Bordeaux

Since its first vintage in 2002, “EOC” has come from a single estate in Graves. Surely the finest showing yet, the 2016 is a textbook example of classic, rounded Claret, that can be enjoyed now, or cellared for a year or two. Loaded with rich blackberry fruit, with a warming, woody finish, it will drink as well with a modest midweek meal as it will with the grandest of roasting joints.

{***}
{region}Bordeaux{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{ratings}
[]International Wine Challenge® 2019-Silver
{ratings}{***}

Ch. Feytit-CIinet has been making our Own Selection Pomerol for many years. We believe this particular vintage of theirs is one of the very best we have tasted. From the glossy, deep purple colour to the expansive, Merlot-dominated nose which explodes from the glass, there is great energy to this wine. Intense notes of ripe cherry, blackberry and chocolate show on the nose, with a wonderful depth and silky texture on the mouth. It will improve for a year or so, but is also sensational from the word go.

{***}
{region}Pomerol{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{***}

This comes from a marvellous Grand Cru property managed by Alan Vauthier, co-owner of Ch. Ausone. Predominantly Merlot, it is a benchmark Saint-Emilion; the nose rich with Bramble fruit, mocha and vanilla, while the palate is silky and full-bodied. A perfect match for roast lamb or rib of beef.

{***}
{region}St Emilion{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}{***}

This comes from a marvellous Grand Cru property managed by Alan Vauthier, co-owner of Ch. Ausone. Predominantly Merlot, it is a benchmark Saint-Emilion; the nose rich with Bramble fruit, mocha and vanilla, while the palate is silky and full-bodied. Drink now or over the next two years. A perfect match for roast lamb or rib of beef.

{***}
{region}St Emilion{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
{ratings}
[]International Wine Challenge® 2018-Bronze
[]2018 decanter world wine awards Commended
{ratings}
{***}

A traditional Graves Blend of 58 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 42 percent Merlot, this comes from selected plots of young vines at Ch. Haut-Bailly. It’s a wonderfully vibrant example of both the château’s style and the 2017 vintage. Lithe and elegant, with a terrific core of bright red fruit and great detail on the finish, this would be splendid with roast pork or a shoulder of lamb. 

{***}
{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2017{vintage}

{***}

This is the first vintage of our own-label St Julien to be made by Ch. Léoville-Las Cases, one of the finest properties in Bordeaux. Broodingly deep, dark and glossy in the glass, it has a ripe nose of black cherries, crème de cassis and cedar wood. The full-bodied palate is laden with pure blackcurrant fruit, wood-smoke and has a long, complex finish. A blend of 63 percent Merlot and 37 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, the superb 2016 vintage will repay a year or two in the cellar, but is hard to resist now.

{***}
{region}St Julien{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{***}

Our own-label Pauillac comes from the cellars of Jean-Charles Cazes (of Ch. Lynch- Bages fame) and shows great typicity of both terroir and vintage. Deeply coloured, the wine has an intense nose of leafy blackcurrant fruit, with notes of savoury cedar and oak. The palate offers strikingly pure cassis, with lovely freshness and energy on the finish. This elegant, stylish Claret would go perfectly with lamb and beef. It can be drunk now, or cellared for a year or two.

{***}
{region}Pauillac{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}{***}

As with the previous vintage, our 2016 Margaux is a selection of fruit from the younger vines at Ch. du Tertre. A glorious, floral nose of violets and roses lifts from the glass, with hints of vanilla from a year spent in oak barrels. Soft blackberry and cassis fruit are beautifully married on the palate, which offers richness and silky refinement. We thought we would be hard pushed to better the 2015, but this might just pip it.

{***}
{region}Margaux{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{ratings}
[]The Wine Advocate:: 90/100
{ratings}{***}

This classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of ripe redcurrant, cassis and a hint of savoury spice. On the palate, its seductive fruit flavours are wrapped around a core of fresh acidity and firm – yet perfectly integrated – tannins. It is approachable now with or without food, but has the structure to age gracefully. From the Bordeaux region of South West France. Best served at around 18 degrees, decanted an hour before serving with roast beef, steaks or coq au vin.

{***}{region} Bordeaux {region}
{color}Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}{***}

The nose is generous with black current and cherry fruit with hints of leather and sweet vanilla. On the palate more black cherry fruit is on show. The tannins are very fine and ripe and the finish shows a lovely freshness which lifts the fruit and makes for a very food friendly wine. Match with red meat, game or hard cheese.

{***}{region}Pauillac{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}{***}

70% Sauvignon, 30% Sémillon second wine of the famed Domaine de Chevalier, it is the selection of barrels which give this wine its richness and depth. Complex nose of lychee, lime flowers and white peaches the wine draws one in. The palate has great purity and length with a zingy acidity. Open to appreciation from a young age, Esprit is a wine of great elegance. Serve chilled. Perfect with seafood – also partners a leek tarte or crab mousse.

{***}
{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color}White{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}
{***}

This is a marvellously intense white wine. There is terrific depth and length on offer here. Lovely touches of butter and floral aromas dominate the nose. The palate is really flavoursome, but there is some quite obvious poise and elegance. It is multi-layered and very appealing indeed, some earthy notes are evident, followed by a long, clean finish. Rich, lovely, and classic white Bordeaux, I love the gravelly freshness.

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color} White {color}                                                               {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
{ratings}
[] The Wine Advocate:: 95/100
[] Jancis Robinson:: 18/20
[] James Suckling:: 97/100{ratings}{***}

Crafted entirely from Sauvignon Blanc, the 2018 La Grande Cuvée Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc is an elegant, aromatic and full-flavoured white wine. Pronounced citrus fruit aromas of lemon and grapefruit jostle with compelling mineral notes. The same characters are echoed on the appealingly generous palate, underpinned by lovely poise typical of Sauvignon cultivated on limestone, which leaves a lasting impression on the 2018 blend. Well-balanced and refreshing, the wine culminates in a long, aromatic finish. 

{***}{region}Bordeaux{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}
  {***}

The 2016 Villa Bel Air Blanc features lime zest, yuzu and lemon curd notes with a waft of orange blossoms. Medium-bodied, crisp and zesty in the mouth, it delivers a lovely savoriness on the finish. Drink 2018 - 2022.

{***}{region}Graves{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}{***}

Villa Bel Air Blanc features lime zest, yuzu and lemon curd notes with a waft of orange blossoms. Medium-bodied, crisp and zesty in the mouth, it delivers a lovely savoriness on the finish.

{***}{region}Graves{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}{***}

Lemon zest, pear, apple and grapefruit all compete on the nose here, which is enticing and rewarding. White floral aromas emerge too. The palate is a touch more exotic, with grapefruit in the ascendency and just the merest touch of citrus. Baked fruits are really tasty here. The juice is fresh, dry and multi-layered. There is a very pleasing length, completed by mouth-watering acidity. This is one of our favourite whites of the vintage: really classy white Bordeaux. 52% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Sémillon, 20% Muscadelle

{***}{region}Bordeaux{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2014{vintage}
{ratings}     
[]The Wine Advocate:: 88/100                                                                                                   
{ratings}{***}

This full-bodied blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon hit 14.5% natural alcohol. It is deep and rich, with loads of caramelized grapefruit, tropical fruit, subtle oak, wet stones and plenty of melons. Drink now-2035. - Wine Advocate

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color} White {color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
[] The Wine Advocate:: 93/100
[]  Wine Spectator:: 93/100
[] Jancis Robinson:: 16/20{ratings}{***}

Renowned for Semillon cultivated on gravel, aromas of white peach and pear and a hint of smoke define this Rahoul 2016. Cultivated on clay over a limestone subsoil in certain parcels on the estate, appealing Sauvignon blanc lends lingering aromas offering mineral character, freshness and length. This is a successful blend, largely due to rigorously monitored harvesting dates, which lend round, fresh character and length to this superb white wine terroir.

