Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - St.-Emilion
WA 89
Fruity, soft and fully mature, the 2008 Barde-Haut offers up notes of licorice, roasted herbs, cedar and spice. Medium-bodied with an evolved, endearing character, it should be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years.Fruity, soft and fully mature, the 2008 Barde-Haut offers up notes of licorice, roasted herbs, cedar and spice. Medium-bodied with an evolved, endearing character, it should be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. -- Robert Parker Read More
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Haut-Médoc
WS 88
WA 89
We've been following Belle-Vue for years and this is another great one. It has a dark purple color and an exotic and spicy nose with a hint of vanilla. The tannins are dense, but sweet and round. It has excellent concentration of fruit. (tasted twice) CW Wine Staff (April 2011)
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - St.-Emilion
WA 91
This is one of the finest wines I have tasted from this highly regarded terroir that has rarely been exploited to its maximum potential. Loads of chalk dust intertwined with sweet kirsch, black currants, licorice and camphor jump from the glass of this full-bodied wine, which has terrific fruit intensity, lots of glycerin, a lavish richness and a long, heady finish with light to moderate tannin. Give it 1-2 more years of bottle and drink it over the following 15.
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Haut-Médoc
WA 89
This blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best wines to yet come from this estate, owned by the proprietors of Pichon Lalande in Pauillac. Juicy, succulent, cedary black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, herbs and spice box are very pure, authoritative and substantial. Dark ruby/purple, medium to full-bodied and delicious, this wine should be drunk over the next 10-15 years. A sleeper.
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Haut-Médoc
WA 89
We tasted the Cambon La Pelouse during our marathon Joanne tasting, but it stood out as a delightful Haut-Medoc. Dark red and black cherry fruit with a dollop of vanilla oak on the nose gave way to a concentrated and intense palate of black cherry, plum and spice. The tightly-wound finish hints that this is one to cellar for a year or two once released.
-- CW Wine Staff (April 2011)
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Pessac-Léognan
WS 89
WA 91
"Abundant minerality, spicy unsmoked cigar tobacco and red and black currant characteristics emerge from this medium to full-bodied Pessac-Leognan. Displaying more power, depth, muscle and tannin than usual, this opaque ruby/purple-hued 2010 should evolve for 20-25 years."
>b>(one of the Vintage's Top Performers) Read More
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Pessac-Léognan
WS 89
""Rounded and inviting, with hints of pear and apple giving way to more citrus, floral and straw notes. This has good range, with a brisk edge waiting in the wings on the finish."
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Haut-Médoc
WS 90
This property is a real hidden "gem", just a stone's throw away from the St. Julien appellation and stars such as Lagrange and Gruaud Larose. We're happy to keep the secret because it means more wine for us! Owner Francois Nony, whom we got to visit with during our recent trip to Bordeaux, delivers a great 2009. A blackcurrant and cassis-like nose leads to a classic Medoc earthy finish. This wine is well-balanced with a freshness of fruit that is a hallmark of this vintage. It should age well for 5-10 more years. A real bargain!
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Listrac
WS 90
WA 89
Listrac's deep gravel soils rival the best of the Haut-Médoc, and this prominent Listrac château makes its wine to a classified growth standard, with the flavors of new oak well-integrated into this dark purple, powerful wine. -- Ben Giliberti
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Haut-Médoc
WS 89
WA 89
Tasted with our friend Marc Ribet of LD Vins, this is our second consecutive vintage carrying Clement Pichon. Deep red-purple in color, this wine sports fresh, cheerful flavors and aromas marked by nuances of red berries mixed with heather.
-- CW Wine Staff (April 2011)
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Pessac-Leognan
WA 92
A big time sleeper of the vintage and a terrific success for Fieuzal, the 2008 is a wine to buy given its realistic price. Dense plum/purple-colored with a soaring bouquet of blue and black fruits, unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings and spring flowers, it is a suave, savory, medium to full-bodied, remarkably silky, appealing wine to enjoy over the next 12-15 years. Bravo!A big time sleeper of the vintage and a terrific success for Fieuzal, the 2008 is a wine to buy given its realistic price. Dense plum/purple-colored with a soaring bouquet of blue and black fruits, unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings and spring flowers, it is a suave, savory, medium to full-bodied, remarkably silky, appealing wine to enjoy over the next 12-15 years. Bravo! -- Robert Parker
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Margaux
We visited this chateau for the second time in the last few years and the quality keeps getting better and better. This 2010 is medium-bodied with flavors of black cherry and plums. An elegant red with a firm backbone, Deyrem Valentin produces a typical Margaux with nice finesse in the finish. A great value in this price range.
-- CW Wine Staff (April 2011)
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Moulis-en-Médoc
The home of Château Chasse Spleen and numerous other excellent Châteaux sharing the name "Poujeaux," the commune of Moulis has some of the finest, deep gravel ridges in Bordeaux, outside of the famed Margaux commune. In contrast to its very supple 2008, Dutruch Grand Poujeaux has produced a startlingly powerful 2009, with deep, smoky flavors of baked cherry confit, cassis, Provençal herbs. A concentrated, impressive wine that will clearly reward 5 to 7 years of cellaring. -- Ben Giliberti
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Moulis-en-Médoc
Over the past few vintages this property has been making excellent wine and the 2010 is another winner. One of the first 2010s we tasted, it showed the true markings of the vintage with dark black color, lively acidity and serious but well-integrated tannins. A core of rich, black cherry and plum fruit will make this enjoyable within a year of release but it should sing in five to seven.
-- CW Wine Staff (April 2011)
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - St.-Emilion
WA 91
A sleeper of the vintage, this evolved, soft/silky, dark ruby/purple/plum-colored 2008 offers up scents of blue and red fruits, earth and flowers. Medium to full-bodied as well as round, generous and seductive, it is a pure, impeccably made, wonderfully concentrated, endearing wine to enjoy now and over the next 7-10 years.A sleeper of the vintage, this evolved, soft/silky, dark ruby/purple/plum-colored 2008 offers up scents of blue and red fruits, earth and flowers. Medium to full-bodied as well as round, generous and seductive, it is a pure, impeccably made, wonderfully concentrated, endearing wine to enjoy now and over the next 7-10 years. -- Robert Parker Read More
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Bordeaux - Fronsac
WS 91
WA 91
The basic Fontenil (95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a deep bluish purple color and relatively hefty alcohol at 14.5%, but it is not noticeable in this full-bodied, layered, opulent wine, with lots of black raspberry fruit intermixed with some blueberries and crushed rock. Both of these wines have a good 10-15 years of potential in a fine cellar. Two of the best wines from Dany and Michel Rolland are these vintages of Fontenil in Fronsac.