Organic Wines

Release date: 10/6/2024

The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is quite the extrovert. Apricot, passion fruit, mint, tangerine peel and pineapple all soar out of the glass. Medium in body, with gorgeous texture, the 2023 isThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is quite the extrovert. Apricot, passion fruit, mint, tangerine peel and pineapple all soar out of the glass. Medium in body, with gorgeous texture, the 2023 is quite showy. I imagine it will drink well with minimal cellaring. Drinking range: 2026 - 2037 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 10/6/2024

As usual a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. This seems more reticent on the nose than Les Hauts, with powdered chalk, green pear and orange peel, the Semillon dampening down theAs usual a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. This seems more reticent on the nose than Les Hauts, with powdered chalk, green pear and orange peel, the Semillon dampening down the expression a little I think. Nevertheless it shows beautiful texture and presence through the palate, with supple texture, finely veined phenolics and a fresh core of acidity. This will, I suspect, need some time to open up, through the élevage or in bottle, but it should be very good when it gets there. The alcohol is around 14%. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.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

The 2023 Ausone was picked September 14 to 30 and matured for a planned 20 months. It has a wonderful bouquet that is very floral in style and perfectly controlled, perhaps more refined than the 2022The 2023 Ausone was picked September 14 to 30 and matured for a planned 20 months. It has a wonderful bouquet that is very floral in style and perfectly controlled, perhaps more refined than the 2022 (which incidentally had a degree more in alcohol). The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry, finely tuned with impressive mineralité. It just gently "rolls out" on the languorous finish. This is a more understated Ausone compared to recent vintages, but it exudes sophistication and could easily surpass the Vauthiers' 2022. Drinking range: 2028 - 2060 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

The 2023 Durfort Vivens is once again dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which represents 92% of the blend. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, plums and berries mingled with hints ofThe 2023 Durfort Vivens is once again dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which represents 92% of the blend. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of minty cassis, plums and berries mingled with hints of pencil shavings and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with good concentration, sweet tannins and a long, penetrating finish. With a pH of 3.66 and 13.7% alcohol, it's a resounding success. Rating: 94-95 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

The 2023 Ferrière is a hugely promising wine. At this early stage, 2023 looks like a wine of notable refinement. Ferrière is typically a big Margaux with large-grained tannins, but that is not theThe 2023 Ferrière is a hugely promising wine. At this early stage, 2023 looks like a wine of notable refinement. Ferrière is typically a big Margaux with large-grained tannins, but that is not the case at all with 2023. Dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol abound. Claire Lurton likes to present this wine from tank, before the wine is put into wood, in order to show the quality of the fruit. For that reason, the en primeur sample is really just a snapshot. Drinking range: 2031 - 2053 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

The 2023 Haut-Bages Libéral is fabulous. Deep, layered and exquisitely beautiful, the 2023 bristles with tension. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, leather, menthol and licorice grace a wine of depth,The 2023 Haut-Bages Libéral is fabulous. Deep, layered and exquisitely beautiful, the 2023 bristles with tension. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, leather, menthol and licorice grace a wine of depth, richness and sensuality. It's a terrific effort from proprietor Claire Villars-Lurton. Drinking range: 2030 - 2053 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

Release date: 24/5/2024

The 2023 Château de La Dauphine has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and light floral scents—one of the classiest that you will find from Fronsac this year. The palateThe 2023 Château de La Dauphine has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and light floral scents—one of the classiest that you will find from Fronsac this year. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine depth and gentle grip. There is a sense of poise to this Fronsac that I really admire, and it feels persistent on the finish. This is an excellent de La Dauphine that should aged well in bottle. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

Sappy and enticing ruby red fruit character, black pepper spice, fragrant cumin, good uplift through the palate. 25hl/h yield, impacted not by frost or midlew but by the heat in September on theSappy and enticing ruby red fruit character, black pepper spice, fragrant cumin, good uplift through the palate. 25hl/h yield, impacted not by frost or midlew but by the heat in September on the young vines, 3.6ph. Harvest September 13 to October 2. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 89 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 3/5/2024

