Wine List

Rating

90

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

1990 - 2015

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

1st Jan 1998

Source

Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, The Wine Advocate

The classic Mouton lead-pencil, cedary nose has begun to emerge. This medium dark ruby, elegant, medium-bodied wine will never be a great or legendary Mouton. The flavors are ripe and moderately rich. With good depth and some firm tannins to resolve, this offering from Mouton is bigger and richer than the 1981, 1979, or 1978. Austere by the standards of Mouton and the vintage, the 1983 resembles the chateau's fine 1966. Anticipated maturity: Now-2015. Last tasted, 10/90.

Rating

90

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

1990 - 2015

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

1st Jan 1998

Source

Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, The Wine Advocate

The classic Mouton lead-pencil, cedary nose has begun to emerge. This medium dark ruby, elegant, medium-bodied wine will never be a great or legendary Mouton. The flavors are ripe and moderately rich. With good depth and some firm tannins to resolve, this offering from Mouton is bigger and richer than the 1981, 1979, or 1978. Austere by the standards of Mouton and the vintage, the 1983 resembles the chateau's fine 1966. Anticipated maturity: Now-2015. Last tasted, 10/90.

A great Angélus and one of the two or three best wines of the vintage made under the talented young Hubert de Bouard, this wine still has a youthful, saturated ruby/purple color and a sweet nose of melted licorice intermixed with crème de cassis, tapenade, cedar, spice box, and vanilla. Very full-bodied, opulent, and rich, it is one of the 1989s that justifies the lofty reputation of the vintage. Extremely thick, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for at least another 10-15 years.

Score: 96 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

The 1989 possesses a huge finish, with more noticeable tannin than in the 1990. Picking a favorite between these two fabulous examples of their respective vintages is - for me - presently impossible. I will probably end up drinking the 1990 before the 1989, but both are 25-30 year wines, with the 1989 possibly reaching full maturity in 5-6 years and the 1990 needing several more years of cellaring. Last tasted, 11/96.

Score: 96 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998

Tasted at Farr Vintners’ vertical from ex-chateau magnum. One of the finest vintages made at the estate, the Chateau Angelus 1989 has a very intense, powerful bouquet with blackberry, cedar, cooked meat and a little Christmas cake. Whereas the 1990 gives you everything up front, the 1989 is far more coquettish and takes time to unfold. The palate is very smooth on the entry, beautifully balanced with filigree tannins. There is an edginess to the 1989, much more feminine with a touch of truffle, coca and pepper on the finish. Wonderful, a wine at its peak, although it shows no signs of flagging. Tasted October 2011. Drink 2015-2035.

Score: 97
 

Rating

100

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2014 - 2054

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Jun 2009

Source

183, The Wine Advocate

The 1990 Petrus remains incredibly young, one of the least evolved wines of the vintage (along with Montrose and Beausejour-Duffau). This dense ruby/purple-colored effort is beginning to hint at the massive richness and full-bodied intensity lurking beneath its wall of tannin. The vintage’s sweetness, low acidity, and velvety tannins are present in abundance, and the wine is massive in the mouth as well as incredibly pure and well-delineated. I thought it would be drinkable by now, but it appears another 5-10 years will pass before it begins to reach its plateau of maturity. This wine is capable of lasting at least four more decades. An incredible achievement! Release price: ($5000.00/case)

Rating

91

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2020 - 2028

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

13th Aug 2020

Source

August 2020 Week 2, The Wine Advocate

Harvest took place this year from 23rd September to 8th October. The wine was aged for around 12 months in two-thirds new oak. Medium brick-brown in color, the 1990 Ducru-Beaucaillou is quite evolved, offering notions of incense, tree bark, tilled soil and tobacco with nuances of preserved plums, kirsch, tapenade and leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate still possesses a good amount of earth-laced savory fruit with a bit of chew to the texture and a stewed tea finish.

Wine Journal
Jan 2009 Neal Martin 86 Drink N/A $120-$200
Always a bit of Russian Roulette when it comes to Ducru born at a time when one of their storage houses was infected. I do not think this bottle was compromised but neither it is a patch on what I would expect. Tobacco, cedar and green leaves on the nose, well defined and showing a modicum of freshness. The palate is simple, lacking some definition with an attenuated finish. Fails to launch. Drink now. Tasted August 2008.

Wine Journal
Jan 2000 Neal Martin 90-92 Drink 1999 - 2015 $120-$200
One tainted bottles, then in May 2006 an untainted one. A refined tobacco-infused nose, fresh and vigorous with a touch of graphite. The medium-bodied palate has good acidity, cedary black fruit, and a little savory, autumnal with an almost Pomerol-like finish. Tasted May 2006.

