Saint Emilion

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100 Points! A hold onto your hat wine, the 2015 Château Figeac is pure perfection and one of the wines of this terrific vintage. A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, its deep purple color is followed by a huge nose of crème de cassis, black raspberries, smoked earth, and graphite. This is followed by a full-bodied, opulent and incredibly concentrated Saint-Emilion that has everything in the right places, no hard edges, thrilling purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. This is one of those rare gems that carries huge intensity and richness, yet still glides across the palate with no sense of weight or heaviness. Winemaker Frédéric Faye thinks the 2016 is even better but that certainly isn’t stopping me from giving this crazy good wine a triple digit score. Everyone owes it to themselves to try and taste this wine at least once! - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Intense, yet extremely precise nose of red fruit with hints of pomegranate and vanilla. Stunning balance of great ripeness and very fine tannins that give this a wonderfully rich and plush texture at the very long and lingering finish, which gives you so much to think about. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP. - James Suckling

97+ Points! The recent leaps and bounds in improvements that have occurred at this great estate, equating to a dramatic increase in intensity and complexity—without compromising the husky, soft-spoken, sultry voice that is Figeac—is a monumental achievement. Kudos to Frederic Faye and his team for so beautifully expressing what was clearly an extraordinary vintage at Chateau Figeac! Blended of 29% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Figeac reveals vibrant black cherries, cassis, red currants, black plums and licorice notes with touches of cigar boxes, bouquet garni, potpourri, damp soil and black pepper. Medium-bodied, delicately crafted and with nuanced, quietly intense layers of vivacious red and black fruits, the palate features a solid frame of polished, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97 Points! The 2015 Figeac is a step up from the 2014 with exquisite scents of red berry fruit, incense, rose petal and crush stone. Pixelated with wonderful precision. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, wonderful backbone allied with a sense of symmetry. It is more saline than previous vintages, with saliva flowing after the wine has exited. One of the standouts from the Right Bank in this vintage. Tasted at the Chateau. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! One of the real standouts of the vintage, the 2015 Figeac soars out of the glass with stunning aromatic presence and beautifully layered fruit. Powerful and yet also light on its feet, it is wonderfully complex from start to finish. Plum, mocha, spice, new leather and menthol gradually open up, but the 2015 is most remarkable for its sensual perfume and exceptional overall balance. This is the very first vintage the winemaking team followed a new protocol designed to maintain purity of fruit and aromas by reducing contact with oxygen during the first year of aging. The 2015 Figeac is magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98 Points! Intense aromas of wet earth, leaves, sweet berries and cinnamon follow through to a full body, velvety and dense tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Opulent style. Just opening now, but this shows lots of stuffing, even if it does tighten down on the palate. Integrated and fine. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

98 Points! The 2010 Figeac has a deep hue. The nose is quite introverted at first, with dark berry fruit, incense, touches of fig and mulberry. The palate is beautifully balanced with a fine bead of acidity, gorgeous pure fruit, mulberry and dark plum, gently considering the vintage. This 2010 has softened in the last couple of years, gaining depth towards the finish. Very persistent - this is just beginning to show what it is capable of. Tasted at the vertical in Berlin. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Figeac bursts from the glass with gregarious scents of baked blueberries, black cherry compote and chocolate box with hints of camphor, pencil lead and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully ripe, velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and layered. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

96 Points! Based on a normal mix of close to equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the 2010 is still youthful yet certainly offers pleasure today. Deep ruby/plum-hued with a classic Figeac nose of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and truffle, and it certainly seems more Médoc than Saint-Emilion. Beautifully balanced on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, and has silky tannins, a terrific mix of both richness and freshness, and an overriding sense of elegance. It's a gorgeous Figeac just coming into its own, with another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97 Points! Even in this super-ripe vintage Figeac retains its usual red bell pepper aroma (from the cabernet sauvignon grape) and that adds a light touch to the opulent fruit cake and spice character. The full fine tannins beautifully support the rich palate and make the finish very long and plush. A great 2009! Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019) - James Suckling

