Wines

100 Points! An extremely aromatic and focused Clos Apalta with blackberry, blueberry, floral and hot stone character. Full body, very linear and ultra-fine tannins. Focused and tight. Precise and long. This is the most polished and beautiful definition of this wine ever. You want to drink it now but better in 2020. A blend of carmenére, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. - JamesSuckling.com

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

91 Points! Presents an elegant mix of dusty, loamy earth and red and dark berry flavors, tilting toward currant and plum notes, with touches of sage and cedar. Ends with fine-grained tannins that hold the elements in place. Drink now through 2029. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! A juicy, fruity red with ripe berries and some dusty tannins. It’s medium-bodied with a solid core of ripe fruit and creamy tannins. Nice tannin quality. Better in a year or two, to allow it to soften. Try in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! With Château Latour's new releases for the year arriving on the market in the next few days, I took the opportunity to taste the wines with the estate's perfectionist technical director Hélène Génin on my most recent visit. I'll be including more insights into Latour's contemporary viticulture and winemaking—as well as some observations on what makes Latour's famous enclos so special—in my report on the bottled 2019s. This short article, in the interests of timeliness, is limited to the tasting notes themselves. As those notes make clear, between the expressive, charming 2017 Le Pauillac de Château Latour; the concentrated, impeccably balanced 2016 Les Forts de Latour; and the deep, introverted, utterly classical 2014 Latour itself, admirers of this estate will find three excellent wines that are cut from very different cloth, and all three are more than worthy of attention. - Wine Advocate

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94 Points! Opulent aromas of blackberries, black mushrooms and cedar. Full-bodied and chewy yet this remains fresh with dark chocolate, berries and lovely acidity. A little tight now with the firm tannins — so give it three or four years to soften. -  James Suckling.

96 Points! The 2014 Troplong Mondot is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, and this beauty has more intensity, richness, and exuberance than just about every other wine in 2014. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 85% new French oak, it sports a deep purple/plum color as well as a smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, scorched earth, toasty oak, graphite, espresso, and earth. With full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, and a rich, yet weightless texture, it’s a big, yet classy, elegant, and seamless wine from Xavier Pariente that should be snatched up by readers. It’s already drinking well but has 20-25 years of prime drinking to go. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2014 Troplong Mondot is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. Scents of cedar and unsmoked cigars are followed by nuances of dried blackberries and plum pudding with a waft of spice cake. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of mature black fruit and spicy layers, support by firm, lightly chewy tannins and great tension, finishing with impressive length. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, TWI, 2024