Score: 88 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

The wine exhibits a dark ruby color, an intense, black currant-, mineral-, and floral-scented nose, and supple, medium-bodied flavors that cascade over the palate. The wine is soft and opulent, with plenty of glycerin and lusty alcohol in the gorgeous finish. Drink over the next 10-12 years. Don't be surprised if this wine turns out to merit an even higher rating a few years.

Score: 89 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (96), December 1994

1995 Pavie: Medium color. Cherry fruit suppressed by high-toned wood; notes of minerals and shellac. Fruity and fresh but on the lean side, with spicy black fruit flavor and a stony edge. A rather restrained, dryer style of Bordeaux with a structure and shape more typical of the left bank. 

Just starting to drink really well. Great balance and medium body with real finesse, subtlety and maturity on the nose. Very well mannered and rewarding.

Score: 18

JancisRobinson.com, Jancisrobinson.com Maturity: 2009-202019 April 2011

Wonderful perfumes of blackberry, Indian spice and eucalyptus. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and firm tannins. Needs some time to loosen up.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008.

Score: 92

James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2008+01 January 2007

Deep ruby-red. Very sexy aromas of currant, blackberry and brown sugar, all lifted by an ineffable floral quality from the thoroughly ripe cabernet sauvignon that comprises three-quarters of the blend. Dense, fresh and thick with extract; a wonderful combination of texture and guts. Has a core of steel and a powerful structure I haven't found in more recent vintages from this chateau. A very serious style of Pichon-Lalande, with much less merlot than usual. Finishes with terrific length and grip. Drink between 2005 and 2025. (95+ points)

Score: 95

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar Maturity: 2005-202501 July 2002

The 1996 Pichon-Lalande is just as awesome from bottle as it was from multiple cask tastings. For Pichon-Lalande, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is atypically high. This wine normally contains 35-50% Merlot in the blend, but the 1996 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Only 50% of the estate's production made it into the grand vin. The color is a saturated ruby/purple. The nose suggests sweet, nearly overripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with its blueberry/blackberry/cassis scents intermixed with high quality, subtle, toasty new oak. Deep and full-bodied, with fabulous concentration and a sweet, opulent texture, this wine was singing in full harmony when I tasted it in January. Given the wine's abnormally high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, I would suspect it will close down. It possesses plenty of tannin, but the wine's overwhelming fruit richness dominates its personality.

Score: 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate Maturity: 2004-202501 April 1999

Score: 88 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

Score: 86/87+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (128), April 2000

Consistently Bordeaux's best "second" wine, a star in its own right. This is a very open, blackcurrant fruit wine with elegance and harmony and good weight on the palate with quite a sweet, oaky finish. FV15.5.

Score: 15.5 Farr Vintners, June 1999

Rating

89

Release Price

$125 - 150

Drink Date

2004 - 2015

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Apr 2002

Source

140, The Wine Advocate

The dark purple-colored 1999 L'Evangile is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. It reveals an unexpected touch of herbaceousness, which cost it a point or two in the ultimate rating. Nevertheless, the striking, evolved, hedonistic perfume of melted licorice intermixed with black raspberries, minerals, and truffles is an intellectual turn-on. This is a beautiful, medium to full-bodied L'Evangile with a sweet attack and mid-palate. It may merit a higher score, depending on its evolution. 

Rating

93

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2010 - 2025

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

29th Jun 2010

Source

189, The Wine Advocate

This was a strong performance (better than my original notes suggested) by the 2000 Talbot. Close to full maturity, it exhibits a dense ruby/plum/purple color in addition to a subtle herbaceousness intermixed with smoked meats, black currants, licorice, cedar, and foresty notes. Rich and full-bodied with light tannins, and a slightly richer, more savory, broader, deeper style than I remember, it should drink well for 10-15 years.

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. This is a fantastic Cos d’Estournel that I was unsure about out of barrel, but is now blossoming with age. It is adorned with a lovely nose: blackberry, wild hedgerow, espresso, a touch of chocolate and sandalwood. Very fine definition and vigour. The palate is full-bodied with ripe tannins, superb symmetrical structure, dense, obdurate black fruits, a saline note, very well balanced, very focused, broadening out nicely towards the ravishing, supple finish. Excellent. Drink 2015-2040. Tasted March 2010

WINE SPECTATOR: 92

ROBERT PARKER: 88

Terrific aromas to this wine, with violets, spices, cinnamon and berries. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a lovely ripe fruit and vanilla aftertaste. Very integrated and refined. Shows class. Langoa is very underrated. Another winner from the Barton family. Best after 2008. 8,000 cases made. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2004

Now this is a serious nose; very complex and well defined with blackberry, briary, cedar, graphite and just a touch of leather, beautifully defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and simply wonderful poise. Very strict at the moment, concentrated on balancing on its tip-toes, the elegant, bay-leaf-tinged finish yet to develop that complexity that will surely come. The breeding is just so obvious here. Tasted March 2011.

This fruity, up-front St.-Julien lacks the structure found in most 2002 Medocs, but it compensates for that with a supple, fruit-forward style, and excellent, herb-tinged, leathery, blackberry and cherry notes. Medium-bodied and pure, it will be at its finest between 2005-2015.

88/90
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (149), October 2003

Drink 2011-18 Solid and sturdy. Very thick and almost inky. Not charming but solid. When tasting it, I wondered if it were Clos du Marquis, Las Cases' second wine.

16
Jancis Robinson MW, October 2009

Rating

88

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2014 - 2019

Reviewed by

 Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

28th Aug 2014

Source

214, The Wine Advocate

This evolved 2003 exhibits lots of smoky barbecue spices intermixed with notes of cedarwood, underbrush, damp forest, plums and figs. Medium-bodied, fully mature and relatively complex, it requires consumption over the next 4-5 years.

The 2005 from Cheval Blanc is a quintessentially elegant, beautiful, deep bluish/ruby-colored wine from St.-Emilion, with raspberry, blueberry, and floral notes, impressive density, great precision, freshness and purity. Full-bodied, but extremely light on its feet, I don’t mean to gush, but it is super-intense, rich and just so meticulously crafted! This is another fabulous wine and a perfect expression for this vintage. It is difficult to forget the gorgeous blueberry and raspberry fruit, full body, sweet tannin, a multi-layered texture, and purity and palate presence of this stunning wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. P.S. In 2005, this was 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. Drink 2015-2035.

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

Rating

98

Release Price

$125

Drink Date

2017 - 2057

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

23rd Dec 2011

Source

199, The Wine Advocate

The 2009 Gracia competes handsomely with the spectacular 2005 and 2000 vintages. A slightly more evolved and fleshy effort, the inky/purple-hued 2009 (75 % Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a massive, thick powerhouse with 14.5% natural alcohol. Proprietor Michel Gracia often makes a wine that is similar to that of his friend, the proprietor of Ausone. Blueberry, blackberry, licorice, forest floor, smoke and graphite aromas jump from the glass of this unctuously textured, layered, multidimensional St.-Emilion. Displaying an inner core of extract (yields were only 19 hectoliters per hectare) and not a hard edge to be found, this youthful 2009 tastes more like a barrel sample than a finished wine. It will benefit from 5-10 years of cellaring and should last for 3-4 decades.

A blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot with just under 14% natural alcohol, the 2009 Latour is basically a clone of the super 2003, only more structured and potentially more massive and long lived. An elixir of momentous proportions, it boasts a dense purple color as well as an extraordinarily flamboyant bouquet of black fruits, graphite, crushed rocks, subtle oak and a notion of wet steel. It hits the palate with a thundering concoction of thick, juicy blue and black fruits, lead pencil shavings and a chalky minerality. Full-bodied, but very fresh with a finish that lasts over a minute, this is one of the most remarkable young wines I have ever tasted. Will it last one-hundred years? No doubt about it. Can it be drunk in a decade? For sure. Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour’s ever made.

Score: 100

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 01 March 2012

The 2009 Latour has off the charts concentration in addition to the highest level of tannin ever measured at the estate. The final blend was somewhat unusual in that it consists of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot, and clocked in at 13.7% alcohol (even higher than the 2003). Possibly a 100-year wine, it boasts an inky/black/purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of super-intense blue and black fruits, graphite, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality. Enormously full-bodied yet at the same time incredibly fresh, vibrant, and precise, it coats the mouth, and builds incrementally to skyscraper-like texture, and a whopping finish that lasts over a minute. This remarkable wine reveals a certain accessibility already, yet one senses that it will be even richer, more nuanced, and fuller by the time it is bottled in mid-2011. A monumental wine from a monumental vintage in the Medoc, this is our children's children's children's elixir. (Tasted once.) There is no doubting that Director Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault are thrilled with what they have accomplished at Latour. These three wines are hugely different in price, but all are extraordinary.

Score: 98 - 100

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 01 April 2010

Wine Journal
Mar 2014 Neal Martin 90+ Drink N/A $44-$88
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Haut Batailley was surly and did not want to play game upon first acquaintance: very closed on the nose, anonymous and needing more fruit intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe black dusty fruit, moderate acidity but a rather dour, conservative finish that lacks a little vigour and length. Returning after a few minutes, it begins to come together and is far more convincing and affirming the performance out of barrel. Phew! Lock this down in the cellar for another four or five years. Tasted January 2014.

Wine Journal
Mar 2013 Neal Martin 92 Drink N/A $44-$88
Moving on from the Lacoste Borie 2010, the Haut-Batailley immediately displays more fruit intensity on the nose with blackberry, graphite, flint and dried pressed flowers. It is well defined and blossoms with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and crisp brambly black fruit laced with graphite and a touch of cracked black pepper. It is a “classic” Haut-Batailley for sure, foursquare and beautifully balanced with a refined, rather aristocratic finish. Very fine. Tasted November 2012.

Rating

86

Release Price

$23

Drink Date

2014 - 2020

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Apr 2014

Source

212, The Wine Advocate

Made in an attractive, broad, round style, this dark ruby-colored 2011 offers a fragrant perfume of red and black fruits and spice, medium body, and a silky finish. This medium-bodied wine should be consumed over the nex

ROBERT PARKER

A wonderfully expansive, velvety textured, rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, are super and very impressive in the 2012 Le Clarence de Haut Brion. This is far higher quality than what most people would consider a second wine, even when coming from a first-growth chateau. Mulberry, spice box and expansive, rich flavors backed up by velvety tannins characterize this medium to full-bodied beautiful wine to drink now and over the next 15-20 years. Bravo.| eRobertParker.com.April, 2015

Medium red. Aromas of red- and blackcurrant and loam are lifted by hints of flowers, licorice and tobacco. Smooth on the palate, offering flavors of red berries and dark plum. Not the last word in complexity but nicely balanced and devoid of the bitter or green tannins typical of many 2013s. Well done.

-- Ian D'Agata86-89Ian D'AgataNot AvailableMay 2014

Rating 95 Drink Date 2020 - 2045 Reviewed by Neal Martin

The 2014 L'Eglise Clinet was tasted from a single bottle but from two glasses, each poured at different times before I arrived for the tasting. They were almost identical on the nose but the one poured later was more compact. It has a very pure bouquet with blackberry, myrtle, a touch of iris and a touch of garrigue (actually reminiscent of fynbos, the wild South African shrubland). The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, a silver bead of acidity, wonderful precision and beguiling purity. This is an outstanding Pomerol for the vintage from Denis Durantou, sophisticated and classy, yet the bottom line is quintessentially Pomerol. Bravo Denis.

The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez has a tightly wound, graphite-scented bouquet that needs a little coaxing from the glass but eventually reveals discreet minerally scents mixed with sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied with quite succulent tannin, and certainly more approachable than the Les Ormes de Pez of the past, delivering gentle grip toward the tarry finish. This is a finely crafted Saint-Estèphe from team Cazes. Drink 2020-2045.

Score: 92 Neal Martin, vinous.com (Jan 2019), January 2019

The 2016 Ormes de Pez is deep garnet-purple in color with red and black currants, earth, sage and chargrill on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and chewy with an herbal lift. Drink 2019-2031.

Score: 91 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim En), November 2018

The 2016 Les Ormes de Pez is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked from 28 September until 12 October. It has an impressive bouquet: blackcurrants, boysenberry and crème de cassis, all with very well integrated new oak. There is a lot of panache here, a word perhaps I have not associated with this Saint Estèphe in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a lovely grainy texture, quite pure with lovely blackberry, melted tar and slightly savory, almost meaty notes. Harmonious right to the end, this is an excellent Les Ormes de Pez that seems to revel in the 2016 vintage. This might be one of the best wines from the estate. Drink 2022 - 2045.

Score: 92/94 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

The 2016 Grand-Puy-Ducasse is definitely one of the best in recent years. The attractive bouquet features blackberry, bilberry, light floral notes and a subtle marine scent. The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe black fruit laced with tar and tobacco. Quite harmonious, if not complex, and reassuringly long on the tertiary finish. Enjoy this well-crafted Pauillac over the next 15 to 20 years. Drink 2022-2042

Score: 92 Neal Martin, vinous.com (Jan 2019), January 2019