Wines (48 View)

Winemaker Notes:
"An intense nose, dominated by red fruit, with spices and some oak notes; a round and supple wine with well knit tannins on the palate."

Organic

100% Chenin Blanc. Bouquet of pear, green apple, quince, and melon that develops notes of mineral and honey. Expressive and exceptionally well balanced on the palate with lots of lemon and a trace of anise. An absolute steal at this price point.

91pts- Wine Spectator:
(40% pinot meunier, 30% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay) "This bright Champagne is sleek and mouthwatering, with tightly knit flavors of glazed apricot, biscuit, nectarine and verbena. Clean-cut and lacy on the finish. Drink now through 2018."

The Brut Reserve is a light, fine and harmonious champagne. Its blend is made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from three different years, sourced from the best sites in the Champagne region.

93pts Wine Spectator:
(45% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage) "A lovely rose in an almost vinous style, with mouthwatering acidity and a fine, lacy mousse carrying appealing flavors of ripe raspberry, white cherry fruit, star anise, mandarin orange peel and honeysuckle. Lightly chalky on the lasting finish. Enjoy with food. Drink now through 2020."

The production secrets and the vinification method of this cuvee go back to the origins of the House of BILLECART-SALMON and have been handed down for seven generations. The Brut Rose is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir vinified as red wine.

"Aromatic, with accents of bread dough, smoked almond and creme de cassis, this creamy Champagne is lightly chalky in texture and framed by firm acidity, with flavors of glazed apricot, orange blossom and rich hints of clover honey and coffee liqueur. Drink now through 2022. 11,000 cases imported." 93pts WS

62% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay, 14% Meunier Only 5 to 6% red wine added due to its power Over 85% Grands and Premiers crus. Cellar aged for more than twice the time required by the appellation. Moderate, 7 to 8 grams per liter.

The Bollinger champagne House has created prestigious champagnes with character, distinguished by their elegance and complexity, since 1829. These outstanding wines are the result of rigorous attention to detail, for Bollinger accepts nothing less than excellence. Each and every detail represents a quest for a certain form of perfection.This uncompromisingly independent spirit, dedicated to unostentatious achievement, exemplifies the inimitable elegance for which the Champagne region is renowned and which has so impressed the Court of England that the House has been awarded the Royal Warrant since 1884. In 2008, for the first time in its history, the House placed its future into the care of a Chairman who was not a family member. Their choice fell on Jerome Philipon, originally from the Champagne region, who had led an impressive career with large industrial groups. The choice might be unexpected - but Bollinger has never hesitated to reject conformity for the good of the House and its wines! With the Bollinger family’s support, Jerome Philipon has extended his predecessor’s programme of modernisation and investment. With him, the House has continued to preserve its traditional expertise while incorporating the best of new technologies for the future development of the brand, both in terms of quality and commercial growth.

"This is more aromatically elegant than the Maréchaudes with an airy nose of various red berries along with moderate amounts of spice, floral and earth nuances. There is more tension if not more size and weight to the delicious mineral-inflected flavors that possess a lovely vibrancy, all wrapped in a tight and persistent but not especially austere finish. Indeed this is relatively approachable in the context of the appellation yet it should also age very well if desired." 92-94pts Burghound

This cuvée comes from 4 parcels situated mid-slope and spread in homogenous fashion over the whole appellation. The soils are deep and made up in equal parts of limestone and clay, giving the wine lovely balance and great length on the palate. It is a terroir that is very representative of the appellation Corton. The vines average 35 years old and face east.

The site is located on the eastern mid-slopes of the Montagne de Corton hill, immediately below the Clos du Roi and Renardes climats. The classic Corton red wine is rich and relatively tannic, meaning that it is quite austere in its youth but develops well with age. Corton tasting notes often refer to flavors of violets, forest berries, leather and earthy notes. The hill of Corton itself is a large outcrop of limestone. The eastern side is a touch warmer - being more exposed to the morning sunshine - and richer in the marlstone which is so well suited to Pinot Noir.

This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages. The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. Claude's brother, Francois de Nicolay joined the domaine in 2001.

Camille Saves rose Cuvee from the Bouzy Grand Cru terroir with a blend of two years. The NV Brut Rose Grand Cru is arguably the most complex wine in this range. A vinous, deeply resonant Champagne, the NV Brut Rose Grand Cru blossoms in the glass with gorgeous depth and richness. The Rose is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with the Pinot driving the wine's texture and pure sense of volume. Saves's Rose is often one of the best, as it is again this year. Dosage was 8 grams/liter. Alc: 12%.

Second wine of Chateau Rieussec.

Fresh and fruity, with pretty berry and chocolate character. Medium body, soft tannins and a medium, slightly short finish. Second wine of Lafite. - WS(85-88)

Organic

90% Pinot Meunier, 10% Pinot Noir

Estate vineyards between 15 to 50 years old
.
Blanc de Noirs is a Champagne from a selection of parcels chosen for the quality of their grapes. All parcels are vinified separately, which shows exactly their characteristics. The base wines are aged on fine lees, in vats, for 18 months, before blending. The aging on fine lees of the wines makes it possible to highlight its aromas. The wines are not filtered so that they keep all their material and their complexity, which also gives them a much higher potential of protection and longevity. After cellaring and disgorging, the Champagne will be aged for at least 6 months in the cellar.

Tenth generation winemaker of a large Burgundy family, Bruno de Villepin settled in Champagne in 1999 on the family property, purchased by his great-great-grandfather to the Duchess of Uzès, granddaughter of Veuve Clicquot. 2.12 hectares (5.25 acres) of vineyard, composed of 55% of Pinot Meunier, 30% of Chardonnay and 15% of Pinot Noir. The continuing effort to reduce the environmental footprint of its viticulture practices, a gentle and meticulous oenology, without filtration, and some parceled vinification since 2008, when he set up his winery. He started marketing at the end of 2013 with two vintages, the 2008 vintage and the brut Champagne. Bruno continues his labor-intensive work in the vineyards, so the vines can grow the best grapes possible, from one year to the next. The quality of the wines depends mainly on what is done in the vineyards, from the
plantation, through the size, the trellising and the grape harvest. Bruno has worked towards organic certification over the past few years and will be fully certified in 2024.

Organic / Biodynamic

93 points Decanter
There is an alluring blackberry fruit with an edge of violets and a hint of liquorice. The grapes were picked very ripe and then allowed a five-day maceration before fermenting entirely as whole bunches, mainly pumping over and punching down lightly at the end. The grapes come from two parcels, one at the base of the slope replanted 10 years ago, the other at mid-slope. The soils here are compact clay and yellow marl that give a very lush result.

This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages.  The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. Claude's brother, Francois de Nicolay joined the domaine in 2001.

Organic / Biodynamic

This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages. The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. Claude's brother, Francois de Nicolay joined the domaine in 2001.

Organic / Biodynamic

This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages.  The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. Claude's brother, Francois de Nicolay joined the domaine in 2001.

Organic / Biodynamic

Vergelesses is a tiny Premier Cru climat of the Pernand-Vergelesses appellation. The vines here were once considered the best in the commune and inspired the local Pernand council to incorporate 'Vergelesses' as part of the village name. The Premier Cru vineyards of Pernand-Vergelesses are divided quite neatly into two sections: to the east of the village and to the south, where they flow into the plains east of Beaune. The eastern section focuses on white wines, while the more-obvious Premier Cru sites - with their south-eastern aspect on the limestone slopes of the Cote d'Or - make both red and white. Vergelesses falls into the second of these categories, producing white wines from Chardonnay and red wines from Pinot Noir. It is located immediately below the Ile de Vergelesses climat,

This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d'Or's great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages. The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. Claude's brother, Francois de Nicolay joined the domaine in 2001.

Organic / Biodynamic

89/100pts Wine Advocate:
The 2013 Corton Blanc actually comes from mainly Corton Bressandes, with 10% from Corton les Chaumes. The nose is clean and fresh with beeswax and yellow flower scents that just need to develop more complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with hints of custard cr??me and nougat on the entry, nicely judged acidity with a harmonious, slightly nutty finish that fans out gently, but does not wish to exert great length. Enjoy this over the next 4-6 years.

