Bordeaux

Batailley is one of the most consistent château in the whole of Bordeaux, in terms of its production of classic, refined, elegant Pauillac, and has become a benchmark for good winemaking. The 2004 goes beyond that and the Castéja family has delivered a really exciting wine which rivals their very good 2000. Whilst Batailley's wines are normally quite closed and backward the 2004 has more immediate appeal without losing any of its traditional, reserved quality. With a jammy blackcurrant fruit character and a richly dense, velvety texture, this is really quite racy for Batailley and will be a great value cellar filler.

Our Good Ordinary Claret is an early-drinking style of red Bordeaux – one that is versatile and reliably delicious. The 2020 vintage is predominantly Merlot, supported by Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Cabernet Franc. On the nose, ripe hedgerow fruits mingle alongside warming aromas of cedar and allspice. 

The palate is plump and moreish, laden with black cherries, blackberries and myrtle berries. Meanwhile, a backbone of smooth, velvety tannins brings structure and complexity. This is a great wine to please a crowd, perfect with a Sunday roast or a winter vegetable stew.

Ready to drink now

Georgina Haacke, Bordeaux Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is the epitome of a classic, good, mature British Claret. Textbook cassis, cigar boxes, toast and minerals are all here. Its tannins are beautifully soft, but it has lost none of its flesh and intensity. It is fantastic right now, but will last for a further 10 to 15 years.

The 2008 Potensac has an attractive bouquet with blackberry, briary and cedar aromas that gently waft from the glass, the oak here nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannin. This comes across a little savoury in style, with hints of dried blood infusing the black fruit towards the slightly dry but still balanced finish. Fine. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.

Drink 2018 - 2026

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (May 2018)

The alcohol this vintage is 14%, while the residual sugar is 129.4 grams per litre, and the total acidity is 4.5 grams per litre of H2SO4.

Pale to medium gold coloured, the 2002 d'Yquem strides confidently out of the glass with forthright notions of spiced pears, baked pineapple, apricot preserves and orange blossoms with touches of graham crackers, praline, ginger nut and lemon curd. The palate lends an understated earthy/savoury character with seamless freshness and a satiny texture paving the long, perfumed finish.

Open-knit, expressive and yet still packing some primary fruit flavours, this vintage has entered its drinking window for those who love Yquem while it still possesses bags of vivacity. Five to seven more years in bottle should begin to yield more of the toffee, toasted nuts and savoury elements for those who love that more evolved phase.

Drink 2019 - 2040

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (August 2019)

The 2000 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is spectacular... A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, this effort has a singular/distinctive yet possibly controversial aromatic smorgasbord existing of creme de cassis, vanilla, and violets, but also tapenade and tree bark. No doubt the Petit Verdot has imparted a certain almost olive-like component to the wine's aromatic profile.

In the mouth, it is a wine of extraordinary density, opulence, great presence, and richness. As the 2000 sits in the glass, notes of lavender and melted licorice emerge along with the distinctive tapenade aromas interwoven with creme de cassis, espresso roast, and cedar. The wine is full-bodied, with extraordinary purity and a tremendous texture.This is a dramatic, almost flamboyant style that is not classic Pauillac in one sense, but a classic wine.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Apr 2003

The 2000 Cheval Blanc is a wine that I have encountered more than a dozen times. Now at just over 20 years of age (how time flies - I remember tasting this from barrel), it has a lovely, quite beguiling bouquet of brambly red berries, iron rust, Provençal herbs and clove, powerful and somehow enveloping. The peppery palate is medium-bodied with quite firm, stocky tannins and good backbone, though coming after a vertical of recent vintages, it feels more rustic and feral.

As Pierre-Olivier Clouet noted, there are fewer "pixels" in this millennial Cheval Blanc, but you can’t help falling for its charms. Ready to drink now but will age for the next 20–30 years.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (September 2021)

The second wine of Château Brane Cantenac (2éme Cru Classé), the 2014 Baron de Brane consists of 60% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon with small additions of Cabernet Franc and Carmenère that add depth and flavour dimension to the final wine. Black cherry, cassis and coffee all jump out of the glass, combining with a punchy palate full of dark ripe fruits. There is a touch of tobacco that provides a warming spice to the finish, while silky, ripe tannins create a rich and glossy mouthfeel. This is a very good example of the quality you can find from a property’s second wine.

Drink 2023 - 2026

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.

Drink 2020 - 2050

Breathtakingly complex and vibrant nose of lightly burnt creme brulee, white peaches, apricots, mustard seed and gorgeous light new oak heralds the way to the most magnificent mouth-filling essence. With the texture of melted butter and a perfect balance of precision acidity, it feels as fresh, zingy and exciting as any wine you can imagine with a concentration you can't imagine. Total nectar. If the nose and the palate aren't enough to blow you away the 30-minute (at least) aftertaste is ethereal.

Cheval Blanc’s relatively new white wine, the 2018 Le Petit Cheval Blanc, is a blend of 74% Sauvignon Blanc and 26% Sémillon. This is the first vintage that the Sémillon plantings have come online to make the blend. Profound notions of ripe pineapple, passion fruit and white peaches explode from the glass, followed by fragrant notes of lemongrass, lime blossoms and yuzu zest with a waft of sea spray. The palate is full-bodied with an alluring oiliness to the texture and layer upon layer of tropical fruits, citrus peel and minerals, marked by a refreshing line and finishing with loads of mineral sparks.

Put aside all your preconceptions of “Bordeaux Blanc”, and don’t even try to compare it to Pessac-Leognan. This has its own gorgeous expression of these grapes, defying regional tradition. Give yourself over to the rich decadence of this flamboyant white that is at once without peers but is also quintessentially Cheval Blanc.

Drink 2022 - 2032

Sémillon was added to the blend of the Cheval Blanc white from 2018, and it was immediately apparent that it added an extra layer of interest. This is a vintage that I've tried several times over the past few years, and it keeps getting better, showing white peaches riven with waxy lemon rind, sage and saffran that bring it in line with the complexity and finesse of the rest of the (red) Cheval stable. Aged for 18 months in large-sized new oak barrels.

Drink 2023 - 2032

Fully mature (yet I'd say in the early stages of its drink window), the 2000 Château Gruaud Larose offers a ripe, powerful, medium to full-bodied style as well as lots of currant and darker fruits followed by cedarwood, tobacco, iron, and assorted meaty, spicy nuances. It's a rich, almost chunky effort with a great mid-palate, still present yet ripe tannins, and an excellent finish. It lacks some of the purity and precision of today's wines yet is a satisfying, rich, impressively textured Saint-Julien to drink over the coming 15-20 years.

Drink 2021 - 2041

2000 saw a warm, dry July and August with a small amount of rain from mid-September onward. Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Latour has a deep garnet color and is showing a good amount of evolution, sporting mature notes of fried exotic spices, hoisin, unsmoked cigars and fruitcake with hints of incense, potpourri, cast iron pan and charcuterie.

Medium-bodied, soft, plush and savory in the mouth, it has a long, mineral-tinged finish. 14,000 cases were made this year, representing 48% of production.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (February 2019)

A Second Growth in 1855, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou regularly gives the First Growths a run for their money  Eespecially since the arrival of third-generation owner Bruno Borie in 2003. Bruno never saw such an “easy vintage Eas 2005, apparently: he considered every bunch “perfect E Some 18 years on, this is only starting to come into its own, with the promise of spectacular things to come.

There are pronounced, complex aromatics of fresh black fruits, leather, liquorice, dried leaves and cigars, though this is only a hint of what further ageing will bring. This is a dense, mouth-filling Claret with a lot of structure, a real concentration of fruit and lively, refreshing acidity. Approach it now if you are that way inclined, though it will evolve wonderfully for decades yet.

Bruno is famed for his cooking, and this standout wine deserves a special dish: a côte de boeuf or grilled portobello mushrooms would work very well.

What a beautiful opening to this, with stunning cassis fruit and just a touch of wood spice that adds complexity. The palate is graceful and fresh, with the cherry fruit emerging again with liquorice and a lovely peppery finish. This is the best Comtesse I have tried for some years and will be an absolute joy to drink in 5-8 years time. I suspect given its fine balance it will drink for 10+ years.

