Decanter (95)

Gorgeous rich dark purple in the glass. Quite jammy and concentrated on the nose, heady and perfumed with a lovely delicate florality to it too. Great freshness on the palate, juicy but a dark blackcurrant and cherry fruit juice. Beautifully balanced with integrated tannins and oak. Well defined fruit, generous and quite abundant against softly grippy, velvety tannins that just give support to the overall frame. It's serious but with a lightness of touch and playfulness - energetic and lively but still with depth. A great Alter Ego and confident winemaking on show.

James Suckling (91-92)

A dense, layered red with chocolate, hazelnut and redcurrants. It’s medium-to full-bodied. Chewy tannins at the end.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours. Drink it over the next handful of years. Tasted two times.

Wine Advocate (97)

Derived exclusively from the château's holdings on the deep gravel soils of the plateau of Brane, the 2019 Brane-Cantenac has turned out brilliantly and merits a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, violets, sweet loamy soil and cardamon, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a beautifully seamless, perfumed profile. Retaining all the estate's signature elegance but with an extra dimension of depth and intensity, it's the finest Brane-Cantenac of the modern era and one of the great successes of the 2019 vintage.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2019 Calon Ségur is a wine of soaring vertical intensity and pure power. That's the good news. The not so good news is that it won't be ready to drink any time soon. Exotic spice, pencil shavings, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice are some of the nuances that develop in the glass, but those descriptions can't even begin to capture the sheer beauty of what is in the glass. I loved the 2019 from barrel and I love it just as much from bottle.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

José Sanfins has overseen a 2019 Cantenac Brown that will give immense pleasure in coming years. The bouquet has tightened up since I tasted the barrel sample (also at the château, in summer 2021): blackberry, raspberry and cedar are now accompanied by just a touch of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a vibrant, harmonious finish. This Margaux brims with confidence and should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. The insiders' Margaux of choice.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

José Sanfins has overseen a 2019 Cantenac Brown that will give immense pleasure in coming years. The bouquet has tightened up since I tasted the barrel sample (also at the château, in summer 2021): blackberry, raspberry and cedar are now accompanied by just a touch of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a vibrant, harmonious finish. This Margaux brims with confidence and should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. The insiders' Margaux of choice.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

José Sanfins has overseen a 2019 Cantenac Brown that will give immense pleasure in coming years. The bouquet has tightened up since I tasted the barrel sample (also at the château, in summer 2021): blackberry, raspberry and cedar are now accompanied by just a touch of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a vibrant, harmonious finish. This Margaux brims with confidence and should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. The insiders' Margaux of choice.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is a gorgeous young sample with wonderful blue fruit and spices, as well as a nice overlay of pretty wood. Medium to full body and firm, silky tannins. Hints of minerals. Better than 2018.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is a gorgeous young sample with wonderful blue fruit and spices, as well as a nice overlay of pretty wood. Medium to full body and firm, silky tannins. Hints of minerals. Better than 2018.

James Suckling (99)

This is so aromatic with blackcurrants, black berries and raspberries. Pure fruit, together with coffee and nutmeg. Really fresh and clean with bright spices. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with fantastic structure. So long. This is a great Cos for the cellar. A real benchmark for the true character. Needs at least five or six years to open and come around. Try after 2029.

James Suckling (99)

This is so aromatic with blackcurrants, black berries and raspberries. Pure fruit, together with coffee and nutmeg. Really fresh and clean with bright spices. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with fantastic structure. So long. This is a great Cos for the cellar. A real benchmark for the true character. Needs at least five or six years to open and come around. Try after 2029.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

Depth and power through the mid palate, good quality tannins, this is classically restrained St Estèphe power, with savoury yet juicy black fruits. Living up to its potential En Primeur, one to look out for, and a strong 2nd wine that beats out many 1st wines in the vintage. If you liked the Dame de Montrose 2010, get on board with this.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

Depth and power through the mid palate, good quality tannins, this is classically restrained St Estèphe power, with savoury yet juicy black fruits. Living up to its potential En Primeur, one to look out for, and a strong 2nd wine that beats out many 1st wines in the vintage. If you liked the Dame de Montrose 2010, get on board with this.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is linear and tight with beautiful concentration of tannins and dark fruit, as well as tar and dark chocolate. Full, yet racy and long. Very solid and structured with tannins that integrate well into the wine. Better than the 2018.

Experience the superior quality craftsmanship of 'De Pez 2019', a testament to true Bordeaux mastery from one of St. Estephe's oldest vineyards. Meticulously produced at Château de Pez, a keen emphasis is laid on environmentally friendly agriculture and hand harvesting to inspire, realise and winnow the best produce. Devotion in every detail results in a wine that mirrors the terroir's authenticity.

Alluringly deep ruby in appearance, the De Pez 2019 presents a complex blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Matured in French oak barrels, it exudes profound notes of ripe red fruits adorned with hints of tobacco and spicy undertones. On the palate, it delivers a captivating combination of deep fruitiness mingled with polished tannins, culminating in an alluringly long finish. This full-bodied red orchestrates a symphony of taste, true to its Bordeaux lineage.

Unquestionably, De Pez 2019 is a benchmark exemplar of refined winemaking; a timeless choice for devotees of exceptional Bordeaux wines.

James Suckling (92-93)

A red with red berries and currants and some chocolate and hazelnuts. It’s medium-to full-bodied with ripe, savory tannins. Serious this year.

James Suckling (95-96)

A fantastic du Tertre with blackberries and blueberries. Very pure fruit character in general. Stone and tea undertones. It’s full-bodied with a tight, focused tannin backbone. Excellent structure. One of the best ever from here. So precise. A blend of 54% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot.

Scoring double 96 points from the Wine Advocate's William Kelley and Decanter alongside double 95 points from Jane Anson of Inside Bordeaux and Vinous's Antonio Galloni, this blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot wowed Hindle so much that she 'immediately wanted another glass'. The palate is 'deep and concentrated' (WA) but with this being countered by 'so much clarity and freshness' (DC), it is 'hard not to be impressed by the balance on display here' (JA). A Margaux with serious agebility, this 2019 vintage has a drinking window up to 2065.

 

This Durfort-Vivens 2019 really is a 'brilliant Margaux' (WA). As William Kelley states, 'anyone who isn’t aware of just how good Gonzague Lurton’s wines are these days should taste a bottle' of this.

James Suckling (96-97)

Lots of deep blue fruit with blackberries and grape skins, as well as tar and asphalt. Lead, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight with powerful, defined tannins, surrounded by attractive ripe fruit. Serious. Reminds me of the excellent 1975. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot.

James Suckling (96-97)

Lots of deep blue fruit with blackberries and grape skins, as well as tar and asphalt. Lead, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight with powerful, defined tannins, surrounded by attractive ripe fruit. Serious. Reminds me of the excellent 1975. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot.

James Suckling (96-97)

Lots of deep blue fruit with blackberries and grape skins, as well as tar and asphalt. Lead, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight with powerful, defined tannins, surrounded by attractive ripe fruit. Serious. Reminds me of the excellent 1975. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% merlot.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

Well-placed, sappy and succulent damson, blackberry and cassis fruits. This is graceful and well-balanced, with a lingering, gently spiced finish that stretches out with a satisfyingly juicy feel that has deepened over ageing. First vintage where you find a touch of Carmanère in Kirwan. Technical director Philippe Delfaut, this is an upscore this En Primeur.