Bordeaux
Bordeaux
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)
Deep ruby in color, here you find truffle, dark chocolate, coffee bean, cigar box, black cherry and dark plums. Full bodied, elegant, velvety, opulent, sweet and fresh, the presence on the palate is silk and velvet in the texture with purity and sweetness to the fruits. The wine is hedonistic as well as intellectual, and a little bit firm. There is serious aging potential. The wine really sticks with you, for over 60 seconds in the finish. Give this at least 15 or more years in the cellar to develop before popping a cork.Inc. GSTSG$15,825.86 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (99)
The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has one of the more opulent aromatic profiles amongst the flight of Pauillac wines, displaying black cherries, cassis, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and a silver bead of acidity. Silky smooth in texture, this retains impressive composure toward the finish, handling the weight of fruit with class. It improves with each swirl, though the bottle I tasted just after bottling had a touch more precision. Nevertheless, this a fabulous Pauillac that flirts with perfection. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Inc. GSTSG$1,346.63 -
James Suckling (99)
The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate in an encompassing yet always elegant and pure way. It’s succulent and unadulterated. Like crushed, perfectly ripened grapes. The length is rather endless. The tannins build. Fabulous young red. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028, but an absolute joy to taste now.Inc. GSTSG$695.92 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.Inc. GSTSG$1,583.73 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.Inc. GSTSG$692.67 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.Inc. GSTSG$666.51 -
Jancis Robinson (17)
Owned by the Thienpont family, the wine made by Nicolas Thienpont. Includes 15% Sauvignon Gris. Only a third of the vines survived the frost. Sauvignon Blanc (85%) clones from the Loire. Fresh herby citrus and some nice notes of orange peel. Almost peachy on the palate but excellent freshness and intensity, clean cut. Bright and lively and deliciously mouth-watering. Persistent, too. Orange-peel aftertaste. Lovely.Inc. GSTSG$269.75 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Reminding me of the 2016, the 2018 Château Rauzan-Segla reveals this beautifully fresh, complex bouquet that still has serious richness and depth. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 65% new barrels, it offers a dense purple hue to go with gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, spring flowers, cigar wrapper, and sandalwood. A quintessential Margaux with its spicy, complex, floral character, it's full-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, a solid spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. This is a brilliant, heavenly 2018 to enjoy over the coming 30 years or more.Inc. GSTSG$773.27 -
Wine Advocate (94-96+)
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Saint-Pierre comes shooting out of the glass with vibrant scents of crushed black and red currants, black raspberries and boysenberries with touches of lavender, tilled soil, pencil shavings and camphor plus a waft of red roses. The medium-bodied palate is charged with energy, featuring densely packed, muscular black and red fruits with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Make no mistake, this estate is on a roll!Inc. GSTSG$434.30 -
Decanter (94)
Black chocolate, baked earth, liquorice root and silky smooth tannins greet you on the first attack of this wine. I've never found this the easiest to love of the Durantou range but it is strikingly successful in 2019. Silky and yet slatey in texture, this both eases you through the palate and pulls you up short, slowing things down. Sparks of fresh minerality accompany the pulsing blueberry and raspberry fruits, and the juicy finish makes this one to look out for.Inc. GSTSG$218.46 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2018 Sergant, which impressed from barrel, has a captivating bouquet of precise black cherry, wild strawberry and rose petal aromas that waft from the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine-grained tannins, a silky-smooth texture and beautifully integrated oak toward the finish. This is a top-quality Lalande de Pomerol, a bit of a hidden gem. Go seek!Inc. GSTSG$182.49 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
A dark, sensual wine, the 2012 Smith Haut Lafitte boasts marvelous depth and textural richness. Dark red stone fruits, leather, smoke, tobacco, gravel and herbs are laced together in an expansive wine endowed with terrific purity. The tannins are going to need at least a few years to soften, but there is clearly quite a bit to look forward to.Inc. GSTSG$1,592.36 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.Inc. GSTSG$932.41 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (97)
Intense, attention seeking notes of lemon, lime, flowers and stone open to a wine with depth, richness and concentration. The wine is long, fresh, plush and polished with plush textures and a mélange of citrus and mineral sensations. There is a purity to the sweet fruits that remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds.Inc. GSTSG$1,010.93 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JSInc. GSTSG$510.90 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JSInc. GSTSG$996.74 -
James Suckling (96-97)
Blueberry and blackberry character with hints of white pepper and chalk. Salty, too. Full-bodied, tight and polished with fantastic texture and length. Very closed and tight with gorgeous tannin quality.Inc. GSTSG$337.25 -
Wine Advocate (93+)
A blend of 55% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Tronquoy-Lalande races out of the glass with bright, exuberant scents of Morello cherries, mulberries, warm plums and fresh blackcurrants plus touches of allspice, candied violets and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is laden with expressive black and red fruits plus loads of floral accents and a wonderfully plush texture, finishing long and fragrant.Inc. GSTSG$279.54 -
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
The 2014 Troplong Mondot is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, and this beauty has more intensity, richness, and exuberance than just about every other wine in 2014. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 85% new French oak, it sports a deep purple/plum color as well as a smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, scorched earth, toasty oak, graphite, espresso, and earth. With full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, and a rich, yet weightless texture, it’s a big, yet classy, elegant, and seamless wine from Xavier Pariente that should be snatched up by readers. It’s already drinking well but has 20-25 years of prime drinking to go.Inc. GSTSG$1,618.48 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
A wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is a tour de force that readers need to snatch up. This cuvee comes from the cool, clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau (it’s the highest point in the appellation) and is a blend of 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvest between September 30th and October 21st, that was brought up in 85% new French oak. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as a sensational bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, toasted spice, licorice and spring flowers, it’s another huge wine from this estate that has perfect balance between its fruit, oak and tannin, a stacked mid-palate, and an incredible finish. I wrote "crazy good" more than once in my notes. It has enough fruit and texture to drink nicely even today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two to three decades. It's one of the great wines of the vintage.Inc. GSTSG$1,045.72 -
James Suckling (98)
Complex aromas of blackberries, dried flowers and other dark fruit. Shows hints of cedar and blackberries. Full-bodied, dense and wonderfully integrated with rich tannins that just melt into the wine. Extremely fine and focused finish. Shows harmony and balance. Better after 2024.Inc. GSTSG$747.13 -
Wine Advocate (100)
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Vieux Château Certan unfurls in the glass with a striking bouquet of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of violets, loamy soil, sweet spices and incense. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's seamless and enveloping, with a fleshy core of beautifully vibrant fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, this perfumed, sensual Vieux Château Certan is a remarkable achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont.Inc. GSTSG$2,013.69
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The Wine Cellar Insider (100)
Deep ruby in color, here you find truffle, dark chocolate, coffee bean, cigar box, black cherry and dark plums. Full bodied, elegant, velvety, opulent, sweet and fresh, the presence on the palate is silk and velvet in the texture with purity and sweetness to the fruits. The wine is hedonistic as well as intellectual, and a little bit firm. There is serious aging potential. The wine really sticks with you, for over 60 seconds in the finish. Give this at least 15 or more years in the cellar to develop before popping a cork.In BondSG$14,500.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (99)
The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has one of the more opulent aromatic profiles amongst the flight of Pauillac wines, displaying black cherries, cassis, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and a silver bead of acidity. Silky smooth in texture, this retains impressive composure toward the finish, handling the weight of fruit with class. It improves with each swirl, though the bottle I tasted just after bottling had a touch more precision. Nevertheless, this a fabulous Pauillac that flirts with perfection. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.In BondSG$1,180.00 -
James Suckling (99)
The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate in an encompassing yet always elegant and pure way. It’s succulent and unadulterated. Like crushed, perfectly ripened grapes. The length is rather endless. The tannins build. Fabulous young red. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028, but an absolute joy to taste now.In BondSG$585.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.In BondSG$1,350.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.In BondSG$584.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold.In BondSG$560.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17)
Owned by the Thienpont family, the wine made by Nicolas Thienpont. Includes 15% Sauvignon Gris. Only a third of the vines survived the frost. Sauvignon Blanc (85%) clones from the Loire. Fresh herby citrus and some nice notes of orange peel. Almost peachy on the palate but excellent freshness and intensity, clean cut. Bright and lively and deliciously mouth-watering. Persistent, too. Orange-peel aftertaste. Lovely.In BondSG$196.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Reminding me of the 2016, the 2018 Château Rauzan-Segla reveals this beautifully fresh, complex bouquet that still has serious richness and depth. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 65% new barrels, it offers a dense purple hue to go with gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, spring flowers, cigar wrapper, and sandalwood. A quintessential Margaux with its spicy, complex, floral character, it's full-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture, no hard edges, a solid spine of acidity, and a great, great finish. This is a brilliant, heavenly 2018 to enjoy over the coming 30 years or more.In BondSG$652.00 -
Wine Advocate (94-96+)
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Saint-Pierre comes shooting out of the glass with vibrant scents of crushed black and red currants, black raspberries and boysenberries with touches of lavender, tilled soil, pencil shavings and camphor plus a waft of red roses. The medium-bodied palate is charged with energy, featuring densely packed, muscular black and red fruits with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Make no mistake, this estate is on a roll!In BondSG$343.00 -
Decanter (94)
Black chocolate, baked earth, liquorice root and silky smooth tannins greet you on the first attack of this wine. I've never found this the easiest to love of the Durantou range but it is strikingly successful in 2019. Silky and yet slatey in texture, this both eases you through the palate and pulls you up short, slowing things down. Sparks of fresh minerality accompany the pulsing blueberry and raspberry fruits, and the juicy finish makes this one to look out for.In BondSG$143.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2018 Sergant, which impressed from barrel, has a captivating bouquet of precise black cherry, wild strawberry and rose petal aromas that waft from the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine-grained tannins, a silky-smooth texture and beautifully integrated oak toward the finish. This is a top-quality Lalande de Pomerol, a bit of a hidden gem. Go seek!In BondSG$110.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
A dark, sensual wine, the 2012 Smith Haut Lafitte boasts marvelous depth and textural richness. Dark red stone fruits, leather, smoke, tobacco, gravel and herbs are laced together in an expansive wine endowed with terrific purity. The tannins are going to need at least a few years to soften, but there is clearly quite a bit to look forward to.In BondSG$1,350.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.In BondSG$798.00 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (97)
Intense, attention seeking notes of lemon, lime, flowers and stone open to a wine with depth, richness and concentration. The wine is long, fresh, plush and polished with plush textures and a mélange of citrus and mineral sensations. There is a purity to the sweet fruits that remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds.In BondSG$874.00 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JSIn BondSG$441.00 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Gorgeous aromas of honey, passion fruit, mango and candied lemon rind. Full-bodied and ultraconcentrated, yet balanced and refined. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This has just about everything in the right place. Stunning. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made. -JSIn BondSG$859.00 -
James Suckling (96-97)
Blueberry and blackberry character with hints of white pepper and chalk. Salty, too. Full-bodied, tight and polished with fantastic texture and length. Very closed and tight with gorgeous tannin quality.In BondSG$250.00 -
Wine Advocate (93+)
A blend of 55% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Tronquoy-Lalande races out of the glass with bright, exuberant scents of Morello cherries, mulberries, warm plums and fresh blackcurrants plus touches of allspice, candied violets and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is laden with expressive black and red fruits plus loads of floral accents and a wonderfully plush texture, finishing long and fragrant.In BondSG$203.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
The 2014 Troplong Mondot is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, and this beauty has more intensity, richness, and exuberance than just about every other wine in 2014. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 85% new French oak, it sports a deep purple/plum color as well as a smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, scorched earth, toasty oak, graphite, espresso, and earth. With full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, and a rich, yet weightless texture, it’s a big, yet classy, elegant, and seamless wine from Xavier Pariente that should be snatched up by readers. It’s already drinking well but has 20-25 years of prime drinking to go.In BondSG$1,370.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
A wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is a tour de force that readers need to snatch up. This cuvee comes from the cool, clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau (it’s the highest point in the appellation) and is a blend of 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvest between September 30th and October 21st, that was brought up in 85% new French oak. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as a sensational bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, toasted spice, licorice and spring flowers, it’s another huge wine from this estate that has perfect balance between its fruit, oak and tannin, a stacked mid-palate, and an incredible finish. I wrote "crazy good" more than once in my notes. It has enough fruit and texture to drink nicely even today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two to three decades. It's one of the great wines of the vintage.In BondSG$898.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Complex aromas of blackberries, dried flowers and other dark fruit. Shows hints of cedar and blackberries. Full-bodied, dense and wonderfully integrated with rich tannins that just melt into the wine. Extremely fine and focused finish. Shows harmony and balance. Better after 2024.In BondSG$630.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Vieux Château Certan unfurls in the glass with a striking bouquet of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of violets, loamy soil, sweet spices and incense. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's seamless and enveloping, with a fleshy core of beautifully vibrant fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, this perfumed, sensual Vieux Château Certan is a remarkable achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont.In BondSG$1,790.00

