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)...

This is a delicious and slightly austere wine with medium body and berry, herb and currant character. Smoked meat, dried spice and walnut, too. Firm. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petit...

The second wine of Château Pavie is dense with dark tannins and superripe fruit. Bold and concentrated it still highlights the fruitiness of the vintage. Although it has big tannins and great potential, the wine also...

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...

Blackberries with lavender, cedar, sandalwood and flowers. Very subtle aromas. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a very tight palate of fine, structured tannins that run the length of the wine. Closed at the end. Shows...

The 2020 Beauséjour Bécot has a winsome bouquet with precise, focused and mineral-driven red fruit that shimmers with tension. The palate is medium-bodied with seamlessly integrated oak and hints of black pepper and...

This was not tasted during the Connoisseur Week, but is a request from a subscriber, so I am adding in at the same time from opening a bottle that I have at home. It's an exceptional wine, still a little austere at this...

The 2018 Belair-Monange has a deep garnet purple color. It is very closed, slightly reduced, requiring a lot of swirling to reveal notes of black raspberries, warm plums, and kirsch, plus hints of pencil lead, wild sage...

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...

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...

Darker cherries, tobacco, and white truffle notes define the 2014 Château Bellevue. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced on the palate, it has a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel and solid depth. This ripe, textured, and...

Open and ready to drink, this 2012 has approachable fluidity and suppleness, its lifted mulberry and blackberry aromas entangled with cedar and spice. A silky mouthfeel is peppered with flavours of tomato leaf and driving...

Even at this still primary age, it is impossible not to be seduced by this opulently-styled gem. There is a richness, flamboyance, and showy attitude here that stands out. Concentrated, long, lush, and powerful, this is...

Deep in color, with ample blackberry, earth and hints of floral character, the polished, wine offers freshness, flavor and ripe tannins in the long finish. Read more...

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 2022 from Henri Lurton is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% each Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. I just adore the nose here, dark yet perfumed and fresh, with smoked blackberry fruit...

Toasted notes on the nose, remnants of oak and blackcurrant. Full and round. Plush, gently chewy fruit and powdery tannins give this a wider mouthfeel than some. Plenty of flavour and classic claret character, freshness...

The 2018 Canon La Gaffeliere has a deep garnet purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and cedar, with hints of pencil lead and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is...

There is a richness here, opulent enough to nod towards the warmth of the vintage, with crushed strawberry fruit and black cherries, mouth filling with satiny tannins, powerful and concentrated without being overpowering...

Offers a wealth of ripe blueberry and blackberry flavors, as well as notes of black currant, with good concentration but also a touch of grace, as the midpalate acidity reveals a sublayer of herbs de Provence and white...

Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents...

A blend of 55% Sémillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc (the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc ever), the 2019 d'Yquem features a Sauvignon Blanc-driven bouquet with aromas of menthol, artichoke, iodine, asparagus and orchard...

Unctuous and flattering, with a mix of toasted coconut and macadamia nut notes infusing the mango, peach and papaya flavors at the core. The broad, soft, honeyed finish fills in with piecrust and lemon curd notes. A bit...

A complex, layered, incredibly impressive Latour, the 2017 Château Latour is based on 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8 % Merlot, and a splash of Petite Verdot that spent 16 months in new barrels. It's medium to full-bodied...

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...

Pencil lead, roses, cassis, bleuberry, tea, gunsmoke, fine and supple tannins that stretch out through the palate, this is an amazing quality 2017 that shows the potential of the vintage in the right hands. The vineyards...

Chateau Margaux 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It wafts gently out of the glass with notes of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of cedar, black olives, and charcoal, with a touch of...

A stunning, monumental Margaux, this has all the power, concentration and class expected of a First Growth. Cool on the palate with an emerging floral bouquet after a few minutes swirling in the glass, Asian spices also...

The 2020 Château Margaux has an ethereal bouquet, blossoming with each swirl to reveal scents of blackberry, ash, tobacco and touches of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied and utterly harmonious, with fine tannins...

With 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3 % Petit Verdot, the 2016 Pavillon Rouge from Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple. It needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal notes of crushed black...