{***}
{region}Graves{region}
{color}White{color}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{ratings}
[]James Suckling:: 92/100
[]Vinous Media:: 89/100 
[]Jancis Robinson:: 16/20
[]Robert Parker:: 89/100
{ratings}
{***}

The 2013 G Acte 5 was pure joy from barrel and it does not let you down now in bottle. Here we have a lovely nose of red brambly fruit, red cherries and just a touch of vanilla. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, tensile tannin, tart red fruit with touches of chalk, just a little toughness on the finish but that should soften with another 12-18 months in bottle. Very fine, especially considering the vintage.

{***}
{region}Bordeaux{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}
{ratings}
[]The Wine Advocate:: 90/100
{ratings}
{***}

The 2015 Domaine de L'A, the Cotes de Castillon from Stephan Derenoncourt, is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It has a very concentrated bouquet driven by the very expressive and opulent Merlot, with figgy, date scents tucked in just behind giving it some exoticism. The palate is sweet on the entry with cassis and black cherry notes. There is plenty of sucrosity here, very generous in the mouth, this usually represents good value and it is certainly well made. - The Wine Advocate

{***}
{region}Bordeaux{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
{ratings}
[]The Wine Advocate:: 89/100
{ratings}
{***}

Deep in colour and tinged with garnet. Fruity aromas, enhanced by smoky nuances typical of these gravel soils, are echoed on the generous palate, with its full tannic structure. Good balance lasts through to the lovely finish.

{***}
{region}Graves{region}
{color}Red{color}
{vintage}2013{vintage}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{ratings}
[]Wine Advocate::86-88/100                                                                                                                                                            []Tim Atkin::90/100
[]Robert Parker::86-88/100
{ratings}
{***}

Very dark purple and lustrous. Certainly looks very appealing. Succulent fruit with a streak of iodine. Very polished and worked. Fine tannins on the finish. Just goes a little dead on the end. Hint of bitterness.

{***}{region}Haut-Médoc{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 87-90/100                                                                                                                                                []Jancis Robinson:: 16/20 
[]Decanter:: 16.25/20
{ratings}{***}

With a sweet, intense, Cabernet nose of spices, a real depth of character and a great true Bordeaux finish, this is a superb little number that will be one of the stand-out value wines of the vintage. Just tucked in behind Ch. Lagrange and Ch. Talbot, this is a generous quaffer.

{***}{region}Haut-Médoc{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
[] Wine Spectator:: 90-93/100
[] The Wine Advocate:: 89/100{ratings}{***}

Ch. Cantemerle's woodland setting is amongst the most beautiful of any château in the Médoc. It is located in the far south of the region, almost on the outskirts of the city of Bordeaux and the first major property on the Médoc Route des Châteaux. The Fifth Growth has 94 hectares and the wines are made under the guidance of consultant oenologist, Eric Boissenot, undergoing 12 months' ageing in French oak, of which 40 percent is new. Ch. Cantemerle fashioned a robust, serious Claret in 2004. Moderately tannic, medium-bodied with good structure, purity, and balance, it opens with a subtle nose of liquorice and blackcurrants. Hints of menthol, black cherries, cranberries and blueberries emerge on the palate.

{***}{region}Haut-Médoc{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2004{vintage}
{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 87/100{ratings}        {***}

Ch. Talbot generally provides benchmark St Julien and has done so again in 2015. Firm in structure, the tannins create a large frame that is filled with rich, dark fruit and hints of cedar from the oak. Really quite opulent, it has a long finish which ends with a savoury hit.

{***}{region}St Julien{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2015{vintage}
{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 90/100        
  [] Jancis Robinson:: 16.5/20          
 [] Decanter:: 91/100{ratings}    {***}

Lustrous crimson. Sweet start; very charming. Perfumed. A real flirt and with very bright fruit.

{***}{region}St Emilion{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2014{vintage}
{ratings}
{ratings}{***}

Lustrous crimson. Sweet start; very charming. Perfumed. A real flirt and with very bright fruit.

{***}{region}St Emilion{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Robert Parker:: 87/100
[]James Suckling:: 87-88/100
[]Jancis Robinson:: 16/20
{ratings}{***}

A true favourite among our customers, Château Teyssier delivers huge quality at its price point and we are very proud to have it in our range. The 2014 vintage was a cool year for red Bordeaux and – true to the year’s reputation – this cuvée is defined by freshness and elegance, rather than power and tannin. There is plenty of bramble fruit on the palate, while the long finish shows charm and poise. Drink now to 2022.

