Top Vintages
Top Vintages
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James Suckling (97-98)
Very perfumed with floral, citrus and stone aromas, as well as hints of grapefruit. It’s full-bodied and seamless in texture. Extremely long and fine-grained. 72% sauvignon and 28% semillon. Normally 50/50.Inc. TAX€968.09 -
Wine Advocate (90)
With a medium dark ruby color, and a complex, kirsch, pain grille, smoky, deliciously complex and fruity nose, this fragrant wine offers a wealth of raspberry, currant, and cherry-like fruit. It is not a blockbuster, but rather, an elegant, multi-dimensional, round, velvety-textured wine with a lushness and sweetness of fruit that makes it irresistible. This is one of the more seductive wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012.Inc. TAX€222.13 -
(1x75cl) 2023
Vinous - Neal Martin (98-100)
The 2023 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked between September 10 and 14 and matured in 82% new oak. It has a stunning bouquet with enthralling delineation and focus, very intense with blackberries, raspberry, crushed stone, Earl Grey and a touch of blood orange. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and a dash of cracked black pepper. It's very harmonious and fans out brilliantly on the finish. It is surely going to vie with the stupendous 2022, and this ranks as one of the best wines of the vintage. Tasted on two visits at the beginning and end of my Bordeaux tastings.Expected Price Range€241 - €287 -
Wine Advocate (84)
Showing slightly better than when I last tasted it, the 1978 l'Evangile displays a medium ruby/garnet color with some brown at the edge. Although more herbaceous than most vintages, there is plenty of smoky tea and curranty-flavored fruit, decent body, above average concentration, and a spicy, peppery (atypical) finish. Drink it before the end of this century. Last tasted, 7/93.Inc. TAX€600.13 -
James Suckling (95-96)
A serious and saline red with blue fruit, cloves, iodine and black licorice. Oyster shells, too. Medium to full bodied with fine, firm tannins that run the length of the wine. Focused. 79% merlot and 21% cabernet franc.Inc. TAX€321.28 -
James Suckling (93-94)
This shows beautiful density and layers for a baby white with cooked apples, pears and hints of yogurt. Full-bodied, fresh and bright.Inc. TAX€160.93 -
Wine Advocate (94)
Having tasted the 1982 Château La Conseillante on numerous occasions, it is fair to say that it has become overshadowed by the 1989 and 1990. Yet it remains not only a prosaically delicious Pomerol, but it represents the beginning of a new era for the estate after treading water since the 1960s. This was tasted blind. It has a beautiful, sensual if slightly faded bouquet with mulberry fruit tinged with sage and even a suggestion of black olive that tugs it towards Pessac-Léognan. It lacks the horsepower of the 1989 and 1990, but it is delineated and winsome. The palate is medium-bodied and is brimming over with both finesse and intensity. The quality of the vintage still comes through here, surprisingly deep and voluminous, not as structured as subsequent vintages, but gently fanning out with a subtle wild mushroom note betraying its age on the aftertaste. The bottom line is that this is a lovely, natural La Conseillante perfect for drinking now. Tasted March 2014.Inc. TAX€689.69 -
Wine Advocate (92)
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 La Fleur Petrus has been an impressive Pomerol in recent showings. This one does nothing to alter that view. It has plenty of energy on the nose with great delineation: cranberry, pomegranate, singed leather and a touch of melted tar, firmly moving into secondary territory. The palate is medium-bodied with good structure, still quite tight but with a keen line of acidity and plenty of truffle-infused, black, dusky fruit on the finish. Great wine in an off-vintage. Tasted February 2017.Inc. TAX€501.70 -
Wine Advocate (90)
The 1981 exhibits a more youthful purple hue to its dark plum color than any vintage back to 1970. Somewhat narrowly constructed for a La Mission-Haut-Brion, it reveals plenty of incense, blueberry, black currant and crushed rock notes intertwined with a restrained, smoky character. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh and crisp with good concentration as well as a surprising youthfulness. However, the vintage’s deficiencies – a lack of heat and maturity – show up in the wine’s modest power and concentration. The 1981 does not possess the great richness, depth and intensity of the finest vintages, but it is still an outstanding effort that has aged extremely well. It could hold up for another two decades, but there is no point in deferring gratification.Inc. TAX€605.69 -
Wine Advocate (100)
One of the great wines of the vintage, and the last produced under the ownership of the Woltner family, the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion remains remarkably youthful, exhibiting a saturated ruby-black hue. Unfurling in the glass with rich aromas of black fruits, cigar smoke, loamy soil, black truffle, peat and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. Over the last decade, the wine has become increasingly seamless and elegant, without losing any of its vitality, and it is now clear, if it were ever in doubt, that this wine can stand alongside vintages such as 1961 and 1955 as one of the great La Mission Haut-Brions of the 20th century.Inc. TAX€2,001.73 -
Wine Advocate (90)
Firm, masculine and tannic with plenty of earth, truffle, asphalt and volcanic characteristics, this burly La Mission-Haut-Brion is bordering on being monolithic/foursquare. It reveals good body as well as plenty of tannin, adequate acidity, a dark plum/garnet color, and classic La Mission terroir characteristics of smoke, scorched earth, spice, roasted meats and camphor. Neither big nor wimpish, it, like many wines of this vintage, appears to be aging nicely. While fully mature, it displays enough youthful characteristics, from its tannin to its vibrant, moderately intense fruit, to suggest it will hold up for another two decades.Inc. TAX€566.53 -
Wine Spectator (95-100)
Massive yet balanced '98, with lots of mineral, mint, wet earth, berry and cherry character. Full-bodied, with loads of round, velvety tannins and a long, long aftertaste. Score range: 95-100Inc. TAX€661.33 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (86)
The 1987 Laville Haut-Brion is a vexing wine at first. There is a “funk” on the nose, demonstrating a lot of reduction that I thought would never be rectified, even with vigorous aeration. However that potent struck match scent eventually does dissipate to reveal Laville’s trademark scents of honeysuckle and beeswax, a touch of pressed white flowers and fennel. The palate is well balanced, although, again, it takes time to reveal delineation and composure. There is pleasant weight and length, although it does not quite fire up in the glass like other vintages. Perhaps this is one where the sulphur management could have been better? Not bad, but not the best Laville Haut-Brion of the decade. Tasted at a white Bordeaux-themed private dinner in London.Inc. TAX€645.24 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (89)
Complex, expressive aromas of lemon, honey, ginger, quinine, butterscotch and fresh herbs, plus a waxy suggestion of semillon. Supple and ripe, with moderate depth of flavor and good citric cut. Seems a bit stunted by the August '98 bottling. Finishes with good but not outstanding length.Inc. TAX€645.24 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (96)
Tasted side by side, the 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is unequivocally a few steps ahead of the 2018 Haut-Brion Blanc. I made sure to decant my bottle for three hours before penning a single note, as it always demands aeration. Slightly deeper in color, which is nothing unusual, it has a more complex bouquet of yellow fruit, peach skin, almond shavings, hazelnut and light lanolin notes, all beautifully defined. The palate is extremely well balanced with a tangy, marmalade-tinged entry, dried honey and a slight pepperiness toward the finish. Very cohesive and focused, this is a marvelous, quite cerebral La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc. Superb.Inc. TAX€944.50 -
Inc. TAX€1,027.30
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The La Tour de Mons 1979 vintage is a fascinating encounter with the prestige of Bordeaux's terroir. Originating from the Margaux appellation, renowned for producing wines of depth and elegance, it is a rare specimen. The château itself, built in the 13th century, has been producing esteemed wines for years, utilising both traditional and modern winemaking techniques.
This wine is a blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, punctuated with the opulence of Merlot and a whisper of Petit Verdot. Matured in carefully selected oak barrels, the La Tour de Mons 1979 presents a complex palette of ripe dark fruit icons interlaced with hints of cedar and spice. Its aromatic depth and velvety tannins age gracefully, maintaining a fresh and well-balanced appeal.
La Tour de Mons 1979, with its storied provenance and delicate craft, unequivocally stands as a testament to the authentic expression of Margaux. Truly, a profound statement of French viticulture heritage.
Inc. TAX€220.49 -
Inc. TAX€1,642.49
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Inc. TAX€1,168.93
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Wine Advocate (86-88)
The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range).Inc. TAX€1,329.73 -
Wine Advocate (70)
(Magnum)Inc. TAX€1,329.73 -
Wine Advocate (80)
Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82.Inc. TAX€1,134.13 -
Wine Advocate (72)
This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80.Inc. TAX€930.13 -
Inc. TAX€1,029.23
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Vintage Tastings (93)
The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish.Inc. TAX€966.13 -
Inc. TAX€1,134.13
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Inc. TAX€897.73
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Inc. TAX€1,050.89
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Wine Advocate (98)
The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable.Inc. TAX€4,443.73 -
James Suckling (96)
This is Lafite. Prune and spices, with a cedar and wet tobacco character on the nose. Even tea. Full and rich with a dark China tea and cedar character. Just a hint of chocolate. Opens in the glass like a genie. Amazing.Inc. TAX€936.13
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James Suckling (97-98)
Very perfumed with floral, citrus and stone aromas, as well as hints of grapefruit. It’s full-bodied and seamless in texture. Extremely long and fine-grained. 72% sauvignon and 28% semillon. Normally 50/50.In Bond€803.00 -
Wine Advocate (90)
With a medium dark ruby color, and a complex, kirsch, pain grille, smoky, deliciously complex and fruity nose, this fragrant wine offers a wealth of raspberry, currant, and cherry-like fruit. It is not a blockbuster, but rather, an elegant, multi-dimensional, round, velvety-textured wine with a lushness and sweetness of fruit that makes it irresistible. This is one of the more seductive wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012.In Bond€182.00 -
(1x75cl) 2023
Vinous - Neal Martin (98-100)
The 2023 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked between September 10 and 14 and matured in 82% new oak. It has a stunning bouquet with enthralling delineation and focus, very intense with blackberries, raspberry, crushed stone, Earl Grey and a touch of blood orange. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and a dash of cracked black pepper. It's very harmonious and fans out brilliantly on the finish. It is surely going to vie with the stupendous 2022, and this ranks as one of the best wines of the vintage. Tasted on two visits at the beginning and end of my Bordeaux tastings.Expected Price Range€241 - €287 -
Wine Advocate (84)
Showing slightly better than when I last tasted it, the 1978 l'Evangile displays a medium ruby/garnet color with some brown at the edge. Although more herbaceous than most vintages, there is plenty of smoky tea and curranty-flavored fruit, decent body, above average concentration, and a spicy, peppery (atypical) finish. Drink it before the end of this century. Last tasted, 7/93.In Bond€497.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
A serious and saline red with blue fruit, cloves, iodine and black licorice. Oyster shells, too. Medium to full bodied with fine, firm tannins that run the length of the wine. Focused. 79% merlot and 21% cabernet franc.In Bond€264.00 -
James Suckling (93-94)
This shows beautiful density and layers for a baby white with cooked apples, pears and hints of yogurt. Full-bodied, fresh and bright.In Bond€131.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
Having tasted the 1982 Château La Conseillante on numerous occasions, it is fair to say that it has become overshadowed by the 1989 and 1990. Yet it remains not only a prosaically delicious Pomerol, but it represents the beginning of a new era for the estate after treading water since the 1960s. This was tasted blind. It has a beautiful, sensual if slightly faded bouquet with mulberry fruit tinged with sage and even a suggestion of black olive that tugs it towards Pessac-Léognan. It lacks the horsepower of the 1989 and 1990, but it is delineated and winsome. The palate is medium-bodied and is brimming over with both finesse and intensity. The quality of the vintage still comes through here, surprisingly deep and voluminous, not as structured as subsequent vintages, but gently fanning out with a subtle wild mushroom note betraying its age on the aftertaste. The bottom line is that this is a lovely, natural La Conseillante perfect for drinking now. Tasted March 2014.In Bond€571.00 -
Wine Advocate (92)
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 La Fleur Petrus has been an impressive Pomerol in recent showings. This one does nothing to alter that view. It has plenty of energy on the nose with great delineation: cranberry, pomegranate, singed leather and a touch of melted tar, firmly moving into secondary territory. The palate is medium-bodied with good structure, still quite tight but with a keen line of acidity and plenty of truffle-infused, black, dusky fruit on the finish. Great wine in an off-vintage. Tasted February 2017.In Bond€415.00 -
Wine Advocate (90)
The 1981 exhibits a more youthful purple hue to its dark plum color than any vintage back to 1970. Somewhat narrowly constructed for a La Mission-Haut-Brion, it reveals plenty of incense, blueberry, black currant and crushed rock notes intertwined with a restrained, smoky character. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh and crisp with good concentration as well as a surprising youthfulness. However, the vintage’s deficiencies – a lack of heat and maturity – show up in the wine’s modest power and concentration. The 1981 does not possess the great richness, depth and intensity of the finest vintages, but it is still an outstanding effort that has aged extremely well. It could hold up for another two decades, but there is no point in deferring gratification.In Bond€501.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
One of the great wines of the vintage, and the last produced under the ownership of the Woltner family, the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion remains remarkably youthful, exhibiting a saturated ruby-black hue. Unfurling in the glass with rich aromas of black fruits, cigar smoke, loamy soil, black truffle, peat and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. Over the last decade, the wine has become increasingly seamless and elegant, without losing any of its vitality, and it is now clear, if it were ever in doubt, that this wine can stand alongside vintages such as 1961 and 1955 as one of the great La Mission Haut-Brions of the 20th century.In Bond€1,665.00 -
Wine Advocate (90)
Firm, masculine and tannic with plenty of earth, truffle, asphalt and volcanic characteristics, this burly La Mission-Haut-Brion is bordering on being monolithic/foursquare. It reveals good body as well as plenty of tannin, adequate acidity, a dark plum/garnet color, and classic La Mission terroir characteristics of smoke, scorched earth, spice, roasted meats and camphor. Neither big nor wimpish, it, like many wines of this vintage, appears to be aging nicely. While fully mature, it displays enough youthful characteristics, from its tannin to its vibrant, moderately intense fruit, to suggest it will hold up for another two decades.In Bond€469.00 -
Wine Spectator (95-100)
Massive yet balanced '98, with lots of mineral, mint, wet earth, berry and cherry character. Full-bodied, with loads of round, velvety tannins and a long, long aftertaste. Score range: 95-100In Bond€548.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (86)
The 1987 Laville Haut-Brion is a vexing wine at first. There is a “funk” on the nose, demonstrating a lot of reduction that I thought would never be rectified, even with vigorous aeration. However that potent struck match scent eventually does dissipate to reveal Laville’s trademark scents of honeysuckle and beeswax, a touch of pressed white flowers and fennel. The palate is well balanced, although, again, it takes time to reveal delineation and composure. There is pleasant weight and length, although it does not quite fire up in the glass like other vintages. Perhaps this is one where the sulphur management could have been better? Not bad, but not the best Laville Haut-Brion of the decade. Tasted at a white Bordeaux-themed private dinner in London.In Bond€534.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (89)
Complex, expressive aromas of lemon, honey, ginger, quinine, butterscotch and fresh herbs, plus a waxy suggestion of semillon. Supple and ripe, with moderate depth of flavor and good citric cut. Seems a bit stunted by the August '98 bottling. Finishes with good but not outstanding length.In Bond€534.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (96)
Tasted side by side, the 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is unequivocally a few steps ahead of the 2018 Haut-Brion Blanc. I made sure to decant my bottle for three hours before penning a single note, as it always demands aeration. Slightly deeper in color, which is nothing unusual, it has a more complex bouquet of yellow fruit, peach skin, almond shavings, hazelnut and light lanolin notes, all beautifully defined. The palate is extremely well balanced with a tangy, marmalade-tinged entry, dried honey and a slight pepperiness toward the finish. Very cohesive and focused, this is a marvelous, quite cerebral La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc. Superb.In Bond€784.00 -
In Bond€853.00
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The La Tour de Mons 1979 vintage is a fascinating encounter with the prestige of Bordeaux's terroir. Originating from the Margaux appellation, renowned for producing wines of depth and elegance, it is a rare specimen. The château itself, built in the 13th century, has been producing esteemed wines for years, utilising both traditional and modern winemaking techniques.
This wine is a blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, punctuated with the opulence of Merlot and a whisper of Petit Verdot. Matured in carefully selected oak barrels, the La Tour de Mons 1979 presents a complex palette of ripe dark fruit icons interlaced with hints of cedar and spice. Its aromatic depth and velvety tannins age gracefully, maintaining a fresh and well-balanced appeal.
La Tour de Mons 1979, with its storied provenance and delicate craft, unequivocally stands as a testament to the authentic expression of Margaux. Truly, a profound statement of French viticulture heritage.
In Bond€180.00 -
In Bond€1,365.00
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In Bond€971.00
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Wine Advocate (86-88)
The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range).In Bond€1,105.00 -
Wine Advocate (70)
(Magnum)In Bond€1,105.00 -
Wine Advocate (80)
Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82.In Bond€942.00 -
Wine Advocate (72)
This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80.In Bond€772.00 -
In Bond€854.00
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Vintage Tastings (93)
The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish.In Bond€802.00 -
In Bond€942.00
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In Bond€745.00
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In Bond€872.00
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Wine Advocate (98)
The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable.In Bond€3,700.00 -
James Suckling (96)
This is Lafite. Prune and spices, with a cedar and wet tobacco character on the nose. Even tea. Full and rich with a dark China tea and cedar character. Just a hint of chocolate. Opens in the glass like a genie. Amazing.In Bond€777.00