This 2005 is really coming into its own, with soft, welcoming rose bud, chalk, bilberry, cocoa bean and tobacco. The tannins remain well structured, and you can see the muscles that kept this pretty closed for the first...

Among the oldest estates in St Emilion, dating back to the Middle Ages, this is pure restrained limestone, and stands as an excellent reflection of why this type of terroir worked so well in 2018. The ph for example, is...

The 2020 Franc-Mayne has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless palate of real class and purity. Vibrant...

(VN 96-98 points) Glass-staining purple. Assertively perfumed cassis, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and floral aromas take on espresso, olive and smoky bacon accents with aeration. Juicy, chewy and energetic on the palate...

The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in French oak. It comes in with 97 grams of residual sugar. This was only seen before bottling previously. Now, with some bottle aging, it looks...

Crushed orange peels, plump lemon blossoms, spun sugar, clarified butter and a slight almond oil touch combine for a lush, layered nose on this bottling from the Carmel Valley producer. The palate presents an expert...

Brought up all in tank, the 2021 Côtes De Provence Rosé has a Bandol-like vibrancy and more mineral-laced style. Light salmon-hued, with notes of orange blossom, chalky minerality, and a great finish, it's going to shine...

A stunning, monumental Margaux, this has all the power, concentration and class expected of a First Growth. Cool on the palate with an emerging floral bouquet after a few minutes swirling in the glass, Asian spices also...

The 2020 L'Hêtre has a more restrained and nuanced bouquet that unfolds in the glass, with more mineralité and terroir expression than the preceding d'Aiguilhe. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and...

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

2010 Lalande-Borie has a feisty and animated bouquet, more red fruit than black, with attractive pencil lead scents coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, tobacco and graphite, quite...

An alluring red, with fresh boysenberry and black pepper-dusted plum flavors underscored by smoked bacon, charred cedar and mocha. Pure and polished, this is well-built and seductive. Drink now through 2030. - J.M.

The 2014 Branaire-Ducru has a "quieter" bouquet than its peers, a little muted at first, though well-defined with mainly black tertiary fruit laced with tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. It's a...

This second wine of Château Margaux, grand in its own right, is powerfully dense. It displays its own style and balance between rich black fruits and the acidity that shines through the structure. The wine will age well...

Primarily a blend of three vineyards, this is the flagship white from Bergstrom. The 2014 Chardonnay Sigrid has a savory/chalky nose of struck match, crushed stones and lightly browned toast over a core of warm peaches...

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 La Gaffeliere has a nose of stewed red plums, black cherries, and kirsch, followed by hints of aniseed, mossy tree bark, and truffles. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refined...

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Le Gay has a beautifully perfumed nose of lavender essence, chocolate-covered cherries and preserved plums, leading to a fragrant undercurrent of kirsch, licorice and fertile loam...

The 2018 Le Petit Lion is blended of 45% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc, sourced from within the Las Cases enclosure. The wine has 14.47% alcohol and was aged in 30% new barriques. Deep...

The 2018 vintage was poured alongside the 2015, an interesting contrast of two solar vintages. There is a touch more Merlot in the blend here, at 75% of the total, the remaining 25% all Cabernet Franc. It ramps up the...

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats...

The 2016 Vintage Port was aged for 20 months in wood and comes in with 102 grams of residual sugar. When last seen, this was a fine Taylor's, not my favorite, perhaps, but very fine. It is a little precocious in this...

With 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3 % Petit Verdot, the 2016 Pavillon Rouge from Chateau Margaux is deep garnet in color, with a touch of purple. It needs a fair bit of swirling to reveal notes of crushed black...

Blended of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 15 to 20 months, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Gracia rocks up with an audacious nose of crème de...

Intense and concentrated, with high levels of Cabernet Sauvignon after frost impacted the Merlot and you feel it, in this deeply textured dark berry fruits, with slate and mint leaf accents, stately Left Bank, a little...

This was not tasted during the Connoisseur Week, but is a request from a subscriber, so I am adding in at the same time from opening a bottle that I have at home. It's an exceptional wine, still a little austere at this...

Up to a full quarter of Cabernet Franc in this vintage, which may have helped bring the alcohol degree down a little. Gorgeous balance, juicy and rich, with blackberry and black cherry. It has plenty of St-Émilion...

The 2015 Clos la Madeline is a noteworthy little gem that’s from a beautiful hillside parcel in St. Emilion. It’s deep ruby/purple-colored, with sweet black cherry and black currants fruits, smoked herbs, graphite and a...