A seductive mix of powerful, opulent blackberry and raspberry fruits cut through with vibrant juice, flint, crushed rocks, chocolate and liquorice. The texture is lucious on the opening, but as you sit with it, the...

Smoky sweet spice with juicy, ripe red berries on the nose. The core of liquorice and star anise is supported by plump, fleshy vibrant loganberry and raspberry fruit. Fresh, chewy fig on the finish. Youthful and classy...

Always a gem of a wine, the 2021 Château Tour Saint Christophe is no exception and has tons of charm and character. Ripe red and black fruits, tobacco, chalky minerality, and nicely integrated oak all define the...

A very floral and gently leafy edge with lighter red fruit, leading to a very smoothly fleshy, red-fruited palate that’s sleek, even and elegant. Drink or hold.

This pure Merlot, unusual for Saint-Émilion, is powerful and one with great elegance and style. It has structure and a spicy aroma that shows the wine's richness. On the slopes of Saint-Emilion, this 26-acre estate makes...

The grand vin from the Decosters is a blend of 76% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured mostly in new French oak barrels, with some use of older oak, foudre s and amphorae. A rather restrained...

A deliciously inviting nose, with dark and perfumed fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry and damson, with smoky crushed chalk, rose petal and toast, as well as a touch of honeyed oak. The palate builds on this start with a...

Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Fonplegade waltzes out with showy notes of kirsch, blackberry preserves, and rosebud tea with hints of leather sofa and star anise. The medium-bodied palate is plush and...

Deep garnet purple in color, the 2019 Pavie is a tad restrained to start, needing some patient swirling to coax out notes of fresh blueberries and boysenberries plus underlying scents of kirsch, violets, star anise, and...

The 2018 La Rose Perrière has come together beautifully since I last tasted it. Rich, deep and sumptuous, the 2018 possesses terrific depth and density from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, spice...

The 2009 Grand Mayne has an opulent bouquet with well defined kirsch and red plum aromas, hints of cough candy emerge with time. It remains focused and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, layers of...

The 2020 Pavie, which oddly is the first time that I have tasted it in bottle (likely due to Covid) has a lovely touch of shucked oyster shell on the nose that is extremely delineated and focused. The oak is (again)...

A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc, Clos Fourtet 2021 is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes prancing out with gregarious notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and blueberry pie, opening...

A bird of a different feather, this marries a polished feel with the nervy, underlying zip of sel gris and quinine notes, while its core of green almond, star fruit and white peach opens slowly. Shows subtle accents of...

Presents loganberry and black currant fruit showing a mulled edge, while savory, black tea and bay leaf notes add range and nuance. Reveals a subtle juicy edge too, giving this a bit more drive than most of its peers in...

The 2019 Clos Romanile turned out beautifully. It offers up a seductive mix of ripe, heady fruit driven by beams of energy that confer vibrancy. The 2019 needs a bit of time in the glass to open, but it is...

The 2020 Bélair-Monange has a more backward nose with dense black fruit. There is a very noticeable cedar/Cabernet element here that indicates that it might be Lafleur. The palate is medium-bodied with fine...

The 2020 Grand Mayne has an earthy, savory nose, a bit more rustic than its peers, with black truffle and antique bureau infusing the black fruit. There is plenty of charm and character here. The palate is medium-bodied...

The 2016 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet color. It bursts from the glass with bold notions of plum preserves, blueberry pie, and Black Forest cake, leading to wafts of camphor, violets, and crushed rocks, with a touch...

No need to hold off any longer. Pop and pour brings out the sweet, plum, licorice, smoke and coffee notes. The texture shows a lush quality, with a dark, plum finish and the sensations of of dusty tannins. Read more...

As with the Arômes de Pavie in the 2017 vintage, you can feel the impact of a cooler year just putting the brakes on the intensity of the estate's classic muscular signature, and it's enjoyable. Ready to drink a little...

The 2019 Belair-Monange is made from 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of coaxing to unleash aromas of baked black plums, blackberry compote, and dark chocolate, leading to...

This vintage has a lean structure with firm tanins, ripe plums and truffle; the oak dominates from start to grippy finish. - SUZANNE MUSTACICH

The 2014 Poesia feels more Merlot-driven on the nose compared to the 2013. There is more red fruit here with crushed strawberry, bing cherry, blueberry and violet aromas. This coalesces in the glass, becoming more and...

A very convincing nose of sweet blackcurrants, blackberries and dark chocolate, with an appealing edge of toasty oak. The palate follows with a wealth of dark fruits, dark chocolate, toast and coffee bean, set in a broad...

(92+ points) The flagship cuvée from Denis Barraud, the 2020 Lynsolence comes from a tiny 2.5-hectare vineyard of gravelly soils over clay and limestone located on the lower plains of Saint-Emilion. As always, it’s all...

Brought up 22 months in a mix of new barrels, foudre, and once-used barrels, the 2023 Château Angelus is based on a classic blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Gorgeously pure crème de cassis and black cherries...

The 2013 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) offers impressive intensity given the growing season with crisp and pure dark cherries, raspberry coulis and subtle earthy bordering upon loamy scents. The oak here is nicely...