"Gorgeous aromas of mango, pineapple, lime and dusty stone follow through to a medium-bodied palate with a creamy, ultra-fine texture. Flavorful and beautiful. Wonderful length. Extremely racy and fine in the mouth. Drink after 2025."
94 Points, James Suckling

Crafted from Ugni Blanc grapes, this brandy boasts a complex aroma profile that includes dried yellow plums, rose petals, caramel, and dark chocolate, along with intricate hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The initial palate experience is marked by elegance, with a harmonious blend of spices that continue to evolve. Ideal for post-dinner enjoyment alongside dessert.

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.

Award tasting note: "Opulent, fresh, intense flavours and aromas of linseed oil and smoky flint. This has huge complexity and length." - Silver, International Wine Challenge

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

The 2020 Echo de Lynch-Bages is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, aging for around 12 months in one year-old French oak barriques. It has an alcohol of 13.03%, a pH of 3.78 and an IPT (tannin index) of 80. Deep garnet-purple in colour, it rolls out of the glass with expressive, upfront notes of baked black and red cherries, plum preserves and blackcurrant cordial, followed by hints of new leather, tobacco leaf and a medicinal waft. The medium-bodied palate is chock-full of savoury flavours, with a chewy texture and just enough freshness, finishing a little rustic.

This Chateau in St. Emilion was purchased in 2011 by Clarence Dillon, and renamed to Chateau Quintus. The 'V' as used in Quintus is the Roman numeral 5 that characterises the slopes and plots of the vines facing four cardinal points and bowing before the sky, yet also depicting the 5th winery owned within the Domaine Clarence Dillon family. The dragon statue with a 6-metre wingspan that sits atop the promontory, has become a symbol for the estate and is depicted on all the bottles of Chateau Quintus. The 2015 was warm and sunny and with this ideal weather, has become one of the greatest vintages of the Right Bank. A red wine blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the nose has a rich, complex bouquet of blackberries, currants and spicy plums with a touch of graphite. Perfectly balanced with plush tannins, stony minerality and a long finish. Ready to drink, but can be aged for another 10-15 years.

As if visiting a First Growth Bordeaux château and tasting the wares, including pristinely cellared library vintages, wasn't awesome enough, the folks at Lafite-Rothschild take the experience one step further. For many years, they have treated esteemed guests and friends to rare and impeccable old Cognac and Armagnac casks individually selected by the Lafite winemaking team themselves. While the secret was well-kept for decades, word eventually got out and demand for these ultra-rare, premium spirits started to reach a fever pitch. Thankfully, the château took it upon themselves to release a few precious bottles each year into the market, and we were recently lucky enough to get our hands on a miniscule allocation. The Très Vieille Réserve Cognac is constructed from lots of at least 50 years in age and sourced from Grande Champagne and Borderies. Quite simply, the opportunity to own a bottle of this unicorn spirit is a gateway into one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.

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 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.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: It is very intense, almost impenetrable, with a very dark background and a deep red rim.

Nose: When you bring it closer to the nose, many layers appear superimposed. The black fruits stand out with the memory of perfectly ripe plums and blackberries. It has a large mineral component that gives depth to the wine with memories of the smell of Chinese ink. The smell of the humid earth and the aromatic herbs in the shade of the pines appeared. There is a huge balance in which oak accompanies in the distance.Delicate, long, suggestive and intense at the same time and topped with menthol notes of black cocoa.

Taste: Voluminous and full. With black fruit and cocoa, but also freshness. It remembers the landscape of the pine forest of La Horra with freshness after the rain.The tannins are of great quality and forge a feeling of power and elegance at the same time, being voluminous and aerial. A set of fruit, minerality, volume, length and freshness that forms a huge wine.Excellent to have with meat dishes.

With 16 months in cask, the Ribera del Duero offers excellent wines made from Tempranillo. Elegant and refined, this will age well- another 15 years easily.

Winemaker Tasting Notes: 

Colour: It is very intense, almost impenetrable, with a very dark background and a deep red rim.

Nose: When you bring it closer to the nose, many layers appear superimposed. The black fruits stand out with the memory of perfectly ripe plums and blackberries. It has a large mineral component that gives depth to the wine with memories of the smell of Chinese ink. The smell of the humid earth and the aromatic herbs in the shade of the pines appeared. There is a huge balance in which oak accompanies in the distance.Delicate, long, suggestive and intense at the same time and topped with menthol notes of black cocoa.

Taste: Voluminous and full. With black fruit and cocoa, but also freshness. It remembers the landscape of the pine forest of La Horra with freshness after the rain.The tannins are of great quality and forge a feeling of power and elegance at the same time, being voluminous and aerial. A set of fruit, minerality, volume, length and freshness that forms a huge wine.

Excellent to have with meat dishes.

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.

Chateau Quintus (St. Emilion) - With a good dollop of Cabernet Franc in the blend it gives it a dense, perfumed structured character. There is beautiful rich blackberry, violet, cassis, new leather and toasted spices on the nose and palate. The Chateau has made a considerable stride with this vintage. Drink now through 2026

"A consistently perfect wine every time I've had it, the 2009 Château Pontet-Canet is the greatest wine from this address to date as well as one of the greatest Pauillacs out there. Still youthfully ruby/purple and with a gorgeous perfume of blackcurrants, lead pencil, graphite, crushed rocks, and damp earth, it's still youthful but is just now starting to show more nuance and complexity. Full-bodied on the palate, with a powerful, concentrated mid-palate, incredible depth of fruit, and flawless balance, Bordeaux simply does not get any better." (11/2020) -Jeb Dunnuck (100 points)

100 points - Robert Parker

99 points - Wine Enthusiast

98 points -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "Deep purple-black colored, the 2016 Pavie Decesse bursts boldly out of the glass with confident blackcurrant preserves, baked blackberries, baked plums and sandalwood notes with touches of Indian spices, mocha and lilacs plus touches of cedar chest and pencil lead. Big, concentrated and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it has a truly impressive structure of very firm, finely grained tannins and racy freshness lifting all that densely packed fruit to a very long, multilayered finish. Wow! (LPB)" (3/2019)

99 points - James Suckling

94 points - Wine Spectator

Dark, almost opaque in colour, the wine opens with a cornucopia of scents; spice-box, dark Cuban cigar wrapper, flowers, creme de cassis, blackberry espresso, mint and a drop of dark chocolate. Concentrated, full-bodied, deep, long, intense and complex, texturally, the wine is opulent, plush and velvety. But there is also more than ample lift to keeping everything upbeat. The seamless finish is perfectly balanced, with all its layers of polished, sensuous, silky fruits in the right place for over 60 seconds! The wine blends 84% Cabernet Sauvignon,13% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, 13.1% ABV, pH 3.8. Yields were low at 32 hectoliters per hectare with only 49% of the harvest going into the Grand Vin, so not much wine was made.

"Violet and iris aromatics curling out of the glass, starting to reach their full expression at 20 years old. Beautifully finessed and elegant, with hints of black truffle, cloves and rich blackberry fruits, this is a vintage that showcases the best of Margaux. It took its time to reach this point but it has been worth the wait, and the wine just gets better and better over a few hours in the glass. Highlights the success of the partnership between owner Corinne Mentzelopoulos and director Paul Pontantallier, with this château delivering some of the most memorable wines of the turn of the century years in Bordeaux. (JA) " (7/2020) -Decanter (100 Points)

100 points - Jeb Dunnuck

100 points - James Suckling

99 points - Robert Parker

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.

93 points Vinous: "The 2016 Lascombes is grown into a gorgeous wine. Blackberry jam, chocolate, new leather, espresso and copious new oak all flesh out in this ample, resonant wine. As always Lascombes is done in a style that brings out the more lush, flamboyant side of Margaux. In this vintage, all the elements meld together effortlessly, something that isn't always the case. (AG)" (1/2019)

93 points Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2016 La Lagune has a classic tobacco and cedar bouquet with fine delineation and nicely integrated oak. The medium-bodied palate offers gentle grip on the entry and plenty of tarry black fruit. A touch of mint emerges toward the linear but impressively focused finish. I like the vivacity and penetration here. This should drink well over the next two decades." (01/2019)

92 points - Robert Parker

The 2019 La Fleur-Pétrus dares to outshine Trotanoy this year, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich berry fruit, plum preserve, dark chocolate, cigar box and spices. Full-bodied, rich and enveloping, it's broad and layered, with beautifully polished tannins, a ripe core of fruit and a seamless, enveloping profile. This is an elegantly muscular, generous Pomerol whose sumptuous personality reflects the warm, dry vintage. Drink Date 2025 - 2055

Picture walking into a flower show with a basket of fresh berries and a lit Cuban cigar, and while that is not quite PC, it is the aromatic profile here. The wine is fresh, bright, vibrant, lifted, and floral on the palate. The wine is elevated, refined, soft, and silky, with a refreshing, silky edge to the fruits in the finish. The wine is pure elegance. There is nothing between you and the fruits. There is intensity, length, and a striking sense of purity. The wine lingers seamlessly for 60 seconds or longer..

Cigar box, smoke, herbs, cassis, espresso and blackberries with a savoury edge open the wine aromatically. The palate offers freshness, layers of ripe, spicy currants and peppery blackberries with chewy tannins that hang with you, providing length, vibrancy and refinement in the finish. This is going to age and evolve for decades.

Discreet on the nose, notably not too many varietal notes from Sauvignon Blanc. Waxy , certain complexity, quite elegant. Round and full, with minimal acidity. Good finish with lees notion.

The 2021 Giscours has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries and licorice mingled with hints of violet and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, it's seamless and enveloping, with good depth at the core, beautifully polished tannins and a long, perfumed finish. This is one of the real successes of the vintage. As readers may remember, it's a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink 2027-2045.

Chateau Gazin is a high quality winery located in the Pomerol AOC on the right bank of Bordeaux, representing five generations of owners and growers. With 23ha of vineyards, the clay-gravel plateau is perfect for merlot and cabernet franc. The 2019 is a blend of 89% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. A solid Pomerol that has spicy red and black cherry fruit, notes of cedar, violets and plum with a vull-bodied, velvety and textural palate. This will no doubt age incredibly over the long haul!

"The 2016 Durfort-Vivens is gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and structure play off the natural intensity of the year beautifully. Blackberry, grilled herbs, licorice, leather and crème de cassis are all vividly sketched in this layered, expressive Margaux. (AG) " --- Vinous (1/2019)

96 points - James Suckling

Medium-bodied and fresh with a plummy quality, this wine is focused on red fruits and sweet-smelling earth. Bright and a little strict, give this a few years to come around and soften.

A third growth in the 1855 Classification, Chateau Desmirail is located in the Margaux appellation on the left bank of Bordeaux. The name of this Chateau is unique as the property does not bear the name of its original owner, Marguerite Rauzan du Ribail, but rather that of her husband, Jean-Baptiste Desmirail. It is also one of the few chateaux with an ancient "Medocain" system - a gravity operated vat room that is still well-preserved. The red blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot and this 2014 is attractive and ready to drink now.

In 2021, the vines of Cos d’Estournel Blanc yielded a graceful wine that is rich and finely structured, thanks in part to their ongoing ability to delve deeper in the estate’s soils but also thanks to the breezes of the nearby Gironde Estuary and the ongoing efforts of the estate’s teams. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are concentrated but balanced by the natural vivacity of their terroir, while the Sémillon —whose distinct mineral character derives from the limestone in the vineyard’s soils– are once again used in a larger proportion in the final blend. Extremely complex, Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2021 is a magnificent, harmonious expression of white peach, rose, bergamot, lemon, and flint. Remarkable energy accompanies a rich, precise palette of aromas, resulting in an accomplished, fascinating wine with great cellaring potential.

Haut-Medoc holds some incredible value when it comes to Bordeaux. Don’t underestimate these wines! A typical H-M blend of 50/50 merlot and cabernet, it’s just right with attributes of red fruits, flint, cedar, and pepper spice.

"This great St.-Estephe estate has turned out a succession of brilliant wines. The 2005, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, has put on weight over the last year. An opaque ruby/purple hue is accompanied by a sweet nose of earth, smoke, cassis, and cherries as well as a textured, full-bodied mouthfeel. While the tannin is high, there is beautifully sweet fruit underlying the wine's structure. It will require 8-10 years of cellaring after release, and should drink well for three decades."

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

"With its perfumed Cabernet Franc and supple Merlot, this wine is packed with fruit and tannins. It is rich although the fruitiness is most apparent, a juicy wine that hides its structure in the cushioning fruits. Drink from 2024. Roger Voss" - 96/100, Wine Enthusiast