The 1996 Ausone is a vintage that I have tasted on four or five occasions. This was similar to previous examples with a very floral and outgoing bouquet, those wilted violet petals infusing the boysenberry and blueberry fruit, quite glossy in style, one of the most modern of that decade. It certainly has more intensity than earlier vintages. 

The palate is medium-bodied with sweet and ripe tannin, impressive acidity and weight, although it does not revel in the complexity of other vintages, perhaps because the growing season did not favour the Right Bank. There is a touch of headiness on the finish that is a little otiose, but otherwise, this is a thoroughly enjoyable Ausone—tasted at the Ausone vertical in London.

Drink 2018 - 2038

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (March 2018)

2010 was a superb vintage in Bordeaux that will go down in history for its excellent quality, so it’s worth searching out those great value gems that still exist from 2010. Chateau Cantemerle is a Bordeaux property capable of producing exceptional wines that compare with Ch. Batailley and Ch. Haut Bages Liberal in terms of the value it can offer. 

Classic Claret, elegant and charming, medium-bodied with good ageing potential and best of all, well priced. Named as a 5ème Cru Classé in the 1855 classification and situated just outside the Margaux Appellation, it’s one of the first classed growths one encounters in the Medoc as one drives up from the city of Bordeaux.

Wine critics worldwide see Chateau Cantemerle as offering some of the best value in Bordeaux with its combination of good quality and modest pricing. It will never be an investment wine per se, but mainly from a good vintage such as 2010, one can have a case of wine that will cellar effortlessly and will always be a joy to drink. 

This will fit perfectly into the Cellar of any connoisseur and, at this price, is an outstanding value; after five years or so of patience, you will have a great case of wine to drink over the next 15 years. 

This is terrific! Always reliable, good value but perhaps too steady, their 2010 takes it up several notches and on to a whole new level. It is generous with ripe fruit and should offer terrific value for the best Cantemerle we can ever recall tasting.

Simon Staples, Berry Bros. & Rudd

With a massive concentration of bramble fruit and a high level of firm, ripe tannins adding structure, Cheval Blanc was one of the most masculine wines we tasted on the Right Bank during the 2009 en primeur tastings. Dense and earthy with a dark olive, almost sweet ‘n’ sour twist, this was a big, complex wine with many layers of flavour rippling across the palate towards the toasty finish. Very impressive indeed, this was one of the best Merlot-dominant (60%) wines we tasted in 2009.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Francois Xavier Borie is now producing some of Bordeaux's greatest wines, expressing the personality of the terroir possibly more than any other proprietor. A fabulous wine balancing concentration, ripeness of fruit and complex structure all in one. One of the finest wines of the vintage.

Aromas of minerals, forest floor, fresh mushrooms, plums, and currants are present in the moderately fragrant bouquet. Angular, with hard tannin, medium body, and sweet plums as well as currants, this 2002 is harder and tougher-textured than from barrel. Like many 2002s, it is reserved and angular at present. It remains to be seen whether it will flesh out and reveal more charm and succulence. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 29/04/2005

Made from 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, the silky, incredibly concentrated and elegant brambly fruit is wonderfully fragrant with lovely minerality and hints of cedar. The super-ripe tannins are accompanied by layer upon layer of fruit alongside a freshness and firm acidity. This slumbering giant will eventually awaken and become one of the most prized of the 2005 treasures. Even so it is utterly compelling now, with each taste like a PhD of Claret, such is its complexity. It may not have the immediate appeal of the legendary 2000 but we were all agreed that it is unquestionably a better wine. One of the wines of the vintage.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Extremely Cabernet dominant, with savoury black fruit and a ton of Pauillac character. A fairly reserved, finely-boned Lafite, with menthol and tobacco leaf. Subdued right now but in it for the long haul. The vintage with the Chinese symbol for eight engraved on the bottle, to commemorate the planting of the Long Dai vineyard in China - a fact that made the price of this bottle shoot up when it was released. Harvest October 1 to 14. 40% of overall production.

Drink 2021 - 2038

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (February 2021)

Swathes of Cabernet fruit here. This wine has wonderful concentration, impressive layers of new oak, opulent fruit and a marvellously long finish. This is a wine that can be enjoyed in its youth, middle age and in 10 years time. Outstanding!

The sensuous, generous dollop of 40 % Merlot that went into this I think is what makes this so exquisite and beguiling. Warm, sweet red fruit with a hint of vanilla leading you to a palate which is plump and fleshy but elegant and sophisticated. It really reminds of a top Grand Cru Burgundy from a great year with its purity and grace. Please don't be put off if you read words like "elegant" to mean thin and lacking flavour as it can often mean in wine terms. Quite the contrary here, this is jam packed full of oomph and the finish is 3 to 4 minutes long. If its a small Christmas Day or New Years Eve gathering this year for you ( or you are an incredibly generous host/hostess and having the hordes in!) and you want something that will tick all the boxes ( and some boxes you hadn't even known you had) you wont be disappointed and you will certainly have a very happy Christmas.

Simon Staples, Berrys' Fine Wine Director (November 2009)

The annual release of 10 year old Château Palmer, and this time it's an often-underrated but delicious vintage that sits in the shadow of the most prestigious years of the last decade. Proof of how slowly this wine ages, it is packed with blueberry and cassis fruits, a shot of mint leaf, mandarin peel, sage and dark chocolate, with shoulders and a serious architecture, bigger than you might expect for a vintage with such an easy-drinking, gourmet reputation.

I last tasted this vintage around eight months ago and it has opened up further since then, often the case as wines shift around the decade mark, and this is an upscore. A moment when Palmer was fully committing to farming biodynamically, doubling its coverage to almost 15 hectares, and had just unveiled a new cellar. Harvest October 1 to 15, Sabrina Pernet technical director, Thomas Duroux director. 68% new oak. No rush to drink, and has many decades ahead, but you can begin thinking about it.

Drink 2023 - 2042

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (July 2022)

Ch. Montrose is at the leading edge of low-impact winemaking in Bordeaux. For more than 15 years, the property has been improving biodiversity and vineyard health energy use – plus, all the CO2 from fermentation is captured and turned into bicarbonate of soda. “Ch. Montrose is in the middle of nature,” says spokesperson Lorraine Watrin. “Our vision here is to reveal the beautiful riches of the terroir.”

In 2010, Ch. Montrose purchased 22ha of prime land from their neighbours, Ch. Phélan-Ségur. The vineyard borders Montrose on its western side and is planted with 2/3 Merlot and 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon. According to who you speak with, this may be Phélan’s best parcel, and the Merlot is especially prized. This has given the Montrose team a short-term puzzle, resulting in a higher-than-usual proportion of Merlot in the blend for the Grand Vin. This will be adjusted over the coming years as the existing Montrose Merlot on excellent Cabernet land near the river has been replanted for the latter. Still, there is an embarrassment of fine Merlot on the estate. Not that this is a problem: in 2012, Merlot excelled. 

This dense and spicy wine contains 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The very low-yielding Cabernet is fully ripe and gives an earnest backbone to some high-quality Merlot. This is not a traditional Montrose but undoubtedly a beguiling one.

Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Latour is a benchmark for its unwavering consistency and exceptional quality in even the most challenging vintages. The 1996 vintage, in particular, showcases the heavenly results achieved by this renowned winery. This textbook Latour wine is characterised by its immense concentration, richness, polished tannins, and full-bodied yet not overwhelming nature. The wine's phenomenal power and balance make it an extraordinary specimen. We anticipate its continued evolution up to 2030.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Located in the very south of the Pauillac appellation, this property shares a similar maritime climate to that enjoyed by the Médoc: the Gironde estuary and the Bay of Biscay combine to act as a climate regulator, while the coastal pine forests shelter the vines from the westerly and north-westerly winds. This delightfully rewarding wine comes from a classic vintage. Cassis and cherry mix gracefully with smoke, cedar and spice. The fine-grained tannins offer a little grip, while the palate is fresh with a smooth, lingering finish.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2016 Pauillac de Château Latour is a compelling, sumptuous wine that shows just how magnificent the year is. How can this be a third wine? Dark and ample in the glass, Latour's Pauillac possesses tremendous breed right out of the gate. Black cherry, graphite, licorice, spice and leather all meld together in the glass. Floral overtones develop nicely with time. Only the (relatively) lighter structure suggests the Pauillac's place in the château's hierarchy. Everything else is first class all the way. The Pauillac is a blend taken from parcels outside the core holdings in the famed enclos, plus younger vines in the enclos. Drink 2022-2036
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (March 2021)

