A nose of inviting chocolate powder and dark fruits - very specifically aromatic, after a few minutes the soft florals and medicinal herbs come into play. Super sleek, but not round to begin with, more direct and...

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.

Bright, full ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, chocolate, cedar and violet. Sweet and rich but tight, with sound acidity accenting the wine's spicy intensity and extending its dark fruit flavors. A distinctly rich style of...

Deep garnet with a touch of purple, the 2009 Pavie is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of shaking to bring out a powerful notes of blueberry pie, Black Forest cake, and cinnamon toast leading to a fragrant...

The more closed but potentially greater 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is a 480-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed...

Smoke, tobacco, cigar box, earth and red fruit notes create the nose. It is easy to discern the level of fruit and maturity in the nose. On the palate, the wine offers freshness, ripe, dark red fruits, tobacco leaf, spice...

The 2009 Grand Mayne has an opulent bouquet with well defined kirsch and red plum aromas, hints of cough candy emerge with time. It remains focused and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, layers of...

Such gorgeous fruit, with extremely polished tannins and a persistent finish. The new oak comes out at the finish, but it should melt together with age. A joy to taste now but better in 2016.

This is stylish, with perfumy black tea and smoldering charcoal aromas followed by lightly mulled plum, fig and blackberry fruit. An echo of juniper shows on the mineral-edged finish. Drink now through 2024. — JM

This quinta is in the Rio Torto Valley in the heart of the Port vineyards. The wine is rich, sweet fruited, ripe with jammy blackberries and great perfumes. Open, already drinkable in a fruity way, it is likely to age...

Rich, nuanced, opulent, intense, totally gorgeous, smoked caramel, powerful citrus and pink grapefruit, pineapple, saffron, tarte tartin, almonds, truffles, hard to beat. 137g/l residual sugar.

The 2009 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it barrels out of the glass with bold notions of baked blackberries, warm cassis, and stewed plums...

The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin is pure silk on the palate. Layers of flavor emerge gracefully from this weightless, totally refined wine. A model of understated elegance, the Gevrey makes a great introduction to the wines of...

Melted tannins, juicy black fruits, finessed appellation signature, this opens to grilled blackberry and bilberries, brambed and pureed, with slate tannins and a wave of campfire smoke. Well balanced acidity also, this is...

Opulent texture envelops cherry, raspberry and spice flavors, while bright acidity and well-integrated tannins keep this forceful red focused. The tannins are still a bit burly on the finish now, but this is otherwise...

The first year with sufficient quality grapes, plus an improved global outlook, at least with the Chinese market, to allow the new owners to show what they had achieved over the previous four or five years. It is one of...

The first year with sufficient quality grapes, plus an improved global outlook, at least with the Chinese market, to allow the new owners to show what they had achieved over the previous four or five years. It is one of...

The 2009 Meursault is similarly rich and tropical, but also comes across as quite young next to the 2002, which is an ever-present reminder of how these wines can age. Although the 2009 is gorgeous, if I owned it, I would...

The 2009 Rauzan-Gassies has a refined bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light graphite notes, maybe a little closed down though, it opens nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, and fine...

The 2009 Rauzan-Gassies has a refined bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light graphite notes, maybe a little closed down though, it opens nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, and fine...