Calvados, sauvignon Blanc, Cab...

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The 2022 Durfort-Vivens is a heady, explosive wine. Ample and creamy, the 2022 is seriously impressive. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot, a bit more Merlot than normal. That seems to have filled out the mid-palate, adding a level of juiciness that is quite complementary to the wine's underlying structure. Inky dark fruit, new leather, menthol, licorice and lavender build into a finish that is both opulent and virile. Ageing was 16 months, 70% in new oak and 30% in amphora. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com 

ovely freshness and aromatic complexity on the nose; herbs, spices, flowers, bitterness, freshness. Juicy and alive, a brightness and liveliness straight away. The energy here is wonderful, so lean and clean, pure and precise, very pretty, fun and joyful with a salty tang underneath. Delicate almost with such well integrated tannins giving a soft push from start to finish. Really very compelling and drinkable, easy to approach with layers of freshness and the most gorgeous acidity. Not as dense or fleshy as others, but makes up for it in bite, energy and enjoyable minerality. Effortless winemaking. (96) GEORGINA HINDLE, Decanter

Champeaux is their prized vineyard with the same east-facing exposure as Clos St Jacques (which sits just 50m away).
The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux 1er Cru stands out in this range, with its striking bouquet redolent of deep spice and floral notes. Macerated cherry, spice, freshly cut flowers and licorice all take shape, lifted by bright acids that confer notable energy. A few years in bottle will help this come together a bit more fully. ANTONIO GALLONI

…the palate impression of the medium weight flavors is fresh, bright and energetic with good detail and volume that continues onto the more overtly mineral-driven if also more austere finale. Promising. BURGHOUND

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The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a super-refined wine from the Tesseron family. It is perhaps a touch less opulent than in years past, but in exchange, it boasts more energy, focus and cut, all qualities that are so welcome here. Bright red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint and mocha all build effortlessly in the glass. In 2022, Pontet Canet is shaping up to be an absolute gem.  (97) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

The 2022 Château Pontet-Canet is brilliant and should easily be up with the crème de la crème from the Médoc. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was vinified mostly in concrete (there's a small part in wood), and the aging is in 50% new French oak, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has an incredibly pure bouquet of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth. This carries to a full-bodied Pauillac with a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the purity, richness, and structure that makes this vintage so compelling and is going to be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age but have an incredibly long life. (97-99+) JEB DUNNUCK

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 

Nicolas Audebert and his team have done it again. The 2017 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Rich and vertical in construction, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. In the glass, the 2017 is sumptuous and layered, with superb detail and tons of sheer pedigree. In 20 years, readers will have a fabulous time tasting the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 together and debating their respective merits. Dark plum fruit, striking Franc aromatics and the clean, focused energy of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau make for a ravishing, exquisite wine of the highest level. In a word: breathtaking. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2017 Canon was bottled on 15 May, 2019. This needs time to settle in the glass, the oak rather vocal at this early stage and overshadowing the blackberry and briary aromas. It only takes a couple of minutes for this Saint-Émilion to settle and reveal more limestone-infused fruit that really shows its terroir. The palate is very well defined with crunchy black fruit. I appreciate the chalky texture and freshness of this Canon, almost brittle, with blackberry and brine-like notes on the finish. Whilst not up there with the superlative 2016, the follow-up is still very fine. Note that over multiple tasting this Canon improved between September and December. (95) NEAL MARTIN

Twelve bottles available at time of offer

Just two minutes' walk from the place d'eglise of Saint Emilion, Clos Fourtet sits atop the cotes overlooking Canon and Beau-Séjour Bécot. The focus here is on richness and sweet dark black fruits, an inspiring level from owner Philippe Cuvelier and oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt. -Tom Portet


Antonio Galloni                                98
The 2018 Clos Fourtet is one of the most elegant, refined wines of the vintage. Silky and aromatically expressive, Clos Fourtet is all grace. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and sage all lift from the glass. Even with all of the natural richness of the year, Clos Fourtet sizzles with tension and delineation. Then again, that is the magic of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Clos Fourtet is easy to look past in 2018. It is neither exuberant nor exotically ripe. Instead, everything is in reserve. The 2018 is a magical wine, that's all there is to it. Don't miss it.

Andrew Caillard, MW                       98
Deep crimson. Impressively focussed wine with fresh blackberry cassis plum aromas lovely graphite herb nuances and vanilla notes. Dense compact palate with deep sweet blackcurrant pastille fruits, blackberry notes and fine brambly textures, underlying vanilla roasted chestnut oak. Finishes firm and long. A very high calibre wine.

James Suckling                             96-97
This is one of the best wines I have had from here. Full-bodied yet focused and super dynamic. Tight and linear with fantastic length and energy at the end. Exciting.

Antonio Galloni            94-97
A wine of energy, persistence and total harmony. Sublime. One of the wines of the vintage, the 2018 Clos Fourtet is positively stunning. In the glass, the 2018 sizzles with tension and energy. A whole range of floral, mineral and red berry notes develop, but it is the wine's exceptional sense of harmony that leaves the deepest impression. Consulting winemakers Stéphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet turned out a glorious Clos Fourtet in 2018. Don't miss it.

Jeff Leve            96-98
Decanter                  97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown            95-97

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

10 bottles available at time of offer

An absolute highlight that is the current rising star thanks to both a fine position and the vast investment from the Mouiex family. Nestled high next to Canon and above Angelus, the predominance of Merlot (90%) underpins are rich plum and chocolate layered structure that has delivers a points per dollar value that's hard to beat. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni                               96
The 2018 Bélair-Monange races across the palate, showing its exuberant, flamboyant personality. Ripe plum, mocha, blood orange, star anise and cinnamon fill out the layers effortlessly. Sumptuous and generous, with striking balance, Bélair-Monange hits all the right notes. It can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring, but also has the pedigree to age effortlessly for decades.

James Suckling                                98-99
This is very linear and structured in a classical way for Bordeaux with a very focused and tight core of beautiful fruit that gives an agile and vivid palate of pretty fruit and bright acidity, not to mention the ultra fine tannins, which deliver a seamless and limitless finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                  97-99
2018 Belair Monange comes bounding out of the glass with all the energy and vigor of a pedigree puppy. Full-bodied, rich and decadently layered in the mouth, the densely packed layers are charged with energy, supported by firm, velvety tannins and a racy line of freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.

Jeff Leve                98-100
Decanter                        97

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This is aromatically similar to the Vosne villages with just a bit more wood influence. The super-sleek and sophisticated middle weight flavors are even more intensely mineral-driven while displaying excellent length on the youthfully austere finale. This is really quite classy though unlike the villages it is sufficiently structured that it will definitely need at least 5 to 7 years first and reward a decade plus. "Outstanding" BURGHOUND

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The 2022 Troplong Mondot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with aromas of mulberries and blackberries mingled with notions of licorice, rose petals, incense and pencil shavings, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge mid-palate volume, superb integration and an ineffable sense of completeness. This site always delivers power, but I've never tasted a Troplong that's simultaneously quite so powerful or quite so harmonious and suave. Concluding with a broad, violet-inflected finish, the 2022 represents the essence of this remarkable site. Drink 2028-2055. (100) WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate

A wine of elegance and precision, the 2022 Troplong Mondot is exquisite. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, blood orange, spice and menthol race across the palate. Troplong Mondot is without question one of the silkiest, most refined wines of the vintage. Absolutely nothing is out of place. Tasted two times. Drink 2030-2052. (98+) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Saint-Estèphe

 3ème Cru Classé

At Canon, it’s all about site, site and site, such a critical factor in 2019 on the Right Bank.

The 2019 Canon is creamy and layered. A wine of immense charm and sensuality, the 2019 is immediately appealing today, but also clearly has the potential to age for many decades. The 2019 is not as exuberant as most recent vintages, and yet its balance is simply magnificent. Readers can expect an aristocratic Saint-Émilion that is holding so much in reserve. Patience is key. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni 98

Sweet cherries and berries with some walnuts and dried flowers, as well as notes of crushed stone, pine, currants and violets. Full-bodied and building gradually on the palate, with intense, polished tannins that are layered throughout the wine, providing well-toned muscle. The finish lasts for minutes. Quintessential Calon. Needs time to soften. Try after 2027. 97 JAMES SUCKLING

Just under the Grand Cru Mazoyeres ou Charmes, limestone base here. The average vine age, like all of Groffiers sites, is very old, around 60 years here. The soil is sandy resulting in super fine tannins and sappy, bright fruit. Nicolas says “the soil here is deep, but it’s not loud”.
It’s overall impression is one of vibrancy and freshness. So pure and red fruited with lovely florality. A certain crunchy element sets off the super vibrant palate. A vein of saline minerality. Long, subtly broadening out on the finish suggesting further richness to come with time. Gorgeous and good Premier Cru Gevrey quality here. Excellent. ROSCOE

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées has a lovely bouquet that exudes Pinoté, very pure and delineated, with seamlessly integrated oak—perhaps touching Premier Cru in quality. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry. Tensile, with vibrant, slightly tart red fruit and a slight herbaceous edge on the finish (doubtlessly emanating from the stem addition), this is quite an absorbing Gevrey-Chambertin. I am intrigued to see it age, despite its openness and pliant tannins. Give this at least two years in bottle. The 2022 is certainly in a different league than the previous vintage. NEAL MARTIN

The Gevrey has been made with 20% new wood and one third whole bunch. Fresh mid purple. The fruit on the nose is a little showier than the Bourgogne, perhaps the proportion of younger vines, perhaps the whole bunches. Super fruit on the palate, energetic fresh raspberries with cherries behind, rounded, long generous with a pleasing crunch JASPER MORRIS MW

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From vines planted in 1937. Cask sample. 
Cask sample. Intense, concentrated, so youthful but has so much future ahead. An impressive Vosne premier cru. Masses of extract, concentration, fine wood, bright acidity and purity on the finish. Leafy, dark-berry notes. A joyous example which will age for many decades. www.jancisrobinson.com

Here the nose is clean and bright with its ripe and lightly mentholated aromas of black cherry liqueur, spice and floral scents. The rich, suave and seductively textured flavors coat the palate with sappy dry extract while delivering solid length on the powerful, dusty and firm finale. This is not a Suchots of finesse but it doesn't lack for character. BURGHOUND - = OUTSTANDING

Pre- Arrival 1 bottle available

The 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte, bottled in June 2024, includes 15% of the stems, though winemaker Fabien Teitgen emphasizes that he does not want their effect to be palpable in the blend. Its fragrant bouquet blends red and black fruit with hints of anise and Italian herbs, coming across quite complex and a little more flamboyant than some of its Pessac peers. The medium-bodied palate features plush tannins and very pure black fruit interlaced with hints of graphite and black pepper. Boasting gentle grip and a great sense of harmony, this is a wonderful Smith Haut Lafitte that will evolve in bottle over many years. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. This ripe, powerful, concentrated wine reminds me of the 2010 with its structure, concentrated mid-palate, and just sheer density and regal, full-bodied style on the palate. Despite its size, it stays balanced, has a beautiful perfume of sweet black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers, building tannins, and a great, great finish. (96-98) JEB DUNNUCK

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The 2022 Haut-Bailly is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted here in a very long time. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal and blood orange are all finely laced together in the glass. There's a new sense of polish at Haut Bailly these days. The 2022 is a great example of that. Readers will find a supremely finessed wine with striking fruit purity, gorgeous length and a slightly linear build that is not at all typical (in a good sense) for a warm, dry vintage. Clean mineral notes support the finish. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI,Vinous.com

Pauillac

 5ème Cru Classé

The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar. Antonio Galloni 99

From vines planted in 1937. Cask sample.
Mid-deep cherry. Red- and black-cherry aromas on the nose. This is suave and seductive, but with a lighter fruit character. Lovely velvety texture. Seductive and fine. www.jancisrobinson.com

Markedly spicy aromas of black cherry and more subtle floral scents. The equally seductive, supple and round medium bodied flavors display a taut muscularity on the dusty, moderately austere and built to age finale. BURGHOUND

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Pre- Arrival 3 bottles available

The 2022 Pichon Baron is one of the most elegant, polished wines I have ever tasted here. Silky and refined, the 2022 is super-impressive right out of the gate. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Blood orange, herbs and floral notes lend notable delineation to a core of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. As I did en primeur, I find the wine's balance nothing short of exquisite. There's more freshness and vibrancy here than in the past, along with a noticeably lower oak imprint and more sensual tannins that lend notable sophistication throughout. The Grand Vin spent 16 months in French oak barrels, 70% new, and then two months in wood vats prior to bottling. (98) ANTONIO GALLONI,Vinous.com

Beautiful fragrance, lots of fresh and ripe black and red bramble fruit - so alive and expressive on the nose with liquorice, wet stones and cedar spicing. Smooth, ample and full in the mouth, but not overly textured or plush. There's a real refinement to the tannic structure, clearly giving the frame to the wine but detailed and precise with edges of liquorice, slate, dark chocolate, cedar and tobacco. It balances richness, intensity and concentration with sleekness, bright acidity and a real charm to the juicy fruit. Rich and tense, just giving a hint of its potential, clearly powerful but totally seductive too. A sublime wine in the making. Ageing 18 months in French oak, 70% new, 600% one wine. Drink 2030 - 2047. (97) GEORGINA HINDLE, Decanter

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The 2021 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges des Dessus is airy and light on its feet. The understated side of the year comes through in a gracious, mid-weight Vosne that offers fine balance in the smaller-scaled style of the year. ANTONIO GALLONI

Moderate wood sets off ultra-fresh, cool and spicy aromas of red cherry, exotic tea and lovely floral wisps. The utterly delicious, detailed and tautly muscular medium weight flavors flash ample minerality on the moderately austere finale that offers even better depth and persistence. This firmly structured effort isn't especially refined but there is clearly a bit more here. OUTSTANDING, BURGHOUND

Pre- Arrival 1 bottle available

The 2022 Canon is a regal wine of total sophistication and class—aromatic, light on its feet and super-expressive. Crushed flowers, chalk, mint, dried herbs, incense and blood orange all race across the palate. Clean saline-inflected notes extend the mid-palate and finish effortlessly. Even with all of the heat and drought of the year, Canon retains its essential, highly refined personality. (99) ANTONIO GALLONI,Vinous.com

From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age. (99-100) WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate

Pre- Arrival 1 bottle available

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a towering masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. Dark and seamless in the glass, the 2022 presents an exotic mélange of black cherry, lavender, sage, blood orange, menthol, espresso and dried flowers, showing tremendous depth and substance in all of its dimensions. Time in the glass hints as to what is to come in the years and decades that follow. The 2022 is a co-ferment of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot done with 70% stems that saw six full weeks on the skins. Élevage is 70% new oak, 20% 18HL cask and 10% amphora. Most importantly, all the elements are so well balanced that nothing sticks out. Instead, it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is mind-blowing. Magnificent. (100) ANTONIO GALLONI,Vinous.com

The remarkable 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. It's also one of the most singular, characterful wines being produced in the region today. Unfurling in the glass with complex aromas of blackberries and cherries mingled with notions of exotic spices, orange zest, pencil lead, rose petals and vine smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, seamless and multidimensional mid-palate framed by rich, powdery tannins. Pure, perfumed and penetrating, this blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot is a brilliant success that caps a decade of relentless work by Guillaume Pouthier and his team that have seen Les Carmes Haut-Brion emerge as one of Bordeaux's leading estates. It checks in at a mere 13.5% alcohol, with a very healthy pH of 3.64. (99-100) YOHAN CASTAING, Wine advocate

Pauillac

5ème Cru Classé

The 2019 Pontet-Canet is plush, dense and explosive, with tremendous richness and pure, soaring intensity that strengthens in all directions with time in the glass. A wine of gravitas, the 2019 is statuesque in build. As always, Pontet-Canet offers a very personal, idiosyncratic expression of Pauillac. A range of lifted floral and savory notes ring out on the finish.

The 2019 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 23 and October 10, which is a typical time frame for the estate. Yields came in a 33 hectoliters per hectare, more or less the historical average these days. For the first time, all sorting and destemming were done by hand and the wine was vinified only with manual punchdowns (i.e. no pumpovers), without any motorized equipment. Cuvaison was around 21 days, after which the wine was taken off the skins for the malolactic fermentation (which was done in the fermentation vats), and then racked into barrels and concrete for aging - 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% once-used barrels. Sadly, 2019 is the last vintage at Pontet-Canet for long-time Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme, who left after 31 years to focus on his own projects. He is succeeded by Mathieu Bessonnet, formerly at Chapoutier. Antonio Galloni 95-97

The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate in an encompassing yet always elegant and pure way. It’s succulent and unadulterated. Like crushed, perfectly ripened grapes. The length is rather endless. The tannins build. Fabulous young red. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028, but an absolute joy to taste now. 99 JAMES SUCKLING

The highlight of the Bernard Magrez stable is also the most prestigious, and tellingly it has achieved consistent high scores. It's up 7% on the 2017 release, which is no surprise as it is perhaps the best releases to since 2010.  -Tom Portet
 
Lisa Perotti Brown 96-98
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pape Clement is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore and tobacco notions over a core of crushed red and black currants plus kirsch, red roses and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied and wonderfully vivacious, it offers a solid line of firm and fine-grained tannins and amazing freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.

James Suckling 97-98
This is a very driven Pape Clément with fantastic density and finesse at the same time. Linear and driven, the finish goes on for minutes with incredible tension and focus. More cabernet. Refinement with power.

Pre- Arrival 4 bottles available

The 2022 La Mondotte is another heady wine in this range from the Neipperg family. Inky dark fruit, gravel, pencil shavings, iron, sage and scorched earth infuse the 2022 with notable intensity and tons of brooding, somber character. Readers will have to be patient, as this is a potent, structured Saint-Émilion. I would not plan on opening a bottle anytime soon. The 2022 is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, so a bit more Franc than in some recent years. This spent 35 days on the skins followed by 16 months in French oak, 40% new. It's a superb edition of this wine made from one of the most distinctive sites in the appellation. (97+) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

Blackberries and blueberries with chalkboard and dark earth aromas. Flowers, too. Lead pencil. Full-bodied and very deep in the palate, which is reserved and texturally sophisticated. Chalky, too. Silky and very polished. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. (97-98) JAMES SUCKLING

From a .092 ha parcel of 50+ year old vines that typically yield about 1 ¼ barrels

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques emerges from a tiny parcel planted in 1949. Dark and complex in its first impression, the 2022 possesses notable fruit purity and a good bit of supporting structure, despite its deceptively mid-weight feel. White pepper, orange peel and tea leaves build in the glass, leading effortlessly into the clean, mineral-laced finish. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

OUTSTANDING. Here too firm reduction dominates the fruit at present. Otherwise, the markedly earthy big-bodied and almost painfully intense flavors flash imposing power on the driving and palate staining finish that delivers excellent length. Like the Les Rouges, this is quite firmly structured and a wine that is going to need at least some cellaring first. BURGHOUND

12 bottles available at time of offer

Jean-Luc Thunevin was one of the original Garagiste winemakers of the right bank, and his home estate presents the success of Merlot in the vintage, at 90% of the blend (vineyard plantings at 75%). Produced in miniscule quantities, it's one of the most sought-after wines in Saint Emilion (and you don't need to sell your house). - Tom Portet

James Suckling               97-98
This is a fantastic young Bordeaux with superb depth of fruit and complex tannin structure. Hints of smoke, spice and toasted oak. Full body and firm, dusty tannins. Very long finish.
 
Antonio Galloni                     97+
The 2018 Valandraud is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel, maybe more. Power and vertical, with tons of explosive energy, the 2018 dazzles right out of the gate. Inky dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and chocolate all race across the palate. The 2018 is a wine of tremendous stature that distinguishes itself in a vintage peppered with stunning wines. I would allow for a few years in bottle to help the tannins soften. I loved it.

Andrew Caillard, MW 95
Deep crimson. Intense dark plum cedar spicy aromas with wood varnish notes. Immensely concentrated and oaky with attractive inky complexity and plentiful graphite textures. Elemental but impressive despite the oak right now. Should settle down into completeness.  

The 2022 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Rouges des Dessus 1er Cru is mysterious and complex. Scents of pipe tobacco, cedar, crushed rocks, spice and red-toned fruit emanate from the glass. There is a brooding quality in the 2022 that I find quite appealing. It works rather well with the wine’s textural depth and overall feel. This is promising. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

There is enough reduction to suppress all but subtle spice wisps. The gorgeously textured and strikingly delineated if not especially concentrated medium-bodied flavors exude a fine bead of minerality on the caressing yet powerful, even robust, youthfully austere finish. This is lovely but I underscore that it's going to need at least some patience as it's very tightly wound today. BURGHOUND