Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Winemaker Notes
Don Melchor 2018 is a wine that highlights the expression of the fruit and the quality of textures achieved by the Don Melchor vineyard. This vintage displays a remarkable presence of red fruits and a clear expression of the Puente Alto Cabernet Sauvignon, with fine, delicate tannins that give the wine great elegance and density, different layers of aromas and flavors, very smooth, elegant tannins, and a long, persistent finish. The wine manages to produce that unique sensation you only get from great wines and great harvests. Click for more info. and to order.
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot
Critical Acclaim
JS 100 James Suckling
This is amazing. The vibrancy and energy in this wine are stunning. The complexity of aromas are breathtaking with flowers, blackcurrants, raspberries, and peaches. Full-bodied, yet ever so refined and polished with impeccable texture and beauty. The length is marvelous. This is a testimony to balance, harmony, and transparency in a great red. Drink after 2023.
Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Winemaker Notes
Martha’s Vineyard sits perfectly situated on the well-drained soils of the Oakville appellation’s western benchlands, receiving only the soft morning sun. This aspect, and the underlying terroir, provide a long cool growing season that helps the site produce wines of incredible depth, while maintaining the elegance and balance that has become synonymous with Heitz Cellar.
The 2014 vintage had a dry and cool growing season. The fruit expressed complexity early on, which helped capture the essence of the Heitz Cellar’s elegant style of winemaking. The 2014 harvest produced well-balanced fruit that boasted a superb depth and concentration that shines through now and will continue to develop for decades to come. The palate expresses a perfect balance of elegance and texture. The structure conveys a wine that could age for a century, but with the polished tannins and freshness that make it enjoyable today. It is a wine full of harmony and a unique, almost mysterious quality. Martha’s Vineyard is a true Napa Valley icon.
Critical Acclaim
WE 100 Wine Enthusiast
From the famous Oakville site, this aged wine spends three years in 100% new French oak, one in neutral oak, and an additional year in bottle. Though it has had time to evolve, it has years to go to unfurl its core of eucalyptus, mint, and cedar. It shows an unmistakable crispness of red fruit, orange peel, and stone, all honed by a grippy, generous palate. Enjoy 2024– 2034. #22 Top 100 Cellar Selection of 2020
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Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2016
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot
Critical Acclaim
JS100 James Suckling
Incredible aromas of crushed berries, sweet tobacco, and wet earth. So perfumed and gorgeous. Hot stones and cement, too. Full-bodied, dense, and powerful with lots of intense tannins and a never-ending finish. Juicy and flavorful. A muscular Lafite, not seen for a long time. Classssssss! Try after 2025.
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Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard River Stones
Malbec 2018
Winemaker Notes
This wine is floral, exuberant, with lengthy smooth tannins, and metallic notes.
Pair with grilled meats.
Critical Acclaim
JS100James SucklingThis is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice, and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024.
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Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2016
Winemaker Notes
The wine is a dark and intense cherry red. The highly refined nose reveals perfectly ripe fruit. Ripe bilberry and blackcurrant aromas combine harmoniously with floral notes. With airing, the nose unfolds on pepper and spice balanced by elegant notes of graphite and blonde tobacco, bringing charm and nobility to an extensive range of aromas. The full and dense attack exhibits exceptionally well-rounded and silky tannins. The ample mid-palate abounds in black fruit along with cocoa flavors and biscuity notes, leading into a full-bodied and remarkably persistent finish, the sign of a great vintage.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot
Critical Acclaim
JS 100 James Suckling
Dark ruby, purple color. Aromas of blackcurrants, black truffle, crushed stone, licorice and hints of tar. Full-bodied, deep and vertical on the palate, drawing you in and down. The structure is very tannic and powerful, yet the tannins are folded into the wine. One of the most powerful Moutons ever for me. Try after 2027. Click for more info. and to order.
Chateau Pavie 2016
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon
Critical Acclaim
JS 100 James Suckling
Spectacular aromas of crushed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries. Fresh flowers with hints of sandalwood. Exotic. Saturated palate of so much fruit, yet remains agile and energetic. Great length and texture. Fills your mouth. This needs time, but a classic. Twin brother of the perfect 2015.
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Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Cabernet Sauvignon has an extraordinary perfume of white flowers, crème de cassis, blackberry, and graphite. It hits the palate with an incredibly sexy, seamless texture that carries ultra-fine tannins, remarkable purity of blue, black, and red berry fruit, subtle oak, and a long finish.
