Bordeaux 2023

Tasted April 2024. 100% Merlot. 14% ABV and 65% new barrels. Rich and rounded, the fruit here is ripe without becoming exotic, and there is lots of depth and a brooding feel to the flavours, with licorice and dark chocolate. Beautiful aromatics and savoury layers on the palate, with lots of smooth tannins. There is brilliant interplay between ripe dark fruit and refreshing acidity.

Tasted April 2024. 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.5% ABV. Vibrant style, with a lot of bridled power. Black, dense berry fruit within a classical structure, typical of Figeac, with stony textural elements, ripe but firm tannins, and distinct graphite aromas and flavours. Beautiful long, pure finish, with layers of rocky, mineral flavours and fresh bramble.

Tasted April 2024. 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV and 60% new barrels. Bright floral aromatics, damson, with peony, violet perfume. Juicy fruit on the palate, refreshing acidity, restrained and delineated flavours. Complex spicy notes are restrained too and there's some savoury Cabernet Franc leafiness.

Tasted April 2024. 61% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Pure and vibrant with concentrated cassis and plum, with fresh mint and iodine. Silky on the palate with a little grip on the appetising saline finish.

Tasted April 2024. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. In the 2023 vintage the team at Montrose have focused primarily on their 'terrace number four' which was the site of the original plantings at the estate. The result is seriously impressive with tension, depth, length and layers of crushed shell, iodine, fresh mint and opulent black berry fruit.

Tasted April 2024. 82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV with two thirds of the wine matured in new barrels. An elegant iteration of one of our favourite Bordeaux estates, with crushed velvet texture, and layers of mineral and savoury complexity with truffle, graphite and exotic spice on the nose.

Tasted April 2024. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. 14.3% ABV. Dark berries, and delicate floral aromas. On the palate there is lots of fine tannin, with a dark chocolate, toffee richness from the oak maturation and gentle spice. Refreshing, appetising acidity.

Tasted April 2024. 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. 14.1% ABV. Pure and expressive, with the explosive aromatics of the vintage matched by the natural density of the Troplong Mondot terroir. Rich and spicy on the palate, tempered by mineral tones and grippy but elegant tannins. There's inate power here but reined in effortlessly by the textural complexity the team have created.

Tasted April 2024. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, 3.5% Petit Verdot. 13.1% ABV. Fragrant and expressive on the nose with petals, red berries and black plum. On the palate it's fresh and appetising with mineral notes, earth, spice and bramble fruit. Effortless, classical in style and beautifully balanced.

Tasted April 2024. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.1% ABV, 50% in new barrels. The first vintage vinified in the new cellar, with eight hectares now in production. Aromatic and pure on the nose, with some limestone influence. Similarly on the palate there are chalky notes and edges to the ripe tannins. The fruit is restrained and vibrant, with red and black berry fruit. Lots of pomegranate acidity leads to a long, juicy finish with saline mineral notes.

Tasted April 2024. 77% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, including some more recent plantings of Cabernet Franc that were planted from a massale selection. 14% ABV, 55% new barrels. Aromatic, exotic plum aromas, dark cherry, with some bramble. Ripe style of fruit, balanced beautifully by a strong limestone influence with chalky textures and crunchy, saline sensation on the palate. Spice and cedar on the nose and palate. Silky, pure, very concentrated and appetising. Amazing length and purity on the finish. The most precise and impressive vintage we've tasted at this estate.

Tasted April 2024. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV. Limestone influence is clear in the wine, with silky texture, tension and floral notes on the nose and juicy, aromatic fruit on the palate. Medium-bodied, expressive, fresh and sappy style.

Tasted April 2024. The first vintage of new winemaker Axel Heinz, previously of Ornellaia. His arrival has marked a departure in style, with less new oak, less first wine produced, and even a new label. The result is pure and focused, with fresh blackberry, delicate floral aromas, fresh mint, and a silky feel on the palate.

Tasted April 2024. 77% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, including some more recent plantings of Cabernet Franc that were planted from a massale selection. 14% ABV, 55% new barrels. Aromatic, exotic plum aromas, dark cherry, with some bramble. Ripe style of fruit, balanced beautifully by a strong limestone influence with chalky textures and crunchy, saline sensation on the palate. Spice and cedar on the nose and palate. Silky, pure, very concentrated and appetising. Amazing length and purity on the finish. The most precise and impressive vintage we've tasted at this estate.

Tasted April 2024. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. 12.9% ABV. Vibrant fresh lemon, apple and grapefruit on the nose, with lip-smacking, tangy acidity. Pithy and textural on the palate, with surprising weight as it develops, before a long, saline finish.

Tasted April 2024. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot 2.5% Cabernet Franc. 12.62% ABV. Ripe black fruit, licorice and peppery spice on the nose and palate. Ripe, densely packed tannins, toasty oak flavours and refreshing acidity.

Tasted April 2024. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc 5% Petit Verdot. A very impressive, satin-like vintage of Pavillon Rouge. Pure and lively on the nose, plush dark fruit, rose petals and flint. Satin texture on the palate, with fresh red fruit, darker berries and mint. Incredibly long and fine, saline finish.

Tasted April 2024. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. 12.9% ABV. Vibrant fresh lemon, apple and grapefruit on the nose, with lip-smacking, tangy acidity. Pithy and textural on the palate, with surprising weight as it develops, before a long, saline finish.

Tasted April 2024. 13% ABV and 100% new barrels. Effortless and refined in 2023, the grand vin of Chateau Margaux has fresh blackcurrant fruit, black cherry and waves of sweet spice, pepper, floral notes and salinity. Refined, glossy tannins, delicate oak spice, and refreshing, mineral-laced acidity. A beautifully charming and expressive wine.

Tasted April 2024. 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 14.6% ABV and 60% new barrels. The proportion of Cabernet is significantly higher than in the previous vintage. A brilliant expression of Capbern, showcasing the statuesque structure of Cabernet in St-Estephe, and concentrated, pure cassis. Fresh and appetising.

Tasted April 2024. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 14% ABV and 100% new barrels. An unusually high proportion of Cabernet Franc in this vintage, giving a lot of spicy flavours, and elegant, leafy aromas. Silky tannins with a core of dense, black fruit. It's very intense and broad on the palate but retains freshness and more crunchy red berry fruit. Refreshing, gourmand, with saline, mineral notes on the finish. Seriously impressive, expressive but with potential to evolve for decades.

Tasted April 2024. 59% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV and 40% new barrels. Ripe dark cherry and bramble on the nose and palate. Mouth-coating tannins and refreshing, sappy acidity cutting through what is quite a powerful wine on the palate. Pure and floral, with wild herbs developing.

Tasted April 2024. Silky and pure with ethereal perfume and velvet texture. Spicy and floral as the palate continues with fresh acidity and a long, fine finish.

Tasted April 2024. 71% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV and 50% new oak. Black berry fruit and sappy raspberry, with fresh mint, fresh white pepper and petals on the nose. Chalky texture, delicate, ripe tannin and fresh acidity.

Tasted April 2024. 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. 13.5% ABV. 60% whole bunches, 70% new barrels and 10% amphorae. A beautiful expression of Cabernet Franc on limestone, with a higher than usual proportion of the Cabernet grapes in this vintage. Delicate with finesse and sappy fruit on the nose and palate. Powdery tannins and resinous notes on the palate, with lifted iris, violet and peony throughout. Dark fruit and a hint of dark chocolate, with a finish that is rounded and mineral-driven at the same time.

Tasted April 2024. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV. Sophisticated and elegant. Very floral on the nose with lavender and rose petals as well as woody Mediterannean herbs. Black fruit, plum, dark chocolate on the palate, with delineated, rounded tannins. Saline, crushed rock finish. A brilliant interplay between opulence and mineral freshness.

Tasted April 2024. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV. Sophisticated and elegant. Very floral on the nose with lavender and rose petals as well as woody Mediterannean herbs. Black fruit, plum, dark chocolate on the palate, with delineated, rounded tannins. Saline, crushed rock finish. A brilliant interplay between opulence and mineral freshness.

Tasted April 2024. 53% Cabernet 43% Merlot 4% Petit Verdot. 13.9% ABV. Brooding black fruits, licorice root, woody herbs. Linear feel on the palate, with exotic black fruit framed by linear ripe tannins. Fresh acidity and mineral salinity create a refreshing finish.

Tasted April 2024. 55% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% ABV and 50% new oak. This vintage includes more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, including some of the press wine, which speaks to the quality of the fruit this year. Beautiful aromas jump from the glass, and there's density on the palate that belies its humble appellation. Toasty, concentrated, and rich with linear, fine, Cabernet tannins and a chalky bite that combines with the refreshing acidity to create a long, appetising finish.

Tasted April 2024. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV and 55% new oak. Noemie Durantou was particularly impressed by the Cabernet Franc this year, putting it down to the gloomy Summer, where maturity could be slowly achieved. The result is a gourmand, savoury style with layers of subtle truffle, crushed rock, woody herbs, and soft, aromatic black fruit. Delicious and generous but with tightly-packed, high quality tannins ready to age beautifully. Another knockout from Les Cruzelles.

Tasted April 2024. 100% Merlot. 14.6% ABV. 30% new barrels. Expressive and refreshing, with blackberry, aromatic plum, violet and delicate spice. Medium-bodied, smooth and generous at this early stage.

Tasted April 2024. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 14.6% ABV and 82% new barrels. Velvet in texture, with crushed soft, dark fruit on the nose, damson, and bright violet. Layered on the palate with similar soft fruit, and brighter berry fruit providing a juicy, bright finish. The tannins are fine, densely packed and savoury in style, providing a frame for the concentrated, bridled flavours.

Tasted April 2024. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. 13.2% ABV and 70% new barrels. Bursts from the glass with fresh red fruits and perfume. Ripe black fruit on the palate with cassis and juicy black plum. Waves of refreshing complex floral and herbal flavours, fresh mint, white pepper, and earthy graphite. Complex and rich, but with amazing purity, elegance and freshness. Absolutely quintessential Pauillac.

Tasted April 2024. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, 3.5% Petit Verdot. 13.1% ABV. Fragrant and expressive on the nose with petals, red berries and black plum. On the palate it's fresh and appetising with mineral notes, earth, spice and bramble fruit. Effortless, classical in style and beautifully balanced.

Tasted April 2024. Fresh, elegant red berry fruit and cassis. Silky on the palate with just enough St-Estèphe grip. Medium-weight, refreshing and savoury.