Bordeaux

"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... Read More

Of course the wine to buy in order to get a look at the Lafite Rothschild style and personality is their second wine Carruades de Lafite which has become very fashionable in Asia causing the prices to soar. A very strong effort... Read More

"Composed of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels the 2015 Canon is boldly fruited with blackberry preserves black cherry compote fruitcake mocha and plum preserves with... Read More

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... Read More

The pale to medium lemon-gold colored 2005 d'Yquem opens with a provocative mineral and earth-tinged nose of chalk dust wet pebbles and dried wild mushrooms over a core of warm apricots green mango honeyed toast ginger and... Read More

The 2009 Ducru Beaucaillou will eclipse the brilliant wines produced in 2005 2003 and 2000. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 fares against the 2010 after twenty years of aging but my money is on the 2009. A blend of... Read More

The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a brilliant effort that exhibits a level of balance and integration that are impressive in such a powerful young Bordeaux. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled... Read More

As I suspected the 1996 Lafleur is a painfully backward austere wine that represents a modern day clone of this estate's 1966. It possesses a backward tannic Medoc-like character with none of Pomerol's hallmark generosity.... Read More

A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc aged in 80% new oak barriques the 2018 Léoville Poyferré comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries plum preserves... Read More

"Medium to deep garnet-purple in color the 2015 Lynch Bages offers up crushed black berries black cherries and dried herbs with an earthy undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate is firm and taut with lively fruit and a chewy finish."... Read More

Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon 19% Merlot 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot the 2018 Lynch-Bages was aged in 75% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color it soars out of the glass with a magnificently expressive nose... Read More

Whilst I enjoyed several bona fide perfect examples of the 1982 Château Pichon Lalande in the late nineties my most recent encounters imply that these years were its peak. Nevertheless it remains a brilliant benchmark wine that... Read More

"The final blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot has resulted in a wine of great power stature gravitas and density. The wine has a black purple color and a brilliant nose of scorched earth creme de cassis espresso roast... Read More

"Loads of blackberry and licorice with hints of meat and smoked oak. Full-bodied with velvety tannins and lots of very ripe and exotic fruit. Very exotic and wild. Rich finish."

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 34% Merlot 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 60% new barriques the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème de cassis... Read More

The 2020 Troplong Mondot may prove to be even better than the brilliant 2019 and it is one of the Right Bank's finest wines in this vintage. Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of mulberries blackberries and red cherries... Read More

"The 2015 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a floral note on the nose: small black cherries blueberry and wilted violets the last becoming more intense as the initially... Read More

The main reason the 2009 Lafite Rothschild did not receive a perfect score is because the wine has closed down slightly but it is unquestionably another profound Lafite their greatest wine since the amazing 2003. Among the most... Read More

The 2019 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot harvested from the 19th of September to the 7th of October. Deep garnet-purple in color it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with... Read More

Gérard Perse believes this is the greatest Pavie he’s made to date although certainly I would argue that list includes the 2000 as well as the 2009 and 2010 among his superstars. This wine which I had both in the 2005 horizontal... Read More