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- Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC98JD97-99JS99-100WA95-97VM96-98TWI98-100$759.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
99-100 Points! A classical Lafite that reminds me of something like the 1986, with its blackcurrant and tobacco character with cedar and hazelnut, but it's so today with its purity and precision. It's really about being Lafite here. Terroir gives great elegance with strength. - James Suckling
98-100 Points! Composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is almost impenetrable to start, needing a lot of shaking to wake up delicate scents of crushed red and black currants, raspberry leaves, warm plums, and boysenberries, followed by hints of crushed rocks, damp earth, lilacs, and Jasmine tea, with just a hint of orange peel. The palate is classic great Lafite, featuring incredibly tightly knit layers of black fruits, minerals, and floral notes bound with a rock-solid structure of exquisitely fine, very firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. This is an intellectual triumph, but don't think about touching it for 10-15 years. pH 3.85. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
98-100 Points! Garnet in color, a single swirl brings out its cornucopia of scents: flowers, currants, cherries, smoke, leather, lead pencil, Cuban cigar wrapper, orange rind and smoke. The wine is pure silky, elegance in texture. This is perhaps the most sensuous vintage of Lafite ever produced with its dream texture on the palate. In the mid-palate, the wine shifts from black to red to black fruits before moving to its wave of orange citrus, ending with refreshing mint notes. The purity in the fruits is striking. The over 60-second finish is seamless, which is a good thing, because this wine is so good, you never want it to end. The wine is complete from start to finish. The wine blends 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. It is interesting to note that the wine includes 17.5 % press wine in the blend, which sets a record for Lafite. 13.6% ABV, 3.85 pH. Harvesting starting August 31 for the young Merlot vines, for the grapes used in the Grand Vin, September 5, - September 23. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. 40% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. This is an earth-shattering vintage of Lafite that buyers with the disposabile income should add to their cellar. Drink from 2030-2065. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
97-99 Points! The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. It's a richer, more opulent wine compared to the more classic 2020 (although the pH is higher in the 2020) and has a deep, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as classic Lafite aromatics of spicy red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and tobacco. Deep, rich, and concentrated, it nevertheless stays pure and flawlessly balanced, with ample, ripe tannins and a great finish. It's going to have some up-front appeal by Lafite standards but should still require a decade of bottle age. Director Eric Koher compares this to the 2005, but this modern-day clone of the 1959 is one of the most powerful, concentrated Lafites I've tasted. - Jeb Dunnuck
96-98 Points! The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
96-98 Points! The 2022 Lafite Rothschild is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. All of the Lafite signatures are present, but what impresses most about the 2022 it its poise, its stature. Readers will find a regal, statuesque Lafite built for serious aging. There’s tons of fruit and tannin, all masterfully put together. A modern-day classic. Drinking window : 2032-2062 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
98 Points! A wonderful example of restraint and delicacy in a year where it was easy to overdo. Sharp and straight, you feel the acidity as soon as this enters the mouth, alive, pulsing, bright and shining. Aromatically so expressive after a few minutes. Delicate almost, such a fine tapestry of tannins, present and at the fore but like taffeta or finely woven silk. It has power but you don't feel it, not instantly anyway, the focus is on the beautiful texture with edges of cool red and blue fruits, flint, graphite, liquorice and tobacco nuances with high acidity that all help build a layered and well constructed mid palate. The structure then focuses and narrows to a mineral, fresh finish. Has bite and succulence, gently muscular with tons of vibrancy. This is definitely one of the less showy wines that really grows on you. A delicious, defined, poised, refined and finessed Lafite. Calm, collected and incredibly charming already. Earliest harvest in over a century, 31 August to 24 September. 17.5% press wine. 3.8pH. 64IPT. 41% grand vin production. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
95-97 Points! A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, sweet soils tones, cigar box and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most tensile of the first growths this year, with a layered, concentrated but youthfully introverted mid-palate, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It checks in at a rather high pH of 3.85, which belies its incisive profile, from a harvest that extended from August 31 to September 24. 95 - 97+ - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Learn More - Pontet Canet Pauillac 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC95JD97-99JS99-100VM95-97, 94-96TWI97-99$125.98 As low as $119.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
99-100 Points! What a finish on this Pontet-Canet. So much energy and brightness. It's full-bodied yet so tight and focused with superb fruit and transparency. It is racy and fine with super fine texture. It's like crushed cabernet sauvignon with cassis, tobacco and cigar box. Licorice and spices. Freshness of the seed. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. - James Suckling
97-99 Points! The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, aging 50% in new oak barrels, 35% in amphoras, and 15% in used barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling and coaxing to reveal aromas of damp earth, fragrant soil, crushed rocks, and underbrush, giving way to a profound core of blackcurrant cordial, juicy black plums, and fresh blackberries. The full-bodied palate is laden with nuanced black fruits, slowly releasing earthy and mineral-laced flavors, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Talk about tasting the place! This is Pauillac in all its powerful, energetic glory. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
97-99+ Points! The 2022 Château Pontet-Canet is brilliant and should easily be up with the crème de la crème from the Médoc. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was vinified mostly in concrete (there's a small part in wood), and the aging is in 50% new French oak, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has an incredibly pure bouquet of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth. This carries to a full-bodied Pauillac with a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the purity, richness, and structure that makes this vintage so compelling and is going to be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age but have an incredibly long life. - Jeb Dunnuck
96-98 Points! Deep purple with a blue hue in color, the wine is almost opaque in color. Cassis, flowers, plums, licorice, and tobacco leaf aromas adorn the perfume. It is already clear that with this wine, it is the purity in the fruit that stands out. The palate is equally pure, with its layers of glycerin-filled blackberries, and plums. The wine is lush, as well as refined. The finish meshes concentration with elegance, power with purity, lift and length. The peppery, spicy note, along with the resounding minty-freshness, and a touch of anise in the long, finish is what stands out here. There is no sensation of heat or over ripeness in this wine in the mid-palate or in the finish. The wine blends 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot.14.7% ABV, pH 3.8. Harvesting took place September 8 - September 28. This is longest harvest and the earliest harvest in the history of the estate. The wine is aging in a combination of 50% new, French oak, and 35% Amphora. Pontet Canet is often a slow starter in barrel. My score could go higher when the wine is in bottle. Drink from 2028-2060. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
95-97 Points! The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a surprising wine. Usually much more opulent, especially in warm, dry years, the 2022 comes across as restrained and understated. It is a wine of linear intensity rather than size, marked by notable freshness and a feeling of tension and precision I don’t recall seeing in the past. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the precision and vibrancy here. Unforgettable. Drinking window : 2028-2042 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
94-96 Points! The 2022 Pontet Canet has a pure nose with perfumed blackberry and cassis fruit. It takes time to cohere, evolving light pencil lead notes after 8-10 minutes. The palate has a lovely chalky texture on the entry, and a silver bead of acidity. Perhaps, more complexity than the aromatics suggest at the moment. Fine balance, moderate grip, the mineralité coming toward the final third, it fans out with gusto. There is quite a long residual peppery note on the aftertaste that you can feel after 30 seconds. I have not pulled any punches in recent vintages, when stylistically, I felt that it has veered too far away from Pauillac, for my personal taste. But closely examining this 2022, today, it seems safely within the appellation. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
95 Points! Vibrant, vivid purple colour in the glass, rich and deep. Smells bright, super fresh and expressive on the nose with freshly-picked blackcurrants and perfumed purple flowers - the Petit Verdot, really standing out. Clean and clear, creamy, powdery and softly chewy on the palate. The texture is lovely, you can tell they haven't over extracted but there’s still clear concentration with a gentle succulence provided by the acidity, cool freshness and appealing mineral touches alongside liquorice, clove, dried herbs and bitter chocolate. Enjoyable and well defined if still a little compact. 3.85pH. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 15% press wine used. Harvest 8 - 28 September, the earliest and longest ever. 20% lower yields than in 2021. The technical team used a clay sunscreen on the grapes to avoid burning. Tasted twice. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
Learn More - Léoville Poyferré Saint Julien 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC96JD97-100JS96-97WA94-96VM95-97, 94-96TWI96-98$116.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
97-100 Points! I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team. - Jeb Dunnuck
97-99 Points! Deeply colored, the floral display in the nose gets even better as you encounter black cherries, currants, licorice, tobacco leaf, cassis, and an array of spices. The palate provides layers of silky, fresh, pure, deep red berries. The wine is dense, concentrated, sweet, ripe, fresh, and polished. There is a wonderful sense of purity in the fruit. Effortless to taste, and even even easier to drink, the wine exudes sensuality, and complexity from start to finish. The wine blends 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.4% ABV, 3.87 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - September 28. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. 75% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2026-2055. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
96-98 Points! The 2022 Leoville Poyferre is made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 33.4 hl/ha. It bursts onto the scene with gregarious scents of blackcurrant preserves, wild blueberries, and rose oil, leading to wafts of candied violets, licorice, and crushed rocks with a hint of cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, plush, and impactful, delivering beautiful tension and very respectable, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and opulent. This is a show-stopper! pH 3.87, TPI 93. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
96-97 Points! A very solid LP with black berry, blackcurrant, crushed stone and lavender character. Full and really well structured with a linear length to it. Focused and so polished. Thoughtful. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. - James Suckling
95-97 Points! The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
94-96 Points! The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is unctuous, deep and super-expressive, but not at all over-done. There's tremendous energy driving through a core of red/purplish fruit. Deceptively medium in body, the 2022 is a potent, statuesque Léoville-Poyferré that will offer many years of exceptional drinking. Drinking window : 2030-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
96 Points! Another excellent showcasse for this estate run by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. Supple, lively, fresh and round, a nice controlled core of red and black fruit - blackcurrants, cherries and violets with juicy acidity and lean tannins that are fine and well integrated. This feels powerful and concentrated no doubt but the strength comes underneath the fruit and acidity, like a creeping tiger waiting to pounce. Lovely frame and execution, feels on the more opulent and potent side but the acidity and tannin definition is brilliant and this has a really drinkable and moreish quality. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.87pH. 9% press wine. A yield of 33.4hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted three times and was impressed each time. Ageing 18-20 months in French oak barrels, 80% new, 20% second fill. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
94-96 Points! The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Learn More - Pichon Baron Pauillac 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC97JD96-98JS96-97WA95-97VM96-98TWI95-97$179.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
96-98 Points! The 2022 Pichon Baron was picked 8 September to 3 October and matured in 70% new oak. It has wonderful precision on the nose, with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and graphite. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is tensile right from the start. Taut and linear, fresh, quite saline with a nuanced touch of black pepper toward the finish. Real pedigree and sophistication here, this is a magnificent Pichon-Baron that achieves a new level of precision thanks to the more piecemeal Sauternes-inspired harvest in tandem with their new winery. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
