Wine List

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Region Vintage Name Qty Unit Case Format Price Note Rating
Red Bordeaux 1957 Haut Brion

2 Bottle 75cl £625

  •  

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    In January, 1997, I had the exceptionally smoky, sweet, rich, impressively endowed 1957 Haut-Brion. The wine was fully mature, as evidenced by its dark garnet color with considerable rust. The wine was very aromatic, plump, and succulently textured, with fleshy flavors, plenty of glycerin, and sweet fruit. It is another example of an unheralded vintage producing a top flight wine. 

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 1964 La Mission Haut Brion

2 Bottle 75cl £275

  • Rating

    91

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    1991

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 1998

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, The Wine Advocate

    The year 1964 is one of those vintages that turned out to be great for Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves, but most of the Medoc properties got caught with their Cabernet Sauvignon unpicked when the heavy rains began to fall. La Mission-Haut-Brion has always been one of the great successes of the vintage, but it has just turned the corner and is beginning a slow decline. I say that having cellared quite a few bottles of this vintage, which allows me to taste it frequently. It displays a dark ruby color that is just beginning to show a trace of amber and orange. The bouquet is classic La Mission with scents of cedar, leather, smoke, and even a trace of truffles in this vintage. It is still an expansively flavored wine with a lovely, sweet ripeness to its fruit, and a heady, alcoholic finish. Those who have it cellared should contemplate drinking it. Anticipated maturity: Now-may be in decline. Last tasted, 6/91.

Tasting Notes
91
Red Bordeaux 1964 Latour a Pomerol

1 Bottle 75cl £320
Red Bordeaux 1970 Palmer

1 Bottle 75cl £250

  • Rating

    88?

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2016 - 2020

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    30th May 2016

    Source

    Interim - May 2016, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the 1970 Château Palmer (again) disappoints compared to marvelous showing in the 1990s, suggesting that its decline has been far more rapid than say the 1966 or the 1961 even. It has quite a deep hue with brick rim. The bouquet starts well with a succinct nose: pomegranate, wilted violet and bay leaf, nicely defined, if lacking horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry. 

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1978 Lafite Rothschild

1 Bottle 500cl £3,200
Red Bordeaux 1982 Leoville Las Cases

2 Bottle 500cl £3,300

  • This huge wine is, in many ways, just as massive as Leoville Barton, but it possesses a greater degree of elegance as well as unreal concentration.

    100 Points, Drink Date 2003 - 2035, Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Still stubbornly backward, yet beginning to budge from its pre-adolescent stage, this dense, murky ruby/purple-colored wine offers up notes of graphite, sweet caramel, black cherry jam, cassis, and minerals. The nose takes some coaxing, and the decanting of 2-4 hours prior to service is highly recommended. For such a low acid wine, it is huge, well-delineated, extremely concentrated, and surprisingly fresh. Perhaps because I lean more toward the hedonistic view of wine than the late Michel Delon, I have always preferred this to the 1986, but the truth is that any lover of classic Medoc should have both vintages in their cellar. This wine has monstrous levels of glycerin, extract, and density, but still seems very youthful, and tastes more like a 7 to 8-year-old Bordeaux than one that is past its twentieth birthday. A monumental effort. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Last tasted, 9/02.

Tasting Notes
100
Red Bordeaux 1982 Palmer

[owc fine labels & capsules, 5 bottom neck, 4 top & very top shoulder, 3 mid upper shoulder]

1 Case 12 75cl £2,250

  • Rating

    92

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2015 - 2025

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    30th May 2016

    Source

    Interim - May 2016, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the magnum of 1982 Château Palmer is one of the best examples that I have tasted, even if it is no match for the 1983. It is a little curmudgeonly at first, perhaps slightly pinched, but it unfolds nicely and reveals quite mineral-rich, soy-tinged black fruit interlaced with graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin lending this backbone. It is missing some weight towards the finish, but as it opens in the glass, it reveals hidden facets such as tobacco and tertiary notes, allied with poise and finesse. Granted, it falls short of what could have been given the benevolent vintage and quality of its peers, however this magnum suggests that in larger formats might be worth seeking out. Tasted May 2015.

     

    Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. At thirty years of age, the Palmer 1982 still remains in the shadow of the 1983, although this is one of the best bottles that I have encountered. Yes, it remains a little fatigued on the nose but it is harmonious and nicely defined with that tincture of brine amongst the undergrowth. The palate is medium bodied and missing a little cohesion with age. But there is a pleasant sweet decayed core with a simple but fresh finish that would benefit from more vigour and persistency. Tasted November 2012.

