Winemaker Notes
Blend: 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon Product Description:
"Château Pavie Macquin owes its name to the grand-father of the current owners Albert Macquin (1852-1911), who used plant grafting as a way to save the Saint-Emilion vineyard, destroyed by phylloxera. The vineyard of Pavie Macquin, a family property of fifteen hectares, is located on the top of the Saint-Emilion plateau.
The clay and limestone soil, on a chalk/an asteriated limestone bedrock, allows a natural draining and an exceptionally continuous water supply. Strong clays result in fleshy, generous and powerful wines. The winemaker has to tame the natural power of the terroir in order to make this exceptional graceful wine." - Winery
Tasting notes:
Nose:violet, rose, truffle, earth, coffee, leather, tobacco, broccoli, berry, flower, currant, blackberry, cherry, cedar and cigar box
Taste:currant, black cherry, plum, bell pepper, olive, oak, smoke, toast, tar, tobacco, raspberry, cassis, violet, pepper, green bean, blackberry, cherry, asparagus, spice, ginger and vanilla

Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere is a Premier Grand Cru Classe, located in the St. Emilion appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux. Owned by the von Neipperg family, there are links to viticulture here since the 13th century. Canon -la-Gaffeliere is one of only two Bordeaux properties that is Certified Organic. The 2014 is a red blend of 55% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of preserved blackberry, fig and black currant. The palate is medium-bodied with good structure and a spicy finish.

Without a doubt, Chateau Troplong Mondot has one of the most enviable and unique terroirs on the St. Emilion appellation on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Specifically located on the highest point of Saint-Emilion's famous limestone plateau, the 43ha estate has ideal soils and exposure. The resulting wines combine strength and elegance, complexity and precision. The 2019 Troplong Mondot is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon with attractive aromas of blackberry liqueur, blueberries, licorice, chocolate, and spice. With mouth-filling, juicy, and concentrated textures and flavours, this 2019 received a perfect score of 100 from Wine Enthusiast. Best from 2027-2040.

Balancing complexity and finesse, Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot 2020 offers silky tannins interwoven with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2026–2045

A bold and expressive Saint-Émilion, the 2024 Château Larcis Ducasse delivers impressive structure and depth. Rich layers of dark fruit, spice, and florals unfold with power and finesse. This is a wine that showcases remarkable balance and ageing potential.

97 Points – Vinous
“The 2024 Larcis Ducasse is dense, powerful and imposing—almost surprisingly so. All of the mid-palate. Black cherry, plum, mocha, lavender, chocolate and cinnamon meld together in the glass, but it is the wine's mind-blowing balance that stands out most. This is another stellar showing from Larcis Ducasse. There's real potential here.”

Contention as one of the top vintages produced here, the wine is strong on its floral characteristics. Once past the opening bouquet of white flowers and dried roses, you find plums, black cherries, black raspberries, mint and cigar wrapper nuances. The palate provides a lush, opulent, vibrant, energetic backdrop for its wealth of deep red fruits and oceanic influences. The finish has a touch of salty chalk that adds complexity to its wealth of silky, ripe, red fruits.

Blend: 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2030 - 2057

97 Points - Vinous
"The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a total stunner. As has been the case for some years now, the Grand Vin is blended before being barreled down, which means at the time of tasting en primeur, the wine has seen less wood than the vast majority of its peers. That lends this wine a certain raw energy that is impossible to miss. The purity and intensity of the flavors are simply remarkable. Troplong Mondot is one of the standouts of 2024. Even in this vintage, Troplong Mondot possesses remarkable textural presence, but that richness is matched by notable freshness and linear drive. It was deeply impressive on the two occasions I tasted it. Élevage is planned to be 55% in new oak, 26% in 20HL barrels and 19% in once-used barrels."

Blend: 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2030 - 2057

97 Points - Vinous
"The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a total stunner. As has been the case for some years now, the Grand Vin is blended before being barreled down, which means at the time of tasting en primeur, the wine has seen less wood than the vast majority of its peers. That lends this wine a certain raw energy that is impossible to miss. The purity and intensity of the flavors are simply remarkable. Troplong Mondot is one of the standouts of 2024. Even in this vintage, Troplong Mondot possesses remarkable textural presence, but that richness is matched by notable freshness and linear drive. It was deeply impressive on the two occasions I tasted it. Élevage is planned to be 55% in new oak, 26% in 20HL barrels and 19% in once-used barrels."

Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Drinking Window: 2026–2045

A bold and expressive Saint-Émilion, the 2024 Château Larcis Ducasse delivers impressive structure and depth. Rich layers of dark fruit, spice, and florals unfold with power and finesse. This is a wine that showcases remarkable balance and ageing potential.

97 Points – Vinous
“The 2024 Larcis Ducasse is dense, powerful and imposing—almost surprisingly so. All of the mid-palate. Black cherry, plum, mocha, lavender, chocolate and cinnamon meld together in the glass, but it is the wine's mind-blowing balance that stands out most. This is another stellar showing from Larcis Ducasse. There's real potential here.”

Blend: Merlot (84%), Cabernet Franc (15%), Cabernet Sauvignon (1%)
Drinking Window: 2033-2060

96-98 Points – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“A beautifully sculpted Pavie Macquin that captures the purity and limestone-driven elegance of Saint-Émilion. Fragrant aromas of blackberries, black cherries and violets are intertwined with notes of crushed stone, graphite and sweet spices. The palate is rich yet remarkably poised, revealing layers of vibrant dark fruit supported by silky tannins and energetic acidity. Precision and minerality define its character, creating a seamless balance between concentration and finesse. The finish is long, refined and intensely persistent, highlighting the estate’s exceptional terroir and outstanding aging potential.”

