Wine Spectator: A big, broad-shouldered style, with lots of bittersweet cocoa and coffee up front, followed by thick-textured blackberry and black currant fruit. Shows a bit more brute force ...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright, dark red. Knockout nose combines redcurrant, blackberry, spices, flowers, tobacco and sexy sweet oak tones; complex and aristocratic. Then sweet, suave and seamless, w...

Wine Spectator: Firm and intense, with gripping tannins wrapped around dark berry, black licorice, graphite, cedar and tar. Slow to unfold but does so impressively, gaining strength, depth an...

Wine Spectator: Black licorice and blackberry aromas, with hints of mineral, lead to a full-bodied palate. Very chewy, with loads of tannins, yet this follows through with beautifully ripe fr...

About this Wine: Made mostly from Merlot, this elegant wine displaying silky tannins has grown into a grand cru in its own right.

About this Wine: " Lynch-Bages made primarily from Cabernet-Sauvignon, is famous for its fine bouquet and rich tannin, which becomes soft and delicious with age. Lynch-Bages is powerful with a...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A sleeper of the vintage, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Branon displays chocolatey, earthy undertones intermixed with black currants and Asian plum sauce. Medium to full-b...

Wine Spectator: Nothing is reined in here, with lots of roasted apple wood and mesquite aromas that lead to dark, plush blackberry and plum paste notes. Rich and broad, but well-detailed, thi...

Wine Spectator: Dark in color, with an impressive nose of licorice, toasty oak, chocolate and blackberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very pretty and structu...

Wine Enthusiast: Packed with dense tannins and firm fruit, this is a big, powerful wine. It is initially austere, but with time it becomes more rounded, with layers of wood tannins and rich fr...

Wine Spectator: This has solid range, with blueberry, loganberry and bergamot notes mixed together and framed by anise-infused toast. There's solid flesh through the finish, with lingering pu...

Wine Spectator: A very ripe, fleshy, gutsy style, with mouthfilling tar, espresso, braised fig and dark plum notes still waiting to meld fully. The broad, muscular finish has a nice briary ed...

Wine Spectator: Flirting with perfection, as the fruit is absolutely gorgeous, seemingly flawless, with its tremendous silky texture, layers of currant, black licorice, blackberry and wild be...

Wine Spectator: There's a streak of minerality and a lacy texture to this floral Champagne, with finely tuned acidity to focus the candied lemon zest, poached pear, nutmeg and ginger hints. A...

Wine Spectator: Complex aromas of crushed berries, cedar, mahogany and sweet tobacco follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a long finish. There's also lots of coffee. Balanc...

Wine Spectator: Supple, ripe and generous with its blueberry, plum and mocha flavors, riding easily over finely wrought tannins and extending into the long, expressive finish. Rich, complex a...

About this Wine: " Lynch-Bages made primarily from Cabernet-Sauvignon, is famous for its fine bouquet and rich tannin, which becomes soft and delicious with age. Lynch-Bages is powerful with a...

Wine Spectator: Really ripe and fleshy, offering delicious glazed peach, apricot and honey notes, with lots of orange blossom and fig and a very rich finish. Starting to take shape now too. I...

Wine Spectator: This has density, structure and drive, offering seriously dark baker's chocolate, plum, currant and fig flavors all wound up tightly by singed cedar, tar and dark tapenade not...

Wine Spectator: Offers pure, driven plum, cassis and black cherry notes inlaid with graphite and roasted wood spice. Dense without being overextracted. Very sleek. Rock-solid.-J.M.