Magical aromas of blackberry and blueberry compote with just a hint of mouth-watering vanilla make you want to dive in and embrace this beautiful wine. Packed full of concentrated black cherry and dark fruits of the forest it has a fabulous core that is very hard to top. Beautifully refined tannins coat this liquid centre. Exceptionally long finish that just leaves you gasping for more. Not as serious and St Estèphesque as 2010 but with more charm and opulence this could be their best wine since the brilliant 2005. Delicious.
Simon Staples, Sales Director - Asia

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.

The yield was 40 hectolitres per hectare this year: that doesn't represent a great yield, but it is much better than recent years, in particular 2013. I always buy this wine for my own cellar and will be doing so again. Soft and really approachable, this is a gentle wine. Shy, but pretty on the nose, it is decadent and could be enjoyed very early; but that's not to say it won't age well, all the component parts are singing in harmony: ripe, fleshy fruit, freshness, attractive acidity and silky, fine tannins. The finish is soft too. This is so silky and enjoyable, even when tasting a barrel sample.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Crisp, classic Cabernet aromas of blackcurrant and tobacco lifted with hints of dark cherry and rosemary. A pleasing, measured mid-weight appeal and a freshness that really brings this wine to life. On the palate the primary dark berry and cassis notes are joined by notions of forest floor occasional hints of black pepper then a savoury yet sapid blackcurrant finish. Despite this wines immediate appeal there is also some gentle tannic grip that will ensure it drinks well for a number of years to come. Very easy to drink and neatly presented in a classic Pauillac mould.
Peter Newton - Private Account Manager

Tasting here is always very special as we are offered the three previous vintages to ‘compare and contrast’. This is very rare in Bordeaux as the vintage variance is so striking. Our experience here just showed us after a week of only tasting 2009s where this vintage really is. We bought a lot of 2007 and 2008 of this underrated château and they are showing beautifully but the 2009 literally blows them both into a different dimension. Sumptuous amounts of raspberry fruit just wafts from the glass. This is so clean and pure on the palate too, with layer after layer of minerality enhanced with generous puppy fat to round it off in a dramatic way. Totally classy, really breathtaking.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Belonging to the Mouton stable, and with a prestigious location right next to both Mouton and Lafite, Ch. Clerc Milon is a fresher, lighter style of 2008 which has a delicious hint of creamy raspberry fruit to the more classic blackcurrant backbone. Fine with exceptionally fine tannins this has a lovely rounded finish with more than a hint of the savoury minerality of the vintage.

A wine of the vintage candidate in 2008, Troplong Mondots offering was produced from yields of 41 hectoliters per hectare and achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. A classic blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it offers copious quantities of blue and black fruits, a full-bodied opulence, sweet tannin and a fabulous texture as well as finish. Already drinking beautifully, it will be even better in 2-5 years and should last for 20 years. A great effort for the vintage, it couldnt happen to a more deserving proprietor, Christine Valette. Bravo!
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 02/05/2011

One of several highlights of 2008, Ch. Léoville-Las Cases is an example of how brilliant St Julien can be in a good year. Interestingly it was also virtually the only estate in the Left Bank where Cabernet Franc really seemed to work in 2008 and the successful addition of a heady 12% in this blend adds a voluptuous perfume to the 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Intensely concentrated with dense blackcurrant cassis, vanilla, a creamy texture and tannins which are linear but softened by a massive coating of black fruit, this is most definitely a must-buy wine this vintage.

Domaine de Chevalier always seems to know how to please. The 2008 has a fantastic, opulent nose of liquid blackcurrants and a concentrated, intense palate of dark cassis fruit but with that lovely freshness indicative of the vintage. This is a wine with plenty of flesh on its bones, but one which combines power with grace and balance. Ripe, grainy tannins and a savoury, mineral finish complete this very rewarding wine.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Deep ruby, softening in colour around the rim, packed with pencil lead, cigar box, slate, mint leaf, chewy tannins, great quality with an innate confidence. It has walls to scale and a ton of life ahead, an exceptionally enjoyable 2000 vintage that remains young—70% new oak.

