A blend of 54% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored, 2017 Palmer gives a very serious nose of pronounced blackcurrant cordial, warm plums and blackberry preserves with hints of cedar chest, pencil shavings, violets, dark chocolate and star anise plus exotic wafts of sandalwood and cassia. Medium-bodied, the palate features fantastically vibrant, crunchy black fruits with a firm texture of ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. It will need a good 5-7 years to really blossom with all those tightly wound nuances, but it should be a stunner!

Not always a first growth, Chateau Mouton, owned Baron Philippe Rothschild was originally a 2nd growth in the original 1855 classification, but after a 20 year battle was elevated to a first growth in 1973, now in the elite five first growths. In 1988, Baron Philippe's daughter took over the Chateau. During her time as CEO, she brilliantly enhanced and modernized Chateau Mouton. Her three children now are co-owners and united in the same ambition to carry on the work of their mother and grandfather. The Chateau spans 90ha in the Pauillac appellation on the left bank of Bordeaux. A red blend made with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot which offers an intense, expressive wine with aromas of blackberry, cassis, pencil shavings, cedar and mint. The palate has fine tannins with a rich, medium to full bodied wine. The finish is extremely lengthy. Always scoring very high, put this away for a few years. Best from 2025-2040.

"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Marquis d'Alesme Becker leaps from the glass with gregarious notions of plum preserves, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake with hints of potpourri, star anise, menthol and tapenade. Full, rich, firm and grainy, with fantastic freshness lifting the densely packed palate, it has a long, beautifully fragrant finish.(LPB)" (3/2019) -96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

93 points - James Suckling

The wine displays a medium gold color. On the nose, it is harmonious, offering aromas of mango, yellow apple, and citrus fruit. The palate is rich and round, with a harmonious character and a long, fresh finish.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre from Saint Julien was created in 1840 and is one of the Second Growths in the 1855 Classification. The 2014 vintage was marked by an Indian summer making this vintage successful.  This is a red blend of 60% Caberent Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc with a tiny bit of Petit Verdot to round it out. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, integrated oak and a hint of licorice. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine grained tannins and a persistent finish. drink from 2024-2030

This first collection case contains unique bottles sealed with wax, direct from the Château, and includes: 1988, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2008 vintages

Chateau Leoville-Barton (Saint Julien)- this wine is massive and powerful with the bulk of this coming from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc providing the lift. It has a solid core of cassis, blueberry compote, sweet oak and plum flavours wrapped with licorice and pencil lead. Muscular, yet lean, drink from 2025-2035. 

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Medium to deep garnet colored, the nose slowly, measuredly emerges with notions of preserved Morello cherries, baked blackcurrants and blackberry compote, giving way to nuances of pencil shavings, unsmoked cigars, Chinese five spice and sandalwood plus ever so subtle hints of cardamom and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit preserves with a firm, grainy-textured frame and fantastic freshness, finishing with a veritable firework display of lingering spices and minerals. This is a more restrained, relatively elegant vintage of Latour that may not have that "iron fist in a velvet glove" power of the greatest vintages but nonetheless struts its superior terroir and behind-the-scenes savoir faire with impressive panache. It is drinking nicely now with suitably rounded-off, approachable tannins, and the tertiary characters are just beginning to bring some more cerebral elements into the compote of temptingly primary black fruits. But, if you're looking to drink it in full, flamboyant swing, give it another 5-10 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20-25 years+. (LPB) 96+ (3/2020)

97 points - Decanter

The La Tour Carnet from Haut-Medoc is a blend of 68% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot to add that backbone structure. Dark red cherries, plums, smoke, leather, and cedar abound with silky tannins and fresh acidity. Although this is ready to drink now, give it ample time in a decanter for optimal drinking experience!

97 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: " Blended of 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the medium garnet-purple colored 2016 la Fleur-Petrus reveals stunning Black Forest cake, redcurrant jelly and wilted roses scents with underlying suggestions of pencil shavings, yeast extract, dark chocolate and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the mid-palate possesses superb intensity and depth with layers of perfumed black fruits and loads of red fruit sparks framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note. (LPB)" (11/2018)

99 points - James Suckling

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.

With all the excellent qualities of this legendary wine from Pauillac, the blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot can be opened and enjoyed, especially if you like the Pauillac style of cassis, cedar, graphite and earth aromas and flavours.

The history of Chateau Duhart-Milon is not as well known as it should be. In the 18th century the wines of Milon became the "second" wine for Chateau Lafite. The 1855 classification awarded Duhart-Milon the only 4th growth in Pauillac, recognizing it for the quality of its soil. Sometime between 1830-1840 35 acres was left to the Casteja family who subsequently possessed a 99 acre vinyard name Duhart-Milon. Over the years the property changed hands many times and suffered a decline in the quality of the wines. The property was acquired in 1962 by the Rothschild family who totally overhauled the vineyards and brought back the quality of the wine as a 4th growth. This 2011 is a red blend from Pauillac in Bordeaux that is composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, this is a medium bodied wine with finesse and purity showing ripe berries, tobacco, spice and leather with an excellent freshness on the palate. This wine is ready to drink now, and should age for a few more years yet.

It is arrayed in an intense, bright garnet red hue flecked with purple. The charming and pleasant nose offers a lovely bouquet of red fruit and liquorice. The equally expressive palate combines aromatic freshness and fruity intensity, interpinned with a velvety texture. A succulent, elegant wine, smooth and well-balanced.

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.

Chateau Cos-d'Estournel is a second growth in the Saint Estephe appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux. The Chateau covers 69ha separated from first growth Chateau Lafite along the southern edge, by the stream between St. Estephe and Pauillac. This red blend is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot that is multi-faceted, delivering aromas of cinnamon, truffle, coffee and wild plums with a deep core of velvety tannins, full bodied and fantastic structure. Drink from 2027-2049.

A crisp, fruity, yet dry wine made with a blend of syrah, grenache and cinsault. It has bright acidity and light texture. Drink now.

Margaux shows us the elegance and feminine side of Bordeaux. This second label of Chateau Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth of Bordeaux is a blend of 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Already silky and very promising, it expresses black fruit aromas of blackberry and fleshy cherry mixed with elegant toast, smoke, and vanilla. The tannins are refined and balanced and is absolutely in the drink window.

From the Piedmont wine region, BARBARESCO 2014 is an intense and full-bodied Barolo with dark fruit, underbrush and earthy flavours on the palate and would benefit from a couple more years in cellar.

Nose: Intense aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, and cherry, with hints of cedar, tobacco, and vanilla.

Taste: Rich and full-bodied, with flavors of ripe dark fruits, such as blackberry and plum, complemented by notes of spice, licorice, and dark chocolate.

Palate: Well-structured with velvety tannins, offering a smooth and elegant mouthfeel. The finish is long and lingering, leaving a pleasant aftertaste of black fruits and subtle oak.

Ripe and fresh black fruits and plum predominate with chocolate notes and hints of tobacco leaf. It has a mineral character that highlights the smell of the earth, mixed with aromas of aromatic plants. Voluminous, full, and broad with very fine and noble tannins.

The producer describes the wine as having a dark red color with a high layer. The nose is intense and features black fruit and cherry aromas, with a prominent plum scent and hints of sweet spices. The aroma also includes notes of earth and minerals. The wood used in aging is subtle and mostly hidden behind the spices. The taste is described as wide, powerful, and delicate, with a pleasant combination of sweetness and freshness. The tannins are smooth and the wine has a silky texture with notes of black plums, chocolate, and a hint of cigar box. The wine is said to be from an excellent vintage.

Reserve de la Comtesse is the second label of the Chateau Pichon Longueville, a 2nd growth of Pauillac in the 1855 Classification. From the suprisingly quality vintage of 2014, this wine is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot. With clear ageing potential (due to the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon) there is a deep core of plum, cassis, raspberry and cedar notes with a lush, concentrated and structured palate. Although this is in a good place for drinking now, it can be aged further.

The color is bright and the aroma, while not that intense, is precise and extremely pleasing thanks to how clean and assorted it is. The bouquet has notes of blueberry, blackberry and juniper, all topped with a balsamic touch. The mouthfeel is extraordinarily soft, perhaps too much so, but fortunately this is balanced by a lively acidity. It is decidedly impossible not to like this wine.

