The 2015 Talbot has an exuberant nose with black cherry, bilberry, wild mint and brown spice aromas. This has fine delineation and well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit mixed with game and...

Aromas of wild herbs, walnuts, sweet tobacco and a gentle earthy note. Medium- to full-bodied with delineated dark fruit and integrated tannins. Elegant and precise, offering wonderful depth. Approachable now, but its...

An absolute legendary wine that's as good as anything out there, the 2016 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is reminiscent of the 2010, yet perhaps with a touch more opulence. A total blockbuster of a wine, it offers huge...

A nose of inviting chocolate powder and dark fruits - very specifically aromatic, after a few minutes the soft florals and medicinal herbs come into play. Super sleek, but not round to begin with, more direct and...

The 2021 Léoville Poyferré is deep garnet‑purple in color. Alluring scents of lavender, orange peel, and mint tea pop from the glass, giving way to a core of red currant jelly and red cherry preserves, plus a hint of...

The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, with a 2% dash of Petit Verdot. Lovely classicism and freshness on the nose here, dark and brooding, yet perfumed as well, with fragrant red cherry, blackberry, olive...

Good, firm fruits are well placed, with notes of cedar, liquorice and cassis – this really is an enjoyable Talbot that offers the promise of a long life. There's enjoyable grip and tenacity through the palate, with spicy...

At age 12, this is tasting mature with its tobacco, mushroom and earthy, cassis and cranberry driven personality. Medium bodied, this lighter style of St, Julien will offer the most pleasure over the next 5-7...

(97-99 points) A Cabernet-dominant blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 Château Léoville Barton checks in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. Crème de cassis, smoked tobacco, liquid...

(97-99 points) Crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with spring flowers, graphite, tobacco leaf, and spicy wood all emerge from the 2025 Château Gruaud Larose, a deep purple-hued Saint-Julien based on 77%...

(96-98 points) A brilliant, deeply hued wine, the 2025 Château Beychevelle is based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, and is still resting in 70% new oak. One of the earliest harvests ever...

An extremely captivating Poyferré this year. Beautiful vivid and vibrant colour in the glass with soft rose and violets on the nose. Juicy and alive, immediately so charming, chewy, fleshy but cool and stony. Mouthfilling...

(93-95 points) Sporting a vivid purple hue, the 2025 Château Gloria offers up cassis, assorted red and blue fruits, liquid violets, and classy oak. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4%...

(97-99 points) Deep purple-hued and completely opaque, the blockbuster 2025 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, all resting in 100% new barrels. The nose is rich and concentrated...

(97-100 points) Based on a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot that's resting in 80% new barrels, the 2025 Château Léoville Las Cases is one of the wines of the vintage and just has an...

This is stylish, with perfumy black tea and smoldering charcoal aromas followed by lightly mulled plum, fig and blackberry fruit. An echo of juniper shows on the mineral-edged finish. Drink now through 2024. — JM

A spicy and fat, rich wine, atypical of Bordeaux. There is grip and depth of flavour here, with blackcurrant coulis character and some lovely menthol edging. A balanced wine.

The 2014 Branaire-Ducru has a "quieter" bouquet than its peers, a little muted at first, though well-defined with mainly black tertiary fruit laced with tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. It's a...

Prior to our pair of 1988 tastings this spring, it has been a long time since I last drank a bottle of the 1988 Beychevelle, with the last example having been broached all the way back in 2011 when I was writing my...

From a château just across the street from Beychevelle, in the southern part of Saint-Julien, the 2010 Château Branaire-Ducru is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot...

The 2014 Branaire-Ducru has a "quieter" bouquet than its peers, a little muted at first, though well-defined with mainly black tertiary fruit laced with tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. It's a...

The 2023 Branaire-Ducru is a real success, revealing aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice and lead pencil, subtly accented by spice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it is built around a vibrant, finely...

The 2023 Branaire-Ducru is a real success, revealing aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice and lead pencil, subtly accented by spice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it is built around a vibrant, finely...

This has evolved beautifully. The oak has integrated and the palate has filled out. Now, you find a lush expression of blackberries, cassis, tobacco and dark cherries. Full, deep, rich, and long, with 60 minutes in the...

The AOC’s typical forthright spine of graphite runs through this red, along with textbook flavors of black currant, blackberry and boysenberry paste that show intensity and definition. A cast iron accent lurks through the...

In 2003, this was the second wine of Leoville Las Cases as opposed to a separate entity. A brilliant effort, it was harvested between September 11 and 26, and boasts 13.3% natural alcohol. The final blend was 54% Cabernet...

This is the last vintage to be vinified in the old facilities, there is a new building located clos to Léoville-Las-Cases which was used from 2023 onwards. The assemblage in 2022 is 45.5% Merlot, 44.5% Cabernet Sauvignon...

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums, and tar, leading to hints of...

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet-purple in color. It has closed a little since last tasting a few months ago, requiring considerable shaking to bring out notes of...