Dating back to 2015, the Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 is a luxuriously complex synergy of French artistry. Renowned Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno and Rhône winemaker Michel Chapoutier immaculately craft this exquisite spirit. Sourced from a parcel on Saint Joseph's hill known as 'Croix Chabot,' the vineyard embraces an ideal geographic spot. This fertile land nurtures granitic soils that imbue the wine with a distinct minerality.

The features of Syrah grapes beautifully shine through their vinification in concrete tanks followed by an ageing process in oak barrels for a span of 12 to 18 months. This meticulous process ensures a harmonious blend of the wine's fruity and spicy characters.

The elegant full-bodied Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 unfurls flavours of dark fruit and undertones of liquorice and violet. With a delightful lingering finish, it offers a rich and inviting experience for the true wine connoisseur.

Vibrantly expressing terroir-driven nuances, the Belle Brise 2018 bestows an exquisite drinking experience. From the extraordinary Pauillac region of Bordeaux, France, this sophisticated wine is cultivated by the esteemed Château Belle-Brise, famed for their meticulous, organic grape-growing traditions. Like every bottle from the estate, Belle Brise 2018 is exclusively hand-harvested, preserving grapes' integrity.

The blend manifests a remarkable combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, aged exquisitely in specially sourced oak barrels, granting an unrivalled complexity of flavour. Vive la Belle Brise!

This opulent vintage presents notes of ripe blackcurrants, luscious plums, and subtle hints of violet, underlined by a nuanced, cedarwood finish. The Belle Brise 2018 displays sublime structure, commanding depth of flavour, and an elegantly smooth finish.

A true gem within the world of fine wines, Belle Brise 2018 is a robust, well-balanced revelation, promising a sublime addition to any discerning wine cellar.

Relish the charm of French winemaking with the Belle Brise 2019. Birthed in the esteemed vineyards of Bordeaux, this fine wine epitomises meticulous craftsmanship. Masterfully curated by premier winemakers, the Belle Brise 2019 gleams with a radiant ruby hue, signifying its robust constitution. Its harmonious blend of earthy aromas and fruity undertones, heightened by the subtle oak influence, symbolises the synthesis of tradition and innovation that defines Belle Brise's philosophy. The wine is aged in French oak, reflecting their enduring commitment to authenticity.

A taste of Belle Brise 2019 is an invitation to savour the distinctive terroir of Bordeaux - a poetic union of rich clay soils tempered by the region's gentle maritime climate. This fine wine offers complexity, depth with a velvety finish, embodying Belle Brise's artistry and the unerring dedication of its winemakers. Whether enjoyed on its own or complementing exquisite cuisine, Belle Brise 2019 encapsulates the quintessence of fine winemaking from the heart of Bordeaux.

Vinous (91-93)

Shimmering violet color. Primary red and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of olive, smoked meat and cracked pepper. Offers fleshy, appealingly sweet cherry and blackberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Subtly chewy tannins add grip to a long, smoky finish that leaves cherry and spice notes behind.

James Suckling (92)

A juicy and chewy young Bordeaux with chocolate, berry and walnut character. Medium to full body and polished tannins. Needs three to four years to soften. Second wine of L’Evangile.

James Suckling (92)

A juicy and chewy young Bordeaux with chocolate, berry and walnut character. Medium to full body and polished tannins. Needs three to four years to soften. Second wine of L’Evangile.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2016 L'Evangile Blason de l'Evangile is another brilliant second wine that delivers the goods. Showing a more upfront, fruit-loaded, opulent style, it gives up tons of cassis fruits, tobacco, incense, dried herbs, and graphite. With no hard edges, a full-bodied, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish, it's a sexy, sexy Pomerol to drink over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2014 Bonalgue is ripe, racy and voluptuous, all of which make it pretty hard to resist. Dark red cherry, espresso, grilled herbs, French oak and menthol caress the palate. All the elements have come together beautifully in this overt, flamboyant yet midweight Pomerol. Silky tannins add to the wine’s early and medium-term appeal. Another year or two in bottle should help the oak integrate a bit further, but this will always be in a forward, giving style. Tasted two times.

Wine Advocate (96+)

In complete contrast to the sexy, flamboyant les Granits, the tiny production 2012 Saint Joseph le Clos (which comes from a vineyard just a couple kilometers from the les Granits) is firm, tight and structured, with edgy notes of cassis, blackberry, powdered rock and ground herbs. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it needs 3-4 years in the cellar, and will have two decades of longevity. This is almost non-existent in the marketplace, but it's worth the effort to track down.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

I've loved every vintage of this cuvée and the 2018 Saint Joseph Le Clos is undoubtedly with the best of them. Incredibly complex notes of black raspberries, flowers, lavender, bouquet garni, and a terrific sense of elegance all emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty has a silky, elegant texture, great tannins, and one seriously lengthy finish. It shows more spice and meaty nuances with time in the glass and this is more Hermitage than your classic Saint Joseph. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 20 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A more reductive, meaty, backward effort than normal, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits is all Syrah that comes from unquestionably one of the top terroirs in Saint-Joseph. It was vinified in concrete tanks and aged in a mix of barrels and demi-muids, 20% being new. It blossoms with air and reveals an almost Hermitage-like class and minerality, with killer crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits supported by loads of smoked game, saddle leather, crushed stone, barbecue smoke, garrigue, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Just incredible on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, awesome tannins, and a liquid rock-like minerality, this tour de force from Saint-Joseph ranks with the finest vintage of this cuvée ever made and matches the 2015, although it shows a very different style. It should be snatched up by readers. It will need 3-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following 20 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A killer wine as always, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc reveals a medium gold color as well as powerful notes of white currants, toasted spices, brioche, quince, and crushed rock. With beautiful richness, medium to full body, no hard edges and a great finish, it's consistently one of the great whites in the appellation.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-93)

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.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Tasted on four separate occasions, the 2016 Château Clinet is another brilliant wine from this estate. Showing slightly more freshness and purity than the 2015, its saturated purple color is followed by a thrilling array of crème de cassis, graphite, ground herbs, and a terrific sense of minerality. Deep, full-bodied, with building tannins, and a magical sense of purity and elegance paired with real density and depth, it needs short term cellaring and will keep for three decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-95)

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.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

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.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

The 2019 Clinet has maintained the stunning delineation that I discerned from the barrel sample. Pure black cherries, hints of cassis and wilted violet scents unfold in the glass with effortless ease, and the oak (75% new, 25% used for 18 months) is neatly integrated. The poised palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with fine-grained tannins and disarming mineralité, particularly toward the finish, which delivers tremendous length and saliva-inducing salinity on the aftertaste. There is a pleasing strictness to this Clinet that is apposite to the flamboyant and decadent wines of the Nineties. This Clinet is one of Ronan Laborde's great achievements.

Vinous - Neal Martin (98)

The 2019 Clinet has maintained the stunning delineation that I discerned from the barrel sample. Pure black cherries, hints of cassis and wilted violet scents unfold in the glass with effortless ease, and the oak (75% new, 25% used for 18 months) is neatly integrated. The poised palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with fine-grained tannins and disarming mineralité, particularly toward the finish, which delivers tremendous length and saliva-inducing salinity on the aftertaste. There is a pleasing strictness to this Clinet that is apposite to the flamboyant and decadent wines of the Nineties. This Clinet is one of Ronan Laborde's great achievements.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98+)

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.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93+)

The 2016 Clos du Clocher has a rich, opulent bouquet with layers of macerated small black cherries, crème de cassis and violet aromas. There is brightness and vivacity here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, finely judged acidity, a slightly lactic texture and flecks of dark chocolate toward the finish, which fans out nicely. This will need time, but it is very promising. A composed and refined Pomerol from Jean-Baptiste Bourotte.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2015 Clos l’Eglise needs encouragement on the nose. Initially surprisingly taciturn, it reveals well-defined blackberry, raspberry, leather and truffle scents. The palate is silky smooth with fine delineation, quite poised with dark chocolate and espresso complementing the lush red fruit. There is gentle grip towards the finish that gains length, though never achieves the heights of the following vintage. Still, this is going to give a lot of pleasure over the next 10-15 years. Tasted at the Clos l’Eglise vertical.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

The 2019 Saint Joseph Silice Blanc is a gorgeous white based on 100% Marsanne. Loads of stony mineral notes as well as white flowers and white currants define this full-bodied, rich, concentrated beauty. Remarkably pure, it offers subtle background oak, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. This is another head-turning wine from this incredible estate. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade.

Incredibly focused aromas of lifted black cherries and dark chocolate-coated violet creams dominate, before the concentrated, mouthcoating blackcurrant fruit pervades the palate. However, it is the pure energy of the wine, along with the harmonious concentration of fruit and freshness, and the fine yet pertinent tannins that is really impressive here. This is a truly lovely, powerful yet balanced Saint Joseph.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-99)

From a miniscule one-hectare parcel right across from Clinet, on the upper plateau of Pomerol, the 2018 Enclos Tourmaline is a blockbuster in the making, and I suspect it’s going to give the 2016 a run for its money. Checking in as a 100% Merlot raised in new oak, which hit 14.7% natural alcohol, this inky color blockbuster boasts a massive bouquet of black fruits, smoke herbs, chocolate, and damp earth. It shows a more floral edge with time in the glass and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and plush on the palate, with sweet tannins. It’s certainly one of the sexiest wines in this terrific vintage. Hats off to vineyard manager and winemaker Jérôme Aguirre as well as consultant Michel Rolland for another brilliant wine in the making. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-98)

There's not much of the 2019 Enclos Tourmaline made, but it's a sensational wine in the making. Coming from a tiny one-hectare parcel next to Clinet, this inky purple-hued effort offers a wonderfully complex, vibrant bouquet of black raspberries, crème de cassis, licorice, toasted spices, and classy oak. Full-bodied, pure, and elegant, yet powerful on the palate, it has good acidity, remarkable purity (there's no overripeness here), sound underlying structure, and a great finish. It’s another brilliant, heavenly Pomerol from 2019.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96-98)

The 2015 Feytit-Clinet is one of the most exciting, viscerally thrilling wines of the vintage. Graphite, smoke, charcoal, violets, and a host of intense, dark fruits make a strong first impression. Vertical and towering in the glass, the 2015 possesses magnificent intensity to match its virile, brooding personality. There is a sense of explosive energy in the 2015 that is simply compelling. Readers who can find the 2015 should not hesitate, as it is stunning. What a wine! The blend is approximately 96% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96-98)

The 2015 Feytit-Clinet is one of the most exciting, viscerally thrilling wines of the vintage. Graphite, smoke, charcoal, violets, and a host of intense, dark fruits make a strong first impression. Vertical and towering in the glass, the 2015 possesses magnificent intensity to match its virile, brooding personality. There is a sense of explosive energy in the 2015 that is simply compelling. Readers who can find the 2015 should not hesitate, as it is stunning. What a wine! The blend is approximately 96% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-99)

From one of my favorite estates in Pomerol, situated between Trotanoy and Latour à Pomerol, the 2018 Château Feytit-Clinet is currently sitting at 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc being raised in 70% new French oak. Sporting a deep purple/blue color as well as a massive bouquet of blackberries, smoked herbs, liquid violets, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a weightless, seamless texture, thrilling purity, and a great, great finish. It’s a powerful wine hitting 14.9% alcohol yet there’s not a trace of heat. Offering beautiful purity and flawless balance, it reminds me of the 2010, only better.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)

Another blockbuster in the making from this tiny estate in Pomerol, the 2020 Château Feytit-Clinet is based on a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, hitting 14.8% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The aging will span 18 months in 70% new French oak. It boasts a dense purple hue as well as a stunning nose of crème de cassis, currants, tobacco, and damp earth. About as ripe, sexy, and opulent as they come, it still shows the purity and freshness of this great vintage. It reveals more and more tannins with time in the glass, but given its mid-palate as well as its overall density, it’s going to benefit from just 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-30 years.