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 1982 Palmer

[owc fine appearance, 8 in neck, 3 join of neck, 1 upper shoulder]

1 Case 12 75cl £3,450£3,150

  • Rating

    92

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2015 - 2025

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    30th May 2016

    Source

    Interim - May 2016, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted at the Château Palmer vertical in London, the magnum of 1982 Château Palmer is one of the best examples that I have tasted, even if it is no match for the 1983. It is a little curmudgeonly at first, perhaps slightly pinched, but it unfolds nicely and reveals quite mineral-rich, soy-tinged black fruit interlaced with graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin lending this backbone. It is missing some weight towards the finish, but as it opens in the glass, it reveals hidden facets such as tobacco and tertiary notes, allied with poise and finesse. Granted, it falls short of what could have been given the benevolent vintage and quality of its peers, however this magnum suggests that in larger formats might be worth seeking out. Tasted May 2015.

     

    : Full, deep red. Spicy aromas of cassis and rose petal, with a whiff of meat. Then wonderfully penetrating and classy, with bright acidity giving the wine superb clarity and thrust. This has terrific structure. Finishes very long and fine, with excellent grip. By far the finest bottle I've tasted to date of this wine, and one of the real surprises of the tasting. (My second bottle showed roasted redcurrant, leather, meat and smoky oak on the nose; and a sweet, suave, broad palate without quite the structure and grip of the first sample. But this wine, too, offered compelling sweetness and rated 91 points.) Drink now through 2015.

    -- Stephen Tanzer 93 Stephen Tanzer $240.00 Jul 2002

    Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. At thirty years of age, the Palmer 1982 still remains in the shadow of the 1983, although this is one of the best bottles that I have encountered. Yes, it remains a little fatigued on the nose but it is harmonious and nicely defined with that tincture of brine amongst the undergrowth. The palate is medium bodied and missing a little cohesion with age. But there is a pleasant sweet decayed core with a simple but fresh finish that would benefit from more vigour and persistency. Tasted November 2012.

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 1983 Latour

3 Bottle 75cl £360

  • Tasted from my cellar, this wine is fully mature, not terribly concentrated, and slightly herbaceous, exhibiting aromas of sweaty saddle leather, melted asphalt, tobacco, and red as well as black fruits. Notions of caramel and roasted nuts also emerge. A medium-bodied effort with soft tannin, but little persistence and length, it requires consumption over the next decade.

     

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1983 Mouton Rothschild

[damp affected label]

 		2 Bottle 150cl £500

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 1983 Mouton Rothschild

1 Bottle 150cl £620£550

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 1985 Latour

1 Bottle 75cl £390

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

    Score: 87 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998

    Score: 88 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (129), June 2000

    This wine was tasted from my personal collection, following the Latour tasting. The 1985 Latour is a soft, open-knit example, without much structure, delineation, and depth. The dark ruby color displays amber at the edge. The bouquet of tobacco, black fruits, herbs, earth, and new oak is pleasant, but neither intense nor persistent. The wine is medium-bodied, with sweet fruit on the attack, but it narrows out to reveal dry tannin and herbaceous notes. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.

    Score: 88 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (129), April 2000

    Score: 94 James Suckling, Wine Spectator, August 2000

    Almost as great as the 1982. Dense and luscious with amazingly deep plum, blackberry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and full tannins. A wine with a terrific future. Try after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50. (JS) 95points

      James Suckling, Wine Spectator

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1985 Leoville Poyferre

4 Case 12 75cl £1,250£1,050

  • Rating

    86

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2006

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 2003

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, The Wine Advocate

    A very flaccid, diffuse style of Leoville-Poyferre with an evolved medium ruby color already exhibiting amber, the nose offers up notes of herbs intermixed with currants, licorice, and vanilla. The mouth is round and medium-bodied with good concentration. The finish shows some sweet tannin. This wine is fully mature. 

Tasting Notes
86
Red Bordeaux 1986 Smith Haut Lafitte

[Duty Paid]

 		1 Bottle 150cl £120
Red Bordeaux 1986 Lafite Rothschild

1 Bottle 75cl £800

  • Parker The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030

  • The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required. (Taken from the Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition)

    Score: 100

    Robert Parker, Wine Advocate Maturity: 2000-203001 January 1998

    The 1986 possesses outstanding richness, a deep color, medium body, a graceful, harmonious texture, and superb length. The penetrating fragrance of cedar, chestnuts, minerals, and rich fruit is a hallmark of this wine. Powerful, dense, rich, and tannic, as well as medium to full-bodied, with awesome extraction of fruit, this Lafite has immense potential. Patience is required.

    Score: 100

    Robert Parker, 'Bordeaux' 3rd Ed. Maturity: 2000-203001 January 1998

Tasting Notes
100
Red Bordeaux 1986 Lagrange

[Duty Paid repack]

 		5 Case 12 75cl £900

  • Rating

    92

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2025

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 2003

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, The Wine Advocate

    Here is a classic example of a wine that is showing significantly more complexity and richness from the bottle than out of cask, although it was certainly a potentially outstanding wine when tasted from the barrel. In a vintage that produced a number of enormously structured, rich, concentrated wines, Lagrange is another of the blockbuster wines that seems capable of lasting 30-35 years. Black/ruby in color, with a closed but burgeoning bouquet of spicy new oak, black fruits, and flowers, this muscular, full-bodied, tannic wine is packed with fruit and is clearly one of the great long-distance runners from this vintage. I admire how the significant investment made by the Japanese owners in this property has paid off with a thrilling, albeit amazingly backward, wine. The finest Lagrange to date! Anticipated maturity: Now-2025. Last tasted, 1/97.

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 1986 Tertre Roteboeuf

[excellent labels & capsules, upper / top shoulder levels]

 		2 Case 12 75cl £1,250£750

  • Rating

    89

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2006

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 2003

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, The Wine Advocate

    This wine has lost some of its fat, opulent fleshiness, with the tannins showing a bit more toughness than several years ago. The wine is fully mature, not likely to get better, and probably best drunk up over the next 5-6 years. The color is showing some amber at the edge, and the wine still has beautiful ripeness, richness, and a very sweet, vanillin-infused, black cherry and berry character. The wine is medium-bodied, but the finish is just a bit shorter than it was several years ago.

Tasting Notes
89
Red Bordeaux 1989 Angelus

[Duty Paid]

 		2 Bottle 75cl £360

  • 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
     

Tasting Notes
97
Red Bordeaux 1989 Leoville Barton

3 Case 12 75cl £1,275

  • This wine continues to lose out to its younger sibling, the 1990. Aromatically, the dark garnet (some amber is beginning to creep in at the edge) 1989 seems fully mature until it hits the palate. There is big, spicy, cedary, sweet cherry and black currant fruit, along with some tobacco notes in the impressive aromatics. On the palate, the wine is more narrowly constructed, medium-bodied, with excellent richness on the attack but then some relatively dry, dusty tannins in the finish. This kind of performance tends to suggest the wine needs to be drunk sooner rather than later. Anticipated maturity: Now-2016. Last tasted, 9/01.

Tasting Notes
89
Red Bordeaux 1990 Cheval Blanc

1 Bottle 75cl £800

  • One of my favorite Cheval Blancs, it remains to be seen if the 1998, 2000, and 2008 will live up to this offering. It is the ripest wine of the aforementioned vintages, with a complex bouquet of tobacco leaf, Christmas fruitcake, sweet black fruits, bordering on fig and plum, but no hint of overripeness, and notions of new saddle leather, mint, and incense. The gorgeously expressive aromatics are followed by a full-bodied wine revealing abundant glycerin as well as elevated alcohol, but it is not hot, and nothing is out of place. Expansive, rich, and revealing the nuances and complexity that come from bottle age, it is at its peak of maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate June 2009

Tasting Notes
98
Red Bordeaux 1990 Ducru Beaucaillou

7 Case 12 75cl £1,550

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
91
Red Bordeaux 1992 La Mission Haut Brion

1 Case 6 75cl £900

  • 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

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1992 La Mission Haut Brion

1 Case 12 75cl £1,920

  • 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

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1993 Margaux

1 Bottle 150cl £585

  • Rating

    88

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2010

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 2003

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, The Wine Advocate

    In a difficult vintage, Chateau Margaux produced a relatively mid-weight, soft, richly fruit wine with some hints of weedy tobacco in the aromas and flavors of this dark plum-colored wine. The wine is medium-bodied, reaching full maturity, and has surprising depth, ripeness, and sweetness for a wine from such a horrific year. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 10/02.

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1993 Lafite Rothschild

[individual owc]

 		1 Bottle 150cl £1,000

  • Rating

    85

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2017 - 2021

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    28th Feb 2017

    Source

    229, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 1993 Lafite-Rothschild is a vintage that has never really appealed to me and this bottle did nothing to alter that view. It has a very austere, foursquare bouquet that leaves you wondering where the fruit went. The palate actually starts well with crisp acidity that leads into what feels like the vestiges of fruit that feel a little raw and green. Then it feels rather hollow in the middle, the finish a husk of what it might once have been. Not a successful wine for the estate, I would consume bottles in the near future. Tasted December 2016.

Tasting Notes
85
Red Bordeaux 1993 Lafite Rothschild

[Direct ex Chateau]

 		1 Case 3 150cl £3,000

  • Rating

    85

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2017 - 2021

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    28th Feb 2017

    Source

    229, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 1993 Lafite-Rothschild is a vintage that has never really appealed to me and this bottle did nothing to alter that view. It has a very austere, foursquare bouquet that leaves you wondering where the fruit went. The palate actually starts well with crisp acidity that leads into what feels like the vestiges of fruit that feel a little raw and green. Then it feels rather hollow in the middle, the finish a husk of what it might once have been. Not a successful wine for the estate, I would consume bottles in the near future. Tasted December 2016.

Tasting Notes
85
Red Bordeaux 1994 Trotanoy

1 Bottle 150cl £195£150

  • Rating

    88

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2016

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    1st Jan 2003

    Source

    Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, The Wine Advocate

    Beginning to show some evolution, the dark plum/garnet-colored 1994 Trotanoy has a certain herbaceousness and an interesting beef bouillon smell intermixed with some sweet cherries and earth. On the palate, it is a medium-bodied wine with sweet fruit, good brightness, but some relatively hard and slightly astringent tannins in the finish. That latter characteristic may become worrisome if they do not melt away

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1995 Pavie

1 Case 6 75cl £960

  • 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. 

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1995 Calon Segur

3 Case 12 75cl £1,100

  • As I have said many times since I first tasted this wine, the 1995 Calon-Segur is one of the great sleepers of the vintage (I bought the wine as a future for a mere $250 a case). The wine has closed down completely since bottling, but it is a sensational effort that may ultimately merit an even higher score. The wine is opaque purple-colored. With coaxing, the tight aromatics reveal some weedy cassis intertwined with truffles, chocolate, and beef blood-like aromas. On the palate, there is an element of sur-maturite (1995 was an extremely late harvest at Calon-Segur), fabulous density and purity, and a boatload of tannin. This deep, broodingly backward, classic Bordeaux will require a decade of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Proprietor Madame Gasqueton (one of The Wine Advocate's heroines of 1997) has produced two unqualified back to back successes. Kudos to Calon-Segur, as both the 1995 and 1996 wines have a strong buy recommendation from me, but only for readers who have the patience to wait them out.

    Score: 92 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (115), February 1998

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 1996 La Grave a Pomerol, Trigant de Boisset

4 Case 12 75cl £325

  • Rating

    (86 - 87)

    Release Price

    $25 - 26

    Drink Date

    1998 - 2007

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    23rd Feb 1998

    Source

    115, The Wine Advocate

    A well-made, smoky, coffee, and cherry-scented wine, the 1996 La Grave a Pomerol exhibits good concentration, nicely integrated acidity and tannin, and a round, attractive softness that makes it an ideal candidate for consuming in its youth.

Tasting Notes
87
Red Bordeaux 1996 Feytit Clinet

1 Case 12 75cl £650
Red Bordeaux 1997 Latour

1 Bottle 75cl £360

  • Rating:

    89

    Price ($)

    $180

    Drink Date

    2000 - 2014

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    21st Apr 2000

    Source

    128, The Wine Advocate

Tasting Notes
89
Red Bordeaux 1998 Les Forts de Latour

3 Bottle 75cl £150

  • 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

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 1998 Haut Batailley

1 Case 12 75cl £460

  • Rating

    86

    Release Price

    $30

    Drink Date

    2002 - 2014

    Reviewed by

     Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    23rd Apr 2001

    Source

    134, The Wine Advocate

    A touch of austerity recalls some of the less desirable characteristics of this vintage in the Medoc. The 1998 exhibits firmness along with good, sweet, berry fruit intermixed with mineral, cassis, and spice notes. Medium-bodied and elegant, this effort is best drunk earlier rather than later

Tasting Notes
86
Red Bordeaux 1998 Bon Pasteur

1 Case 12 75cl £1,080

  • Rating

    91

    Release Price

    $50

    Drink Date

    2001 - 2016

    Reviewed by

     Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    23rd Apr 2001

    Source

    134, The Wine Advocate

    The dense purple-colored 1998 boasts a beautifully rich, complex perfume of blackberries, plums, lead pencil, cherries, mocha, and caramel. Powerful and rich, with a multilayered texture, and an opulent, viscous finish revealing enough sweet tannin for definition, this is a terrific, full-bodied, seamless effort from one of the world's greatest winemakers. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.

Tasting Notes
91
Red Bordeaux 1999 L'Evangile

1 Bottle 150cl £170

  • 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. 

Tasting Notes
89
Red Bordeaux 1999 Leoville Barton

1 Case 6 150cl £750

  • Dry tannin and a backward, austere, muscular, brooding personality characterize Leoville Barton's 1999. However, it is packed with grip, body, and depth. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring and hope the tannin melts away sufficiently for the fruit to come forward

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 2000 Le Plus de la Fleur de Bouard

4 Bottle 75cl £235

  • Rating

    99

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2010 - 2025

    Reviewed by

     Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    29th Jun 2010

    Source

    189, The Wine Advocate

    A tremendous achievement by Hubert de Bouard, the 2000 La Plus de la Fleur de Bouard (a 420-case luxury cuvee) is a blend of 80% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Franc and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. Filled with richness and intensity, with elegance, harmony, and poise, it is one of the top wines of the vintage. Sadly, very little is available. Approachable, with a velvety texture as well as abundant notes of blueberries, coffee, black currants, kirsch, smoke, and licorice, it is a massive, rich (but not heavy) wine that should drink well for another 10-15 years.

Tasting Notes
99
Red Bordeaux 2000 Duhart Milon

1 Case 6 75cl £450

  • Rating

    90

    Release Price

    $26 - 30

    Drink Date

    2008 - 2019

    Reviewed by

     Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    23rd Apr 2003

    Source

    146, The Wine Advocate

    An outstanding Duhart, certainly one of the best produced at this estate since the 1996, 1986, and 1982, this blend of 80.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19.5% Merlot reveals a deep ruby/purple color as well as notes of lead pencil intermixed with wet stones, black currants, and a certain leafiness. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, and dense, but tightly-knit, with considerable tannin, it will require patience. For those willing to wait, it will be a sleeper of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2019.

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 2000 Canon La Gaffeliere

1 Case 12 75cl £1,000

  • Rating

    94

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2010 - 2020

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    29th Jun 2010

    Source

    189, The Wine Advocate

    Performing as I expected, but still several years away from full maturity, this extraordinarily flamboyant, full-bodied, opulent, sexy St. Emilion stood out for its backward structure and youthful personality. A dark plum/garnet hue is followed by a superb bouquet of roasted coffee, kirsch, blackberries, licorice, herbs, and forest floor. Full-bodied, dense, rich, and pure, it is a total hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on. Enjoy it over the next decade.

Tasting Notes
94
Red Bordeaux 2000 Calon Segur

2 Case 12 75cl £1,050

  • Rating

    94

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2018 - 2050

    Reviewed by

    Neal Martin

    Issue Date

    28th Oct 2016

    Source

    227, The Wine Advocate

    Tasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London. The 2000 Calon Segur is one of those wines that reminds you how great the millennial vintage could be. Now at fifteen years old, it has a brilliant, vivacious red berry nose infused with ash and cigar box aromas. The detail here is a beguiling and it just "sings" Saint Estèphe. The palate is medium-bodied with dense, firm tannin that provide a rigid backbone, but it is swathed in copious tobacco-drenched black fruit and a superb line of acidity. It finishes with a twist of bitter cherry on the finish that completes what is a deeply impressive Calon-Ségur; it might just outclass the 2005. Tasted March 2015.

Tasting Notes
94
Red Bordeaux 2000 Le Plus de la Fleur de Bouard

1 Case 6 150cl £2,900

  • Rating

    99

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2010 - 2025

    Reviewed by

     Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    29th Jun 2010

    Source

    189, The Wine Advocate

    A tremendous achievement by Hubert de Bouard, the 2000 La Plus de la Fleur de Bouard (a 420-case luxury cuvee) is a blend of 80% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Franc and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. Filled with richness and intensity, with elegance, harmony, and poise, it is one of the top wines of the vintage. Sadly, very little is available. Approachable, with a velvety texture as well as abundant notes of blueberries, coffee, black currants, kirsch, smoke, and licorice, it is a massive, rich (but not heavy) wine that should drink well for another 10-15 years.

Tasting Notes
99
Red Bordeaux 2000 Mouton Rothschild

1 Case 12 75cl £19,900

  • Perhaps the most beautiful packaging ever on a Bordeaux bottle, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild literally produced a work of art in the gold-engraved bottle of 2000 Mouton Rothschild. Of course, one can’t drink the glass, but this is a top-flight Mouton Rothschild, eclipsed only by the 2006 and 2009. A rich, tannic, earthy style, with loads of creme de cassis and floral notes, the final blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot is a full-bodied wine with plenty of coffee, earth, chocolatey notes, and still plenty of tannin to resolve. I gave it an anticipated maturity range of 2015-2050 back in 2003, and that looks on target. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate June 2010

Tasting Notes
96
Red Bordeaux 2001 Langoa Barton

7 Bottle 75cl £45

  • 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

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 2001 Fonroque

5 Case 12 75cl £245£195

  • Rating

    (87 - 88)

    Release Price

    $20 - 22

    Drink Date

    2005 - 2015

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    23rd Apr 2003

    Source

    146, The Wine Advocate

    This looks to be a promising effort, and possibly better than the 2000. The color is a dark plum/ruby, and the wine offers up dusty, earthy notes interwoven with plum, currant, and a hint of prune. Some licorice and new oak also make an appearance. The wine is medium-bodied and ripe, without the rusticity and emaciated feel many previous vintages have exhibited.

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 2001 Certan de May

1 Case 12 75cl £680

  • Since Michel Rolland was hired as a consultant in 2003, it appears things are moving forward in a positive manner at Certan de May. However, the 2001 reveals some of the problems this estate's wines have exhibited in the past, including a distinct herbal component that borders on being vegetal. It possesses a dark plum/ruby color as well as a bouquet of fresh mushrooms intermixed with spice box, bell peppers, and cedar. This medium-bodied, round, elegant but herbaceous Pomerol resembles a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc more than a wine from the appellation's highly regarded plateau section. Its low acidity and up-front personality suggest it should be consumed over the next 7-10 years. This is one 2001 Pomerol that is significantly behind the quality of the 2000.

    Score: 87 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (153), June 2004

Tasting Notes
87
Red Bordeaux 2002 Troplong Mondot

1 Case 12 75cl £595£550

  • Rating

    88

    Release Price

    $49

    Drink Date

    2008 - 2016

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    29th Apr 2005

    Source

    158, The Wine Advocate

    From bottle, the 2002 appears to have gone to sleep. Nevertheless, it is a fine effort exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color along with notes of roasted coffee intermixed with melted licorice, black currants, dried herbs, and earth. Spicy and medium-bodied, with moderate concentration, this beautifully made, elegant offering can be drunk early in life, but is capable of evolving for 10-13 years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016.

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 2002 Leoville Barton

1 Case 6 150cl £675

  • Even better from bottle than from cask, and one of the finest wines of the vintage, this dense purple-colored 2002 reveals wonderfully sweet notes of charcoal, fresh mushrooms, smoke, earth, leather, cassis, and cedar. Full-bodied, highly extracted, broodingly backward, dense, and deep, this impressively endowed offering is built for the long term. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028. One of the classic wines of Bordeaux and still realistically priced, Leoville-Barton is becoming increasingly popular because of the extraordinary quality/price ratio it offers.

Tasting Notes
92
Red Bordeaux 2002 Tertre Roteboeuf

1 Case 12 75cl £1,500

  • Rating

    (86 - 89)

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2003 - 2011

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    31st Oct 2003

    Source

    149, The Wine Advocate

    Low acidity as well as a distinct herbaceousness (or tapenade?) are found in the 2002 Tertre Roteboeuf along with fragrant aromas of licorice, cherries, and currants. Medium-bodied and soft, it is best consumed during its first 6-8 years of life. This is not one of the most inspiring efforts produced by the obsessive/compulsive proprietor, Francois Mitjavile.

Tasting Notes
89
Red Bordeaux 2003 Talbot

[Duty Paid]

 		1 Case 6 75cl £370

  • Wine Advocate #214
    Aug 2014 Robert M. Parker, Jr. 90 Drink: 2014 - 2018 $54-$128
    Black olive tapenade intermixed with red and black currants, new saddle leather, licorice and spice aromas are followed by a medium-bodied, juicy, succulent, fully mature 2003. There is no reason to defer your gratification any longer. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

     

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 2003 La Croix de Beaucaillou

7 Case 12 75cl £490£450

  • Rating

    90

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2014 - 2020

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    28th Aug 2014

    Source

    214, The Wine Advocate

    A sleeper of the vintage, Ducru’s second wine, the 2003 Croix du Beaucaillou is a complex, fully mature effort displaying notes of cedarwood, incense, spice and red and black currants. With medium body as well as a spicy, round finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years.

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 2003 Domaine de Chevalier

1 Case 12 75cl £605

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
88
Red Bordeaux 2003 La Mission Haut Brion

1 Case 6 75cl £920

  • The 2003 La Mission Haut-Brion shows more creme de cassis, plenty of cedar wood, melted licorice and charcoal in a medium to full-bodied wine. It is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Rustic tannins in the back knock down the ultimate pleasure, and the point score, ever so slightly, but there’s no doubting the complex, perfumey, noble aromatics this wine has managed to attain despite the staggering heat and drought in June, July and August. This has reached full maturity, but should hold nicely for another 7-10 years. 

Tasting Notes
93
Red Bordeaux 2005 Pichon Baron

1 Case 12 75cl £1,450

  • Rating

    94

    Release Price

    $145 - 180

    Drink Date

    2015 - 2035

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    30th Apr 2008

    Source

    176, The Wine Advocate

    As usual, this superb Pauillac possesses an inky/blue/black color in addition to a big, sweet nose of graphite, charcoal, burning embers, black currant liqueur, and toasty vanillin from new oak casks. Full-bodied with high but sweet, well-integrated tannins, the 2005 Pichon Baron is more backward than the blockbuster 2003 or prodigious 2000. Nevertheless, it is a superb effort whose power, length, and tannic structure suggest it should be at its peak between 2015-2035.

