Tasting Notes :
A sexy second wine, the 2005 La Chapelle is broad and savory, with velvety tannins. It offers a deep ruby plum/purple color followed by loads of charcoal, sweet black cherry and cassis fruit, and a medium to full-bodied, lush texture. It is drinking well now and should do so for at least another decade or more. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 La Gaffeliere is quite closed to begin, slowly unfurling to give scents of baked raspberries, kirsch, dried mulberries and plum pudding plus nuances of pencil shavings and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate layers in the savory and earthy flavors with a firm frame of chewy tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing with an herbal lift. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Rauzan-Ségla offers up an expressive nose of baked blackberries, kirsch, warm cassis and baked plums with hints of cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich and expansive in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of bold red and black fruit preserves with earthy accents and a velvety texture, finishing long and lively.

The blend this year is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 10th and October 9th, at an average yield of 40 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 65% new. The alcohol is 14%, and the pH is 3.7. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 La Conseillante has a well-defined bouquet with brambly red berry fruit, minerals, touches of seaweed and light incense aromas that develop fine intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. This Pomerol is very well poised with perfectly judged acidity. Whilst not a match for Titans like the 1989 or 2010, this La Conseillante possesses nuance and sophistication, a precision that does justice to the name. It should be earlier-drinking that other vintages that I have tasted, though given the terroir and track record, it would not surprise me if it gives 25 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted twice with consistent notes. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The quintessential elegant style of Pomerol, the 2011 La Conseillante offers copious aromas of raspberries, mulberries and spring flowers. Medium-bodied with pure fruit, seamlessly integrated tannin, acidity and wood, and a soft, velvety textured finish, this classic effort is ethereal in its elegance and precision. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Beychevelle has a very comely, pure bouquet with heightened dark cherry, blackcurrant and wilted violet scents rendering it almost more Margaux-like than Saint Julien. The palate is medium-bodied, svelte in texture with light tannin. It is a nimble Beychevelle, light on its feet with wonderful freshness and tension towards the finish. This is a very well-crafted wine from Philippe Blanc and his team, a St. Julien that is nimble on its toes. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and matured in 60% new oak for 18 months, the 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte has a very deep garnet-purple color, opening with sensuous scents of warm black cherries, blackberry pie, star anise and fragrant lilacs with hints of chocolate box, cigar box and pencil lead plus wafts of truffles and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, rich and seductive, it completely fills the palate with perfumed black berry preserves and superbly plush tannins, finishing epically long and beautifully layered. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
A slight downgrade from my original score, this wine is quite evolved, displaying ripe plum, black currant, and chocolate notes as well as hints of cedar and espresso. Soft, round, and close to full maturity, overall it is a medium-bodied wine to drink now and over the next decade or more. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
The 2011 Canon is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It is undoubtedly one of the stars of the vintage, certainly one of the strongest offerings from Saint Emilion. The nose is bright, animated and playful with copious red cherries, fresh strawberry and dark plum aromas bursting from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, backward compared to more extrovert Saint Emilions such as La Mondotte—a tensile, poised Saint Emilion that is destined to last longer than its peers. Classic in style, endearing and mineral-driven, this is a superb wine from the estate. This is a supreme success courtesy of former winemaker, John Kolasa. Tasted May 2015. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Calon-Segur was aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 20 months. It has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm blackberries, cassis, black cherries and licorice with touches of roses and dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate is firm and chewy with good concentration and a spicy finish. ( Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2015 Beychevelle is a blend of 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in barrel, 50% of which were new and 50% second fill. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it's scented of smoked meats, scorched earth, garrigue and new leather with a core of cassis, cherry cordial and plum preserves. The medium-bodied palate is a little firm but delicate, with lovely vibrancy and a bit of grip on the finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The grand vin, the 2012 Beychevelle, is one of the stars of St.-Julien. Opaque purple, with beautiful crème de cassis notes, the wine has floral underpinnings, sweet tannin and a nice layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel. This is elegant and powerful, rich and intense, but light on its feet. This is a great Beychevelle and certainly seems to exceed the vintage’s character and expectations. Give it 4-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25-30 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
Tasted at the château, the 2014 Montrose builds on the promise it showed in barrel with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended—one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. Tasted September 2016. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
This dark ruby-colored, medium-weight l’Evangile exhibits creamy blackberry and raspberry fruit, a superficial attack, but plenty of charm, silky tannin, and low acidity make for a delicious wine to drink over the next 7-8 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
The 1996 Rauzan-Ségla is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Medium to deep brick colored, the nose is fully mature with notes of old leather, dried herbs, unsmoked cigars and cedar chest plus a waft of menthol and dried figs. Medium-bodied, firm and chewy with some good dried berries and exotic spice flavors left to give on the mid-palate, it finishes just a little puckering and rustic. It makes for a nice glass now, for those that like wines on the mature side, but needs drinking-up within the next 5-6 years. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Lynch Bages offers up crushed black berries, black cherries and dried herbs with an earthy undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate is firm and taut with lively fruit and a chewy finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Somewhat closed and reticent after bottling, but still impressive, this 1995 possesses a dark ruby/purple color, as well as an oaky nose with classic scents of cassis, vanillin, cedar, and spice. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with softer tannin and more accessibility than the 1996, but not quite the packed and stacked effect on the palate, the 1995 is an outstanding textbook St.-Julien that will handsomely repay extended cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
Blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2013 Cos d'Estournel opens with notes of sautéed herbs, roast beef, potpourri, eucalyptus and crushed rocks over a core of redcurrant jelly, crushed blackcurrants, kirsch and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers lovely freshness and a good amount of depth, textured by a chewy frame and finishing long and mineral tinged. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Cos d'Estournel has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed at this stage, offering slowly emerging scents of fresh blackcurrants, black plums and blackberries plus nuances of pencil shavings, dried lavender, bay leaves and fertile loam with a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a generous mid-palate of muscular, youthful fruit with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)