65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 Merlot 50% new oak, 5% Clayver 13.5% alc 30 hl/ha Harvest took place between 8 – 29 September Caroline Frey was slightly stressed when I met up with her65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 Merlot 50% new oak, 5% Clayver 13.5% alc 30 hl/ha Harvest took place between 8 – 29 September Caroline Frey was slightly stressed when I met up with her and her sister Delphine to taste at La Lagune. There was a clear and present danger of frost in Bordeaux, the Northern Rhône and the Valais in Switzerland – three extremely important places where she makes wine. Her connection to these vineyards and her forensic attention to detail meant that her nerves were shredded, and she was also racking up a lot of miles whizzing between these properties, protecting her precious vines. However, one subject that was at the forefront of my mind was not a cause of any worry whatsoever for the Frey sisters. Their 2023 La Lagune is a superb wine with purity, class, and balance from the tip of its pristine aroma to the tail of its refreshing pin-sharp acidity. As you will have heard, mildew pressure was enormous in 2023, and Caroline’s viti-team is one of the most well-drilled in the region. Her staff can treat the whole property in just seven hours, and they are on standby every day, including Sundays. They were deployed regularly in this challenging vintage, including one particularly dangerous Sunday, and while others could not assemble teams, La Lagune prevailed. The fruit is of the very highest quality in this wine, with incredible purity and an impressive volume and intensity of perfume. This wine has a firm stance on the palate, and there is a vault of silky, slender, and refined black fruit at its core, surrounded by moments of enchanting delicacy and fragility. While some wines resemble hulking pantechnicons, La Lagune is a carbon-fibre F1 racing car. Direct, agile, sleek, and streamlined, this beauty will blossom gradually over two decades and more! Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 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

The 2023 Palmer represents two-thirds of the crop this year, raised in barrel (50% new) until July, then racked into 3,000-liter foudres for another 12 months. My sample was representative of the newThe 2023 Palmer represents two-thirds of the crop this year, raised in barrel (50% new) until July, then racked into 3,000-liter foudres for another 12 months. My sample was representative of the new oak ratio. The nose is very intense, as normal, loaded with blackberry, boysenberry, violet and veins of blood orange in the background. Powerful, though not in the same way as the barnstorming 2022, it manages to retain focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip on the entry. This is quite a deep Palmer with touches of licorice-tinged black fruit. It’s more opulent than almost all other Margaux wines this vintage, furnished with black pepper and allspice on the finish. It will require several years in bottle. The 2023 Palmer is one of the most long-term, serious wines on the Left Bank. Drinking range: 2030 - 2065 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2024)

Release date: 30/4/2024

The 2023 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of juicy blueberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant jelly spill from the glass, giving way to nuances of violets, black truffle, fertileThe 2023 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of juicy blueberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant jelly spill from the glass, giving way to nuances of violets, black truffle, fertile loam, and mossy tree bark with a hint of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is so, so silky, elegant, and fine, with perfumed black and blue fruit layers and beautiful tension, finishing long with lots of shimmery mineral and floral sparkles. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new oak, 35% amphorae, and 15% used barrels. With an alcohol this year of just 13.8%, this is a beautifully poised, tightly packed powerhouse that promises to keep the firework displays bedazzling collectors for many years to come. Rating: 97-99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (Apr 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

This has a big structure of polished tannins that are energetic and punchy. Medium to full body with beautiful blackcurrants, as well as dark tobacco and wet earth. Chewy at the end, but a pointedThis has a big structure of polished tannins that are energetic and punchy. Medium to full body with beautiful blackcurrants, as well as dark tobacco and wet earth. Chewy at the end, but a pointed and focused finish. More structured than 2022. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. From organically grown grapes. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2024)