Here is 2008 with a velvety texture yet the underlying bright acidity comes through at the same time. Medium to full body, firm and chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Very pretty and energetic. Just opening now.

Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2008 Trotanoy has an attractive bouquet with engaging clarity and purity: raspberry preserve, wild strawberry, a trace of something almost medicinal...

There is a lightening in the color, giving a slight bricking effect. The wine is as concentrated as it is tannic. This is still youthful, fresh and holding on to most of what it has to offer. There is definite power here...

This stood out immediately among the five first growth wines for its floral hit right off the first nose. The epitome of elegance, as I found at the 10-year point, but it is now also starting to deepen and layer, with...

Graphite and smoke notes on the opening beats, sweet berry fruit, touch of mocha, ground coffee, liqourice, red cherry, iodine, fresh flavours coupled with ripe fruits, a lovely mix. This is a deliciously classic...

This is starting to open now with silky tannins, bright acidity and a tangy finish. Light earth, spice and meat flavors. Lots of dried citrus too. Delicious finish. Drink now.

A candidate for the -wine of the vintage- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of...

The 2008 Angélus offers a still youthful, vibrant color as well as a classic Angélus bouquet of spice box, black currants, tobacco, and hints of white truffle. This elegant, silky effort is beautifully balanced, with...

Super-ripe black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice make a strong opening statement in the 2008 Pichon Lalande. The late harvest that year yielded a decidedly super-ripe, exotic Pichon Lalande with captivating inner sweetness...

Tasted with Baptiste Guinaudeau, the 2008 Lafleur is a wine for which I have a lot of time, and as it approaches a decade old, it is beginning to loosen up a little. There is plenty of fruit on the nose—more than I have...

Sweet cherry, raspberry, spice and earth aromas and flavors play off the open texture and round profile of this red, with a firm structure buried underneath. Fine length. Best from 2012 through 2022. 750 cases made. — BS

A candidate for the -wine of the vintage- the 2008 Haut-Bailly possesses incredible complexity. Tell-tale notes of lead pencil shavings charcoal damp earth black cherries and black currants intermixed with a hint of...

The 2008 La Mission Haut-Brion has an open, feisty, lively bouquet with blackberry, briary, cedar, black olive and a light seaweed (Japanese nori) aroma. This is wonderful, an intoxicating bouquet. The palate is...

A candidate for the -wine of the vintage- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of...

Campfire, charcoal and sweet brioche notes, blackcurrant pasille, still plenty of tannins at 14 years old, with structure and architecture, mint leaf and bitter chocolate as it unrolls. It holds its nerve from start to...

The 2008 Mouton Rothschild checks in as a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot brought up in mostly new barrels. Undeniably one of the top wines in the vintage, it offers a rare opulence and sexiness in its...

Firm and medium-to full-bodied with notes of charred bark, blackberries, tobacco, toast and dried flowers. Compact and brooding. Chewy tannins. Yet there’s a fine elegance. Tasted from magnum. Try after 2023.

94+ The 2008 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Rossignol-Trapet is not quite as open as the lovely 2011, but it is getting closer to its primetime window of drinkability and will end up being a step up from the lovely...

Classic, balanced, restrained, everything is knitted down and concentrated, with tannins that have grain and grip and will age for decades. Liqourice, chocolate shavings, cassis, enjoyable wine with edges of gourmet...

Initially this was quite closed but with 45 minutes of aeration the nose opened to reveal aromas of violets, earth, stone and a mix of perfumed red and blue pinot fruit. The medium-bodied flavors were equally tight though...

An ultra elegant and refined nose is intensely floral with a densely fruited mix of red and blue pinot liqueur aromas. The textured, supple and solidly well-concentrated middle weight flavors exude a fine minerality that...

Young, full bodied, rich and intense, the wine is loaded with dark fruit, which you can easily see in its color. There is intensity, earthyness, smoke, licorice, espresso and black cherry from start to finish. The wine is...