Blend: 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Drinking Window: 2027-2045

96 Points - Vinous
“The 2024 Pavie Macquin is positively gorgeous. Silky, layered and voluptuous, the 2024 is so impressive right out of the gate. Plush contours wrap around a core of purplish fruit, lavender, licorice, spice, menthol and chocolate. All the signatures of this site come through loud and clear. Savory and floral notes supported by clean veins of salinity extend the persistent finish. Pavie Macquin shows what was possible in 2024. The choice to harvest everything in October (from the 3rd to the 8th) paid off big time. Aging is in French oak, with about 15% in larger 500-liter barrels, 45% new wood overall. Tasted three times.”

A testament to its prestigious terroir, Chateau Troplong Mondot 2020 offers rich aromas of ripe berries, dark cherries, and delicate floral hints —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Flowers, cherries, licorice, leafy herbs, spice, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate create the perfume. On the palate the wine is lush, soft, fresh, clean and most importantly, the wine expresses a gorgeous sense of purity in the red fruits that you sense in the mid-palate, which carries all the way through to the elegant, fresh, vibrant, long, energetic, sensual finish. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 21 - October 12. Drink from 2025-2050. 94-96

Once past the opening bouquet of white flowers and dried roses, you find plums, black cherries, black raspberries, mint and cigar wrapper nuances. The palate provides a lush, opulent, vibrant, energetic backdrop for its wealth of deep red fruits and oceanic influences. The finish has a touch of salty chalk that adds complexity to its wealth of silky, ripe, red fruits.

Blend: Merlot (85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (13%), Cabernet Franc (2%)
Drinking Window: 2034-2062

97-99 Points – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“A spectacular Troplong Mondot with exceptional intensity and elegance. The nose is deeply aromatic, offering layers of blackberries, black cherries, violets and crushed limestone, complemented by notes of graphite, licorice and exotic spices. Full-bodied and beautifully sculpted, the palate combines remarkable concentration with freshness and precision. Silky, fine-grained tannins envelop a core of pure dark fruit, while vibrant acidity and pronounced minerality create energy and lift. The finish is long, seamless and extraordinarily persistent, showcasing the estate’s signature balance of richness, finesse and terroir expression.”

Blend: Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc (10%)
Drinking Window: 2032–2050

96-97 Points - Jeff Leve
“Black cherries, plums, violets, licorice, espresso, caramel, black raspberries, licorice, and a hint of mint pop in the nose. Creamy, opulent, sweet, powerful, and also fragrant, fresh, and light on its feet. The palate is drenched in fruits, accompanied by a mineral essence that adds in the length, and the vibrancy to the long, intense finish. One of the wines of the vintage, this is in contention for the best vintage ever produced in the history of Larcis Ducasse. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% ABV. 3.5 pH. Harvesting took place September 10 - September 19. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectare. Aging is taking place in a combination of New, French oak barrels, 500 liter barrels, and foundres. Drink from 2030-2065.”"

Without a doubt, Chateau Troplong Mondot has one of the most enviable and unique terroirs on the St. Emilion appellation on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Specifically located on the highest point of Saint-Emilion's famous limestone plateau, the 43ha estate has ideal soils and exposure. The resulting wines combine strength and elegance, complexity and precision. This 2014 Bordeaux red blend consisting of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc The wine has a rich fruit basket of blackcurrants, blackberries and raspberries accompanied by graphite, espresso and earth. The palate is fresh and precise that is rich, classy and elegant. Drinking well now, but certainly has 20 years of life left in it!

Blend: Cabernet Franc (45%), Merlot (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%)
Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050

95 Points - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“High pumice stone grip, certainly very much on the limestone character, attractive and with plenty of lift and grip, and an underlying and highly attractive drama from grilled sandalwood and incense oak notes. A more subdued Canon la Gaffelière at this early stage, will widen and deepen over ageing. Yield 35 hl/ha. 30% new oak for ageing."

Blend: 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Drinking Window: 2027-2045

96 Points - Vinous
“The 2024 Pavie Macquin is positively gorgeous. Silky, layered and voluptuous, the 2024 is so impressive right out of the gate. Plush contours wrap around a core of purplish fruit, lavender, licorice, spice, menthol and chocolate. All the signatures of this site come through loud and clear. Savory and floral notes supported by clean veins of salinity extend the persistent finish. Pavie Macquin shows what was possible in 2024. The choice to harvest everything in October (from the 3rd to the 8th) paid off big time. Aging is in French oak, with about 15% in larger 500-liter barrels, 45% new wood overall. Tasted three times.”

Balancing complexity and finesse, Chateau De Valandraud 2020 offers silky tannins interwoven with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

The 1982 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière is a highly regarded, mature Saint-Émilion Grand Cru known for its silky texture, medium-bodied profile, and notes of sweet red/black cherries, tobacco, and earthy, rustic spice. Considered a success in a strong vintage, it generally shows a, complex, and developed character with softened tannins, often offering notes of truffle and, occasionally, smoky oak.

Clearly a bigger and more structured wine than the 2014, this has blackberry and fig notes along with a lick of minerality, suggested by both the texture and the gunsmoke edge to the finish. It’s enjoyable and approachable, although still young. The alcohol levels are high in 2015, but the St-Emilion plateau is a relatively forgiving spot for generous alcohols because there’s a natural minerality and freshness from the limestone. 30% new oak. Drinking Window 2020 – 2026