97-99 Points! With a solid depth of color, the wine jumps from the glass with its show display of licorice, black fruits, lead pencil, currants, lavender, cocoa, and spice in the aromatics. The show-stopping palate is rich, intense, long, concentrated, spicy, and most importantly, concentrated and pure. While your palate bathes in the wine, the sensation is all about its freshness, purity and length. The first vintage produced with the efforts of the estates new Technical Director, Pierre Montegut is a resounding success. This is clearly one of the best vintages in the history of Pichon Baron! The wine blends 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. 14.3% ABV, 3.63 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - October 3. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. 48% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2028-2065. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
96-98 Points! I loved the Grand Vin 2022 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, which is based on 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot that will spend 18 months in 70% new oak. It's not the most showy or exuberant 2022, yet it shines for its incredible class and purity, as well as balance. It has a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated profile (no surprise) with its focused, precise, inward style that still brings gorgeous depth and richness. Cassis, graphite, espresso roast, crushed stone and spring flowers are just some of its nuances, and where many 2022s are broad and mouth-filling, this stays tight, compact, and focused, with a wonderful mix of elegance, concentration, and richness. The 2022 is pulled from 48% of the total production, and it's going to warrant 7-8 years of bottle age and have 50+ years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck
96-98 Points! The 2022 Pichon Baron is marvelous. It continues a series of vintages that have been absolutely compelling. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend considerable brightness throughout. More than anything else, the 2022 impresses with its precision and magnificent balance. Drinking window : 2032-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
96-97 Points! A very structured and racy PB with blackcurrant, stone and black cherry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body with racy and fine tannins that are precise and focused. Elegance with structure. 81% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot. - James Suckling
95-97 Points! The 2022 Pichon Baron, 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It swans out with gregarious notions of blackcurrant jelly, baked black plums, and Morello cherries, giving way to hints of lavender, cedar chest, and cumin seed plus a touch of cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound with bright, bold, black and red berry layers, complemented by firm, grainy tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and savory/spicy. It will need time, but promises to be amazing. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
95-97 Points! An unusually gourmand, sensual wine from this estate, the 2022 Pichon-Longueville Baron bursts with aromas of crème de cassis, sweet dark berries, licorice, lilac and pencil shavings. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, with excellent concentration and a rather rich, supple profile. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, it's the result of sub-block by sub-block picking and cooler than usual fermentation temperatures. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
97 Points! Beautiful fragrance, lots of fresh and ripe black and red bramble fruit - so alive and expressive on the nose with liquorice, wet stones and cedar spicing. Smooth, ample and full in the mouth, but not overly textured or plush, there’s a real refinement to the tannic structure, clearly giving the frame to the wine but detailed and precise with edges of liquorice, slate, dark chocolate, cedar and tobacco. It balances richness, intensity and concentration with sleekness, bright acidity and a real charm to the juicy fruit. Rich and tense, just giving a hint of it’s potential, clearly powerful but totally seductive too. Ageing 18 months in French oak, 70% new, 600% one wine. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
Learn More - Pavie Macquin Saint Emilion 2020 Pre-ArrivalDEC97JD96+JS98WA95+VM100JA96TWI97$106.98Availability:In Stock
100 Points! The 2020 Pavie Macquin is sensational. Rich, dark and explosive, the 2020 balances the natural richness that is such a signature of the estate with a level of energy and vibrancy I have not seen here in the recent past. The result is a towering, imposing Pavie Macquin that hugely delivers. In this vintage, regisseur Nicolas Thienpont did not use the Cabernet Sauvignon, so the blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc lending aromatic presence, energy and depth. What a total knock out! - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
98 Points! I have never had a Pavie Macquin like this. It’s so fresh and vivid with black cherry, currant and raspberry character, as well as citrus. Some mineral and spice. Salt, too. The palate is full and linear with a verticality that takes you so deep and long. Endless. Transparent. Drink after 2028. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
97 Points! Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Pavie Macquin is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with bold notions of baked plums, boysenberries, and fresh, juicy blackberries, plus hints of Indian spices, violets, and clove oil. The full-bodied palate explodes with vibrant black and blue fruits, supported by super-soft tannins and a lively backbone, leading to a long and perfumed finish on this beautiful wine. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
- Fleur Cardinale Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC94JD94-96JS95-96VM90-92TWI93-95$46.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
95-96 Points! Plenty of ripe berry and currant character with some freshly cut black cherries. Hints of chocolate. Medium body with firm tannins and a flavorful finish. Yet all in reserve. Crunchy. - James Suckling
94-96 Points! One of the finest vintages to date for this estate, possibly eclipsing the 2016, the 2022 Château Fleur Cardinale offers a medium to full-bodied, seamless, incredibly elegant and balanced profile that brings beautiful richness in its ripe black raspberry and cassis fruits as well as some spicy, floral, and herbal nuances. Balanced and nicely concentrated, with ripe tannins, it does everything right in the vintage. (Tasted two times.) - Jeb Dunnuck
94-96 Points! Dark in color, the wine is rich, concentrated, dense, lush, and packed with toasty oak, black plums, licorice, and espresso. Sweet, long, and round, with a chocolate covered black cherry filled finish. The blend is 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. All that extra Cabernet really makes a difference adding more freshness, complexity, and individuality. Drink from 2025-2042. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
93-95 Points! The 2022 Fleur Cardinale is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it gallops out with energetic notes of stewed black plums, kirsch, and blackberry pie, followed by wafts of violets, dark chocolate, and star anise. The full-bodied palate is concentrated, packed with black fruit preserves, and framed by ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and with just enough freshness. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
94 Points! Full and concentrated in the mouth, beautifully intense blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with quite impressive and imposing tannins that coat the mouth though with cool blue fruits and wet stones giving freshness and minerality. Nie sense of style, a little compact right now, but there's a juicy centre and the tannins have a lovely texture. Will be nicely filling and enjoyable when ready, still with clean edges and very precise sculpting. Harvest 19-30 September. Yield of 38hl/ha. 3.68pH. Ageing for 12-14 months in French oak, 72% new. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
90-92 Points! The 2022 Fleur Cardinale has an opulent bouquet with kirsch, blackcurrant and cedar scents. Blue fruit emerges with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet, slightly candied entry, dry tannins and an earthy finish. Like some other Saint-Émilion wines this year, it needs more brightness and, perhaps perversely, is missing the charm of the previous vintage. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
90-92 Points! The 2022 Fleur Cardinale is soft, open and forthcoming. Dark fruit, chocolate, sweet spice, leather and licorice all open nicely. There's good depth but less in the way of energy or excitement. All the elements are very well balanced. Perhaps I caught this on a quiet day. Tasted two times. Drinking window : 2027-2037 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
Learn More - L'If Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalJD94-96WA93-95VM93-95TWI93-95$169.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
96-98 Points! Flowers, wild cherries, plums, spices,, and crushed rocks show in the nose. On the palate, the wine is lively, crisp and fresh, but there is also a depth of flavor. The berries are ripe, sweet, and energetic. But with the 2022, you can really feel the influence of the limestone. The wine is upbeat, and vibrant, with an elegant textures and a spicy tone to the finish. This remains one of the new stars of St. Emilion, and is a wine to follow before prices jump. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, 14.3% ABV, pH 3.51. The harvest took place September 14 - September 26. Drink from 2027-2055 - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
94-96 Points! Coming from the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2022 Château L'If is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new oak. This is a mineral-bomb, delivering ample black raspberry fruit and floral nuances, full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe, textured mouthfeel, and outstanding length. Harvested from September 14-26, with an alcohol level of 14.3% and a pH of 3.52, it's an utterly classic Saint-Emilion that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 20-25 years of overall longevity. This might be the finest vintage I've tasted. - Jeb Dunnuck
93-95 Points! The 2022 L'If, a blend of 20% Cabernet Franc from fourth-leaf vines and 80% Merlot, was picked on 14 and 26 September at 35hL/ha. The limestone soils percolate through nicely on the nose with mineral-rich blackberry and bilberry fruit, quite estuarine (even if it doesn't border the Gironde!) The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit and blueberry notes. It's finely structured with a touch of licorice popping up on the finish, overtly spicy on the aftertaste. This is a very well-crafted Saint-Émilion from Jacques Thienpont and team - no wonder it is gaining a loyal following like Le Pin. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! The 2022 L'If, 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It swans out of the glass with gregarious notions of juicy raspberries, plum preserves, and fresh blackberries, followed by hints of roses, star anise, and smoked meats. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy, delivering a firm fine-grained backbone of tannins and lovely tension, finishing long and fragrant. pH 3.52. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
93-95 Points! The 2022 L’If is a powerhouse. An exotic mélange of blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, cloves and menthol saturates the palate, all backed up by huge, imposing tannins. This brooding, virile Saint-Émilion packs a huge punch. It will be interesting to see if this softens with élevage. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Drinking window : 2032-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! Aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and bay leaf introduce the 2022 L'If, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine that's taut and vibrant, built around lively acids and fine, chalky tannins. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the decision to halve the volume of pump-overs have delivered a suave Saint-Émilion, even in this structured vintage. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Learn More - Poesia Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalJD93-95JS94-95WA91-93VM93-95TWI94-96$36.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
94-96 Points! The 2022 Poesia, 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes galloping out with energetic scents of black raspberries, fresh mulberries, and juicy black cherries, giving way to nuances of rose oil, truffle oil, and crushed rocks. The concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers thrilling tension, with layer upon layer of red and black fruits supported by velvety tannins, finishing very long and electric. Gorgeous! pH 3.39. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
94-95 Points! Lots of graphite and purple fruit with salty and lavender undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, fine and beautiful. Excellent length. - James Suckling
93-95 Points! The 2022 Poesia, which suffered minor frost damage in early April, has a more marine-tinged bouquet thanks to its clay/limestone soils. Blackberry and blueberry fruit, fine delineation, taciturn at first, but it opens well in the glass after aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, peppery entry. The limestone comes through nicely here. But it's quite backward on the finish and therefore it will require 4-5 years in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! The 2022 Poesia is a heady, opulent wine. Inky dark fruit, herbs, lavender and chocolate abound. In this vintage the Franc is up to 30% and that comes through in the wine’s distinctly savory profile. This exotic, flamboyant Saint-Émilion possesses tremendous aromatic presence to play off its opulent fruit. The oak needs to integrate, but then again, this is an en primeur sample. Frost lowered yields to 30 hectoliters per hectare instead of the more typical 45 or so. Drinking window : 2032-2047 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! Black raspberries, flowers, orange peel, licorice, mint, smoke, and cocoa fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is packed with minerality, cocoa, plums, and black raspberries. with a lot of cut, refinement and salty tannins in the lifted, berry-filled finish. The wine blends 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2047. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
- Angelus Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalJD97-99JS98-99WA96-98JA97TWI98-100$449.98 As low as $427.48Availability:In Stock
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98-100 Points! The 2022 Château Angélus is made up of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc with a pH of 3.65. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with flamboyant notes of red currant jelly, wild blueberries, cassis, and candied violets, followed by suggestions of jasmine tea, star anise, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is impactful from first sip, yet slowly expands in the mouth, ultimately over-delivering on the nose's promise with layer upon layer of perfumed black and red fruits, supported by super fine-grained, silt-like tannins, finishing long and achingly shimmery. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
98-99 Points! So many beautiful primary fruit aromas. Al dente. Peaches. Very floral. Aromatic. Full-bodied and extremely fine tannins with length and beauty that show incredible depth. Superb brightness and reality. Exciting. Cabernet franc freshness and dynamics come through now, even though the blend is 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. - James Suckling
97-99 Points! Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Angélus is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that will spend 22 months in new French oak, with a portion of the Cabernet Franc aged in foudre. This estate doesn't put a foot wrong, and this is clearly a profound Angélus with a deep purple, almost blue hue, extraordinary notes of cassis, blueberry liqueur, acacia flowers, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a dense, concentrated mid-palate, all of which is grounded by a vibrant sense of freshness and purity. While older vintages were more closed and backward on release, this has a certain accessibility given its balance and purity, and I suspect it will offer incredible pleasure right out of the gate. It will evolve for 40+ years as well. - Jeb Dunnuck
HURRY, ONLY 4 LEFT! - Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 2023 Pre-ArrivalDEC98-100JD96-98JS98-99VM96-99, 96-98JA98-100TWI95-97$439.98Availability:In Stock
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98-100 Points! Gorgeous red and black fruit on the nose, ripe strawberries, cherries and blackcurrants, really fruit forward and expressive, not so much on the mineral or floral side. Smooth and supple, this is agile and has great movement. A sense of life, depth and richness, but this is so suave. The fruit and tannins fill the mouth but with wonderful coolness - blueberry and crisp cherry. Lots of liquorice and wet stones also come through; graphite, chalk, mint, a touch of toastiness on the finish. It has flashes of exoticism, as well as finesse. Structure and seriousness but with bounce, full of texture and nuance. Tannins have built a broad wine and this is a real success with lots of energy and vibrancy throughout but with no harsh acidity or too lean tannins. Stylish, characterful and executed very well. 11% press wine, last year was 17%. 93% Cabernet in the blend, second highest in history after 2010 which was 94%. 75 IPT. 40% grand vin production. A potential 100-point wine. - Georgie Hindle, Decanter
98-100 Points! High Cabernet, and the grape is dominant not just in blend but character, totally delicious, with tension, flesh, and confidence, building layers of black fruits, graphite, cocoa bean, espresso, pomegranate and smoked earth throughout the palate. When Cabernet works at Mouton, it is hard to beat, and it's on full display in 2023. One of my clear wines of the vintage. Of any vintage. - Jane Anson
98-99 Points! This is the most structured Mouton since the great 2016, with tannins that start slowly and then take off. It’s muscular and toned. It’s full-bodied but doesn’t come across too heavy. It builds up in intensity and goes on and on and on. It just keeps expanding. I took a double take here. 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. - James Suckling
96-99 Points! The 2023 Mouton Rothschild is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintages on the Left Bank. Its balance of intense, super-concentrated fruit and equally imposing structure is spellbinding. Dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, pencil shavings and dried herbs gain intensity in the glass. I especially admire its vertical build and overall energy. This is an exciting young Mouton endowed with palpable dynamic energy. It's a superb effort from the team led by Technical Director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
95-97 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Mouton Rothschild needs considerable swirling to coax out notes of freshly crushed blackcurrants and wild blueberries leading to touches of clove oil, lavender, star anise, and black truffle with a hint of wild sage. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with a firm frame of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, with pH 3.79, and an alcohol of 13.3%. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
Learn More - Le Petit Mouton de Rothschild Pauillac 2023 Pre-ArrivalJD93-95JS95-96WA91-93VM93-95, 91-93$179.98Availability:In Stock
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95-96 Points! This is a tighter and more compact Petit Mouton with a full-bodied, compact palate that is framed nicely by the tannins. Savory and juicy. Structured. Contained. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better than 2022? - James Suckling
93-95 Points! The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton is fabulous. It could easy be a Grand Vin at another address. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its notable palate presence. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon, rose petal and new leather are some of the many notes that build. The 2023 is seriously impressive. Wow! - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! Representing 39% of the production, the 2023 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild is based on 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Inky hued, this beauty has more than a touch of Grand Vin character in its cassis, currant, spicy oak, lead pencil and smoke-driven aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, round, lush, and nicely structured, it's one hell of a second wine. While it will offer pleasure in its youth, it’s going to have two decades of longevity as well. - Jeb Dunnuck
91-93 Points! The 2023 Le Petit-Mouton is aged in 50% new oak. It has an intense nose, mainly black fruit commingling with briar and light estuarine scnets. Perhaps the aromatics feel a bit "secretive" at present. The palate is medium-bodied with a concentrated entry. This is a voluminous and powerful Pauillac for the vintage, driven by that 79% Cabernet Sauvignon. There's a fine bitter edge on the finish; give this Le Petit Mouton three to five years in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
Learn More - Domaine Anita Moulin-a-Vent La Rochelle 2022 Pre-ArrivalJS99$38.98Availability:In Stock
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99 Points! If you want to know why so many old wine books sing the praises of this appellation, try this expansively rich and velvety Moulin-a-Vent. Masses of fine tannins that are already beautifully integrated on the medium- to full-bodied palate. They build and build to an almost overwhelming climax in the fabulously long and impeccably balanced finish. Limited production. Matured in used oak barrels from Burgundy for just under a year. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com
Learn More - Domaine du Pré Semelé Sancerre 2022$34.98Availability:In Stock
Crisp, crunchy grapefruit and lime citrus flavors combine with a subtle herbaceous element that adds complexity. White-fleshed and citrus fruit notes lead to a long, mineral and saline finish. A harmonious, fresh cuvée to be savored.
100% Sauvignon Blanc, alcohol: 12.5%; soils: calcareous clay (70% “Terres Blanches (white earth), 30% “Caillottes” (little stones)) with limestone subsoil; vine age: 8 – 43 years; organically oriented, environmentally responsible viticulture; no chemical herbicides or anti-rot products; long, gentle pressing and cold stabilization; fermented 3 weeks in stainless steel, temperature-controlled tanks; aged on fine lees; fined with bentonite and cellulose filtered before bottling in Spring.
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 3 LEFT! - La Dame de Montrose Saint Estephe 2022 Pre-ArrivalJS94-95WA92-94VM92-94, 91-93$44.98Availability:In Stock
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94-95 Points! Wonderful freshness and brightness to this with currants and red berries, as well as chocolate and hints of coffee. Full and layered with round tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Lemon rind underneath it all. It has lots of length for being mostly merlot. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot, and 1% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. - James Suckling
92-94 Points! The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine's sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
91-93 Points! The 2022 La Dame de Montose represents 43% of production this year and comes from Terrace 3 glacial deposits (the Grand Vin is on Terrace 4 that has more clay). It has a clean and pure bouquet with wild strawberry, boysenberry and light marmalade notes percolating through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a succulent entry, fine depth, slightly powdery texture. There is much more grip on the finish compared to the 2021 last year. Excellent. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! Dark black fruits, flowers, cocoa, and wet earth open the nose. On the palate is where you find this is at its best, with its layers of supple, creamy, fresh, elegant, dark red fruits, and chocolate. There is softness paired with richness, and a depth of flavor that lingers, with an energetic touch of orange rind in the endnote. You can enjoy this on release for all its up-front fruit, or age it for more complexity. The wine blends 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV. Drink from 2025-2042. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 4 LEFT! - Cos d'Estournel Saint Estephe 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC97JD98-100JS98-99WA93-95VM95-97TWI97-99$313.98Availability:In Stock
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98-100 Points! Opaque in color, the wine pops from the glass with black fruits, cloves, cinnamon, blackberries, blueberries, purple flowers, almonds, and smoke. The wine coats, bathes, and covers your palate with seemingly endless layers of opulent, black fruits. The cashmere tannins create the impression of velvet as the wine lingers for 60 seconds or more with its waves of black, blue. and red fruits, dark cocoa, licorice, and Asian spice. There is a seamlessness to the finish, as well as lift, and purity. This is a very hedonistic, yet elegant wine. 2022 clearly competes with the best of vintages of Cos ever produced. The wine was made from blending 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. 14.04% ABV, 3.79 pH. The yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place September 7 to September 23. The Grand Vin was produced from 66% of the harvest. The wine is going to approachable early in its life, yet it has the ability to age for decades. Drink from 2028-2060. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
98-100 Points! One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel is a monument in the making. Based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this saturated ruby/purple-hued Saint-Estèphe offers a full-bodied, massive, opulent style as well as perfumed red, blue, and black fruits, ample spice, chocolate, graphite, and lead pencil-like aromatics, a stacked mid-palate, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. An improved version of the 2009 (if that's possible), this is a legendary wine in the making. Hats off to Michel Reybier and technical director Dominique Arangoïts. - Jeb Dunnuck
97-99 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel, composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs quite a lot of shaking and swirling to unlock fragrant notes of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, and black raspberries, leading to hints of rose oil, Indian spices, cedar chest, and sandalwood, plus a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is very classic, with a solid backbone of firm, ripe tannins and impressive tension to support the taut, muscular black and red fruit layers, finishing very long and with remarkable purity. pH 3.79, TPI 90. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
98-99 Points! Unique structure to this wine and very Cos with all the spices and dark fruits. Tobacco and cedar. It's starts off full-bodied and flavorful, but continues to unfold in an energetic and weightless way. Savory and primary. Al dente grapes here. Exciting and thought-provoking. - James Suckling
97 Points! Fresh and vibrant blackcurrant aromas with milk chocolate, vanilla and floral scents - so aromatic and expressive. Juicy and alive, bright and vibrant on the palate with soft herbal scents surrounding the fruit. The flavours - blackcurrant, black cherry, damson and orange rind - settle vertically but the firm and textured tannins give the focus, structure and tension. It has liquorice and flint edges all the way giving a savoury touch and clear minerality as well as dark chocolate and clove spice. Refined and serious but also there’s such a delicious juicy undercurrent giving life and energy. Confident winemaking on show, this is a real success in delivering a complete and powerful wine with depth but no heaviness. Totally delicious and moreish. A wine you're going to finish! Potential upscore in bottle. Two-third grand vin production. 2.94 total acidity. 3.79pH. 90 IPT. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
95-97 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel was picked from 7 to 23 September at 33hL/ha and is aged in 50% new oak (one cannot imagine that being countenanced 15-20 years ago). It has an overtly floral nose with wilted violets infusing the precocious yet controlled black fruit. There's fine delineation, impressive focus and energy. The palate is smooth and silky on the entry with pliant, sculpted tannins. The acidity is well judged (3.79pH) with white pepper and a graphite element toward the persistent finish. Quintessential Cos d'Estournel, this wine will mature for many years, although the jury's out on whether it will surpass triumphs like the 2016 or 2019/20. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
95-97 Points! The 2022 Cos d’Estournel is stunning. Rich and statuesque in bearing, the 2022 captures all the best this vintage had to offer. A wine of precision and power, the 2022 balances the intensity of the year but without veering into the realm of the exotic, as was the case in vintages such as 2005 and 2009. It marries ripeness and classical rigor in a style that is quite appealing. I imagine the 2022 will need a good 15-20 years to be at its finest. Harvest took place between September 7 and 23, exceptionally early. Drinking window : 2028-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! The 2022 Cos d'Estournel unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, plum liqueur and rich spices, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular palate that's rich and structured, with a ripe core of fruit and chewy tannins. Harvest dates were relatively early this year, and maturation is occurring in only 50% new oak; yet the 2022's chunky, glass-staining style makes it Ducru Beaucaillou's only rival for the title of most extracted second growth of the Médoc. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 4 LEFT! - Brane Cantenac Margaux 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC98JD96-98JS96-97WA95-97VM96-98, 95-97TWI95-97$84.98Availability:In Stock
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96-98 Points! The 2022 Brane-Cantenac, as usual, is a wine that you must sit and contemplate before words gush forth. It was picked from 7 September to 10 October (their tiny plot of Carmenère) at 31.5hL/ha and contains 16% vin de presse from the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is well-defined and fresh, a very subtle Margaux, precise with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and tobacco scents. As previous vintages have proven, there's a kind of "hidden depth" that will become apparent post-bottling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very elegant and unashamedly classic in style. This is blessed with haunting poise, composed and detailed on the finish. This Margaux is not a show stopper, which in any case, is not really Henri Lurton/Brane Cantenac’s signature style. Instead, it is a wine that 15 to 20 years down the road, you are going to treasure. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
98 Points! One of the standouts of the year - a wonderful wine with so much to like. Coffee, tobacco, liquorice, dark chocolate, blackcurrants and floral scents on the nose. Smooth, succulent and velvety, this is amazing, juicy and so bright and vibrant. Pure and so effortless, tannins are filling but fine and delicate and this has excellent clarity and purity of fruit. They really didn't try too hard but have still delivered a powerful wine with concentration and intensity yet brightness and such generosity of fruit and acidity which makes this so joyful. Simply wonderful. Harvest 7 September-10 October. Yield of 31.5hl/ha. 3.61pH. 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere complete the blend. 42% production. 15.8% press wine. Ageing 18 months, 100% new oak. 3.57pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
96-98 Points! Deeply colored, the wine opens with violets, lilacs, roses, cigar wrappers, creme de cassis, spice and lavender aromatics in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is pure silk and velvet. There is a beautiful elegance, symmetry, and balance you notice as soon as the wine graces your palate. There is length, purity, and refinement making this effortless to taste. The finish has no edges, leaving you with a wealth of sensuous fruits. Fans of Brane Cantenac should run, not walk, and buy this gem as prices continue to remain reasonable for a wine of this character, and quality. The wine blends 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. The wine is 14.3% ABV, 3.61 pH. The harvest took place September 7 - October 4, with the Carmenere being picked October 10. This is the earliest start to a harvest in the history of the estate. Yields were 31.5% hectoliters per hectare. The Grand Vin was produced from only 42% of the harvest. Drink from 2027-2055. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
96-97 Points! A long and very linear red for Margaux with intense freshness and energy. The cabernet sauvignon shows real clarity with blackcurrants and flowers. Crushed stone. Firm and racy with lots of lemon rind and intensity. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 1% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot and 1% carmenere. - James Suckling
95-97 Points! A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac has a pH of 3.61 and there is 15.8% press wine in the blend. It has a deep garnet-purple color and it is a little subdued to start with notes of cedar chest and redcurrant preserves leading the charge, soon giving way to a profound core of crème de cassis, juicy black plums, and candied violets, with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is simply electric, shimmering with bright, energetic black and red berry layers, supported by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. Stunning! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
95-97 Points! The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is captivating. Aromatic, savory and layered, the 2022 is so alluring from the outset. The natural radiance of the year is very much on display, and yet there is nothing that is overdone about the 2022. Hints of blood orange, spice, rose petal and minerals open over time, offering stunning contrast to the sheer intensity of the fruit shaped by low yields and tiny berries. Brane-Cantenac is, in my view, one of the most under-the-radar wines on the Left Bank. The 2022 is a stunner. Drinking window : 2030-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
95-97 Points! A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, crème de cassis, black truffles, loamy soil, burning embers and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit, terrific concentration and lively acids, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific 2022 that may rival or even surpass the 2019 if it realizes all its potential in bottle. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Learn More - Larrivaux Haut Medoc 2022 Pre-ArrivalVM92-94$18.98Availability:In Stock
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92-94 Points! The 2022 Larrivaux is gorgeous. Bright and beautifully textured, Larrivaux possesses notable density. In some years, Larrivaux has been a bit light, but the 2022 offers a touch more textural depth, likely the result of low yields (frost and hail lowered production) and the warmth of the year. It will be interesting to see if there is greater ambition at play as well, but that is harder to asses from a single wine. In any event, Larrivaux is superb in 2022. Drinking window : 2025-2042 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
Learn More - Château Latour Pauillac 2010 Pre-ArrivalJS100WA100VM100$1,349.98Availability:In Stock
100 Points! The aromas of flowers such as roses, violets and lilacs jump from the glass then turn to dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries. It's full-bodied, with velvety tannins and dense and intense with a chocolate, berry and currant character. This is juicy and rich with wood still showing a bit, but it's all coming together wonderfully. Muscular yet toned. Another perfect wine like the 2010. Try in 2022. - James Suckling
100 Points! One of the perfect wines of the vintage, Frederic Engerer challenged me when I tasted the 2010 Latour at the estate, asking, “If you rate the 2009 one hundred, then how can this not be higher?” Well, the scoring system stops at 100, (and has for 34 years,) and will continue for as long as I continue to write about wine. Nevertheless, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and .5% Petit Verdot hit 14.4% natural alcohol and represents a tiny 36% of their entire production. The pH is about 3.6, which is normal compared to the 3.8 pH of the 2009, that wine being slightly lower in alcohol, hence the combination that makes it more flamboyant and accessible. The 2010 is a liquid skyscraper in the mouth, building layers upon layers of extravagant, if not over-the-top richness with its hints of subtle charcoal, truffle, blackberry, cassis, espresso and notes of toast and graphite. Full-bodied, with wonderfully sweet tannin, it is a mind-boggling, prodigious achievement that should hit its prime in about 15 years, and last for 50 to 100. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.
100 Points! The 2010 Latour can be summed up in two words: "The King." It convincingly asserts its superiority over other 2010s, including First Growths, in terms of its aromatic complexity, precision, balance, intensity, complexity and persistence. Simply a faultless Latour that ranks amoung its greatest achievements. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 5 LEFT! - Lagrange Saint Julien 2019 Pre-ArrivalDEC95JD92-94+JS93-94NM94-96VM92-94$54.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! Dark plum in colour, medium intensity, this is sleek, well-defined and has an extremely pureexpression of cassis fruit. Just enormously elegant, with tons of St Julien balance, and fine tannins that are sure to take it through the next few decades with ease. I love this wine, one of the most enjoyable of the vintage in St Julien, with a strikingly seductive texture. Tasted twice two weeks apart, sure to become a standout with some bottle age. When you look at the figures (which I only did after tasting) you start to understand why this is so good - highest level of Cabernet in the estate's recent history, longest harvest ever through to October 14, and only 1/3 of overall production in the 1st wine, lowest amount to date. Whatever they are doing, they are getting it right. - Jane Anson, Decanter
94-96 Points! The 2019 Lagrange was picked from 24 September and finished with the Petit Verdot on 14 October - the longest harvest at 27 days. It has quite a dense, powerful bouquet with black fruit, sous-bois and cedar, taking its time to open but somehow remaining more “distant” than previous vintages of Lagrange. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, layers of black fruit with just a light citric touch. Quite a streamlined Lagrange in the context of a warm growing season, this feels agile and nimble on the finish. Excellent. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
93-94 Points! A red with dark fruit and plenty of dark chocolate, as well as spice undertones. Full body. Juicy finish. Extremely balanced and refined. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
92-94+ Points! The grand vin 2019 Chateau Lagrange ratchets up the intensity, revealinga deeppurple hue as well as beautiful notes of crème de cassis, new saddle leather, spice andcedary herbs. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant, it’s very muchin the style of this plush, seamless vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
Expected ABV: Under 14%
Learn More - Angelus Saint Emilion 2023 Pre-ArrivalDEC97JD93-96JS97-98WA95-96VM94-96JA96$344.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
97-98 Points! The transparency of fruit and the finesse is really something here. There’s depth and beauty to the pristine, fresh fruit. Full-bodied and muscular with wonderful tannins that provide tension and form. Subtle and weightless, this is a thought-provoking young wine. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. - James Suckling
97 Points! Gorgeous nose, floral and scented with roses and violets, expressive strawberries and raspberries and some herbal elements. Full and filling, but soft and smooth, almost crushed velvet in texture. It’s not so tense and straight but has a solid backbone of freshness and plush fruit but very cool. It’s more on the structured side than overt acidity, serious but still with crunchy blueberries, chalky blackcurrant, lots of graphite and minerality on the finish. Less fruit forward than some but layered with complexity - a subtle opulence. Fleshy ripe tannins with mouthwatering acidity adding a serious touch. It’s missing that Angelus hug on the mid palate, but I like it a lot and you can’t fault the refinement and precision on show. It’s got body, length, tannins, crunch, freshness, and a vein of minerality underpinning the expression. Georgie Hindle, Decanter
96 Points! Cocoa bean, liquorice, pomegranate, smoked earth, sage, anis, fennel, slate tannins, this combines nuanced and sinewy tannins with a generous supple expansion through the palate, building in power and impact. Beautifully fragrant, measured and skilful. 50% in foudres for Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak for the Merlot. Harvest September 14 through to October 1, Benjamin Laforest winemaker, Stephane de Boüard-Rivoal owner. - Jane Anson
95-96 Points! A classic blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Angélus reflects this estate's continuing evolution with regard to ripeness, extraction and élevage choices, offering up attractive aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of mint, potpourri, rose petals, vine smoke and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with a velvety attack that segues into a core of pure, pillowy fruit framed by supple, powdery tannins, it's cool and harmonious, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific effort that foregrounds the vintage and the terroir at their best. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate