Wines

93 Points! This estate continues to merit substantial praise. Let’s hope in the upcoming revised Classification of the Wines of St.-Emilion, Troplong Mondot merits elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classe, which it has deserved for some time. Not far off the pace of the spectacular 2000, the 2001 is performing even better from bottle than it was from cask. A gorgeous perfume of plum jam, creme de cassis, flowers, licorice, black fruits, a hint of graphite, and well-integrated wood notes is followed by a medium to full-bodied St.-Emilion with superb texture, great flavor purity, and tremendous harmony as well as elegance. Remarkably approachable despite its impressive concentration and well-concealed tannin, this is a beauty. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

100 Points! The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon shares similarities in the glass with the 2005 and 2007 bottlings, as all three vintages have the same robust nose with dried cherries and cranberry essence and a soft prune character, which all showed better when the wines were young. The generosity of this wine seems to have caught up to it. Full-bodied, the palate is lively with firm, juicy tannins that should last five more years. Flavors of ripe, black and dark red fruits remain in the mouth, and there's an alcoholic lift on the finish, concluding with firm tannins. - Anthony Mueller, robertparker.com

96 Points! Funky and woody on the nose, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon still has elements of dried red cherry and black raspberry reduction with cinnamon-covered currants on the nose. I am sensing some bottle variance, but the full-bodied wine goes on to show a delightful structure that should hold together for a few more years in the bottle. Ultimately, the wine ends with a tannic edge over the long conclusion, ending with mature flavors of stewed fruit compote with an element of old oak and pine bark. - Anthony Mueller, robertparker.com

96 Points! A great showing for this wine in the mini-vertical, the 2001 Pavie has a slight lightening at the edge of its dark garnet/plum/purple color and a big, sweet kiss of cedar wood, incense, licorice, blackberry and lead pencil shavings. The wine is dense, very rich, multilayered and finishes with at least a 40- to 45-second aftertaste. This wine seems to be close to full maturity, but should hold there for easily another 15-20 years. It’s a sleeper of the vintage. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2015

93 Points! The 2001 Léoville Barton is still a few years from full maturity. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and muscular, with a deep, concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe but firm tannins that still assert themselves on the finish. If Léoville Poyferré is in its prime today, this Léoville Barton still ideally deserves a few more years' patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com, 2022

100 Points! The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2014

95 Points! Intense aromas of violets, berries and spices follow through to a full-bodied palate, with layers of supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Very classic in style. All in elegance and length. I like it better than the 2000. Best after 2009. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Haut-Brion’s 2001, which was bottled late (the end of September, 2003), possesses an unmistakable nobility as well as a burgeoning complexity. Plum/purple to the rim, this blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc is playing it close to the vest, having closed down considerably after bottling. Nevertheless, it reveals pure notes of sweet and sour cherries, black currants, licorice, smoke, and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with excellent purity, firm tannin, and an angular, structured finish, it requires 5-7 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

98 Points! A brilliant showing for Christian Moueix’s well-known Napanook Vineyard, the 2001 Dominus is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. A classic in the making, this is a flawless, seamless example of elegant, complex Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses a Bordeaux-like personality. This gorgeous, sexy, opulent, dense ruby/purple-colored wine reveals sweet caramel, mocha, creme de cassis and kirsch notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast as well as underbrush. Ripe, long and full-bodied with well-integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood, this prodigious 2001 is drinkable now and over the next 25+ years given this estate’s longevity track record. A virtually perfect wine, it is one of the most complex 2001s at present. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2011

100 Points! 2003 was one of the hottest, earliest Bordeaux vintages ever. Some vines suffered from lack of moisture, but old vines and clay subsoil at Enclos saw this vineyard through. The Merlot harvest occurred between September 8 and 13, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked between September 22 and 30. The 2003 Latour is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Six percent of the press wine was added to the final blend. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color, then wow—it explodes from the glass with bombastic black and blue fruits, followed up by meat, wood smoke, sandalwood and Indian spice accents with underlying floral wafts. The palate is full, rich, velvety, seductive and very long on the finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com, 2019

97 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 2006! Dark color with intense blackberry, chocolate and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied and ultravelvety, with caressing tannins. Vanilla, chocolate and berry. Goes on for minutes. Best after 2010. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is the sleeper of the vintage. Best after 2010. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! This beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of cedarwood, baking spices and roasted herbs. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, fresh and precise, this wine is just hitting full maturity where it should remain for another 10-15 years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2014

93 Points! Rich and velvety, bursting with blueberry, plum, cherry and exotic spice aromas and flavors, filling the mouth with flavor and refined tannins. A seductive wine with real backbone to carry it through. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. - Wine Spectator

People do not give limestone enough credit. It is the ultimate 'refresher' and the protection for vines during the hot growing seasons...like 2003. While the wines grown on the gravels baked this wine from old Merlot vines on clay over limestone did just fine. What a wine for the money, drinking perfectly now...

95 Points! Rich with surprisingly soft tannin, this dense plum/ruby/purple-colored 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits lots of briary mountain fruit, blackberries, blueberries and cassis, outstanding purity, full-bodied power and nicely integrated tannin. There is no evidence of toasty oak to be found in this beauty from Randy Dunn. Drink it now or cellar it for 15+ years. It finished at 13.8% natural alcohol. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com 2013

91 Points! Broodingly backward, young, and tight is the 2001 Shiraz Springflat. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of new oak, black currants, cherries, and a hint of underbrush as well as mint in the background. Full-bodied and chewy, but backward, it requires additional bottle age. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, August 2003