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Robert Parker: 91Pts; James Suckling: 91Pts; Wine Spectator: 90Pts

Modest but sure of its presence, Clinet lies at one of the highest points upon the renowned plateau at the heart of Pomerol – instantly recognisable by its red shutters and beautiful roses. It is home to one of the oldest vineyards in the appellation, with traces of the vineyard’s existence dating back to 1595. This vineyard is equally famed for offering wine with an incomparable character and quality. 

Clinet has been on a hot streak lately and the 2009 appears to be the greatest wine ever made at the estate, surpassing even the late Jean-Michel Arcaute’s monumental 1989. A blend of 85% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc (12%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%), this big Pomerol boasts an opaque, moonless night inky/blue/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of blueberry pie, incense, truffles, black raspberries, licorice and wood smoke. Viscous and multi-dimensional with silky, sweet tannin, massive fruit concentration and full-bodied power, there are nearly 4,000 cases of this thick, juicy, perfect Clinet. It should drink well in 3-5 years and keep for 25-30 years.

No8 of Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2019

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.

Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol, it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. 

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.

No57 of Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of 2020

The 2010 Haut Bailly has consistently been a fantastic wine, and at seven years of age I have no reason to alter that view. It has a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, wet stone, black olive and a light marine influence. It is still backward compared to other vintages, but it has not relinquished one iota of its intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is a voluminous Haut Bailly, one that is beginning to stretch its muscles, with a gentle grip in the mouth with a wonderful saline finish. There is huge potential locked into this wine, but patience is needed. 

A towering, thrilling wine, the 2016 Mouton Rothschild is unbelievably beautiful today. Aromatics, fruit density and vertical structure all come together. In the glass, the 2016 is remarkably vivid and powerful, and yet a gentler, more feminine side emerges with time in the glass. The intense, mineral, savory profile recalls the 1986, but the 2016 has more grace, inner sweetness and sophistication than that wine. Even so, the 2016 is going to need at least a number of years in bottle before it starts drinking well, although it won’t be the bruiser the 1986 remains to this day. This is breathtaking wine from Mouton, Technical Director Philippe Dhalluin and his team.

The 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries and eucalyptus over a core of preserved plums, kirsch, black raspberries and creme de cassis plus hints of licorice and chargrilled meat. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has a solid foundation of firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness interknit with the black fruit preserves and minerally layers, finishing very long and very decadent. Superb! 

This is stunning. Troplong never has trouble conjuring up wonderfully rich fruit, but here it is plump and dense without being pumped up. The tannins are chewy rather than chalky, but the elegance of the vintage is unmistakable, and the rich chocolate flavours are dusted with mint. There is a very pretty salinity on the finish that lasts for minutes. I had a fascinating visit here at the start of the week, and retasted several times as this is a wine that I sometimes have trouble understanding. My main takeout is that the majority of the richness here is found naturally in the terroir – limestone on the plateau but with cool clay over the top, which explains why they are such late harvesters. But there are always winemaking and viticultural choices coming into play in any wine, and here there are adjustments being made to bring out a more finely wrought version of what is always a high impact and successful wine. Yields are higher this year, up at 48hl/ha, which helps, as does the style of the vintage and quieter extraction in the cellar, but Troplong remains true to itself.

Fragrant dark fruits with hints of red cherry and spicy oak. Fruit driven palate, blackberry and cherries with hints of vanilla oak.  Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon make wonderful partners in traditional Australian blend. The spiciness of the Shiraz and berry flavours of the Cabernet Sauvignon make for a harmonious blend. Harvested at optimum flavour ripeness, then fermented on skins with some American oak.

Chateau Croizet-Bages 2000’s deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by creamy, black currant, cedar, and toast aromas, excellent purity, a rich, medium-bodied style, and sweet tannin in the moderately long finish. This lovely effort offers loads of fruit, sweet tannin, medium body, admirable delineation as well as purity, and surprising length.

Wine Enthusiast: 94Pts; James Suckling: 93 Pts; Robert Parker: 92 Pts; Wine Spectator: 91 Pts