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Sporting an opaque garnet-purple color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard needs a fair bit of coaxing to unlock fabulously evocative notions of pure cassis, ripe, juicy black plums, and wild blueberries, plus suggestions of candied violets, cinnamon stick, and fenugreek, with a touch of fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with poise and sophistication, shimmering with energetic black and blue fruit layers and a perfectly plush texture, finishing with a dazzling display of minerals and floral fireworks. A hands-down, jaw-dropping beauty!
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Chateau Haut-Brion 2018
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 49.4% Merlot, 38.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.9% Cabernet Franc
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2018 Haut-Brion is composed of 49.4% Merlot, 38.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.9% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine needs a lot of swirling before it begins to release a whole complex melody of notes, one at a time to begin: tilled earth, followed by pronounced licorice, then crushed rocks, then the preserved plums. Eventually, it all comes together into a fascinating crescendo of intense crème de cassis, rose oil, wild blueberries, and kirsch notes, giving way to quiet, persistent leitmotif scents of cinnamon stick, truffles, and redcurrant jelly. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers all this and more, revealing tightly wound black fruit, red berry, and exotic spice layers within a solid, wonderfully plush frame and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and loads of earth and mineral sparks.
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Penfolds Grange 2014
Winemaker Notes
#92 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019
The original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy, Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Crafted utilizing fully-ripe, intensely-flavored, and structured Shiraz grapes, the result is a unique Australian style that is now recognized as one of the most consistent of the world’s great wines. With an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951, Grange clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia.
Deep plush garnet color throughout – from core to rim. Umami is expressed primarily via wafts of shiitake mushroom stock, hoisin, and XO sauce … enhancing scents of dry-aged beef and game meats. Olive-leaf, cardamom, sage, and thyme … “a stroll through a South Australian olive grove” … saltbush, acacia, dried and dusty bracken. Fresh and familial lifted formic and barrel-ferment nuances. Quite simply, an unmistakable youthful ‘Grange’ nose. Awakened primary fruits and stylish oak interlocked and indistinguishable. As expected.
On the palate, the wine is savory, not fruity. Tastes/flavors remind of slow-cooked beef ragout, chicken liver game terrine. Red licorice is also apparent. Integrated oak – spicy, almost ‘non-American’ oak … but it is. As it always is. A core of 100% new Quercus alba. Poised yet powerful. A balanced, tightly-knit, and woven structural ‘tapestry’. Not to be constrained by dimension or frame. Tannins with attitude! Nonetheless respectful. Type? Slatey tannins … alluvial, silty (certainly not muddy!). Long and lingering – tactile impressions indistinguishably and slowly fuse/merge into an aftertaste memory. Until the next sip! A Grange to create new friends – this 2014 offers a subtly different structural mosaic; a different tone and timbre.
Blend: 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
D 100 Decanter
A perfect wine: extraordinary chypre and warm earth notes and the powerful fruit follows. Phenomenal Shiraz with 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Chateau Haut-Brion 2015
Winemaker Notes
Very beautiful, deep, garnet-red color. The nose is ripe and concentrated. After swirling in the glass, it becomes more complex with hints of very ripe – but not excessively so – red and black fruit. There are also licorice nuances and a soupçon of clove. The wine starts out with a very soft mouthfeel and immediately shows tremendous volume and depth in every respect, with flavors reminiscent of ripe fruit and cocoa beans. The long aftertaste features mocha and slightly bitter coffee nuances. Barrel aging will undoubtedly bring out more of this wine’s greatness and confirm its place among the finest vintages of Château Haut-Brion.
Blend: 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
A blend of 50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Brion is reticent to begin, languidly revealing crushed black cherries, ripe black plums, and wild blueberries with sparks of cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg, espresso, unsmoked cigars, tapenade, crushed rocks, and lavender. The full-bodied palate possesses wonderfully complementary contrasts of bold black and blue fruit richness and delicately nuanced cherry fruit, baking spices and floral accents, strutting ripe, finely pixelated tannins, and seamless acidity that is placed firmly in the background, finishing very long and with plenty of attitude. This impeccably poised exquisitely perfumed 2015 Haut-Brion possesses the most alluring yet seemingly effortless beauty. While it bears only a passing resemblance in its opulent personality to the now legendary 1989, like that vintage the 2015 cannot fail to hedonically satiate and intellectually edify all lovers of great Bordeaux who drink it. What’s more, it also has the blue-blooded tenaciousness to remain this jaw-droppingly impressive, throughout its many guises over time, and for a very, very long time.
