“Quite dense and spicy without being that sweet. Lots of density and extremely difficult to spit! Long and creditable. Good tanginess too. You could drink this already but that would probably be foolish. Lots of grip.
Drink 2020-2045”

“The La Tour Blanche 2001 has long been the "insiders' Sauternes" for the vintage. Leave the Yquem '01 for the millionaires: load up on one of the finest recent vintages from the estate. It has a potent honeyed, frangipane and white flower-scented bouquet with subtle nougat scents in the background lending it an exotic edge. The palate is extremely well balanced with fine acidity effortlessly slicing a swathe through that unctuous, honeyed fruit. There are also understated marmalade notes with a suggestion of crème brûlée furnishing the weighty finish that goes on and on. Just don't tell anyone how good this La Tour Blanche is...promise? Drink 2014-2040”

“One of the highest points of this vertical tasting, the 2010 Suduiraut reveals a dense, powerful bouquet of ripe apricots, exotic fruit, mango, pineapple, saffron and spices. More solar than the 2009 and with a full-bodied structure, it’s rich and concentrated, layered and seamless with a fleshy core of fruit and stunning controlled power, finishing long and mineral with bright acids. This stunning blend of 90% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested between September 22 and November 9 in five tries, was matured for 20 months in oak barrels (50% new, 50% one year) and contains 145 grams per liter of residual sugar.”

“The 2023 Suduiraut is a model of modern Sauternes. Orange peel, burnt sugar, crème-brûlée, tangerine peel, and wild flowers inform a Sauternes of total finesse and silkiness. Yields were a measly 12 hectoliters per hectare. The 150 grams of residual sugar are not especially evident. Everything about the 2023 is perfectly judged. It can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring or cellared for decades. The 2023 is a timeless wine that is among the most notable successes of the year.”

“In 2021 they didn’t make an Octagon, as it was needed for the estate. Concentration and intensity here with lovely weight to the powerful pear, citrus and peach fruit. There’s a fine spicy element and a brilliant acid line with real intensity and power. Such depth and purity: this is really fine with some crystalline acidity on the finish.”

“The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has a well-defined bouquet of white peach, apricot and light candle wax aromas and nicely integrated oak. The well-balanced palate leads with quince and orange peel on the entry, revealing a pleasant bitter undertow and fanning out with confidence toward the saline finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. ”

“Cask sample. Tantalising aroma – so young but you can sense the potential. Deep, pure citrus, barely inflected by the creamy oak but given breadth and texture by it. Deep with richness that borders on just-ripe pear even though the lemon purity drives to the finish. It may well age longer but these days I am more cautious with white burgundy. (JH)”

“Aromas of lime zest, freshly baked bread, pear, white flowers and wet stones preface the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Domaine des Héritiers Jadot), a full-bodied, ample and satiny wine that's chalky and structured, with notable concentration, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. It's a very strong performance that transcends any of the vintage's limitations.”

“Bright light yellow. Subtle scents of pineapple, peach and crushed stone. Very ripe, even a bit exotic, conveying a slightly aggressive quality and some warmth to its pineapple and lichee flavors. Broad and lively but doesn't have quite the definition or thrust of the Genevrières--or the balance. Incidentally, as of 2016 this will be an estate bottling as Jadot bought the vineyard; previously they worked with purchased juice.”

“Bright yellow. Pure but reticent aromas of white peach and minerals come across as a bit riper than the Blagny. A step up in texture too, but still quite dry and salty, showing very good lemony cut and a tactile, salty aftertaste. Barnier blocked 80% of the malolactic fermentation here, noting that these vines often ripen quickly and can produce fatter wines than he likes. This rather austere Meursault displays a tactile, salty aftertaste with a faint stony edge. I'd give it at least two or three years of cellaring before pulling the cork.”

“Bigger and richer than the '01, the sensational 2000 Ermitage le Meal Blanc knocks it out of the park with its buttered peach, wood smoke, orange liqueur, honey and hazelnut-driven bouquet. A wine that should make any Hermitage Blanc lover's knees weak, this full-bodied, voluptuous and concentrated effort has fabulous purity and a blockbuster finish. Totally hedonistic, it still has another 2-3 decades of longevity.”

“Notes of orange oil, fresh pastry, pear and warm bread preface the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot (Domaine Louis Jadot), a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping wine that's lively and charming, with a generous core of fruit girdled by lively acids.”

“Pale, bright yellow. Lemon and a whiff of apple on the nose. Then concentrated and densely packed, with harmonious acidity contributing to the impression of inner-mouth floral perfume. Finishes juicy and long, with a firm edge that will require five years of cellaring. This displays the power and thrust of the vintage.”

“Noticeably yellower, though there is considerable elegance in the vineyard. There is a gorgeous sensuality to this, a cashmere texture and several waves of flavour, and a lovely persistent finish with just a faint acidity. Tasted: November 2021”

“Fine mid yellow. The bouquet is beguiling, an attractive but not exaggerated ripeness, the steely backbone one hopes for well covered in fruit, and a fine long finish. Excellent aftertaste. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: October 2023.”

“The 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves Le Clos Blanc (Domaine Gagey) is performing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, hazelnuts, clear honey, buttered toast and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's gourmand but precise, with bright acids and a long, saline finish.”

“The 2015 Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes has a satisfying density and cohesion on the nose, a mixture of red and black fruit with just a slight reductive tinniness that will go before bottling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This Bressandes has plenty of rondeur, a fine line of acidity with a slightly broody finish that should open up (eventually). This is a very capable Bressandes.”

“The 2023 Savigny-lès-Beaune Clos des Guettes Blanc 1er Cru has a flattering bouquet of beeswax-tinged mandarin and nectarine scents—no holding back here. The palate is well balanced and has good extract, with a pleasing waxy texture and just the right amount of acidity toward the finish. This might actually surpass the 2022.”

“The 2019 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru has a fresh, well-defined bouquet, the citrus fruit, Granny Smith apples and light limestone aromas unfolding in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a waxy-textured, quite deep opening. Flecked with white chocolate and apricot and a little peachy toward the finish, but there is always fine tension here thanks to Blagny’s cooler microclimate. Very fine. ”

“The 2020 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes (Domaine Louis Jadot) exhibits aromas of popcorn, green apple, pear and orange oil. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's a rich, open-knit rendition of this site, derived from the holdings of the erstwhile Domaine Prieur-Brunet.”

“Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru les Folatières from Louis Jadot has a vibrant and energetic bouquet with just a touch of reduction, though it blows off to reveal a compelling bouquet with lovely mineral, granitic scents. The palate is crisp and fresh, well balanced with impressive power and intensity without compromising the tension and race. There is clearly fine length here. This is a Puligny-Montrachet with grand ambition. Yes, it's still a little oaky and more modern in style, but I have faith.”

“Cask sample. Rather sumptuous nose. Then bone dry, even almost drying, on the palate. A cool customer! Should develop well though it has only just enough fruit in the middle.”

“Deeper straw colour than the Aÿ version. Richer, broader on the nose and palate with the Champagne origin a bit more obvious. This would be a very cunning wine to serve blind! Spreads across the palate with some perceptible lemon fruit and real depth of flavour. It's still overpriced, like the Aÿ one, but it's actually quite satisfying. And we will almost certainly be seeing more and more of these still wines from Champagne. So this may well be a canny move on the part of the dynamic Piper-Heidsieck.”

“The 2022 Les Romains is a focused Sancerre with ripe flesh on the core and mid-palate. Its straight, firm corridor of structure is oh-so flint on the finish, providing grip and power. ”

“Cuddling skinny people is no fun at all. I wouldn't want to hug me - there's nothing to get hold of, but the 2021 Chardonnay Keltern has curves in all the right places and plenty of substance to hold on to in its middle. Sumptuous is probably a good word to describe the ripe and creamy, full body but don't get the impression this is a soft pudding of a wine. Its rich power is held like a vise, keeping its shape and allowing for a firm, almost relentless finish. In the elite of New Zealand Chardonnays, the 2021 proves it rightly deserves its place.”

“The 2023 Chardonnay Fósil is a statement of intent—a vineyard planted in San Pablo with the aim of producing great wine. Ever since its first release, the 2016 vintage, Fósil has quickly established itself as a high-altitude white with a refreshing, non-ripe profile. Even in a warm vintage like 2023, the Chardonnay Fósil offers herbal and reductive notes, with hints of huacatay (a native Andean herb) alongside lime and lemon, all set against a soft backdrop of linden blossom. Lean and vibrant, the palate is pure and chalky in texture, flowing with a light, compact feel. The 2023 vintage solidifies its terroir-driven character.”

“The 2017 Ao Yun is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 4% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot (this latter used for the first time in Ao Yun). Although a relatively cool and wet growing season, the 2017 vintage benefited from a warm August with less cloud cover, and around 60% of the crop from 314 blocks of 28 hectares worked by 120 families from 4 different villages was deemed of Ao Yun quality. The precision of the viticulture is certainly paying dividends, providing winemaker Maxence Dulou with increasingly healthy, high-quality fruit. The 2017 Ao Yun has a very deep ruby appearance. It is extremely young on the nose and palate, with dark brooding cassis, black cherry and black plum fruit that is both perfumed and gently herbaceous (hints of green bell pepper and blackcurrant leaf). There is marked new oak (clove, toast, smoke) that marries impressively with the ripe core of fruit. On the palate, the wine has robust but refined, coating tannins, well-integrated high alcohol, some lifting acidity and a tremendous core of ripe, powerful fruit that harmonizes well with the savory new oak. This is undeniably long and polished and has that Ao Yun "puissance" that characterizes all vintages to date. 2017 shares with 2015 an impressive integration of ripe Cabernet-dominated fruit with robust structure, but the use of Syrah, Petit Verdot and Merlot has given a greater fruitiness and touch of spice to the 2017. This is certainly a vintage that is very young at present and will easily age for 15 years or more. Best approached from 2021 at the earliest. 2021 - 2032”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the 2016 Numanthia, which is balanced and serious, with integrated oak and a soft palate with round tannins. It feels like a big improvement over the 2014 I tasted last time. 2016 was a rainy and cooler year with a later harvest when the old-vine Tempranillo was picked on September 25th and October 10th. It fermented with selected yeasts and matured in 225- and 600-liter French oak barrels, 60% of them new, for 18 months. 80,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2018.”

“The 2019 Coteaux Champenois La Côte aux Enfants is fabulous. Rich, ample and seductive, the 2019 is captivating right out of the gate. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, spice, pomegranate and spice infuse the palate with tremendous depth. The 2019 exudes textural richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. Silky, polished contours wrap it all together in style. Since 2015, this cuvée has had some stem inclusion – 33% in 2019.”

“(14.2% alcohol: made from vines in both Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo): Bright ruby-red. Pungent aromas of cassis, blackberry, herbs and grapefruit are pure and unadorned. Juicy and stylish in a European style, conveying an impression of delicacy and terrific penetration. This is sweeter and suppler than the 2015 Nicasia Vineyard Malbec but I'm not sure that it's deeper. Finishes with a powerful spine, strong supporting acidity and terrific length.”

“Sexy scents of red and black fruits, coffee and herbs. Dense, juicy and fine-grained, conveying terrific energy to its flavors of currant, chocolate and mocha. This is less thick than some of the new Malbec releases from Catena but it's still a bit youthfully imploded and in need of more time in bottle. But it has the dusty tannins and fresh supporting acidity to reward aging. In the early going, its penetrating character reminds me a bit of Cabernet. (60% from Nicasia Vineyard in Paraje Altamira and 40% from Angelica Vineyard in Lunlunta; Vigil describes this wine as "an old-vine blend--a mix of new and old _terroirs")”

“The 2019 Batailley has a well-defined bouquet with tobacco and light cedar scents, blackberry and briary developing more intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite elegant and refined, not the most intense Pauillac but beautifully proportioned with a sleek and quite persistent finish. Lovely. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2025-2050.”

“The 2022 Batailley was picked from 8 to 27 September (at the same time as Lynch-Moussas) and is raised in 55% new oak. It comes with a newly-designed label. It has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry and cassis, violet and tobacco. The palate is clean and precise on the entry. With lovely focus and detail, this is a sophisticated Batailley with a surfeit of mineralité and excellent clarity and typicity on the finish. Unequivocally, one of the finest iterations of Batailley that the Castèja family has overseen. This Batailley is like driving a classic old car, and I mean that in the best possible sense. Drink 2032-2060.”

“The 2015 Canon was a benchmark wine that seemed to revitalize this historic estate. I was crossing my fingers that it would not disappoint in bottle and I am glad to say that it delivers the goods. It has a very intense bouquet (just as it showed out of barrel) with laser-like precision offering wild strawberry, raspberry preserve, wet limestone and hints of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, clean and fresh with pure black and red fruit whose every atom appears infused with minerals. The mouth is tingling long after the wine has exited and your brain is thinking...when is the next sip coming? It is frankly heads and shoulders above almost every Saint Émilion this vintage, to reaffirm, a benchmark for this historic estate that will give pleasure to many over the coming years. Astonishing. Anticipated maturity: 2021 - 2050.”

“The 2018 Canon is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Maybe more so. Vertical and explosive in the glass, Canon sizzles with tension and vibrancy. Readers will find a majestic, soaring Grand Cru Classé that captures all the magic of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau. Canon exudes mind-blowing precision and deliciousness. It is another magnificent effort from Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and his team. 2028 - 2068.”

“The brilliant 2020 Canon looks set to surpass both the 2019 and 2016 as this estate's finest wine since the post-war period, though like many of the best 2020s, it will require more patience than its 2019 counterpart. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with notions of exotic spices and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with vibrant acids and beautifully polished, chalky tannins. Pure and precise, it concludes with a long, mouthwatering finish. This beautifully constructed wine communicates the essence of this superb limestone terroir, and it will be worth a special effort to track down and cellar. Drink 2030 - 2065.”

“Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. Give it another 4-5 years in bottle and this will be stunning! 2024 - 2060.”

“The 2018 Cos d’Estournel showed a lot of promise when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle and given a 2–3-hour decant, it has a gorgeous and disarmingly pure bouquet, slightly high-toned with iodine scents infusing the lush blackberry and boysenberry scents. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, delivering silky-smooth tannins, perfect acidity and a sense of harmony than is very persuasive. I cannot recall a Cos d’Estournel in recent years with such fine tannins. It gently fans out toward the finish while retaining superb precision, completing what is a beautifully crafted Cos d’Estournel with a long future ahead. 2025 - 2060”

“Tank sample. Dark crimson. Much more appetising than the Clos de Rochegrès. Great freshness and energy on the end. But still lots of chew – and personality.”

“Tank sample. Bright crimson (darker than most of the red burgundies) with masses of obvious tannin. Slightly dry end. Very youthful. Some sweetness.”

“The 2020 Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Rochegrès unwinds in the glass with scents of cherries, cassis, dark berries, sweet soil tones and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's bright and seamless, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a saline finish. It's less ethereal than the 2019 without being as muscular as the 2018, striking a nice balance.”

“The 2023 Ducru-Beaucaillou, matured in 100% new oak for a planned 18 months, has a less forceful bouquet than the 2022 last year and, consequently, shows more refinement and poise. The scents don't come barging out of the blocks, but they creep up on you. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry. Showing moderate depth, it’s quite linear in style and grippy. A faint touch of bell pepper emerges on the classically styled finish that reminds me of some of the old vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou. This is the strictest vintage I have encountered in some time.”

“A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, the 2019 Haut-Batailley is deep garnet-purple in color. It tumbles out with expressive notes of black cherry preserves, stewed black plums, and creme de cassis, leading to hints of graphite, chargrill, and tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with muscular black fruit and earthy layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with fantastic length.”

“I expected the 2000 Lafite Rothschild to be much too young, but I was blown away by how it performed at this meal. A classic Lafite with notes of lead pencil shavings and black currants as well as a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, it possessed striking intensity as well as aromatics. The wine seemed more evolved than I remember, but it is still an adolescent in terms of maturity. This beautiful, rich, full offering is a stunning achievement.”

“A hot, dry August produced very concentrated grapes in 1996. However, it turned a bit rainy in mid-September through early October, making the vintage less consistent on the Right Bank and in Graves. But as the weather turned glorious from early October on, it was an amazing year for later-harvested Cabernet in the Médoc. There was new ownership at Latour by this time, and a new vat room was completed just prior to the harvest this year. The 1996 Latour is medium to deep garnet in color with a profound earthy, meaty, gamey nose with hints of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with muscular fruit, with a firm, ripe, grainy backbone and epically long finish. Showing much more youthfully than the 2000 tasted on the same day and still possessing bags of youthful fruit in the mid-palate, this beauty is going to go on and on!”

“Expectations are high when you open a top flight estate in one of Bordeaux’s most revered vintages, and the 2005 Latour, while still being stubborn, is poised to deliver the goods. So many layers to get through, and it moves in distinct stages, from sweet-salty dark chocolate and soy sauce through to earthy cassis and blackberries, finishing up with a delicate burst of rosebuds and violet flowers, and a saline, slate and mint kick on the finish. The flavours remain hidden at first and need coaxing - there is definitely no rush to open, and it may still be going through something of a dumb phase, but I have been lucky enough to taste this wine a few times this year, and this week’s example was one of the best, really beginning to grow into its potential, and showing plenty of old school Latour power. There are fireworks but you have to wait for them, and ideally I would still give it another few years. 100% new oak. This wine has been released En Primeur, then again in March 2017, and this is the third and final release. Harvest between September 26 and October 6. Decanted three hours before tasting, and it needs another few hours to fully open.”

“The 2010 Latour can be summed up in two words "the King." It convincingly asserts its superiority over other 2010s, including First Growths, in terms of its aromatic complexity, precision, balance, intensity, complexity and persistence. Simply a faultless Latour that ranks among its greatest achievements. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.”

“The 2016 Latour showed in stunning fashion out of barrel. Bottled in July 2018, it has retained a very deep, almost opaque color. The utterly beguiling bouquet features blackberry, graphite, crushed rose petals and a touch of licorice, though this ebbs with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with such fine tannins that the power and backbone of this Latour are barely registered by the senses. There is bewitching symmetry here, and incredible length, plus a persistency on the finish that is enthralling. Is it a perfect Latour like the best bottles of the 1928, 1961, 1982, 2000 and 2010? I think it might be. The 13.5% alcohol is a whole percentage point less than the 2010, making it more approachable. Drink 2023-2060

”

“The 2017 Latour, which was bottled mid-June and mid-July, has a tightly wound bouquet with black fruit, pencil lead and a strong marine influence. This is utterly compelling. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, what you may call an "athletic" Latour. There is no "fat" hear, just pure black mineral-infused fruit with quintessential Pauillac notes of graphite and a touch of cedar on the persistent finish. Superb. Drink 2024-2060.”

“The 2019 Latour is a profound wine in the making, and it will surely emerge as one of the most long-lived wines of the vintage, as well as one of the greatest. Unwinding in the glass with scents of rich cassis fruit, English walnuts, cigar wrapper, black truffle, loamy soil and violets, it’s full-bodied, layered and muscular, with huge depth at the core, ripe tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, seemingly interminable finish. Checking in at 14.1% alcohol, this prodigious Latour will require two decades to hit its stride, but it will be more than worth the wait. 2036 - 2070”

“Slightly higher in Cabernet Franc than usual, the 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion opens with a nuanced bouquet of cassis, cassis leaf, licorice, dark berries, wisteria and blueberry. Medium- to full-bodied, fleshy yet strikingly linear, it’s defined by a tensile structure and a crystalline precision that gives the wine remarkable clarity. The tannins are exquisitely refined—silky yet laser-focused—imparting a sense of purity and balanced. Despite 90% new oak, the élevage is seamlessly absorbed, shaping the wine’s structure without encroaching on its intrinsic balance and precision. Kudos! Drink 2026-2056.”

“Dark rich ruby, smoked campfire and grilled cedar aromatics, a brilliant Pauillac that is still full of tannic archicture and frame. I had this out of half bottle last year and it was tasting more approachable than this, no doubt because the bottle size helped things to evolve. One of the few where I would suggest not drinking this yet, even the fruit feels muscular right now, and it needs another few years to translate this hidden power into the seductive, rip-roaring wine that is so clearly in there. 80% new oak, Daniel LLose winemaker. This was the last year that Jean-Michel Cazes was in charge before handing over to his son Jean-Charles.”

“Deep, brooding damson in colour, a waft of crushed mint and pencil lead from the first moment, combined with liqourice, smoked earth, turmeric, cloves, orange peel and cassis fruit. This is an excellent wine that is subdued rather than generous but is built to last. 70% new oak.”

“Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Lynch-Bages was aged in 75% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with a magnificently expressive nose of blueberry compote, black cherry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, licorice, tar and violets with a waft of hoisin. The medium to full-bodied palate is just as impactful as the nose, coating the mouth with juicy black berry and spicy layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a refreshing earthiness coming through at the end. Drink 2026-2055.”

“The 2022 Lynch-Bages is one of the most muscular, chunky wines of the vintage in the Médoc, offering up aromas of dark berries, cherry preserve, pencil shavings and creamy new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and extracted palate that's dense and blocky. While Lynch-Bages always seems to come together with time, the 2022 is certainly going to require some patience.”

“The first-growth 2005 Château Margaux (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), a lavish fragrance of blackcurrants, velvety new saddle leather, spring flowers and spice soars from the glass. The wood is already totally concealed beneath the cascade of fruit in this medium to full-bodied, pure and majestic wine. This concentrated, dense, but nevertheless strikingly elegant, multi-layered wine has a finish of 45+ seconds. It builds incrementally to a crescendo and finale. This is a stunner that can be approached already, but promises to be better in another 5-10 years and last at least 25 or more years. Drink 2020-2050.”

“The 2019 Meyney has a divine bouquet, so pure and winsome with floral red berry scents, beautifully integrated new oak and superb precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy to the point where you can almost overlook the backbone of this Saint-Estèphe. It could have been blowsy, yet it retains superb balance and feels luxuriant and long on the finish. This is a stellar showing easily eclipsing its performances either in barrel or just after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. ”

“Just as it was from barrel, the 2023 Montrose is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with a brooding bouquet of cassis, violets and burning embers, it's full-bodied, with prodigious mid-palate density and dimension, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by abundant but ultra-refined tannins and lively acids. Broad, penetrating and persistent, it's a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This is a very serious wine, carrying plenty of structure; but while it will certainly require some patience, today's more precise extraction and élevage choices mean that it will not mandate the 20-30 years of deferred gratification that were once the norm at this address, even if I'm convinced the 2023 will be just as long-lived as the classics of the past. Drink 2033-2063”

“Iris and violet aromatics swirl out of the glass. In the mouth, things are velvet in texture and packed with concentrated cassis puree and blackberry fruit, gentle spice, soft charcoal and sappy tannins, with the whole thing just slowly slowly expanding and building through the palate, tightening its grip as it reaches the close of play. The Palmer signature of energy and precision is here in spades, and altogether the wine is both measured and elegant, with textbook floral Margaux character, while being extremely juicy, creamy and enjoyable, with a mouthwatering salinity on the finish - up there with the very best vintages of this estate. Low SO2, as has been the case for a few years now in line with biodynamic principles. Back to normal yield this year of (a very welcome I would imagine) 45hl/h. Harvest September 19 to October 19. 60% new oak, likely to be in barrels for the first year then large sized oak casks for the second year. 55% of overall production in the 1st wine.”