2eme Cru Classe
1995 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
The 1995 and 1996 Las-Cases are both monumental wines and the former does not disappoint here. It has a spellbinding nose of blackberry, cassis, melted tar and sous-bois with so much vibrancy and... vivacity. The palate is full-bodied with succulent, rounded tannins, enormous depth and power. The finish is beautifully poised and minerally, much more feminine than the ’96. This is a Las-Cases with guile and grace, but it deserves at least 2 hours decanting to open up. Tasted February 2011. 96 pts., Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
£1,250 / Case£208.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Highest percentage yet of Cabernet in the blend. Fruit-driven and structured. Plenty of drive from the word go. Builds on the... palate in persistent fashion, the refined tannins giving a long linear flow. Lovely fruit. Delicious now but has ageing potential." 17.5 pts., James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
£347.50 / Case£57.92 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Chateau Pichon Baron 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2022 Pichon Baron was picked 8 September to 3 October and matured in 70% new oak. It has wonderful precision on the nose, with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and... graphite. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is tensile right from the start. Taut and linear, fresh, quite saline with a nuanced touch of black pepper toward the finish. Real pedigree and sophistication here, this is a magnificent Pichon-Baron that achieves a new level of precision thanks to the more piecemeal Sauternes-inspired harvest in tandem with their new winery.” 96-98 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£810 / Case£135 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"The 2022 Léoville Las-Cases was picked 8-30 September with more infusion than extraction, matured in 84% new oak. Precocious, almost decadent blackberry and blueberry fruit on the nose, there is... something lavish and audacious about this Saint-Julien. There is an underlying estuarine element, a whiff off the banks of the Gironde. The palate is medium-bodied with polished tannins, very detailed, extremely pure, what you might call a "vertical" Las-Cases with fabulous precision on the finish. This surpasses the 2018-2020 trio and to use that clichéd expression, is a "tour de force". "
98/100 Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2023
£1,550 / Case£258.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
“It has an impressive bouquet with pure blackberry and raspberry fruit, black truffle and sous-bois scents. I am impressed by its delineation and focus; frankly, these are the nicest aromatics I've... encountered for a while at this address. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins. I cannot remember a Gruaud at this nascent stage that exhibits this level of energy and tension deriving from the Cabernet Sauvignon extracted at the beginning of vinification. There's much more precision here. Mineral-driven toward the finish, this easily surpasses vintages made at the estate over the last decade and more. Perhaps like the legendary Gruauds of old (1982, 1961, 1928, even 1870)? Gruaud reborn”
95-97 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com (April 2023)
£420 / Case£70 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2022 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was picked 6 to 27 September at 30hL/ha, the drought chipping away so that one-third was eventually lost. This has 13.65% alcohol and p1-1 of 3.80.... There is 17.5% pressed wine, the highest ever. This has a subtle bouquet, not understated but it unfurls in the glass (unlike others that explode.) Blackberry and cedar, light touches of mint, a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety texture with lovely balanced, gentle but insistent grip, slightly granular as it fans out with black fruit, cedar and light graphite notes. This is a very suave Pichon-Lalande that will age with style.” Drink 2029-2065. 96-98 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com (April 2023)
£1,032 / Case£172 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 3x75cl
“The 2022 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was picked 6 to 27 September at 30hL/ha, the drought chipping away so that one-third was eventually lost. This has 13.65% alcohol and p1-1 of 3.80.... There is 17.5% pressed wine, the highest ever. This has a subtle bouquet, not understated but it unfurls in the glass (unlike others that explode.) Blackberry and cedar, light touches of mint, a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety texture with lovely balanced, gentle but insistent grip, slightly granular as it fans out with black fruit, cedar and light graphite notes. This is a very suave Pichon-Lalande that will age with style.” Drink 2029-2065. 96-98 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com (April 2023)
£516 / Case£172 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Rauzan-Segla 2eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Rauzan-Segla is made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% of it new. A little swirling... unleashes an explosion of black and red currant jelly, wild blueberries, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of violets, underbrush, and crushed rocks with a touch of star anise. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house and crafted like a Chanel suit, with a firm backbone of super-ripe, grainy tannins and impressive tension supporting a gorgeous array of floral, spice, and black fruit layers, finishing very long and with impeccable grace. pH 3.7.” 97-99 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (May 2023)
£505 / Case£84.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"A terrific success, the 2021 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with aromas of blackcurrant, wild berries and plums mingled with hints of pencil shavings, loamy soil and cigar wrapper. Medium to... full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's concentrated and tensile, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and all the class that an elevated percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon growing in deep gravel can provide. It's the first vintage vinified in the Barton family's new winery, and I suspect that contributes to the ultra-refined quality of tannin this year. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times." 93-95 pts., William Kelley, robertparker.com
£333 / Case£55.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Durfort-Vivens 2eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
£260 / Case£43.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Rauzan-Segla 2eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
"A showstopper of a wine for me in 2021. Wonderful aromatic intensity on the nose filled with perfumed fruits, chocolate and wild flowers. Gorgeous clarity and precision, the tannins are fine and... powdery supporting the vibrant and energetic purple and black fruit; zingy blackcurrant, strawberry, cherry and plum with an overall creamy chalky texture and grip. Elegant and glamorous - so much styling on show, it feels polished and pristine with clear markings from the terroir but no harshness or austerity just great acidity and liveliness. Such mouthwatering salivation and lift at the end making you want another glass just to taste it again. Tasted twice and both times I loved it. Pure and precise with everything you want from a 2021." 96 pts., Georgina Hindle, decanter.com
£360 / Case£60 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Pichon Baron 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
£660 / Case£110 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Montrose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 6x75cl
"Beautiful perfume on the nose, really fragrant and seductive, deep and heady but beguiling too. You get chunky, chewy fruit here - this is round, plump and filling a consequence of the slightly more... Merlot in the blend than usual - opposed to more Cabernet seen elsewhere. It has a luscious appealing fruitiness then the austerity kicks in, with a vein of salinity and minerality, such a linear, quite strict middle where you get severity in the texture giving it some rigidity but you also have such great depth on the mid palate, the layers of fruit and spice that linger giving such a core of flavour. A sense of power, intensity and concentration but also with acidity keeping everything lifted. A stately wine with lots of potential." 95 pts., Georgina Hindle, decanter.com
£681 / Case£113.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"A brilliant Las Cases in 2021. Quite a savoury nose - dark chocolate covered blackcurrants, like a Black Forest gâteau as well as such signature Cabernet markers - green pepper, black pepper and... mint. This is serious, not as immediately charming or expressive, but grows in stature, expanding slowly while still maintaining a tight, focussed core. Spiced on the tongue, quite marked with sharp fruit that has an almost sour tang to it. You get the Cabernet Franc spice for sure - the highest percentage ever at 15% - alongside structure, length and intention. Acidity is well balanced and the tannins are so fine. Such purity of grape characteristics and terroir markers. Classic in the absolute best sense, there’s no hiding with every detail on show and in time this will be brilliant." 95 pts., Georgina Hindle, decanter.com
£975 / Case£162.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2020 Chateau Doisy Daene 2eme Cru Classe, Barsac 6x75cl
"Pale lemon-gold in color, the 2020 Doisy Daëne shoots from the glass with vibrant scents of lime cordial, orange blossoms and preserved ginger, plus suggestions of wild mushrooms, honey-drizzled... pears and nutmeg. The palate is seductively rich and viscous with a beautifully balanced backbone of acidity and loads of earth and spice accents complementing the preserved citrus flavors, finishing long, lifted and lively. A very impressive achievement!" 94-96 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com
£144 / Case£24 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2020 Ducru-Beaucaillou 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
The en primeur release of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou today marks nearly twenty flourishing years of expertise and excellence under the stewardship of Bruno Borie, and a 2020 vintage of remarkable... purity and elegance. Supple and concentrated, it is somewhat lighter on its feet than the 2019 yet possesses a length, refinement and grace reaffirming why Ducru-Beaucaillou, has remained over these twenty years such an attractive proposition for collectors. Though not all critics were able to sample the 2020, plaudits from the The Wine Advocate suggest a similar attraction with 95-97 points awarded.
Collectors will also note this year’s special label design to mark this estate’s tercentenary vintage, which Borie describes as ‘an event in itself’ and one ‘capturing the brilliance, perspectives and energy of the 2020 vintage’.
£960 / Case£160 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur