Tasting Notes :
The 2012 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a deep garnet-purple color and reveals expressive black cherries, black raspberries and red and black plums scents with subtler notes of cassis, menthol, pencil lead and cigar box plus a touch of lavender. Medium-bodied and elegantly styled, with a rock-solid frame of chewy tannins, it delivers a lively lift on the long finish. This is a lovely wine with slightly chewier tannins and less stuffing than the 2011. Needs 4-5 years. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2016 Calon-Ségur is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing warm red and black currants, kirsch and plum preserves with wafts of fragrant earth, violets, chocolate box and wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly expressed and finely crafted, it has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bold freshness supporting the densely packed black fruits, finishing long and mineral-laced. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Rauzan-Ségla is youthfully reticent and closed to begin, slowly unfurling to offer notions of underbrush, black truffles, smoked meats and tar over a core of baked black cherries, prunes and crème de cassis plus touches of iron ore and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with savory/earthy fruit, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and expression.

The blend this year is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 23rd and October 19th, at an average yield of 37 hectoliters per hectare. It was aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new. The alcohol is 14%, and the pH is 3.52. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Pichon-Longueville Baron was broody at first, as if a big "No Entry" sign had been placed in front of the aromatics. But peeking underneath are some wonderful blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas that just sing of Pauillac and exude typicity. The palate is medium-bodied with very impressive depth and concentration on the entry, a superb line of acidity and outstanding precision on the finish. This is clearly fulfilling its potential that it showed from barrel. The only drawback is that it might be unfairly overshadowed by the 2015 Pichon Baron! This will be one of those over-performing Pauillacs, perhaps like the 1990 Pichon Baron, that will delight for years to come. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age! (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an expressive bouquet with lively blackberry, cedar, flint and graphite aromas that are not powerful, yet display admirable precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, the Merlot content lending this Pauillac its trademark fleshiness and roundness, yet there is clearly structure here (not always a trait of this Pauillac growth). It will develop more complexity and personality with bottle age, but at the moment you can sit back and just admire the cohesion and superb length. Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau has overseen a quite wonderful Pichon-Lalande, one with inbuilt longevity. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Blended of 51.3% Merlot, 13.1% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.6% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion features beautiful rose hip tea, fallen leaves and black olives scents over a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis and pencil shavings plus touches of menthol and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate is finely crafted with delicate red and black fruits laced with loads of earthy accents, framed by grainy tannins and finishing on a lingering mineral note. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The 2005 is a beautiful Calon Ségur, with sweet mocha, black cherry, leathery fruit, medium to full body, attractive purity, a gorgeous texture, and serious nobility, gravitas and density. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
This was a strong performance (better than my original notes suggested) by the 2000 Talbot. Close to full maturity, it exhibits a dense ruby/plum/purple color in addition to a subtle herbaceousness intermixed with smoked meats, black currants, licorice, cedar, and foresty notes. Rich and full-bodied with light tannins, and a slightly richer, more savory, broader, deeper style than I remember, it should drink well for 10-15 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
The 2014 L'Eglise Clinet was tasted from a single bottle but from two glasses, each poured at different times before I arrived for the tasting. They were almost identical on the nose but the one poured later was more compact. It has a very pure bouquet with blackberry, myrtle, a touch of iris and a touch of garrigue (actually reminiscent of fynbos, the wild South African shrubland). The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, a silver bead of acidity, wonderful precision and beguiling purity. This is an outstanding Pomerol for the vintage from Denis Durantou, sophisticated and classy, yet the bottom line is quintessentially Pomerol. Bravo Denis. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
Made of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2010 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion is deep garnet colored and has opulent scents of baked raspberries, Black Forest cake and blueberry tart with hints of star anise, prunes and spice cake. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, the palate has a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pichon-Longueville Baron is enticingly scented of chocolate-covered cherries, crushed red currants and mulberries with touches of baking spices, potpourri and bay leaves plus a hint of fallen leaves. Sumptuously elegant, refreshing and medium-bodied with gorgeous, expressive, perfumed red fruits and very fine, very firm tannins, it has a persistent, perfumed finish. Its remarkable intensity, freshness and very firm frame suggest a long-lived Pichon Baron, which should cellar gracefully for 30+ years. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
One can’t say enough about the amazing job that Alain Vauthier and his daughter have done at this historic property on the decomposed limestone slopes of St.-Emilion. About half of their production goes into the second wine, Chapelle D’Ausone, which gives you an indication of the compulsive perfectionist attitude of the Vauthiers. The 2012 Chapelle D’Ausone has a dense ruby/purple color and is rich, broad and expansive, with notes of plum, blueberry and black raspberry fruit, powdered chalk and flowers. The wine is medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and long and rich. This is better than many of the vintages of Ausone in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, which says a lot about what Vauthier has achieved. Drink it over the next 20-25 years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

Tasting Notes :
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lynch Bages comes charging out of the gate with pronounced cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and menthol notions, backed up by scents of garrigue, tilled soil and a waft of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fantastically concentrated, the generous fruit is superbly framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins with tons of pepper, cinnamon and cloves layers coming through on the finish. Truly, a legendary Lynch Bages! (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Tasting Notes :
The beautiful second wine is Alain Vauthier’s 2011 La Chapelle d’Ausone. It possesses a dense ruby/purple color along with the nobility, class, finesse, precision, purity and copious blue and black fruits intermixed with a floral component, good minerality, and a medium-bodied, intense, rich personality. Never heavy or over-bearing, this is a beauty. As I have written many times in the past, the Vauthiers are making a “second wine” that is greater than many of the outstanding wines produced at this estate in the 20th century. This wine should drink well for 15 or more years. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)

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 :
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. Tasted March 2017. (Neal Martin)

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 :
The 2014 Chapelle d'Ausone came across quite plush when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle it has certainly attained a more classic style without compromising the satisfying delineation and focus. There is plenty of fresh red cherry, crushed strawberry and loganberry fruit to savor, an undercurrent and limestone that percolates through. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very refined and focused with superb tension and nuance. This just glides across the mouth, not a million miles away from the 2014 La Clotte in style, blessed with a very persistent finish. (Neal Martin)

Tasting Notes :
The first offering in what turned out to be a remarkable decade for this property, the 2000 Clos Fourtet was the finest wine produced here in many years, but it was subsequently eclipsed by the 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009. The dense plum/purple-tinged 2000 exhibits notes of wet rocks, camphor, blackberries, and cassis. Full-bodied with tremendous density, it appears to have shed much of its tannin, and is through its adolescent stage. It should continue to evolve effortlessly for another decade. (Robert M. Parker, Jr.)