Tasting Notes
94
Red Bordeaux 2005 Mouton Rothschild

2 Case 12 75cl £5,500

  • The 2005 Mouton Rothschild (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc) has a sensational nose of crème de cassis and incense as well as a touch of lead pencil shavings and forest floor. Dense purple, this is one of the biggest, richest wines I tasted from the Médoc. It is full-bodied, pure, and impressively endowed. Certainly the selection process and the vineyard have come through in admirable form. This wine has a certain accessibility due to the sweetness of the tannin, but it is multidimensional, with a majestic mouthfeel and length. Drink it over the next 30+ years. Drink 2015-2045.

    Score: 97 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

    The 2005 Mouton-Rothschild has developed magnificently, and is even better than I remember. The final blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Stunning notes of crème de cassis, melted asphalt, roasted espresso and cedarwood are present in this young, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Mouton. Just beginning to enter its adolescence, it should hit full maturity in 10-15 years and last for 50 or more. The greatness of this vintage is increasingly apparent as the wines throw off their cloaks of tannin. Drink 2024-2065.

    Score: 99+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (216), December 2014

    The 2005 Mouton Rothschild will have to take a back seat to the prodigious 2006, but administrator Philippe Dalhuin deserves considerable credit for pushing Mouton to higher quality levels over recent years. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot, the dark purple-hued 2005 exhibits a restrained but promising nose of cedar, tobacco leaf, creme de cassis, and toasty oak. Full-bodied, tannic, and extremely backward, with the vintage’s tell-tale acidity, it appears to be even more closed in the bottle than it was from barrel. It does possess a long finish and multilayered mouthfeel. This is an undeniably outstanding, yet restrained, shy wine for a Mouton Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+

    Score: 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

Tasting Notes
97
Red Bordeaux 2005 Latour

1 Case 6 150cl £7,250

  • The 2005 Latour (87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) is a spectacular effort from Château Latour. It has an inky plum/purple color and a gorgeous nose of graphite, crème de cassis, and floral notes with some forest floor in the background. It is full-bodied, super-concentrated, and for my taste, probably one of the two or three most intense, rich, and complex wines of the entire Médoc. The wine has great texture, purity and a finish of close to 40 or 45 seconds. The tannins are surprisingly sweet, even in this large-scaled, masculine wine. Drink it over the next 50+ years. Drink 2015-2065.

    Score: 98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

    Only 44% of the production made it into the dense ruby/purple-hued 2005 Latour, a powerful, backward, 12,000-case blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot and Merlot. As I wrote last year, this classic effort is built for the ages, and is largely destined to be drunk by our offspring rather than anyone over the age of 50 today. Complex aromas of crushed rocks, graphite, black cherries, creme de cassis, new saddle leather, and dried mushrooms are still tightly wound. The wine is full-bodied and powerful with exceptionally high tannin combined with zesty acidity, and laser-like focus. It will require 15 or more years of cellaring. I still prefer the 2003, but administrator Frederic Engerer says this “is more Latour.” Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060. Latour is always the most difficult Medoc first-growth to find, largely because the vineyard and production are much smaller than its’ peers and because of the severe selection routinely done by owner Francois Pinault and administrator Frederic Engerer.

    Score: 96+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

Tasting Notes
98
Red Bordeaux 2005 Cheval Blanc

1 Case 6 150cl £7,800£7,600

  • 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

Tasting Notes
100
Red Bordeaux 2007 Les Forts de Latour

1 Bottle 75cl £140

  • The outstanding 2007 Les Forts de Latour reveals a touch of graphite and black currant fruit intermixed with an unmistakable minerality. It is a generous, silky textured, medium to full-bodied, evolved, elegant, and pure offering that is ideal for drinking over the next 10-12+ years. Drink 2010-2022. Score: 90

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 2008 Clinet

[US Slip Labels]

 		2 Bottle 600cl £495

  • Another resounding success for the vintage, the opaque purple-colored 2008 Clinet (14.4% alcohol) is composed of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare, while higher than in 2010, were still modest. Another powerful, big, large-scaled effort, the 2008 exhibits an inky/purple color as well as sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, Asian spice, licorice and incense notes. Layered and full-bodied with stunning purity and a 40+ second finish, this beauty needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for 25-30 years.

Tasting Notes
94
Red Bordeaux 2008 Domaine de Chevalier

1 Case 12 75cl £480

  • Rating

    93

    Release Price

    $55 - 60

    Drink Date

    2014 - 2034

    Reviewed by

    Robert M. Parker, Jr.

    Issue Date

    2nd May 2011

    Source

    194, The Wine Advocate

    One of the fabulous sleepers of the vintage and a wine for serious Bordeaux afficionados to consider buying, the 2008 is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol. Surprisingly backward for a 2008, it is medium to full-bodied with moderate tannins, lots of purity and abundant charcoal, black currant and floral notes. The sweetness of the fruit, depth of flavor and textured, lush mouthfeel in this medium to full-bodied, ageworthy 2008 are impressive. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. I would not be surprised if it turns out to be as impressive as the 2010.

Tasting Notes
93
Red Bordeaux 2008 Margaux

1 Case 12 75cl £3,950

  • his is a stunning Chateau Margaux, made in a sexy, up-front, elegant style, with deep creme de cassis fruit intermixed with spring flowers, a solid inner core of richness and depth, but again, very sweet tannins as well as striking minerality and elegance. One of the most seductive Chateau Margauxs given its recent bottling, this blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot should drink beautifully for the next 25-30 years. Remarkably, a mere 36% of the entire production was selected for the 2008 Chateau Margaux. Score: 94

Tasting Notes
94
Red Bordeaux 2008 Latour

1 Case 12 75cl £4,800
95
Red Bordeaux 2009 Bouscaut

[Duty Paid]

 		1 Case 12 75cl £250
Red Bordeaux 2009 Domaine de Chevalier

1 Case 6 75cl £325

  • In late 2011, I had the last bottle in my cellar of the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier. Much to my surprise, it was still holding on to life and remained gorgeously complex in that ethereal Graves style. The 2009, one of the finest Domaine de Chevaliers yet produced, reveals a striking bouquet of burning embers, sweet cherry, black and red currant fruit, spice box, cedar and lead pencil shavings. The tannins are sweet in this fleshy, full-bodied offering. It is built on the notion of extraordinary harmony, elegance and complexity. While not the most concentrated or flamboyant 2009, its intense aromas are already reasonably evolved and its lusciousness and balance are terrific. Made from an interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, its yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare were slightly higher than many of its neighbors achieved. Drink it over the next 25 years.

    Score: 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

    The finest wine I have tasted from this estate in my 30+ - year career, the 2009 (64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot) from this hallowed vineyard in Leognan was cropped at 45 hectoliters per hectare and came in at 13% alcohol. It reveals an extraordinary, intense, pure, quintessential Domaine de Chevalier style, including silky tannin, dense plum, black currant, black cherry, floral, and graphite notes, terrific acidity, sweet tannin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel with no weight, but admirable precision and freshness. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt has coaxed out all the elegance and complexity at this great site. A future legend in the making, this could be the best Domaine de Chevalier produced over the last half century. It should drink well for 35-40 years. (Tasted four times.) Drink 2010-2050. Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.

    Score: 94/96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 20

Tasting Notes
95
Red Bordeaux 2009 Gracia

1 Case 6 75cl £795

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
98
Red Bordeaux 2009 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild

2 Case 6 75cl £1,250

  • Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/02/2012 The 2009 vintage is administrator Philippe Dalhuin-s finest effort to date. I don-t think I have ever enjoyed a Le Petit Mouton (which represents 27% of their total production) more than his 2009, which is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Dense ruby/purple, with plenty of ripeness, it displays the famous Mouton creme de cassis intermixed with spring flowers, licorice and some background forest floor notes. This beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 15 or more years. The second wine, the 2009 Le Petit Mouton, is the finest second wine they have ever made. Aromas of black currants, flowers, mocha, and earth jump from the glass of this fleshy, heady, full-bodied wine. The final blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, and the alcohol level is slightly higher than the Mouton's. It should drink well for 15+ years. (Tasted once.) (90-92)

Tasting Notes
90
Red Bordeaux 2009 Palmer

2 Case 6 75cl £1,400

  • Rating

    98

    Release Price

    NA

    Drink Date

    2020 - 2055

    Reviewed by

     Lisa Perrotti-Brown

    Issue Date

    14th Mar 2019

    Source

    March 2019 Week 2, The Wine Advocate

    Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Palmer delivers a beguiling array of black fruit—warm plums, cassis and black cherry compote—with kirsch and wild sage sparks plus profound suggestions of fragrant earth, black truffles, iron ore and liquid licorice. Full-bodied, rich and decadently seductive in the mouth, the generous fruit is superbly framed with plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.

Tasting Notes
98
Red Bordeaux 2009 Clinet

[US slip Labels]

 		5 Case 12 75cl £1,925
100
Red Bordeaux 2009 Latour

1 Case 6 75cl £5,000

  • 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

Tasting Notes
100
Red Bordeaux 2010 Haut Batailley

1 Case 6 75cl £250

  • 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.

Tasting Notes
92

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