95 Points! The 2009 Château Figeac is the normal blend of close to equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a beautiful wine that has classic Figeac style, yet is more reserved and backward than most in the vintage. Forest floor, truffle, blackcurrants, cigar ash and green tobacco notes all emerge from this full-bodied, ripe, yet pure, elegant Saint-Emilion that has good acidity and plenty of length. The tannins are ripe, yet firm, it’s nicely balanced, and it blossoms with time in the glass. Nevertheless, it needs another 4-5 years of cellaring to hit prime time, and it should keep for 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2009 Figeac is a gorgeous wine that is really coming into its own. It has quite a precocious bouquet with wild strawberry, blood orange, fig jam, marmalade and gravelly aromas courtesy of the Cabernets. There is real depth on what is quite lush aromatics. The palate is beautifully balanced, very pure with a velvet texture, plenty of ripe red fruit, white pepper, clove, blood orange and kirsch notes, building wonderful towars a powerful yet contolled finish. This is drinking supremely well now, but it will cruise at high altitude for a number of years. Tasted at the chateau. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94 Points! The medium garnet colored 2009 Figeac features a very pretty perfume of rose hip tea, lilacs and cinnamon stick over a core of red and black currant preserves plus hints of dried herbs and sweaty saddles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers bags of savory fruit layers with plenty of floral sparks, framed by rounded tannins, finishing on a earthy note. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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92-94 Points! Brought up all in once-used barrels, the 2023 Château Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval is based on equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It offers loads of Cabernet character in its deeper currants, tobacco, darker chocolate, and leafy herb-like aromatics, with a kiss of background violet and floral nuances. It's no lightweight and has plenty of structure, medium body, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's a singular, unique expression from this terroir that will benefit from 5-6 years, if not more, of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck

92-94 Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Le Petit Cheval storms out of the glass with powerful earthy/savory notes of tar, tapenade, and underbrush giving way to a core of ripe black plums, boysenberries, and iris bulb with a fragrant touch of dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satin-soft and refreshing, with a well-sustained mid-palate of savory flavors, finishing with a cheeky red berry lift. The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, aged in 1-year barrels with no new oak. Le Petit Cheval accounts for 10% of production. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

92-94 Points! The 2023 Le Petit Cheval represents 10% of the estate's production and is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In a way, that results in a Petit Cheval that is very Cheval, meaning very expressive in the bouquet but less giving on the palate. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, star anise, pomegranate and blood orange lend an exotic flair. Bright acids and persistent tannins appear on the finish to give the wine shape, closing with a burst of energy. Superb. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! Precise carved quality to this Petit Cheval, gorgeous vibrancy to the tannins, savoury cassis and blueberry fruits, with sage, fennel and lemongrass edges, grilled and mouthwatering spices on the finish. Drawn from five plots in 2023. - Jane Anson

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98-100 Points! One of the most profound wines of the vintage is the 2023 Cheval Blanc, a striking wine that stands out for its strong sense of identity and seamless integration at such an early stage in its life. Wafting from the glass with notes of mulberries, lilac, dark fruits, iris root and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a gourmand core of cool, vibrant fruit that entirely conceals its sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98-99 Points! This is so cabernet, with blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed stone, graphite and lead pencil. Full-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that remain fine yet energetic. Winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet says this wine is a benchmark for Cheval Blanc. Reminds me of the great 1983. - James Suckling

97-99 Points! The 2023 Cheval Blanc, accounting for 75% of this year's crop, is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, the nose erupts with an atomic perfume of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, black raspberries, and ripe plums leading to a fragrant undercurrent of rosebud tea, menthol, star anise, and cinnamon stick. The medium-bodied palate is fantastically fresh and graceful, delivering super-fine-grained tannins and just enough tension to support the red, black, and blue fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note. This is magnificent. The blend is 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, with pH 3.80. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

98 Points! Contrasts intensity and depth with nuance and softly spoken character. Lift and tension, precisely placed cocoa bean, liqourice root, tomato leaf, tannins, violet and peony florals and slate, sinewy, slow-tug tannins, powerful with lift off. Has plenty to say and demands that you slow down to hear it. 40hl/h yield, 75% of overall production (no press wine as ever), harvest September 6 to October 3. Pierre-Olivier Clouet director. - Jane Anson

96-98 Points! The Grand Vin 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and, as always, is resting in 100% new French oak. It's deep ruby/plum-hued and offers a gorgeous array of ripe black cherries, currants, leafy herbs, spring flowers, and spicy oak. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Cheval with gorgeous mid-palate depth, ripe, building, yet polished tannins, and a certainly salty, mineral character on the finish. This is a classic, regal, aristocratic Cheval Blanc that will need bottle age, but it’s absolutely gorgeous. It's the finest wine I tasted on the Right Bank. - Jeb Dunnuck

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94-95 Points! There’s depth and beauty to this wine. It offers crunchy fruit, a chalky undertone and a hint of raw coffee bean. Medium body. Fine tannins. Bright and transparent. - James Suckling

93 Points! Bright violet and plum colour, vibrating with life, an easy wine to recommend as it no doubt will be to drink, love the depth and the rich damson fruit expression that combines with black chocolate, liqourice and cocoa with a juicy finish. - Jane Anson

91-93 Points! The 2023 Le Carillon d'Angélus, as usual a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, exhibits attractive aromas of cherries, raspberries and blackberries mingled with hints of exotic spices, vine smoke and violets. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, it's layered and enveloping, with a charming, seamless profile and a long, mouthwatering finish. As readers will by now remember, this bottling is no longer a "second wine" per se but rather draws on some 25 hectares of dedicated vineyards, emphasizing Merlot from the cool terroirs of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, complemented by holdings in the gravelly Figeac sector and on clay soils near Angélus itself—with anything that doesn't make the cut relegated to the No. 3 d'Angélus. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

