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The wine has a dark color with purple hues. Gourmand nose on red fruits and hints of spices. The palate is warm and enveloping around silky tannins with a chalky touch. Full-bodied, youthful in appearance, red berries, cassis, and plums interweave cigar, violet, sweet vanilla, clove and nutmeg. The fruit is succulent with vibrancy and intensity, enriched by fine-grained tannin extraction, and lingers with cigar and smoky fragrance, finishing with a rich yet vibrant chewy palate. Match with roasted lamb and beef short ribs over the next 8+ years.

Raymond Chan Wine RevieWine Spectator: 18.5/20Pts – Crafted from organically-grown grapes

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!

Robert Parker: 100Pts; Falstaff: 100Pts; The Wine Cellar Insider: 100Pts; Wine Spectator: 97Pts; James Suckling: 97Pts

This blend of Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc offers a very bright color with green reflections; Fresh, floral and expresses white fruits such as peaches and pears Elegant attack, round and fresh with a hint of minerality. Good finish on white fruits with a beautiful acidity.

Deeply rooted in the Levant, the Johnny R. Saade family translates its passion for vines through the creation of Chateau Marsyas in the southern part of the Bekaa valley. Renowned for its wine culture, this ancient land reveals itself to be an exceptional place for the creation of a great wine in line with the highest quality standards. Located at an altitude of 900 meters, Chateau Marsyas is a family initiative founded on the search for excellence.

Crafted from organically-grown grapes

Deep, dense colour with glints of violet. Very expressive nose with black fruit and subtle notes of toast. On the palate, the attack is powerful, dense and structured. The mid-palate is full-bodied, with a fine, well-balanced tannic structure. The finish has plenty of volume with superbly ripened tannins, while remaining elegant and refined, thanks to the quality of the grapes of this exceptional vintage.

Made from 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc brought up in plenty of new oak, its ruby/plum color is followed by an awesome bouquet of blackberry jam, smoked meats, licorice, truffle, and hints of chocolate. Thick, opulent, super ripe, and decadent, with a full-bodied mouthfeel that needs to be tasted to be believed, it still stays balanced and fresh on the palate and is already impossible to resist. It’s going to keep for 3+ decades.

Raymond Chan Wine RevieWine Spectator: 18/20Pts 

Crafted from organically-grown grapes

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 Ausone is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc picked 10-14 October and 14-19 October, respectively, at 40 hectoliters per hectare. It is matured in 80% new oak with a light toasting, a move that Alain and Pauline Vauthier have made in recent years just to lessen the impact of the oak.

There is a palpable stateliness about the Ausone this year. It is extraordinarily pure and articulates its terroir as well as any vintage that I can remember over the last 20-odd years. It is not as flamboyant as other Saint Emilions, more correct and precise. The palate is very elegant and precise. I adore the exquisite balance of this Ausone, the precision and fineness of the tannin, the effortlessness that it conveys. This is classy and sophisticated, satin-like in texture with a long and sensual finish.

Not an Ausone that is going to blaze across the sky, this is a cerebral, intellectual Ausone that will entrance for many years to come.

The deep garnet colored 2009 Montrose features beautiful Black Forest cake, licorice, creme de cassis and warm blueberries scents with hints of charcoal, truffles, tapenade and menthol plus a waft of star anise. The palate is full-bodied, rich, super concentrated and yet superbly harmonious with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. 

Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, soon revealing floral notes of lilacs and lavender over a core of black raspberries, warm blackberries and forest floor plus touches of star anise and stewed black tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is a bundle of energy and tension with softly played tannins and beautiful floral and black fruit layers, finishing with a long-lingering whisper.

The 2017 Haut-Batailley was cropped at 50hl/ha according to Jean-Charles Cazes since they escaped frost damage. It is the first vintage that the Cazes family have full responsibility for (incidentally, the 2016 remains unsold at time of writing). Matured for 18 months in 60% new oak, it has developed nicely since I last tasted it: blackberry, bilberry, graphite and mint aromas stride out of the glass, veins of blue fruit emerging after a couple of minutes of aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, quite cohesive and dense with good grip towards the finish. There is suppleness here, but there is backbone too.

Possibly the wine of the vintage, the 2017 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from the highest point on the Pomerol plateau. Deep purple, with a heavenly bouquet of creme de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, crushed violets, tobacco, and earth, this beauty is full-bodied, has incredible depth of fruit, ripe, present tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This estate has been on fire of late, and this is undoubtedly a worthy follow-on to the otherworldly 2015 and 2016. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer pleasure even today, yet a solid 7-8 years of cellaring are warranted, and it should be long-lived.

The 2016 Lascombes has a decadent, but pure bouquet with layers of black cherry and blueberry fruit, the new oak conspicuous and (as usual) quite glossy and extroverted in style. The palate is very ripe with saturated tannin, bold and extravagant with a voluminous middle of blackberry, graphite and blue fruit. There is a powerful and heady finish; what it just lacks is finesse and that sense of personality.

Château La Croix du Grand Jard – Bordeaux

Discover Elegance Château La Croix du Grand Jard, located in Braud-et-Saint-Louis, Bordeaux, blends 20% Cabernet Sauvignon with 80% Merlot. Crafted on a 23-hectare vineyard established in the 1970s, this 2020 vintage boasts a vibrant ruby robe, fruity aromas, and a balanced sweetness with robust structure. Perfectly paired with grilled and white meats or cheeses. Serve at 16°C-17°C.

Awarded the Gold Medal at Gilbert & Gaillard 2022. 

Château Bonesperance – Bordeaux

Refined Taste Experience Château Bonesperance, a premium 100% Merlot from rich clay-sandy soils in Bordeaux. Traditional vinification with slow fermentation preserves intense red and black berry aromas and flavors. This medium-bodied wine features supple tannins and a fresh finish, ideal for barbecues, tapas, cheeses, and chocolate desserts. Serve between 16°C-18°C for optimal enjoyment.

Château Butte de Charlemagne – Bordeaux

Sophisticated Blend Indulge in Château Butte de Charlemagne, a harmonious Bordeaux blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Vinified in stainless steel with controlled fermentation, this wine showcases an intense deep red color, concentrated fruit aromas, and a fleshy, structured palate. Perfect with charcuterie, meats, and cheeses. Awarding excellence through balanced craftsmanship. Serve at 16°C-18°C.

This comes from 50- to 90-year-old vines and is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. The 2017 Leoville Las Cases is deep garnet-purple in color, and wow, the nose bursts with beautiful blackcurrant cordial, blackberry pie and blueberry preserve notes followed by hints of lilacs, dark chocolate, cedar chest, sassafras and licorice with emerging wafts of oolong tea, lavender and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in elegance and soft-spoken nuances within a mouth-coating palate of almost electric black and blue fruits, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing epically long and wonderfully perfumed.

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.

Elegant, intense ruby colour. This Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the perfect combination of gourmet aromas and sweet spice notes, with a nose on cherries, cinnamon and cocoa. Its full bodied palate reveals a bouquet of red and black fruit. Well balanced with a nice acidity which underlines its fruity aromas, this wine offers a long finish. 10-year ageing potential.

Crafted from organically-grown grapes

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 2015 Chateau Margaux and to be truthful, there’s a hair’s breadth between them. In a worDecanter: crystalline. Drink 2026-2070.