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Chateau Canon 2015
Winemaker Notes
The wine displays an intense crimson red hue. It is fresh and elegant on the nose with aromas of red currant and raspberry evolving towards spicy notes. On the palate, the wine speaks of the terroir. It is precise, vibrant, and delicate. The tannins are fine and silky. They show a magnificent unctuosity and a smooth, soft texture, demonstrating the maturity of the vintage. The wine’s beautiful length on the finish reveals the elegant character of this wine.
Critical Acclaim
JS 100 James Suckling
Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries, and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. Best from 2022
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Chateau Cheval Blanc 2015
Winemaker Notes
2015 is a dry vintage, hot early in the year, then fresh on maturation. The harvest was of historical homogeneity, leading the estate not to produce Petit Cheval. The wines of 2015 are remarkably harmonious and balanced.
Blend: 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cheval Blanc is still incredibly primary at this very youthful stage. With coaxing, it unfurls to reveal beguiling notions of ripe black cherries, mulberries, licorice, baking spices, and smoked meats with touches of incense and potpourri plus wafts of cast iron pan and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, very rich, very firm/taut, and with very ripe, fine-grained tannins, it allows a glimpse at its incredible depth of flavors with a very long multi-layered finish. Wow.
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Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2003
Winemaker Notes
Deep color with very ripe red fruit on the nose. On the palate, the vintage proves to be particularly rich, intense and smooth with very rounded tannins. Long persistent finish.
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
2003 will always be a memorable vintage due to the heatwave in the Bordeaux region and in the country generally. A two-week period spell of scorching heat suddenly arrived in August, with temperatures rising above 40°C. Rainfall was very low throughout the vines’ cycle (555 mm between October 2002 and September 2003, compared to an average of 850 mm) but the soil remained relatively cool and the vines did not suffer from a lack of water. Our work in the vineyard had to be adapted to deal with these exceptional conditions. Leaf removal operations were thus reduced in order to protect the vines from the scalding effect of the heat. Fortunately, water reserves in the soil and more moderate temperatures from the start of September enabled the ripening process to be completed.
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa, and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent, and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that.
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Chateau L’Evangile 2015
Winemaker Notes
Deep, dense color with glints of violet. Very expressive nose with black fruit and subtle notes of toast. On the palate, the attack is powerful, dense, and structured. The mid-palate is full-bodied, with a fine, well-balanced tannic structure. The finish has plenty of volume with superbly ripened tannins while remaining elegant and refined, thanks to the quality of the grapes of this exceptional vintage.
Blend: 84% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc
Critical Acclaim
JS100 James Suckling
Stunning aromas of blackberries, black olives, brown sugar, and dried flowers. Tar. Full-bodied, dense, and layered. Superfine tannins, yet this is muscular and long. An amazing wine reminiscent of the great L’Evangiles of the 1950s. Straight track. Goes on and on. Truly great wine. Try in 2024. Just a baby.
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Chateau Cheval Blanc 2016
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
Critical Acclaim
RP100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cheval Blanc is blended of 59.5% Merlot, 37.2% Cabernet Franc and 3.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is incredibly youthful yet not so shy as some other 2016s at this stage, giving wonderfully intense scents of red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries and violets with nuances of star anise, cinnamon stick, rose hip tea, cigar box and wood smoke plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping elegance and depth, offering up layer upon layer of fragrant red and black fruits plus an extraordinary array of mineral sparks, supported by a rock-solid grainy texture, finishing with epic persistence and an edifying perfume. This is a very different style from the rich, opulently hedonic 2015, yet this wonderfully fragrant, beautifully poised and intellectually compelling 2016 is equally extraordinary.
Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Winemaker Notes
Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate Lithology is a series of single-vineyard and AVA-designated wines made from select sites within Napa Valley. Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is produced solely from fruit grown in the historic Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard planted in 1865 by W.H. Crabb and represents Oakville’s famous benchland.
Critical Acclaim
JD100 Jeb Dunnuck
Pure perfection, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a nuclear fruit bomb of a wine, offering massive richness and depth while being as graceful as a ballerina, with no sensation of weight or heaviness. Classic To Kalon crème de cassis, black raspberries, flowery incense, spice, and tobacco notes all define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a layered, multi-dimensional texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It has another 2-3 decades of prime drinking ahead of it. This cuvée is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from four blocks in To Kalon, aged 20 months in 82% new French oak.
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Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Winemaker Notes
Here the Cabernet comes to us typically flawless, and the wines are as such. There is blue fruit, blueberries, black plums, blackberries, and cassis to the aromas, as well as stones, mineral, chocolate, fresh tobacco, and subtle herbs. It is incredibly full-bodied, but at the same time effortlessly drinkable, with ultra-smooth tannins and a positive, long, upturned finish. 70-75% new French oak is the norm for us with Dr. Crane, and those flavors are absorbed to become a vanillin complexity, sweetness, and length. An unbelievable wine.
Critical Acclaim
JD 100 Jeb Dunnuck
Possibly the wine of the vintage, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is another incredible wine from this estate that has everything: stunning complexity, full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and incredible length. Revealing a dense purple color as well as Graves-like notes of blackcurrants, cold fireplace, graphite, chocolate, and smoked tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, flawless balance, and ultra-fine tannins. Based on 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc that was brought up 20 months in 70% new French oak, this thrilling 2018 offers pleasure today yet will evolve for 30-40+ years. Hats off to the team at Alejandro Bulgheroni!
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Chateau Latour 2000
Winemaker Notes
Impressive deep, dark color. The wine has a powerful, balanced structure. The dense structures and the unique qualities of the tannins may be superior to those of the ’96 and ’90 vintage. The balance of the wine combines class, rigor, complexity, and great finesse in the fruit.
Critical Acclaim
WS 100 Wine Spectator
A young wine that electrifies every taste bud in your mouth. Compacted aromas of crushed currants and minerals, with roses and lilacs. Full-bodied, with masses of silky, refined tannins and a finish that lasts for minutes. Stunning. Best Latour since 1990.
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Chateau Cos d’Estournel (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2018
Winemaker Notes
Finely structured and vibrant, Cos d’Estournel 2018 is both powerful and balanced, with very soft tannins. It offers a multitude of nuances, including remarkably elegant spices and an extremely long and lingering finish. It is an outstanding vintage with immense cellaring potential that will surely count among the most legendary vintages of the estate.
Critical Acclaim
V 100 Vinous
A regal, soaring Saint-Estèphe, the 2018 Cos d’Estournel is also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. On the palate, the 2018 is dark and sumptuous, with a striking aromatic presence and silky tannins that wrap around a rich core of exotic fruit. Black cherry, savory herbs, leather, spice, and menthol build in the glass in a wine that is both aromatically intense and richly textured. The 2018 has been nothing short of breathtaking on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Don’t miss it. Barrel Sample: 97-100
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
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Vieux Chateau Certan 2018
Winemaker Notes
Vieux Château Certan combines savoir-faire with exceptional soils. Coming mainly from the vineyard’s oldest vines, Vieux Château Certan is every year a blend of the most excellent lots produced at the estate. The brilliance of the wine’s hue, the richness of its aromas, and the subtlety of its flavor bring it inimitable style. The wines of Vieux Château Certan possess natural concentration and require a few years’ cellaring before the first bottles can be opened. As with the greatest Bordeaux wines, they can be enjoyed after 10 to 15 years of age.
Critical Acclaim
WE 100 Wine Enthusiast
While the tannins give this wine a firm character, it is the perfumed, ripe Cabernet Franc that is so expressive and gives the wine its structured, complex character. The spice from the wood aging shines through, but the weight of the fruit is impressive and adds elegance. There’s long aging potential for this fabulous wine.
Barrel Sample: 98-100
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Chateau Haut-Brion 2014
Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark red color. The nose is very deep with powerful aromas of black fruit and spice. The wine starts out quite powerful on the palate, but softens on the middle palate, developing a lovely velvety texture. The finely polished tannin structure is enhanced by considerable concentration and a full, luscious body.
Critical Acclaim
WE 100 Wine Enthusiast
Full of ripe fruit, opulent and concentrated, this is a fabulous and impressive wine. It has a beautiful line of acidity balanced with ripe fruits. The wood aging is subtle, just a hint of smokiness and toast. This is one of those wines, from a great white wine vintage, that will age many years. Drink from 2024. Cellar Selection
Blend: 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc
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Patria Avoyelles 2019
Critical Acclaim
JD100 Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Avoyelles Oakville Ranch checks in as 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot, all from the Oakville Ranch Vineyard and aged 22 months in French oak. It has an insanely good bouquet of chocolaty red and black fruits, dried herbs, chocolate, and obvious minerality as well as full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Complex, layered, multi-dimensional, and perfectly balanced, it’s an incredible Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that will benefit from just a handful of years in the cellar and keep for 15-20 years. Best After 2025.
