Campaign
Prices:
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Decanter (100)
Another astounding wine from Allegrini, if you didn't buy Fiermonte last year here's a chance to buy something just as good. The most gorgeous nose; full of flowers, chocolate truffles, red fruits and dried berries - fragranced and just so inviting, also so pure. The texture and mouthfeel are just perfect - round, enveloping, the perfect weight to give structure and body with intensity and fleshiness yet nothing is over the top or too much. Delicious crunchy and fleshy fruit, wonderful minty freshness with accents of incense fragrance, wood spice and exotic spices before a lingering chalky finish with an underlying saltiness. Pure, precise, clearly defined, juicy, totally moreish. What more can you ask for? A little less friendly and overtly charming than the 2015 at the same time last year, this carries more muscle, opulence, power and boldness but it has exceptional forward motion and freshness. It delights and enthralls in equal measure from the first sip! Just wow! A blend of 45% Corvina, 45% Corvinone, 5% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta.Inc. GSTSG$812.78 -
Decanter (97)
Vibrant and intense colour in the glass, richly scented, floral and perfumed, open and inviting. Intense and concentrated, the fruit is dark and ripe but there’s no hint of over ripeness here and instead you get cool blue fruits, chalky tannins and minty freshness with accents of liquorice, coffee, tobacco, cedar spice and clove. Tannins are clearly at the fore, giving the structure and the frame while the juicy acidity gives the energy and life. Still on the serious side, not tense so much as there’s good persistence, it’s lean and streamlined, but refined in a spiced and mineral way. Gorgeous terroir markers, lovely detail and precision, you can feel they haven't worked too much or tried too hard. It carries the signature of the estate in the serious structure, it’s a big wine, there’s such power here but so well controlled and delivered. Razor sharp, focussed and persistent. A gorgeous 2022, well executed and will be a clear success.Inc. GSTSG$441.93 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (98-100)
The bouquet of red and purple flowers stands out in the nose before you get to the sweet, red, black and blue fruits, licorice and spice. On the palate the wine is incredibly dense, sensuous, opulent and deep. Yet, with all the concentration, the wine is weightless, and effortless to drink. On the mid-palate, the waves of fruits keep coming as they coat your palate. The purity in the fruit, the energy, length, balance, and complexity is at a new level here. The seamless finish, with its ocean of berries, topped by a salty, crushed stones hits the 60 second mark. The best part of the experience is the velvet-drenched-texture that needs to be experienced. The wine blends 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5%, ABV, 3.55 pH. The harvest took place, September 5 - September 26. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. Make no mistake, this is the best wine ever produced at Beau-Sejour Becot. Drink from 2027-2060.Inc. GSTSG$702.42 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted.Inc. GSTSG$816.89 -
James Suckling (98)
Fabulous aromas of strawberries, orange zest and orange blossom. So pure on the nose. Very perfumed. Medium-bodied with intense linear tannins that are ultra-fine in texture. It's fresh and salty with a brightness and focus. Minerally and crisp. pH is 3.4 highlighting the strength of the acidity. Crunchy. Salty. So delicious now but this will age incredibly well.Inc. GSTSG$579.29 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.Inc. GSTSG$4,527.27 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.Inc. GSTSG$683.89 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
The Grand Vin from this terrific Pomerol estate, the 2022 Château Clinet checks in as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 19 months in 80% new barrels. It's a beautiful Pomerol that clearly ranks with the greats from this address, offering a vivid purple hue, classic notes of cassis, leather, graphite, and black cherries, full-bodied richness, and a layered, seamless mouthfeel. It's another remarkable 2022 that brings the richness and depth of the vintage while staying light on its feel and flawlessly balanced. It has plenty of upfront appeal even today, yet there's ample structure here as well, and it's going to evolve beautifully over the coming 30 years or more.Inc. GSTSG$853.95 -
James Suckling (95-96)
Structured and fluffy with a blanket of fine tannins. Full-bodied yet agile and floating. Juicy at the end. Excellent finish. Lots of lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 45.5% merlot, 44.5% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.Inc. GSTSG$698.08 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Looking at the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel, this awesome Saint-Estèphe checks in as a normal blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 50% new oak. Remarkably concentrated yet with a graceful elegance, it has sensational cassis, graphite, spring flowers, and subtle tobacco-driven aromatics, full-bodied richness, a deeply layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a monumental finish. Hitting 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.79, it's as good a Cos d'Estournel as has ever been made. It actually has ample upfront appeal yet won't hit the early stages of its prime drinking window for another decade, and it will have 50-75 years of overall longevity.Inc. GSTSG$1,368.43 -
