France

100 Points! Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle. - Jane Anson, 2021

99 Points! This is compelling, with a bright, forward currant fruit that is opening well now to show the nuance of game, earth, and gunflint to the ripe, dark fruit. The texture is tannic and fresh, with tannins starting to loosen but still in evidence. A luminous, radiant wine that will doubtless improve for another half-century. The vintage saw a solid flowering and fruit set and a warm July, but cool, rainy weather in August slowed ripening. The sun returned for most of September, but there was a bit of rain in the last week, although fine weather returned in October. At Lafite, 38% of the grapes went into the grand vin, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot – more of this last and less Merlot than customary. From 1996 forward, the percentage of Cabernet was higher than it had been hitherto. - Decanter Magazine, 2022

The forgotten wine? Bouchard's Beaune Greves Vignes de L'Enfant Jesus gets all the run but did you know they made another wine from this site at 1/3 the price? And it's terrific...

93-95 Points! Wild strawberries, raspberries, spring lowers, sandalwood, and Provençal spice notes all emerge from the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sables De La Crau, a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape based on 100% Grenache that was fermented with some stems and brought up all in used barrels. It shows the ripe yet still fresh, elegant style of the vintage beautifully. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Deep and highly aromatic on the nose - freshly picked red berries with dried herbs and a touch of liquorice. Supple and forward, this has nice energy and bounce. Creamy, super juicy and with a cooling mineral bite that comes across as slightly spiced with graphite and pencil lead accents and a slight chalky powderiness on the tongue. Really lovely frame and focus. Great to drink now, has plenty of punch but with lovely finesse too. Easy to enjoy this. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Very perfumed, bright and crunchy. Rose petals, lemons and other citrus fruits. Medium body with citrus and raspberry flavors. Linear and long with lovely energy and vivacity. Drinkable now, but better in a couple of years. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Vibrant, scented and delineated, showing expressive blue fruit, hibiscus, cassis, minerals and spices. The medium- to full-bodied palate is evenly packed with fresh and fine tannins. Graceful, velvety yet al dente. Spot-on balance with a lengthy but tightly wound finish. Already attractive, but wait three years if you want a more complete Bordeaux. This has the potential to develop for at least another eight to ten years. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! (47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot). A lovely vintage of Senejac, plummy dark fruits, luscious cocoa bean and espresso, edges of rosemary and sage, good stuff. Eric Boissenot consultant, Bignon-Cordier family owners. - Jane Anson

93 Points! I like the biscuit and brioche aromas here. Some fig, walnut and apple crumble, too. It’s rich an creamy with delicious, toasty undertones. Rounded yet very fresh finish. Disgorged in 2023. Dosage 3g/L. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

52% Vertus Premier Cru, 27% Bergères les Vertus Premier Cru, 21% Cramant Grand Cru  Côte des Blancs, 40+ year-old vines.

93 Points! Based on Bourboulenc, Viognier, and Marsanne, the 2024 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel Blanc is a killer white offering honeyed peach, orange blossom, white flowers, and a kiss of minerality. It's medium-bodied, pure, focused, and elegant, with a layered mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This is legit fabulous stuff that's as good as many a top Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc and will drink beautifully over the coming 4-6 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points Decanter
"Crushed tobacco, violets, and a seamless interplay of red and black fruit. Remarkable energy and vivacity with depth and lift. A fabulous expression of site and vine age, and a standout in Saint-Émilion."

96-98 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Intense, deep, concentrated, and vibrant. Rich, creamy, and powerful, yet balanced and harmonious. The finish delivers waves of sweet, supple fruit and expanding mineral complexity."

95-97 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"Powerful yet understated, with black cherry, lavender, sage, menthol, licorice, and espresso. Limestone-driven energy and broad, chocolatey tannins support a long, explosive finish."

94-96 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"A limestone-driven beauty offering red and black fruits, liquid violets, chalk, and graphite. Medium-bodied and focused with fine tannins, beautiful balance, and outstanding length."

94-96 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate
"Juicy black plums, boysenberries, sandalwood, Indian spices, and crushed rocks. Supported by velvety tannins and lively freshness, finishing long and opulent."

93-95 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Mineral-rich black fruit, graphite, and tobacco define this more classical interpretation of La Mondotte. Lovely texture, tensile energy, and a brisk, peppery finish suggest excellent aging potential."

