Gennett

R.P. 92 pts.

This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot displays classic tobacco leaf and smoky barbecue notes along with rich black currants and crushed rocks in a medium to full-bodied, seductive, attractively up-front style. Some Asian plum sauce is also noticeable in this complex, evolved and delicious wine.

R.P. 91 pts.

A sensational wine from this Pessac-Leognan estate, the 2009 possesses notes of charcoal, graphite, roasted herbs, truffles, spice box, and luxurious quantities of black currant and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, impressively endowed.

R.P. 90 pts.

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Latour Martillac gives up notes of crushed rocks, tar and black olives over a core of stewed plums, cedar chest and dried herbs with a touch of dried cranberries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid frame of chewy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing savory.

R.P. 92 pts.

Deep garnet-purple in color, it has notes of crushed black currants, fresh black berries and black raspberries with hints of tar, dried herbs and garrigue. The palate is medium-bodied, energetic and refreshing in the mouth with firm, grainy tannins and an uplifting finish.

R.P. 91 pts.

With an inky purple color and sweet cassis and kirsch notes as well as some licorice, mocha and earth. It is medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with silky tannins and a long, long finish.

R.P. 92+ pts.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 La Vieille Cure has some cedary notes to begin, giving way to scents of red and black currants, blackberries and forest floor plus hints of truffles and iron ore. Full-bodied and packed with vibrant fruit, the oak still stands apart a tad in the flavor profile and structure

Dense ruby/purple with a spicy, resiny bouquet, a sweet entry on the palate, and admirable purity as well as texture, this is a classy blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Bernadotte’s well-made 2004 exhibits a deep ruby/plum/purple color as well as elegant cranberry, black cherry, and currant notes, good acidity, and a spicy, fresh, invigorating finish.

R.P. 89 pts.

Juicy, succulent, cedary black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, herbs and spice box are very pure, authoritative and substantial. Dark ruby/purple, medium to full-bodied and delicious

R.P. 88 pts.

A sleeper of the vintage, Lanessan's 1996 boasts an impressively saturated dark ruby/purple color, and knock-out aromatics of melted chocolate, asphalt, and cassis. Deep, rich, and medium-bodied, with excellent concentration and purity, this impressively-endowed, flavorful, well-structured wine.

R.P. 88 pts.

A delicious, complex effort, the fully mature 2000 Lanessan offers notes of cedarwood, plums, loamy soil, and damp earth, medium to full body, plenty of spice, and a classic Bordeaux personality.

R.P. 88 pts.

Always one of the better values and ageworthy wines from the Haut-Medoc, Lanessan’s 2003 possesses lots of cedarwood, creme de cassis and forest floor notes, outstanding ripeness, low acidity, and a round, generous mouthfeel with no desiccation or flaws.

R.P. 90 pts.

There is pleasant purity, and certainly, it is less herbaceous than many of its peers, with peppermint-tinged red cherry and cranberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a mixture of red and black fruit, quite caressing in texture, with a well balanced if not overly complex finish.

R.P. 89 pts.

Dense ruby/purple-colored, with copious quantities of black raspberry and cherry fruit intermixed with spicy oak, this deep, rich, medium to full-bodied 1997 possesses sweet tannin, low acidity, excellent length, and admirable concentration.

R.P. 92 pts.

The 2015 Corbin is medium garnet-purple colored with cigar box and spice box notions accenting the core of red and black plums, blackberry preserves and earthy layers plus a hint of lavender. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, elegant and well balanced with grainy tannins, finishing lively and long.

R.P. 95 pts.

The deep garnet colored 2009 Larcis Ducasse sashays out of the glass with compelling scents of kirsch, dried roses, Black Forest cake and crème de cassis with hints of black tea, cigar box and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tautly structured with ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

R.P. 96 pts.

The wine boasts an opaque purple color along with sweet aromas of mulberries, creme de cassis, blackberries, espresso roast, chocolate and toast. Sweet tannin, an opulent mouthfeel and a flamboyant personality make for a prodigious/compelling wine that can be drunk now or cellared for two decades or more.

R.P. 89 pts.

The 1999 is an elegant, finesse-styled, medium-bodied effort revealing lovely strawberry and currant fruit with a hint of sour cherries, a judicious touch of oak, medium body, and excellent purity. It creeps up on the taster in subtle increments.

R.P. 92 pts.

It is a broad, full-bodied, savory red displaying notes of fruitcake, unsmoked cigar tobacco, truffles, incense, black cherries and black currants. Fleshy and close to full maturity

R.P. 94 pts.

Its stunning nose of black cherry liqueur, cassis, licorice, earth and spice is followed by a full-bodied, concentrated and pure wine.

R.P. 91 pts.

It has an attractive, Aszu-like bouquet with touches of fresh apricot, almond and hints of marmalade that unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh quince on the entry. This demonstrates much better balance and focus than its peers with a delightful citrus freshness on the marmalade-tinged finish.

A simple, straightforward bouquet of almond cookies intermixed with a hint of pineapple is followed by a medium-bodied, moderately sweet Sauternes without a great deal of distinction or complexity.