Organic / Biodynamic

Off-dry, great as an aperitif.

Every year, Billecart-Salmon vinifies base wines from a greater number of parcels than it actually needs for the production of its main cuvees. The tasting committee tastes each of these base wines and selects only the ones that match the standard and the style of Billecart-Salmon. Some of the wines that are not selected are bottled to be part of a second wine from the house, Inspiration 1818.

Tied for Third Place in PJ Wine's - Wine of the Year 2021 blind taste-off.

Organic. The composition is 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is marked by a vibrant ruby/garnet color married to a richly spicy nose with hints of tobacco and coffee in the background; the flavors are dominated by red currant, cassis, and raspberry; the texture is silky and the wine is smooth and generous on the palate; the subtle tannins have grip but are graceful making this wine particularly welcoming over the near term.
The Pueyos follow traditional vinification techniques. After a 3 day cold maceration, fermentation takes place in both cement tanks and stainless steel tanks. Either way, temperatures are closely monitored so the fermentation proceeds at a controlled pace with maximum temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius. The “cuvaison” (fermentation + maceration) usually lasts between 15 and 20 days. Closely monitoring the temperature during fermentation helps avoid extracting the harsher, more bitter tannins that can appear if the temperature gets too high. Half of the wine is aged in barrels for 18 months following fermentation. Only 25% new barrels and 25% one-year-old barrels are used each year, to avoid overwhelming the fruit. The second part of the cuvée is aged in cement tanks. The two parts of the wine are ultimately blended, then fined with egg whites before bottling.

91 points Wine Spectator
Lovely warmed plum and black currant confiture flavors are starting to settle into a secondary phase as sweet tobacco, lightly singed alder and a perfumy incense note weave around. Nice focused, fine-grained finish. Textbook.?????Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. 2,200 cases made. - James Molesworth

100% Merlot aged one year in a combination of neutral oak and steel tank. Medium-bodied, easy drinking Bordeaux with mild tannins. The brambly fruit has a radiance that makes it a pleasure to drink. Truly amazing value and a pleasure to drink, with lovely supple fruit and fine gravelly notes to complete the profile. A baby Graves to drink every night!

Château Cantelaudette is part of the Bordeaux holdings of the Chatelier family, which also owns Château Chatelier (formerly known as Château Fantin). The estate, located in the appellation of Graves de Vayres, was established by the family in 1870. At the time, as was the custom, they planted a variety of crops including grapes.

Château Cantelaudette is set between the cities of Bordeaux and Libourne in the northern part of the Entre-Deux-Mers region on a plateau overlooking the Dordogne River. The proximity to both the river and the ocean brings a warming influence that helps to fully ripen the grapes.

Jean-Michel is committed to improving the impact of farming on the environment and has obtained the demanding Haute Valeur Environnementale certification, which reflects excellence in the areas of biodiversity, plant protection, management of fertilizer use and management of water.

Among the finest Cantenac-Browns of the last three decades, the saturated purple-colored 2000 is a sleeper of the vintage. Loaded with chocolatey black currants intermixed with sweet earth, cedar, and spice box, it exhibits medium to full body, surprisingly ripe tannin for a wine from this estate, a multi-layered texture as well as mid-palate, and a finish that lasts 25-30 seconds. - Robert Parker (4/03)

This Bordeaux blanc is definitely past its prime but wine drinkers with an interest and enthusiasm for whites with age may find it enjoyable. The wine has turned golden in color and has a mild nose of burnt caramel. The palate coats and is textural with nuttiness and more caramel. It finishes like a dry sherry. It might be good with aged Gouda. With this forewarning we will only sell the bottle on a no return basis.

