VM-95-97
2020 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 3x75cl
Purity and precision have been the hallmarks of this estate under François-Xavier Borie’s stewardship, and the 2020 is no exception. Expressive, delicate yet beguilingly layered and concentrated... on the nose, it follows on the palate with impressive concentration and power, superb depth of juicy black fruit and oh-so-smooth, fruit-coated grippy tannins bringing pinpoint-perfect balance and structure to the whole. The lively acidity brings lifted red fruit notes and carries through on the long finish. Class shines through here, and it is almost surprisingly moreish already at this early stage – though the structure will see it through for many, many years to come.
£152 / Case£50.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 6x75cl
"The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass... with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol." 95-97 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£340 / Case£56.67 / 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 Smith Haut Lafitte Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 6x75cl
"The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte was cropped at 29hL/ha between 5 and 30 September, undergoing half the extraction, aged in 60% new oak for a planned 18 months. It is fragrant and very pure on the nose:... beautiful blackberry, raspberry and liquorice. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very elegant and focused, fine-boned with an exceptionally pure and caressing tobacco-tinged finish. This is going to grow to be a wonderful, delicious Smith Haut Lafitte. 14.5% alcohol."
95/97 Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2023
£684 / Case£114 / 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 Domaine de Chevalier, Blanc Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 6x75cl
"The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is stunning. It exudes textural depth, intensity and pedigree from the very first taste. I imagine it will still be stellar in another few years' time. For now,... it is a wine to think about cellaring. Time brings out dried lemon peel, sage, mint, chamomile, salt and crushed rock scents that lend both vibrancy and complexity. In most vintages, the Blanc is either incredibly steely or ample in feel. In 2022, it is both. Tasted four times." 95-97 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£488 / Case£81.33 / 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 Troplong Mondot Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 6x75cl
"The 2021 Troplong Mondot is shockingly raw and untamed, but in the very best sense of those terms. A wine of energy and pure power, the 2021 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, but... it is certainly very impressive in the early going. The 2021 clocks in at 13.5%, which has not been seen here since the 1990s. The 2021 is not an easy wine to taste at this stage, as it is not fully formed. I won't be surprised if the 2021 turns out even better than this note suggests. It is a dazzling wine by any measure, and a far cry from the wines of decade ago, when the malolactic fermentations were often not finished when en primeur samples were presented! Superb."
95-97 pts, Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£426 / Case£71 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur