Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the centre of the fine wine world. The maritime climate on the 45th parallel offers perfect conditions for growing grapes fit for classically-constructed, long-lasting wines. This vast region is home to 10,000 wine producers and 57 different AOCs. Red – or ‘Claret’ as it’s known – now comprises 88 percent of Bordeaux wine. Then there is the district of Sauternes making some of the most outstanding sweet white wines anywhere.
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1995 Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux
The 1995 Château Gruaud Larose has a complex nose with intense aromas of ripe black cherry, graphite and dark chocolate mixed with leather and smoke. Layers of soft berry fruit and damp grass unfold on the palate, leading into fresh tobacco. The palate is supple, with juicy acidity and elegant, fine tannings playing a supporting role. This would be a perfect match with hard cheeses or game meats.
Drink now to 2028
Barbara Drew MW, Content Officer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (January 2023)1995 Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, Bordeaux1995 Château Gruaud Larose, St Julien, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $227.00 -
2015 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
The nose here is as seductive as ever. With refined, creamy black cherry and redcurrant fruit and a powerful yet feminine charm, the 2015 is another irresistible Haut-Bailly. There is a silky texture, and a beautifully seductive nose. It is immediately appealing. Serious, grown-up and presentable, it is full of lovely sweet spice. Plump, generous and long on the finish, it is a Claret of great depth and complexity, and unmistakably a wine which shows true faith to its origins in Pessac-Léognan.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot2015 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux2015 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $232.00 -
2008 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, Bordeaux
Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste has been in excellent form over the last few years and the 2008 continues in this impressive vein. This boasts the generous fruit of the vintage but with a classic, Pauillac seam running right through the core. Once again feminine in style, this is stylish and elegant with crisp acidity and fine-grained but structured tannins; this represents excellent value in 2008.
2008 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, Bordeaux2008 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $141.00 -
2000 Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux
2000 saw a warm, dry July and August with a small amount of rain from mid-September onward. Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Latour has a deep garnet color and is showing a good amount of evolution, sporting mature notes of fried exotic spices, hoisin, unsmoked cigars and fruitcake with hints of incense, potpourri, cast iron pan and charcuterie.
Medium-bodied, soft, plush and savory in the mouth, it has a long, mineral-tinged finish. 14,000 cases were made this year, representing 48% of production.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (February 2019)2000 Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux2000 Château Latour, Pauillac, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $1,716.00 -
2014 Château Figeac, St Emilion, Bordeaux
On the palate, the subdued fruit on the attack is a reminder that the right bank struggled in 2014 to achieve the same level of success as the exceptional 2015s and 2016s. But this is not a wine to dismiss in any way.
A blend of 40% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc, there is dark cassis fruit here, with well-worked silky tannins and a restrained elegance that is given a smile by a coffee bean and smoked almond edge.
A well-placed wine, working cleverly within its confines, not overstepping them, with huge potential for enjoyment. Drink in six to eight years, which needs to soften a little.
Drink 2022 - 2038
Janes Anson, JaneAnson.com2014 Château Figeac, St Emilion, Bordeaux2014 Château Figeac, St Emilion, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $298.00 -
2010 Château Guiraud, Sauternes, BordeauxAcquired in 2006 by Olivier Bernard from Domaine de Chevalier, together with three other vignerons and the Peugeot Family, this property can only be on the road to success. It has great intensity on the nose with touch of oranges, apricots and pineapple, and a delicious, viscous, yet fresh mid-palate. The energy in this wine makes you reach for another sip and the finish is intense and very persistent: a lovely wine.
Max Lalondrelle, BBR Bordeaux Wine Buyer2010 Château Guiraud, Sauternes, Bordeaux2010 Château Guiraud, Sauternes, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $103.00 -
2009 Echo de Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, BordeauxThe 2009 Echo De Lynch Bages is succulent and pure, with dark cassis fruit and earthy complexity. Very juicy and fresh, yet very structured, this is still hiding some power and could do with a few more years Eageing in cellar to really shine. As ever, though, the attention to detail from the team at Lynch Bages is clear. This is a wine of utmost quality.
Drink 2016 - 20362009 Echo de Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux2009 Echo de Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $121.00 -
2012 Château Montrose, St Estèphe, BordeauxCh. Montrose is at the leading edge of low-impact winemaking in Bordeaux. For more than 15 years, the property has been improving biodiversity and vineyard health energy use Eplus, all the CO2 from fermentation is captured and turned into bicarbonate of soda. “Ch. Montrose is in the middle of nature, Esays spokesperson Lorraine Watrin. “Our vision here is to reveal the beautiful riches of the terroir. Ebr>
In 2010, Ch. Montrose purchased 22ha of prime land from their neighbours, Ch. Phélan-Ségur. The vineyard borders Montrose on its western side and is planted with 2/3 Merlot and 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon. According to who you speak with, this may be Phélan’s best parcel, and the Merlot is especially prized. This has given the Montrose team a short-term puzzle, resulting in a higher-than-usual proportion of Merlot in the blend for the Grand Vin. This will be adjusted over the coming years as existing Montrose Merlot on excellent Cabernet land near the river is replanted to the latter. Still, there is an embarrassment of fine Merlot on the estate. Not that this is a problem: in 2012, Merlot excelled.
This wine, with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, is dense and spicy, with the very low-yielding Cabernet fully ripe and giving an earnest backbone to some high-quality Merlot. This is perhaps not a traditional Montrose, but it is undoubtedly a beguiling one.
Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Buying Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd2012 Château Montrose, St Estèphe, Bordeaux2012 Château Montrose, St Estèphe, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $182.00 -
2009 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux
Intense and luscious with ripe notes of orange peel and pineapple, the 2009 vintage from Château Suduiraut is one of the best Sauternes wines on the market. The palate has a wonderful depth of rich citrus and passionfruit flavours, while a vanilla cream note adds to the lush, honeyed character. Crisp acidity brings a layer of freshness to the wine, making this an absolutely delicious dessert wine.
2009 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux2009 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $116.00 -
2014 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, St Emilion, BordeauxThe 2014 Beau-Sejour Becot was tasted on two or three occasions. It has a generous and sensual bouquet with ample macerated red cherries, wild strawberry, vanilla pod and orange sorbet aromas. This is endowed with superb delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, beautifully integrated new oak, real depth and focus. You could argue that it needed to demonstrate more persistence on the finish but that would be clutching at straws. There is so much freshness and vivacity in this Saint Emilion that it really is a must-buy.
- Wine Advocate 93/1002014 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, St Emilion, Bordeaux2014 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, St Emilion, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $141.00 -
2004 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Experts on the subject of soil will tell you that Haut Bailly boasts one of the finest terroirs in the Pessac-Leognan appellation. The wine made here has always been fine but in recent years it has reached a new level of excellence, rivalling some of the great Haut-Medoc Cab. Sauvignon-dominated wines. For me this new departure began with the 2004 vintage, not hailed as a great vintage in Bordeaux but bearing the hallmark of what the British call a "classic vintage", meaning a wine of finesse and elegance, with cool, sweet fruit supported by ripe tannins and balancing acidity. A joy to drink now and over the next 8 years.
2004 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux2004 Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $156.00 -
2005 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, BordeauxDomaine de Chevalier is among the few Graves estates producing first-class reds and whites. The property was purchased by the Ricard family in 1865 and remained in their hands until it was bought by the Bernard distilling company in 1983.
I fell in love with this, first in the barrel and then bottle. The best wines of 2005 show an irrepressible energy, and as soon as the aromatics of the Chevalier hit you, you can feel the vigour in the rich, intoxicating black fruit and the mineral, gravelly overtones that only great Graves can offer.
The seemingly endless finish and perfect harmony of this wine, combined with the firm yet supple tannins, immensely concentrated fruit and life-giving acidity, look set to make this a legendary Domaine de Chevalier.
Rich, ripe, intense and complex nose. Generous, full, concentrated palate with rich fruit, vanilla and spices.""
Highly Recommended 4/5 Stars
Pessac & Graves Tasting Panel (December 2008)2005 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux2005 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $182.00 -
2001 Château Léoville Barton, St Julien, BordeauxThe 2001 Léoville Barton is still a few years from full maturity. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and muscular, with a deep, concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe but firm tannins that still assert themselves on the finish. If Léoville Poyferré is in its prime today, this Léoville Barton still ideally deserves a few more years' patience.
Drink 2021 - 2041
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (February 2022)2001 Château Léoville Barton, St Julien, Bordeaux2001 Château Léoville Barton, St Julien, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $242.00 -
2001 Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, BordeauxCh. Rauzan-Ségla and Mouton Rothschild were considered the leading Second Growth Bordeaux properties during the 19th century; however, while the fortunes of Mouton prospered in the 20th century, Rauzan-Ségla's reputation dwindled, and a succession of disappointing wines were produced.
In the early 1980s, the property was sold, and the Renaissance began. Now with the might and wealth of Chanel behind this château (since April 1994), the wines here have gone from strength to strength. Rauzan-Ségla is once again worthy of its Second Growth status.
The 2001 vintage is dense with a concentrated cassis nose, supported by graceful fruit and ripe tannins. Despite its power, this has real class, showing elegance, restraint and subtlety. This has all the majesty of great Margaux.
Drink now
Berry Bros. & Rudd (July 2023)2001 Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, Bordeaux2001 Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $252.00 -
2014 Château les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, BordeauxChange continues apace at this estate, which has been under new ownership since 2010, with their new cellar and tasting room opening in summer 2015. Displaying a lighter, more ethereal style, the 2014 has notes of menthol, tobacco and sweet blackcurrants, with violets and floral aromatics. Medium-bodied with a dark, plum-like colour, there is some sour cherry in the mix too. Earthy, mineral and with plenty of acidity, the luscious fruit balances out really nicely alongside the savoury edge. Persistent on the finish, spice and green pepper linger on the palate. The wine is quite powerful and serious, with layers of complexity. The 2014 is a very good effort.
55% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot -
2016 Château Potensac, Médoc, BordeauxJean-Hubert Delon considers this to be very close in style to his delicious 2016. The long summer was especially beneficial to the later-ripening vineyards in the northern Médoc and this Potensac shows a sunnier face as well as its more usual linear profile. The tannins have the necessary bite and the fruit is bright cassis. Drink 2022-2032.
Blend: 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot2016 Château Potensac, Médoc, Bordeaux2016 Château Potensac, Médoc, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $76.00 -
2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien, Bordeaux
A Second Growth in 1855, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou regularly gives the First Growths a run for their money Eespecially since the arrival of third-generation owner Bruno Borie in 2003. Bruno never saw such an “easy vintage Eas 2005, apparently: he considered every bunch “perfect E Some 18 years on, this is only starting to come into its own, with the promise of spectacular things to come.
There are pronounced, complex aromatics of fresh black fruits, leather, liquorice, dried leaves and cigars, though this is only a hint of what further ageing will bring. This is a dense, mouth-filling Claret with a lot of structure, a real concentration of fruit and lively, refreshing acidity. Approach it now if you are that way inclined, though it will evolve wonderfully for decades yet.
Bruno is famed for his cooking, and this standout wine deserves a special dish: a côte de boeuf or grilled portobello mushrooms would work very well.2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien, Bordeaux2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $445.00 -
2014 Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac, Bordeaux
What a beautiful opening to this, with stunning cassis fruit and just a touch of wood spice that adds complexity. The palate is graceful and fresh, with the cherry fruit emerging again with liquorice and a lovely peppery finish. This is the best Comtesse I have tried for some years and will be an absolute joy to drink in 5-8 years time. I suspect given its fine balance it will drink for 10+ years.
2014 Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac, Bordeaux2014 Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac, BordeauxBottle Price 75 cl $199.00 -
2004 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, BordeauxTasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the chteau, the 2004 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It has an agreeable, classic bouquet with tobacco-infused redcurrant and cranberry fruit that is well-defined and gains intensity in the glass, a distant autumnal woodland scent in the background developing in the glass.
The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannin, a fine line of acidity, the finish moving towards secondary flavors with hints of brown sugar, tobacco and a hint of dried blood. This is a fine Margaux for the vintage and it should offer another decade of pleasure.
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (December 2016)2004 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux2004 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, BordeauxBottle Price 37.5 cl $106.00