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The 2017 Haut-Bailly is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it has a wonderfully spicy nose of cinnamon stick, cloves, anise and fenugreek with core of roses, warm blueberries, black forest cake and black raspberries plus hints of underbrush and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied with firm, ripe, grainy tannins, it has oodles of freshness and great finesse, continuing bright and energetic on the long, minerally finish. 

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Pape Clement is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, is outrageously beautiful. Rich, deep and luscious on the palate, it possesses tremendous energy and richness from start to finish. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice and herb notes abound in an unctuous, racy wine of the highest level. The 2017 is deep, explosive, and wonderfully persistent.

Technical Director Thomas Duroux and his team made one of the most brilliant wines of the 2016 vintage. Palmer is simply exceptional.  Crafted with 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, this is rich and dramatically sweeping in the glass, the 2016 is breathtaking. All the elements simply fall into place in a wine of mesmerizing beauty. The counterpoint of dark, sumptuous fruit and floral notes makes for an utterly compelling Palmer that will take its place among the estate’s finest vintages. Dark cherry, lavender, spice and mocha are some of the many notes that build into a deep, substantial finish that is truly unforgettable. In a worDecanter: magnificent!

Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d’Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!

Composed of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, which was harvested from September 25 to October 3, the 2017 Pavie is very deep garnet-purple in color and rolls slowly and sensuously out of the glass with growing scents of Black Forest cake, black plum preserves, blueberry compote and fruitcake plus suggestions of melted chocolate, licorice, crushed rocks and Indian spices with a waft of violets. Full-bodied, the palate packs a powerful punch, laden with electric layers of energetic black and blue fruits. All this decadent fruit is supported by fantastic freshness and very, very ripe, velvety tannins, finishing with epic length. Location, location, location was everything in 2017. Pavie has one of the most enviable locations in all of Bordeaux and boy-oh-boy does it show in this spectacular wine. 

The 2016 Figeac, crafteed with 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, was bottled at the end of July 2018, since Frederic Faye wanted to give the wine more time in barrel to develop more harmony. The stunning 24-carat bouquet rivets you to the spot with brilliant delineation and mineral-rich red fruit that articulates its terroir as well as any Right Bank you will find. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin, perfect acidity, wonderfully integrated new oak and enormous depth toward the fresh, pencil-box- and cedar-infused finish. This is a classic Figeac, up there with the 1947 and 1949, both recently re-tasted and testifying to a wine that genuinely belongs among the elite Saint-Emilions. Faye believes it is the best Figeac he has ever made.

Bin 8 has been crafted in the traditional Penfolds style. Ripe, balanced fruit flavours are supported by softly integrated oak resulting in a silky, smooth Red Wine. It was introduced in response to an interest in Cabernet Shiraz blends – a classic Australian wine style that caught the attention of the international wine media. Although Bin numbers were originally named after the original binning location after bottling, Bin 8 was given its number because it uses older oak previously used for Bin 128, Bin 28 and Bin 389 – with ‘8’ obviously providing the common thread.

Boysenberry ice cream flavours flesh out the sumptuous palate, bolstered by Moroccan tagine spices and cumin roasted pumpkin. Earthy spices are rounded out by an invigorating red currant succulence. Tannins are powdery clearly showing the influence of cabernet sauvignon. A very focussed wine with plenty of flesh ably supported by well integrated oak.

The 2016 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new oak. It has a generous, well defined licorice-tinged fruit that is very focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, blackberry and boysenberry fruit with that salted licorice theme continuing. This Clos Fourtet has impressive concentration, yet there is real elegance and persistence, fanning out wonderfully towards the finish. Mathieu Cuvelier has overseen another outstanding Clos Fourtet. Tasted twice, with a second bottle demonstrating a tad more backbone but equally admirable.

The 2016 Grosset Gaia has voluminous perfumes of blackcurrant, bramble and briar that are bold and enticing. It is powerful, dense and full-bodied, tightly wound around its firm core, yet softened by its velvety texture. It has a richness and concentration of flavour, balanced by substantial yet ultra-fine tannins. While more seductive and appealing on release than many vintages of Gaia, the 2016 shows every indication of being as age worthy as wine loves have come to expect.

James Halliday (Wine Companion): 98Pts; Mike Bennie (WBM): 95Pts; Jeremy Oliver: 94Pts – Certified Organic

Langton Classification: Excellent (Australian wines of consistent merit. Steadfast, popular and expressive)

The 2016 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, crafted with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, is just as captivating from bottle as it was from barrel. Fresh, silky and inviting, the Chapelle is all class. Floral notes lead into a core of expressive red cherry and plum fruit. Medium in body, silky and exquisite in its balance, the 2016 has so much to recommend it. I would prefer to give the wine a few years in bottle to allow a broader range of aromas and flavors to develop, but even today, the Chapelle is gorgeous. The 21% Cabernet Franc in the blend adds striking brightness and perfume throughout.

Wine Advocate: 94Pts; James Suckling: 94Pts; Jeb Dunnuck: 94Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 93Pts; Wine Spectator: 93Pts; Vinous: 92Pts

The 2016 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, plus 1% of Petit Verdot, representing 28% of the total production. Lucid in color, it has a detailed and precise bouquet with mineral-rich blackberry, raspberry coulis and limestone scents. It feels very perfumed, though not powerful like many Grand Vins in 2016. The palate is a different creature to the aromatics. Here is the intensity of the vintage with shimmering black fruit laced with spice, a killer line of acidity and an irresistible crescendo on the finish. Then, graphite lingering on the aftertaste, a nod to Pauillac perhaps. The aftertaste is so long you could probably write a letter to your friend enthusing about this wine before the aftertaste fades. Doubtless it is destined to be compared to the magnificent '15 Chateau Margaux and to be truthful, there’s a hair’s breadth between them. In a worDecanter: crystalline. Drink 2026-2070.

Dark, garnet colour with purplish reflections. On the nose, notes that are both meaty, sanguine (blood oranges) and juicy. A lightly roasted smoky touch (mocha) blends with a hint of leather. On the palate, this blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache gives a powerful, fleshy but perfectly harmonious wine. This ruby red is especially appreciated to accompany traditional cuisine: stew, blanquette and certain fish such as sea bream, sea bass as well as with cheeses.  

Wine Enthusiast: 92Pts
Certified Organic & Biodynamic

A blend of 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Chateau Clos Fourtet comes all from the upper limestone plateau and spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort offers a rocking perfume of ripe black raspberries, cassis, crushed stone, chocolate, and flowery incense. Powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it’s beautifully done, has ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. It ranks with the gems in this solid vintage and will benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for 20-25 years or more in cold cellars. 

Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet gives up beautifully fragrant notes of rosehip tea, lilacs, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves and underbrush with a core of kirsch, raspberry coulis, warm plums and red and black currants plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, minerally and wonderfully elegant with a well-played texture of approachable, plush tannins and a long, fragrant finish. Beautiful. Aging took place in 50% new and 15% in second fill barrels and the remaining 35% in amphorae for 16 months, much of the material for which came from the soil at Pontet-Canet!

The wines of Chateau Pontet-Canet obtained organic certification from Ecocert and biodynamic certification from Biodyvin in 2010 and from Demeter in 2014.