Château Léoville Las Cases, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
As expected we have the release of Leoville Las Cases and Clos du Marquis today both well down on last year and priced similarly to other vintages in the market. This is not as exciting a price as Ducru Beaucaillou but is, as with Ducru, a very good wine this year. The blend here is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. An intense, impenetrable depth of colour here begins the laying out of the Las Cases stall. The nose then is characteristically restrained, dark and earthy, mineral-laden, with some toasted cedar notes complementing black fruit. The palate, often fettered at this stage, is positively gregarious in comparison with most years, dense, concentrated and yet silky, with a mocha cream backdrop. The tannins are powerful yet harmonious, underpinning an elegant, fresh and protracted finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2020- 2038+

Clos du Marquis, Saint-Julien
The blend here is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, brought on in 40% new oak. The vines here are planted on typical clay sand and sandy-gravel set apart from the Clos of Léoville-Las -Cases. Clos de Marquis is therefore a great wine in its own right rather than, as is often supposed, the second wine of Las Cases. Inky jet-ruby and velvet-textured , this clings languidly to the glass. Very pure cassis pervades the nose - quite punchy and primary - less made-up than is usually the case at this stage, relying on the freshness of the fruit. Very faint hints of smoky cedar and floral notes provide a refined complement to the palate. This conforms to the strictures of the vintage - no hard edges - classic Saint Julien in style.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2032+

Château Talbot, 4ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Talbot has started what should be the last week of major releases, top Pomerol’s aside, with a price that makes sense, well down on last year but most importantly less expensive than any other vintage available, therefore a good buy. The blend here is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep jet-crimson, this offers very attractive, sweet, spicy black and red fruit on the nose - perfumed with violet and rose. Good depth and precision, savoury depth supported by fine-grained tannins all make for an elegant palate and a prolonged complex finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Château Ducru Beaucaillou, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Ducru Beaucaillou is priced very sensibly in relation to last year and other vintages…a very good strategy. 2011 is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Out of a total production of 35 hl/ha, Ducru Beaucaillou itself comprises 25hl/ha - the smallest harvest in twenty-five years. Lustrous jet-ruby, this is a very attractive colour, inviting. The nose presents an extremely aromatic, perfumed line up of sweet, dark fruit, spiced cherry compote and cedar. The palate, mirroring the nose is silky, powerful, dense and long with a seam of cassis prevailing throughout, supported by fine tannins and refined minerals. The finish offers a memorable, fragranced, fruit-driven flourish - a real success put down to rigid discipline initially in the vineyard and subsequently in the cellar.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 -2030+

Croix de Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien
Although often described as the second wine of Ducru Beaucaillou, since 2005 this comes from a quite separate vineyard, in the very heart of the appélation, the Ducru vines being nearer the estuary. In recognition of this, a new label was commissioned, designed by Jade Jagger, setting it apart from Ducru Beaucaillou. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, matured for 12 months in 60% new oak before a year in one year old barrels - so it's not treated like a second wine either. A deep plum-violet in colour, presenting a heady blend of blackberry and cherries on the nose with hints of caramel and liquorice - very sweet and ripe. The palate is well-extracted with good density, spiced and sappy, fleshy fruit obscuring the tannins, through to a very long finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Château Brane-Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé Margaux
The blend here is unusual, 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Carmenère. It works. The nose and palate have an easy-going, accessible air, innate intensity allied to a refined mineral element, purity and focus. A pretty wine this delivers what one anticipates from Margaux, a certain elegance and style.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2030+

Château Duhart-Milon, 4ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Glittering jet-plum in colour, this has a lovely nose, fresh, sweet, upbeat, very pure red and blackberry fruit, suffused by violets.The palate, mirroring the nose, is similarly aromatic, well concentrated and attractively focused. Ripe and silk-textured, depth and poise prevail throughout a protracted finish - characterful wine - a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac
This year's blend comprises 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. It is a good, intense, firm jet-ruby, the nose revealing hints of blue and blackberry allied to upbeat candied cherry and crème de fruits, all laced with cedar.The nose, rather gentile and understated ill-prepares the taster for rather pronounced tannins and acidity, both of which will serve well during the ageing process. What had seemed very pleasant and simple initially reveals greater complexity on the palate, continuing through to a long, controlled finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Château Latour, 1er Cru Classé Pauillac
As everywhere in 2011, rigorous sorting was key and here, at Latour only 34% of the Grand Vin was produced - a blend of 84.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot. Inky jet-plum in colour, this offers compote of dark fruit on the nose, primary wild berry notes and a meaty, savoury edge - complex and intriguing. Beautifully textured, silky, the palate is rich, profound and intense with mineral back notes. Layers of cassis, kirsch, bitter chocolate and strong espresso all add to an impressive complexity, supported by superfine, well-coated, significant tannins - a very fine, classical translation of the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2025 -2045+

Forts de Latour, Pauillac
Intense black-ruby in colour, this is a rather complex blend of 61.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc. The nose reveals dark, earthy, rather decadent notes, savoury intrigue allied to black and red fruit compote. Richly textured and full, there is a slight drop in focus mid -palate - purely a matter of time - quickly resolved with a flourish of blue and black fruit, punctuated by fine, ripe though significant tannins which will serve well.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 -2035+

Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
The 2011 Cheval Blanc is 52% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot and 68% of the crop made it into the Grand Vin. Richly coloured and textured, the nose is deliciously perfumed, an array of summer berries, violet, rose, woodsmoke and a heady dash of pepper. The palate echoes the aromatics presented by the nose, attractively floral with obvious mineral notes. Rich, ripe and silky, the underlying tannins are beautifully rounded, giving definition to a fresh upbeat finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2038+

Petit Cheval, Saint-Emilion
A blend here of 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc represents 2o% of the production at Cheval Blanc. This is a really lovely, inviting, inky-plum in colour, with a tight, pink rim. The nose is perfectly lovely, fresh and bright, a pretty upbeat style, attractive and appetising. The palate, reflecting the freshness of the nose, offers rather playful fruit, within a silken frame, becoming more expansive and dense on the mid-palate. Good mineral definition prevails throughout adding to general finesse and delicacy of touch - very well-handled.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Château Branaire-Ducru, 4ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc constitute the blend here. Glossy jet-ruby, with a firm scarlet rim, this is brooding and intriguing on the nose, revealing very guarded hints at red and black fruit initially, though steadily becoming more forthcoming with generous, sappy cherries, cassis and vanilla cream. The palate adds complementary, dark, earthy-mineral notes, a savoury seam with a dense tannic backbone, largely kept under wraps, enveloped in perfumed fruit. Stylish and elegant, this Branaire is rather more flattering than is usually the case at this juncture - fresh and upbeat on the finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2025+

Château Figeac, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
Jet-crimson, the extraordinary blend here is, as in the vinyard, roughly one third each Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, ideally suited to the particularly gravelly banks on which the vineyards are planted. Figeac 2011 has a lovely nose. It exhibits a lively blueberry and blackberry fruit combination, allied to floral notes - sensual and inviting. The palate is silky, elegant and beautifully-textured, supported by chewy but not over-worked tannins. Well-handled and harmonious, this retains an elegant freshness throughout - a memorable wine and a fine translation of the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2025+

Château La Conseillante, Pomerol
Here we have a blend of 82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, richly-textured and clinging to the glass. The fruit profile is dark and earthy on the nose, sweet and intense. The palate is rich and substantial, silken and rounded with layers of sappy, luscious, bright, fresh fruit, energising and upbeat - very accomplished.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2030+

Château Gruaud Larose, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
This darkly coloured Gruaud is characterful and bright, Sweet, primary fruit dominates, cassis and cherries waiting in the wings. The palate is silky, stylish and elegant, rounded fruit, refreshed by fresh and crystallised violets, all complemented by stony minerality. Sweet and ripe, with savoury contrasts, this has attractive weight and balance. This appears to have been made with the ultimate enjoyment of the consumer in mind rather than the production of an admirable, for decades inpenetrable, monolith - and so much the better for that in a year where over extraction was all too easy.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2026+

Château de Fargues, Sauternes
Brilliant, shimmering gold, 80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon, this is profound, concentrated, luscious and layered - stone and orchard fruit vying for dominance, refrehed by lemon and orange zest.The palate offers wonderful intensity, set within a silken, elegant frame with complementary minerality and complementary freshness throughout an attenuated complex finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2032+

Château Carbonnieux Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Glittering white-gold this presents fresh, bright aromatics, stone and orchard fruit on the nose with a lovely citrus zest refreshment. Silky and elegant, this is not particularly complex but, straightforward and accessible, with a very pretty focus, this is a wine to make you smile.
Recommended drinking from: 2015- 2020+

Château Pontet-Canet, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Deeply coloured, this delivers a blend of candied and fresh fruit, mineral and earthy notes on the nose. The palate, in harmony, reveals an uncharacteristically gentle rendition of the vintage at this stage. Very measured extraction has made for a sweetly fruited, perfumed translation of the year, with good depth and an easygoing freshness and vitality/ Succulent and ripe, supported by fine, cocoa-dry tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé Pauillac
Priced in line with the other 1st growths, they have made a very good wine after a savage selection with only just over 50% making the Grand Vin. Deep ruby, with a bright purple rim, this offers a very elegant precise nose - spiced dark and red fruit with a heady dash of pepper. The palate is perhaps more ethereal than the nose suggests, presenting very pretty berried notes, bright and perfumed though complemented by a mocha richness. all set with a silken, luscious attractively-rounded structure. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc - well-handled.
Recommended drinking from: 2023 -2045+

Château La Lagune, 3ème Cru Classé Haut-Médoc
Just 30 hectolitres per hectare were produced of this 60% Cabernet sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot blend, 50% matured in new barrels. Jet-plum in colour, it offers sweet, concentrated, gently spiced dark fruit on both the nose and palate. Richly-textured, scented with violets, this is a wonderfully aromatic La Lagune, upbeat and fresh through to a long, invigorating finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 -2028+

Château Saint-Pierre, 4ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Deep plum-bramble in colour, intense and richly-textured, this presents a perfumed, stylish nose, red fruit freshness complemented by darker notes, cedar and toasted oak. The palate is ripe and juicy, supple and rounded with impressive density, supported by substantial tannins. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
Recommended drinking from:

Château Troplong Mondot, Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
Darkly-coloured, this presents an extraordinarily smoky nose, ferruginous, spicy and richly sweet. Palate is huge yet well-balanced within its greatness treading a fine line between velvet richness on the one side and and punchy, chewy tannins on the other. Dense black, intense fruit with delicate floral notes melds with mocha elements, modern, layered and opulently textured - long and poised.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 -2026+

Château Léoville-Poyferré, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
This is our highest scoring left bank wine of the vintage - Léoville Poyferré – bang on form of late and a great buy at this price. This year's Poyferré is gorgeous, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Inky-plum in colour this presents a triumphantly flamboyant, dark chocolate infused, rather decadent nose, exuberant fruit complemented by woodsmoke, cedar and spice. The palate is gorgeous, laden with fruit, silk-textured and ripe with a flavour profile reminiscent of good Black Forest gâteau - liqueur-soaked cherries , pastry shop sweetness, vanilla and mocha cream. Amidst all the sensuality and seduction however, there are excellent, rounded, complementary tannis , refreshing acidity and good mineral definition - terrific balance and focus - very very good.
Recommended drinking from: 2020- 2030+

Château Beauregard, Pomerol
Inky-plum in colour, this presents a toffee-ed , coffee-ed, toasted, smoky nose with hints of liquorice punctuating sweet, dark fruit.The palate is richly textured, rather delectable, silken and gently extracted with hints of kirsch and mocha. - lovely wine, well-handled.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2027+

Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac
Deeply-coloured, this offers sweet, candied fruit on the nose, plump and effusive. The palate is equally evocative, adding a mineral and savoury dimension, set within a silky,chocolate-rich, seductive context, with a dark, earthy, coffee-ed finish - very accomplished.
Recommended drinking from: 2020- 2030+

Château Clos Fourtet, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
As warned there have been many more releases from both banks and both red and white wines - Clos Fourtet, Rauzan Ségla, Grand Puy Lacoste, Grand Puy Ducasse, Haut Batailley, Clerc Milon, Smith Haut-Lafitte, Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc & Latour-Martillac Blanc. To highlight just one the Grand Puy Ducasse has been our favourite drinking Pauillac for some time now. Firm and dark in colour, richly textured, this promises soft, luscious fruit on the nose- sweet ripe and with hints of toffee. The palate has an easy, straightforward, accessible style, sleek, though rich, with innate, measured power. Intelligently extracted, this has no hard edges and is juicy, fresh and long with interesting savoury notes on the finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2026+

Château Rauzan-Ségla, 2ème Cru Classé Margaux
Rauzan-Ségla in 2011 is stylish and authoritative. Deeply coloured, it reveals dark, rather exotic notes on the nose- an intriguing blend of sweet and savoury. The palate is similarly expressive, with hints of kirsch and dark chocolate liqueurs, dense and layered. There is a good deal of complexity here and no exaggeration - harmonious and long.
Recommended drinking from: 2019- 2030+

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, this is an appealing, bright purple-ruby, with a bright, firm fuschia rim. The nose is at once richly-fruited and savoury with coffee-ed notes and an intense mineral edge. The palate is equally aromatic, adding hints of woodsmoke, all set within a beautifully balanced, silk-textured frame. This is a really lovely translation of the vintage, with great precision, freshness and purity.
Recommended drinking from: 2020- 2035+

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
We have rather a soft spot for Grand-Puy Ducasse, an estate which covers three very well sited parcels within Pauillac and is, after all, a classified growth - usually very fairly priced. The blend this year is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot. A deep, shimering ruby, this reveals sweet, candied fruit on the nose, hints of spice and vanilla cream. The palate reflects similar aromatics, presented in an accessible, easygoing and inviting manner. Ripe but firm tannins reveal themselves mid-palate and throughout a long, controlled, mineral-rich finish. There is good density which will gain weight during elevage in 40% new wood, balancing out the structure - a rather classical translation of the vintage and a good ambassador for this property.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2028+

Château Haut Batailley, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
This vineyard lies to the south of Pauillac, bordering Saint Julien - reflected in the wine's style. The blend in 2011 is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, brought on in 60% new oak. Firm, lustrous black-purple, this is rather lovely from the outset, offering a very fresh, beguiling nose, black and red fruit fool to the fore with underlying hints of citrus - really fresh. The palate is more opulent than suggested by the nose, darkly fruited with a backdrop of toasted oak and earthy minerals - rather charming.
Recommended drinking from: 2018- 2028+

Château Clerc Milon, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Deeply-coloured, provides a very attractive, focused nose, rich in cassis, cherry and red fruit, with undertones of cedar and spice. The palate echoes the aromatics presented on the nose, bright, pure and vibrant with an attractive balance and rich texture, underscored by crushed shell minerals - a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenère.
Recommended drinking from: 2018- 2028+

Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
A stunning, shimmering jet-plum in colour, this makes an immediate impact. The nose presents a confident, generous combination of primary red fruit, both fresh and compote of berries, complemented by more savoury, spiced notes and hints of leather. A steady hand on the tiller has made for a very relaxed, easy style, ripe, harmonious, moderately rich and with good density and well defined minerality. Oenologist and technical director, Fabien Teitgen, has wisely played to the strengths of the vintage and avoided overplaying his hand - to good effect. This year's blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot.
Recommended drinking from: 2018- 2028+

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Many wines have so many ups and downs vintage to vintage. Smith Haut Lafitte runs the gauntlet of being almost monotonously good in both benign and adverse conditions. In 2011, oenologist and technical director, Fabien Teitgen has produced a fine ambassador for the vintage - Thai aromatics to the fore - lime zest and coconut complementing green apple and stone fruit richness. Richly-textured, full and creamy, oak has been used to great advantage here, adding an opulence which complements briney minerality and fresh acidity. Slightly smoky and toasted notes trandscend a long, luscious fine finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2015- 2023+

Château Latour Martillac Blanc
Pale gold with green lights, this has a lovely, haunting quality on the nose, rich yet zesty with an underlying, fine minerality.The palate is cream-textured, orchard fruit fool refreshed by shades of grapefruit zest. Very sound, pure and poised throughout a long finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2014- 2017+

Château Langoa Barton, 3ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Deep plum-bramble in colour, this has a lovely nose, sweet and ripely-fruited, primary red fruit on the nose evolving to supple cherries on the palate, complemented by cedar and toasted oak. The palate is ripe, juicy, supple, rounded, straightforward and accessible, with a fresh, long finish, all supported by beautifully-integrated tannins - well handled. The blend is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc with production of 36 hl/ha.
Recommended drinking from: 2018- 2028+

Château Léoville Barton, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
As expected there are a flood of releases this morning and several serious wines. Léoville Barton is at a price its army of loyal followers, we feel, will be pleased with - this gives us a chance to highlight that there are still a few casaes of Langoa Barton available. Next up are the “Pichons” - Pichon Baron & Pichon Lalande - at a hefty decrease on last year (over 50%) and likely to attract serious attention as a result, Reserve de la Comtesse, the second wine of Pichon Lalande is also released. Finally from the same ownership as Pichon Baron (and Suduiraut) is Petit Village, a good terroir and from the best commune in 2011, Pomerol. Léoville Barton 2011 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc with production, as at Langoa of 36 hl/ha. The nose is sweet, supple and ripely fruited, a blend of berries and cherries complemented by smoky cedar and gentle oak. The palate is rather understated and noble, no hard edges and very refined - rather aristocratic in style and demeanour - beautifully balanced.
Recommended drinking from: 2019- 2030+

Château Langoa Barton, 3ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Deep plum-bramble in colour, this has a lovely nose, sweet and ripely-fruited, primary red fruit on the nose evolving to supple cherries on the palate, complemented by cedar and toasted oak. The palate is ripe, juicy, supple, rounded, straightforward and accessible, with a fresh, long finish, all supported by beautifully-integrated tannins - well handled. The blend is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc with production of 36 hl/ha.
Recommended drinking from: 2018- 2028+

Château Pichon Longueville Baron, 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
This is quintessential Cabernet-dominated Cru Classé Médoc. The blend is 82% Cabernet and 18% Merlot, raised in 80% new oak. Jet-plum, this presents an intriguing nose, a mélange of fresh and candied fruit, savoury notes, woodsmoke and a black forest combination of liqueur macerated cherries, vanilla, cream and chocolate. The palate emulates the profile of the nose set within a rich texture, supported by ripe tannins - good wine.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2032+

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Intensely coloured, rich and full, this presents a very straightforward, open style, supple red and black fruit with a slightly savoury edge punctuated by minerals. The blend of the first wine is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot and aged in 60% new oak. Cassis and cherry, enriched by vanilla cream, within a toasted backdrop make for a very accessibly Pichon Lalande, ripe and charming.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2030+

Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac
Dark plum-ruby, this has a very inviting, enticing nose, sweetly- fruited, pretty and accessible. The palate presents a blend of red and black fruit, both fresh and candied, pepper-spiced and supported by ripe, fine, rounded tannins - good effort really, a blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot, which will see 30% new oak.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2025+

Château Petit Village, Pomerol
A blend of 71% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this has a curiously inviting, sweet, almost honeyed nose, super-ripe with attractive traces of citrus adding freshness.The palate is ripe and luscious, full and rich in cherried fruit, both fresh and compote, allied to casis. Very pure and poised throughout, this is a very sophisticated, rather understated translation of the vintage - good wine.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2024+

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
We wanted to do an offer dedicated to the recent white releases as there is a danger of them getting lost amongst the reds. Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is a superb wine this year and in fairness the price drop is not warranted, appreciated though it is. Both Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc & Picque Caillou Blanc are great drinkers and a brilliant opportunity to pick up a white from an undoubtedly great white Bordeaux vintage. Lustrous white-gold, this is almost naughty on the nose. presenting a gorgeous array of pastry shop citrus, caramel, stone and orchard fruit, with exotic background intrigue, lychees, star fruit and a certain savoury element. Complex, with an adroit focus, this has lovely balance - stylish.
Recommended drinking from: 2015 - 2022+

Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc
Quasi water white, this is enticingly aromatic on the nose, sweet and perfumed, fennel adding savoury intrigue to a combination of orchard fruits and cream. Ripe and harmonious, a certain crushed shell minerality persists throughout, adding focus on a long, fine finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2014 - 2018+

Château Picque-Caillou Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
Lively, fresh and buzzing with life. Green apple and citrus notes on the nose lead to a riper, creamier palate which manages the bright acidity well. There is good focus and energy here. A relative bargain.
Recommended drinking from: 2014 - 2017+

Château Montrose, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Estèphe
A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon,22% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, 50% of the 38hl/ha production made it into the Grand Vin. Fathomless inky-plum, this is very reserved on the nose, dark and brooding, offering scant glimpses of coffee-ed black fruit, with an earthy mineral-clay backdrop. The palate is similarly reserved on attack initially but a battalion of dark fruit, tinged with exotic spice emerges from the wings, supported by streamlined, rather noble tannins. Something of a paradox, we have real power here yet the wines floats across the palate, silken and harmonious through to a layered finish - impressive really
Recommended drinking from: 2022 - 2035+

Château Kirwan, 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 15% Cabernet France and 9% Petit Verdot, this year's Kirwan is attractively structured. Deep plum-ruby, it delivers black and red candied fruit refreshed by floral aromatics on nose and palate - good wine.
Recommended drinking from: 2019 - 2030+

Dame de Montrose, Saint-Estèphe
Rich plum-ruby, this offers a stylish, spicy nose, rich in red and black berried fruit. The blend of this, the second wine of Montrose, is 72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and it represents 50% of production. The palate combines summer pudding freshness and clearly defined cassis with earthy minerals and is rather luscious in texture. The team agreed that if the price is right, this would make many people smile- without the need to wait too long - though the structure is there also for the wine to age.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2026+

Domaine de Chevalier, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
A stunning, shimmering jet-plum in colour, this makes an immediate impact. The nose presents a confident, generous combination of primary red fruit, both fresh and compote of berries, complemented by more savoury notes and hints of leather. A steady hand has been sensitive to the particularity of the vintage making for a perfumed, sappy, cherried richness, with no hard edges, tannins confined to the background - well-handled.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Haut Bailly, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
Plum-ruby, firm to rim, this presents a rather lovely, stylish nose, elegant and pure, rich in red and black primary fruit - pretty and engaging. The palate is a little more reticent in seeking to please, more assertive, with firm earthy tannins in support of what aspires to be something of a powerhouse. The blend is 50% Cabernet, 47% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
Recommended drinking from: 2019 - 2030+

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
Deeply coloured, this reveals a combination of sweet and savoury notes on the nose, more restrained than of old but gentle and endearing. The palate however is more effusive, sweet, ripe and charming. Intelligently extracted, there are no rough edges just exemplary purity and freshness through to a rich, succulent finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château La Pointe, Pomerol
Dark and savoury, this provides a satisfying blend of sweet floral red and black fruit, mocha richness and a meaty edge, layered with cedar and cream.The palate is supple and easygoing, supported by fine, powedry tannins and refreshed by a nervy, febrile acidity. Attractive and harmonious, this is a good interpretation of the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2025+

Clarence de Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
We are very pleased to offer the outstanding 2011 vintage from the Domaine Clarence Dillon. Under the guidance of Prince Rupert of Luxembourg, the great grandson of Clarence Dillon, the wines from these two properties continue to impress and improve. Clarence de Haut Brion is the second wine of Haut-Brion, known until the 2007 vintage as Bahans Haut-Brion. The 2011 blend is 71.5% Merlot, 22.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 1.2% Petit Verdot. Dark in colour, the nose was rather subdued when we tasted, only gradually opening up to reveal a blend of dark and, most prominent, red fruit allied to more sultry notes, leather, woodsmoke and and cedar. The palate, rounded and ripe, underscored by earthy minerals and grainy tannins is disciplined and refined through to a long finish - refreshingly straightforward.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2030+

Château Haut-Brion, 1er Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
This year's Grand Vinblend is 46.3% Cabernet Sauvignion, 34.8% Merlot and 18.9% Cabernet Franc. Intensely coloured, this has stunning nose, really stylish with fresh, primary, pure grape must notes complemented by hints of tobacco and an appealing savoury element. The palate is opulent and full-flavoured, rich in dark fruit, luscious and ripe whilst powder dry, significant tannins promise a long future. The tannic structure, combined with clearly defined minerals, give direction throughout a prolonged, generous finish - impressive.
Recommended drinking from: 2025 - 2040+

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion
This, the second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion. Is a blend of 68.7% Merlot, 19.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.7% Cabernet Franc. Glittering jet-ruby, reminiscent of Venetian glass, its initial advances are more muted on the nose which is dark and brooding initially, candied cherry and blueberries emerging from the shadows by stealth. Rather teasing at this embryonic stage, the palate reverts to charm and seduction, sweet fruit, set within a silk frame, punctuated by crushed stone minerals. The finish is attractively weighted and textured, breezy and fresh.
Recommended drinking from: 2019 - 2029+

Château la Mission Haut-Brion, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
Opaque jet-shot plum, glittering and richly-textured, La Mission Haut-Brion 2011 presents a toffee-ed, mocha-rich nose, concentrated black fruit and hints of fresh and candied red berries. The palate, echoing the aromatics proffered by the nose, is dense, intense and mineral rich, supported by powerful, fruit-coated tannins. There are rather haunting, contrasting notes of violet and woodsmoke throughout, adding complexity. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon,33.7% Merlot and 11.3% Cabernet Franc.
Recommended drinking from: 2022 - 2035+

Château La Clarté Haut Brion Blanc
73% Semillon, 27% Sauvignon, this quasi water-white blend, with green lights ticks the boxes, Characterful, it provides a lovely, electric vitality, bright tangy fruit to the fore. There's a gorgeous combination of citrus, orchard and stone fruit, lively with honeyed and stone-mineral undercurrents. The palate takes up the challenge with some fervour, luscious and ripe, creamy, succulent and quite delicious.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2026+

Le Dragon de Quintas
And the latest addition to the stable Château Quintus, created when Château Tertre Daugay, the St Emilion property, was purchased last year by the owners of Haut Brion. Renamed Château Quintus as it is now the fifth property in the Clarence Dillon estate. Formerly Tertre Dauguy, the changed name under the new owners – the Dillon family – who bought the property in June 2011. The blend is 54.3% Merlot, 45.7% Cabernet Franc. Jet plum-bramble, brilliant and glittering, this has a rather lovely nose, dark, sweet, red and black fruit to the fore. The palate offers good concentration of fruit with background coffee notes - a stylish profile which belies its second wine status. A pretty wine, with gentle , rounded tannins, there is an intriguing touch of spice – fresh and easygoing.
Recommended drinking from: 2015 - 2024+

Château Quintus
Quintus was formerly known as Tertre Daugay, changing name with the Dillon’s acquisition in 2011. This is a lovely colour, from a 50:50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, deep and intense and form. The nose, initially a little reticent, opens up to deliver spiced, ripe fruit, vibrant, fresh and stylish. The palate is effusive, bright and breezy with a mocha-rich backdrop, punctuated by a firm tannic profile which directs a long, layered finish. Only 28% of the crop made it into this, the first wine – a good call for a début year.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2026+

Château Rauzan-Gassies, 2ème Cru Classé Margaux
The blend here is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. There is good depth of fruit on the nose, supple candied blueberry- cherry with a toasted oak backdrop. The palate is sweet, rather sensual, silky, attractively textured and supported by well-integrated tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Prieuré-Lichine, 4ème Cru Classé Margaux
Prieuré-Lichine this year comprises 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Intensely coloured, it has an attractive, sweet and inviting nose, candied cherry, red and black fruit to the fore. The palate is much more serious, dense, tannic and firmly structured yet silky, spice and full through to a long finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2019 - 2029+

Château Calon Ségur, 3ème Cru Classé Saint-Estèphe
The 2011 is a concentrated plum-purple in colour, firm and assertive. The nose presents a characterful, earthy minerality - an ideal foil to rather delectable, succulent red and black fruit. Both fresh cherries and warm, spiced compote are allied to background cedar notes making for an uncharacteristically accessible approach at this stage. The palate is seductive, tannins melding seemlessly through opulent, rounded fruit - a lovely Calon-Ségur.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2033+

Marquis de Calon, Saint Estèphe
The second wine of Calon-Ségur, not seen before at this en primeurstage stands out due to a dominant proportion - 80% - of Merlot in the blend, the remainder 20% being Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot's fate varied greatly within the Médoc but here hydric stress was avoided, despite the drought, due to the heavy clay soils at Calon. Marquis de Calon constitutes 30% of production in 2011. Limpid ruby-crimson in colour, this delivers good concentration of aromatic, sweet cherries, blueberries and plums on the nose. The palate, similarly, reveals fresh, dark fruit, complemented by dark chocolate and graphitic mineral notes. Counter-intuitively, this Merlot rich blend is much more strident than the Grand Vin - more obviously Saint Estèphe in style and a welcome newcomer.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2025+

Château Lafon Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé Saint-Estèphe
It's good to back a winner. We have followed Lafon-Rochet for aeons and have been delighted to have witnessed the evolution of what had always been good move towards potential greatness. Michel Tesseron really began the investment programme which is at the root of todays success but his son Basile has recruited a fantastic team who have taken up the baton of his father's success and goodness that is well proven in the success of 2011. The Tesseron's dedication to quality is palpable but with huge investment in the cellar and vineyard, allied to committed experiments in organic farming, an attack of hail so close to harvest (Sept 1st) must have felt a little below the belt. There is however a real sense of energy here and the rigorous efforts in the vineyard throughout the year, allied to meticulous sorting have produced a 2011 of which the entire team can be proud. Jet-plum, with a dark rim, this offers supple blueberry and cherry compote on the nose, concentrated and intense, with a ferruginous clay-mineral backdrop. The palate feels similarly ripe and echoes the aromatics presented on the nose, generous, pure, spicy and fresh, supported by ripe, if at this very youthful stage chewy tannins - a really good translation of the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2024+

Château Langoa Barton, 3ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Deep plum-bramble in colour, this has a lovely nose, sweet and ripely-fruited, primary red fruit on the nose evolving to supple cherries on the palate, complemented by cedar and toasted oak. The palate is ripe, juicy, supple, rounded, straightforward and accessible, with a fresh, long finish, all supported by beautifully-integrated tannins - well handled. The blend is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc with production of 36 hl/ha.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Clinet, Pomerol
Glittering jet-plum, this reveals sweet, bright, red and black fruit on the nose, with smoky notes and hints of cedar and spice. The palate is rich and dense, velvet-textured, with well-rounded, integrated tannins. Supple and accessible, an attractive spiced character gives personality through to an upbeat, controlled finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2017- 2024+

Château Angélus, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
Deeply coloured, an intense jet-plum, this presents a characteristically modern, polished nose rich in toasted oak and spice. Dark, sweet, spiced fruit peers through a rich, dense, structured palate - a big wine which will need time for the wood to take a back seat. The finish is long and concentrated.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 – 2030+

Château Phélan Ségur, Cru Bourgeois Saint-Estèphe
This is a perennial Corney & Barrow favourite and 2011 further endorses our belief in this estate and in the dynamic Phélan-Ségur team. This year's blend comprises 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, aged in 50% new oak. The colour is a deep garnet-ruby, shimmering and intense. On the nose, bright, fresh perfumed red fruits come to the fore, with a toasted, cedar backdrop punctuated by minerals. The palate is similarly aromatic, vibrant and upbeat, sweet and silky, with a complementary savoury dimension, all supported by rounded, ripe tannins and attactive acidity. The finish, long, focused and poised completes a very polished performance for the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château d'Armailhac, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Deep plum-ruby, although rather restrained on the nose initially , this gradually opens up to reveal sweet cassis, candied cherry and red fruit, with an earthy and toasted backdrop. The blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot has produced a darker fruit profile which drives a structured, moderately dense and attractively weighted palate.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château La Dominique, Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion
La Dominique lies to the west of the Saint Emilion, near the Pomerol border. Beautifully-sited, its near neighbours are Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Conseillante and L'Evangile. Jet-purple, with a tight rim, this is a blend of 80% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, cropped at 37hl/ha. Sweet, gentle, pure red and black fruit and ripe cherries, allied to hints of liquorice and toffee, dictate the aromatics on the nose and palate, the latter ripe, richly textured, well-extracted and silky. There is power here and energy with enough fruit to cover an ardent complement of tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2027+

Château Lynch Bages, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
The blend this year is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, producing a jet-plum colour, a darkly fruited, brooding and slightly smoky-savoury nose, sweet, ripe and spicy. The palate is very ripe but, equally, very structured, supported by dark, earthy mineral notes and punchy, but ripe tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2026+

Echo de Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Here a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc have made for a deep jet-ruby colour, firm to the rim. The nose is slightly debauched in style, savoury notes mingling with berried fruit and crushed shell mineral elements. The palate, despite significant, ripe tannins is plump, accessible and straightforward, toasted notes and mocha cream adding to the aromatic profile through to a long fruit-driven finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2025+

Blanc de Lynch Bages, Pauillac
Here we have a blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Muscadelle, 12% Sémillon, harvested between the 24th and 30th of August. A very pretty pale gold in colour, this has a deliciously aromatic nose, a blend of flowers, stone fruit and citrus zest. The palate is opulently textured, enriched by 70% maturation in oak (60% new) and regular batonnage though good levels of acidity and 30% stainless steel fermentation retain a certain racy vivacity. The finish, upbeat and fresh has real persistence.
Recommended drinking from: 2014 - 2018+

Château Lascombes, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux
This blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot sets the scene with a very modern feel, sweet toasted oak melding with ripe, red and black fruit. The palate, in tune with the nose is rather sensual, mocha-rich, vanilla notes adding complexity. This is a very charming translation of both vintage and appellation, rounded, generous and inviting.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2030+

Château Moulin Riche, Saint-Julien
Moulin Riche is owned and run by the Cuvelier family team, of Léoville-Poyferré, the vineyard parcels lying to the west of the commune, near Château Talbot, on its own distinct terroir. Dense, black-purple to rim, this has a wonderfully sweet nose with notes of caramel, vanilla and liqueur-soaked cherries, liberally spiced. At this early stage there is something of a disparity between the upfront, accessible engagement of the nose and a palate which really packs a punch with ebullient black fruit underpinned by rounded tannins which slightly crop the finish. Although softer than Léoville-Poyferré, it still deserves a little patience. The blend this year is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2026+

Château Le Crock, Saint-Estèphe
40% of the crop went into the Grand Vin a blend of 46% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc. This was something of a surprise on tasting. A very pretty, shimmering ruby, it immediately suggests sensitive handling. This is borne out on both the nose and palate with sweet, bright, primary red fruit, rich, dense and silk-textured - attractively-balanced and rather graceful given the commune and vintage character - well-made.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2026+

Château Gloria, Saint-Julien
From the Martin family stable, as is Saint Pierre, this estate has benefited from an injection of considerable investment and energy. This is a property which we rarely follow, more celebrated by the Corney & Barrow team for the wonderul bend in the road fronting the château, dubbed as the Gloria Parabolica. Thus it was until recent years when the wine has ceased to be a wallflower, increasingly showing personality. In 2011 this shows a blend of fresh flowers and sweet cherry liqueur on both the nose and palate, the latter being firmly structured and serious, all the while revealing good fruit density and weight - very well-balenced and rather polished.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2025+

Château Palmer, 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
This year's Palmer is a blend of 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black-purple in colour, with a dark cherry rim, a rather restrained nose gradually reveals spicy, peppery fruit and hints of mocha and toasted oak. The palate is accessible and silky very pure fruit supported by cocoa-fine, beautifully integrated tannins through to a sustained, layered finish - lovely wine.
Recommended drinking from: 2022 - 2030+

Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux
Alter Ego, in 2011, is a blend of 48% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc and a rather staggering 15% Petit Verdot. The colour is intense, a shimmering jet-shot ruby whilst the nose presents sweet fresh cherry and blueberry allied to warm fruit compote. The aromatic character of Petit Verdot really adds personality.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2028+

Château Giscours, 3ème Cru Classé Margaux
Very modern in style, Giscours is super-ripe, sweet and candied on the nose - very intense. The palate is concentrated, fruit complemented by dark chocolate and mocha notes, all supported by grippy tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2019 - 2029+

Pape-Clèment, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
Adam Brett-Smith's tasting note here starts with one word in bold "HUGE". Certainly the colour is a fathomless, opaque black-purple; thence to the nose, oaky and smokey with sweet red and black fruit compote just peering through. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot and there is good fruit concentration within the mix - dense, intense and powerful. This is indeed an enormous, muscular wine, supported by condensed, chewy tannins - needing a lot of time.
Recommended drinking from: 2022 - 2030+

Château Malescot St Exupery, Margaux
Following a huge hike in pricing for their 2009 and 2010 this ripe and succulent Margaux is released at a level we are happy to endorse .Good, intense colour, this presents a rather intriguing, sweet nose, rich in cherry fruit, complemented by toasted oak- reminiscent of warm pastries and vanilla cream.The palate is silky, ripe, rich and succulent and dense, even concentrated, in the context of the year - a very nice wine indeed - beautifully handled.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2024+

Château Potensac, Cru Bourgeois Médoc
A trusted claret that does what it should. Jet-plum, opulent and concentrated, this presents candied cherry, fresh red and black fruit and mineral notes on both the nose and palate. Richly textured, fresh acidity drives the palate forward through to a controlled finish. Structurally firm and grippy, this warrants a little patience.
Recommended drinking from: 2020 - 2030+

Château Guiraud, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
Château Guiraud is always a powerful and rich Sauternes and their 2011 is no exception. One of the most opulent we tasted, not recommended for diabetics! As is so often the case, Guiraud is darker in colour than its peers, an intense pale gold-amber. The nose reveals ripe stone fruit, spice and minerals, powerful and honeyed with just enough citrus zest, hints or orange giving a refreshing lift. This has such an opulent texture and yet there a lemon streak drives on through to a relaxed, satisfying finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Pontet-Canet, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Deeply coloured, this delivers a blend of candied and fresh fruit, mineral and earthy notes on the nose. The palate, in harmony, reveals an uncharacteristically gentle rendition of the vintage at this stage. Very measured extraction has made for a sweetly fruited, perfumed translation of the year, with good depth and an easygoing freshness and vitality/ Succulent and ripe, supported by fine, cocoa-dry tannins.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

Château Picque Caillou, Pessac-Léognan
Ch. Picque Caillou from our friend Pauline Calvet goes from strength to strength each year. The Red impressed in Bordeaux, and again from a sample we re-tasted yesterday. Very sweet , candied cherries and cassis notes pervade the nose whilst similarly heightened aromatics and a twist of almost citrus refreshment give a lift to a harmonious, accessible, straightforward, berried palate. Fine cocoa-dry tannins just restrain the fruit which is juicy and fresh throughout and add focus to a moderate, relaxed finish.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2022+

Château Picque Caillou, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan
This white is always a star and a brilliant value bottle of wine, we would love to have some on the list but it all goes on release so snap it up. White-gold, this has a lovely, zesty, lemony nose, punchy, with creamed richness, some exotic intrigue - pineapple and cream and good length on the palate, punctuated by stony minerals.
Recommended drinking from: 2014 - 2016+

Château Beychevelle, 4ème Cru Classé Saint-Julien
Ch. Beychevelle may be seen as the highest profile release of this week so far. The price is down on 2010 but not as much as hoped, the wine though is undoubtedly on the up. This year's blend is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, brought on in 50% new oak. Very dark in colour, this exudes vibrant cassis and red fruits on the nose - very pretty but at this early stage slightly at sea, lacking focus. Tasted on another occasion, there was a greater sense of direction, candied cherry allied to red berries with rather grippy tannins in support, cropping the finish - though it remains very attractively perfumed throughout.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2025+

Château Croizet Bages, 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Under the same ownership as Rauzan Gassies Ch. Croizet Bages is making the sort of progress that Gassies did 6 or 7 years ago, quality is on the up and Classical Pauillac is what you get…Enjoying an upturn in quality this property is overseen by twins, Jean-Philippe and Anne-Françoise Quié. The blend in 2011 is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Jet-crimson in colour, this reveals plump, sweet, red and black fruit on the nose, liberally spiced, with good mineral definition. The palate is rounded and supple - no hard edges but there is good concentration and an endearing fresh purity of style.
Recommended drinking from: 2017 - 2022+

Tertre Roteboeuf, Grand Cru Saint-Emilion
The wonderful wines of François Mitjavile and his son Louis are always a highlight of the En Primeur campaign. François’ refusal to “yo-yo” his prices up and down and the continued pursuit of ever better wines is admirable in the extreme. Dense ruby, this presents a sweet, refined, toffee-ed nose, rich in very pure red fruit. Flamboyant, mocha-rich, the palate is rich, stylish and upbeat with good density, medium weight and lovely balance. There's a compelling, adroit focus throughout a long, concentrated, toasted coffee-ed finish - stunning translation of the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2030+

Roc de Cambes, Côtes de Bourg
Inky jet-plum, firm in colour to rim, this presents an aromatic array of red and black fruit, spice and floral notes, toasted oak providing a vanilla-tinged backdrop. The palate is beautifully textured, silken and smooth, well-weighted with a complex blend of bright, fresh fruit complemented by rounded, ripe tannins through to a poised, elegant coffee-ed finish. Exceptional.
Recommended drinking from: 2018 - 2028+

L’Aurage, Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux
Louis Mitjavile celebrates his fifth vintage of L'Aurage with this generous translation of the vintage. Deeply coloured, it presents a wonderfully fresh combination of freshly picked, wild berries and warmed, spiced, cherry compote on both the nose and palate. Whether from Bourg, Saint Emilion or here in Castillon, there is a Mitjavile hallmark of ripeness and balance and here in 2011 an invigorating freshness which will serve to suggest a second glass. Luscious and sensual, mocha-rich and silky, this is a fine ambassador for the vintage.
Recommended drinking from: 2016 - 2026+

Mauvesin Barton, Moulis
The Barton family is synonymous with Châteaux Léoville- and Langoa-Barton, and are now in their eighth generation of ownership. Indeed, we salute them as we make our way up and down the Médoc with extraordinary regularity in every trip. Early in August 2011, the Barton-Sartorious family branched out beyond Saint Julien, acquiring the historic property Château Mauvesin in Loulis -en Médoc. There are 51 hectares in total, 42 in Moulis and 9 in Médoc planted 46% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The soils are varied, one part clay-limestone- argilo-calcaire - favoured by Merlot and Cabernet Franc and in other parcels gravel and gravelly sand. Investment in the cellar and vineyard began immediately and replanting is underway. The help of Eric Boissenot as consultant oenologist completes the armoury. This makes its debut with some style. Deeply coloured, it presents a very sweetly fruited nose, ripe, concentrated and focused. The palate is intense, with good density, rich in supple cherry fruit, fresh, straightforward and accessible - well handled. (First vintage, new to the market)
Recommended drinking from: N/A

Château Labégorce, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Margaux
A blend of 53% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon . 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, this deeply coloured Labégorce is sweet and ripe, well concentrated and underscored by clearly defined minerals and integrated tannins.
Recommended drinking from 2018 – 2028+

Château Climens, 1er Cru Classé Barsac
Sadly we did not taste Climens this year. It may seem strange therefore to offer the wine. We feel this is justified as Climens is one of the leading Sauternes, arguably with only Yquem “above” it. The ageing ability and track record of the estate would only suggest that the 2011 should make its way into every Sauternes lover’s cellar. A reduction in price from last year for a finer (Sauternes) vintage does nothing but reinforce this belief.
NOT TASTED

Château Bernadotte, Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc
The blend in this deeply coloured, generous rendition of the vintage is 52% cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Sweet, candied fruit, rich and focussed dominate the nose and palate, creamy and rounded. 33% new oak adds texture and a delicate, complementary toasted character. This is a really sensitively handled version of the vintage and a very good Bernadotte.
Recommended drinking from 2016- 2025+

Château Coutet, 2ème Cru Classé Sauternes
75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon and 2% Muscadelle, this is so rich and evocative, orchard fruit and cream to the fore, yet there is an interesting savoury note in the background and a refreshing citrus seam - a flash of orange. The palate echoes the aromatic intrigue of the nose, set within a lithe, elegant structure - very accessible and straightforward at this stage, warranting patience.
Recommended drinking from 2019- 2029+

Château Sigalas Rabaud, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
Yellow-gold in colour, this presents creamy, stone fruit, apricot and peach, amiable, fresh and spiced. The palate is layered, poised, singularly aromatic, rich and honeyed yet with significant citrus focus - super-elegant, harmonious finish.
Recommended drinking from 2019- 2030+

Château Poujeaux, Cru Bourgeois Moulis-en-Médoc
One of the most consistent performers of the Medoc, Poujeaux was one of the the stand out wines at the UGC Medoc /Haut-Médoc tasting. Buy with confidence. Intense jet-plum in colour, richly textured and clinging to the glass, this offers an enticing blend of dark chocolate, generous fruit and spice, complemented by more ethereal perfumed intrigue - violet and rose potpourri. The palate, similarly aromatic and fresh presents a confident well-handled translation of the vintage through to a long, mocha-rich, floral finish.
Recommended drinking from 2018 - 2028+

Château Rayne Vigneau,1er Cru Classé Sauternes
This historic property has the potential to produce first rate Sauternes and in 2011 we believe it has. Though it does not quite hit the heights of its immediate neighbour, Château d'Yquem, the 2011 is a very fine effort and comes highly recommended by us. Pretty, lustrous pale gold, this is a blend of 90% Semillon, 10% Sauvignon and will be brought on in 40% new barrels for 18 months. The nose is striking, a refined though powerful blend of orchard fruit, cream, lychee and honeyed notes. Silky-rich on the palate, the texture is supple, with more stone fruit elements and a very attractive citrus focus throughout a protracted, elegant finish - well-handled.
Recommended drinking from 2018 – 2030+

Château Doisy-Daëne, 2ème Cru Classé Barsac
A rich nose, showing botrytis characteristics of marmalade, honey, butterscotch and candied peel. Full bodied and sweet, the wine retains freshness on the mid-palate with zesty flavours of grapefruit and more tropical pineapple fruit. A concentrated and complex wine with spicy notes on the finish.
Recommended drinking from 2018 - 2035

Château Ormes de Pez, Cru Bourgeois Saint-Estèphe
A good, intense colour, firm to rim, this reveals a rather seductive, sweetly fruited nose, concentrated blueberry and blackberry, laced with pepper. The palate is seductive and almost toffeed, toasted oak providing a flattering style, all supported by by fine tannins. Time will add more flesh in the mid-palate but, even at this early stage, this shows attractive balance though little assertive Saint Estèphe character.
Recommended drinking from 2018 – 2032+

Château Chasse-Spleen, Cru Bourgeois Moulis-en-Médoc
Very pure, direct and lively; it translates the vintage well. The nose is inviting and displays sweet red cherry fruit of excellent purity. The palate, which displays the same ripe red fruits, is driven with freshness and kept in tack with fine tannins. Well-made and honest.
Recommended drinking from 2016 – 2022+

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
One of the richest and most plump Sauternes of the vintage. There is a wonderful roundness to the palate with oodles of candid citrus fruit, lush marmalade and honey. The high acidity, a hallmark of the vintage, gives the wine focus and lift and points to a 20+ year life. If you like your Sauternes rich and powerful then this is a must for the cellar.
Recommended drinking from 2018 – 2030+

Château Doisy-Védrines, 2ème Cru Classé Barsac
This is the largest of the three Doisy estates, owned by the Casteja family since 1946. This is something of a perennial Corney & Barrow favourite, not least because it offers exceptional value. Glittering gold, richly textured, this really clings to the glass. The nose provides really pure, poised fruit, quince peach, all honeyed and lightly spiced. Luscious and creamy on the palate, there is nonetheless a pretty acidity and an attractive twist of citrus zest to complement the exotic opulence.
Recommended drinking from 2020 - 2040+

Château Suduiraut, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes
A blend of 93% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon, this presents a sweet, biscuity nose, a leesy opulence complemented by citrus notes. The palate introduces honeyed and floral elements, acacia allied to peaches and cream. Delicate spice prevails throughout and a haunting minerality adds focus. Complex, clean, fresh and elegant - lovely wine.
Recommended drinking from 2020-2040+

Château Capbern-Gasqueton, Cru Bourgeois Saint-Estèphe
From the Calon Ségur stable these are two cracking “drinkers” wines. Marquis de Calon is the second wine of Calon Ségur and this is the first time it has been offered as an En Primeur. Capbern Gasqueton has been “on fire” of late and represents stunning value drinking. Both strongly recommended. 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, this is a beautiful colour, an intense limpid ruby. The nose is equally charming, mouth-watering cassis and red fruit to the fore, somewhat reminiscent of summer pudding. The palate is straightforward and very appealing, no hard edges and rather pretty, tannins well-integrated and fine. A long, supple finish adds to the over all appeal - a translation of the vintage which has been really well-handled and seeks to please.
Recommended drinking from 2015–2023+

Marquis de Calon, Saint-Estèphe
The second wine of Calon-Ségur, not seen before at this en primeurstage stands out due to a dominant proportion - 80% - of Merlot in the blend, the remainder 20% being Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot's fate varied greatly within the Médoc but here hydric stress was avoided, despite the drought, due to the heavy clay soils at Calon. Marquis de Calon constitutes 30% of production in 2011. Limpid ruby-crimson in colour, this delivers good concentration of aromatic, sweet cherries, blueberries and plums on the nose. The palate, similarly, reveals fresh, dark fruit, complemented by dark chocolate and graphitic mineral notes. Counter-intuitively, this Merlot rich blend is much more strident than the Grand Vin - more obviously Saint Estèphe in style and a welcome newcomer.
Recommended drinking from 2017–2025+

Château Cos d’Estournel, 2ème Cru Classé Saint-Estèphe
An admirable reduction in price of 45% compared to the 2010, for one of the stars of St.Estèphe. Here at Cos d'Estournel, 30% of the crop made it into the Grand Vin, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Opaque jet-purple, firm to rim, this initially presented a brick wall on the nose - totally inpenetrable though there is a palpable sense of latent power and concentration. Slowly, steadily, aromatics emerge from the glass, a range of fruit spanning dark spiced fruitcake through to summer pudding berries, cedar and ristretto coffee. The palate is earthy and brooding, supported by cocoa-dry tannins.
Recommended drinking from 2022 - 2035+

Château Gazin, Pomerol
One of the mosty loyally followed of all the Pomerol estates and with very good reason, a stunning site. This really impressed the team this year. It is also well worth keeping an eye out for the second wine – L’Hospitalet de Gazin – that we will offer later with the Moueix wines. Gazin in 2011 is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deepest plum-ruby in colour, this is richly textured, clinging to the glass. The nose presents profound, sweet dark fruit, concentrated yet fresh and enticingly aromatic, within a toasted backdrop. The palate is very expressive, similarly perfumed, dense black fruit complemented by mocha cream. The tannic structure, though dense and powerful, is ripe and well-integrated, guiding a poised, layered finish.
Recommended drinking from 2016–2025+

Château de Sales, Pomerol
An intense, firm, confident colour provides the advance party for de Sales 2011. The nose then reveals a relatively characteristic clay backdrop, a good savoury foil to red and black fruit charm. The palate is similarly aromatic, rather endearing and silky, sweet blueberry and candied cherry most marked with more earthy notes and dark chocolate dominating a protracted finish.
Recommended drinking from 2015–2022+

Château Angludet, Margaux
First off the mark! With a pure ripe sweet fruit, good length and fine tannin structure, this will provide enormous pleasure with some short to medium term cellaring. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and a rather high 10% Petit Verdot made the final blend at Angludet. Deeply coloured and inviting, a nose rich in berried fruit, perfumed with violet and rose, this has immediate appeal. The palate, similarly effusive, combines good fruit concentration with innate freshness and vitality through to a peppery, spiced finish.
Recommended drinking from 2016–2026+