A rich, lush, concentrated, forward, supple-styled wine that is open from the first sniff, and sip. The opulent wine is packed with espresso dark chocolate, and even darker, red pit fruits. The wine is deep and lush on...

This is 96% Merlot and just 4% Cabernet Franc, the Moueix family never having leaned into Cabernet Franc in the way much of the right bank has. Absolutely classic Trotanoy on the nose of the 2022 vintage, all dark gravel...

The 2014 Plince opens in the glass with a seductive medley of concentrated red and blue fruit. This yields to undertones of dry violets, cedar and sweet tobacco before concluding with mineral and dry earth notes...

Quite tight at the moment and rather unyielding, clearly there is good concentration of those ripe, juicy, fat, sweet plums and chocolate, but it is going to require at least another 5-7 years to open and flesh...

Complex and subtle aromas of black cherries, chocolate and violets with hints of nutmeg and hazelnuts that open to a medium to full body, with fine and polished tannins that integrate nicely then grow beautifully at the...

The blue fruits and flowers with some dark chocolate come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins that are integrated and long. Savory finish. Needs three or four years to soften. Drink after 2026.

The 2018 vintage was poured alongside the 2015, an interesting contrast of two solar vintages. There is a touch more Merlot in the blend here, at 75% of the total, the remaining 25% all Cabernet Franc. It ramps up the...

A noteworthy development in the vineyard manifests here, as this includes 6% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend for the first time, along with 64% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It also makes use of larger 500-litre barrels...

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Le Bon Pasteur starts off with profound notions of plum pudding, baked blackberries, and black cherry compote, plus hints of star anise, dusty soil, and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, and...

A lovely nose great definition with black berries earth dried fig and even a touch of Xmas cake. Medium-bodied good acidity quite rustic but good balance. Natural quite peppery and elegant on the no-frills finish. Very...

(98+ points) The 2022 Lafleur is a deeply impressive wine that is obviously in its primal stage. Very pure on the multi-faceted nose with layers of black fruit, graphite and truffle oil, it turns on its heel after 20...

(98-99 points) The fruit in this is superb, with an al-dente character to the grapes that were perfectly ripe when picked. Surprising openness on the nose, showing blackberries, violet, caramel and cedar with just a hint...

The 2020 Les Pensées de Lafleur is a wine that I rated very highly at the blind Southwold tasting—but on this bottle, perhaps in juxtaposition with the 2019, there is a patina of over-ripeness on the nose. The palate...

(TWI 94-96 points) A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc), the 2023 Pensees de Lafleur has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a swirl or two to spur it on to gallop out with powerful notes of juicy...

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Le Gay has a beautifully perfumed nose of lavender essence, chocolate-covered cherries and preserved plums, leading to a fragrant undercurrent of kirsch, licorice and fertile loam...

The attention-seeking perfume, with its flowers, mocha, truffle, cherry and kirsch charms you right off the bat. Medium-bodied, vibrant, soft and juicy, with a core of melted cherries and chocolate, there is a firmness to...

The 2014 Clinet is rich and round but slightly more refined than the 2012, which is arguably its qualitative peer. Lots of black cherry fruit but with that beautiful elegant Pomerol charm. Plush and plump and will age...

A frankly toasted style, with bittersweet cocoa notes draped over a core of black cherry and plum fruit. Reveals tobacco, licorice, roasted cedar and a tug of warm earth through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon...

(JD 93-95+ points) The 2023 Château Clinet is flat-out gorgeous, and it's certainly going to be up near the top end of the pyramid in the vintage. Based on Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep...

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Clos L'Eglise comes bounding out of the glass with bold notes of plum preserves, wild blueberries, and boysenberries, giving way to compelling sandalwood, licorice, and potpourri...

(JD 92-94 points) Red, blue, and black fruits, chocolate, roasted herbs, and violet notes all emerge from the 2023 Clos L'Eglise, a broad, medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless beauty based on 70% Merlot and 30%...

The 2014 Enclos Tourmaline is 100% Merlot from a tiny parcel in Peter Kwok’s property located on the plateau of Pomerol, between Chateau Clinet and Chateau Feytit-Clinet. This beauty is a terrific success in the vintage...

A firmness and focus to this second wine with plum, chocolate and walnut character. Full to medium body, pretty tannins and a long and fresh finish. A beauty. Second wine from Nenin.

This has a seductive feel, with velvety plum and raspberry compote notes stretching from start to finish while light floral, anise and apple wood accents chime in and out. Nice integration through the finish. Best from...

One of my favorite châteaux, the 2021 Château Hosanna is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc from 4.5 hectares of blue clay soils in the heart of Pomerol. Harvest between September 24 and October 6, it has a vivid opaque...

The blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage was 70% in new oak, with 3% in Tava amphorae and the rest in second-fill barrels. A beautiful sense of purity on the nose, showing defined black cherry...

(JD 95-97 points) From yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, the 2023 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with 3% in amphora. This...

Warmed black cherry compote and melted licorice notes meld nicely with the singed bay and alder hints throughout. A savory, peppery edge emerges on the finish, lending some rusticity. Well-built for cellaring. Best from...

The 2014 L'Eglise-Clinet has a lovely nose that is superior to other Pomerols in this flight. It's fresher with more vigor and scents of wild strawberry, cranberry, licorice and cedar. It gains delineation in the glass...