(92-94 points) Barrel sample. Big, ripe, juicy wine, the tannins very solid and dark. It has layers of new wood, power and considerable density. ROGER VOSS

This is what the Medoc is all about. The freshness and delicacy of this wine in combination with its serious concentration and firm core are totally stunning. Time has already worked its magic and this is already...

Power and enveloping aromatics from the first moment, this is bursting with pleasure, and so signature Margaux. Impossible not to love the depth and the spice that comes through from the first moment, with spirals of...

(WS 97-100 points) The nose on this already suggests a deep and contemplative wine with blackberry dried flowers and sweet berries. Evolves to black olive and hints of asphalt. Full-bodied with supersilky tannins and...

The greatest wine I’ve ever tasted from this address is the 2009 Léoville Poyferré, which is a step up over both the 2000 and the 2010. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the balance...

Pure perfection, and reminding me slightly of the 1982, the 2009 Château Mouton Rothschild boasts an opaque ruby hue as well as an incredibly perfumed, sexy, seductive style in its ripe currant and cassis fruits as well...

Still young, this is evolving at a glacial pace, yet there is no denying the greatness in this bottle. Deep in color, the wine pops with notes of licorice, black plum liqueur, dark cherries, chocolate, espresso, truffle...

Deep and dark with a ton of smoke and earth, the cassis fruit very much in the background, this is a concentrated and complex wine. Powerful yet racy palate with an elegant mineral finish. Drink or hold.

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 powered with richness and destined to age for many years.

The limited production 2009 Haut-Brisson Reserve ratchets up everything from the color (inky purple) to the aromatics flavor profile and long full-bodied finish. This is a brilliant St.-Emilion that tastes like it came...

Generous, juicy, a vintage that I am starting to often prefer - at least right now - to the 2010, but it is not quite pipping it for me at Grand Puy Lacoste. You'd be hard-pressed to argue with this wine though, it is...

I continue to just love the 2009 Château Rauzan-Ségla. It's such a classic Margaux, remarkable for its elegance and purity yet still showing classic 2009 depth, richness, and sexiness. Giving up loads of crème de cassis...

A spicy and fat, rich wine, atypical of Bordeaux. There is grip and depth of flavour here, with blackcurrant coulis character and some lovely menthol edging. A balanced wine.

Powerful, rich, tannins that are chewy and physical in the mouth. Liquourice bud, turmeric root, cloves, rose stems, with tight blackcurrant and softer blackberry fruits. The muscular structure of the appellation and the...

A blend of 56% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Cheval Blanc has a deep garnet-brick color. It needs a lot of shaking to wake this sleeping giant, then it roars into life with powerful crème...

A smoking good Pessac-Léognan, the 2009 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion takes about an hour of air to show at its best and offers a classic Graves bouquet of meaty black fruits, green tobacco, barbecue smoke, and cedar. It...

Deep garnet-colored with a touch of brick, the 2009 Gruaud Larose comes galloping out with ready-to-go scents of stewed black plums, blackcurrant jelly, and rose oil followed by suggestions of sandalwood, cast-iron pan...

The 2009 Trotanoy is deep garnet in color. It gallops out with powerful scents of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and candied violets, leading to nuances of mocha, licorice, and tapenade, plus a waft of smoked meats...

(91-93 points)Barrel sample. Rich and smooth, with tannins that are ripe, some spice and also intense acidity. The blackcurrant character is dominant. ROGER VOSS

The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers licorice charcoal blueberries black...

This is gorgeous, beautifully balanced between fruit, freshness and finessed tannic hold, with an opulent and seductive texture that kicks things up another level. Has the Pichon Comtesse stamp of raspberry, blueberry...

A smoking good Pessac-Léognan, the 2009 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion takes about an hour of air to show at its best and offers a classic Graves bouquet of meaty black fruits, green tobacco, barbecue smoke, and cedar. It...

A good value among over-achieving St.-Emilion estates is La Fleur Cardinale's 2009. Composed of 70% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon some of the abrasive tannins noticeable early on in this big wine...

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The Desmirail -09 has a lovely, very pure Margaux bouquet with touches of crushed violet and pure black cherry mixing with blackberry and wild hedgerow. Natural and composed...

This is very tight and rich with dried apple, mango and papaya, yet it's bright and floral. Full body, dense fruit and a long, powerful finish. Really open already but complex and beautiful with a richness and intensity...

A vintage famed for its ripe fruits and firm tannic hold, and one that leans into the style of Lascombes, showing exuberant spice. Black pepper, turmeric, smoked cumin, blueberry, blackberry, cassis puree, young in...

This is very tight and rich with dried apple, mango and papaya, yet it's bright and floral. Full body, dense fruit and a long, powerful finish. Really open already but complex and beautiful with a richness and intensity...

A blend of 70% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon the wine has an opaque purple color and a sweet nose of vanillin roasted coffee beans chocolate and kirsch liqueur intermixed with...

We had this out of magnum with my niece and her boyfriend, in their late 20s, who enjoy wine but are not regular drinkers of it, and it blew them away. One of them said, 'this is the best wine I have ever had,' which is...