Catalog

Practically abandoned in 1993 when Mr. and Mrs. Cathiard bought it, Smith Haut Lafitte is today one of the 10 greatest vintages of the Bordeaux left bank.

Tasted in February 2020 by the Revue du Vin de France, the 2010 vintage obtained 19/20 "it stands out as a major success, a wine all in intensity but especially in balance".

Haut-Bailly is the most delicate of the Graves wines with a particularly silky tannic structure.

The Revue du Vin de France noted 16/20 on 2004 (to be tasted again in 2014) "round, very open, full and dense fruit, unspeakable ageing" and 18/20 on 2017 "all the refinement of the cru is found in this bottle of admirable definition and very fine balance".

Haut-Brion is the most famous of all the Bordeaux growths, having twice been classified as 1er grand cru, in 1855 and again in 1959 (Graves classification). Haut-Brion is both the oldest of the Grands Crus, with more than five centuries (since 1509) behind it, and the most innovative, introducing stainless steel vats as early as 1960 and green harvesting as early as 1980.
Its particular situation within the Bordeaux agglomeration makes it the earliest Premier Cru on the left bank, a clear advantage in less mature vintages. For this reason, Haut-Brion's consistency is a benchmark for the whole of Bordeaux, with the intense bouquet of fresh earth, smoke and pine resin so characteristic of the appellation.
Fortunately, the unique silhouette of its bottle has disrupted the Asian market and has not triggered the same speculative interest there as it has for the other 1er grands crus classés. Haut-Brion is today without question the most qualitative and the least expensive of the premiers.

By isolating 15 ha of his best parcels, Mr. Guyon, owner of Rollan de By, has created Haut-Condissas, a prestige cuvée to compete with the neighboring Grands Crus Classés of Haut-Médoc. In a rich, powerful and concentrated style, Haut-Condissas must be waited in bottle for a good ten years to reveal its real finesse and great complexity. Reserved for patient wine lovers, but well worth the wait!  For Mr. Bettane "Haut-Condissas is the archetype of super-bordeaux".

The third wine jewel of Bernard Magrez (after Pape Clément and Fombrauge), bought in 1999. After a complete overhaul of the vineyard (it is now the largest Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc with 225 ha of vineyards), La Tour Carnet displays a modern, smooth and powerful style. A formidable competitor in blind tastings.

Held by Mr. Guillemet, owner, agronomist and oenologist. Marked as a young wine by a fairly present oak note, Boyd-Cantenac offers all the qualities of a delicious and well defined Margaux after about ten years.

The smallest classified growth of Margaux (8 ha), Ferrière is a traditional, straightforward and pleasant Margaux, moderately powerful but perfectly balanced. Its ageing capacity is undeniable. Same owner as Haut-Bages-Libéral. In organic conversion since the 2012 vintage, certified from the 2015 vintage, and now in the list of the 25 best French producers for the Bettane&Desseauve 2020 guide. Bravo !

In 2000, Malescot Saint-Exupéry woke up under the leadership of Michel Rolland. Since then, in a generous and serene style, very rich for a Margaux, he has never ceased to distinguish himself. As the Revue du Vin de France wrote: "In 10 years, it is the wine that has made the most progress among the Margaux wines".

By the quality of the selections, and the creation of a 3rd wine from 2009, Pavillon Rouge would have easily been considered as the Great Wine of Château Margaux only 20 years ago.

No other vintage can better express the magical association that is so difficult to obtain simultaneously finesse and power. A first growth without rival in its style!

No other vintage can better express the magical association that is so difficult to obtain simultaneously finesse and power. A first growth without rival in its style!

The most serious and regular of the great classified growths of Saint-Julien, and even of the Médoc. Whatever the vintage since 1986, Lagrange never disappoints!

Always black with ink, always deliciously fat and sweet, always St-Julien and above all always regular. Supervised by Mr. Derenoncourt since 2009, Talbot has gained in intensity and aromatic precision.

Saint-Pierre's obvious progress since 2003 now places it as a great rival to its peers in Saint-Julien, even surpassing them in depth of flesh. Magnificent in recent vintages, such as the 2019 rated 95/100 by the Revue des Vins de France "Great success" or the 2020 rated 96/100 "one of the most accomplished and refined ever".

Emblematic cru of the Médoc by its architecture as well as by the delicacy of its wines, internationally sought-after. Beychevelle has taken another step up in finesse and aromatic precision with the commissioning in 2018 of its new vat room, and is now on first-name terms with the commune's second growths.

Even if their evolution always involves a period of austerity, Léoville-Barton wines have a supreme class and elegance, due as much to the advanced age of the vines as to meticulous work.

Even if their evolution always involves a period of austerity, Léoville-Barton wines have a supreme class and elegance, due as much to the advanced age of the vines as to meticulous work.

Apart from the first great classified growths, no other Bordeaux wine is as world famous as Lynch-Bages. Its worldwide success comes as much from its opulent, full-bodied and robust style, from its unfailing regularity since 1975, and from its media promotion orchestrated by Jean-Michel Cazes. Lynch-Bages was the first wine sent into space (Discovery shuttle in 1985). It is even said that it is him who gave the taste of Bordeaux to the Americans!

Mr Rouzaud (Champagne Roederer) acquired it in 2007 and has since strengthened the technical team by adding the advice of Mr Boissenot. Pichon-Comtesse remains faithful to the style that has made it so successful, as dense, suave, charming, enchanting and above all endearing.

The young vines of Latour being reserved for the simple 'Pauillac' of the estate, the second wine, Les Forts de Latour, can be qualified as a great wine in its own right, coming from the plots of land outside the enclosure of Château Latour.

Mouton-Rothschild's upgrade in 1973 from second to first grand cru classé was as legitimate as it was deserved in view of the quality of its terroir, a plateau of 90 hectares of deep gravel to the north of Pauillac, with Lafite-Rothschild as a neighbor. Despite this promotion, and even though it regularly tops the rankings in tastings, Mouton-Rothschild remains to this day the least expensive of the Médoc's premier crus classés. Its powerful, full-bodied style and its ability to age well have led Mr. Bettane to write "perhaps the most formally perfect wine in the Médoc...".

On the terroir of Pez, known to be the best in St-Estèphe (excluding classified growths), the Cazes family uses the same recipes here as those that made Lynch-Bages so successful: generous fruit and opulent texture. Ormes de Pez is an'almost' Lynch-Bages but at a quarter of the price!

On the terroir of Pez, known to be the best in St-Estèphe (excluding classified growths), the Cazes family uses the same recipes here as those that made Lynch-Bages so successful: generous fruit and opulent texture. Ormes de Pez is an'almost' Lynch-Bages but at a quarter of the price!

Second wine of Cos d'Estournel, probably the best second wine of the Médoc after those of the first classified growths (for half or even a quarter of the price).

Second wine of Nénin. A beautiful material, with a well mastered breeding: this is an excellent introduction, at a reasonable price, to the world of Pomerol.

Always of a high level for a reasonable price (in Pomerol), Gazin wines, moderately full-bodied and marked by truffles, are the archetype of the appellation.

Delicately perfumed (the aromatic bouquet is always very floral, with violets and peonies in the lead) and elegantly suave whatever the vintage, La Conseillante occupies a special place among the greatest Pomerols, perhaps the most endearing of them. Its finesse and superiorly sensual and refined texture are reminiscent of the great wines of the Côte de Nuits (on the Vosne-Romanée side). However, behind the apparent friendliness of La Conseillante lies a wine of great energy and excellent ageing potential. As A. Galloni (Vinous) wrote for the 2018 vintage (rated 98/100) "It is, in a word: dynamite!".

Vieux Château Certan is certainly, with a high proportion of Cabernet Franc (30% on average), the most classic, firm and distinguished Pomerol wine. It does not have the softness and immediate charm of other great Pomerol, but still keeps all these promises as it ages. Very classy!