{***}{region}St Emilion{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}laying-down{maturity}
{maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2014{vintage}{***}

A blend made from the younger vines at the estate, the aim here is to produce a wine which can be drunk young but which shows the complexity and balance of the grand vin. Ripe red and blackberry fruit mingles on the palate with leather, cedar and delicate mineral notes with a lovely freshness on the finish. One for roast lamb with all the trimmings.

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2014{vintage}{***}

A blend made from the younger vines at the estate, the aim here is to produce a wine which can be drunk young but which shows the complexity and balance of the grand vin. Ripe red and blackberry fruit mingles on the palate with leather, cedar and delicate mineral notes with a lovely freshness on the finish. One for roast lamb with all the trimmings.

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2013{vintage}{***}

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Malartic-Lagravière has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, blueberry and violet scents. I appreciate the control and precision on display here. The palate does not quite match the quality of the nose, although it still offers pleasure: blackberry and subtle spicy notes, quite steely in the mouth with a vivid but linear, black cherry and boysenberry finish. With time, hints of pencil lead evolve in the glass and become more prominent on the finish. Drink now and over the next decade. Drinking window: 2016-2026

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}laying-down{maturity}
{maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2006{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Advocate:: 90/100
{ratings}{***}

Manager Véronique Sanders and Technical Director Gabriel Vialhard have worked wonders here, catapulting Haut-Bailly into the very highest echelon of Bordeaux wines. The 2007 is as silky-textured and seductive as ever with refined, creamy black cherry and redcurrant fruit and a powerful yet feminine charm. The nose is more serious than usual with ripe raspberries and coffee hints, while the famous Haut Bailly terroir bursts through on the finish alongside firm, supple tannins and intense, minerally fruit. Made with more Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) than usual, this is another absolutely irresistible Haut-Bailly.

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-improve{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2007{vintage}
{ratings}
[]The Wine Advocate:: 92/100        
[]Jancis Robsinson:: 16.5/20
{ratings}       {***}

Zealously intent on improving on what he has already accomplished, proprietor Bernard Magrez continues to fashion one of Pessac-Leognans most impeccably made wines.....The most concentrated wine of Graves, Pape-Clement may be as profound as the first-growth, Haut-Brion. The deep ruby/purple-colored 2004 exhibits a fragrant bouquet of flowers, camphor, earth, and red as well as black fruits. Medium-bodied, surprisingly textured and rich, with decent acidity, a long finish, and moderate but sweet tannin, it is an exceptionally successful wine. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+. 92-94/100 points. (Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Apr-2005)

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2004{vintage}
{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 91/100{ratings}    {***}

This estate has been under new ownership since 2010 and the 2012 is a great success story. The fruit shows luscious redcurrants and the overall style is really soft and attractive. It is the finish, however, where the wine really shows off a wonderful sapidité (a French term meaning an almost salty, mineral savouriness). The château's director, Guillaume Pouthier, puts this down to using ripe stalks in the blend, a difficult method frequently used in Burgundy but very rarely seen in Bordeaux. This 2012 is very much a success.

{***}{region}Pessac-Léognan{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 90-93/100                 
[]Robert Parker:: 89-91/100           
[]The Wine Advocate:: 94/100                                                                                                   
{ratings}

This St.-Estèphe wine from the 2011 vintage has some freshly crushed cherry and damson plum notes, along with a lightly chalky frame on the finish, but it's a bit shy on stuffing and length in the end.

{***}{region}St Estèphe{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2011{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 85-88/100                                                                                                                                                                                                                           []Decanter:: 16/20
{ratings}{***}

Eight years on, the 2011 Ormes de Pez is starting to really open up. The nose is intensely spicy, with savoury cedar notes and brooding dark fruit. There’s an almost floral edge to its aromatic profile, with something that hints at eucalyptus (perhaps a nod to the coolness of the vintage). The palate is smooth and lush, its age – and time in oak (15 months) – tells, with layers of leather and spice joining the core of black fruit. The chalky tannins and mouth-watering acidity call for hard cheeses or roast lamb. Drink now to 2021.

{***}
{region}St Estèphe{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2011{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 89-92/100        
[]Jancis Robsinson:: 16.5/20
{ratings}    {***}

The 1998 Calon-Ségur, blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color with just a touch of brick and a very earthy/meaty nose with notions of new leather, smoked game, truffles, dusty soil, iron ore and mossy bark over a core of crème de cassis, preserved plums, spice cake and unsmoked cigars plus a waft of incense. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with spicy and earthy layers with velvety tannins, seamless freshness and great length. Give it 10 to 15+ more years.

{***}
{region}St Estèphe{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}1998{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Advocate:: 93/100 
{ratings}
{***}

Château Brane-Cantenac needs no introduction; it is the smoothest and one of the most consistent properties in Margaux. It is for that very reason that we asked them to produce our own-label Margaux. Sadly for us, due to the enormous demand for the wine, the château decided three years ago to bottle it itself, as a third wine, under the name Margaux de Brane. The 2016 vintage is without doubt the best I have witnessed in my 15 years buying Bordeaux – offering such consistency across all quality levels. This – the 2016 Margaux de Brane – is no exception to the rule, and is so good that our Buying team all bought a couple of cases as soon as we had tasted it. It is one of the best-value wines I have ever bought; I heartily recommend you stock up to drink now and over the next three years. It also happens to look stunning on the table, should you have distinguished guests.

{***}{region}Margaux{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{***}

Ch. Giscours has been making consistent, hugely enjoyable and affordable top quality Margaux since 2000, and 2012 is certainly no exception. Sometimes criticised for producing a more ‘masculine’ style of Margaux (that I thoroughly enjoy), this is not the case this year. Multi-layered, refined with a beautiful freshness and elegance that is the personification of its commune, this will be a reasonably early drinker that will deliver great satisfaction in a few years.

{***}{region}Margaux{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}
{ratings}
 [] Jancis Robinson:: 17/20        
 [] Wine Spectator:: 90-93/100          
 [] Robert Parker:: 88-90/100{ratings}    {***}

Quite brilliant! An incredibly seductive, inviting nose of ripe and cool Cabernet, leading to a spectacular, plump but defined, powerful yet precise mouthful of decadent and moreish black and red summer fruits. The tannins are so fine they are hardly apparent within the generosity of the fruit. The length is spectacular and this is one of the best buys; it is Second Growth in quality.

{***}{region}Margaux{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
 [] The Wine Advocate:: 93/100        
 [] Wine Spectator:: 94/100          
 [] Robert Parker:: 91/100{ratings}    {***}

A deep ruby colour with violet tints, showing remarkable intensity. A highly aromatic nose with black fruit aromas (blackberries and cassis) and delicate floral notes. Vanilla and spices are present on the second nose. The attack is full and round, and the mid-palate very generous, with sweet tannins. This is a well-balanced and full-flavoured wine.

{***}
{region} Margaux{region}
{color} Red{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2012{vintage}{***}

Journalists and merchants are sometimes quick to generalise and tend to group wines under the banner of a vintage. Bordeaux, however, is a big place, composed of 57 appellations – driving from one side to another can take up to two hours. These generalisations therefore don’t reflect the unique site of the region’s 7,500 châteaux accurately. There is no denying that 2007 was a difficult vintage, but there are plenty of wines that were overlooked en primeur and are just starting to unveil their true potential. Ch. Pontet-Canet is one of these and the wine is now at its best, combining velvety fruit with an underlying maturity. It is just turning a corner and will provide delicious drinking now and over the next five years – and at a fraction of the price of a “big” vintage.

It is a heresy severe enough to get you excommunicated, but in our view Ch. Pontet-Canet is as good as the First Growths in 2007. Working the vineyards according to organic and even biodynamic principles, dryly humorous owner Alfred Tesseron has produced a 2007 with lovely pure black fruit, ripe but present tannins, a mouth-watering finish and arguably the finest quality fruit in the vintage: silky, luscious, blackberries and plums with oodles of minerals, coffee, cedar and tobacco. Since the outstanding 2004, Ch. Pontet-Canet has been a must-have wine every year; in 2007 this is truer than ever.

{***}
{region}Pauillac{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2007{vintage}
{ratings}
[]BBR:: 17.5/20[]The Wine Advocate:: 91/100          []Jancis Robinson:: 15.5/20   
{ratings}  {***}

Deriving its name from a battle fought here between the British and French six centuries ago, this popular wine has not disappointed its legion of fans in 2003. The wonderfully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) is softened by 28% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. A rich, fruity nose is followed by a palate with Batailley's characteristic weight and reassuringly dense, textured red and black fruit, creamy oak and a very long finish. Excellent value, as always.

{***}
{region}Pauillac{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}drink-now{maturity}
{maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}2003{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Advocate:: 91/100 
{ratings} {***}

The second wine of Ch. Lynch-Bages, this has an attractive, dark ruby colour. It releases fresh fruit aromas of red berries and what a joy to taste! The palate is marked by spicy and oaky notes while the tannins are soft and round, but there is such energy on the palate. Very well poised, it finishes long.

{***}
{region}Pauillac{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2016{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 90-93/100        
[]Jancis Robsinson:: 16/20                
[]Decanter:: 91/100           
[]The Wine Advocate:: 90/100                                                                                                   
{ratings}{***}

Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Deuxième Cru Classé property that produces one of St Julien's most full-bodied and long-lived wines. Sometimes tannic and ungainly in youth, with bottle-age the wines become marvellously harmonious, developing complex and beguiling characteristics of concentrated black fruits, cedar, spices and liquorice. Deeply coloured, massively structured, with ample mature tannins, spicy oak and tobacco-scented dark berry fruit. A wine of undisputed ageing potential, this is drinking gloriously now.

{***}{region}St. Julien{region}
{color} Red {color}                                                               {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink now{maturity-text}
{vintage}1989{vintage}
{ratings}
[] The Wine Advocate:: 89/100{ratings}{***}

The 1996 is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon vintage and drinking beautifully now. There are substantial savoury depths to this blackcurrant and briary fruit-driven wine, with a satisfyingly firmness to the palate that still shows its capacity to age. Fresh and vibrant with cedar notes on the finish. Drink now to 2022.

{***}
{region}Haut-Médoc{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}1996{vintage}
{***}

A gorgeous, perfumed, floral bouquet, typically Margaux, this has a wonderful quality of tannin allied to densely concentrated fruit, producing a fabulous texture on the palate, yet all the while retaining the sublime elegance and restraint for which the wines of this property are renowned. The conditions of this vintage are tailor-made for Henri Lurton’s style of winemaking, which seeks elegance above power and to reflect the outstanding terroir with which Brane-Cantenac is blessed. I kept repeating the word ‘finesse’ when I tasted the wine, and then commented on the extraordinary length on the finish.

{***}
{region}Margaux{region}

{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}

{vintage}2010{vintage}

{ratings}
[]Wine Spectator:: 90-93/100        
[]Jancis Robsinson:: 17/20                
[]Robert Parker:: 95+/100           
[]The Wine Advocate:: 95/100                                                                                                   
{ratings}

{***}

Renowned for its delicacy, the heat of 2003 has provided this wine with atypical richness. Fortunately the talents of Henri Lurton have enabled him to harness the conditions brilliantly to get the best of both stylistic worlds, and continue the upward quality trajectory at this historic estate. A fresh nose of ripe plums and minerals is backed up by a well-structured palate with velvety fruit, silky tannins and fresh acidity. This is an outstanding Brane-Cantenac. Drink 2010-2025.

{***}
{region}Margaux{region}

{color}Red{color}                                                                                                {maturity}drink-now{maturity} {maturity-text}Drink Now{maturity-text}

{vintage}2003{vintage}

{ratings}   
[]The Wine Advocate:: 85/100                                                                                                   
{ratings}

{***}