Tasting Notes :
Very floral and elegant with raspberry and blackcurrant fruit mixed with toasty oak/vanillin, followed by a medium to full-bodied, stylish, polished wine that is the quintessentially refined style of Pessac-Léognan. Nevertheless, the complexity and nuance has yet to fully emerge. This medium to full-bodied Domaine de Chevalier is poised for a bright future. It is tight and backward now, as well as restrained aromatically, but everything is there for the future. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following 30 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
The 2013 Domaine de Chevalier has a refined bouquet, laid back and languorous with blackberry, briary notes, a touch of bay leaf developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, quite edgy tannin, nicely balanced and fresh with a simple but harmonious finish. It's the kind of 2013 that you'll just enjoy as a fine Claret, leaving you with a smile on your face. This constitutes a very commendable effort in such a challenging vintage, the bottom line being that it is one of the most pleasurable releases in 2013. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier has a wonderful bouquet with pure blackberry, raspberry coulis and iodine-tinged aromas that seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, superb acidity and a sense of symmetry that is uncommon in the 2014 vintage. This is a sophisticated, precise wine from Olivier Bernard that could be one of top wines of the vintage. There is an approachability to this Domaine de Chevalier, which you do not always find, however I would be inclined to give this 3-4 years in bottle. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is a beautiful white Pessac-Léognan. It offers a very succinct and focused bouquet of dew-speckled Granny Smiths, then flint and wet limestone, certainly a more stony bouquet than overt fruit. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, exquisite balance, the citrus fruit dappled with white pepper and spices, but everything very judicious and nuanced. It offers wonderful persistence in the mouth, basically a class act that comes strongly recommended. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Medium brick in color with a touch of brown, the 1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou reveals growing notes of dried mulberries, kirsch and raisin cake with nuances of celery salt, dried bay leaves, truffles and charcuterie plus hints of old leather sofa and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has quite a powerful structure with firm, chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular, dried berries flavors, finishing long with a dried mint kick.

Readers should note that this vintage fell within a notoriously patchy period at Ducru, where the cellar is likely to have fallen victim to TCA or a TCA-like taint, and it appears some bottles were impacted from 1986 to 1994. By 1995, the chateau had a completely new vat room/cellar and the problem ceased. Therefore, there could be some bottle variation to be had with this vintage. This bottle, however, was pristine, tasted at the chateau. (Lisa Perrotti-Brownz)

Tasting Notes :
Very deep garnet in color, the 2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou springs from the glass, offering vibrant notions of fresh black currants, black cherries and black raspberries with touches of spice box, licorice and fragrant soil plus a waft of lavender. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with lively, crunchy black fruits, supported by ripe, grainy tannins and finishing on a lingering spicy note. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou rocks up with flamboyant baked black plums, crème de cassis, blueberry compote and chocolate-covered cherries scents plus hints of cinnamon stick, black tea and candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with black fruit preserves and spicy accents, with a firm, velvety frame and finishing with great length and perfume. Ideally, I'd give it another year to fan out just a bit more, but it is coming around nicely and is already fantastically delicious! (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Very deep purple-black in color, the 2016 Ducru-Beaucaillou delivers a pronounced, enticing nose of baked plums, blueberry preserves, fruitcake and boysenberry with suggestions of lilacs, mocha, hoisin and exotic spices plus a waft of cedar chest. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate has layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and spicy nuances, matched by a very firm, grainy frame, finishing with epic length and depth. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Deep purple-black in color, the 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou slowly unfurls to reveal beautifully fragrant notes of warm kirsch, wild blueberries, fresh red and black currants and violets with wafts of underbrush and Earl Grey tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has great freshness and elegance, with very well-played, plush tannins and bags of perfumed fruit, finishing on a lingering spicy note. The wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot and aged for 14 months in barrels, 50% new, the 2015 Duhart-Milon has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an open, expressive nose of warm red currants, black raspberries and spice cake with nuances of cedar chest, bay leaves and tobacco plus a waft of rose hips. Medium-bodied, vibrant and refreshing in the mouth, it has a good amount of chewy tannins and layers of lively red and black fruits, finishing on an earthy note. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Blended of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot, the 2016 Duhart-Milon has a deep garnet-purple color and features plums preserves, wild blueberries and cassis scents with touches of violets and underbrush with a waft of tobacco. Medium-bodied and elegant, with a backbone of finely grained tannins and oodles of freshness, it has a great core of perfumed black fruit, finishing on an earthy note. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2016 Durfort Vivens, which I tasted at a négoçiant tasting, is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot, the vineyard now biodynamically farmed and Demeter approved. I have criticized this Margaux on previous occasions due to lack of ripeness, but certainly the nose does not display any of that. This 2016 comes armed with attractive blackberry, bilberry and sous-bois aromas that gradually unfurl in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with an insistent grip on the entry. The tannins feel quite bold for Durfort-Vivens, with plenty of sappy black fruit. I appreciate the acidic drive of this Margaux and the finish is energetic, full of tension and leaves a lovely, almost brine-like aftertaste. This is one of the best wines from Gonzalgue Lurton that I have tasted in recent years. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Echo de Lynch Bages has plenty of black fruits on the nose with an earthy undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate is firm and a bit hard with an herbal lift on the finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2016 Echo de Lynch Bages is deep garnet-purple colored and opens with kirsch, redcurrant jelly and baked blackcurrants with nuances of tilled soil and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, packed, elegant, refreshing and tightly wound with firm tannins, finishing long. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2016 Ferriere is an accomplished Margaux for the vintage. It has a feminine, refined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry and light rose petal aromas, just a hint of vanilla from the new oak that is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, quite juicy tannin. This is very harmonious with fine tannin, impressive depth and a sense of mineralité that is in tune with this vintage. I thought that the 2015 Ferriere was excellent, but this is another step up. Bravo, Clare Villars Lurton! (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The medium garnet colored 2009 Figeac features a very pretty perfume of rose hip tea, lilacs and cinnamon stick over a core of red and black currant preserves plus hints of dried herbs and sweaty saddles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers bags of savory fruit layers with plenty of floral sparks, framed by rounded tannins, finishing on a earthy note. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Tasted in Bordeaux from an ex-château bottle, the 2011 Figeac has a healthy deep garnet hue. The nose is quite vibrant and well defined with blackberry, briary and a touch of graphite, though not as much as I remember showing out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp in the mouth with a fine line of acidity. This actually surpasses my expectations. It has a natural sensibility, offering attractive blackberry and cranberry fruit, a sprig of mint, with a breezy, unpretentious finish that suits this down to the ground. You could almost broach this now, unusual for Figeac,, but suffice to say it will offer a decade's worth of drinking pleasure, possibly more. Tasted July 2016. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Fleur Cardinale is located in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, the vines populating the lieu-dit of Thibaud. it has a powerful, rich and decadent bouquet bestowed with licorice and boysenberry jam. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannin, good depth, fine acidity with a structured and quite spicy finish that replicates the showing from barrel. Enjoy this over the next 8-10 years. (Neal Martin)