Search results for: 'pre-arrivals'

*Pre Arrival - Jan 2027 

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

93-95 Points! The 2024 Lynch-Bages is packed. Cedar, scorched earth, licorice, incense and pipe tobacco weave through a core of dark, sepia-toned fruit. I especially admire the long, polished finish and overall balance here. The 2024 is a virile Lynch Bages with a bright future. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95-96 Points! A full-bodied young red with blackberries, lemons, chewy tannins and a fresh finish. There’s an earthy, terroir-drive vibe at the end. Solid. Well done. - James Suckling

92-94 Points! The 2024 Clinet is a dark, stylish wine. Black cherry, lavender, spice, licorice and blue-toned fruit are beautifully delineated. Dark and vibrant in the glass, with terrific depth, Clinet is super-expressive in 2024. Ronan Laborde bled the musts to bring the wine into the rich, textured style he seeks here. Clinet is a rare Pomerol that is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Cabernet very much in evidence. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

96-97 Points! So vibrant and minerally with salt and dried apple, peach and pears. Medium to full body. Creamy texture. Some phenolics. Dried fruit skin. Vivid acidity. 3.18 pH. 52% sauvignon blanc, 39% semillon, 8% sauvignon gris, and 1% muscadelle. - James Suckling

95 Points! Preserved lemons, white truffle, cracked pepper spice, mandarin peel and mango. Skilful construction here, rose petal aromatics expand towards the finish, excellent quality, with grip and power, has the lift and kick that balances all the opulence of the year, and is an excellent wine. 3.3ph, harvest August 22 to 31. 45% new oak for ageing, 16hl/h yield, no malolactic in this vintage, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy director. A single point upgrade from En Primeur. - Jane Anson

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! This year, the style of Haut Brion shows through with transparency, beautiful balance and precision. Fine austerity, with excellent minerality, dark olives and red and dark berries. Structured on the mid-palate. Beautiful depth for the vintage, with really fine-grained tannins and a lengthy finish that lingers. So much vibrancy and finesse. A classic vintage. - Zekun Shuai, James Suckling

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97+ Points! The 2022 Château Soutard Cadet is an exceptional Saint-Emilion and, along with the 2019, the finest wine I’ve tasted from this exceptional terroir. Its deep purple hue is followed by a serious, powerful nose of liquid minerals, smoked cherries, truffle, and graphite. Full-bodied and massive on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and perfectly integrated structure, this is an incredibly impressive, layered 2022 that should be snatched up by readers. Aged for 16 months in 80% new oak barrels, it will evolve for 30+ years. Total production: 333 cases. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97 Points! Crystal clear, but with quite impressive concentration. Limes, minerals, creamy fruit, sliced apples and touches of golden kiwis and ripe gooseberries. Pretty full-bodied and weighty, with creamy flavors and fresh, balanced acidity throughout. Long and attractive, with fine phenolics at the end adding interest and complexity. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Mint, white peach, green apples, and pear aromatics open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is ripe, creamy, and focused on its wealth of sweet, yellow citrus, pineapple, white peach, and orange rind notes in the mid-palate, and in the finish. The wine blends 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon and 2% Muscadelle. Picking took place August 28 - September 2. Drink from 2025-2035. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

96 Points! The 2022 Château Moulin Saint-Georges is a riveting Saint-Émilion, offering black raspberries, black cherries, truffle, spicy oak, and crushed stone. Based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it’s full-bodied, pure, and layered, with a seamless mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish. This is yet another finest-to-date release in a vintage that has produced many. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! Very classy, the transparency of this Angelus giving brilliance to the pure fruit in such a difficult growing season. Medium-bodied, it has a compacted palate and creamy, polished tannins. Very melted and harmonized. Dark cherries, raspberries and orange peel come through beautifully with some stones. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

94-96 Points! A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc aging 50% (Cabernet Franc) in foudre and the rest in new oak, the 2024 Château Angélus has a deeper ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and flowers. It's wonderfully pure, has medium-bodied richness, a focused yet incredibly elegant mouthfeel, and ultra-fine tannins. It's a beautiful, classy Angélus that might surprise with its longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-92 Points! A floral, elegant bouquet of violets, iris, lilac and mulberries introduces the 2024 Grand Village, a moderately weighted, juicy and seamless wine. It offers a lively core of fruit framed by refined yet slightly austere tannins, lending the wine both charm and underlying structure. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

90-92 Points! The 2024 Grand Village (Lafleur) checks in as 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that's resting in one-third new oak. This vivid ruby, semi-translucent hued effort has pretty red currants and subtle berry fruits as well as subtle floral and mineral-like nuances. It's medium-bodied, elegant, has supple, polished tannins, and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

90-91 Points! A fresh, crunchy red with sliced apples, cherries and light tannins. Medium- to light-bodied, it has a stone undertone and a clean finish. This will drink nicely. A blend of 88% merlot and 12% bouchet (cabernet franc). - JamesSuckling.com 

*Pre Arrival - Jan 2027 

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

96 Points! Quite a scented and fresh Gloria with lovely fragrance and firmness. Nothing overstated this year, showing beautiful texture and restraint. This initial balance as well as sharp-etched tannins will give it the ability to age. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Cassis, spicy oak, exotic blue fruits, and chocolate notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Gloria, a concentrated yet beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied effort from this team. It has terrific purity, a chalky sense of minerality, ample tannins, and a great finish. The 2022 is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 14 months in barrel. Hide bottles for 4-6 years if you can and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Gloria was picked from 12-26 September and matured in 40% new oak, slightly less than the Saint-Pierre. It has a perfumed, floral nose with crushed violet infusing the black cherry and blueberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sumptuous tannins that belie the structure underneath. With pure fruit and well-judged acidity, this 2022 is sensual with a persistent and lightly spiced finish. Superb. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

96 Points! The 2022 Clos Saint-Julien is a showstopper from proprietor Catherine Papon Nouvel. Paradoxically, it seems to have handled the intense heat and drought better than the Petit Gravet Aîné, even though there is more Merlot here. Then again, this tiny parcel is perched on Saint-Émilion's famed limestone plateau. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, lavender and menthol all stain the palate. The long, sustained finish is a thing of beauty. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! Sporting a youthful, unevolved, inward style, the inky-hued 2022 Clos Saint Julien offers tons of darker, almost blue fruits interwoven with notions of damp underbrush, violets, orange blossom, and iron. It's a rich, full-bodied, concentrated Saint-Emilion offering sweet tannins, solid balance, and a great finish. It needs a solid 4-5 years to round into form and should cruise for 15+ in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

92-94 Points! The 2024 Smith Haut Lafitte was picked from September 18 to October 9 and matured in 60% new oak. It has an understated bouquet that I appreciate, with scents of blackberry, raspberry, light rose petal and India ink that gradually unfurl in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, extremely well balanced and very refined, with a linear and correct finish. This is a classy Smith Haut Lafitte that will provide up to 20 years of drinking pleasure. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95-96 Points! A dense wine with good richness and concentration. Slightly chewy, with an almost full body and a tight-grained finish. Long, structured and powerful. Not a lighter year for Pichon Baron, thanks to the low yield of just around 20 hectoliters per hectare. 87% cabernet sauvignon and 13% merlot. - Zekun Shai, James Suckling

94-96 Points! Beautiful stuff, the 2024 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron has ripe currant and cassis fruit intermixed with classic lead pencil, graphite, and tobacco nuances. It's medium-bodied, with a pure, layered, and elegant mouthfeel, notable tannins, and outstanding length. The 2024 is based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, hitting 12.7% alcohol with a pH of 3.71. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! A really classic Ausone, reminiscent of the great ones of the 1980s. Medium-bodied, it has such clarity and brightness and length. Purity and precision with drive and focus from superb viticulture and winemaking. A blend of 65% cabernet franc and 35% merlot. - James Suckling

94-97 Points! A classic blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot resting in new barrels, the 2024 Château Ausone sports a vivid ruby hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, subtle cassis, graphite, sappy flowers, and lead pencil. It's gorgeous on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, focused, remarkably elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and perfectly integrated oak. This classy, perfumed, sensationally elegant Ausone will drink nicely with just a few years of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck

93-96 Points! The 2024 Ausone is pure sensuality. Intensly perfumed, pliant and silky on the palate, Ausone is haunting in its beauty. All the elements are so well balanced. Black cherry, lavender, mocha, espresso and exotic spice overtones all take shape in the glass. A wine of understated depth, the 2024 is impressive. Even in the early going, the 100% new oak is not at all evident, suggesting a wine with superior balance. The blend is 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98 Points! A blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Villemaurine is killer stuff, offering black raspberries, black cherries, violets, floral notes, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, pure, deep, and seamless, it’s layered and rich yet incredibly balanced, with fine tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. Huge minerality and a liquid rock-like character make this a stunning effort. Aged for 16 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 30+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine, 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, is very deep purple black in color. It has a wonderfully fragrant nose of candied violets, cinnamon, cloves, and Sichuan pepper with a powerful core of blueberry pie and black cherries. The full-bodied palate is dense and muscular, with black and blue fruit layers supported by a refreshing backbone and soft tannins, finishing with an exotic spice lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

95 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine is an absolute joy. Rich and opulent to the core, the 2022 packs a serious punch. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, cloves, menthol and licorice infuse the 2022 with tremendous depth. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. Villemaurine is a big, heady wine, but all the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

96-97 Points! An excellent wine from this challenging vintage. It shows good depth and density of fruit with fine, silky tannins, but it’s nevertheless reactive. Juicy and quite polished, with a round core of fruit on the medium-bodied palate before a long, elegant finish. Lovely precision and focus from the filigreed tannins. 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc. - Zekun Shuai of James Suckling

94-97 Points! The 2024 Larcis Ducasse is dense, powerful and imposing, almost surprisingly so. All of the wine's instensity is in the mid-palate. Black cherry, plum, mocha, lavendar, chocolate and cinnamon meld together in the glass, but it is the wine's mind-blowing balance that stands out the most. This is another stellar showing from Larcis Ducasse. There's real potential here. Tasted four times.