The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and ...
The 2023 La Tour Figeac is a gorgeous, super-complex wine. Dried herbs, incense, licorice, spice, crushed flowers and mocha lend notable aromatic complexity. Deep and virile, with tons of depth and fine balance, La Tour Figeac is shaping up very nicely. T...
The 2023 Beychevelle is fabulous. As always, Beychevelle includes quite a bit more Merlot than most wines in the appellation, but the Cabernet is especially high here. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and lavender build in the glass. T...
The 2023 Léoville-Poyferré was picked from September 14 until October 5 at 52.78hL/ha and aged in slightly less new oak than usual, simply because of the large volume. In fact, some of the lots commenced their malolactic fermentation in vat rather than...
The 2019 Berliquet has a refined bouquet of lifted dried iris petal scents mingling with blackberry and wild strawberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and fleshy red berry fruit laced with tobacco and Chinese five-spice, and very we...
The 2022 Berliquet offers up lovely aromas of raspberries, cherries, violets and pencil shaving, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and seamless palate that's dense and muscular, with rich tannin and a mineral finish. As readers will remember, th...