Red Bordeaux
| RED | 2024 | Château Talbot | 75cl | £194 per case of 6 | Château Talbot 2024 / / 75cl £194 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2024 Talbot is a blend 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Offering up aromas of minty cherries, cassis, burning embers and new oak, it's medium-bodied, taut and youthfully angular. 88-90 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"Finely constructed tannic frame, sappy, good clarity of autumnal berry fruit but lacking some punch. St Julien finesse in evidence, possible upscore in bottle. Yield just under 40hl/h, Nancy Bignon-Cordier owner. 60% new oak. 90 points" janeanson.com----"The 2024 Talbot is an attractive, understated Saint-Julien. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, mocha, dried herbs and incense lend notable aromatic presence. The 2024 is pleasant but also a bit light texturally. Let's see what happens with élevage. 2032 - 2049. 90-92 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2024 Talbot was picked between September 18 and October 7 at a respectable 39 hl/ha for the vintage. It will be matured in 70% new oak from 12 cooperages with various toastings. The wine has a light bouquet at first that upholds the Talbot style, mainly featuring red berry fruit intermixed with mocha and light cedar scents. It shows fine delineation but is certainly not a powerful wine. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. I like the brightness and vivacity of this Saint-Julien. It's cohesive with a discrete, peppery finish that gently fans out. Worth seeking out, though it would need more grip and substance to merit a more generous score. Drink: 2029-2055. 90-92 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Focused, dense and creamy with berries and chocolate on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins. Chalky, with crunchy berries and a flavorful finish. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com |
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| RED | 2024 | Château Troplong Mondot | 75cl | £432 per case of 6 | Château Troplong Mondot 2024 / / 75cl £432 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a beauty, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries and licorice mingled with hints of violet and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, dense and deep, it's one of the more layered and muscular wines of the vintage, a quality this terroir seems to invariably deliver, with sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, expansive finish. 93-95 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2024 Troplong Mondot was matured in 55% new oak, 26% in 20-hectolitre foudres and 19% in used barrels. It offers minerally, tightly wound black fruit, blueberry and light chalky scents. Very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant yet tensile tannins. Like the Mondot, it is peppery in style, pretty and sapid towards the finish. Not a huge amount of persistence, yet this is still a serious Saint-Émilion that could well end up at the top of my banded score. 2032 - 2068. 93-95 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A crunchy and vivid red with blackberry, black olive and walnut character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with medium-round tannins and a creamy, textured finish. I like the citrus and chalk undertones. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc. 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com------"This has the Troplong terroir and intensity visually, immediately clear, with violets, squid ink, slate, roses, liquorice root. Love the chalky oyster shell salinity on the finish, delivers exceptional balance and lift, with interesting texture that is grippy with pumice stone tannins. No chaptilisation, because this is a location with natural density and you really see it here. Brilliantly silky, this has depth and yet is savoury, touch of whole cluster winemaking. 55% new oak, with 19% oak casks and the rest one year old. 95 points" janeanson.com------"The Grand Vin 2024 Château Troplong Mondot is deeper hued than the Mondot and is based on 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 55% new wood with portions in foudre and used barrels. It's a classic wine from this Château today that shows the focus on purity, precision, and elegance without being dilute or mid-weight. Black raspberries, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, has a pure, seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It's one of the standouts in the vintage on the right bank. 94-96 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"Deep garnet-purple colored. Needs a lot of shaking to wake up wonderfully pure notes of red currant jelly, fresh blackberries, and licorice, plus hints of cardamom, mint tea, and lilacs. The light to medium-bodied palate shimmers with vibrant red and black berry flavors, supported by fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and minerally. Seriously good! 95-97 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent------"The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a total stunner. As has been the case for some years now, the Grand Vin is blended before being barreled down, which means at the time of tasting en primeur, the wine has seen less wood than the vast majority of its peers. That lends this wine a certain raw energy that is impossible to miss. The purity and intensity of the flavors are simply remarkable. Troplong Mondot is one of the standouts of 2024. Even in this vintage, Troplong Mondot possesses remarkable textural presence, but that richness is matched by notable freshness and linear drive. It was deeply impressive on the two occasions I tasted it. Élevage is planned to be 55% in new oak, 26% in 20HL barrels and 19% in once-used barrels. 2026 - 2030. 95-97 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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| RED | 2024 | Clos Puy Arnaud | 75cl | £195 per case of 12 | Clos Puy Arnaud 2024 / / 75cl £195 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2024 Clos Puy Arnaud feels a bit exaggerated on the nose, as if overcompensating for the shortfalls of the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with red cherry and strawberry fruit laced with orange zest, finishing in a fresh style that partly compensates for the aromatics. Hopefully it will improve in barrel. 85-87 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Based on 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Clos Puy Arnaud Grand Vin reveals ripe red and black fruits, classy vanilla oak, and floral, spicy notes. Medium-bodied, it has a charming, forward, pure, satisfying style that will drink well right out of the gate. 86-88 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Clos Puy Arnaud is a great effort this year, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis, mulberries, flowers and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, layered and lively, it's framed by structured tannins that conclude with a long, resonant finish. The vintage’s fresh acidity brings energy and appeal without compromising the wine’s underlying seriousness and almost classical austerity. 89-91 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com------"The 2024 Clos Puy Arnaud is one of the revelations of the vintage. Deep, powerful and resonant, with no hard edges, the 2024 is positively stellar. Dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, pomegranate and rose petal stain the palate. Clos Puy Arnaud is without question one of the wines of this very challenging year. Considering that the property is 100% biodynamic, this performance, including yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare, is simply unreal. Élevage will be about 12 months in a combination of demi-muid, barrique, amphora and porcelain. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, quite a bit more Franc than usual. 94-96 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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| RED | 2024 | Domaine de Chevalier | 75cl | £192 per case of 6 | Domaine de Chevalier 2024 / / 75cl £192 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Domaine de Chevalier reveals a spicy, brooding bouquet of oak, dark berries and gentian. Medium to full-bodied, juicy and round, it's firm and has an assertive tannic frame, concluding with a somewhat chewy finish. Despite a respectable yield and a clear stylistic shift toward less oak influence, the estate’s sandy terroirs struggled to achieve full ripeness in this delicate vintage. 90-92 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com------"Stands out for its deep ruby red colour, soft grilled cedar and sandalwood aromatics, and its slow build through the palate, with juice and character, a ton of gorgeous slate and liquorice. Not at the peak of 2023 or 2022, but this has depth and balance, and estate character. Great job from the team at Domaine de Chevalier. Harvest 20 September to 8 October. 30% new oak for ageing, Olivier Bernard owner. 92 points" janeanson.com------"The 2024 Domaine de Chevalier was cropped at 48 hl/ha between September 20 and October 8. This is almost Burgundian in style, with a fragrant bouquet revealing pure blueberry and blackcurrant aromas alongside crushed violet and iris flower scents emerging with aeration. It is very comely and alluring. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It's very harmonious and already in this prenatal stage, seductive. With finely chiseled tannins and more mineralité compared to the L'Esprit, this seems to glide on the finish. Just a lovely Pessac-Léognan for the vintage, though this year it must accept the silver medal as Olivier Bernard's white takes the gold. 2031 - 2048. 91-93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2024 Domaine de Chevalier is soft, fruity and relatively simple, given its typical personality. Plum, black cherry, licorice, chocolate and sweet oak are pushed forward in this open-knit, easygoing Pessac-Léognan. There may be more here than meets the eye. We will see. Today, the 2024 is on the light side. Tasted two times. 2032 - 2049. 92-94 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Deep garnet-purple in color. Pops from the glass with wonderfully fragrant notes of red roses, cardamom, and mossy tree bark, leading to a core of cassis and red currant jelly. The light-bodied palate is energetic and shimmery, delivering fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and minerally. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. 3.62 pH. 93-95+ points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independent------"Fine cocoa powder, cedar, minerals, currants and blue fruit. Juicy and medium- to full-bodied with fresh, firm tannins and a long, crunchy finish. It lingers well. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot. 95-96 points" Zekun Shuai, jamessuckling.com |
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| RED | 2024 | Vieux Château Certan | 75cl | £708 per case of 6 | Vieux Château Certan 2024 / / 75cl £708 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"A blend of 71% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Vieux Château Certan opens in the glass with brooding aromas of dark berries, cedar, cigar wrapper, crushed mint and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, with good density for the vintage and sweet structuring tannins, it concludes with a sapid, slightly earthy finish. Yields after annual sorting came in at 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine is being matured in two-thirds new barriques. 91-93 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"Violet-ruby with a vibrant rim. Reflects the savoury vivid quality of the vintage. Notes of chamomile tea, white blossom, redcurrant, blueberry. A touch reserved compared to recent vintages, but pure and finessed. Mouthwatering finish. An enjoyable wine from Alexandre Thienpont. 94 points." Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com------"A delicate, elegant VCC driven by its strong floral Cabernet character. Silky tannins, calm and understated, with a Burgundian textural feel. Opens beautifully in the glass. Poised and restrained, a fascinating evolution to watch. 2034–2054. 93–96 points." Antonio Galloni, Vinous------"One of the wines of the vintage, the 2024 Vieux Château Certan is based on 71% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted in 2012, and is aging in 66% new barrels. Yields were just 30 hectoliters per hectare. It offers a rare sense of purity and finesse alongside real intensity, with ripe red and black fruits, leafy flowers, spice, and damp earth all emerging on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a pure, seamless, and incredibly elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. The 2024 checks in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. 