91-93 Points! The second wine from Angélus, the 2023 Le Carillon D'Angélus is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak, with the balance in stainless steel. Beautiful black raspberries, cassis, graphite, and spicy, floral notes give way to a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, concentrated 2023 offering fine tannins and the juicy, vibrant, elegant style of the vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

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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

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98-99 Points! Wow, this is really something. It is full and powerful with truly impressive depth of fruit. Yet, it remains agile and structural, with flexed muscles, balanced by a sense of floating. Well defined and poised. 53% cabernet franc, 44% merlot, and 3% cabernet. Will it be better than 2022? - James Suckling

96-98 Points! The 2023 Trotte Vieille is deep garnet-purple in color. The first impression is WOW! It prances out of the glass with showy notes of ripe black plums, mulberries, and blackberry pie followed by hints of candied violets, cedar chest, cinnamon stick, and clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers electric tension, with super-fine satiny-smooth tannins and intense black fruit and baking spice layers, finishing long and fragrant. Along with the 2022, this is the best Trotte Vieille I've tasted. The blend is 53% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 13.5%. “The new vat room was finished in 2021 for Trotte Vieille,” commented owner Frédéric Castéja. “This made a big difference to what we could achieve this year. The aim was to respect the fruit, keep the freshness, and make wines that are not too tannic and aggressive when young. This is the opposite of the wines from the 1990s. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

93-95 Points! The 2023 Trotte Vieille is a seriously impressive wine. Dark, resonant and explosive, the 2023 packs a huge punch. A blast of dark fruit, herbs, menthol, spice and licorice saturates the palate, with pretty floral and savory notes that play off all that richness. Superb. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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97-98 Points! Wow, this is really something. Very fruity, with dark blackberries and blueberries, as well as blood oranges. It’s full and layered with great depth of fruit and chewy, polished tannins. Turns lightly salty at the end. Power with precision. 84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. - James Suckling

95-97 Points! The 2023 Valandraud delivers exactly what you expect on the nose from Jean-Luc Thunevin's crown jewel: very polished scents of black cherries, cassis and crushed violets. One sample has a soupcon of sur-maturite, although another at the Chateau displayed more composure and coolness. The palate is rich and fruit-driven with layers of black fruit. The sample at the Chateau showed more backbone and grip, a healthy sprinkling of cracked black pepper and a long and persistent finish. Give this three to five years, because it is a seriously good Saint-Emilion. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

95 Points! Inky depths to Valandraud in this vintage, well constructued, intense sweet liqourice and black chocolate, starts out threatening a more old school feel for this wine, with crème de cassis dominant and high alcohols, but it is given focus and lift as it moves through the palate, with lilting aromatics of red roses, welcome pummice stone tannins, squid ink salinity, and mouthwatering freshness. Skilful, confident, impressive. - Jane Anson

95-97 Points! The Grand Vin 2023 Château Valandraud checks in as a blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever in the blend. Raised in new barrels, pure cassis, mulberries, spicy oak, chocolate, and graphite are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, yet elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. It's a big, rich, undeniably sexy wine in the vintage that will be drinkable with just short-term cellaring. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! Another absolutely perfect wine in this incredible vintage, the 2020 Château Tertre Roteboeuf comes from a tiny hillside vineyard (5.6 hectares) and is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised all in new Radoux barrels. This show-stopping wine has everything and reveals a dense purple hue, incredible aromatics of cassis, vanilla bean, burning embers, graphite, and smoke tobacco, full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its tannins and acidity, and a massive finish. The finest wine I've ever tasted from this address, it's not going to hit maturity for another 7-8 years and will be a 30+-year wine. Hats off to the team of François Mitjavile for another singular, sexy, absolutely off-the-charts wine. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

94+ Points! This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The 2015 Moulin Saint-Georges is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 85% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a gorgeous plum preserves, licorice and blackberry pie-laced nose with touches of cedar chest, cigar box, black olives and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and very firmly textured with grainy tannins, it has a lively backbone supporting the generous black fruit, finishing with lingering savory notes. Give it a good 5 years or more in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years.- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

93 Points! Tangerines with cedar and dark-fruit flavors as well as spices. Lovely velvety texture frames dark-fruit flavors and a chalky character. Fine-grained and linear. Better in 2021. - James Suckling

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

94 Points! Medium garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Peby Faugeres opens with a decadently fruity nose of blueberry compote, plum preserves and dark chocolate with wafts of sweaty leather, camphor, chocolate box and Ceylon tea plus a hint of truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of black and blue fruit preserves with the acid sitting nice and subtle in the background and plenty plush tannic structure in the forefront. It finishes on a lingering earthy / barnyard note. This wine still has a lot of fruit and life ahead of it, but you'll need to be able to appreciate that sweaty leather component to truly love this wine. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com, 2018