(6x75cl) 2020Decanter (97)
The second release on the Place de Bordeaux of this 'more modern' wine from the established Spanish winery says CVNE CEO and fifth-generation family member Victor Urrutia made from the 2.37ha plot of 30-year-old Tempranillo grapes known as Carromaza in the village of Villalba, 700m high in Rioja Alta. From the fresh and cool 2020 vintage, this is intensely fragrant, verging on heady aromatics on the nose; baked plum, strawberries and soft aniseed, cinnamon and clove spices. Supple and so smooth but with a crushed velvet edge giving weight and texture. Instantly satisfying on the palate with delicate, yet enrobing tannins that give structure and support but don't overwhelm the crunchy, ripe and fleshy fruit. Acidity is high and perfectly balances the warming underlying elements. Rich, sumptuous, seductive but with poise and nuance - everything feels well defined with the most delicious juiciness on the mid palate. Bright, shiny, alive and utterly drinkable. Wild yeast fermentation. Ageing 12 months in new and one year old French oak barrels. 3.6pH. 95 IPT.Inc. GSTSG$720.97 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.Inc. GSTSG$730.21 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.Inc. GSTSG$355.84 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Domaine De Chevalier is beautiful, with a 2009-like style in its spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Chevalier that has a supple, layered mouthfeel, beautifully polished tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's not massive or over the top in any way and excels on its balance and complexity. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, drink this seamless, sexy, already approachable 2022 over the coming 30-40 years.Inc. GSTSG$634.86 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years.Inc. GSTSG$632.70 -
Decanter (93)
This wine features a lovely bright raspberry fruit aroma with a bit of menthol and a suggestion of peony. The tannins are substantial, and there is plenty of acidity to draw the wine to a lovely conclusion. The grapes come from 60 – 65 year old vines in the lower part of Grèves where the soils are a bit deeper. The wine shows a true Grèves character in its restraint, elegance, and balance.Inc. GSTSG$519.28 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)
Soft red, beautifully pale jewel-like colour, brings you right into the heart of Etna, transparent and yet intense. Fresh acidity, orange peel, brushed leather, redcurrant. This is distinctive, with subtle intensity that builds slowly, never anything other than easy to love. The oyster shell salinity on the finish speaks of the limestone and volcanic soils. Clings on, sappy and mouthwatering. Harvest mid October, fermented in stainless steel vats, ageing in large sized oak vats. 5.5ha estate, vines planted 1975. Winemaker Andrea Delpiano.Inc. GSTSG$237.03 -
James Suckling (96-97)
Beautiful texture here. Tannins are dense and compact but finely polished and silky. Seamless and even with length and succulence. Medium- to full-bodied. Power with elegance. Endless for this. Finally the best ever.Inc. GSTSG$383.05 -
James Suckling (97)
Licorice with tapenade, cassis, roasted spices and a touch of bergamot and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and structured, this has filigreed tannins in a very dusty, almost powdery form. Really youthful and long. Juicy and compact with spot-on balance. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot. Give it at least three years to unwind and develop complexity.Inc. GSTSG$562.92 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure.Inc. GSTSG$4,359.35 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
The latest Vin de Constance is a very good rather than truly great iteration of this famous sweet wine, but that still makes it pretty special. Made with 28 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan, picked over the space of only three weeks because of the hotter vintage, it has honey, barley sugar, guava and apricot flavours, scented oak spices and a finish that combines glycerol with bright acidity.Inc. GSTSG$579.49 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (99)
The 2022 La Gaffelière is fantastic, but it has also closed down considerably post-bottling. Supremely elegant and perfumed, the 2022 is an absolutely stunning wine. Blood orange, pomegranate, spice, white pepper, dried herbs and all sorts of floral overtones soar from the glass. The Franc is so impressive here. I don't expect this magical Saint-Émilion to be ready any time soon. Today, it is a wine of dazzling complexity and purity for the cellar.Inc. GSTSG$627.21 -
Wine Advocate (100)
In bottle, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild has turned out even better than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, minty blackcurrants, violets and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, with a deep, enveloping core of lively fruit, beautifully refined tannins, and a long, perfumed finish. Even at this early stage, it's remarkably integrated and harmonious, and it's certainly the most elegant of the first growths this year, reminding me of a modern-day version of Lafite's magical 1953.Inc. GSTSG$5,006.87 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013.Inc. GSTSG$476.83 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Laroque, it checks in as 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak with a mix in larger formats, as well as a portion in foudre. Gorgeous black raspberries, spring flowers, graphite, and truffly mineral and crushed stone-like nuances all shine in this stunningly complex, medium to full-bodied effort. With ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins, it's going to drink well for at least 30 years. The alcohol here is a healthy 14.7 with a pH of 3.4. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine! Buy a case for your cellar. You can thank me later.Inc. GSTSG$663.68 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion checks in as 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot that spent 16 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautifully perfumed, medium to full-bodied, elegant 2022 that has red, blue, and some black fruits, a lifted, floral perfume of incense, smoky tobacco, and blood orange, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done, and while it's already accessible, it should age beautifully for two decades.Inc. GSTSG$331.84 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak.Inc. GSTSG$954.23 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Aromas of sweet cherries, petals and licorice introduce the 2022 Château Mangot, a medium to full-bodied, dense and layered wine that's suave and multidimensional, its concentrated core of lively fruit built around sweet, powdery tannins. It's the finest Mangot I've tasted to date, and a decade from now, readers will have a lot of fun including this in blind tastings against more famous names.Inc. GSTSG$269.69 -
James Suckling (99)
Extremely perfumed and floral with lavender, lilacs and violets to the sweet, ripe berries, such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Some slate and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and refined, with super fine tannins that last for minutes. Fresh herbs, such as bay leaf and lemon grass highlight the dark fruit. The quality of tannin is exquisite with wonderful polish and refinement. Lasts for minutes. So wonderful to taste now, but better after 2026.Inc. GSTSG$2,730.93 -
James Suckling (99)
The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028.Inc. GSTSG$2,777.82
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Decanter (100)
Another astounding wine from Allegrini, if you didn't buy Fiermonte last year here's a chance to buy something just as good. The most gorgeous nose; full of flowers, chocolate truffles, red fruits and dried berries - fragranced and just so inviting, also so pure. The texture and mouthfeel are just perfect - round, enveloping, the perfect weight to give structure and body with intensity and fleshiness yet nothing is over the top or too much. Delicious crunchy and fleshy fruit, wonderful minty freshness with accents of incense fragrance, wood spice and exotic spices before a lingering chalky finish with an underlying saltiness. Pure, precise, clearly defined, juicy, totally moreish. What more can you ask for? A little less friendly and overtly charming than the 2015 at the same time last year, this carries more muscle, opulence, power and boldness but it has exceptional forward motion and freshness. It delights and enthralls in equal measure from the first sip! Just wow! A blend of 45% Corvina, 45% Corvinone, 5% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta.In BondSG$713.00 -
Decanter (97)
Vibrant and intense colour in the glass, richly scented, floral and perfumed, open and inviting. Intense and concentrated, the fruit is dark and ripe but there’s no hint of over ripeness here and instead you get cool blue fruits, chalky tannins and minty freshness with accents of liquorice, coffee, tobacco, cedar spice and clove. Tannins are clearly at the fore, giving the structure and the frame while the juicy acidity gives the energy and life. Still on the serious side, not tense so much as there’s good persistence, it’s lean and streamlined, but refined in a spiced and mineral way. Gorgeous terroir markers, lovely detail and precision, you can feel they haven't worked too much or tried too hard. It carries the signature of the estate in the serious structure, it’s a big wine, there’s such power here but so well controlled and delivered. Razor sharp, focussed and persistent. A gorgeous 2022, well executed and will be a clear success.In BondSG$350.00 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (98-100)
The bouquet of red and purple flowers stands out in the nose before you get to the sweet, red, black and blue fruits, licorice and spice. On the palate the wine is incredibly dense, sensuous, opulent and deep. Yet, with all the concentration, the wine is weightless, and effortless to drink. On the mid-palate, the waves of fruits keep coming as they coat your palate. The purity in the fruit, the energy, length, balance, and complexity is at a new level here. The seamless finish, with its ocean of berries, topped by a salty, crushed stones hits the 60 second mark. The best part of the experience is the velvet-drenched-texture that needs to be experienced. The wine blends 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5%, ABV, 3.55 pH. The harvest took place, September 5 - September 26. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. Make no mistake, this is the best wine ever produced at Beau-Sejour Becot. Drink from 2027-2060.In BondSG$587.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted.In BondSG$694.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Fabulous aromas of strawberries, orange zest and orange blossom. So pure on the nose. Very perfumed. Medium-bodied with intense linear tannins that are ultra-fine in texture. It's fresh and salty with a brightness and focus. Minerally and crisp. pH is 3.4 highlighting the strength of the acidity. Crunchy. Salty. So delicious now but this will age incredibly well.In BondSG$478.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.In BondSG$4,100.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.In BondSG$570.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
The Grand Vin from this terrific Pomerol estate, the 2022 Château Clinet checks in as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 19 months in 80% new barrels. It's a beautiful Pomerol that clearly ranks with the greats from this address, offering a vivid purple hue, classic notes of cassis, leather, graphite, and black cherries, full-bodied richness, and a layered, seamless mouthfeel. It's another remarkable 2022 that brings the richness and depth of the vintage while staying light on its feel and flawlessly balanced. It has plenty of upfront appeal even today, yet there's ample structure here as well, and it's going to evolve beautifully over the coming 30 years or more.In BondSG$728.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
Structured and fluffy with a blanket of fine tannins. Full-bodied yet agile and floating. Juicy at the end. Excellent finish. Lots of lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 45.5% merlot, 44.5% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.In BondSG$585.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Looking at the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel, this awesome Saint-Estèphe checks in as a normal blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 50% new oak. Remarkably concentrated yet with a graceful elegance, it has sensational cassis, graphite, spring flowers, and subtle tobacco-driven aromatics, full-bodied richness, a deeply layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a monumental finish. Hitting 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.79, it's as good a Cos d'Estournel as has ever been made. It actually has ample upfront appeal yet won't hit the early stages of its prime drinking window for another decade, and it will have 50-75 years of overall longevity.In BondSG$1,200.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020
Decanter (97)
The second release on the Place de Bordeaux of this 'more modern' wine from the established Spanish winery says CVNE CEO and fifth-generation family member Victor Urrutia made from the 2.37ha plot of 30-year-old Tempranillo grapes known as Carromaza in the village of Villalba, 700m high in Rioja Alta. From the fresh and cool 2020 vintage, this is intensely fragrant, verging on heady aromatics on the nose; baked plum, strawberries and soft aniseed, cinnamon and clove spices. Supple and so smooth but with a crushed velvet edge giving weight and texture. Instantly satisfying on the palate with delicate, yet enrobing tannins that give structure and support but don't overwhelm the crunchy, ripe and fleshy fruit. Acidity is high and perfectly balances the warming underlying elements. Rich, sumptuous, seductive but with poise and nuance - everything feels well defined with the most delicious juiciness on the mid palate. Bright, shiny, alive and utterly drinkable. Wild yeast fermentation. Ageing 12 months in new and one year old French oak barrels. 3.6pH. 95 IPT.In BondSG$606.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.In BondSG$563.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.In BondSG$273.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Domaine De Chevalier is beautiful, with a 2009-like style in its spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Chevalier that has a supple, layered mouthfeel, beautifully polished tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's not massive or over the top in any way and excels on its balance and complexity. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, drink this seamless, sexy, already approachable 2022 over the coming 30-40 years.In BondSG$527.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years.In BondSG$527.00 -
Decanter (93)
This wine features a lovely bright raspberry fruit aroma with a bit of menthol and a suggestion of peony. The tannins are substantial, and there is plenty of acidity to draw the wine to a lovely conclusion. The grapes come from 60 – 65 year old vines in the lower part of Grèves where the soils are a bit deeper. The wine shows a true Grèves character in its restraint, elegance, and balance.In BondSG$417.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)
Soft red, beautifully pale jewel-like colour, brings you right into the heart of Etna, transparent and yet intense. Fresh acidity, orange peel, brushed leather, redcurrant. This is distinctive, with subtle intensity that builds slowly, never anything other than easy to love. The oyster shell salinity on the finish speaks of the limestone and volcanic soils. Clings on, sappy and mouthwatering. Harvest mid October, fermented in stainless steel vats, ageing in large sized oak vats. 5.5ha estate, vines planted 1975. Winemaker Andrea Delpiano.In BondSG$164.00 -
James Suckling (96-97)
Beautiful texture here. Tannins are dense and compact but finely polished and silky. Seamless and even with length and succulence. Medium- to full-bodied. Power with elegance. Endless for this. Finally the best ever.In BondSG$294.00 -
James Suckling (97)
Licorice with tapenade, cassis, roasted spices and a touch of bergamot and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and structured, this has filigreed tannins in a very dusty, almost powdery form. Really youthful and long. Juicy and compact with spot-on balance. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot. Give it at least three years to unwind and develop complexity.In BondSG$461.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure.In BondSG$3,940.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
The latest Vin de Constance is a very good rather than truly great iteration of this famous sweet wine, but that still makes it pretty special. Made with 28 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan, picked over the space of only three weeks because of the hotter vintage, it has honey, barley sugar, guava and apricot flavours, scented oak spices and a finish that combines glycerol with bright acidity.In BondSG$496.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (99)
The 2022 La Gaffelière is fantastic, but it has also closed down considerably post-bottling. Supremely elegant and perfumed, the 2022 is an absolutely stunning wine. Blood orange, pomegranate, spice, white pepper, dried herbs and all sorts of floral overtones soar from the glass. The Franc is so impressive here. I don't expect this magical Saint-Émilion to be ready any time soon. Today, it is a wine of dazzling complexity and purity for the cellar.In BondSG$518.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
In bottle, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild has turned out even better than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, minty blackcurrants, violets and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, with a deep, enveloping core of lively fruit, beautifully refined tannins, and a long, perfumed finish. Even at this early stage, it's remarkably integrated and harmonious, and it's certainly the most elegant of the first growths this year, reminding me of a modern-day version of Lafite's magical 1953.In BondSG$4,540.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013.In BondSG$384.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Laroque, it checks in as 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak with a mix in larger formats, as well as a portion in foudre. Gorgeous black raspberries, spring flowers, graphite, and truffly mineral and crushed stone-like nuances all shine in this stunningly complex, medium to full-bodied effort. With ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins, it's going to drink well for at least 30 years. The alcohol here is a healthy 14.7 with a pH of 3.4. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine! Buy a case for your cellar. You can thank me later.In BondSG$498.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion checks in as 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot that spent 16 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautifully perfumed, medium to full-bodied, elegant 2022 that has red, blue, and some black fruits, a lifted, floral perfume of incense, smoky tobacco, and blood orange, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done, and while it's already accessible, it should age beautifully for two decades.In BondSG$249.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak.In BondSG$820.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Aromas of sweet cherries, petals and licorice introduce the 2022 Château Mangot, a medium to full-bodied, dense and layered wine that's suave and multidimensional, its concentrated core of lively fruit built around sweet, powdery tannins. It's the finest Mangot I've tasted to date, and a decade from now, readers will have a lot of fun including this in blind tastings against more famous names.In BondSG$190.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Extremely perfumed and floral with lavender, lilacs and violets to the sweet, ripe berries, such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Some slate and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and refined, with super fine tannins that last for minutes. Fresh herbs, such as bay leaf and lemon grass highlight the dark fruit. The quality of tannin is exquisite with wonderful polish and refinement. Lasts for minutes. So wonderful to taste now, but better after 2026.In BondSG$2,450.00 -
James Suckling (99)
The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028.In BondSG$2,495.00