94-96 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"Deep garnet-purple. Gregarious aromas of Morello cherry, blackberry, raspberry, lilac, pencil lead, and mossy bark. Medium-bodied with ripe, rounded tannins, seamless freshness, and vibrant red and black fruits. Long finish with mineral sparks. 94–96+ points." Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent------"The 2024 Vieux Château Certan contains a higher proportion of Cabernet this year (23% Sauvignon and Franc combined) that was picked at 30 hl/ha between September 20 to October 2. That Cabernet is articulated on the nose: graphite and light tobacco scents percolating through the mainly black fruit. This has plenty of freshness and more fruit than some other Pomerol cuvées. The palate is medium-bodied, but there is much more weight and density on the back palate than nearly all of its peers. Distinctly peppery and quite spicy in style, this is one of the few to transcend the strict limitations of the growing season. In some ways, it is an uncompromising VCC that does not have the finesse of the greatest vintages I have tasted over the years, yet there is flavour and substance packed inside this nascent wine. Deeply impressive. This is one of the very few '24s that will oblige bottle age. 2032 - 2075. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A really classic VCC with crunchy blackberries, blueberries, violets, and dried spices. Medium-bodied, vivid and lively with fine tannins and brilliant energy. So balanced and harmonious. 97–98 points." James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Angludet | 75cl | £242 per case of 12 | Château Angludet 2025 / / 75cl £242 per case of 12 |
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Tasting NotesAn appealing and open nose, of fresh blackberries, leaden to even richer black fruit on the palate, principally blackcurrant and cherry, along with notes of violets and pencil lead. This vintage has more structure than recent years, with very ripe, supple tannin and a medium-weight body, sure to develop into a very classical Margaux. The most appealing and impressive vintage since the phenomenal 2016. RKL------"Deep colour. Already expressive with dark-fruit and spicy notes. Palate full flavoured, the fruit generous, the tannins fine and integrated. Some persistence on the finish. Should be a good buy for the drinking consumer. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"Deep and juicy, intense, with gunsmoke reducton on the opening, and sappy tannins that hold clear ageing potential. 91 points" janeanson.com------"Quite striking aromatics with dark fragrance and herbal aspects plus blackcurrant and dried herbs. Supple and juicy, subtle with a lovely softness here – almost creamy strawberry with a perfumed fragrance lingering on the palate before turning more grippy and saline towards the finish with liquorice, flint and wet stone. It’s a fine Angludet with power and structure but there’s purity and focus and such a clean finish. 3.78pH. A yield of 23hl/ha. No deleafing. Ageing 35% amphoras, 65% barrels (30% new oak). 94 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Angludet | Magnum | £260 per case of 6 | Château Angludet 2025 / / Magnum £260 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesAn appealing and open nose, of fresh blackberries, leaden to even richer black fruit on the palate, principally blackcurrant and cherry, along with notes of violets and pencil lead. This vintage has more structure than recent years, with very ripe, supple tannin and a medium-weight body, sure to develop into a very classical Margaux. The most appealing and impressive vintage since the phenomenal 2016. RKL------"Deep colour. Already expressive with dark-fruit and spicy notes. Palate full flavoured, the fruit generous, the tannins fine and integrated. Some persistence on the finish. Should be a good buy for the drinking consumer. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"Deep and juicy, intense, with gunsmoke reducton on the opening, and sappy tannins that hold clear ageing potential. 91 points" janeanson.com------"Quite striking aromatics with dark fragrance and herbal aspects plus blackcurrant and dried herbs. Supple and juicy, subtle with a lovely softness here – almost creamy strawberry with a perfumed fragrance lingering on the palate before turning more grippy and saline towards the finish with liquorice, flint and wet stone. It’s a fine Angludet with power and structure but there’s purity and focus and such a clean finish. 3.78pH. A yield of 23hl/ha. No deleafing. Ageing 35% amphoras, 65% barrels (30% new oak). 94 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Angludet | Half bottle | £280 per case of 24 | Château Angludet 2025 / / Half bottle £280 per case of 24 |
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Tasting NotesAn appealing and open nose, of fresh blackberries, leaden to even richer black fruit on the palate, principally blackcurrant and cherry, along with notes of violets and pencil lead. This vintage has more structure than recent years, with very ripe, supple tannin and a medium-weight body, sure to develop into a very classical Margaux. The most appealing and impressive vintage since the phenomenal 2016. RKL------"Deep colour. Already expressive with dark-fruit and spicy notes. Palate full flavoured, the fruit generous, the tannins fine and integrated. Some persistence on the finish. Should be a good buy for the drinking consumer. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"Deep and juicy, intense, with gunsmoke reducton on the opening, and sappy tannins that hold clear ageing potential. 91 points" janeanson.com------"Quite striking aromatics with dark fragrance and herbal aspects plus blackcurrant and dried herbs. Supple and juicy, subtle with a lovely softness here – almost creamy strawberry with a perfumed fragrance lingering on the palate before turning more grippy and saline towards the finish with liquorice, flint and wet stone. It’s a fine Angludet with power and structure but there’s purity and focus and such a clean finish. 