Wine Spectator: Lilac and violet aromas quickly give way to dark toasted spice and black tea notes, followed by remarkably creamy-textured cassis and plum compote flavors, all offset beautifu...

Wine Enthusiast: For anybody looking for classic Bordeaux, this is the bottle to seek. "Classic" here means a wine with a tannic structure that also relies on a black currant flavor, with acid...

Wine Spectator: This red offers a grippy, charcoal-laced feel, cloaked by very fleshy plum, currant and blackberry confiture flavors. The long, tarry spine drives the finish, with extra bay l...

Wine Spectator: Very polished and stylish, with a velvety feel to the layers of crushed plum, currant and blackberry, while bittersweet cocoa and black licorice glide in on the gorgeous, blac...

Wine Spectator: Tightly wound, with a good chalky vibrancy and taut red currant, damson plum and bitter cherry notes that show ample length. Tasted non-blind.-J.M.

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: The wine boasts the smoothness, velvet, depth and density of the 1995 vintage. The Vieux Château Certan has all the qualities required for laying down and magnificent agein...

Wine Spectator: This is all silk and velvet, with gorgeous mouthfeel as the wine sails along, with cassis, cherry eau de vie and freshly sliced plum flavors, with a deeply ingrained iron note...

Wine Spectator: Really big and rich, with lots of raw date, glazed pear, creamed peach and fig aromas and flavors. Very lush and long, but also clean and round despite its heft. -J.M.

Wine Spectator: This is loaded, with layers of gorgeous plum sauce, linzer torte and blackberry fruit melding beautifully with charcoal, spice and anise. The long, dark finish has some power ...

Wine Enthusiast: Dark and structured, this is a firm wine. It has a smoky wood character, powerful tannins over intensely ripe fruit. Acidity and sweetness balance to give a dense wine, powere...

Wine Spectator: Beautiful tobacco, berry, cedar and plum aromas in this one. Full-bodied, yet very fine and reserved, with silky tannins and a medium finish. I still prefer the 1998, but this...

Wine Spectator: Wonderfully complex on the nose, with licorice, spice, berry and tobacco character. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a delicious finish...

Wine Spectator: This is dense and muscular, but balanced, with the flesh to offset the sinew, as pure mulled black currant, melted fig and crushed plum fruit is caressed by substantial but fi...

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...

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: A subtle, elegant, understated style, very Bordeaux-like in its range of flavors, with rich currant, anise and a hot brick wall of earthiness. The tannins are still big and ch...

About this Wine: "This fine, top drawer, Rothschild owned estate has produced a blockbuster '89 with an intensly perfumed nose, luxuriously rich palate and the ability to age for decades. A wi...

About this Wine: "Monbousquet is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and the wine is...

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...