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RP: "In the new classification of St.-Emilion, justice was certainly served with the elevation of Angelus to premier grand cru classe status. No Bordeaux estate has been making as concentrated and consistently high quality wines as has Angelus since 1988. Even in the rain-plagued vintage of 1992, Angelus produced a wine of uncommon power, ripeness, and intensity. This estate is in many ways symbolic of what heights Bordeaux can achieve when a property is managed by someone as passionate and driven as Hubert de Bouard. As I have been writing for the last decade, these are wines to buy at first release; they can only go up in price given their quality. Another inky, purple/black-colored wine, the 1994 offers up heavenly scents of smoked meats, barbeque spices, hickory wood, and plenty of cassis and kirsch liqueur. The fruit's phenomenal purity and denseness, as well as its overall balance is admirable in view of the massive, muscular personality of this huge, full-bodied wine oozing with extract. It is a tour de force in winemaking." Learn More

99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted at the domaine, the 1982 Leoville Las Cases is just about pure perfection, and while certainly mature, it has plenty of life ahead of it. Thrilling notes of blackcurrants, kirsch, tobacco leaf, cedar box, menthol, and exotic spices all emerge from this seamless, powerful yet magically elegant Léoville Las Cases. Opening up in the glass, with a smoky, singular character, it's an incredible wine from this terroir that has an almost Latour-like regal quality.

98 Points – Decanter
Beautifully fragrant nose, dried flowers and cedar, iron and salted-caramelised cherries: graceful and understated. Refined palate, sleek yet dense with generous and imposing tannins, yet remaining round and approachable. This has real charm with underlying drive but presented in such a complete and harmonious way; polished and precise with tons of energy. A stunning wine and so easy to drink, full of cherries and red berries with savoury touches of cigar smoke and leather that give a hint of maturity but in no way shout that it's more than 40 years old. Just wonderful. Winemaker was Bruno Rolland, who took over from his father, his grandfather and grand uncle. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (GH)

97 Points – Wine Advocate
As I wrote earlier this year, the 1982 Léoville Las Cases is one of the least evolved wines of the vintage, and this impeccably conserved ex-château bottle was, if anything, even more youthful still. Retaining a saturated ruby-black hue at age 40, it unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and other dark fruits mingled with notions of pencil shavings and loamy soil. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular, with an ample core of fruit framed by voluminous, powdery tannins. Rich and concentrated, with an expansive, comparatively low-acid profile, it comes into its own with extended aeration—and with food. (WK)

96 Points – Jane Anson
Gentle bricking around the edges of the glass, rose petals and campfire smoke on the first nose. Elegance personified, the tannins are so fine and the overall body so fresh, that it explains right there in the glass why St Julien is loved world over. Las Cases can almost be Pauillac-like when young, but as it ages it reconnects with its St Julien character, and here it shows freshly tilled earth, loam, truffles. Very much on its drinking plateau, but the kind of wine that will quietly, unobtrusively deliver for the next two decades or more. gold, no question. Slight deposit thrown, so suggest carafing, but for the first few hours after opening I would simply let stand. 50% new oak. Michel Delon owner.

95 Points – Wine Spectator
A racy, classy, silky wine. Inky-ruby color. Black cherry, mineral and wet earth aromas. Medium-bodied, with very silky tannins and a long, superfine finish. Has always been excellent. (JS)

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100 Points – Vinous
The 2008 Cristal Late-Released is a special cuvée bottled to celebrate Cristal’s 150th Anniversary. It spent an added four years on the lees, which places it between the regular release and the Vinothèque in terms of aging. Explosive in the glass, the 2008 possesses off-the-charts textural richness and density, much of that coming from the shaking of the bottles during élevage (poignettage). That extra mid-palate resonance fills out the layers, resulting in a Cristal that is utterly profound. Unforgettable. Disgorged: 2020. (AG)

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100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
Another truly flawless wine from this dream team is the 2018 Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc, which comes from a vineyard located at the top of Hermitage Hill and was brought up in 20-25% new demi-muids. Offering a magical bouquet of liqueur of rock, quince, poached pears, orange blossom, and honeysuckle, it's a powerful, super-rich, expressive, full-bodied white that could come from nowhere else in the world. It's approachable today (it needs plenty of air) yet won't hit prime for another 7-8 years or so.

98-100 Points – Wine Advocate
Chapoutier's colossal 2018 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc is a candidate for a perfect score, marrying crisp, stony, structural elements with an off-the-charts level of pineapple, citrus and melon fruit. Full-bodied yet fresh, round yet focused, it's a somehow harmonious expression of several seeming contradictions and should amaze drinkers for decades to come. As has become my habit, I scheduled a full morning with Michel Chapoutier and his team to taste through the company's wines from the Northern Rhône. The fascination here with individual wines of terroir means that the number of bottlings has grown considerably over the years, and the session always includes wines from several partnerships Chapoutier has with other personalities, like renowned chefs in the Pic Chapoutier and Michael Alléno and Michel Chapoutier wines (reviews listed separately). It was fascinating to sample the 2017s and 2018s in such close proximity, as some cuvées/appellations seemed to have fared better in 2017, while others look potentially better in 2018. At the very top end, you can't go wrong with any of the sélections parcellaires from either vintage. (JC)

98 Points – Wine Spectator
This is rich and piercing at the same time, with jasmine, peach, mango and yellow apple fruit flavors forming a juicy, concentrated core offset by racy chamomile, quinine and honeysuckle notes that add considerable detail throughout. A fresh salted butter element echoes through the finish as the fruit, floral and mineral aspects meld seamlessly. A stunner. (JM)

96 Points – Decanter
This has a gentle, almond nougat aroma and a touch of rhubarb with gentle honeycomb edging to the pear and mango fruit. It's still distinctly saline and buzzing with energy, but more immediately drinkable than a more classic recent vintage of L'Ermite Blanc. The yields were 32hl/ha, very high for this domaine, and it doesn't currently provide the impact of more concentrated, lower yielding years. From some pre-phylloxera vines from 1860. Michel explains that the soils on this lieu-dit are ‘granilite’ - granite with a touch of calcium - a rare kind of alkaline granite. 80% matured in demi-muid, 15% new oak; the rest in stainless steel barrels. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035. (MW)

18.5/20 Points – Jancis Robinson
100% Marsanne. Tank sample. Smoky and thick, with green apple, quince and something almost sherry-esque – gives a really savoury snap on the finish. Fresh tobacco scent on the length. Loads of volume, but doesn’t overdo it, giving flesh that doesn’t obscure the bones. (RH)

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100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant sweet wine that tops out on my scale, the 2001 Château D'Yquem is now fully mature yet still vibrant and pure, with an incredible nose of honeyed marmalade, caramelized tropical fruits, rising bread, marzipan, and lavender. Incredibly complex, full-bodied, and unctuous on the palate, it's one of those rare wines that can deliver incredible richness and decadence while staying pure, light on its feet, and perfectly balanced. A wine that every wine lover should taste once in their life, it should be just about immortal.

100 Points – James Suckling
This has taken on a golden amber color, with fantastic intensity and complexity of aromas. Mushroom, candle wax, white truffle, chamomile, honey, vanilla bean, marmalade, smoke, toast, apricot and pineapple. Powerful, rich and intense, yet sharp and almost savory, demanding attention. Goes on and on.

100 Points – Wine Advocate
I have had the very good fortune to taste the 2001 d'Yquem perhaps a dozen times since its release and have never been less than absolutely floored by its combination of poise, purity, precision and layer upon intricate, jaw-dropping layer of flavor nuances. It is among a very small clutch of incredible wines that crash through the 100-point ceiling and rocket beyond the stratosphere! A testament to that magic that can be created when an uncommonly great vintage for Sauternes brings out the best of an extraordinary vineyard and is skillfully, sensitively crafted, the 2001 is a true wine rarity that must be tried to be believed. (LPB)

100 Points – The Wine Independent
The 2001 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. The nose is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging with a complex array of notes of mango preserves, baked peaches, saffron, salted almonds, and candied ginger, followed by wafts of jasmine, honeycomb, and crème caramel. The palate is super-sweet, concentrated, and multi-layered, delivering wave after wave of opulent stone and tropical fruit flavors, supported by amazing tension and a satiny texture, finishing with epic length and lingering mineral notes. This is a wine I've tasted many times and it has never been less than the epitome of a Sauternes experience that is as cerebral as it is hedonic. The residual sugar is 150 grams per liter, which is on the high side, yet, incredibly, it wears this richness with such energy. (LPB)

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100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant sweet wine that tops out on my scale, the 2001 Château D'Yquem is now fully mature yet still vibrant and pure, with an incredible nose of honeyed marmalade, caramelized tropical fruits, rising bread, marzipan, and lavender. Incredibly complex, full-bodied, and unctuous on the palate, it's one of those rare wines that can deliver incredible richness and decadence while staying pure, light on its feet, and perfectly balanced. A wine that every wine lover should taste once in their life, it should be just about immortal.

100 Points – James Suckling
This has taken on a golden amber color, with fantastic intensity and complexity of aromas. Mushroom, candle wax, white truffle, chamomile, honey, vanilla bean, marmalade, smoke, toast, apricot and pineapple. Powerful, rich and intense, yet sharp and almost savory, demanding attention. Goes on and on.

100 Points – Wine Advocate
I have had the very good fortune to taste the 2001 d'Yquem perhaps a dozen times since its release and have never been less than absolutely floored by its combination of poise, purity, precision and layer upon intricate, jaw-dropping layer of flavor nuances. It is among a very small clutch of incredible wines that crash through the 100-point ceiling and rocket beyond the stratosphere! A testament to that magic that can be created when an uncommonly great vintage for Sauternes brings out the best of an extraordinary vineyard and is skillfully, sensitively crafted, the 2001 is a true wine rarity that must be tried to be believed. (LPB)

100 Points – The Wine Independent
The 2001 Yquem has a pale to medium gold color. The nose is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging with a complex array of notes of mango preserves, baked peaches, saffron, salted almonds, and candied ginger, followed by wafts of jasmine, honeycomb, and crème caramel. The palate is super-sweet, concentrated, and multi-layered, delivering wave after wave of opulent stone and tropical fruit flavors, supported by amazing tension and a satiny texture, finishing with epic length and lingering mineral notes. This is a wine I've tasted many times and it has never been less than the epitome of a Sauternes experience that is as cerebral as it is hedonic. The residual sugar is 150 grams per liter, which is on the high side, yet, incredibly, it wears this richness with such energy. (LPB)

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100 Points – Jane Anson
To kick off the 50 year retrospective of Haut-Bailly, we began with this exceptional 2016 (we had also tried the fragrant and nuanced 2019 in the tasting room). Still concentrated and powerful, its structure and poise is a clear reminder that the vintage sets the bar as one of the greatest Haut-Baillys in recent history. Fabulous wine, with layers of black olive paste, blueberry fruit, crayon, cigar box, luscious but still reserved, will go for decades. Harvest September 26 to October 18. Denis Dubourdieu's last year as consultant, Gabriel Vialard winemaker, Véronique Sanders director, 55% new oak for ageing.

100 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
I obviously underrated the 2016 Château Haut-Bailly on release, and it easily tops out my scale. A hypothetical blend of the 2009 and 2010, it has the opulence and sexiness of a ripe, sunny vintage (à la 2009) paired with incredible purity, concentration, structure, and elegance (à la 2010). Incredible aromatics of cassis, liquid violets, cedar pencil, flowers, and minerals give way to a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered Haut-Bailly offering ultra-fine tannins, flawless overall balance, nothing out of place, and the class to drink well today yet evolve for 30-40 years. Absolute perfection in wine, this is a modern-day Legend from director Veronique Sanders.

98 Points – James Suckling
Wonderful aromas of tobacco, sweet fruit and licorice follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins that caress every inch of your palate. Love the length and subtlety to this young wine. Gorgeous.

98 Points – Wine Advocate
The 2016 Haut-Bailly is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. The nose opens with beautiful floral notes of violets and lavender accented with earthy notions and sparks of crushed rocks over a core of kirsch, cassis and wild blueberries. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, it has layer upon layer of red, black and blue fruits intermingled with earth and mineral hints leading to a very long, perfumed finish. (LPB)

97 Points – Decanter
Refined, elegant, brilliant. Spring rain and a dry, sunny summer and autumn meant perfectly ripe grapes, a growing season CEO Véronique Sanders dubbed Le Bonheur (‘a delight’). This sumptuous, smooth red has just about everything: concentration, power, richness, floral and tobacco leaf scents, dark berry and cassis flavours, a plush texture, and long, polished tannins. Haut-Bailly is cru classé for red only. (EM)

97 Points – Int'l Wine Review
The 2016 Château Haut Bailly is yet another absolutely magnificent release from this iconic estate in Pessac-Léognan. Composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc this begins to open with aromas of ripe blackberries and raspberries which are joined together by tobacco, spring florals, wet stones and a touch of licorice. On this palate this possesses a gorgeous medium-body that is beautifully structured around firm tannins. Displaying striking elegance and finesse this continues to display outstanding overall focus and purity through the long, precise finish. This is built for the long-haul and clearly possesses the characteristics to become very special. (JD)

97 Points – Wine Enthusiast
From an always-impressive estate, this vintage is superb, offering big tannins plus but also generous black fruits and powerful ripeness. Dense and with a good structure for aging, the wine will develop slowly and will not be ready before 2026. Cellar Selection (RV)

96+ Points – Vinous
The 2016 Haut-Bailly is brilliant on the nose with exquisite delineation and focus: blackberries, potpourri, crushed stone and hints of violet petal. This is utterly seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, perfectly judged acidity, very cohesive and almost Pauillac-like towards the finish. This is a very classy Haut-Bailly as you would expect, and the length is stupendous. Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château. (NM)

18/20 Points – Jancis Robinson
Deep, dark colour. Ripe and rich with plenty of extract. Cassis, blueberry and spice notes. The palate is intense but suave and fresh (2019 much the same), the tannins sitting firmly behind. Long finish. Clearly has a big structure but the fruit and freshness carry it. Long ageing potential. (JL)

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100 Points, Jeb's #1 Wine of the Year! One of the more muscular, concentrated 2022s in my tastings, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with serious aromatics of ripe red and black cherries, smoked tobacco, new leather, truffle, and an incredible sense of crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. I wouldn't be surprised to see this close down with 3-4 years of bottle age only to re-emerge after a decade. Based on 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, this modern-day legend has a terrific pH of 3.48 and an alcohol of 14.8%. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! This is marked by the chalky tannins, which are very cohesive and caressing. The ripe and dry year gave a more savory character to the wine, with notes of mussel shells, fine spices and dried orange peel coloring the fruit. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel from the vibrant, powdery tannins. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Larcis Ducasse is a huge, vertical wine. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2022 will need quite a few years to shed some of its considerable baby fat. Dense dark red fruit, new leather, licorice, rose petal and mocha are all broadly sketched. Imposing and vertical in build, this is immensely promising. The 2022 spent 14 months in oak (40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 500-liter barrels and 20% foudre), then three months in cement. I can't wait to see how this develops. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a very delineated, focused bouquet with blackberry, graphite, hint of freshly shaved black truffle and light granitic scents that emerge with time. Of all the recent vintages, this is perhaps one that leans a little toward Pomerol in style, maybe due to the expressive Cabernet Franc (14%). The palate is medium-bodied with finely embroidered tannins, a perfect line of acidity, superb focus and gentle grip. Having tasted at this property for over two decades, this is the finest Larcis Ducasse to date—a modern-day benchmark for the estate. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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100 Points, Jeb's #1 Wine of the Year! One of the more muscular, concentrated 2022s in my tastings, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with serious aromatics of ripe red and black cherries, smoked tobacco, new leather, truffle, and an incredible sense of crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. I wouldn't be surprised to see this close down with 3-4 years of bottle age only to re-emerge after a decade. Based on 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, this modern-day legend has a terrific pH of 3.48 and an alcohol of 14.8%. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! This is marked by the chalky tannins, which are very cohesive and caressing. The ripe and dry year gave a more savory character to the wine, with notes of mussel shells, fine spices and dried orange peel coloring the fruit. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel from the vibrant, powdery tannins. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Larcis Ducasse is a huge, vertical wine. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2022 will need quite a few years to shed some of its considerable baby fat. Dense dark red fruit, new leather, licorice, rose petal and mocha are all broadly sketched. Imposing and vertical in build, this is immensely promising. The 2022 spent 14 months in oak (40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 500-liter barrels and 20% foudre), then three months in cement. I can't wait to see how this develops. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a very delineated, focused bouquet with blackberry, graphite, hint of freshly shaved black truffle and light granitic scents that emerge with time. Of all the recent vintages, this is perhaps one that leans a little toward Pomerol in style, maybe due to the expressive Cabernet Franc (14%). The palate is medium-bodied with finely embroidered tannins, a perfect line of acidity, superb focus and gentle grip. Having tasted at this property for over two decades, this is the finest Larcis Ducasse to date—a modern-day benchmark for the estate. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

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ETA - Winter 2027 

100 Points | Decanter | June 2021

Pure perfection in a glass, the 2016 offers notes of cherry, liquorice, smoke, graphite, plum and eucalyptus. It is fresh and racy. This is a perfectly balanced wine, full of energy and freshness, juicy and fleshy on the palate, with a classic tannic frame and a long yet persistent finish. Drink it over the coming two or three decades. Bravo! (YC)

98 Points | Wine Advocate | November 2018

Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and matured in 60% new oak for 18 months, the 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very deep garnet-purple color, opening with sensuous scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie, star anise and fragrant lilacs with hints of chocolate box, cigar box and pencil lead plus wafts of truffles and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive, it completely fills the palate with perfumed black berry preserves and superbly plush tannins, finishing epically long and beautifully layered. (LPB)

98 Points | Vinous | January 2019

The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte is flat out stunning. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous energy and tension to play off the wine's dark, rich fruit. I am not sure I have ever tasted a young Smith Haut Lafitte with such extraordinary balance. In 2016, the Grand Vin is tense and pulsing with energy. Hints of lavender, spice, menthol and crème de cassis open up in the glass, but the 2016 stands out for its feel and exceptional harmony. The combined effects of picking a bit early, vinifiying more gently and reducing the impact of oak are having a profound effect at Smith Haut Lafitte. Thinking of some of the highly regarded wines of the last decade here, the 2009 and 2010 in particular, well, the 2016 is on another level. This is magnificent showing from proprietors Florence and Daniel Cathiard, and their team led by Technical Director Fabien Teitgen. (AG)

98 Points | The Wine Cellar Insider, Jeff Leve

With a depth of color impossible to miss, the wine opens with smoke, licorice, blackberry, cassis, and wet forest aromatics. Rich, fleshy and concentrated with all the right stuff, the wine is ripe, sensuous, silky and polished, The finish delivers smoked fruits, ripe tannins and length of flavor, which keeps right on going. This will age seamlessly for decades. With bottle age, this could score higher, as it develops.

7 Points | Jeb Dunnuck | February 2019

Moving to the reds, the 2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 60% new oak. It’s undeniably a more elegant, reserved style from this estate, yet it still offers full-bodied richness and depth, with a classic perfume of cassis, black currants, cold fireplace, wood smoke, and tobacco.

97 Points | James Suckling | February 2019

The blackcurrant and blueberry aromas are lifted and beautiful. Lots of flowers, too, together with some mushroom and dried-flower undertones. Full-bodied with firm and very silky tannins giving a lovely texture. Bright acidity lifts the finish and gives it drive and force.

97 Points | Wine Enthusiast | March 2020

This hugely dense wine is complex and full of juicy, succulent, smoky Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are at the service of the fruits. The wine still has a long way to go before maturity. Cellar Selection (RV)

97 Points | Wine Spectator | March 2019

Quite ripe, with lush waves of cassis, cherry preserve and raspberry puree flavors gliding through in no hurry, but maintaining definition and cut along the way as bramble, tar and melted licorice snap notes slowly emerge throughout. The finish features an intense echo of pastis and sweet tobacco, showing serious latent grip. (JM)

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92-94 Points! The 2025 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Sur la Roche has turned out beautifully, unfurling in the glass with a deep bouquet of peach, pear and white blossoms mingled with notes of freshly baked bread. Medium- to full-bodied, it is structured and chalky, with a generous core of fruit and lively acidity, culminating in a long, saline finish. - Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com

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94 Points! Vivid acidity is enmeshed in a fine, raw silk-like texture-a graceful frame for this focused Champagne. There's an effortless feel to the integration, with flavors of white cherry, baked pineapple, Key lime peel, ginger biscuit and anise that expand on the palate and through the lasting, mouthwatering finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Vilmart's ultra-silky, detailed and refined style is amply on show with this beautiful edition of Grand Cellier, which sees Chardonnay from two parcels in Rilly-la-Montagne " vinified in the large, neutral Alsatian oak casks that are a historic part of this domaine's style " combined with 30% Pinot Noir. It's effortlessly approachable in its sweet preserved lemon, toasted pecan and macaron flavours, with 2022's abundant, glossy ripeness tempered by the cool, taut and thirst-quenching freshness of the northern Montagne. - Decanter Magazine

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94 Points! What a beautiful Gigondas. Enticing nose of ripe raspberries with notes of licorice. Wonderful freshness and juiciness on the front palate, then the generous fine tannins come through, building beautifully in the long, complete finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink from release. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Crafted from vines planted on sandy and clay soils, the 2022 Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits reveals a lively, gourmand bouquet of flowers, violet, dark cherries and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and energetic, it has a lively, incisive mid-palate with perfectly ripe tannins and good depth at the core. It concludes with a vertical, elegant and ethereal finish enhanced by aromas of dark berries. This stunning Gigondas is a blend of 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault and 5% Syrah, made with a portion of whole bunches (80%). Keep it over the next decade. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

93 Points! A bright and raspberry-fruited example. Fine, relatively light in tannin with brisk redcurrant acidity. A juicy and refreshing style, with no great concentration. Eight different plots around Gigondas, biodynamically farmed, partly destemmed. - Decanter Magazine

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100 Points | Wine Advocate

Lisa Perrotti-Brown found an extraordinary combination of floral, mineral and cassis character, framed by exceptionally fine tannins and seamless freshness. Her review emphasized the wine's profound aromatics, elegance and remarkably long finish.

100 Points

100 Points | Vinous

Antonio Galloni found the 2016 even more impressive from bottle than it had been from barrel. He praised the wine's combination of tremendous power and richness without heaviness, along with the classic gravel, tobacco and cedar character that makes Haut-Brion so distinctive.

100 Points

100 Points | James Suckling

Suckling found tremendous black fruit and forest berry character wrapped around an intensely structured palate. He praised the extremely fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity and seemingly endless finish, highlighting its very long aging potential.

100 Points

100 Points | Decanter

Jane Anson found a wine of hidden power, with charcoal, tobacco, dark plum and damson fruit emerging as it opened. She praised its layered tannins and understated authority, concluding:

“A great wine En primeur that has settled into greatness.”

100 Points

100 Points | Wine Enthusiast

Roger Voss described the 2016 as one of the finest Haut-Brions in many years, emphasizing its immense tannic structure, powerful black fruit and acidity.

This is a wine built for long-term aging.

100 Points

100 Points | Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

Jeff Leve was equally enthusiastic, awarding the wine a perfect 100 points. The nose explodes with smoke, mint, cigar wrapper, tobacco and crème de cassis, but for Leve, what really separates the wine is its combination of elegance, concentration, complexity, extraordinary length and sensuous texture.

His conclusion gets right to the point:

“This is one of those dream wines that if you can afford it, it belongs in your cellar!”

100 Points

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100 Points | Wine Advocate

Lisa Perrotti-Brown found an extraordinary combination of floral, mineral and cassis character, framed by exceptionally fine tannins and seamless freshness. Her review emphasized the wine's profound aromatics, elegance and remarkably long finish.

100 Points | Vinous

Antonio Galloni found the 2016 even more impressive from bottle than it had been from barrel. He praised the wine's combination of tremendous power and richness without heaviness, along with the classic gravel, tobacco and cedar character that makes Haut-Brion so distinctive.

100 Points | James Suckling

Suckling found tremendous black fruit and forest berry character wrapped around an intensely structured palate. He praised the extremely fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity and seemingly endless finish, highlighting its very long aging potential.

100 Points | Decanter

Jane Anson found a wine of hidden power, with charcoal, tobacco, dark plum and damson fruit emerging as it opened. She praised its layered tannins and understated authority, concluding:

“A great wine En primeur that has settled into greatness.”

100 Points | Wine Enthusiast

Roger Voss described the 2016 as one of the finest Haut-Brions in many years, emphasizing its immense tannic structure, powerful black fruit and acidity.

This is a wine built for long-term aging.

100 Points | Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

Jeff Leve was equally enthusiastic, awarding the wine a perfect 100 points. The nose explodes with smoke, mint, cigar wrapper, tobacco and crème de cassis, but for Leve, what really separates the wine is its combination of elegance, concentration, complexity, extraordinary length and sensuous texture.

His conclusion gets right to the point:

“This is one of those dream wines that if you can afford it, it belongs in your cellar!”

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100 Points! A very precise Blanc de Millenaires with subtle aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, stones, steel, chalk, watercress and some white peaches. Medium- to full-bodied with transparency and clarity that come through clearly and go on and on, The first year they used wine from the grand cru village of Chouilly. Complete and unique. Refined and structured at the same time. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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Pack contains: 2 Bottles 2016 Cos d’Estournel + 1 Bottle 2016 Pagodes de Cos

100 Points | James Suckling
Reviewed February 2019

This is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical. Try from 2025.

100 Points | Wine Advocate
Reviewed November 2018

Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic. (LPB)

100 Points | Vinous
Reviewed August 2020

In my last sighted review of the 2016 Cos d’Estournel, I wrote: “I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth.” Perhaps it is already beginning to shut down, because though this wine was deeply impressive, it fell just a notch short of ethereal previous bottles, despite its “pixelated black fruit” on the nose and “sublime balance” on the palate. I tasted the wine twice thereafter, though this time with a 4-6 hour decant, and this revealed the Cos d’Estournel that has amazed since I first tasted it out of barrel. (NM)

100 Points | Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

If the color does not let you know you're in for a treat, the nose is going to knock you over with its floral, smoke, cigar wrapper, black cherry and cassis notes. The purity of fruit here is off the charts. The wine is all about its silk and velvet textures from that point forward. The finish is so expansive, it feels like it keeps on going, moving across an array of flavors long after you've put the wine where it was supposed to go. This is the best wine yet produced by Jean-Guillaume Prats and his team. Bravo!

99 Points | Jeb Dunnuck
Reviewed February 2019

One of the more seamless, pure, elegant versions of this cuvée out there, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a monster nose of pure crème de cassis, gravelly, rocky minerality, tobacco leaf, crushed violets, and lead pencil shavings. One of those “iron fists in a velvet glove” wines, with full-bodied richness and beautiful structure that’s covered by thrilling levels of fruit and texture, it stays tight, compact, and incredibly focused on the palate. It’s already brilliant given its purity of fruit and balance, but it deserves a decade of bottle age and will keep for 4-5 decades.

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