Critical Acclaim
JD100 Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Avoyelles Oakville Ranch checks in as 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot, all from the Oakville Ranch Vineyard and aged 22 months in French oak. It has an insanely good bouquet of chocolaty red and black fruits, dried herbs, chocolate, and obvious minerality as well as full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Complex, layered, multi-dimensional, and perfectly balanced, it’s an incredible Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that will benefit from just a handful of years in the cellar and keep for 15-20 years. Best After 2025.
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Chateau Pontet-Canet (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Critical Acclaim
WE100 Wine Enthusiast
A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp, and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. Don’t think about drinking before 2025. Editors’ Choice
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Verite La Muse 2018
Winemaker Notes
2018 La Muse radiates a deep ruby-violet color, which gives rise to perfumed aromas of ripe red and black plum, new leather, violet blossom, and freshly turned clay, framed by sweet baking spices and subtle toast. The palate mirrors the nose, along with a cornucopia of crunchy red and black fruits, dark baking cocoa, and sanguine iron elements. All of this complexity is supported by powdery tannins and bright acidity, driving to a very long, rich, and complex finish.
Critical Acclaim
RP 100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
A blend of 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, the 2018 La Muse was matured 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose delivers a powerful perfume of cherry pie, blackberry preserves, and baked plums, followed by suggestions of red roses, cast-iron pan, underbrush, and unsmoked cigars, plus wafts of licorice and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the black fruit and exotic spice layers flow so gracefully over the palate, textured by plush tannins and lifted with seamless freshness, finishing epically long and achingly fragrant. The intensity and complexity of aromas and flavors—all waltzing in captivating harmony—can not fail to make your head spin in the best possible way. Electrifying!
Blend: 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
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Chateau Pavie 2018
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon
Critical Acclaim
JD 100 Jeb Dunnuck
One of the wines of the vintage is the 2018 Château Pavie, and Gérard Perse continues to produce one of the greatest wines in the world, in just about every vintage. Based on 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 shows the slightly more restrained style of the estate today yet still brings classic Pavie richness, depth, and grandeur. Revealing a deep purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco, chalk, and lead pencil shavings, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, incredible purity, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and a liqueur of rocks-like sense of minerality on the blockbuster finish. There’s a backward, inward style here that actually reminds me of the 2000. This is another magical, probably immortal wine from this terroir that marries power with elegance perfectly. Don’t miss it!
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Chateau Figeac 2016
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc
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Critical Acclaim
D98 Decanter
A testament to the work being undertaken at Figeac in recent years, this has depth and intensity while retaining the smile of the fruit. Richness combines with gorgeous length and intensity, every bit as impressive as it was during en primeur. Touches of violet and a silky texture precede hugely precise slate walls that pull the fruit into place through the palate. It takes its time in the glass to fully open, only slowly revealing the black olives, pungent white pepper, and rosemary aromatics. Bottled in late July. 100% new oak.
Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal 2018
Winemaker Notes
Saturated deep, bright ruby colors with aromas of dark berries, black olive tapenade, and iron.
Critical Acclaim
RP100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2018 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal has notes reminiscent of some wines from the Northern Rhône, a combination of orange peel, blood, and iron, denoting freshness and minerality, with a chalky sensation and a finish that is a mixture of juiciness, stoniness, saltiness, and texture. It comes from a 0.51-hectare plot in the Piedra Infinita. The wine was fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete until bottling. I think they have fine-tuned these single-plot wines tremendously since the initial and almost experimental 2015; in this 2018 wine, I found lots of similarities with the Finca Piedra Infinita bottling—it really excels. It finishes with a sapid and salty sensation and marked chalkiness. Finesse, elegance, simply superb!
Chateau Haut-Brion 2010
Winemaker Notes
This wine is a superb ruby-red color with purplish highlights. The initially closed-in bouquet opens up nicely on aeration. The wonderfully subtle aromas follow through in quick succession, starting with oaky overtones, followed by red-berry fruit, leading into terroir character: cocoa powder, roasting coffee, and Havana cigars. The initial softness on the palate gradually evolves to reveal the tannic backbone. Despite their dense structure, the tannins are amazingly silky. The overall freshness carries the flavors through into an aftertaste that goes on and on. Click for more info. and to order.
Chateau Cheval Blanc 2018
Winemaker Notes
Deep, intense red color. The nose is redolent of tremendously fruity and floral notes, with touches of raspberry and violet. Swirling in the glass reveals a more intense bouquet with black cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant aromas. The ever-present floral notes go on to develop rose and lilac overtones. Spicy and balsamic nuances round off the already complex bouquet with cocoa beans and black pepper aromas. The nose is impressively fresh, complex, and well-defined. The wine starts out sumptuously rich and full-bodied on the palate. The powerful rich tannins contribute to the deep, long, firm, well-balanced, and refined structure. Very elegant, it coats the palate and continues into a long, crunchy, fresh aftertaste. The finish marks a return to floral and fruity aromas with spicy overtones. The precision and balance of this wine are on par with the estate’s greatest vintages.
Critical Acclaim
D100 Decanter
A great Cheval Blanc that stands up to the potential that I found during en primeur. Extremely restrained and classic in its construction, shot through with points of mint, licorice, raspberry, and eucalyptus. The fresh aromatics mean you could almost think that it is from a cool year, except for the huge density that runs through the palate, along with a creamy texture. Extremely good quality. Something that you are going to want to put away for a good few decades. I get big, chewy tannins on the finish. Exceptionally good and extremely elegant.
Blend: 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 2016
Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet red with purple lights. Tarry and smoky, raspberry, blackberry, walnut, and licorice aromas. Complex, strong attack, velvety and balanced, long final, licorice, tobacco, and cocoa on the palate. Click for more info. and to order
Critical Acclaim
RP100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Aged entirely in barrels (25% new), the 2016 Ermitage le Pavillon shows only a hint of warm pencil shavings on the nose, beautifully setting up notes of fresh blackcurrants. Full-bodied, concentrated, and plush across the mid-palate, it turns rich and velvety on the nearly endless finish, marked by savory notes of beef, licorice, and espresso. If you wish to catch a glimpse of this wine’s greatness, it would be no crime to open a bottle upon release, as I suspect it will close down for a number of years soon afterward.
Chateau Leoville Las Cases (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2018
Winemaker Notes
The Grand Vin is the product of exceptional terroirs from the former Léoville estate. These terroirs are located mainly in the Clos Léoville Las Cases, which you pass as you leave Saint- Julien village for Pauillac. They extend over nearly 60ha producing Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs with a complex, polished expression and characteristics which are totally unique to the Grand Vin of Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases and have been widely recognized for years.
Critical Acclaim
JD100 Jeb Dunnuck
Pure magic and one of the finest expressions of this estate I could imagine, as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Léoville Las Cases comes from a mix of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc that spent 19 months in (I believe) all new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by a profound wine loaded with notions of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, melon, crushed stone, tobacco, and violets. Full-bodied, concentrated, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly well delineated and precise, it has a wonderful mix of seemingly ripe, sunny fruit from a warm year yet the minerality, purity, and precision of a cooler year. This wine is going to be just about immortal; however, do your best to hide bottles for a solid 10-15 years.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot Click for more info. and to order.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron
(1.5 Liter Magnum) 2018
Winemaker Notes
Our Grand Vin Château Pichon Baron 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 comes from the very oldest vines grown on the historic plots of the estate. This authentic Pauillac offers an amazing sensory experience with its black fruit flavors and spicy hints. Château Pichon Baron shows great elegance, intensity, and exceptional length on the palate. It is a wine that improves year after year and can age for over 40 years in the cellar.
WE 100 Wine Enthusiast
This great estate in southern Pauillac, facing the Latour vineyard, is at the top of its game. In this release, the tannins are as impressive and dense as the black fruits. Together they form a harmonious ensemble, richly structured, concentrated from the many old vines in the blend, and very age-worthy. Drink from 2027. Cellar Selection
Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot
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Chateau Mouton Rothschild
(1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
Winemaker Notes
The wine is a dark and intense cherry red. The highly refined nose reveals perfectly ripe fruit. Ripe bilberry and blackcurrant aromas combine harmoniously with floral notes. With airing, the nose unfolds on pepper and spice balanced by elegant notes of graphite and blonde tobacco, bringing charm and nobility to an extensive range of aromas. The full and dense attack exhibits exceptionally well-rounded and silky tannins. The ample mid-palate abounds in black fruit along with cocoa flavors and biscuity notes, leading into a full-bodied and remarkably persistent finish, the sign of a great vintage.
JS 100 James Suckling
Dark ruby, purple color. Aromas of blackcurrants, black truffle, crushed stone, licorice, and hints of tar. Full-bodied, deep and vertical on the palate, drawing you in and down. The structure is very tannic and powerful, yet the tannins are folded into the wine. One of the most powerful Moutons ever for me. Try after 2027.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot Click for more info. and to order.
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