Saint Estèphe

Release date: 12/6/2024

Medium to full intensity ruby plum colour, higher Petit Verdot than usual in the blend, and it comes through in sappy, lively black pepper spice and dark fruit character, good quality, a littleMedium to full intensity ruby plum colour, higher Petit Verdot than usual in the blend, and it comes through in sappy, lively black pepper spice and dark fruit character, good quality, a little austere. In organic conversion, to be certified 2024. Harvest September 6 to 26. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 12/6/2024

Silky tannins with grip and intensity, a lovely balance of texture and fresh acidities. Slate and pummice stone grip, this is delicious, with appellation typicity in its powerful black fruits, butSilky tannins with grip and intensity, a lovely balance of texture and fresh acidities. Slate and pummice stone grip, this is delicious, with appellation typicity in its powerful black fruits, but measured with a saline kick on the finish. In organic conversion, to be certified 2025. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 12/6/2024

The 2023 Montrose is another brilliant wine from an estate that's now routinely among Bordeaux's very best, year in, year out. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc,The 2023 Montrose is another brilliant wine from an estate that's now routinely among Bordeaux's very best, year in, year out. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, derived exclusively from the estate's historic core on the fourth terrace situated just in front of the château itself, it unwinds in the glass with aromas of cassis and wild berries mingled with notions of lilac, violet and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, deep and layered, with a textural attack that segues into a dense, multidimensional mid-palate framed by beautifully ripe tannins and lively acids, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. It will be worth a special effort to seek out. Rating: 97-100 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Release date: 6/6/2024

The 2023 Capbern is a plush, sensual wine. Juicy dark plum, spice, mocha, gravel and incense are all amplified in this racy, wonderfully inviting Saint-Estèphe. Soft, supple tannins wrap it allThe 2023 Capbern is a plush, sensual wine. Juicy dark plum, spice, mocha, gravel and incense are all amplified in this racy, wonderfully inviting Saint-Estèphe. Soft, supple tannins wrap it all together in style. Readers looking for an affordable wine to drink over the next 10-12 years will adore this. Superb. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 6/6/2024

A serious Marquis with higher Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, ink, spiced plum, damson, orange peel, chocolate, cocoa bean. Slightly exuberant, silky texture, with a flash of heat. 30% new oak forA serious Marquis with higher Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, ink, spiced plum, damson, orange peel, chocolate, cocoa bean. Slightly exuberant, silky texture, with a flash of heat. 30% new oak for ageing, 3.6ph, 45hl/h yield. Drinking range: 2029 - 2040 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 6/6/2024

The 2023 Calon Ségur is a wine for readers who can be patient. In many recent years, Calon Ségur has been quite showy, but this is not one of them. Bold acids and huge tannins dominate at this stage.The 2023 Calon Ségur is a wine for readers who can be patient. In many recent years, Calon Ségur has been quite showy, but this is not one of them. Bold acids and huge tannins dominate at this stage. Bright red-toned fruit is a signature, but the 2023 is a powerful, young Calon Ségur that will clearly need time to come together. Bright acids extend the finish beautifully. Drinking range: 2033 - 2063 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 3/6/2024

The polish and intensity of this wine is beautiful for the vintage, with blackcurrant, lead pencil and light chocolate character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated fruit and tannins,The polish and intensity of this wine is beautiful for the vintage, with blackcurrant, lead pencil and light chocolate character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated fruit and tannins, and a long finish. Velvet texture. Excellent potential. Fermented from selected yeast from the various parcels. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 1.5% petit verdot, and 1.5% cabernet franc. Let’s see which is better in the end, 2022 or 2023. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 3/6/2024

The 2023 de Pez confirms the progress taking place at this address. As readers may remember, this estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and developmentThe 2023 de Pez confirms the progress taking place at this address. As readers may remember, this estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and director Nicolas Glumineau and his team have been working to bring more precision and purity to the wine. Offering up aromas of cassis, violets and pencil shavings, framed by nicely integrated new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, polished and suave, with a layered core of sweet, vibrant fruit framed by ripe, powdery tannins. Rating: 91-93 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Release date: 16/5/2024

Vivid ruby colour, reserved aromatics, well balanced, chalky slightly austere tannins, less exuberant than the 2022 vintage, while still delivering seductive and highly spiced black cherry and cassisVivid ruby colour, reserved aromatics, well balanced, chalky slightly austere tannins, less exuberant than the 2022 vintage, while still delivering seductive and highly spiced black cherry and cassis fruits, showcasing the potential of St Estèphe in the vintage. Harvest September 12 to 29, 20% new oak. In organic conversion. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 16/5/2024

The 2023 Cos d’Estournel is fabulous. Dark, resonant and inviting, the 2023 has so much to offer. All the elements are beautifully woven together. Black cherry, plum, licorice, espresso, mocha andThe 2023 Cos d’Estournel is fabulous. Dark, resonant and inviting, the 2023 has so much to offer. All the elements are beautifully woven together. Black cherry, plum, licorice, espresso, mocha and incense fill out the layers. Readers will find a Cos endowed with tremendous substance and intensity. I can't remember a young Cos with this much fruit concentration, yet there is nothing overdone here. I loved it. Drinking range: 2033 - 2063 Rating: 96-98 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 15/5/2024

The 2023 barrel sample from Meyney offers up a nose of sweet red fruits, with a smoky and leafy overlay, pressed red cherry with notes of blackcurrant leaf and menthol. The palate is a curiousThe 2023 barrel sample from Meyney offers up a nose of sweet red fruits, with a smoky and leafy overlay, pressed red cherry with notes of blackcurrant leaf and menthol. The palate is a curious combination of pressed berries, sweet plum and most prominently an over-confident wrapping of oaky lactones, which give the palate a spirity feel. Rather sappy and dense on the palate, with creamed fruit and a rich wrapping of oak, all underpinned by finely grained and tight-knit tannins, this is a rather sappy and modest Meyney which does not seem to echo the estate’s successes in some other recent vintages. One to revisit after the élevage perhaps. Rating: 88-90 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 14/5/2024

The 2023 Ormes de Pez is 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, with picking from September 19th. This is the final blend, including 12% press wine. The yield wasThe 2023 Ormes de Pez is 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, with picking from September 19th. This is the final blend, including 12% press wine. The yield was around 50 hl/ha, close to the appellation average. I find lots of smoky and toasted oak on the nose of this 2023 barrel sample, the berry fruits subsumed by matchstick and smoke, with a little more presence of fruit when tasted at the property. On the palate there is a rather charming and fresh core of perfumed and acidulous berry fruits, wrapped in layers of dark and toasted oak, dark chocolate, coffee bean and toast. The oak is providing a lot of flavour here at the moment, but the structure beneath is firm, ripe, knit and powdery, I am sure there is some nice potential here. Tasted three times. The alcohol is 13.5%. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 7/5/2024

Confident colour extraction, this is dark ruby but nuanced, with vibrant reflections. After two years with Christophe Congé as director, you are starting to see more precision and focus in theConfident colour extraction, this is dark ruby but nuanced, with vibrant reflections. After two years with Christophe Congé as director, you are starting to see more precision and focus in the constructino of the wine, with blackberry and bilberry fruits set against slate and smoked earth. Balanced alcohols, firm taninins. All four varieties in the blend. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 3/5/2024

There are increasingly few truly old school independent St Estèphes, making Haut-Marbuzet an outlier to celebrate. The tannic build up starts pretty quickly, as they lean into the rich but slightlyThere are increasingly few truly old school independent St Estèphes, making Haut-Marbuzet an outlier to celebrate. The tannic build up starts pretty quickly, as they lean into the rich but slightly austere tannins of the vintage, giving balance by savoury raspberry bud, fragrant tomato leaf and cassis fruits. Cocoa bean and espresso come through from the mid palate, with lift on the finish. 100% new oak for ageing, estate today run by Bruno and Hughes Duboscq, with father Henri still very much involved. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 2/5/2024

This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, picked from September 8th to the 29th. The nose here offers up sweet dark berries, wrapped in ribbons ofThis is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, picked from September 8th to the 29th. The nose here offers up sweet dark berries, wrapped in ribbons of dark chocolate and toast, and on a second sample also a scented, cedary perfume. This continues on the palate in a convincing style, with sinewy dark fruits, currants and damsons, intertwined with toast and olives, with a juicy but coherent substance, and a fine grip of powdery and nicely knit tannins. This holds together really well, with a dry but coherent substance built from a body of rich, firm, tightly knit tannins, before it finishes with a flourish of savoury fruit but also firm tannin. A good result. Tasted twice. The alcohol is 13.49% on analysis. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 29/4/2024

2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the Lorenzetti family's first move into the Medoc. Now owners of Pedesclaux, Lafon Rochet and a considerable stake in Chateau d'Issan, Lilian Ladouys may no longer2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the Lorenzetti family's first move into the Medoc. Now owners of Pedesclaux, Lafon Rochet and a considerable stake in Chateau d'Issan, Lilian Ladouys may no longer be there most prestigious estate but it is certainly a real passion project. Run by Manon Lorenzetti, with help from Pedesclaux's winemaker Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen - this estate gets better every year. Now into their third year of organic conversion and benefitting in 2023 from having more parcels on-stream - they have made a beauty. There's a sophisticated and classic Saint Estephe freshness to the crunchy black fruit. For the first time ever Cabernet Sauvignon takes the lead on the blend with 57% only reinforcing the upright, pure feel. This has great lines a delicious, ripe mid-palate and all the finesse you could ask for in Saint Estephe. Proper Bordeaux and so well priced. At 12.9% it really does feel like a very classic Claret. 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet franc L&S (Apr 2024)