Wines

Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate at the time writes: The palate is medium-bodied with fine tensile tannins. There is great harmony here whilst the finish is cohesive and nicely poised. This is very fine almost Saint Estèphe-like in style. 90-Points!

The 2010 Carcanieux is entering a lovely phase of maturity. Crushed red plum, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco leaf and dried rose petal emerge from the glass, lifted by subtle hints of pencil shavings and savory herbs. Medium-bodied and classically proportioned, the 2010 offers fine-grained tannins that have softened nicely with age, while retaining enough backbone to frame the wine's evolved fruit. The mid-palate is supple and understated rather than powerful, with earthy nuances and a touch of leather adding complexity. The finish is persistent and refined, marked by lingering notes of cedar, dried black fruits and gentle spice. This is a charming, traditionally styled Médoc that is drinking beautifully today and should continue to provide pleasure over the next several years.

94 Points! Tight and linear with blackcurrant and lemon rind character. Medium-bodied and racy with very fine tannins and a bright finish. Shows energy and focus. Drinkable, but better in three or four years. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

91 Points! Aromas of raspberries, crème de cassis, cigar wrapper and loamy soil introduce the 2020 La Tour Carnet, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished wine that's more harmonious and better balanced than Magrez's Grands Chênes. This large estate has eaten up many of the Haut-Médoc's non-classified growths over the past decade to arrive at a surface area of over 130 hectares today. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

94 Points! Bright, with crushed-stone and floral character on the nose. Medium body with a firm core, expanding through the palate. Vivid and bright. Lots of good energy. Crushed-stone and lightly chalky character at the end. Needs two or three years to come around. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

92 Points! The 2019 Potensac is fabulous. Bright and focused, the 2019 impresses with its energy, balance and total class. Crushed flowers, mint, cinnamon, crushed rocks and blood orange all open in the glass. The 2019 is class personified I love the purity here. The 2019 is a standout, and should be a terrific value, too. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

#BordeauxBlowout

94 Points!  This has a pretty nose of chocolate, praline, blueberries, lavender and bramble berries. It’s medium-bodied with firm, compact tannins. Firm and focused with an enticing bitter chocolate character throughout. Some smoked wood. Intense and tightly wound. Opens on the palate. Try in 2027. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

94 Points! One of the best Haut-Médocs out there, and a wine that competes with any number of classified growths, the 2019 Château Sociando-Mallet is ruby/plum-hued and has a great nose of ripe red and black currants, spice, smoked tobacco, and loamy earth. It shows the more expressive, open, seamless style of the 2019 vintage and is medium to full-bodied, has beautifully polished tannins, and just about perfect balance. Smart readers will buy a case (or more) of this beauty, and it will have an incredibly broad drink window, with 30-35 years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck