Suckling (93-94)

Medium to full body with a creamy, supple tannin structure. Just-ripe plum fruit and dark berries with a touch of chocolate. Plush, yet so fresh. 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

The 2022 Château La Clotte is another serious wine in the lineup. Mulled black cherries, liquid violets, spicy wood, and smoky, chocolaty nuances are just some of this wine’s nuances, and it's medium full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's one hell of a gorgeous Saint-Emilion that deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2019 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is Merlot-dominated, checking in as 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's a more opulent wine compared to Haut-Brion, and the Merlot is front and center here, with ripe, sexy black cherry and redcurrant fruits as well as licorice, scorched earth, cedar pencil, and graphite aromas and flavors. Rich, exuberant, and straight up sexy on the palate, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a heavenly finish. Just a prodigious, powerful, off-the-charts expression of this terroir, it actually reminds me slightly of the 2005 (or 1998?) with its mix of sexiness and opulence. This is one of the few 2019s that will make your eyes roll back in your head. It will need 10-15 years of cellaring, but it’s a sensational wine on every level and will have 40+ years of prime drinking.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

A bigger, richer white, especially in the context of the vintage, the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc offers up a medium to full-bodied, vibrant, concentrated style as well as classic notes of honeyed melon, crushed stone, white flowers, and dried herbs. I love its mid-palate depth, and it has beautifully integrated acidity and outstanding length. It's another serious, age-worthy white in 2021 that will benefit from short-term bottle age and be long-lived.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

A bigger, richer white, especially in the context of the vintage, the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc offers up a medium to full-bodied, vibrant, concentrated style as well as classic notes of honeyed melon, crushed stone, white flowers, and dried herbs. I love its mid-palate depth, and it has beautifully integrated acidity and outstanding length. It's another serious, age-worthy white in 2021 that will benefit from short-term bottle age and be long-lived.

James Suckling (95-96)

A really refined red with blue fruit, subtle chocolate and sandalwood. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and refined. Very pure. It goes on and on. One of the best I remember.

James Suckling (99-100)

Incredible, young Sauternes with so much spicy, dried-mushroom, dust and powdered-earth character on the nose and palate, Full-bodied with a medium-sweet palate and a finish that is endless. Apricots, dried lemons and peaches. Caramel. Great balance. Greatest modern vintage? 6,000 bottles made.

Beautiful colour and depth. Black berry and some sloe fruit. Svelte palate and thickly layered texture. Tightly wound but clearly exceptionally crafted. A fine Lafite that lives up to expectations, potentially outperforming its fellow First Growths.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish.

Wine Advocate (100)

One of the greatest wines produced in Bordeaux this year is the 2019 Lafite Rothschild, an impeccably balanced classic of immense charm and grace. Wafting from the glass with arresting aromas of cassis, blackberries and cherries mingled with violets, cigar box and warm spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, its velvety attack segueing into a layered, concentrated mid-palate framed by exquisitely powdery tannins and ripe acids, and concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This rivals the 2010 and 2016 as the greatest Lafite of the decade, and of those three vintages, it's clearly the most sensual and demonstrative out of the gates. The blend contains fully 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and attained a modest 13.4% alcohol.

The Wine Independent (100)

Lafleur 2016 is 45% Merlot and 55% Cabernet Franc giving a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It storms out of the glass with profound scents of plum preserves, dark chocolate, black cherry compote, and cast iron pan, leading to fragrant hints of mossy tree bark and lilacs. Full-bodied, the palate is so multi-layered and intense it is mind-blowing, delivering densely packed layers of black fruits, exotic spices and earthy elements, framed by super-firm, grained tannins and perfectly knit freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. WOW what a wine!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2010 Château Latour is a monumental wine that exemplifies what greatness in Bordeaux can be. Still deep ruby/purple in color, it offers a stunning bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, leather, and graphite. Full-bodied and deeply concentrated, it has a layered, expansive mouthfeel, building tannins, and the unmistakable class and regalness that define Latour. Just now entering the early stages of its prime, this beauty will be drinking brilliantly long after I’m gone. Drink 2025-2100.

James Suckling (99)

So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time.

James Suckling (96-97)

Very plush and tannic with full body and lots of structure and intensity. Top second wine. Very solid and quite muscular with fine tannins and texture.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)

Deep ruby-red. Black cherry, blackcurrant and graphite on the nose. Fresh and intensely flavored; dense and thick for the vintage but with an essential gentleness. Finishes fresh and long, with tannins covered by fruit. Excellent for the vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Barton is brilliant, showing both the style of the estate as well as the vintage beautifully. It's never the biggest or richest wine, yet it has a classic, vibrant, structured style that ages beautifully. Pure cassis, black currants, scorched earth, new leather, and graphite are just some of its nuances, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. This textbook Léoville Barton demands a decade of bottle age and will keep for 30-40 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

A legendary wine in the making from the Delon Family is the 2015 Leoville Las Cases and there are very few wines more impressive in the vintage. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot, this full-bodied, tight, super-concentrated, focused 2015 boasts an awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, charcoal, lead pencil, and minerality. Deep, layered, with perfect ripeness and building tannin, hide bottle for 6-7 years and enjoy this prodigious effort over the following 3-4 decades.

Wine Advocate (93+)

Made of 45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet colored 2010 Les Carmes Haut-Brion gives up notes of baked blackberries, blackcurrants, black raspberries and cedar chest with hints of baking spices, black olives, pencil lead and Marmite toast. Full-bodied, the generously fruited palate has a solid backbone of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting all that tightly-packed brawn, finishing with great length and purity. Still incredibly youthful, I suspect this wine has a lot more to give in the years to come!

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)

A don't miss wine, this has wonderfully powerful fruits delivered with class and character. The abundant tannins have slate-edged grip and the black cassis and bilberry fruits sit alongside waves of oyster shell, liqourice, sage and black pepper. Delivers depth and personality and an effortless Margaux finesse. Harvest September 23 to October 2. Marjolaine de Coninck technical director, owner Nathalie Perrodo.