Drink 2022 - 2040

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (March 2022)

"This stunning wine is one of the vintage's great successes. Administrator Thomas Duroux has fashioned a modern day version of Palmer's brilliant 1966. Displaying a rare combination of power and elegance, this dense purple-colored offering exhibits notes of blackberries, truffles, flowers, incense, and camphor. Long, classic, and medium to full-bodied with stunning texture and richness, this superb effort is a candidate for the finest Margaux of the vintage."
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - 30-Jun-2007

This property seem to be able to deliver exceptional wines whatever the weather due to arguably one of the best terroir in Bordeaux and a dedicated wine making team who is adverse to trends and do not manufacture their wines. This year is no exception, the nose is intense and layered with cassis and blackberries. Once on the palate the power and drive is instant, covering all parts with meaty, powerful black fruits. The length is firm and focused but the tannins are very ripe. This vintage will open up quite quickly but with such power and balance this is also built for the long term.

Max Lalondrelle, Fine Wine Buying Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Intense in both the glass and the mouth, this is another super 2014 wine. There is underlying power here, velvety, ripe tannins and notes of a savoury nature, perhaps even cedar. Very pure fruit, cassis, plum and dark cherry stick out, along with a juicy dollop of vanilla cream. Heavenly spice comes through on the long finish. The wine is utterly sumptuous and effortlessly persistent. Classically elegant, this is a wine of real pedigree. It is truly drinkable and approachable at an early age and could be one of the real bargains of the vintage.

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.

This Fourth Growth St Julien estate has been performing consistently well for the past several vintages and 2014 is no exception. The nose is pretty, attractively perfumed, fresh and expressive. The palate is dominated by rich, fleshy fruit. There is a purity here, great precision and ripe tannins which grip, and offer an intense focus. High acidity, complexity and a persistence on the finish suggest this wine has excellent potential for aging. Elegant and fine, it is a wine that the château can be proud of. Bravo indeed.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

70% new oak. Hold + 3 years or carafe 3 hours.

Inky plum in colour, you can see this is rich and textured even before going anywhere near the nose, which then displays ripe fruit. Gorgeous quality, a wine that is packed full of graphite, pencil lead, waves of violet, cassis, liqourice, and chewy but well defined tannins. Leaps out of the glass and is clear proof that, when it gets it right, the 2014 vintage equals the 2015 in this northern sector of the Médoc. Good value also compared to the 2015 and 2016 - a must buy for me.

Drink 2024 - 2044

Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (November 2022)

For many years now and since the turn of the 21st century, Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron has been performing exceptionally well, in both the challenging and more favourable vintages. Their best Merlot plots are located next to Ch. Latour, and although this provides just 20 percent of the blend this year, it contributes a lot to the whole – providing dignified elegance and the cooling freshness we are finding in the top performers of 2014. There is a layered complexity here, fine, grainy tannins and generosity of fruit. A creamy texture fills the finish, enhanced by a prolonged, lingering, spicy undercurrent. It is a very good result.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.

Patrick Maroteau's excellent 2015 from this Fourth Growth estate shows real purity, with great precision and ripe tannins that grip and offer an intense focus—the rich, fresh, spicy nose of damsons and blackberry fruit oozes class. There is precision here, a polish—quite simply harmonious. The wine tastes glorious, just as great wine should taste: crunchy, pure and fresh fruit, high acidity, silky ripe tannins and nice balance. This is a triumphant wine, with a typical and classic blend for this great estate and phenomenal length. It's really elegant and one of our favourites—a must-buy this year.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 41% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot.

The nose has a really nice aroma of tobacco combined with floral notes. Darker fruits dominate, with blackberry, cherry, and plum to the fore. The palate is sweet, too, with an energetic lift and a very rewarding length. We really like the wine this year. A cooling, mineral earthiness arrives on the finish, which is welcome and pleasing. Quite sumptuous for a second wine, it is serious this year—a good fruit core, nice and savoury and a joy to taste.

Berry Bros. & Rudd