94 Points! More Mourvèdre-dominated, the 2009 Châteauneuf Du Pape L'Envol is slightly less aromatic yet still brings solid complexity in its gamey, darker fruits, iron, smoked meats, spice, and peppery, garrigue-like nuances. It's beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, has ripe, polished tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's another brilliant wine from this estate that offers a terrific drinking experience today yet still has another decade of longevity. Drink: 2025-2034. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! A more long-term effort is the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape L’Envol (70% Mourvedre and 30% Grenache, aged in two- to three-year-old small barriques). A complex nose of sauteed mushrooms intermixed with meat juices, blueberry, mulberry and tree bark are all present in a completely different interpretation of Chateauneuf du Pape. The color is a healthy deep bluish purple, and the wine medium to full-bodied, tannic and quite young and backward. This will need a few years of bottle age and evolve over the next 15+ years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

96 Points – Decanter
"A beautifully crafted Saint-Estèphe with impressive depth, precision, and freshness. Dark fruits, graphite, cedar, and mineral notes are framed by fine tannins and excellent persistence."

96–97 Points – James Suckling
"A refined and focused Phélan Ségur with blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stones, and floral undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with polished tannins and a long, energetic finish."

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Fresh, vibrant and classically styled, with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, and crushed rock minerality. Excellent balance and aging potential."

93–95 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Phélan Ségur offers lovely delineation with blackberry, cassis, graphite, and subtle floral aromas. The palate is structured and persistent with fine tannins and excellent precision."

92–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Black currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, and crushed rocks form the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, energetic, and loaded with classic Saint-Estèphe character, finishing with excellent length and minerality."

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“A serious Aile d'Argent with sliced green mangoes, pears and green apples. Full-bodied. Framed with phenolics and minerals. Complex and real. A touch of flint and cedar at the end. Super finish. A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle.”

94–96 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“The 2025 Aile d'Argent pops from the glass with vivacious notes of Bosc pears, white peaches, and pink grapefruit, giving way to hints of honeysuckle, orange peel, and beeswax with a touch of jasmine tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is satiny-textured and crisp with intense orchard fruit flavors and a long, fragrant finish. The blend is 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris, and 1% Muscadelle. It has a pH of 3.13 and the alcohol is 13.6%. It is due to age in French oak barrels for 9 months, 45% new. No malolactic was performed this year.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris, and a splash of Muscadelle, the 2025 Château Mouton Rothschild Aile D'Argent Blanc offers bright green citrus, crushed stone, minty herb, and savory aromatics, with an incredibly mineral-driven character. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with bright, racy acidity and a clean finish. This exotic, complex, perfumed white is going to benefit from a few years in the cellar and I suspect have a long drinking window.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A beautifully structured and polished La Chapelle with layers of dark fruit, graphite, and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins, excellent balance, and a long, focused finish. A superb second wine.”

92–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A beautiful, layered second wine from this team, the 2025 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.3% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. Ripe black cherries, graphite, red plums, smoke, and tobacco are just some of the nuances on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, fine and polished tannins, and a great finish.”

92–94 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion prances out with gregarious notes of fresh black cherries, juicy raspberries, and cassis, plus hints of lavender oil and pencil shavings with a waft of tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine-grained tannins and great tension to match the bright black and red berry flavors, finishing minerally. The blend is 28.3% Merlot, 52.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.1% Petit Verdot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.1%.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, tobacco leaves, black cherries, cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks create the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and energetic with a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit. The finish combines minerality, freshness, and length, making this one of the strongest vintages of La Chapelle in recent years.”

96–98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Arômes De Pavie has a gorgeous, Cabernet-like nose of red and black fruits, smoky tobacco, crushed stone, and chocolaty, truffly nuances. It's rich and powerful on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great finish. You'd be excused for mistaking this for the grand vin of a few years ago, and it's more in the style of the classic Pavie than the Grand Vin in 2025.”

95–97 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, smoke, espresso, and crushed rocks create the perfume. Rich, supple, and energetic, the wine combines depth, freshness, and minerality with layers of ripe fruit and a long, vibrant finish. This is one of the finest vintages ever produced for Les Arômes de Pavie.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“This shows density and beauty in the integration of tannins and fruit. Medium-bodied with attractive blue fruit and a dark, earthy finish. Lightly salty. 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.”

93–95 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Arômes de Pavie features fragrant notes of blackberry preserves, fresh black plums, and aniseed, plus touches of garrigue, pencil lead, and lavender. The medium- to full-bodied palate is chock-full of bright black fruit flavors, framed by firm, grainy tannins and a crisp line of tension, finishing long and chalky. Impressive! The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.25% and the pH is 3.5.”

100 Points! Even more flamboyant and sexy than the 2000, the 2005 Pavie has everything you could ever want from a wine. Deep, inky purple-colored, an awesome perfume of cassis, blackberries, toasty oak, graphite, and incredible minerality, full body, sweet tannin, and a blockbuster finish all make for an extraordinary Saint-Emilion. It’s still a baby but offers incredible pleasure today. It’s going to last for another 3-4 decades. - jeb Dunnuck, 2018

100 Points! The 2005 Pavie is deep garnet with a touch of brick. It skips out of the glass with bright, lively notes of Morello cherries, plum preserves, red roses, and candied violets followed by hints of menthol, dark chocolate, and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is so vibrant and energetic that it sparkles. Youthful red and black fruit notes comingle with mineral and floral sparks, framed by fine-grained tannins and wonderful tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This is a triumph. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, 2023

100 Points! Just a powerhouse of a wine that does everything right, the 2000 Château Pavie is drinking incredibly well today, offering huge blackcurrant and chocolatey darker berry fruits as well as loads of truffly earth, tobacco, and spice. Full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate, it stays flawlessly balanced, and while I suspect the acidity is quite low, it has an incredible sense of freshness and a weightless texture. Fully mature, yet in the early part of its drink window, it has another two decades or prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck, 2020

100 Points! Just beginning to come around and strut its enormous potential, this wine at age 15 has been evolving like a glacier. The wine has an inky, opaque, plum/purple color and a stunningly rich nose of mulberries, bramble berries, blackberries, licorice and incense as well as touches of toast and graphite. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a multidimensional mouthfeel, this profound Pavie is in mid-adolescence. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com 2015

100 Points! Medium garnet-brick in color, the 2000 Pavie needs a little swirl to coax out fragrant notes of dried roses, cinnamon stick, red loam, and fallen leaves leading to a core of kirsch, plum preserves, and blueberry compote plus a hint of cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in grace and suppleness, featuring exquisitely ripe, silky tannins and seamless freshness to frame the achingly perfumed fruit, finishing so, so long and so, so fragrant. This was the first vintage using the "Eleanor" bottle shape that Pavie is well-known for today. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, 2023

97 Points! Dense ruby in colour, slight bricking around the edges. Beautifully supple tannins, hints of black truffle, cocoa dusting. Signature Figeac finesse. Bright and vivid, feels like the slow-moving 2000 is now beginning to rival the legendary 2001 Figeac, and reaching that point where you can't decide if you want to slow down and savour every sip or rev up and drink it down in a few gulps. From double magnum. 100% new oak. - Jane Anson, 2023

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Offers tension and grip, a slow unroll, reserved at first but as it opens you get luscious white peach and pear fruits, along with elderflower and apple blossom florals. Great stuff from this lovely structure-driven white wine.”

93 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Just bottled, the Blanc de Lynch-Bages is a gorgeous, refreshing dry white to drink now and over the next handful of years. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and chalky undertones are beautifully delineated.”

93 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Grapefruit, vanilla, green apples, and floral notes are all over the place. The palate is equally brisk, with its vibrant, crisp display of yellow citrus and crunchy green apples, with hints of white peach, juicy pineapple, and white pepper on the finish.”

94–96 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers and plums fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, juicy, fresh, long, and packed with ripe, sweet black cherries, chocolate, oceanic influences, mint, and licorice. The finish has great energy, with flesh and length. Clearly, this is one of the best vintages of Barde Haut ever produced.”

94–96 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The nose of the 2025 Barde Haut is a field of flowers—violets, roses, and lavender—leading to a core of black raspberries and black cherries, plus a hint of forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully graceful with very fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension framing the perfumed black and blue fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Barde-Haut has beautiful notes of ripe black fruits, sappy flowers, tobacco, and chocolate on the nose. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. This is a seriously impressive Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé that's well worth your time and money.”

93–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Barde-Haut is powerful and resonant. Macerated dark cherry, spice, new leather, cedar and menthol confer tons of intensity. Broad and ample, with notable textural intensity.”