The 2005 Haut Bergey is delightfully aged after just over a decade, with a plummy mauve hue in the glass and a rich, aromatic nose. Plum, blackcurrant, gravel and ash hint at the complexity to come on the palate. Still...

(94+ points) Aromas of rich cherries, cassis, burning embers, violets and dark chocolate introduce the 2020 Pape Clément, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that's ripe, layered and generously extracted but...

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Pape Clement has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It tumbles out of the glass with notions of plum preserves and Morello cherries, giving way to hints of...

(JD 96-100 points) One of the finest wines in the vintage, the 2023 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is based on 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's one hell of a gorgeous wine offering...

Peony and violet floral notes, raspberry and redcurrant fruits, tannins a little austere right now but this has great structure and depth to the flavours. Of the recent vintages, I recommend the 2014 for the next few...

The 2014 Château de Fieuzal has a high-toned nose with a little more VA than its peers. It's lush and gains harmony with time in the glass, dried black cherries mixed with raisin and fig. The palate is medium-bodied with...

Richly velvet with ripe tannins, this is a very accessible wine. Its ripe blackberry fruits are generous, full of spice and a texture that is rounded and brings concentration. The juicy character of the vintage comes...

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 de Fieuzal rocks up with bold, confident Black Forest cake and crème de cassis scents followed by nuances of cigar box, new leather and Chinese five spice plus a waft of potpourri...

A wine that will take time to balance out, this has dense, dark and dry tannins at this stage. These underline the richness of the black fruits and acidity, giving a wine that will need to age to lose its firm edge. Drink...

The 2019 de Fieuzal has a deep garnet-purple color. It bursts with ripe notes of prunes, fruitcake, and Chinese five spice, plus touches of dried lavender and black olives. The medium-bodied palate coats the mouth with...

Offering up aromas of sweet mulberries and blackberries mingled with hints of licorice, violets and red fruit compote, the 2020 de Fieuzal is medium to full-bodied, rich and gourmand, its broad attack segueing into a...

(JD 90-92+ points) The 2023 Château De Fieuzal is terrific, with ripe plum and cassis fruit as well as some chocolaty, leafy herb and damp earth nuances. A classic Graves, it’s medium to full-bodied and has fine tannins...

I was most impressed with the balance of earth and fruit. At over 20 years of age, this is wonderful today and for fans of wine that is not too old, but not brand new, either. Refined tannins impress, as do the flavours...

(JD 94-96 points) Cassis, spring flowers, graphite, black cherries, and some smoky nuances all emerge from the 2023 Domaine De Chevalier, another medium to full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pessac that has...

I last drank a bottle of the 1990 Haut-Bailly out of my cellar almost a decade ago, where the wine showed lovely promise, but was still several years away from blossoming, so I was very happy to have the excuse of this...

Subtle, welcoming, layered, balanced, this is just so Haut Bailly in its cocoa bean, cassis, smoked capsicum, saffron, cigar and slate feel, with mouthwatering oyster shell signoff. Ready for sharing, but will age for...

Excellent job in a challenging vintage. There is an elegace, subtlety and finesse that shows the confidence in the winemaker team at this estate, leaning into the cool blue fruits and gunsmoke flint of the vintage. Plenty...

The grand vin is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc (of course it also includes some Malbec and Carmenère from the 4 hectares of complanted vines, but the exact figure is impossible...

(JD 95-97 points) The 2023 Château Haut-Bailly is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new French oak. It has an incredible sense of purity and elegance, with...

Caressing in its tobacco and campfire smoke, with crushed raspberry coulis, less layered than the blockbuster vintages in the lineup but with a fresh mint leaf and oyster shell salinity on the finish. Cool Spring followed...

The 2020 Larrivet Haut-Brion bursts with aromas of red berries, vine smoke, orange rind and petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and complete palate built around powdery tannins and vibrant fruit flavors...

This is led by Merlot, at just over 62% of the blend, and it was aged in 20% new oak. Tasted against La Chapelle this has more immediate impact on the nose, with darker and more defined fruits, and more perfumed chalk...

(97 + points) Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2019 has a deep garnet-purple color. It has a lifted nose of kirsch and redcurrant jelly, with hints of rose oil, Indian spices, and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate is intense...

The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion has an opulent bouquet of black cherries, blueberries and violets, with just a patina of new oak to be fully subsumed. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, ripe tannins. Very well...

This was bottled in September 2024, so at the time of tasting has only been in bottle three months. The blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, with 70% whole-cluster vinification, and the...

(JD 95-97 points) As to the Grand Vin 2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, this beauty checks in as 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot that was fermented with 60% whole cluster, brought up in 70%...

Bottled after 24 months' élevage, much of which took place in large foudres, the 2020 Le C des Carmes Haut-Brion offers up aromas of dark berries, plums and spices complemented by hints of rose petal and licorice. Medium...

The Bonnies' work in the vineyard and the vines' maturity is paying off in more complexity, precision and silkier tannins, with elevated, layered aromas and flavours. The bouquet is herbs and lavender, the juicy, open and...

The 2019 Malartic Lagraviere is deep garnet-purple in color. It is quite closed to begin, delivering notes of cedar and tar, before opening out to an array of black cherries, mulberries, cassis, and fragrant earth scents...