Located in Graves, to the southwest of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is located in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. This is the concept of terroir that is so dear to many in France, especially Bordeaux. The terroir of Chevalier is like a greenhouse, a unique ecosystem that the grapes (mostly) benefit from.  ight bank of Bordeaux, to the east of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is lcoated in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. This is the concept of terroir that is so dear to many in France, especially Bordeaux. The terroir of Chevalier is like a greenhouse, a unique ecosystem that the grapes (mostly) benefit from. The 2014 Chevalier is a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, and 5% petit verdot, giving a wine of great structure that will be a decade old next year. Refined, yet opulent with a full array of blackberries, blackcherry, earth, forest floor and spicy oak notes. 

Chateau Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Leognan)- Chateau Haut-Bailly always delivers amazing wine, and this vintage is no exception. With aromatic and dense black fruits of cherry and cassis the 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot is savory and delightful with earthy minerality and tobacco nuances. Be patient and you will be rewarded with a supremely delicious wine. You won't have to wait too long though as 2024 will mark 10 years in the bottle and the wine will start to show well. Drink 2024-2035.

Winemaker Notes
Blend: 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42% Sémillon
This wine has a pale yellow color with golden reflections. Its nose is very expressive, with notes of citrus fruits, white flowers and fresh fruits. The lemony freshness of the attack gives way to an ample, complex and aromatic mouth, very tasty. It is a refined wine with a delicate texture, in complete harmony.

Winemaker Notes Blend: 60% Cabernet, 32% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot

93 Points-James Suckling" The cassis, dried-cranberry and herbal nose has some real complexity. Very expressive on the palate with great balance of crisp acidity, tannins and lively fruit. A joyful wine!"

91 Points-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Located in Graves, to the southwest of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is located in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. This is the concept of terroir that is so dear to many in France, especially Bordeaux. The terroir of Chevalier is like a greenhouse, a unique ecosystem that the grapes (mostly) benefit from right bank of Bordeaux, to the east of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is located in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. The 2019 Chevalier is a red blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc that has fine, structured tannins, juicy blackcurrant, sage and dark earth with a vein of minerality. Although it could be ready to drink in 2024, hold for another 5-15 years.

From the Domaine of Clarence Dillon, this is the second label for the Chateau La Mission Haut Brion. (Not to be confused with Chateau Haut-Brion). Dillon purchased this famous vineyard in 1983 and has brought it to the fame it has today, situated next to its famous neighbour notwithstanding. The terroir is similar and the 26.6ha of vines features about half/half Cabernet Sauvigon/Merlot with a small amount of Petit Verdot. In 2007 a new cellar, bottling centre and tasting room were built, combining modern technology with tradition. The wine itself for this vintage is 54% merlot, 45% cabernet sauvignon and 1% cabernet franc. Great structure with fine-grained tannins that provides the backbone to flavours of blackberry, raspberry, vanilla and spice. It's almost ready to go - try in 2026 or hold for another 5-10 years.

This blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30 % Semillon offers some of the best value with excellent quality in white Bordeaux. Classic and elegant, the acidity is vibrant with lip-smacking salinity and further flavours of green apple, fennel, and a touch of jasmine.

Chateau Haut Bailly is one of the most loved and most prestigious wine estates in all of Bordeaux. This Cru Classe of Graves has been owned by the Wilmers familiy since 1998, even though it has been in existence since 1530 and passed down the Bailly family line. With the investment made by the Wilmers family, the winery was custom built to a contemporary building, which allows them to carry out precision work in optimal conditions- that was debuted with the 2021 vintage. This 2019 is a red blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet France and 4% Petit Verdot. The aroma is elegant and complex with blackcurrants, earth, cigar box and pencil shavings with full body, ripe tannins and lively acids. This vintage received scores of 96+ from many critics.

Winemaker Notes Intense, fresh and elegant nose, of vine peach, acacia blossom and honeysuckle mixed with mineral and smoky notes (quartz, silica). Delicately creamy and rich palate despite a good acid tension. Exquisite concentration, energy and radiance of fruity taste. Good volume without heaviness. Great long finish.

98 Points-James Suckling This has a complex nose of dried apple, green mango, grapefruit zest, dried honeysuckle and crushed almonds. It's full-bodied with bright acidity and a dense, phenolic texture. Vivid and layered with fantastic precision. Very, very long. This needs time. Better from 2026.

Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Leognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Medoc properties. Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.

Winemaker Notes

A wine of good density ruby red, with brown, mahogany, biscuit hints. The rim is fairly thick and the legs are fine, clear, abundant and regular. At once expressive, forthright and complex. There are notes of all families of fragrance: fruit, flowers, and spices. The attack is forthright, round and suave, soothing even. The intense aromas initially recall the complexity of the nose. There is leather and lightly charred wood, and roasted notes. The beauty of the wine is revealed by its elegance rather than its full-flavor. The wine has an attractive aromatic range with a finish of remarkable elegance.