Chateau Margaux has a vast history, five centuries in the making. Most know this wine as just "Pavillon Rouge", but with its full name, the origins are clear: This is the 2nd wine of Chateau Margaux, one of the 1855 Classification 1st growths. The flavours and quality are close, yet with the ability to drink a little earlier than its big sister. Typically this wine represents 30% of the grapes harvested for a vintage. The 2019 is comprised of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. With this warm vintage, there is more body in the wine, yet still well balanced. Loaded with black fruit, pencil shavings, tobacco and spices, it is elegant and velvety on the palate with plenty of structure, yet still fresh and fruity. Touted as one of the best vintages for this wine and worth the purchase.

"The 2016 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux bursts forth with exuberant Morello cherries, black raspberries and cassis scents accented by touches of menthol, dark chocolate and garrigue plus a waft of tree bark. The palate is medium-bodied, very elegant, vivacious and fresh with satiny tannins and a nice long finish. " Rating: 93+ -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Of a deep ruby colour with a garnet hue, our Romanée-Saint-Vivant "Les Quatre Journaux" 2019 unveils pepper, liquorice and blackcurrant bud aromas on the nose. This wine is generous and fresh with silky tannins. It reveals black cherry and liquorice notes on the palate. Nice toasted hint. Beautiful length.

The second label of First growth Chateau Latour is just as impressive as its big brother, and at 12 years old, if there is more than one bottle in the cellar, time to see how it's evolving. Not an epic vintage, but well made, nonetheless. The tannins are fresh, there is good weight in the mouth and the typical flavours of cassis, cedar and graphite are here in this iconic Pauillac.

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is a Second Wine from the famed First Growth, Château Mouton Rothschild, that offers an opportunity for oenophiles to experience its sensuous winemaking style at a great value. Château Mouton Rothschild was initially ranked as a Second Growth during the Official 1855 Classification, and in 1922, the estate was acquired by Baron Phillippe de Rothschild, a true renaissance man who added his name to the label. The Baron was a successful winegrower, a playwright, a screenwriter, a theatrical producer, a poet, and a Grand Prix racecar driver. He also referred to Château Mouton Rothschild’s Second Growth classification as a “monstrous injustice.”

Pairs well with: Beef, Lamb and Venison

There is 52% Merlot in the blend and it shows in an enticing, opulent aroma of plum and blackberry. A little more backward than the other wines in the Haut-Brion stable so far, but all the ingredients are there to make a brilliant wine. There is a great depth of ripe fruit, impressively fine tannins, lovely balance and excellent length. It is superbly fresh and has exceptional potential for the future.
(52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot)

COLOR:

Straw yellow, with new golden highlights.

AROMA:

Subtle perfume of apple, biscuits, spices, flowers and a suggestive sea breeze. Its close contact
with yeast triggers ripe fruit aromas with toasty, nutty backgrounds.

TASTE:

Its crunchy, vigorous feel, combined with the prolonged fruitfulness of its good-natured mild
acidity and a pleasing alcoholic voice give it endless possibilities for the discovery of dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc 50% Semillon 50% Beautiful balance between the fruity (fruits of passion, white peach and fresh almond) and the woodiness (vanilla and grilled notes). The sweet part of the wine gives it its fatness and volume. The end of the mouth has the length and the amplitude of the high-classes wines.

A real curiosity. Tokaj in a small bottle. An excellent quality vintage with concentrated aszú berries. These wines are only created in extraordinary vintages and are thus a real rarity, only produced in small amounts, in this case 599 bottles.

Mature plum, vanilla, toast and toasted oak sensations lead the nose. The palate opens with juicy black cherry and plum layered with coffee, dense chocolate and bitter espresso that slightly diminish the impact of its Nebbiolo pedigree and purity. It's already accessible but should also age well.- Wine Enthusiast

Second label of Chateau Latour.

Critic tasting note: "There is a velvet touch to this smooth, rounded wine. With some dark tannins as well as blackberry fruits, it is rich with some concentration. At the same time, the acidity shoots through the wine to give a really fruity aftertaste." - 94/100, Wine Enthusiast

Red fruits with very fresh red sparkles. Amazing tannin in such a young wine. Intensity and delicacy, endless freshness, silky and alive, full and caressing. Cocoa is seasoned with a delicate black fruit liqueur and notes of pink pepper.

Big and rich, with expressive beef and earthy notes to the dark plum and roasted dark cherry flavors, which are backed by firm tannins and acidity. Creamy in the midpalate, with hints of dried green herbs and dark chocolate on the finish.