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

The 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is terrific. Airy and vibrant, the 2023 is pure class. Crushed rocks, mint, salt, white pepper and lemon curd are all beautifully lifted. The SauvignonThe 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is terrific. Airy and vibrant, the 2023 is pure class. Crushed rocks, mint, salt, white pepper and lemon curd are all beautifully lifted. The Sauvignon Blanc-based Petit is very fine in 2023. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 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

Density and well-cushioned fruit, another stunning vintage of a wine that somehow manages to make an effortless impression, edges of cloves and grilled sandalwood, full of nuance and capturing theDensity and well-cushioned fruit, another stunning vintage of a wine that somehow manages to make an effortless impression, edges of cloves and grilled sandalwood, full of nuance and capturing the aromatics depths and heights of the vintage, gorgeous. 100% new oak. Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Vauthier family owners, organic certified in the vineyard. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

Release date: 21/5/2024

Wonderfully fragrant aromatics that climb through the palate, this has the juice and power that 2023 does so well in the right hads, majoring on squid ink and cassis, with clear expansion through theWonderfully fragrant aromatics that climb through the palate, this has the juice and power that 2023 does so well in the right hads, majoring on squid ink and cassis, with clear expansion through the palate, liqourice, sage, saffron, pomegrante, orange zest and salt-scrape. Harvest September 11 to October 4, 35hl/h yield, 3.66ph, 66% new oak, 33% amphoras for ageing. Right up there with the best of Margaux. Drinking range: 2033 - 2048 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.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

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

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

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

Another beautiful wine from this perpetually improving property, the 2023 Château Mangot delivers aromas of blackberries and mulberries mingled with hints of licorice, pencil shavings, bay leaf andAnother beautiful wine from this perpetually improving property, the 2023 Château Mangot delivers aromas of blackberries and mulberries mingled with hints of licorice, pencil shavings, bay leaf and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a seamless, complete profile and impressive mid-palate density, it's a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with élevage combining, as usual, new oak, used barriques, foudre and amphorae. The style emphasizes precision and purity of fruit without any obtrusive winemaking signatures. On a qualitative roll, Mangot is one of the best values in contemporary Bordeaux, and the 2023 vintage is another strong effort. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2024)

Release date: 3/6/2024

This takes two-thirds of the crop, and the blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. A very dark and perfumed core of fruit on the nose, blackberries, griottes, black violets,This takes two-thirds of the crop, and the blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. A very dark and perfumed core of fruit on the nose, blackberries, griottes, black violets, rose and peony, very typical of Palmer, and there is a suggestion of a salty minerality to it as well. The palate is a hedonist’s delight, with an immediate polish, texture and substance, like creamed black summer fruits, laced with tar, dark chocolate and salted liquorice, underpinned by a fine grained and tightly knit tannic structure. Great ripeness here, sensitively extracted, showing dense structure but also brilliant harmony, with a great sense of drive and vigour as well. This is beautiful, very distinctive, undeniably from the Palmer vineyard, and truly worth putting away in your cellar. Brilliant. The alcohol is 13.8% on analysis. Rating: 97-99 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 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

The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This is the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever here, beating the 2019 vintage which was about 65%,The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. This is the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever here, beating the 2019 vintage which was about 65%, but future vintages are likely to stay around this figure given the way the climate is changing. This took about one-third of the crop, which was just 26 hl/ha. Beautifully pure Cabernet fruit on the nose, with fresh blackcurrants, gorse and tobacco from the oak. The palate feels immediately understated but quickly reveals its sinew, substance, polish and longevity, with a great depth of fruit wrapped around the ribbons of beautifully knit-together tannins. There is drive and precision here, great energy, with deliriously dark fruits. A beautiful finish and length. This is a fabulous wine which transcends any doubts you might have about the potential hidden within this vintage – you just need to know where to look. So impressive. Tasted twice. The alcohol is about 14%. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)