As always, the 2006 Cheval Blanc is made in a lighter, more elegant style based on finesse, purity, and beautiful nuances. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by scents of crushed rocks, menthol, raspberries, cherries, and assorted blue as well as black fruits. An impeccable integration of new oak, medium body, terrific palate penetration and purity, and light tannins suggest it will be drinkable in 2-3 years, but it should put on considerable weight because of its large Cabernet Franc component. - WA95

Coming out of a relatively dormant state, this 2000 is a spectacular Cheval Blanc. Of recent vintages, I think only the 2009 can give it a run for its money. A blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc, the wine has a sweet nose of menthol, melted licorice, boysenberry, blueberry, and cassis. A broad wine with compelling purity, a layered texture, and sweet tannin, with hints of coffee and earth in the background, this is by far the best Cheval Blanc since 1990 and before 2009. It is a legend in the making and can actually be drunk now, as the tannins have nearly melted away. This is a beauty with incredibly complex aromatics. Drink it over the next 25-30 years. 99WA

Organic / Biodynamic

97-99 points Jeb Dunnuck
One of the biggest successes on the upper plateau is the 2020 Chateau Clos Fourtet, and it does everything right in the vintage. A magical, perfumed bouquet of red plums, black cherries, white truffle, and white flowers just screams Saint-Emilion, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, flawless overall balance, a dense mid-palate, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality on the palate. Building incrementally with time in the glass, this is thrilling stuff that should offer some up-front appeal in its youth yet benefit from 7-8 years in the cellar and keep for 30 years or more. Bravo! The blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc that?????s still resting in 50% new French oak.

98 points Vinous
The 2020 Clos Fourtet is a towering, statuesque beauty that captures all the personality and character of this site in a wine that marries vertical intensity, power and explosive energy. Black cherry, gravel, menthol, sage, crushed rocks and chocolate all soar out of the glass. This is a tremendous showing from the Cuvelier family.

96-98 points Wine Advocate
The 2020 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 15th to 30th September and weighing in with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.6. It is being aged for 14-18 months in 50% new oak barrels, 48% second-fill barrels and 2% amphora. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with ripe, expressive notes of crushed black plums, juicy black berries and black cherry preserves, followed by hints of ground cloves, cinnamon stick, camphor and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, vivacious black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with great length

Clos Puy Arnaud is nearly always a seriously made as well as potentially long-lived offering, as evidenced by the 2005. This blend of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Carmenere boasts a saturated blue/purple color in addition to a sweet nose of black raspberries, cranberries, crushed rocks, and background wood. Displaying terrific old vine intensity, it hits the palate with a rush of fruit, glycerin, and tannin. With good structure, purity, and potential, it will require 2-3 years to settle down, and should last for 15 or more years. - WA(90-92)

Representing 55% of the production and cropped at 35 hectoliters per hectare, Cos d'Estournel's final blend in 2010 is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and the rest tiny portions of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Compared to the massive 2009 (14.6% natural alcohol), the 2010 achieved slightly less alcohol, but also a lower pH, which accounts for its more tannic, backward, huge style. An inky/purple color is accompanied by aromas of damp earth, black currants, blackberries, licorice and charcoal. Firm, thick and super-concentrated, it is another outrageously impressive wine that will require 6-10 years of cellaring. It should keep for 30+ years. It is somewhat 2005-ish in its structure and palate impression. -WS 95-97

Wine Advocate, 96pts. - "Pale to medium gold colored, the 2009 Coutet leaps from the glass with warm apple pie, dried mango, fresh straw, lemongrass, ginger and cr?me caramel notes. The rich, concentrated, unctuous flavors are lifted by amazing freshness, finishing epically long, layered and with a tantalizing nuttiness."

Decanter, 96pts. - "On clay over limestone soils, relatively cool compared to Sauternes, this has a purity and freshness that is striking . . . Full of the quince, candied orange, truffle, apricot and lemon curd that you hope for in a quality sweet Bordeaux, coupled with lime blossom, ginger and citrus zest adding poise and character."

This beautiful, elegant 2003 is a top-notch success for Margaux. More accessible and softer than usual, it boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of flowers, black currants, plums, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, velvety-textured, opulent, and complex, it can be consumed now and over the next 10-15 years. - WA90

Organic

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape ratchets up the intensity from the Coudelet, adding more pronounced Mourvèdre-derived notes of truffle and tree bark to go with ripe black cherries and plums, crushed stone and hints of dark chocolate. Full-bodied in the mouth, with ample concentration and richness, this gently tannic wine finishes long and velvety, with echoes of licorice and dark fruit. It's a standout from a difficult vintage.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
A terrific vintage for this wine, which was bottled just a couple of weeks prior to my late June visit, the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel is a blend of 30% each Grenache, Mourvdre and Syrah, plus 10% Cinsault. From a vineyard just outside the boundaries of the appellation of Chteauneuf-du-Pape, it's a remarkably consistent wine and always a solid value. Scents of sunbaked stones, black cherries and licorice appear on the nose, joined by hints of purple raspberries and dark chocolate, while the medium to full-bodied palate is lush and velvety, finishing long and complex.

