Premier

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2010 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2010 Carruades de Lafite wine offers a smoky nose and a fleshy sensation with dark plum, charcoal and coffee notes. These are the characteristics of a nice grip on the finish which reveals a sensation of persistent plum skin in this second wine from Pauillac. The Carruades de Lafite wine displays much of the same lead pencil, charcoal and black currant notes of its bigger sister, although it is forward, precocious and far less structured than the grand vin. Nevertheless, this wine, which can be drunk now, will cellar beautifully for at least 20-25 more years.

This 2010 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42.5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot.

95 points James Suckling
94 points Wine Advocate
93 points Wine Spectator

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2015 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2015 Carruades de Lafite wine has a satisfying purity on the nose. This Carruades de Lafite has a blackberry and briary, a distant, cold slate-like note just underneath, with the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is moderate depth to this slightly foursquare and conservative Carruades, but there is also plenty of freshness and it has an appealing, unassuming finish that is both harmonious and precise.

This 2015 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

95 points Wine Enthusiast
94 points James Suckling
91 points Wine Advocate

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2016 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2016 Carruades de Lafite wine has a velvety tannins coalesce with the black plum and berry fruits. This Carruades de Lafite is juicy and perfumed, with notes of spice and dark fruits as well as intense final acidity. It has an attractive bouquet with smoke and tobacco infused black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. This Pauillac is rather sophisticated (a great representation of the terroir) with fine and well-integrated tannins. Freshness and precision are waiting for us in every sip. A classic and solid Carruades.

This 2016 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot this year that matured in around 20-25% new oak.

95 points James Suckling
95 points Wine Enthusiast
91 points Wine Advocate

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2018 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2018 Carruades de Lafite wine has a deep garnet-purple colored, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of redcurrant jelly, blackcurrant pastilles and Morello cherries with hints of candied violets, pencil shavings, menthol and crushed rocks. This Carruades de Lafite wine is a medium-bodied and elegantly styled, with layers of crunchy red and black fruits. This Pauillac wine is beautifully ripe with fine-grained texture and loads of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.

This second wine of Lafite is the 2018 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.

96 points James Suckling
95 points Wine Enthusiast
94 points Wine Advocate

The Second Wine of the prestigious Premier Grand Cru Classé – Château Lafite-Rothschild – the Carruades de Lafite 2019 reflects the identity of the great terroirs of Pauillac.

The 2019 Carruades de Lafite wine is a beautiful with currant, sweet-tobacco and wet-earth aromas and flavors. This Carruades de Lafite is a medium-bodied with a dense center-palate and tight, polished tannins. Fresh, with tension. This is a powerhouse wine that shows little of the radiance.

This 2019 Carruades De Lafite has a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

96 points James Suckling
95 points Decanter
94 points Jeb Dunnuck

The 2017 Charmes de Kirwan wine has a lovely garnet red color shows that the wine is still young. The nose is complex, a mix of ripe fruit with fine woody and vanilla notes. With a fresh and gentle attack, the palate is round, ample and juicy and displays some quite ripe red and black berries. This Charmes de Kirwan wine shows fantastic depth and fruit quality for the vintage with crushed currant and flowers to the medium to full body, round and ripe tannins and flavorful finish. The second wine of renowned Margaux property of Chateau Kirwan, this promises high quality and fantastic value for money.

This 2017 Les Charmes de Kirwan is the second wine of Chateau Kirwan, launched in 1993. It is the Grand Vin’s little brother and is generally made from the fruit of the youngest vines and parcels of the vineyard that are less gravelly. The Chateau Kirwan wine confirms the position of the property among the greatest of the appellation.

This 2017 Charmes de Kirwan has a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

93 points James Suckling

The 2019 Charmes de Kirwan wine has a deep garnet purple in color. This Charmes de Kirwan offers a quintessential Margaux. A fruity wine dazzling with red berries and roses, including the elegance of soft spicy notes—cinnamon, vanilla, toasted nuts and even buttered brioche. With just a trace of tannins. This second wine of Chateau Kirwan is thoroughly round and silky, each sip caressing the palate. No need to wait several years to enjoy, this delicious 2019 Charmes de Kirwan is ready to enchant your taste buds.

This Vintage 2019 Charmes de Kirwan does justice to its name. Bottled in June of 2020, it has already begun to reveal an irresistible, gourmand charm. The 2019 plentiful harvest provided a beautiful selection of varietals for this blend. The second wine of Chateau Kirwan which has been returned to former glories in recent years.

This 2019 Charmes de Kirwan 2019 wine has a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc.

The 2016 Chateau Angludet is a fine, elegant wine. A wine of impressive style and character, this 2016 Chateau Angludet exhibits a deep bouquet of cassis, blackberries, loamy soil, burning embers and violets, framed by a deft touch of classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with excellent concentration, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating finish,

This structured Margaux wine comes from the Sichel family-owned estate. It has tannins and a dry character although this dry core is balanced with ripe black currants. Structure and fruit make this a good wine for medium-term aging.

This Chateau Angludet wine has a blend of Merlot 38% – Cabernet Sauvignon 50% – Petit Verdot 12%.

92 points Wine Enthusiast
91 points Wine Advocate

The 2018 Chateau Baron de Brane Cantenac wine has a deep red colored wine with a restrained fruit-driven Nose. This Chateau Baron de Brane Cantenac wine has a very pure and charming bouquet with brambly red fruit, cedar and pencil shavings, very assured for a Deuxième Vin. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin on the entry, the fruit a little darker than the nose suggests, segueing into a well-defined second half with brown spices and hints of leather. This is an intriguing Baron de Brane wine. The 2016 Baron de Brane is a blend of 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.

The 2018 Chateau Brane Cantenac is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes. Chateau Brane Cantenac is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.

91 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

An exceptional Premier Grand Cru Classé, Chateau Beau Sejour Becot 2018 displays all the grandeur and elegance of a Saint-Émilion wine born in a magnificent vintage. Dense, rich and explosive, this 2018 Chateau Beau Sejour Becot wine has it all. Soaring aromatics and a huge spine of tannin give the 2018 its regal contours.

The 2018 vintage was barreled down late, and it is still coming together, especially in its aromatics, but its potential is evident. A wine of tremendous character and personality Beau Séeour Bécot dazzles in 2018. It is an utterly captivating Saint-Émilion from Juliette Bécot and Julien Barthe, along with their consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos

This Chateau Beau Sejour Becot wine shines bright in the Saint-Émilion appellation, on the right bank of Bordeaux. It has a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

99 points Wine Spectator
97 points Wine Advocate
97 points Vinous

The 2015 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot wine has a very intense bouquet with copious black cherries, kirsch and blueberry fruit, just a slight warmth of alcohol but nothing too much to get concerned about. The palate is rounded and sexy on the entry, quite plush for this estate, rounded and caressing with a slight savory element from the Cabernets imparting more complexity on the finish. Maybe not the longest Saint-Émilion in terms of longevity but very delicious.

This 2015 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2020 – 2040.

The 2009 Chateau Belair Monange wine is an extraordinary terroir, now exploited by Edouard Moueix, the son of Christian, seems to be coming to life in a dramatic fashion. Never a hedonistic wine, but very intellectual, the 2009 Chateau Belair Monange wine suggests a liqueur of crushed rocks intermixed with black currants and black cherries. Still somewhat closed, medium to full-bodied, and impressive rather than seductive, this is a structured wine that needs to be forgotten for at least a decade, and then drunk over the following 30+ years. If readers are looking for the quintessential example of a terroir-dominated wine, this is Lesson 101 in terroir.

The 2015 Chateau Bernateau wine has aromas of fresh raspberries, plum and blackberries on the nose. This Chateau Bernateau wine is beautiful full fruit, but approachable multi-layered texture and taste on the palate. This Saint-Emilion wine has a smooth and silky finish. On the palate this is full-bodied and beautifully polished with excellent depth and concentration. The Bernateau wine possesses an opulent core or ripe dark fruits which is lifted by a lovely underlying acidity, that drives it into the finish. The 2015 Chateau Bernateau is a total success in this 2015 vintage.

This 2015 Chateau Bernateau wine is an extremely well balanced red Bordeaux blend with Merlot 70%, Cab Franc 25% and Petit Verdot 5%.

The 2017 Chateau Beychevelle is another beautiful wine from this estate, which is being run with incredible talent and passion by Romain Ducolomb, who was hired away from Chateau Clinet. This St-Julien wine is lively, elegant notes of green tobacco, lead pencil, flowers, mint, and blueberries all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a classic, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This 2017 Chateau Beychevelle is up with the top wines in the vintage and will evolve for 2+ decades.

The 2017 Chateau Beychevelle wine is based on 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc a selection of just 52% of the production and spent 18 months in 60% new French oak.

95 points Wine Enthusiast
94 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
93 points James Suckling

The 2015 Chateau Bourgneuf wine is a plump, juicy Pomerol that will drink well upon release. This Chateau Bourgneuf wine is maintaining the success that this estate showed en primeur, and reflecting the positive changes made at the property under a new generation led by Frederic Vayron.

This 2015 Pomerol wine is featuring a medium garnet purple color and aromas of smoked meats, black truffles, tapenade and charcoal with a fruity core of black and red cherries, plum preserves and blueberry coulis plus a waft of aniseed. This Bordeaux wine is medium to full-bodied, delicately structured and with lively fruit expression. This 2015 Bourgneuf wine finishes on an earthy note.

The 2015 Chateau Bourgneuf wine is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

95 points James Suckling
93 points Decanter
92 points Wine Spectator

The 2014 Chateau Branaire Ducru wine is soft, polished and super-inviting. This 2014 Branaire Ducru offers a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, suffused with tobacco and pleasant undergrowth aromas, perhaps just missing the precision of the Beychevelle at the moment. The palate is supple on the entry with a slightly grainy texture, the acidity well judged, a little edginess towards the finish that just needs to must more depth, more drive. The 2014 Chateau Branaire Ducru wine should drink well with minimal cellaring. Today, it is among the most accessible of the Saint-Julien’s.

The 2014 Chateau Branaire Ducru wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc picked between 24 September with the early-ripening Merlot, and finishing on 11 October.

94 points Wine Enthusiast
93 points James Suckling
93 points Wine Spectator