3.78pH. A yield of 23hl/ha. No deleafing. Ageing 35% amphoras, 65% barrels (30% new oak). 94 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Cantemerle | 75cl | £232 per case of 12 | Château Cantemerle 2025 / / 75cl £232 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 Cantemerle is terrific. Plush, deep and quite powerful, Cantemerle has a lot to offer. Dark red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco and dried herbs are all dialed up. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, which is very much in evidence in the wine's savory intense and structure. There's a lot of wine here. 2030-2043. 91-93 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Cantemerle has a pretty nose with violet and iris flower-infused black fruit, very well defined, the oak very well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, very well balanced, impressive weight and cohesive, with more precision on the finish than I have noticed on previous vintages of Cantemerle. I appreciate the sapidity here, a moreish Haut-Médoc in the making, and I look forward to revisiting this in bottle. Drinking Window 2031 - 2050. 91-93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"This shows an attractive nose of flowers and subtle spices from the oak. It has good concentration and a balanced palate, with a clear, expressive fruit profile. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com------"Captures the austerity that you expect and want during En Primeur, wet stones and graphite, plenty of elegance and balance, measured acidities that give Left Bank typicity, a ton of ageing potential and curls of gunsmoke and flowers. Very pretty, very enjoyable, impressive. Yield 32 hl/ha. 35% new oak. First vintage in new cellars. 2034-2044. 94 points" janeanson.com------"Quite a fragrant, aromatic nose, full of intense violets and irises. The Petit Verdot and the Cabernet Sauvignon really stand out in terms of aromatics. Vivid purple in the glass. Sleek and so svelte, this has such a silky, almost creamy texture, tannins are gorgeous and this has such a juicy, lively core. Nothing out of place here. Super accessible and one of the best primeurs samples for consistency tasted three times. Ends salty with a stony grip. Completed new cellar in July 2024 with 114 vats. The team used a thermal camera for plot-by-plot harvest in 2025. New label as this vintage. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.6pH. A yield of 30hl/ha. 60% grand vin production. Ageing 12 months in barrel, 35% new wood. 95 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Cheval Blanc | 75cl | £2,010 per case of 6 | Château Cheval Blanc 2025 / / 75cl £2,010 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesON ALLOCATION "Of all the wines I tasted in the 2025 En Primeur season, this is the one that I have thought about the most. The lowest ever yield at 15hl/ha yield, close to 1961 in terms of volume. There were tiny berries, barely scraping 1g even for the Merlots, even after dropping 10-50% of the grapes even on young vines to minimise water stress. Visually beautiful, deep plum colour, intense, slate, graphite, this has a construction that is clear, muscle, sinew, carved tannins, going long on campfire, chamomile, bitter chocolate, incense, anis, cassis, mint leaf, eucalyptus, crushed rocks, savoury broth. This forces you to project forward - if we are lucky enough to be pulling a bottle out of a cellar in 2060, this Cheval will still be powering along. The honest truth is that I can't tell you with 100% certainly how long it will take to get to its full drinking window. I have not seen a young Cheval with this kind of construction, and I am erring on the side of caution in this note, hoping that it will be more readable in bottle. Stunning and impressive, but I have not yet fallen in love. No Petit Cheval. Harvest September 1 to 18. 3.76ph. Pierre Olivier Clouet director. 2032-2050. 96 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Cheval Blanc includes all 47 plots on the estate except one that was sold off. This nose is more immediate than some of its neighbours, a mixture of blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry, very expressive, underneath which lie tobacco and graphite scents. It is open, nothing hidden here. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid red berry fruit, just a touch of black pepper, a more reserved and structured Cheval Blanc than usual, vertical in style, the Cabernet Franc driving the finish. Not what I would call a sensual Cheval Blanc, but it has a distinctive character. Not everyone is going to fall head over heels for this Cheval Blanc because it is uncompromising, and I like that. Just be patient. This will need time. Drinking Window 2033 - 2055. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Cheval Blanc is seamless and textured. A wine of mystery and seduction, the 2025 dazzles. Time in the glass brings out the wine's tension and energy. Sage, mint, lavender, cloves and cool, blue-toned fruit all build in the glass. In one tasting, Cheval Blanc was massively tannic; in a second tasting, those tannins were much more seamless, highlighting how differently wines can show from day to day. In the case of Cheval Blanc, en primeur samples are mini-bottlings, and both samples I tasted came from the same batch. Yields in 2025 were just 15 hectoliters per hectare, tiny by any measure. The winemaking team, led by Pierre-Olivier Clouet, used 46 of the 47 parcels on the estate for the Grand Vin. A small amount of wine was sold in bulk; the rest was bottled as Grand Vin. There is no Petit Cheval. Time on skins ran from 26 to 32 days, longer than the 22-28 that's more typical. For those who care about the data, alcohol is just 12.7%, which is hard to believe, with brisk acids that clock in at 3.76 pH. In many vintages Cheval Blanc can be exuberant, but the 2025 is rather closed, more of an intellectual wine that will require years in bottle to truly show everything it has to offer. 2035-2075. 96-99 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Perfumed, with aromas of flowers, brambleberries and wild berries. Medium-bodied with tight, fine tannins that run forever on the palate. Hints of cedar, mushrooms and bark. Crunchy at the end. Just a hint of fancy bitterness and chocolate. Transparent and complete. 97-98 points" jamessuckling.com------"A blend of 51% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Cheval Blanc stands out once again as among the finest wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of blood orange and iris, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific mid-palate density, sweet tannins and a long, vibrant, violet-inflected finish. With its striking aromas, intensity of flavor and resolutely classical proportions (checking in at 12.7% alcohol and pH of 3.76), the 2025 gives every indication of being one of the great Cheval Blancs of the decade. 98-100 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Cos d'Estournel | 75cl | £510 per case of 6 | Château Cos d'Estournel 2025 / / 75cl £510 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 Cos d'Estournel was picked between September 3 and 19 and matured in 50% new oak, the analytic alcohol at 13.25%. There is just a touch of CO2 on the nose that soon dissipates, gorgeous black plum and damson aromas, pencil lead and light iodine scents all delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a hint of cracked black pepper and pencil lead that infuse the layered black fruit. There is a real crescendo of flavours in this Cos d'Estournel, fanning out gloriously towards the sustained finish. This is a serious Saint-Estèphe that will age supremely well in bottle. Drinking Window 2032 - 2060. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Incense and sandalwood aromatics, combines the density and concentration of a hot vintage with the freshness and balanced alcohols of a cooler vintage, meaning both weight and lightness of touch (this is something you will hear a lot with the 2025 vintage but rarely find in reality). A real breadth and wide spectrum of possibilities are contained here, a little austere right now but these dark berry fruits and firm tannins are waiting to bloom with ageing. 3.68pH. 50% new oak. Harvest was September 3, earliest since the Reybier era (they began September 7 on 2022, and also in 1989) through to September 19. Last year in organic conversion. 2036-2055. 97 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Cos d'Estournel appears to be one of the finest wines this property has produced in the last decade. Unwinding in the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berry fruit mingled with violets, pencil shavings, burning embers and anise, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a broad attack, layered mid-palate and beautifully fresh, concentrated flavors. All of this terroir's inherent power is present, contained within very classical proportions at 13.3% alcohol. The 2025 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. 96-98 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2025 Cos d'Estournel is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Grand, dramatic and sweeping, with notable textural intensity, the 2025 hits all the right notes. Even in the very early going, the 2025 is magical. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, tobacco, lavender and mocha build effortlessly in the glass. More than anything else, I am blown away by the wine's magnificent balance. A masterpiece. 2035-2075. 96-99 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"A density to this, yet it remains balanced and complex, with well-integrated tannins and a juicy finish. It seems to be a wine with lots of fruit, but then it diffuses and shows open-grained, velvety tannins. Intense yet subtle blackberries, lead pencil and hazelnuts. Some flint. Persistent and reserved at the end. Great potential. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot and 1% petit verdot. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Duhart Milon | 75cl | £294 per case of 6 | Château Duhart Milon 2025 / / 75cl £294 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 Duhart-Milon offers a captivating mix of brilliant red-toned fruit, blood orange, pomegranate and wild flowers. Readers will find a Duhart that bristles with energy. The purity of the flavors is just captivating. It's one of my favorite recent vintages here because of its vibrancy and textural finesse. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, picked from early to mid-September, always a few days later than at Lafite. 2030 - 2040. 92-94 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Duhart-Milon was picked from September 4 to 22. It has a very delineated and quite mineral-driven bouquet, very focused with beautifully integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with chiselled tannins, layered graphite-infused black fruit and a strict and linear, sapid finish that could only come from Pauillac. Almost a minimalist Duhart-Milon in some ways, but less is more. 2030 - 2055. 92-94 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A Cabernet-dominant blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, the 2025 Château Duhart-Milon opens with beautiful Pauillac aromatics of cassis and black raspberries intermixed with graphite, lead pencil, violets, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a pure, graceful, seamless mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and just gorgeous tannins. It has a certain understated elegance that grows on you with time in the glass. 93-95 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, the 2025 Duhart-Milon is a lovely classic in the making, offering up notes of wild blueberries, cassis, rose petals and orange zest, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, pure and polished palate that's lively, harmonious and suave. It checks in at a modest 12.5% alcohol. 93-95 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"Rosebud, liquorice, beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon character, savoury but super floral and characterful, lots of lift and tension, great quality, There is an edge of austerity that you feel will really benefit from the ageing - which is the feel overall of this vintage, where the ageing will be important. Harvest September 4 to 24. Yield 25 hl/ha. 45% new oak. 3.7 pH. 2034-2044. 95 points" janeanson.com------"A juicy and savory red with blackberry, chocolate, dried meat and earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with plenty of flavor and a forest floor aftertaste. Ripe tannins. A blend of 73% cabernet sauvignon and 27% merlot. 95-96 points" jamessuckling.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Haut Batailley | 75cl | £210 per case of 6 | Château Haut Batailley 2025 / / 75cl £210 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Matured in 55% new barrels, the 2025 Haut-Batailley wafts from the glass with aromas of dark wild berries, spices, flowers and licorice, complemented by elegant notes of violet. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s built around a fleshy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, spicy and taut finish. A very fine wine in the making, it expresses a classical Médoc profile, notably with a fresh, subtly mentholated note on the finish. It's a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 92-94 points." Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate, April 2026------"Good concentration, muscular but sappy texture, waves of liquorice, black chocolate, slow unrolling and depth, impressive. In this vintage, Haut-Batailley is less St Julien in Pauillac, and more squarely showcases the full character of the appellation. 3.7pH. 55% new oak. Harvest September 8 to 18. 2036-2055. 94 points." Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, April 2026------"Medium- to full-bodied with well-placed tannins, a savory element and firm yet fine-grained tannins that add definition. Juicy and precise finish. 94-95 points." James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2026------"The 2025 Haut-Batailley is a brooding young Pauillac with a bright future. Dark and brooding, with tons of vertical energy, Haut-Batailley is quite the powerhouse. Black fruit, leather, incense, licorice, dried herbs and mocha are some of the many aromas and flavors that gradually open in the glass. Readers will have to be quite patient, as the tannins are rather imposing, but there's more than enough fruit density to balance things out. 2035 - 2075. 93-95 points." Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, April 2026------"The 2025 Haut-Batailley was picked between September 8 and 18, matured in 55% new oak. This has a more intense, bolder nose than the Verso, graphite-infused black fruit that is Pauillac through and through. Razor-sharp. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, but there is gentle and insistent grip. Sapid, an Haut Batailley that evokes images of the Gironde Estuary, this is a marvellous contribution to the vintage, perhaps the best under Jean-Charles Cazes. 2031 - 2058. 95-97 points." Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2026 |
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| RED | 2025 | Château La Lagune | 75cl | £129 per case of 6 | Château La Lagune 2025 / / 75cl £129 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 La Lagune has a quite ripe and sorbet-fresh nose, mainly red fruit infused with blood orange, even a hint of marmalade. Quite bright, and what seems like a low SO2 vinification. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannins, fine acidity, and a dash of black pepper towards the cohesive finish. It just maybe dips a yard or two before the finish line, but this will be a thoroughly enjoyable La Lagune. 2031 - 2050. 91-93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A blend of 50% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot, the 2025 La Lagune is gourmand and lively, offering up aromas of cassis, mulberries, flowers and lilac. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's round and fleshy, has good depth at the core and is framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, delicate and floral finish. The estate appears to be moving toward a more precise expression, where purity of fruit and finer tannin definition come to the fore. This is one to follow. 91-93 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com------"Red and black fruits, dried herbs, tobacco, and some spicy wood all emerge from the 2025 Château La Lagune, a great Haut-Médoc estate that's always worth your time and money. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a pure, graceful mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a good finish. It's a more understated, elegant, balanced, and almost pretty 2025 that should shine with just short-term cellaring. I'd happily buy a case. 91-93 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"Black currants with a touch of violets on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with subtle concentration, charm, freshness and a consistent finish of dark fruit. The wine reveals itself slowly. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com------"Well made, sleek and deep dark fruits, cassis pastille, intense with a cushion of air. A very impressive vintage here, nuanced and well structured. Delphine Frey, Director of the Frey family estates, yield 20hl/ha. Xavier Moragues is the cellar master and technical director, with the estate for the past 18 months. New use of foudres and porcelain jars alongside oak barrels during the ageing, and the vineyard has also returned to its historic 1855 classified surface. 2034-2044. 94 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 La Lagune is fabulous—one of the clear sleepers of the vintage. Bright red-toned fruit, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried flowers convey tremendous intensity with no excess weight. The 2025 is brisk, energetic and loaded with character. Don't miss it. Tasted three times. 2030 - 2050. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Lafon Rochet | 75cl | £138 per case of 6 | Château Lafon Rochet 2025 / / 75cl £138 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Great quality, slate and cassis notes, iris flowers, crayon, fine tannins, muscular and sculpted, if slim through the finish. Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen director of Lafon Rochet and Lilian Ladouys. 92 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Lafon Rachet was picked from September 9 to 23 and matured in less new oak than usual, around 15%, with more foudres, 40%, including around one-third new from Stockinger and Taransaud. I think the influence of the new foudres is tangible on the nose and at the moment just masks a little of the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, classic and a little austere in style, very Saint-Estèphe with an off-dry finish. I would have liked just a little more sustain and complexity, but it delivers an attractive salinity on the aftertaste. 2030-2050. 91-93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Lafon-Rochet reveals a fresh, gourmand bouquet of dark wild berries and blackberry, becoming more floral with aeration. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it shows a firm profile that is less immediately charming on the palate than the nose suggests. It's built around a fleshy core of fruit that is framed by youthful, finely grained tannins and concludes with a delicate, perfumed finish. It should offer both early approachability and solid aging potential. It's a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, matured in a mix of 15% new oak, 40% foudres and 10% concrete. 91-93 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com-----"A serious, focused wine from this Saint-Estèphe château, the 2025 Château Lafon-Rochet offers darker, juicy blue fruits, leafy herbs, graphite, and liquid violets and spring flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's structured and concentrated, with integrated acidity and outstanding length. Based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that will spend 14 months in 15% new French oak with the balance in foudre and concrete tanks, it's a solid, more structured, yet still fleshy Lafon-Rochet that's going to benefit from bottle age. 92-94 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"A dense, chocolaty and focused red showing generous fruit and bark on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, chewy tannins. Textural, with nice concentration and a long, vivid, flavorful finish. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com------"The 2025 Lafon-Rochet is classy and polished, as it so often is. Readers will find a Saint-Estèphe of nuance, delineation and understated class. Vibrant blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage and menthol are some of the many nuances that begin to open with some coaxing. This is classic Lafon-Rochet all the way. Tasted two times. 2033-2055. 94-96 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Laroque | 75cl | £234 per case of 12 | Château Laroque 2025 / / 75cl £234 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"Fresh and floral on the nose. Freshness again on the palate but with an elegant texture of tannin. Smooth attack then firm and chalky on the finish. Terroir evident but kept under control. 16+ points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"Notes of dark berries, cassis, spices and licorice, mingled with delicately oaky nuances, preface the 2025 Laroque. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s built around a rich core of fruit that is framed by youthful, structured tannins and concludes with a taut, saline finish. While the bouquet shows a darker register, the palate remains fresh, lending the wine an elegant austerity that should integrate further with élevage. 91-93 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com-----"The balance of savory fruit with fine tannins is already so attractive. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a refined finish. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com-----"Slate and pumice stone, enjoyable slow build of cassis bud, pomegranate, wet stones, thoroughly enjoyable with plenty of expansion and grip, and estate signature. Harvest September 10 to 19. 50% new oak. Yield 31 hl/ha. 3.4 pH. Beaumartin family. 94 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Laroque is a gorgeous, super-elegant wine. Vibrant, salivating acids and beams of tannin are the first signs we are on the clay/limestone plateau in Saint-Emilion's Saint-Christophe-des-Bordes sector. Blood orange, mint, chalk and white pepper bleed into a core of red-toned fruit. Medium in body, with striking energy and tension, Laroque is positively stellar in 2025. This is another superb showing from the team led by Technical Director David Suire. Tasted two times. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Laroque was picked between 10 and 19 September at 31 hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a sublime bouquet with pure black cherry and raspberry scents, crushed flowers and light iodine scents. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, a silver bead of acidity, bright and lively with an elegant and persistent finish. One of the best Laroques so far-the limestone soil really comes through and lends this Saint-Émilion another dimension. Drink 2031 - 2055. 93-95 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com-----"Another great success and value pick for Laroque. Really aromatically complex. Ripe and pristine black bramble berries on the nose, perfumed and nicely fragrant. Lovely aromatic purity. Smooth and so silky, smooth, svelte as Laroque does so well. Mouthwatering with bright acidity but so juicy – strawberry and cherry with a hint of cranberry and soft accents of dried herbs liquorice and wet stones. Grippy but so charming even at this point. Tension with freshness, perfectly polished and friendly. A yield of 31hl/ha with varying yields depending on the terroir from 25-45hl/ha. 3.40pH. 96 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Le Tertre Roteboeuf | 75cl | £774 per case of 6 | Château Le Tertre Roteboeuf 2025 / / 75cl £774 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Inimitable Mitjavile style. Red fruit, blood orange, chocolate and toasted notes – the ripe fruit and those Radoux barrels doing the work. Sweet with a silky texture and perhaps a bit more freshness than usual. Right on-key for followers of this wine. 17 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"The 2025 Tertre Roteboeuf was the only sample taken directly from barrel a la Burgundy. It was picked on September 23 and 24, which, to my knowledge, was the latest among the Right Bank wines tasted during my time in the region. Matured in 100% new ook, it actually has quite a Pinot-like bouquet, with mocerated small red cherries, raspberry coulis, a touch of pencil lead and crushed stone. Nicely controlled. The palate is medium-bodied and, as expected, displays a veneer of new oak. Modest depth, gentle grip, quite lactic towards the finish, with a patina of dark chocolate. Very typical of Tertre-Rôteboeufs style, as always, have a cellar and the patience of a saint. 93-95 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2025 Tertre Roteboeuf is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Silky and seamless on the palate, with exceptional finesse, the 2025 marries power with elegance in grand style. Crushed flowers, blue-toned fruit, mocha and a kiss of French aak expand in the glass. Tertre Röteboeuf is quite rich and deep, as it always is, but the 2025 also offers superb freshness and energy to match. It's a gorgeous Saint-Emilion in the making. 95-97 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Cassis, sweet tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil notes all shine from the 2025 Château Tertre Roteboeuf, and it's just brilliant, offering everything you look for in a great bottle of wine. Full-bodied on the palate, it has an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and that freshness and purity of the vintage. 96-98 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"This is right up there at the top of the vintage, there is still the roasted plum aspect of Tertre Roteboeuf but you feel the juice and salinity of the vintage running through it. These guys stick to their beliefs and their style, and we are all the better for it. 14, 3.8ph. September 23, earlier than usual. 100% new oak. 98 points" janeanson.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château L'Evangile | 75cl | £582 per case of 6 | Château L'Evangile 2025 / / 75cl £582 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2025 L'Evangile is showing well, bursting with aromas of sweet cherries, dark berries, spices and licorice, framed by nicely integrated oak. On the palate, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a rather rich, powerful profile, built around ripe but youthfully structuring tannins. It's a blend of 87% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 40% of which is being matured in foudre. The vintage conditions, which produced very small berries (as little as 0.6 grams for Cabernet Franc growing on gravel), have delivered an Evangile of unusual density. 93-95 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2025 L'Évangile is a very beautiful wine. Silky and medium in body, the 2025 is a classic L'Évangile, which is shocking given the intense heat and drought of the year, along with yields of just 22 hectoliters per hectare in aggregate across the châteaux. Bright red-toned fruit, mocha and rose petal all grace the palate. Touches of blood orange and white pepper lift the brilliant finish. Élevage is 40% new oak, 40% foudre, 15% once-filled barrels and 5% amphora. This is a very precise wine and one of the top Pomerols of the year. 2035 - 2065. 94-96 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Nice plump roundness on the palate with a touch of strawberry acidity to bring some life and lift. Quite serious, fine tannins, a cool crisp, blue fruit edge with a lot of liquorice and wet stone aspects – a mineral, salty, spiced grip on the finish. I like the frame, not too heavy but it’s still quite tight. I don’t find the density of 2022 or 2023 but there’s definitely charm on offer in a cool, serious way right now with a hint of gloss. Ageing 5% amphora. 40% foudre. 45% new oak. 10% used barrels. 3,7pH. A yield of 22hl/ha. 96 points" Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine------"Damson colour, this has a ton of juicy blue and black fruits, well judged density, energy and lift, clear ageing ability, grilled cumin, peony, iris flowers, slate and crushed rocks, 40% new oak, with large oak casks for almost half of the production. Less Cabernet Franc in this blend simply because of the size of the berries. 3.7ph. Blason no longer sold En Primeur, so not tasted here. Juliette Couderc director. Harvest began on August 26 with young Merlot on gravel. 23hl/h overall yield, fascinating to see how they split across different terroirs in the L'Evangile vineyard - on gravel 15hl/ha, on clay 28hl/ha, on sand, 38hl/h all due to size of berries. In practise this meant a lot of intra-plot harvesting, going through four or five times. The result is impressive. 2032-2050. 96 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 L'Évangile has been given new impetus by winemaker Juliette Couderc. It is initially backward, but it really comes forth with a few swirls of the glass: black cherries, mint and juniper berries, just a hint of truffle, quite vibrant and vivacious. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a fine bead of acidity, superb minéralité, as if there were a bit of limestone soil, but there is none. Very saline on the aftertaste with impressive length. This is a marvellous L'Évangile given the growing season, and it seems imbued with so much personality. 2032 - 2060. 96-98 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Malescot St Exupery | 75cl | £179 per case of 6 | Château Malescot St Exupery 2025 / / 75cl £179 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Dark fruit with notes of cedar and spice. Finely etched tannins, the texture silky and fresh but a firm structure behind. Persistence on the finish. Very fine. 17 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2025 Château Malescot St. Exupéry offers up aromas of sweet blackberries, plums, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a sun-kissed core of fruit and powdery structuring tannins, it's a dramatic, generous, crowd-pleasing style of Margaux. 92-94 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2025 Malescot Saint Exupéry is classic Malescot-dark, powerful and quite brooding. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice, tobacco and dried herbs are delineated with serious concentration and pure, unbridled power. This backward, massively tannic Margaux is a wine for readers who can be patient. Drinking Window 2033 - 2045. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"A very structured red with black currants, blackberries and chocolate aromas. It’s full and flexing, with solid tannins and a long finish. Impressive. Better than 2022? 95-96 points" jamessuckling.com |
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| RED | 2025 | Château Pape Clement | 75cl | £316 per case of 6 | Château Pape Clement 2025 / / 75cl £316 per case of 6 |
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