92 points James Suckling
Very attractive red cherry fruit fills out the medium-bodied palate where the fine tannins underline this very well. Impressive length with plenty of licorice and a touch of candied citrus at the long, crisp and emphatically dry finish. A cuvee based on grenache and mourvedre. From organically grown grapes. Drink from release.

93 points Wine Enthusiast
Barrel sample. A big, firm and hard wine, with solid fruits, layers of dry tannin and great power. There's an intensity to this wine with acidity adding to the complexity and structure.

Organic / Biodynamic

Château de Chaintres produces this cuvée from one of their best and oldest parcels: a 1940 planting (hence the name: the year of plantation in Roman numerals) of Cabernet Franc in the heart of the clos. Aged in a single 20-hectoliter tronconic oak cask for two winters, “MCMXL” offers intensely concentrated, sappy fruit, penetrating and finely chiseled minerality, and a firmer structure than the other Saumur-Champigny wines in the lineup.

90 points Wine Enthusiast
This rich, juicy wine full of black fruits and ripe tannins is set for long-term aging. The wine's density and acidity enhance its potential. Drink from 2025

Château de la Chaize is one of the oldest, most historic estates in Burgundy's Beaujolais region. Boasting over 250 acres of land, it is also one of the largest. This stunning property – designated an Historic Monument in 1972 – was designed by Mansard, with gardens by Lenotre, designers of the Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris.

The Aubert family has lived in Saint-Émilion since 1750 and has a long and successful history as producers of some of Bordeaux’s finest wines. They own over 600 acres of vineyard property, making them one of the largest family producers on the Right Bank. Their estate centers around the old family home of Château de Ribebon, a magnificent 18th century building that was once a hunting lodge for King Louis XIV, beautifully preserved, on a terrace overlooking the Dordogne River. Chateau de Ribebon is a blend of 70% Merlot 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.

This has an array of juicy, rich red-plum and berry aromas and flavors that make for a very impressively balanced wine that has good, persistent red-fruit flavor through the finish. Drink or hold

"Sweet coffee, mocha, leather, and black cherry and currant flavors dominate the pure, well-delineated, opulently-textured, hedonistic 1999 Valandraud. It possesses definition, length, and a singular personality." 90pts WA

75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc.

100 points Jeb Dunnuck
The wine of the vintage in Saint-Julien, if not all of the Medoc, the 2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, aged in 100% new French oak, that hit a natural alcohol of 14.2% with a monster IPT (number of tannins) of 88. It's certainly one of the most concentrated Saint-Juliens, revealing a dense purple hue to go with a stacked bouquet of creme de cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, damp clay, tobacco, and hints of spring flowers. Concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful, it has incredible tannins, flawless balance, and a gorgeous finish. While most estates today are playing it safe and producing more ethereal, elegant wines that drink well right out of the gate, thankfully, this estate continues to make concentrated, powerful, age-worthy wines, and this heavenly beauty is as good as it gets! It will need a decade of bottle age to hit the early stages of maturity and will evolve for 50 years or more. Bravo to Bruno Borie! (4/2022)

98 points Vinous
The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou, which was matured in 100% new oak for 12 months, has a glorious bouquet of cigar humidor, cedar, black fruit and a touch of black truffle, very complex and quite compelling. The palate is still very Pauillac-inspired in style, and finely proportioned, with chiseled tannins. Displaying superb clarity and salinity on the finish, this feels very persistent and utterly charming. It will repay a decade in bottle and then last several more. I believe this will outperform the 2018 in the long run. Neal Martin (2/2022)

96+ points Wine Advocate
Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine. (4/2022)

