Wine Enthusiast: Firm and dry, this is a powerful wine dominated by tannins. However,  intense black-fruit flavors are going to give the wine richness and  density as it develops. Drink from 2021.  91 points

PRIMA Notes:  Sure, if you look, you can probably find a fair bit of 1996 Sauternes out there at auction or in the marketplace, but how many of them can boast of being in guaranteed-immaculate condition, freshly arrived from the actual cellar where...

Chateau Guiraud is justly famous for its amazingly unctuous botrytized dessert wines- some of the most coveted in all of Bordeaux.  But most people don’t know that this Sauternes icon also makes a...

Decanter: Beautiful depth, density and complexity, and a lovely spice, along with softer touches of floral aromatics. Successfully holds juice and tension through the palate. A clear feeling of family relation to its bigger sibling, Smith Haut...

Chateau Le Haut Medoc de Giscours, Haut Medoc 

Jeb Dunnuck: Blackberry, blueberry, graphite, clove, tobacco and mahogany on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Very tight and refined with a mineral finish. Pretty finesse and focus. Second wine. Better from 2024...

2010 Chateau Haut de la Becade, Pauillac  

Located in the very southern part of Saint Estephe, Chateau Lafon Rochet neighbors Cos d’Estournel to the north and, in Pauillac just to the south, Lafite-Rothschild. The 40 hectares are planted to 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 37% Merlot with the...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95 Points:  The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Malescot St. Exupery leaps from the glass with expressive scents of baked blackberries, Morello cherries and boysenberries with hints of blackcurrant...

PRIMA Notes:  Pichon-Baron is a stone bargain in 2018, especially while the First Growths all hover at around 2-3X the price.  This could be the best ever at this Pauillac estate.  

Wine Advocate-Parker 91 Points:  The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Prieure-Lichine slips sensuously out of the glass with gorgeous raspberry coulis, chocolate-covered cherries and warm cassis scents with hints of candied violets, licorice,...

Wine Advocate 91 Points: Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Talbot is just a little reduced to begin, opening out to reveal notions of warm red and black currants, baked plums and mulberries with touches of sautéed herbs, tilled soil,...

Hand-harvested (rare in this area) and aged in a mixture of new and used wood, this Bertin cuvee consists of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, striking the perfect balance between its deeply pitched, dark, smoke-infused black raspberry fruit and the...

Close to some of the top Margaux vineyards, this estate regularly produces some fine wines. This bottling is beautifully structured, firm with tannins and also generous with black fruits. A high percentage of Merlot gives a particularly ripe and juicy...

Winemaker's Note:For pairing with Bordeaux, look for the more refined and simply prepared cuts such as loin chops, rib chops and a rack of lamb. These classic dishes can be a divine pairing with Bordeaux. More aromatic, rustic and spicy preparations of...