Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-92)

The 2019 Clementin de Pape Clément is a gorgeous second wine that captures all of the personality of the Grand Vin in a more accessible package that will be ready to drink upon release. Spice, tobacco, earthy and savory notes add layers of nuance to this pliant, beautifully textured wine.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89-91)

The 2018 Clos Marsalette is quite bold and racy in this vintage and yet there is a good bit of underlying structure as well. Inky blue/purplish berry fruit, licorice and spice are all given an extra kick of juiciness. I really like the wine's extroverted personality. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-92)

The 2020 Clos Marsalette opens with a blast of dark cherry fruit, smoke, gravel, licorice and incense. A big, broad wine Clos Marsalette offers tremendous intensity from start to finish. I imagine it will require at least a few years in bottle to fully come together as the tannins are pretty incisive at this stage. Even so, Clos Marsalette is a super-expressive Pessac Léognan with a good deal of potential.

Exuding French elegance, Couhins Blanc 2016 is a compelling redefinition of excellence in viticulture. This White Bordeaux varietal is meticulously crafted in Pessac-Léognan, a lauded subregion of Graves. Couhins Blanc 2016 is from Château Couhins, a producer bestowed with Cru Classé status for its white wine. The exceptional terroir, with gravelly soil interspersed with clay, deftly infuses complex flavour profiles into the wine.

The vintage underwent meticulous vinification, with the savvy use of oak for ageing balancing the vivacious Sauvignon Blanc’s acidity, and eliciting a resinous, toasty charm. This bestows the Couhins Blanc 2016 with a multifaceted character, marrying ripe citrus fruits and acacia flower undertones, robed in creaminess from the judicious malolactic fermentation.

A stellar embodiment of the Château's commitment to traditional viticultural methods, every sip reaffirms the calibre of Couhins Blanc 2016, an absolute delight for the discerning palate. This is not just a wine, but a symphony of craftsmanship in a bottle.

Wine Advocate (90)

Aromas of lead pencil, tobacco leaf, licorice, and creme de cassis are offered in an outstanding, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style. There is tremendous purity as well as flavor dimension. This opaque ruby/purple-colored offering is one of the finest de Fieuzals produced over the last decade. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2022.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (85-88)

Red-ruby. Very sweet, exotic aromas of red berry liqueur and licorice. Nicely concentrated, sweet and fruit-driven, with a creamy middle and a faint jammy, even cooked fruit character. Fat and mouthfilling. Finishes with big, dusty tannins.

James Suckling (93-94)

Lots of blackberry and black currant aromas and flavors. Full body, round tannins, salty and earthy undertones. Very long and flavorful. 48% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

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Wine Advocate (91-93)

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Wine Enthusiast (96)

Barrel Sample. Famed for its white wine, this estate has produced another impressive vintage. It has great poise between lusciousness and a tight mineral texture, giving balance and longevity. Nutmeg flavors come from the wood aging. It should cellar well.

Wine Advocate (94-96+)

The cumulative rainfall at Château Fieuzal was only 385 millimeters in 2022, compared to 753 millimeters in 2021 and 743 millimeters in 2020. But this did not prevent Stephen Carrier and his team from making a fresh and energetic 2022 de Fieuzal, bursting with aromas of violet, iris, menthol and crunchy wild berries mingled with hints of coniferous forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, it's pristinely balanced and beautifully layered, exhibiting a vibrant palate that's deep, tensile and elegant, concluding with a mouthwateringly mineral finish. This estate is achieving things no one would have thought possible a decade ago.

Wine Advocate (94-96+)

The cumulative rainfall at Château Fieuzal was only 385 millimeters in 2022, compared to 753 millimeters in 2021 and 743 millimeters in 2020. But this did not prevent Stephen Carrier and his team from making a fresh and energetic 2022 de Fieuzal, bursting with aromas of violet, iris, menthol and crunchy wild berries mingled with hints of coniferous forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, it's pristinely balanced and beautifully layered, exhibiting a vibrant palate that's deep, tensile and elegant, concluding with a mouthwateringly mineral finish. This estate is achieving things no one would have thought possible a decade ago.

James Suckling (93-94)

Very impressive freshness and focus here. Bright and succulent, al-dente fruit right upfront and continuing through the whole length of the wine. Notes of forest floor, sea shell and iodine. Medium body. It has bright acidity that adds tension and a lot of energy. Fine tannins, already beautifully integrated.

James Suckling (93-94)

Very impressive freshness and focus here. Bright and succulent, al-dente fruit right upfront and continuing through the whole length of the wine. Notes of forest floor, sea shell and iodine. Medium body. It has bright acidity that adds tension and a lot of energy. Fine tannins, already beautifully integrated.

Wine Advocate (91)

The 2013 De Fieuzal Blanc has quite a candied nose with hints of brown sugar lurking behind that veneer of tropical fruit. For Fieuzal I find this refreshingly vivacious in style. That comes through on the palate with nectarine and peach skin, a keen line of acidity with a slightly overworked finish that is more phenolic than its peers. It needs 3 or 4 years in bottle to really show its mettle, though instinct tells me that it will be worth waiting for.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

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Wine Advocate (95+)

The 2021 Blanc is turning out beautifully, evoking aromas of mint, spices, peach, lemon oil and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced, it’s tense and fleshy, crystalline and seamless, with a fresh, saline and pure finish. It feels reassuringly persistent and could age well over the next two decades. This outstanding wine is crafted from 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Sémillon.

James Suckling (93-94)

This is very focused, with good energy and nervy acidity. Medium-bodied with vibrant citrus fruit and crunchy minerality. Firm and tense finish.

Wine Advocate (87)

This dark ruby-colored Domaine de Chevalier reveals aggressive spicy new oak in the nose, along with notions of tobacco, smoke, and black cherries. While medium-bodied and stylish, it lacks the necessary depth to qualify as one of the stars of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2015.

Vinous - Ian D'Agata (90)

(a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc; 13.4% alcohol): Deep red. Open-knit aromas of red cherry and cassis complicated by intense notes of clove, nutmeg, incense and bay leaf. Then creamy and soft on the palate, but with lovely lift to the flavors of dark berries, minerals and cedar. The silky-sweet finish shows lovely aromatic persistence, not to mention very good intensity for a 2004. Drinking deliciously right now; at its relatively reasonable price today, this would be an excellent choice for restaurant dining.

Wine Advocate (93)

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Domaine de Chevalier was tasted from two bottles. I returned the first as it felt a little volatile on the nose, but the second was as it should be. This has a very refined bouquet with scents of warm gravel and black olives permeating the dark berry fruit, all very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very fresh and generous in the mouth with superb mineralité and tension towards the tertiary finish. What a lovely Domaine de Chevalier—à point—but with the substance to suggest that it will not go downhill in any hurry. Tasted February 2017.

James Suckling (97)

Aromas of blueberries and lemon rind. Full body, with soft and velvety tannins and bright fruity finish. Refined and beautiful. Layered wine. Pure fruit. Gravelley. Stoney. So classy and complex. Try in 2020.

James Suckling (96)

Dark fruits such as raspberries and blueberries with subtle perfume on the nose. Full body, with super well-integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Racy young wine. Shows classy structure and richness. Try in 2018.

James Suckling (96)

Dark fruits such as raspberries and blueberries with subtle perfume on the nose. Full body, with super well-integrated tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Racy young wine. Shows classy structure and richness. Try in 2018.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier is a total knockout. Precise, brilliant and finely sculpted, the 2014 possesses superb intensity. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red berries, along with finessed but persistent tannins, give the wine its regal personality. The 2014 needs a number of years to shed some baby fat and develop the full breadth of its aromatics, but it is a fabulous wine by any measure. The 2014 is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot that spent approximately 35 days on the skins. Olivier Bernard noted that the Merlots were brought in between October 10 and 17, which is quite late by the domaine's standards. Tasted two times.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

One of the stars of the vintage, the 2015 Domaine de Chevalier has turned out even better than I expected. Bright floral notes give striking aromatic lift to the rich, sumptuous fruit. A marvelously complete wine, the 2015 is racy and silky on the palate, yet also has tremendous freshness. Bright red cherry, blood orange, white pepper, spice and dried flowers build into the super-expressive finish. The 2015 has been nothing less than stunning the three times I have tasted it so far. This is a tremendous showing from proprietor Olivier Bernard and his team. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times.

James Suckling (97)

Aromas of blackberries, red and dark plums, cedar and gravel, as well as red flowers and brown-leaf tea. It offers a very sleek and powerful array of ripe dark fruit and a very plush, focused and elegant bed of fresh, fine and powerful tannins. Plenty of aging potential, this is still quite tight. A blend of 55 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 35 per cent merlot, five per cent cabernet franc and five per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.

James Suckling (97)

Aromas of blackberries, red and dark plums, cedar and gravel, as well as red flowers and brown-leaf tea. It offers a very sleek and powerful array of ripe dark fruit and a very plush, focused and elegant bed of fresh, fine and powerful tannins. Plenty of aging potential, this is still quite tight. A blend of 55 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 35 per cent merlot, five per cent cabernet franc and five per cent petit verdot. Try from 2024.