Subdued on opening, but with 30 minutes in a carafe it spills out rich pencil lead and liquorice notes, with blackberry fruits and smoky vanilla spice. Classic Margaux 2006, with fairly high acidity that emphasises a...

Wild strawberries on the nose, this has high aromatics, gentle toast and cigar box, blond tobacco, undergrowth, the beginning of tertiary, extremely elegant, fine, and classic Armailhac at the time. Almost feels like we...

Inky damson in colour, with tobacco, liquorice and dark chocolate scents, this remains powerful, with a mouthwatering saline finish. It doesn't feel anywhere near ready to open up yet. Impressive in a year that many...

Elegant, refined, medium bodied and silky, with a nose of flowers, cherries, truffle and leaf. This is a very pretty wine, that is just about fully developed. The wine should remain at this level for at least 15 years, or...

Tasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2002 Château Giscours is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot picked between October 1 and 15. There remains that almost Pomerol-like personality on the nose, quite...

(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

The 2012 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has an impressive cassis-tinged bouquet with fresh tobacco and graphite infused black fruit that are very well focused and neatly integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine...

Wow. Wonderfully aromatic nose of currants, blackberries and lilacs. Full body but refined and beautiful. The quality of the tannins is exception. So fine. Lovely austerity and tension on the finish. Better in 2016.

The 2012 Haut Bailly is brilliant and does nothing to damper my belief that this vintage is underrated in the market. Offering up a classic bouquet of tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, blackcurrants, lead pencil, and graphite...

The Marquis de Terme '10 has a well-defined bouquet with ripe blackcurrant cedar boysenberry and a touch of shellfish. Good lift and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fully ripe tannins very good weight and acidity...

Beautifully balanced boasting lovely currant mineral and black cherry flavors medium to full body good complexity and well-integrated tannins. Should improve with age; try in 1999. -JS