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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,246.38 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)The 2019 Petit Cheval is a stunning second wine - if it can even be called that. In 2019, Petit Cheval is a blend of four parcels that were in the Grand Vin in 2018. Dark, supple and expressive, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, spice, new leather and graphite, all of which build effortlessly in the glass. The Petit represents 5.5% of the château's production in 2019, but it is more of a second selection, as 12% of the wine that year was sold in bulk. |
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Bordeaux | 15 | 93-94 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,427.93 |
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James Suckling (93-94)This is very fresh and crunchy with blackberries, dark cherries and hints of crushed stones. It’s medium-bodied with impressive acidity and fine, silky tannins. Shows depth and structure, too. Bright and vivid on the finish. Lightly chunky. Second wine of Leoville Las Cases. 61% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 8% cabernet franc. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 95-96 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,834.38 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is a very powerful Petit Mouton with so much rich fruit and power. Full-bodied, tannic yet polished and long. Muscular for the second wine of Mouton. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97-98 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€2,272.38 |
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James Suckling (97-98)This is phenomenal with such dense and layered tannins that go on for minutes. It’s full-bodied with blackberries, blueberries and chocolate. Sexy and so beautiful. Not sure what to say here. Maybe it should have gone into the first wine? |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€2,110.38 |
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James Suckling (97)A luscious red with redcurrant, chocolate, plum and hazelnut. Rather opulent on the nose. Full-bodied and very structured with chewy tannins that are intense and powerful. This needs time to come together and soften. 68% cabernet sauvignon and 32% merlot. Better after 2027. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97-98 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,780.38 |
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James Suckling (97-98)This is very, very layered with gorgeous fruit and velvety tannins. Hints of chocolate. Full-bodied and chewy with soft, fine tannins. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Gorgeous second wine. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | 95-96 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,427.93 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022? |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. TAX
€282.78 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)The 2020 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is a gorgeous second wine. Dark cherry, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice, plum, spice and tobacco infuse the 2020 with striking aromatic nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, and that is very much in evidence in the wine's flavor profile and overall structure. There's terrific depth and density here, not to mention tons of character. |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€21,970.19 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1995 Le Pin is a vintage that has never proven its pedigree. Now with two decades under its belt, the aromatics are strangely not that far from those of the 1995 Lafleur despite the absence of any Cabernet Franc. There is a pleasant mineralité here and impressive purity. The palate is fresh and vibrant, a mixture or red and black fruit with a subtle marine influence. Classy and sophisticated, this is unquestionably the finest bottle that I have encountered. Perhaps it was just a late bloomer? Anyway, I am happy to upgrade my score from previous encounters. |
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Bordeaux | 3 | - |
Inc. TAX
€3,112.19 |
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Bordeaux | 2 | - |
Inc. TAX
€3,040.38 |
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Trilogie is a secretive project that Château Le Pin has been pursuing for a number of years. Produced in only miniscule amounts, the current edition is a blend of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Château Le Pin - all excellent vintages, and available at a fraction of the price of a regular Le Pin!
More Info
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Bordeaux | 3 | - |
Inc. TAX
€3,382.38 |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 89-92 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€677.03 |
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Wine Advocate (89-92)The best Le Prieure I have ever tasted, this 2009 is a hedonist’s dream. Huge red and black fruit aromas soar from the glass of this deep ruby/purple-tinged beauty. With velvety tannin, a full-bodied, opulent personality, and a knock-out finish with no hard edges, it is already impossible to resist, so enjoy it over the next decade or more. (Tasted three times.) |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 96-97 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€801.18 |
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James Suckling (96-97)A full-bodied red that builds on the palate with lots of blackberry and blueberry character, as well as chocolate. Mineral and graphite undertones. Chewy, yet very integrated. Excellent, as expected. |
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Bordeaux | 20 | 95.0 |
Inc. TAX
€1,336.38 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (WI) |
Inc. TAX
€1,450.49 |
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The Wine Independent (97)Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases drifts out with fragrant notions of warm cassis, dark chocolate, roses, and dried mint with hints of iron ore and forest floor. Fragrant black fruit absolutely dances on the medium-bodied palate, with super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and vivacious freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This beautiful wine still has a good 20-30 years left. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (FS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,492.38 |
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Falstaff (100)Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on rim. Fine oak, a hint of nougat, dark berries underneath, some cardamom, dark cherries, a hint of candied oranges. Powerful, taut, tightly meshed, fresh acidity, spicy, supporting tannins, a hint of chocolate on the finish, convincing balance, mineral and very long lasting, cherries on the finish, a vin de garde, can also be tasted young with a few hours in the carafe, enormous future potential. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98-99 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€2,062.38 |
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James Suckling (98-99)This is incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins. It goes on and one. Real Las Cases here. Solid as a rock. Progresses to violet, graphite and licorice at the end. |
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Bordeaux | 8 | 96-98 (TDB) |
Inc. TAX
€1,276.45 |
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The Drinks Business (96-98)Léoville Las Cases. (St Julien; 80% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Cabernet Franc; 5% Merlot.; 13.2% alcohol; pH 3.71; IPT 77; tasted at the property). If you’ve ever wanted to know what Las Cases’ Cabernet would taste like without (most of) the Merlot, here’s your chance (and you can play the same game with most of the first growths too). The answer, in a word, is wonderful (and please don’t take that as a criticism of Las Cases’ Merlot in any other vintage). This is serene and profoundly beautiful on the nose. Cool, precise, elegant, suave and sophisticated, with an intense and gracious dark purple and black fruit. It is the very epitome of cool-summer Cabernet (Sauvignon and Franc) – and that, in a sense is the point. We have, too, the florality of the vintage – here violets and a more discrete sensation of spring flowers. With air on the nose – and, again, on the palate (especially when one draws in a little air) – there is an utterly divine intense presence of cedar that both envelops and somehow cosets the dark fruit. As beautiful a Las Cases as I have had the pleasure to taste en primeur and, for me, the wine of the appellation in the vintage. Like Margaux and, in a slightly different way, Lafite, it embraces and works with rather than struggles against the characteristics of the vintage. Tranquillity, cool perfection and supreme elegance. I find this quite an emotional La Cases. Stylistically, my favourite ever! |
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Bordeaux | 7 | 98 (JA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,427.93 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)Structured and powerful, this is not as forbidding as En Primeur in many vintages of Las Cases, showing both flesh and florality, but the tannic walls of this great estate remain fully in place, coupled with layers of cassis and bilberry fruits, subtle hints of bitter aniseed, fennel, cola, espresso, squid ink, textured slate tannins. Expect inky depths and unashamed austerity, a wine that will take its time to open, making no excuses for demanding patience. So so good, with a balance and classicism that delivers on the best of the vintage. 80% new oak, 6.6% press wine, 3.79h, harvest September 9 to October 2, 43hl/h yield. First year in the new cellars, with 43.5ha going into the main wine from the historic walled vineyard site. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€802.38 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Poyferré is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It's one of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage and has a gorgeous, thrilling, full-bodied style as well as notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violets, and chocolate. While many estates seem to be playing it safe and focusing on so-called elegance and balance, I love that Poyferré continues to make a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured wine that always offers more opulence and sexiness than most in the vintage. Ranking with the crème de la crème of the vintage, this gorgeous Poyferré can be enjoyed any time over the coming 40-50 years. Bravo! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98+ (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€925.98 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98+)The Grand Vin 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century for the Cuvelier family, is reminiscent of the 2016 with its powerful, concentrated, yet vibrant and inward style. Pure crème de cassis, melted chocolate, loamy earth, graphite, and some spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a stacked mid-palate, nicely integrated oak, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now. The blend of the 2020 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new barrels, hitting 13.58% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.81. It will benefit from just 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 50 years or more if well stored. Bravo. Tasted multiple times with consistent results. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€1,474.21 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (DC) |
Inc. TAX
€696.78 |
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Decanter (96)Brilliant wine that continues to impress three years on from the En Primeur tasting, with a creamy but restrained texture, precise black fruits with a spicy undertow. By this point Carmes had the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc on the Left Bank, and had really started to establish its own identity. It was also using a full 40% whole bunch winemaking, choosing only the ripest stems to include in the fermentation tanks, adding a twist of salinity on the finish and ensuring a dip of around 1% in potential alcohol levels at picking (this is a hot site close to the city centre). Owned by Patrice Pichet since 2011, with Guillaume Pouthier joining as director in 2012 - whose experience in the Rhône meant he was not afraid to use stems in winemaking, something traditionally shunned in Bordeaux. This wine shows the success of that approach, giving personality and poise. Needs another few years for the austerity to soften further. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€934.38 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€1,276.38 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)I wasn't able to taste the 2019 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion from barrel, but it certainly brings the goods from bottle. Deep ruby/purple-hued, with a smorgasbord-like array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as violets, candied flowers, tobacco, and sappy herbs, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, flawless balance, and that rare mix of power and elegance that truly great Pessac can deliver. Showing the more elegant style of the vintage, it checks in behind the magical, perfect 2018 but is very much in the style of the 2016. Readers will love having this beauty in the cellar, and it will evolve for 40-50 years if stored correctly. Hats off to winemaker Guillaume Pouthier for another thrilling wine. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. TAX
€885.18 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€281.58 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 2018 Lés Cruzelles impressed from barrel. Now in bottle, it has developed quite a precocious, intense bouquet of blackberry and blueberry fruit, a light savory note and earthy scents emerging with time. The palate is just wonderful: exquisitely balanced, quite structured yet not unapproachable, the acidity perfectly judged, with a ferrous note toward the finish. This is as good a Lalande de Pomerol as you will find in this vintage. |
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Bordeaux | 12 | 94 (DC) |
Inc. TAX
€349.79 |
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Decanter (94)Stands out from La Chenade in the vintage, with its velvet texture and a more serious sculpted feel overall. Tobacco and liquorice notes besides black cherry and raspberry fruits, good tension, serious but with Lalande-de-Pomerol unfussy appeal. 3.72pH. A yield of 38hl/ha. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,726.38 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 2009 Les Forts de Latour is engaging and quite complex on the nose with blackberry, bilberry, hints of brine and freshly rolled tobacco, all very well delineated and gaining vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin that frame layers of black fruit laced with pencil lead and tobacco, very convincing on the finish that has one of the longest lengths of any Pauillac in this flight. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
€1,020.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)The 2019 Petit Cheval is a stunning second wine - if it can even be called that. In 2019, Petit Cheval is a blend of four parcels that were in the Grand Vin in 2018. Dark, supple and expressive, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, spice, new leather and graphite, all of which build effortlessly in the glass. The Petit represents 5.5% of the château's production in 2019, but it is more of a second selection, as 12% of the wine that year was sold in bulk. |
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Bordeaux | 15 | 93-94 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,167.48 |
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James Suckling (93-94)This is very fresh and crunchy with blackberries, dark cherries and hints of crushed stones. It’s medium-bodied with impressive acidity and fine, silky tannins. Shows depth and structure, too. Bright and vivid on the finish. Lightly chunky. Second wine of Leoville Las Cases. 61% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 8% cabernet franc. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 95-96 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,510.00 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is a very powerful Petit Mouton with so much rich fruit and power. Full-bodied, tannic yet polished and long. Muscular for the second wine of Mouton. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97-98 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,875.00 |
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James Suckling (97-98)This is phenomenal with such dense and layered tannins that go on for minutes. It’s full-bodied with blackberries, blueberries and chocolate. Sexy and so beautiful. Not sure what to say here. Maybe it should have gone into the first wine? |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,740.00 |
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James Suckling (97)A luscious red with redcurrant, chocolate, plum and hazelnut. Rather opulent on the nose. Full-bodied and very structured with chewy tannins that are intense and powerful. This needs time to come together and soften. 68% cabernet sauvignon and 32% merlot. Better after 2027. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97-98 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,465.00 |
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James Suckling (97-98)This is very, very layered with gorgeous fruit and velvety tannins. Hints of chocolate. Full-bodied and chewy with soft, fine tannins. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Gorgeous second wine. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | 95-96 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,167.48 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022? |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
€217.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)The 2020 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is a gorgeous second wine. Dark cherry, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice, plum, spice and tobacco infuse the 2020 with striking aromatic nuance. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, and that is very much in evidence in the wine's flavor profile and overall structure. There's terrific depth and density here, not to mention tons of character. |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€18,290.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1995 Le Pin is a vintage that has never proven its pedigree. Now with two decades under its belt, the aromatics are strangely not that far from those of the 1995 Lafleur despite the absence of any Cabernet Franc. There is a pleasant mineralité here and impressive purity. The palate is fresh and vibrant, a mixture or red and black fruit with a subtle marine influence. Classy and sophisticated, this is unquestionably the finest bottle that I have encountered. Perhaps it was just a late bloomer? Anyway, I am happy to upgrade my score from previous encounters. |
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Bordeaux | 3 | - |
In Bond
€2,575.00 |
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Bordeaux | 2 | - |
In Bond
€2,515.00 |
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Trilogie is a secretive project that Château Le Pin has been pursuing for a number of years. Produced in only miniscule amounts, the current edition is a blend of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Château Le Pin - all excellent vintages, and available at a fraction of the price of a regular Le Pin!
More Info
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Bordeaux | 3 | - |
In Bond
€2,800.00 |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 89-92 (WA) |
In Bond
€542.00 |
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Wine Advocate (89-92)The best Le Prieure I have ever tasted, this 2009 is a hedonist’s dream. Huge red and black fruit aromas soar from the glass of this deep ruby/purple-tinged beauty. With velvety tannin, a full-bodied, opulent personality, and a knock-out finish with no hard edges, it is already impossible to resist, so enjoy it over the next decade or more. (Tasted three times.) |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 96-97 (JS) |
In Bond
€649.00 |
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James Suckling (96-97)A full-bodied red that builds on the palate with lots of blackberry and blueberry character, as well as chocolate. Mineral and graphite undertones. Chewy, yet very integrated. Excellent, as expected. |
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Bordeaux | 20 | 95.0 |
In Bond
€1,095.00 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97 (WI) |
In Bond
€1,190.00 |
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The Wine Independent (97)Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases drifts out with fragrant notions of warm cassis, dark chocolate, roses, and dried mint with hints of iron ore and forest floor. Fragrant black fruit absolutely dances on the medium-bodied palate, with super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and vivacious freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This beautiful wine still has a good 20-30 years left. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (FS) |
In Bond
€1,225.00 |
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Falstaff (100)Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on rim. Fine oak, a hint of nougat, dark berries underneath, some cardamom, dark cherries, a hint of candied oranges. Powerful, taut, tightly meshed, fresh acidity, spicy, supporting tannins, a hint of chocolate on the finish, convincing balance, mineral and very long lasting, cherries on the finish, a vin de garde, can also be tasted young with a few hours in the carafe, enormous future potential. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98-99 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,700.00 |
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James Suckling (98-99)This is incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins. It goes on and one. Real Las Cases here. Solid as a rock. Progresses to violet, graphite and licorice at the end. |
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Bordeaux | 8 | 96-98 (TDB) |
In Bond
€1,045.00 |
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The Drinks Business (96-98)Léoville Las Cases. (St Julien; 80% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Cabernet Franc; 5% Merlot.; 13.2% alcohol; pH 3.71; IPT 77; tasted at the property). If you’ve ever wanted to know what Las Cases’ Cabernet would taste like without (most of) the Merlot, here’s your chance (and you can play the same game with most of the first growths too). The answer, in a word, is wonderful (and please don’t take that as a criticism of Las Cases’ Merlot in any other vintage). This is serene and profoundly beautiful on the nose. Cool, precise, elegant, suave and sophisticated, with an intense and gracious dark purple and black fruit. It is the very epitome of cool-summer Cabernet (Sauvignon and Franc) – and that, in a sense is the point. We have, too, the florality of the vintage – here violets and a more discrete sensation of spring flowers. With air on the nose – and, again, on the palate (especially when one draws in a little air) – there is an utterly divine intense presence of cedar that both envelops and somehow cosets the dark fruit. As beautiful a Las Cases as I have had the pleasure to taste en primeur and, for me, the wine of the appellation in the vintage. Like Margaux and, in a slightly different way, Lafite, it embraces and works with rather than struggles against the characteristics of the vintage. Tranquillity, cool perfection and supreme elegance. I find this quite an emotional La Cases. Stylistically, my favourite ever! |
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Bordeaux | 7 | 98 (JA) |
In Bond
€1,167.48 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)Structured and powerful, this is not as forbidding as En Primeur in many vintages of Las Cases, showing both flesh and florality, but the tannic walls of this great estate remain fully in place, coupled with layers of cassis and bilberry fruits, subtle hints of bitter aniseed, fennel, cola, espresso, squid ink, textured slate tannins. Expect inky depths and unashamed austerity, a wine that will take its time to open, making no excuses for demanding patience. So so good, with a balance and classicism that delivers on the best of the vintage. 80% new oak, 6.6% press wine, 3.79h, harvest September 9 to October 2, 43hl/h yield. First year in the new cellars, with 43.5ha going into the main wine from the historic walled vineyard site. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JD) |
In Bond
€650.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Poyferré is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It's one of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage and has a gorgeous, thrilling, full-bodied style as well as notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violets, and chocolate. While many estates seem to be playing it safe and focusing on so-called elegance and balance, I love that Poyferré continues to make a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured wine that always offers more opulence and sexiness than most in the vintage. Ranking with the crème de la crème of the vintage, this gorgeous Poyferré can be enjoyed any time over the coming 40-50 years. Bravo! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98+ (JD) |
In Bond
€753.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98+)The Grand Vin 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century for the Cuvelier family, is reminiscent of the 2016 with its powerful, concentrated, yet vibrant and inward style. Pure crème de cassis, melted chocolate, loamy earth, graphite, and some spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a stacked mid-palate, nicely integrated oak, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now. The blend of the 2020 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new barrels, hitting 13.58% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.81. It will benefit from just 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 50 years or more if well stored. Bravo. Tasted multiple times with consistent results. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 99 (JD) |
In Bond
€1,210.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (99)Readers looking for the next superstar in Bordeaux need to jump on the bandwagon of Les Carmes Haut-Brion, who have produced one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. The 2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 41% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.8% natural alcohol and spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of high-class smoke tobacco, decaying flowers, charcoal, gravelly minerality and loads of sweet black and blue fruit. Possessing full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its acidity, fruit, and ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster finish, this is another 2016 that possess both power and elegance. Do your best to hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss it. Tasted twice. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (DC) |
In Bond
€562.00 |
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Decanter (96)Brilliant wine that continues to impress three years on from the En Primeur tasting, with a creamy but restrained texture, precise black fruits with a spicy undertow. By this point Carmes had the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc on the Left Bank, and had really started to establish its own identity. It was also using a full 40% whole bunch winemaking, choosing only the ripest stems to include in the fermentation tanks, adding a twist of salinity on the finish and ensuring a dip of around 1% in potential alcohol levels at picking (this is a hot site close to the city centre). Owned by Patrice Pichet since 2011, with Guillaume Pouthier joining as director in 2012 - whose experience in the Rhône meant he was not afraid to use stems in winemaking, something traditionally shunned in Bordeaux. This wine shows the success of that approach, giving personality and poise. Needs another few years for the austerity to soften further. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
€760.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JD) |
In Bond
€1,045.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)I wasn't able to taste the 2019 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion from barrel, but it certainly brings the goods from bottle. Deep ruby/purple-hued, with a smorgasbord-like array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as violets, candied flowers, tobacco, and sappy herbs, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, flawless balance, and that rare mix of power and elegance that truly great Pessac can deliver. Showing the more elegant style of the vintage, it checks in behind the magical, perfect 2018 but is very much in the style of the 2016. Readers will love having this beauty in the cellar, and it will evolve for 40-50 years if stored correctly. Hats off to winemaker Guillaume Pouthier for another thrilling wine. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
€719.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€216.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 2018 Lés Cruzelles impressed from barrel. Now in bottle, it has developed quite a precocious, intense bouquet of blackberry and blueberry fruit, a light savory note and earthy scents emerging with time. The palate is just wonderful: exquisitely balanced, quite structured yet not unapproachable, the acidity perfectly judged, with a ferrous note toward the finish. This is as good a Lalande de Pomerol as you will find in this vintage. |
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Bordeaux | 12 | 94 (DC) |
In Bond
€273.00 |
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Decanter (94)Stands out from La Chenade in the vintage, with its velvet texture and a more serious sculpted feel overall. Tobacco and liquorice notes besides black cherry and raspberry fruits, good tension, serious but with Lalande-de-Pomerol unfussy appeal. 3.72pH. A yield of 38hl/ha. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€1,420.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 2009 Les Forts de Latour is engaging and quite complex on the nose with blackberry, bilberry, hints of brine and freshly rolled tobacco, all very well delineated and gaining vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin that frame layers of black fruit laced with pencil lead and tobacco, very convincing on the finish that has one of the longest lengths of any Pauillac in this flight. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. |
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Bordeaux's relatively diverse weather, particularly its rainfall, means that vintage variation can be quite broad between some years. However advances in wine making techniques, technology and investment has meant that many chateaux are still able to create very good wines in "lesser vintages". From the best vintages wines are made that are clambered for all over the world and mature excellently for many years.
This is a selection of some of our favourite vintages from Bordeaux over the last few decades, as well some more recent ones.