100 points Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2020 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou is another legendary wine from this chateau that has been on an incredible run over the past decade. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot that was brought up all in new French oak, it has a saturated purple hue to go with an incredible, mineral-laced bouquet of creme de cassis, liquid violets, graphite, and tobacco leaf. More structured and concentrated than any of the Leovilles, this blockbuster, deep, concentrated, full-bodied Saint-Julien has off-the-charts purity, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. I wrote in my notes, "Like the 2010, only better." You won't find a more concentrated yet flawlessly balanced and elegant wine out there. It's going to need a decade of cellaring and will have 40, 50, if not 60 years of longevity.

99 points Decanter
Evocative and moreish, a Ducru that beguiles and delights from the start with a scented nose full of cedar, rose, violets, cherries and damsons - a riot of Cabernet typicity. Vibrant and pulsing on the palate, this has grip and intention from the get-go. Massy, full and wide in the mouth - there?????s density and this is broad but it?????s delicate too - a sense of weightlessness with such movement and energy and a soft sweet, succulent grip throughout. Powerful with present tannins that unravel slowly so there?????s time to appreciate the details as they come. A thoughtful and intellectual wine that leaves a smile on your face.

96-98 points Vinous
The 2020 Ducru Beaucaillou was picked from 11-30 September, matured entirely in new oak for an expected 18 months. It has a very succinct bouquet, not one that leaps from the glass and demands attention, but it unfolds slowly, at its own pace, revealing enticing scents of blackberry, cedar, iris petals and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. There is a saline spine that runs through this Saint-Julien from start to finish, a quite enormous structure that exerts grip towards the finish. It is not a Ducru-Beaucaillou that goes out to deliver finesse or understatement, but one that you will have to cellar for a few years, pull out and have the superlatives ready. This is an immense and cerebral Ducru-Beaucaillou from Bruno Borie and his team. Neal Martin (5/2021)

98 points Vinous
The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou, which was matured in 100% new oak for 12 months, has a glorious bouquet of cigar humidor, cedar, black fruit and a touch of black truffle, very complex and quite compelling. The palate is still very Pauillac-inspired in style, and finely proportioned, with chiseled tannins. Displaying superb clarity and salinity on the finish, this feels very persistent and utterly charming. It will repay a decade in bottle and then last several more. I believe this will outperform the 2018 in the long run. Neal Martin (2/2022)

96+ points Wine Advocate
Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine. (4/2022)

2009 may turn out to be among the greatest vintages ever in the Medoc. The 2009 appears to be the finest Duhart Milon yet made. The Rothschild family has invested heavily in this estate over the last 20 years in order to upgrade the quality, and their investments have certainly paid off handsomely. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Merlot, the 2009's opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of creme de cassis, violets, graphite, and subtle wood. This full-bodied, intense, voluptuously textured, pure, seductive wine seems more open-knit and opulent than the more structured Carruades de Lafite. Nevertheless, the Duhart requires 3-5 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 30+ years. Bravo! - WA94-96*

Organic / Biodynamic

93 points James Suckling
Blackberries, cherries, sesame and salted-chocolate notes. Peach stones, too. It’s medium-bodied with silky, creamy tannins. So juicy and pure.

91 points Vinous
The 2019 Les Plantes is the new, young vines wine from Durfort Vivens. It offers notable depth to match its creamy, succulent personality. Drink this over the next few years, while the dark fruit remains vibrant. There is so much character here. AG

Jancis Robinson
The 2019 vintage sees the introduction of three new bottlings at Durfort Vivens. This one is formed from young vines (les plantes in French), and majors on soft supple tannins, plenty of vivacity. The highest in acidity of the three new bottlings, with an emphasis on savoury fruits and floral character. Highest in Cabernet Sauvignon also, reflecting the variety that is going in the ground here - they have taken the decision not to plant any more Merlot. Aged in a mix of barrels and amphoras.this over the next few years, while the dark fruit remains vibrant. There is so much character here. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Delicious now.

Wine critic William Kelley of The Wine Advocate, " Anyone who isn’t aware of just how good Gonzague Lurton’s wines are these days should taste a bottle.

The 62-hectare estate, of which some 55 hectares are planted, has been directed by Gonzague Lurton since 1992 and farmed biodynamically since 2013. Soils are quaternary gravels, with a rather low percentage of clay when compared with the likes of Châteaux Margaux and Palmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blend, delivering wines of perfume, intensity and concentration. Lurton finds that physiological maturity and analytical maturity are much more synchronized with the new farming methods, even if in a vintage such as 2018 he's suffered, producing a mere 6,000 bottles. Recent vintages have certainly been on a qualitative roll, and today Durfort Vivens (the winery's premier bottling) unquestionably lives up to its 1855 second growth status. Given the quality of the brilliant 2019, prices remain decidedly reasonable, and readers should take notice."

Chateau Durfort Vivens is no newcomer to Bordeaux, they have been around since the 1700s in one form or another. It is rumored that a bottle of Chateau Durfort Vivens in 1844 would have cost more than any other Margaux, other than Chateau Margaux itself. Also, America’s first wine connoisseur Thomas Jefferson ranked it just behind Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Margaux in his famous travel diaries. During the 1855 classification, Chateau Durfort Vivens was ranked a second growth of Margaux. Today I am sure the wines taste differently, however, this does show the pedigree and history of these vineyards.

Today the winery is owned by the renowned Lurton family. In 2009 they experimented with organic farming, loved the results, and fully converted all their vineyards to organic and biodynamic viticulture by 2013. They then received their Demeter certification making Chateau Durfort Vivens the first classified growth in Margaux to be fully certified 100% biodynamic.

Organic / Biodynamic

97 points Wine Enthusiast
Barrel Sample. Maturing in two-thirds barrels and one-third amphorae, this wine is already beautiful. Made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, it shows a fine balance between dense tannins and elegant, ripe black fruit. The promise for this biodynamic wine is immense and certainly long-term.

96 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Dufort Vivens is a brilliant Margaux, unwinding in the glass with aromas of blackberries, licorice, sweet soil tones, spices and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit, rich, powdery tannins and a lively spine of acidity, it concludes with a long and penetrating finish. The blend is dominated by fully 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, which lends the wine immense nobility. Anyone who isn?????t aware of just how good Gonzague Lurton?????s wines are these days should taste a bottle.

The 62-hectare estate, of which some 55 hectares are planted, has been directed by Gonzague Lurton since 1992 and farmed biodynamically since 2013. Soils are quaternary gravels, with a rather low percentage of clay when compared with the likes of Chateaux Margaux and Palmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blend, delivering wines of perfume, intensity and concentration. Lurton finds that physiological maturity and analytical maturity are much more synchronized with the new farming methods, even if in a vintage such as 2018 he's suffered, producing a mere 6,000 bottles. Recent vintages have certainly been on a qualitative roll, and today Durfort Vivens (the winery's premier bottling) unquestionably lives up to its 1855 second growth status. Given the quality of the brilliant 2019, prices remain decidedly reasonable, and readers should take notice."

The outstanding 2000 is the finest example I have yet tasted from this estate. The wine, a sleeper of the vintage, has a dense ruby/purple color and a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis intermixed with raspberries, wet stones, and flowers, and a hint of subtle oak. It is elegant yet powerful, medium to full-bodied, yet light on its feet. It is a beauty, with some moderate tannin to shed in the finish. - Robert Parker (4/03)

PJ WIne - Best Buy!
Chateau Grimard is a small, three generation-old family estate located in the commune of Lugon, just outside the Fronsac region on the right-bank of Bordeaux. The vineyard lies on a south-east slope, which is ideal for attaining full ripeness. The vines have an average age of 25 years. Chateau Grimard is a classic Bordeaux, offering a deep red-purple color, a lush bouquet, and ripe plummy-cassis fruit with good structure. It is a wine with more definition and character than most other petite
chateaux, which is in part due to the excellent location of the property, where the Merlot grape thrives in the area’s clay soils. Chateau Grimard is vinified and matured in stainless steel tanks to ensure that it gives immediate pleasure at the table. It is a versatile, food-friendly wine that can be enjoyed with fowl and red meat dishes.