Bordeaux

93 Points! A wild and exotic white with pineapple and cooked-pear character that turns to baked pears as well. Full-bodied, dense and layered. 70 per cent semillon and 30 per cent sauvignon. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A textbook example of excellent dry white in 2023: you get the sumptuousness of ripe Sémillon with nectarine juiciness and the verve and citrus punch, in this case kiwi, from the Sauvignon Blanc. No malolactic fermentation to maintain acidity, given the summer heatwaves, and voilà. This wine also has some classy pear on the finish, but above all a juicy mid palate. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! A timid nose of pears, grapefruit and nectarines with stony austerity. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows precise texture and a growing saline note that adds complexity, turning incisive yet textural. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2019 Couhins is rich and textured right out of the gate.  Plum, blood orange, spice, new leather and licorice infuse the 2019 with quite a bit of character. Firm tannins wrap it all together, finishing real depth and density. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

93 Points! Very pretty blueberry and chocolate with some walnut and bark undertones. Pretty, pure fruit here. Medium to full body with creamy, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2019 Faugères is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted from Silvio Denz's Saint-Émilion estate. Silky, aromatic and super-expressive, Faugères is absolutely exquisite. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, dried flowers and cinnamon are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. There is plenty of the textural richness readers have come to expect over the years, but the 2019 is less over the top than some previous vintages. And that's a good thing. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points! A full-bodied red with fine tannins and plenty of plum, milk-chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. It’s creamy and attractively textured. Rather flamboyant for the vintage. Generous and formed. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! The 2020 Ferrière is a powerhouse. Gravel, scorched earth, licorice, cloves, lavender and inky dark fruit saturate the palate. A virile, potent wine, Ferrière shows the more virile side of Margaux off to great effect. Readers will find a wine of tremendous gravitas. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous 

95 Points! Complex aromas of crushed berries, walnuts, wet earth and spice follow through to a full to medium body, chewy yet juicy tannins and a savory finish. This needs time to soften but I like the character and intensity. 68% cabernet, 27% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Seductive fragrance on the nose, perfumed, clean and pure. Rich yet direct too, I like the sleekness with clarity, energy and a vibrancy to the dark fruits edged with clove and liquorice. Tannins are firm and grippy, taking hold of the palate, showing off the muscular side. Feels well made with a full body and persistence from start to finish. Nicely approachable. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! This is really complex and perfumed, with an extremely attractive bouquet of flowers and dark fruit, such as currants. Full-bodied with crushed stones and chewy tannins, yet there’s polish and sophistication to it. Serious bottle here. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2019 Tronquoy-Lalande is made from 50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to offers fragrant notes of rose oil, Indian spices, and licorice over a core of creme de cassis and stewed plums, plus a hint of lavender. The full-bodied palate is firm and sturdy, with grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to match the muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

93+ Points!  The 2019 Tronquoy-Lalande has turned out beautifully, and it continues to show very well, offering up inviting aromas of wild berries, spices, rose petals and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, layered and sensual, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, vibrant finish, it's reminiscent of a somewhat more sun-kissed and extroverted sibling of the terrific 2016 at this address. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

96 Points! Ripe black fruit (there's some red fruit as well), tobacco leaf, damp earth, exotic flowers, and some chocolaty notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos De L'Oratoire, another beautiful wine from the Neipperg family and team. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, I love its mid-palate, it has gorgeous tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This is clearly a great vintage for this cuvée. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it's going to have 2-3 decades of longevity, and probably a gradual decline after that as well. It's beautiful. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2019 Clos de l’Oratoire possesses tremendous depth and density from start to finish. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender are all amplified in this potent, structured Saint-Émilion. Give it a few years to soften. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

92 Points! This is absolutely ready to drink now, showing some lovely perfume that runs through the extremely well balanced palate. It's one of the few that was hard to spit out because the juice grabs you right from the first attack, but it's not in any way a blockbuster. Enjoy this with simple food, don't crowd the flavours, as this is delicacy personified. A great second wine for lovers of gentle elegance, this tiptoes along nicely. - Decanter Magazine, 2017

94-95 Points! A tangy and bright white with sliced lemon and light mango, as well as crushed stone and vivid energy. Medium body with a solid core of fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Purity and energy. 100% sauvignon blanc. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Produced in the magnificent new cellars at Montrose, this big, tannic wine is powerful and concentrated. It has something of the classic severity of a wine from this estate, but that's mitigated by the ripe, generous blackberry fruitiness and the final freshness of a 2012. A great success, to drink from 2022. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, May 2015