A serious, age-worthy vintage of La Mission Haut Brion here. With a deep, dark, rich hue, the wine pops from the glass with its smoky essence made even better by its layers of black currants, black plums, tar, herbs, cigar box, and tobacco accents. The palate is full-bodied, powerful, rich, intense, mouth-filling, and long. Everything is in balance, meshing power with precision, purity, freshness, length, and complexity. Like all the great vintages of La Mission Haut Brion , this is going to demand time in the cellar before it unfurls and displays all it has to offer. Drink from 2036-2060. 98 Points

A blend of 44.7% Merlot and 55.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has an alcohol of 14.3%. It rolls effortlessly out of the glass with seducing notes of warm black plums, black cherry compote and blackberry pie, plus suggestions of lavender, crushed rocks and underbrush with a hint of sassafras. The medium bodied palate is delicately played and refreshing, offering lots of soft spoken black fruit and earthy layers with a soft texture and seamless acidity, finishing with a spicy kick.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly was harvested from the 9th to 25th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.3%. Deep purple-black in colour, it prances out of the glass with naturally beautiful notions of fresh black cherries, violets, mulberries and boysenberries, giving way to hints of redcurrant jelly, star anise, tilled soil and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate is delicately crafted with velvety/grainy tannins and fantastic freshness framing the perfumed red and black berry layers, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note.

A mild and very wet winter led to an early and even budbreak. The damp weather lasted all the way through Spring accompanied by some very cool temperatures. Miraculously, full flowering took place between the 7th and the 11th of June which was a 5-day period of lovely weather and relatively hot temperatures. These conditions encouraged a quick and uniform flowering followed by a good return of fruit. The midpoint of the colour change of the berries happened around the 10th of August, with excellent uniformity across all the grape varieties. Despite these unpredictable swings of Nature; the heat and the absence of rain, the vines could maintain a healthy foliage right up to the beginning of the harvest thanks both to the water reserves and to the ploughing of the plots. Harvesting started 8 days late. Light showers at the beginning of September and a lovely Indian summer during the picking meant that all the grape varieties achieved perfect ripeness and a healthy condition placing the 2016 vintage among the great vintages.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider: "It was a close call picking a favorite here between LMHBB and HBB, but, perhaps the La Mission has just a bit more going here. The perfume is packed with honeysuckle, lemon rind, pomelo, white peaches and herbs, with a touch of spice cover all the bases. Full-bodied, rich, fleshy and deep, the wine fills your palate with wall of ripe, yellow and orange citrus, crushed rocks, mango and a dab of honey, with ample acidity to keep everything up-beat and fresh. Drink from 2025-2040." 97 Points

Composed of 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 7th to 29th September, the 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion has an alcohol of 14.7%. It needs considerable swirling and coaxing to reveal slowly emerging scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, Morello cherries, wild blueberries and forest floor, leading to suggestions of violets, baker's chocolate and cardamom with wafts of dusty soil and oolong tea. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with impactful, fresh red, black and blue fruit layers, supported by impressive freshness and fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and fragrant. A stunning expression of this vintage!

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly was harvested from the 9th to 25th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.3%. Deep purple-black in colour, it prances out of the glass with naturally beautiful notions of fresh black cherries, violets, mulberries and boysenberries, giving way to hints of redcurrant jelly, star anise, tilled soil and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate is delicately crafted with velvety/grainy tannins and fantastic freshness framing the perfumed red and black berry layers, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note.

The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a blend of 54.7% Sauvignon Blanc and 45.3% Semillon, harvested from 19th to 28th August, with an estimated alcohol of 13.8%. The nose tingles with electric notes of lemon zest, orange blossoms, pink grapefruit, hints of fresh ginger, elderflowers, crushed rocks, and a waft of lime leaves. The medium-bodied palate quivers with intense, tightly wound citrus fruit layers, backed up by a racy backbone and finishing long and steely.

The history of Smith Haut-Lafitte dates back to the 14th century, when George Smith, a Scottish wine merchant, acquired the property in the mid-18th century, giving it his name. After changing hands again in 1958, it was in 1990 that the Cathiard couple fell in love with the Chateau, purchased, and spent the next three years renovating the estate. Their constant philosophy is to make the best possible wine from each vintage to showcase the magnificent terroir. 2011 is a bit of a surprise here following the epic vintages of 2009 2010, but this is equally brilliant. The red wine blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot shows a big nose of cassis, licorice and oak, while the palate has silky and elegant tannins with a juicy texture. This is ready to drink now, but will age another 5-10 years.

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - a blend of 72% Semillon and 18% Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon provides richness and acidity with the Sauvignon adding an array of citrus and stone fruits. White wine luxury - who says white wines can't age? Drink now to 2030.

Located in the heart of the Graves, the Chateau is named after the family it belonged to until 1851. Now owned by the Quinn family, although more famous for minerally driven Bordeaux white blends, their red wines are also excellent. The current winemaker is a big believer in translation of terroir: he wants all the wines to have a sense of place. The 2014 Fieuzal is a red blend made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc for a ripe and fruity wine with herbal and earthy nuances, underpinned with firm, yet refined tannins and well-balanced acidity. Exellent potential for ageing.