A flat-out gorgeous wine in the vintage is the 2012 Troplong Mondot, which sports an inky ruby/purple color to go with heavenly notes of black currants, smoked earth, plums, licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, seamless...

Cassis puree, with gourmet edges of smoked caramel, blacberry and spiced plum. This is tight at the moment, needs a good few hours in a carafe to really show itself, and will improve further over next few years. 40% new...

This second wine of Château Montrose is ripe and structured. In 2012, it formed 29% of total production at Montrose. It opens with severe tannins that transform into ripe blackberry as the wine opens out. Solidly...

(98+ points) Bottled under a black label to celebrate Pavie’s addition to the Grand Cru Classé “A” classification, the 2012 Chateau Pavie is a brilliant wine, and readers with bottles in their cellars are in for a treat...

(WE93-95 points) Barrel sample. This is a finely balanced wine that’s ripe and structured at the same time. It has richness and spice, with a powerful context of wood, juicy blackberry fruits and delicious acidity. With...

(92–94 points) Barrel sample. With so much spicy fruit, intensely ripe blackberry flavors and solid tannins, all the elements of excellence are here, and powered by a firm structure. This wine has weight and a fine...

(92–94 points) Barrel sample. A solid effort, this is a wine with great fruit and firm structure to support it. Ripe and full in the mouth, it's a firm and complex wine with a delicious juicy aftertaste. ROGER VOSS

Some lovely welcoming fruits and gently exotic spices on the nose lead to a palate with oak in evidence, but well balanced by raspberry and black cherry notes. There's not huge concentration but it's well judged, with an...

Mind-bending aromas of red licorice, spices, bark and dark fruits. Yet reserved and balanced. The palate is phenomenal with compact fruit and polished tannins. It goes on for minutes. 62% merlot and 28% cabernet franc...

Seductive, rich flavours, far more creamy in its fruit expression than many of the top Left Banks in the 2012 vintage, and yet also higher in fresh acidities, giving a lovely push-and-pull contrast. Persistent, with sage...

This structured wine with big, bold red fruits offers ripe acidity, a dense texture and considerable concentration. It also has the hallmark freshness of the vintage that balances the strong aging potential. Drink from 2022.

(NM94-96 points) What is a primeur report without one of Pauillac’s most dynamic estate? I made the trip through the rain to taste their 2012. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 30%...

Aromas and flavors of tar, berries and dark chocolate. Full body, relatively firm tannins and a finish that fills the palate. Well done. Second wine of Lynch-Bages.

A round and delicious red with blackberries, coffee and vanilla beans. Full and savory. Really delicious. Hard not to drink now.

This is mind-blowing with complex and superb aromas of dried flowers, blackcurrants and raspberries. Full-bodied, yet polished and velvety with lots of tension and intensity. Layers of fruit and character. Finishes with...

A minerally red with blueberry and blackberry character. Stones, too. Medium body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. Layered and pretty. Second wine of Gruaud-Larose. Better in 2017.

Such purity of fruit to this wine with plum, currant and berry character. Solid core of fruit and fine tannins. Full and balanced. Very successful for the vintage. Better in 2017.

Unusually in terms of my recent experience, this is tasting far more plump and inviting than the 2011 right now - with well defined and purely-delivered cassis and bilberry flavours, some creamy texture and enjoyably...

A wine I've had multiple times, the 2012 Clinet is a rich, beautifully pure effort that has terrific notes of black currants, plums, charred earth, licorice and smoke. Luxuriously textured, full-bodied, impeccably...

The 2012 Latour…wine of the vintage? It has to be a serious contender. In this blind taste-off between the five First Growths, its quality shines through. With exceptional delineation on the nose, it just oozes class with...

This has an almost Burgundian bouquet, in which forest-berry notes mingle with an aroma of wet earth in fall. The roasted character surely comes from new oak casks. Medium-bodied and rather sleek, the fine tannins now...

Some lovely welcoming fruits and gently exotic spices on the nose lead to a palate with oak in evidence, but well balanced by raspberry and black cherry notes. There's not huge concentration but it's well judged, with an...

The 2012 Grand Village, from the Guinaudeau family of Château Lafleur fame, is really lovely this year and one of the great bargains to be found in the vintage. As readers may recall, this is in reality a Lalande de...

(91+) When the rains were forecast to arrive on September 22nd, the team at Lafleur decided to pick all of the merlot vines destined for the grand vin on the single day of September 21st, but, there was not sufficient...

A wine I've had multiple times, the 2012 Clinet is a rich, beautifully pure effort that has terrific notes of black currants, plums, charred earth, licorice and smoke. Luxuriously textured, full-bodied, impeccably...

Aromas and flavors of tar, berries and dark chocolate. Full body, relatively firm tannins and a finish that fills the palate. Well done. Second wine of Lynch-Bages.

(93–95 points) 93–95. Barrel sample. This firm, dry wine is solidly rich and full in the mouth. With fine acidity and black currant fruit that show through the tannins, it is a wine with considerable potential. ROGER VOSS

(93–95 points) 93–95. Barrel sample. This firm, dry wine is solidly rich and full in the mouth. With fine acidity and black currant fruit that show through the tannins, it is a wine with considerable potential. ROGER VOSS

(91–93 points) Barrel sample. This spicy wine, aged in new wood, is rich and full with blackberry flavors. It's opulent in texture with layers of new oak that reverberate through the wine. ROGER VOSS