5eme Cru Classe
2020 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
The 2020 is yet another superb wine from an estate that has hardly put a foot wrong since the mid-1990s. A Château that delivers quality to equal and often surpass that of the super seconds, yet is... available at a much more palatable price tag.
60% cabernet, 32% merlot and 4% cab franc and petit verdot apiece, here is essential Pauillac: lifted, lilac-floral, chocolate and cherry nose; fresh, full-bodied cassis, plum and licorice palate, with layer upon layer of finely grained tannins with a terrific minerality and finish. It’s set for a glorious ageing.
£278 / Case£46.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate2017 Chateau Lynch Bages 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Lynch Bages sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of baked blackcurrants, blackberry preserves and mulberries plus touches of lavender, dark chocolate,... star anise and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of class and finesse with firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant." 94 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com
Original price was: £460.£390Current price is: £390. / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Chateau Cantemerle 5eme Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 6x75cl
"The finest wine this estate has produced in some time is the 2022 Cantemerle, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc that bursts from the glass with... aromas of sweet blackberries, violets, rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of sweet, perfumed fruit framed by supple tannin, it concludes with a long, mouthwatering finish. The pH is a very healthy 3.6 this year, and yields were low at 29 hectoliters per hectare."
92-94 pts, William Kelley, www.robertparker.com
£133 / Case£22.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2023 Chateau Batailley 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
"Dark purple colour with violet hue and almost black core. Very densely woven nose with aroma reminiscent of blackcurrants, blackcurrant spurs, ripe blackberries and elderberries, fine toasting,... subtle oak. A wine with elegance, purity and great freshness, precision and purity. On the palate well balanced with ripe tannins, finely grained, complemented by juicy fruit quoting the nose, excellent structure and length. Another great Batailley." 96 pts., Markus del Monego MW, MS
"Beautiful fruit with currants and blackberries, as well as notes of walnuts and chocolate. So much blackberry fruit here. Aromatic. Medium- to full-bodied with very fine tannins on the deep and structured palate. Racy and long finish. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 2% petit verdot."
95-96 pts., James Suckling., www.jamessuckling.com
£162 / Case£27 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur 2021 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2021 is the most classically Pauillac Pontet-Canet I have tasted in modern times. Medium in body, with striking aromatic presence, the 2021 screams with character. Grilled herbs, incense,... leather, lavender and plum open with a bit of coaxing, all framed by beams of tannin and bright, salivating acids that give the wine shape and real sense of direction. There's a bit more Petit Verdot in this year's blend, and that comes through in the wine's intensely savory profile. Aging is 50% in new wood, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old barrels. The 2021 was impressive all three times I tasted it”
93-95, Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£445 / Case£74.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2024 Chateau Lynch Bages 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2024 Lynch-Bages is packed. Cedar, scorched earth, licorice, incense and pipe tobacco weave through a core of dark, sepia-toned fruit. I especially admire the long, polished finish and overall balance here. The 2024 is a virile Lynch Bages with a bright future. Tasted two times.” 93-95 pts., Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
£360 / Case£60 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2023 Chateau Haut-Batailley 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
£216 / Case£36 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur 2022 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, aging 50% in new oak barrels, 35% in amphoras, and 15% in used barrels. Deep... garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling and coaxing to reveal aromas of damp earth, fragrant soil, crushed rocks, and underbrush, giving way to a profound core of blackcurrant cordial, juicy black plums, and fresh blackberries. The full-bodied palate is laden with nuanced black fruits, slowly releasing earthy and mineral-laced flavors, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Talk about tasting the place! This is Pauillac in all its powerful, energetic glory.”
97-99 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (May 2023)
£538 / Case£89.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Lynch Bages 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
"The second vintage vinified in the Caze family's new winery, the 2021 Lynch-Bages unwinds in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, sweet berries, loamy soil, black truffle and cigar wrapper, framed... by nicely integrated new oak. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, it's a serious, layered, powerful, youthfully structured wine that will come together beautifully with maturation in barrel." 93-95 pts., William Kelley, robertparker.com
£485 / Case£80.83 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Batailley 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“Deep ruby red and simply oozing with spicy toast and forest berries. From a blend in this vintage of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 2% each of petit verdot and cabernet franc, skilful... work in the vineyard enabled all the varietals to be harvested at optimum ripeness, and the judicious use of new oak has given a superbly balanced savoury texture to the wine – this really is a very classy Pauillac. It is outstanding now and is destined to provide great enjoyment from the middle of this decade until late in the next." Mr.Wheeler Tasting Note
£165 / Case£27.50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2021 is the most classically Pauillac Pontet-Canet I have tasted in modern times. Medium in body, with striking aromatic presence, the 2021 screams with character. Grilled herbs, incense,... leather, lavender and plum open with a bit of coaxing, all framed by beams of tannin and bright, salivating acids that give the wine shape and real sense of direction. There's a bit more Petit Verdot in this year's blend, and that comes through in the wine's intensely savory profile. Aging is 50% in new wood, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old barrels. The 2021 was impressive all three times I tasted it”
93-95, Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£445 / Case£74.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur