3eme Cru Classe
2020 Chateau Palmer 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
"The 2020 Palmer, which was matured in 65% new oak, possesses one of the most perfumed bouquets of the vintage with entrancing, seductive scents of black cherries, wild strawberry, iodine and crushed... violets, all beautifully delineated (as per usual). The palate is medium-bodied with fine but quite firm tannins, lending this Palmer more backbone than presupposed. Blackberry, graphite and touches of liquorice develop with aeration that build towards an assertive, pencil box-tinged finish that nods towards Pauillac. This is a Palmer destined for long-term ageing, so readers should have a cool damp cellar handy. It is a serious Palmer, very different from the previous two vintages, not a mix of the two, but content in just being itself." 96-98 pts. Neal Martin, www.vinous.com
£1,300 / Case£216.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau d’Issan 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
From one of the Left Bank's oldest properties dating back to the 12th-century and now run by the Lorenzetti family and located within a kilometre of the Chateau Margaux itself. Subtle fragrances and... moreish fruit in the 2020 d'Issan, and a third of three consecutive, stellar vintages and again an absolutely expression of Margaux terroir. Precision and elegance here combine for a an intensity of flavour defined by harmonious tannins that gives way to a long, generous finish.
£254 / Case£42.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau La Lagune 3eme Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 6x75cl
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 La Lagune strides confidently out of the glass with bold, fantastically pure black fruit notes of crushed black plums, ripe blackcurrants and juicy blackberries,... plus hints of tar, dried Provence herbs, star anise and smoked meats, with a hint of black truffles. The medium-bodied palate delivers tightly wound, bright, crunchy black fruits with plenty of freshness and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing long with loads of earthy and herbal sparks." 92-94 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com
£162 / Case£27 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2020 Chateau Lagrange 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
Château Lagrange is 66% Cabernet, 27% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot aged up to 21 months in 60% new oak and is grown across 102 separate parcels on two gently sloping, gravelly hillsides.
Lagrange... is excellent value and of a vintage that is sure to appreciate consistently in coming years. With quality particularly high this year, yields from their impressive 138 hectares are particularly the opposite - a now-familiar narrative during the EP campaign so far. Forest leaf, cedar and a cigar box of florals enhance decent ripeness; creamy, spicy, long and vibrant fruit, it is a wine full of life and surely one to enjoy it at much length in your cellar.
£212 / Case£35.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2018 Chateau Langoa Barton 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 6x75cl
"The 2018 Langoa Barton is succulent and racy right out of the gate. Inky red fruit, sweet floral notes, cedar and spice all mesh together effortlessly. This mid-weight, pliant Saint-Julien is every bit as seductive as it was from barrel." 92 pts., Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£185 / Case£30.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Chateau Calon Segur 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 6x75cl
"The 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco... scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur's I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required."
94/96 Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2023
£610 / Case£101.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau Giscours 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
“The 2022 Giscours was picked between 1 and 29 September, one of the earliest ever, with no SO2 added until blending and using bio-protection (yeasts) to protect the must. It has a delightful and... sensual bouquet with lifted, violet and peony-scented blueberry and black cherry fruit. This is very well-defined and perhaps the purest I have encountered from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with a disarming silky texture, harmonious and focused. It's mineral-driven with a poised and pixelated finish. Certainly, this represents one of the best wines from this Margaux estate in recent years, echoing their golden period of the 60s and early 70s. Tasted twice with consistent notes. ” Drink 2030-2070. 95-97 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com (May2023)
£300 / Case£50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2022 Chateau d’Issan 3eme Cru Classe, Margaux 6x75cl
“A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 30 hl/ha and aging in 50% new oak, d’Issan 2022 has a pH of 3.67 and a TPI of... 72. It is deep garnet-purple in color and comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of crème de cassis, baked blackberries, and plum preserves, plus suggestions of tilled soil, clove oil, candied violets, and charcoal. The full-bodied palate has a firm structure of wonderfully ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely tension supporting the dense, muscular black fruits, with a long finish and loads of floral and mineral sparks. Beautiful!”
95-97+ pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
£306 / Case£51 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Lagrange 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 12x75cl
"Super-floral on the nose, a celebration of peony, violet and rose flowers. Juicy and supple with a real life-force. The starts off bright and upfront with strawberry and red cherry notes that merge... into a darker, more savoury mid-palate full of slate and chocolate. I like the persistence here, the clarity of the fruit expression and the brightness. It's not the most expansive but the individual elements are so well presented with detail on show. A great effort in the vintage with no drop in the mid-palate, acidity in check and nice floral fruit." 93 pts., Georgina Hindle, decanter.com
£407 / Case£33.92 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau La Lagune 3eme Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 6x75cl
"70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Pretty nose with what appears to be a good concentration of fruit. Pure and precise on the palate, the tannins smooth and rounded. Compact and harmonious with adequate mid-palate fruit and length on the finish. Bravo." 16.5 pts., James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
£157.50 / Case£26.25 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur