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From 20 to 25 year old vines.

Wines from the south-facing Poissenot vineyard tend to be rich and full bodied with good structure, although they are leaner than the muscular wines from the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru vineyards like Le Chambertin and Clos de Beze. the vineyard has an excellent soil makeup, which is often credited as the reason for the strength and structure of the wines. Made up of clay and limestone, these soils stress vines, a condition that is exacerbated by the natural drainage of the steep slope.

Wine Advocate, 92pts. - "A terrific, value-priced second wine, the 2003 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (150,000 bottles produced) may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Its dense ruby/purple hue is followed by creamy aromas of cassis, vanilla, flowers, and licorice. Round, generous, savory, expansive, and amazingly long as well as concentrated, I even joked with Paul Pontallier that this could get him fired as perhaps the selection was too severe! This 2003 should drink well for 15+ years." (4/2006)

The cognac house Chateau de Montifaud has been in the Vallet family for six generations, since 1866. With their Vieux Rouge Pineau des Charentes, the Colombard grape provides persistence and delicate fruitiness and Ugni-Blanc provides finesse, elegance and a slight acidity. The marriage of these two grape varieties lends a perfect balance to the palate, with aromas of dried fruits and almond that mingle with notes of honey.

95 points Wine Spectator
A dense, muscular red, delivering dark cherry and blackberry fruit shaded by mint, tar, toasty oak, earth, iron and tobacco. This has tannins that are present, if covered by the bright fruit and fleshy texture, which exert themselves on the long, spice- and iron-inflected aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2047.

A distinct blend of young cognacs before aging for a unique and extremely smooth cognac. Soft flavors of vanilla and caramel with a great balance of oak and subtle spice. Enjoy neat or on the rocks

France- Villon is handcrafted in Southwestern France by time-tested, small-batch tradition, Villon is made from fine VSOP Cognac, exquisite spirits distilled from French wheat, and natural flavors. Smooth, balanced, and complex, with luxurious aromas of vanilla, spice and toasted oak.

Martell Blue Swift is their VSOP cognac finished in oak barrels. The aroma has notes of banana, vanilla, coconut and spices. The palate is full with ginger, candied fruit, vanilla and hints of toasted oak.

Naturally aged for at least four and a half years, the bold and full-bodied blend of D'Usse VSOP Cognac is made from a selection of the finest eaux-de-vie, including some that were carefully matured in the cellars of the Ch?eau de Cognac. On the nose, it reveals a powerful bouquet, rich in woody notes layered with touches of cinnamon and floral notes. Distinctively and unexpectedly smooth, each taste reveals hints of spices and almonds with undertones of honey and dried fruits as the grand finale.

"Light gold. Musky orchard fruits and dried fig on the mineral-accented nose. Fleshy and broad on the palate, offering smoky pear and nectarine flavors and a hint of honey. Finishes on a gently spicy note, with very good cling and a touch of bitter lemon pith. Things have definitely begun to turn around for this bottling, which had been lagging behind the winery's vintage offerings for some time." 90pts VS

The predominance of Pinot Noir provides the structure that is so typically Clicquot, while a touch of Pinot Meunier rounds out the blend. Chardonnay adds the elegance and finesse essential in a perfectly balanced wine.

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)

An explosion of deliciously fruited, spice notes. Elegance linked to aromatic richness. Deep, golden copper. Well-rounded mellowness. Sustained finish with fruit and spice notes. The preponderance of Borderies eaux-de-vie gives Martell Cordon Bleu an elegant, mellow and complex character.

"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.

This deep and rich Hermitage, from a family run operation, displays smoked cherry and berry plus dark roasted coffee, iron and red meat on the nose.? On the palate the wine is exceptionally chewy, with cassis, orange rind, and chocolate notes backed by bacon, iron and smoke tones. Excellent acidity and density make this is well-structured Hermitage worthy of additional aging to fully reveal itself.? Decant for at least an hour to serve now. - PJ

The 2010 Mouton possesses the highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) of any wine this estate has produced. Combined with 6% Merlot, the wine achieved 13.9% natural alcohol. Under director Philippe Dalhuin, the harvest was accomplished between September 28 and October 13, and only 49% of the crop made it into this powerful effort. Reminiscent of the 1986, it is a 50-60 year wine that is not meant for consumers looking for near-term gratification. This backward, tannic, full-bodied, exceptionally promising 2010 reveals enormous weight along with extravagant levels of precise, fresh boysenberry and creme de cassis fruit. The abundant minerality is due no doubt to the fresh acidity. In need of at least 15 years of cellaring, it will undoubtedly remain an infant at age 25 (as does the 1986). -WS 97-100

This is the most backward and unevolved of all the Left Bank (Medoc) first-growths. In 10-20 years, the 2009 Mouton Rothschild should rank alongside the greatest vintages of the last three decades (1986 and 1982). Yields were a small 30 hectoliters per hectare, the final blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, and the finished alcohol is 13.2% (not particularly high in this vintage). The pH is 3.81, and the index of tannins, the highest ever measured, a whopping 20% higher than the next highest vintage. The tannins, while present, are silky and well-integrated, one of the hallmarks of the 2009 vintage. An inky/purple color is accompanied by classic aromas of creme de cassis, violets, and hints of graphite and background oak. The overwhelming impression is one of layer upon layer of fruit, full-bodied opulence, and good structure. It tastes as if it were 2-3 months old rather than a post-malolactic, fully assembled barrel sample ... it?????s that young, but so incredibly promising. A 50- to 100-year wine? Probably. (Tasted once.) - WA96-98+

Paul Pontallier was rattling off some interesting statistics about Chateau Margaux. The 2000 (a great, great wine) was 13.1% natural alcohol, the 2005 13.1%, the 2009 13.2%, and the 2010, the highest ever measured, 13.5%. That is still nearly one degree less than the Pauillac first-growth of Chateau Latour at 14.4%. This blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc (representing only 38% of the total production) has the classic, quintessential Margaux character of spring flowers, almost cool-climate precision, medium body, and a seamless integration of tannin, wood and alcohol. The blue and black fruit characteristics are present, and the wine restrained. The most measured and polished of all the first growths I tasted, it is also less concentrated than any of the other first growths, but the elegance is classic. The harvest finished on October 15, which was not their latest by any means. This is one of the few first growths of 2010 where the tannins are remarkably delicate and sweet, and the softness of this wine will provide magical drinking at a relatively early age, yet its balance and concentration will carry it for 20 or more years. -WS 96-98

Absolutely compelling in two tastings of this vintage, the 2000 Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The extraordinary seductiveness, complex aromatics, and purity it exhibits lead me to believe it has reached its window of full maturity. Medium-bodied, with layers of concentration, stunning blue, red, and black fruits intermixed with spring flowers, a subtle dosage of new oak, and a distinctive personality that is elegant while at the same time powerful and substantial, this is a multi-dimensional wine that was extremely approachable and drinkable in both tastings I had of it. The color remains a healthy, even opaque bluish/purple, but there is no reason to hesitate to drink it. It should evolve for another 30-40 years, so there is no hurry either. 100 points - Robert Parker