94 Points! From a blend of 37% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, Montrose managed to take advantage of the good weather that returned in October, and brought in its last grapes on 20 October. Its gravelly soil also meant it fared far better than the more clay-led St-Estèphe terroirs. Great structure with a wonderful floral aroma and touches of cedar, with good persistency. Astringency on the tannins suggests a good life ahead. - Decanter Magazine, Apr 2015 

94 Points! The 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.- Neal Martin, Vinous Media Feb 2022 

94 Points! This is a luxurious wine that's opulently rich. Ripe black fruits dominate, lending fullness to the firm structure in the backdrop. It's a wine with great potential, density and weight. Touches of chocolate and licorice combine with flavors of dark plum, toast and spice. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, Feb 2014 

93 Points! A dense, chewy wine for the vintage, with plum, currant and blackberry character. Full body, polished tannic texture and a bright finish. Very pretty indeed. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2008 Lynch Bages is brilliant stuff as well as a textbook Pauillac. Revealing a still youthful ruby/purple color as well as impressive notes of graphite, cedar pencil, cassis, tobacco, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, polished tannins, and a concentrated, layered texture. Jean-Charles Cazes described the vintage as late and great for Cabernet Sauvignon, and this beauty has classic Cabernet flair in spades. Powerful yet also fresh and elegant, it benefits from a decant and will continue drinking beautifully for another 20-30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2008 Lynch-Bages is deep in color with minor aging on the rim. The nose is well-defined but demands coaxing, almost reluctantly revealing blackberry, briary, tobacco and mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannins, lovely black fruit laced with tobacco and spice, dense and grippy. This is beautifully proportioned on the finish. Superb. Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

“Deep garnet-purple colored. Sashays out with bold notes of raspberry coulis, black cherries, and mulberries, leading to hints of forest floor, crushed rocks, and lavender oil. The medium-bodied palate is bright and shimmery with layers of red berries and mineral, framed by super-silky tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and layered.” 94-96, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2025

“Solid and very precise, showing wonderfully integrated tannins with drive and focus. Polished and extremely poised. Medium-bodied, this has creamy texture and a long, vibrant finish. Reminds me of the superb 1995. A blend of 64% merlot and 36% bouchet (cabernet franc).” 94-95, James Suckling, May 2025 

“The 2024 Les Pensées was picked September 23 to 30. This has quite a complex bouquet with blackcurrant, bilberry and light estuarine scents percolating through with time. The palate is quite arresting, one of the few Merlot wines with genuine grip and heft, but it maintains refinement on the peppery finish. The 2024 feels long and sustained and worthy of bottle age. It will develop wonderfully in time.” 92-94, Neal Martin, Vinous, Apr 2025 

*Pre Arrival - Jan 2027 

96 Points! So much black fruit, black walnuts, blueberries, wet earth, black truffles and some graphite. Medium to full body with lots of tension and focus. It runs very long with a salty undertone and some bitter, burnt lemon. Yet ever so subtle and refined. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2020 Château Tour Saint Christophe showed spectacularly well, and based off past vintages, this shouldn't surprise anyone. Based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new barrels (the balance is in second- and third-fill oak), it offers a full-bodied, incredibly pure, balanced style revealing subtle oak, terrific darker, almost blue fruits, lots of chocolate, leafy herb and mineral nuances, and gorgeous tannins. It's worth pointing out that this will be the last vintage made by the talented Jérôme Aguirre. This terrific Saint-Emilion will evolve for two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

*Pre Arrival - Jan 2027 

94 Points! Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com 

92 Points! The second wine of Lafite Rothschild is the 2015 Carruades De Lafite and is a beautiful wine in its own right. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up mostly in used barrels, it has classy notes of cassis and lead pencil shavings as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It’s not a massive wine by any stretch, yet it exudes class and elegance, and is already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The purity of fruit to this young second wine are very impressive with blueberry and blackberry character. Citrus undertones. Medium to full body and a bright finish. Drink in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! A brilliant white Fronsac, the 2022 Grand Village Blanc is bright, juicy, and beautifully textured, with crushed stone, mint, lime, and chalky minerality all defining its aromatics. Medium-bodied and fresh on the palate, it shows remarkable purity and elegance, with a clean, focused finish. Its oak (one-third new) is perfectly integrated. You could drink this today or in a decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

70% Sauvignon, 30% Semillon

96 Points! A high percentage (75%) of new wood has given this wine a very fine polished character. Along with the structure, it has brought out impressive aromas of black fruits, cinnamon spice and power. The wine is has a fresh black-fruit aftertaste. - Wine Enthusiast

95 Points! Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2021 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful bouquet with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, retaining the estuarine element I remarked upon from barrel. The oak here is seamlessly integrated and gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very supple and focused, a little more peppery toward the finish with impressive grip and depth in context of the vintage. This is a superb achievement in a tricky season. Chapeau, Jean-Charles Cazes. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media