It is "Grands" before being Echézeaux. It is a contry gentleman, aristocrat and dreamer, who idles willingly with the unhurried step of his horse in a forest filled with the scents of sundry mushrooms, of mosses, of dead decaying leaves, of furtive small game, which spill forth in a multitude of shifting alliances. All of that is expressed delicately, in a refined, musical tongue, concise and pure like the message of a Mozart quartet.

'The 2001 Petrus (2,160 cases produced) exhibits more depth and richness than any other Pomerol I tasted. Its deep saturated ruby/plum/purple color is accompanied by a tight but promising bouquet of vanilla, cherry liqueur, melted licorice, black currants, and notions of truffles and earth. Rich, full-bodied, and surprisingly thick as well as intense, there is plenty of structure underlying the wealth of fruit and extract. Give it 3-6 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades as it promises to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, not to mention one of the most concentrated. I told Christian Moueix (although I'm not sure he agreed with me) that his best wines of 2001 reminded me of the 1971s in style, but with slightly less tannin and more fat.' Robert Parker Jr

Château Ausone is St. Emilions superstar, the quality equivalent of a Médoc first growth. Dense, rich, subtle and yet not heavy, it is one of the longest-lived, most elegant and concentrated Bordeaux wines.
Château Ausone is known for elegance, finesse, and extraordinary personality and concentration. Its fascinatingly complex aromatics (of characteristic crushed stone and minerals accompanied by black currants, plums and licorice) are evenly matched by intense -- but not heavy - flavours in great balance. It is more tannic than the average St. Emilion, and may need several years of aging before it is at its most approachable. Its plateau of maturity is 15-50 years following the vintage.

The late Michel Delon always thought that this was the greatest vintage he had produced. We often tasted it side by side with the 1982, because I always preferred the latter vintage. Of course, the two vintages are quite different in style, with the 1986 a monument to classicism, with great tannin, extraordinary delineation, and a huge, full-bodied nose of sweet, ripe cassis fruit intermixed with vanilla, melon, fruitcake, and a multitude of spices. The wine has always been phenomenally concentrated, yet wonderfully fresh and vigorous. The wine still seems young, yet it is hard to believe it is not close to full maturity. It is a great example of Leoville Las Cases, and another compelling reason to take a serious look at the top Cabernet Sauvignon-based Medocs of 1986. - Robert Parker

Impressive finesse for the vintage, with beautiful, fresh tobacco, cedar and coffee aromas and flavours. Full-bodied and very silky with a fine, long peppery finish.
While this shows a definite maturity, I would never have guessed it was 29 years old - still going strong.

Undeniably one of the greatest wines made in Bordeaux in the last 25 years is the 1989 Haut Brion. Jean Delmas gave a touching speech about how, in his lifetime, he had never produced such a wine, and it was literally off the charts. He made the point of saying that all the greatest vintages of Bordeaux drink well young, yet have such remarkable balance/equilibrium that they can age for decades. The 1989 is beginning to reveal hints of secondary nuances, but it is so sensuous, rich, opulent, and super-concentrated as to be almost unimaginable.100 Points Robert Parker

"This flamboyant, exotic, lavishly rich, concentrated, low acid fruit bomb exhibits remarkable aromatic complexity..." – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Stuffed with ripe and over ripe delicious, fat, sexy cherries and blackberries that slip, slide and glide over every inch, nook and cranny of your palate. The Côte Rôtie wine offers intense purity with a lusty, luscious, sexy personality. Opulent and glycerin filled, this is pure hedonism. This will probably improve, but it’s so good now, if I had a bottle left in my cellar, it would be next to impossible to keep my hands off it. 99 points

"Wonderfrul berry and tobacco character, with chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, yet elegant and silky. Beautifully long. This is always outstanding, but sometimes overlooked.

The nose alone was 100 points. An endless array of earthy, spicy, floral, peppery, smoky scents with fresh, pure, ripe red cherries, black cherries, raspberry and bacon fat tossed in for good measure. In the mouth, there is an exotic texture that cannot be found in any other wine. The pure, sensuous, hedonistic, fresh mouth feel builds to a crescendo that lasts over sixty seconds. Few legendary wines live up their status. 1985 Guigal La Mouline not only lives up to its billing, it might even surpass it! 100 points - Tasted Aug 3, 2012

2005 is a truly great, pure Château Margaux vintage! First of all, it has all of its class: that incomparable nose of finesse, grace and depth that belongs solely to its terroir and is only found in a few dream vintages. It also has its power: its concentration is exceptional, superior to 2000 and even 2003. It comes through first in the color, which has unprecedented intensity, and on the palate with extraordinary density and length. And yet its power does not have the last word; voluptuousness and harmony are also the hallmarks of this vintage.

The Cabernet Sauvignon (85% of the blend) is of course largely responsible for this balance, as it reached perfect ripeness without the alcoholic degree going over 13. The only Merlot which joined it (8% of the blend) is the only batch which didn't reach 14°. Finally, beyond all these qualities and all this grace, Château Margaux has one essential virtue, which it will go on having for many more years; it is the ability to bring as much enjoyment in drinking it as in tasting it.

"The complex, explosively fragrant 1999 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc. It is already showing well, which is a good sign for a wine that traditionally is reserved early in life, but puts on weight and richness in the bottle. Stylistically, this wine is probably cut from the same mold as vintages such as 1985, 1966, and 1962. The colour is a dense ruby with purple nuances. Once past the blockbuster bouquet of menthol, leather, black fruits, licorice, and mocha, the wine reveals medium body, extraordinary elegance, purity, and sweet, harmonious flavours with no hard edges. This is a seamless beauty of finesse, charm, and concentration. The 1999 is an exciting Cheval Blanc to drink relatively young. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2022." - Wine Advocate

"Delivers blackberry, dried porcini, tobacco and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, with layers of velvety tannins and loads of dark chocolate, cigar box, currant, berry and mineral. The finish is long, with a coffee, almost meaty, aftertaste. Very beautiful and balanced. Best after 2013." 98 Points Wine Spectator

Impressive finesse for the vintage, with beautiful, fresh tobacco, cedar and coffee aromas and flavours. Full-bodied and very silky with a fine, long peppery finish.
While this shows a definite maturity, I would never have guessed it was 29 years old - still going strong.

Holy f'Ing cow! Now, there's a descriptor you do not see much on these pages. Absolutely mind blowing wine!!! The outrageous perfume grabs you and locks your sense in with its intense, smoke, boysenberry liqueur, kirsch, truffle, earth, iron, black cherry, licorice and wet forest floor aromas. If that wasn't enough, the wine is incredibly thick, concentrated, rich and almost dense with its volume of raw material. The mouth filling finish builds and expands, while it moves from black to red fruits before it makes its way back to black fruits again. This insane tasting experience is clearly one of the best bottles of wine I have ever tasted!

"Dark purple black in color. Complex aromas of mineral, licorice, lead pencil and blackberry follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a caressing, pretty finish. Has a lovely texture. Shows elegance and refinement."
95 Points Wine Spectator

A dark, translucent ruby, the 1990 hits the palate with a rush of bold red-fleshed fruits. Hints of herb, smoke, cedar, dried flowers, tobacco and leather open up with time in the glass, but above all else, the 1990 is superbly polished and silky, with exceptional balance and an alluring, sensual personality that makes it nearly impossible to put the glass down. This is an especially fine bottle of the 1990 and a real thrill to drink. It simply does not get too much better than this. Drinking window: 2015-2035.

Medium colour but still still quite a powerful nose. A rich and creamy texture with great depth of chewy blackcurrant fruit. Fleshy but structured. This is still very good indeed. Impressive - even more so when revealed to be 1981! 17 points

"Performing well from bottle, Chateau Margaux's 2001, which is somewhat reminiscent of both the 1985 and 1999, is an elegant, seamlessly constructed effort with a deep ruby/purple colour, and a beautiful nose of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, and cedar..."-Wine Advocate

Highly coloured wine with a very spicy bouquet. On the palate, it is rich with "roasted" flavours. Bouquet of cigar, coffee, wax and spices. Very round and smooth in the mouth, elegantly balanced. While not massive, this wine is genuinely worthy of interest and pleasant to drink.

One of the stars of the vintage, this has everything going for it. The delicate, floral nose complicated by truffle, floral, blackberry, forest floor and spice notes.
Sensuous, harmonious and polished, this wonderful vintage of Palmer is showing beautifully today but will continue improving for at least another 2 decades.
This Palmer may well turn out to be a modern-day clone of the glorious 1953. Seán Gilley

Classic lead pencil, cassis, kirsch, cedar, and spice characteristics are abundant in both the nose and full-bodied flavours. The tannins are still there and this 1982 does not appear to have changed much in the last 10-12 years. One wonders how much patience admirers of this brilliant St.-Julien will continue to exhibit. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050." Robert Parker, 100 Points

The deep ruby colour was assisted by a beautiful nose of cassis, mint, tobacco, and chocolate. Big, fat, concentrated and well balanced. Tannins are firm, but they have integrated well into the wine. Very broad shouldered. Still young, at 24 years of age. The long, lusty, fruit filled finish had a lot of persistence and was a pleasure to taste. Well stored bottles have at least another 20 or more years of evolution in their future.

"Beautiful aromas of crushed berries and chocolate, with hints of Indian spices. Full-bodied, with silky, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. A lovely wine for the vintage. This is the first wine from the new winemaking team at Mouton and is showing really well. Best after 2011." 93 Points Wine Spectator

Luscious black currant flavoured with tobacco, herb, forest floor and spicy cassis notes. Powerful ripe tannins and an extremely long finish are all hallmarks of this wine.

"The sumptuous 2005 Côte Rôtie La Turque is a candidate for perfection. Abundant tannin and structure, a black/purple colour, and a beautiful nose of graphite, asphalt, charcoal, blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast, chocolate, pepper, and lychee nut are found in this sensationally concentrated, multidimensional, profound wine. It will last for 25-35 years." 96-100 points

"The 2004 Côte Rôtie La Mouline rivals its two siblings as the wine of the vintage in this appellation. Beautifully sweet aromas of bacon fat, lychee nuts, caramelized black cherries, and raspberries are found in its complex aromatics. Black olive and black cherry flavors also emerge in the mouth. This lush, round, generously-endowed, sensual 2004 is best consumed over the next 10-12 years. "
94 Points The Wine Advocate

"Very smoky, with berry, coffee and tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, with polished velvety tannins, plenty of fruit and a cedary aftertaste. Tight and compacted. This is better than the 2000 Mouton. Solid and very, very fine. Persists for a long time on the palate. Best after 2009."
94 Points Wine Spectator

Impressive 1993. The nose is immediately rich and complete, combining notes of old leather, blackcurrant with notes of coffee, mocha, toast and smoke.
The wine is fresh on the palate and shows good structure with fine tannins, pleasantly underpinned by elegant oak and delicious cherry liqueur and caramel notes. The finish lingers on a pleasant impression of oak and vanilla, full of refinement and charm. Just class.

Dense purple to the rim with a nose of graphite, creosote, earth, olives, and black, black, black fruits, the primordial, full-bodied, monumental 2003 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is amazing stuff. I suspect this is more akin to a dry vintage port than most Côte Rôties ever tend to be, but the purity, the richness, the texture, the length are all out of this world. This wine does need some patience on the part of its purchasers, probably five years, more likely 8-10, but then one of the world’s most compelling elixirs will be at its peak for another 20-30+ years. Drink: 2007 - 2037. 100 points Robert Parker.

"The 2003 Côte Rôtie La Turque reveals an incredible nose of incense, black truffles, blackberries, espresso roast, roasted meats, melted road tar, tapenade, and bacon. A meaty, full-bodied, extraordinarily concentrated wine with a viscous texture, a remarkable finish, and even more tannin and body than La Mouline, it requires 4-5 years of cellaring, and should drink well over the following 30+." -Wine Advocate 99-100

Latour wine is an example of consistency no matter the vintage. Firm, tannic and concentrated in its youth, it needs a long cellaring to reveal its depth, its power and extraordinary wealth. Perfect maturity, the wine is characterized by an incredible bouquet of blackcurrant, hazelnut and leather. A monumental wine.

"A spectacular performance for this wine, Cos d'Estournel's 1982 exhibits a dark ruby/purple colour with light pink at the rim. Sweet aromas of jammy black fruits intermixed with roasted espresso and vanillin jump from the glass of this young, concentrated, full-bodied, succulent effort. An opulent texture, low acidity, and splendidly pure, concentrated, blackberry and cassis fruit suggest this 1982 can be drunk now, or cellared for another 15-20 years. An awesome wine! "Score 96, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

"Eighty thousand bottles of 2004 Cheval Blanc were produced from a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Subtle herb, menthol, cranberry, black currant, and licorice aromas emerge from this dark ruby/plum-coloured wine. It is medium-bodied and elegant with plenty of sweet fruit... The complexity and nobility of Cheval Blanc's gravelly terroir is apparent in this delicate, subtle St.-Emilion. Give it a few years to develop additional aromatics, and drink it over the following 12-15." - Robert Parker

"Another candidate for perfection is the 2005 Côte Rôtie La Landonne. Its inky/blue/purple colour is followed by a perfume of confit of duck, smoked meats, blackberries, espresso, and tapenade. Incredibly complex with superb concentration, amazing depth, full body, and huge tannins in the finish, it will not be ready to drink for 5-8 years; it should keep for 30-35 years." Wine Advocate 96-98+

Cedar, tar & tobacco notes on the nose with black raspberries and cherry liqueur on the palate. Full bodied, dense, masculine, this is a big, beefy, classic style of Lynch Bages.

"Packed with blackberry and raspberry fruit, this is a bit of a brute now, with a brick wall of tannins hiding the espresso, mocha, mineral and tar flavours. Shows terrific intensity and drive through the finish, as the fruit gains more and more depth thanks to mouthwatering acidity. This will age for a generation. Best from 2008 through 2030." 97 points Wine Spectator

"Dark red colour. Pungently floral aromas meld smoky red berries, exotic rose petal, dried lavender and magnolia blossom. Dense and extremely sweet, showing an explosive array of red fruit flavours along with exotic floral and sweet tobacco tones and an overlay of smoky bacon and bonfires. A bright mineral tone sharpens the fruit, adding focus and precision to the flavours. The finish builds and deepens but maintains superb elegance and silkiness of texture, finishing on notes of wild red berries and rose oil.' 96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

"Very perfumy and alluring, with lots of espresso, sandalwood and black tea notes all mingling together, while velvety crushed plum, fig and blackberry fruit glides in behind them. Hints of mesquite and iron play out on the well-integrated finish. Accessible, but will cellar easily too. Best from 2011 through 2032."
95 Points Wine Spectator