Organic Wines

Release date: 10/6/2024

Aromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy coreAromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, concluding with a mineral, fresh and long finish highlighted by delicate notes of thyme and garrigue. Comprising 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris and matured in 50% new oak, this blend is among the finest white wines produced at this address. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 94-96 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 10/6/2024

As usual, a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon matured 50% in new oak, the 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up aromas of spring flowers, citrus, lime tree leaves and menthol.As usual, a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon matured 50% in new oak, the 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up aromas of spring flowers, citrus, lime tree leaves and menthol. Medium-bodied, satiny and round, it’s satiny with a fleshy core of fruit, bright acids and an elegant, ethereal finish enhanced by gastronomic bitterness. It will offer a broad drinking window. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 90-93 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 3/6/2024

Vivid ruby plum colour, great depth of flavour, balancing spiced plum, fennel, rosemary and anis with juicy blackberry and damson fruit, all delivered with a caress of floral aromatics and well-pacedVivid ruby plum colour, great depth of flavour, balancing spiced plum, fennel, rosemary and anis with juicy blackberry and damson fruit, all delivered with a caress of floral aromatics and well-paced momentum. The August and early September heat waves meant lost yield but higher concentration, and this is a structured Alter Ego that stretches out through the palate, with a kick on the finish. September 11 harvest through to October 5, 25% new oak for ageing. Drinking range: 2028 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 15/5/2024

60 Cabernet Franc, 40 Merlot: 100% new oak for 20 months in underground quarries: The Merlot was harvested on 14 & 19 September and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on 25, 28 & 30 September Ausone60 Cabernet Franc, 40 Merlot: 100% new oak for 20 months in underground quarries: The Merlot was harvested on 14 & 19 September and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on 25, 28 & 30 September Ausone has made the flip to Cabernet Franc dominance work perfectly, and the nose sings of this variety with beautiful wild blackberry fruit and superb green highlights. The palate is plush and silky, with more texture than I expected in this vintage. The finish is positively genial with a ripe round, carefree set of tannins, and the acidity merely tightens the belt on the finish, allowing the wine to finish in a state of delightful constriction. This is a somewhat different wine than I expected to taste, as I imagined a more tortured soul would greet me, but no. I am surprised and delighted to see a smiling face on this enchanting Ausone instead of a furrowed brow. This is a fascinating take on the vintage, and it will please every person who falls under its spell. 19+/20 Rating: 19+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

The 2023 Durfort-Vivens is a very pretty, understated wine. In 2023, Durfort is marked by a brighter profile than usual: red fruit, blood orange and flowers. Medium in body and persistent, with goodThe 2023 Durfort-Vivens is a very pretty, understated wine. In 2023, Durfort is marked by a brighter profile than usual: red fruit, blood orange and flowers. Medium in body and persistent, with good energy and very fine balance, the 2023 is promising. Even though it’s showing a touch of oak at this stage, this layered and sumptuous offering is showing well. Drinking range: 2031 - 2053 Rating: 92-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

The 2023 Ferrière was picked at 40hL/ha between September 13 and October 2 and matured in 40% new oak. It has a very precise bouquet, understated in style, with blackberry and bilberry fruit lacedThe 2023 Ferrière was picked at 40hL/ha between September 13 and October 2 and matured in 40% new oak. It has a very precise bouquet, understated in style, with blackberry and bilberry fruit laced with cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp black fruit on the entry, quite spicy and peppery in style. It’s a more vivacious Ferrière compared to other vintages, closing with a smooth and harmonious finish. This is a lovely Margaux from Claire Lurton. Drinking range: 2026 - 2044 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

Intense and crunchy blue and black fruits, delivering tons of Pauillac character, reserved and well judged, juicy cassis, liqourice root, slate and cocoa bean. Delicous, a lovely vintage of thisIntense and crunchy blue and black fruits, delivering tons of Pauillac character, reserved and well judged, juicy cassis, liqourice root, slate and cocoa bean. Delicous, a lovely vintage of this wine. Harvest September 12 to 30. 53hl/h yield, just a little higher than the already high yield of Pauillac in this vintage, no mildew. 3.48ph, 40% new oak, with the rest of one year old, pls concrete eggs and amphora. Claire Villars-Lurton owner. Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 24/5/2024

Juicy and fresh red with medium body and firm tannins. Hints of vivid fruit and wet stones in the finish. Slightly chewy at the end.Juicy and fresh red with medium body and firm tannins. Hints of vivid fruit and wet stones in the finish. Slightly chewy at the end. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

A property Claire Villars-Lurton has owned since 2000, the wines now made at Château Ferrière. The vines are in Soussans, on gravelly soil. The blend is 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 13%A property Claire Villars-Lurton has owned since 2000, the wines now made at Château Ferrière. The vines are in Soussans, on gravelly soil. The blend is 62%Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 13% Petit Verdot, the latter coming from the estate’s 3 hectares of Petit Verdot vines. Rose-infused fruit on the nose, with a touch of chocolate. This is followed by a light and juicy palate, with the linear substance of the vintage and a rather peppered edge, underpinned by a little frame of pithy tannins which flourish with a touch of bitterness in the finish. This one will probably be for drinking relatively young. The alcohol is 13.6% on analysis. Rating: 86-88 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 3/5/2024

The 2023 La Lagune, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, reveals bright aromas of dark wild berries, flowers, cassis and spices. Medium-bodied, supple and enveloping, with a perfectlyThe 2023 La Lagune, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, reveals bright aromas of dark wild berries, flowers, cassis and spices. Medium-bodied, supple and enveloping, with a perfectly balanced mid-palate, it’s elegant and charming with an ethereal, fruity finish. This is an excellent rendition of this terroir. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 15/5/2024

The blend of Mangot is 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified with a cold soak for eight days, after which there was a slightly shorter post-fermentation maceration. AThe blend of Mangot is 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified with a cold soak for eight days, after which there was a slightly shorter post-fermentation maceration. A very pure and expressive nose, but evidently dry and savoury, with notes of blackberry and damson, laced with liquorice, tar, slate and dark chocolate. The palate follows with a gently creamed texture, rich with notes of slate, chocolate and blackberry, with deliciously savoury substance, plenty of juicy texture, a saline minerality and spice supporting the fruit. This is an another impressive sample from the Todeschini family, with a sappy grip which persists in the finish. The élevage will be in a mix of barrels (new and used), foudres and amphorae. The alcohol is around 14.5%, although probably slightly lower than that on analysis. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 3/6/2024

A breathtaking wine, the 2023 Palmer is sensational. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2023 is a real head-turner. Readers will find an extroverted, dense Palmer that is immediately captivating. Here,A breathtaking wine, the 2023 Palmer is sensational. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2023 is a real head-turner. Readers will find an extroverted, dense Palmer that is immediately captivating. Here, too, the balance is mind-blowing. Ample and resonant, the 2023 is striking in its beauty. Waves of layered fruit rush out first, building through to the back end with stunning aromatic intensity. There is no other wine like Palmer in Bordeaux. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a great Pomerol, as heretical as that might sound! If I could pick only one wine to own from the 2023 vintage, Palmer might very well be it. Drinking range: 2033 - 2063 Rating: 98-100 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 30/4/2024

The 2023 Pontet-Canet is a powerful, impressively constituted wine. Dark, vibrant and sensual in the glass, the 2023 is somber and mysterious in bearing. Black plum, gravel, lavender, graphite andThe 2023 Pontet-Canet is a powerful, impressively constituted wine. Dark, vibrant and sensual in the glass, the 2023 is somber and mysterious in bearing. Black plum, gravel, lavender, graphite and licorice all meld together in the glass. More than anything else, the 2023 is incredibly well put together. In this vintage, the wine was blended at the beginning of élevage rather than at the end, as was the custom in the past. This is a gorgeous and hugely promising Pontet-Canet. I especially admire its finely cut precision and soaring aromatics. Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 94-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 10/6/2024

The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is a brilliant wine, revealing a complex, elegantly oaky bouquet of dark wild berries, mulberries, blueberries, flowers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless andThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is a brilliant wine, revealing a complex, elegantly oaky bouquet of dark wild berries, mulberries, blueberries, flowers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and rich, it has a fleshy core of fruit with good concentration and refined, structured tannins that segues into a long, penetrating and mineral finish. Crafted with an unprecedented majority of Cabernet Sauvignon—due to mildew affecting the Merlot—this Smith Haut Lafitte highlights a distinctly Cabernet-driven texture that authentically reflects its terroir despite a slightly more structured character. This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, matured in 60% new oak barrels, represents one-third of the entire crop. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 94-96 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 10/6/2024

Structured and pretty serious Petit SHL, focusing on blue and black fuits, good structure and tension, showcases the quality of this year's Cabernet Sauvignon, highlighting the nuance and inkyStructured and pretty serious Petit SHL, focusing on blue and black fuits, good structure and tension, showcases the quality of this year's Cabernet Sauvignon, highlighting the nuance and inky character of the grape in 2023, harvest September 8 to October 5. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)