The 2006 Sigalas Rabaud has a curious bouquet with peach skin and lanolin aromas, perhaps just a touch of volatile acidity here giving it lift. The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance

The 2006 Sigalas Rabaud has a curious bouquet with peach skin and lanolin aromas, perhaps just a touch of volatile acidity here giving it lift. The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance

Much deeper in color than other vintages, it has a mature, almost tropical mango and passion fruit nose that feels a little one-dimensional. The palate is medium-bodied and smooth on the entry, a little waxy in texture with nutmeg and dried honey notes on the mature, Tokaji-like finish.

R.P. 97 pts.

It has a fabulous bouquet that is mineral-rich and tensile. The palate repeats its performance from last year: focused, tense, laden with botrytis-rich fruit with a crystalline and sorbet-fresh finish that seals the deal.

W.S. 93 pts

W.S. 95 pts

R.P. 90 pts.

The wines possess plenty of botrytis, but neither the impressive definition nor supreme elegance of the 2001s. This is a sweet, full-bodied, fat, concentrated, intense effort.

R.P. 93 pts.

he 2006 Suduiraut has a dried pineapple, Aszu-scented bouquet that gains intensity with aeration.The palate is medium-bodied with decent botrytised fruit, fresh and crisp with notes of bitter orange, honey and mandarin, quite saline on the edgy finish.

It is light to medium-bodied, fruity, round and elegant, shows good freshness and finesse and drinks pretty easy.

R.P. 90 pts.

It is showing nicely, opening in the glass with aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, Anjou pear, white peach, pastry cream and subtle hints of freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with a delicate pinpoint mousse, ripe but racy acids and exquisite balance.

R.P. 93 pts.

A blockbuster effort, it reveals deep, chocolaty, meaty notes intermixed with blackberries, cherries, and cassis. Inky/ruby/purple-colored, with a large mouthfeel, full body, and well-integrated acidity, tannin, and alcohol.

R.P. 93 pts.

Deep garnet-black with a hint of brick, the 2006 Hillside Shiraz has pronounced notes of smoked game, hung meat, dried plums and kirsch, some cigar boxes, Chinese five spice and mocha. Structured, rich, very full and opulent on the palate is has a medium-firm level of rounded tannins and a long spicy finish.

R.P. 94 pts.

It offers up a luxurious aromatic display of loamy earth, new saddle leather, blackberry liqueur, charcoal, and barbecue spices. Layered, chewy, full-bodied, and opulent with extravagant richness, sweet, supple tannin, and low acidity.

R.P. 92 pts.

The 2005 Shiraz “Deer in the Headlights” offers a fragrant perfume of cedar, leather, lavender, pepper, and blueberry compote. Ripe, round, and deep, the wine is velvety textured with hints of chocolate emerging on the mid-palate.

R.P. 93 pts.

Its deep plum/ruby color is accompanied by a big, rich bouquet of resiny pine forest scents interwoven with kirsch liqueur, blackberries, pepper, and spice. Full-bodied, pure, heady, complex, and nuanced

R.P. 94 pts.

Vine age ranges from 46-110 years old. The wine was aged for 18 months in older French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It delivers a splendid bouquet of lead pencil, game, blueberry muffin, and blackberry liqueur.

R.P. 96+ pts.

Deep garnet-purple colored, it displays a gorgeous nose of commendable purity and intensity with notes of red and blackcurrants, freshly crushed blackberries, menthol, cinnamon stick, bacon fat and cloves. Rich and already expressive on the palate, it is nonetheless built for the long haul with firm, ripe and grainy tannins carrying the fruit to a long and layered finish.

R.P. 99 pts.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Grange sports an earthy/meaty nose with notes of tree bark, dusty earth, underbrush and chargrill over a core of dried mulberries and Christmas cake, plus hints of pepper and baking spices. Rich, medium to full-bodied and seductive, it has spicy layers and a long meaty/savory finish.

R.P. 91 pts

R.P. 96 pts.

Copious amounts of creme de cassis, graphite, spice box and a whiff of new saddle leather result in a classic, authoritative, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with no hard edges.

R.P. 95 pts.

It's developed but it keeps some fruit character, plenty of spices and balsamic aromas. The palate is polished but has some clout, with clean, focused flavors and a long, spicy and tasty finish. This represents good value for the quality it delivers.

R.P. 93 pts.

The estate's flagship 2007 Villa Fidelia is a serious wine bursting with mocha, roasted coffee beans, French oak, leather, licorice, spices that add considerable complexity to the dark, inky fruit.

R.P. 94 pts.

The 2006 Il Carbonaione is a big, dark wine. Imposing at first, it flows from the glass with tons of super-ripe blueberries, grilled herbs, new leather, spices, minerals and flowers.

J.S. 93 pts

R.P. 97 pts.

Galardi’s 2008 Terra di Lavoro is a legend in the making. It is a fabulously ripe, rich and seductive wine endowed with beautifully articulated dark plums, ash, leather, licorice, all of which meld together in an explosive, utterly thrilling display of class and elegance. Clean, mineral notes frame the eternal finish.

R.P. 92 pts.

The 2009 Chianti Classico is a model of elegance and class. Firm yet well-integrated tannins provide the backdrop for expressive red cherries, licorice, tobacco and spices.