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Please see below "Futures campaign".
The logo "bio" indicates the wine in organic culture in official under reserve of certification after bottling.
The campaign "Futures 2024" will stop on 2026 July 31st, in the limit of the available stock.
Mouton-Rothschild's second wine, which appeared in 1993, has since made its place among its peers (Carruades de Lafite, Forts de Latour, Pavillon Rouge) by offering each vintage a great Pauillac, full, fleshy, muscular, barely less deep and full-bodied than its famous big brother but with the same cassis finish. Petit Mouton has grown up!
J-M Quarin : 93/100 « Couleur rouge sombre, aux reflets grenat. Nez intense, fruité et fumé comme il sait le faire. Très belle évolution raffinée à l'agitation du verre. Moelleux à l'attaque, suave en milieu de bouche, avec de la classe dans le toucher, le vin glisse, puis revient plus crémeux et long dans la persistance. Touche de vivacité à fondre. »
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2024 Le Petit Mouton has an attractive, understated bouquet with pencil shavings and cedar-tinged black fruit–not as complex as the 2022, but refined. Two weeks later the nose demonstrates just a soupçon more éclat [brightness]. The palate is medium-bodied and harmonious with crisp acidity on the entry, dashes of spice and black pepper on the back-palate and moderate length on the linear finish."
Vinous (A. Galloni): 90-92/100 "The 2024 Le Petit Mouton is a dark, brooding wine. Dark red fruit, pomegranate, gravel, incense, leather and scorched earth contribute to a feeling of somber gravitas. Low yields, as mesured by bunches per shoot, come through in the wine's density and power. The 13% alcohol is super-classic. The 2024 is shaping up to be a very serious wine."
Second wine of Lafite-Rothschild.
J-M Quarin : 94/100 « Couleur rouge sombre, intense. Nez très aromatique, fruité, frais et parfumé. Bouche moelleuse, ronde, juteuse et appétente, avec beaucoup de classe dans le toucher. Ensemble caressant et fondant. Jolie finale de fruits noirs, avec paradoxalement une touche de vivacité qui reste à fondre à l'élevage. »
Vinous (A. Galloni): 91-93/100 "The 2024 Carruades de Lafite is plush, sensual and inviting right out of the gate. Soft contours wrap around a core of plum, black cherry, gravel, incense, licorice and baking spice. This is a rare Carruades that is Merlot-driven. It's a blance that works quite well. This showy, inviting Carruades is quite the charmer."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Carruades de Lafite has fine purity on the nose, black cherries mixed with cassis and pencil box aromas. Impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh and focused entry. The 2024 is very well balanced with gentle grip, plenty of tension and a hint of black truffle on the finish. This is a commendable Deuxième Vin."
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...".
La Revue du Vin de France : 96-97/100 « C’est un Mouton de grande classe qui est né en 2024. Le vin, profilé par ses beaux cabernets (93 % de l’assemblage), offre distinction et éclat. Le nez exhale un parfum subtil et complexe, très floral. La bouche est persistante, avec des tanins très doux, un toucher soyeux et raffiné. »
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Beau rouge sombre, aux reflets pourpres. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur, fruité, subtil. Moelleux en entrée de bouche et plutôt gras au milieu, avec du goût et de la puissance, le vin monte dans le dernier tiers du palais. Il finit long, juteux, séveux, avec un brin de vivacité qui reste à fondre. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 94-96/100 "The 2024 Mouton Rothschild has an understated bouquet with blackberry, cedar and graphite scents that take their time to unfold. The nose possesses very fine delineation though the oak is a little more prominent at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied and quite linear in style with fine tannins. A less flamboyant Mouton Rothschild in keeping with the style of the vintage, the 2024 discretely gazins depth towards the finish and reveals a dash of white pepper on the altertaste. Classy, very classy."
Vinous (A. Galloni): 93-95/100 "The 2024 Mouton-Rothschild is embryonic. Dark, poxerful and imposing, the 2024 is deeply intriguing, but also a wine that is going to need time to be at its best. Today, the tannins feel a bit brooding, the wine's mid-weight structure notwithstanding. The 100% new oak needs to integrate, but this is barrel sample."
Appointed cellar master in 1994, Mr. Chevallier focused on developing Lafite-Rothschild wines without losing any of the characteristic bouquet of blackcurrant, graphite and cedar. This objective was quickly achieved, placing Lafite at the top of the 1st classified growths (this was already the case in 1855), and revered as such by the Chinese market. The incredible qualities of Lafite's terroir make it a unique vintage and give Cabernet Sauvignon (more than 90% present each year) its most beautiful aromatic expressions.
The great 2020 vintage was awarded the supreme score of 100/1000 by the Revue du Vin de France: "Spectacular, bordering on perfection".
La Revue du Vin de France : 97-98/100 « Voilà un vin à ne pas mettre entre toutes les papilles. Il faut aller chercher ce 2024 à 96 % de cabernet-sauvignon. Il est très sérieux, profond et complexe mais pas expansif. Ce qui le caractérise ? Son harmonie et son incroyable longueur. Un Lafite ultra racé et prometteur. »
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur sombre, aux reflets noirs. Nuances vives. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, subtil et floral. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très parfumé au milieu, le vin fond sur le palais, délicat, savoureux, avec un joli retour de la saveur dans la persistance. C'est très bon. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 94-96/100 "The 2024 Lafite-Rothschild is a sensual, elegant wine very much in the style of the year. Plush and enveloping, with lovely forward fruit, the 2024 is very Lafite, perhaps a bit reticent, but super-expressive just the same. Black cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and a kiss of espresso all build in the glass, framed by quintessentially finessed Lafite tannins. The 2024 is sublime. I expect it will be one of the to be one of the wines in the Médoc when all is said and done."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 95-97/100 "The 2024 Lafite-Rothschild has an understated and typical Lafite nose with crushed stone infusing the black fruit, black olive tapenade and marine scents. It comes across as astatesmanlike, which is just how you want your First Growth, even in a tricky vintage like this. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh saline notes on the entry. Tensile from the start, this has very impressive focus and is a tad more peppery than previous vintages. This is an assured Lafite-Rothschild with a very seaweed/Japanese wakame-tinged finish. Very promising and one of the very few "cerebral" Left Bank wines in 2024."
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!
J-M Quarin : 91/100 « Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr. Bouche moelleuse à souhait, avec un corps fondant, un déroulé velouté, du goût et du parfum. Bonne longueur. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Ormes de Pez is a very pretty, expressive Saint-Estèphe. Strong floral, savory and earthy elements abound. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, cedar and new leather lend notable punch. This is a very fine vintage for Ormes de Pez."
La Revue du Vin de France : 91-93/100 « Le vin séduit par sa belle rondeur et son côté généreusement fruité. La bouche est ciselée, nette, marquée par les fruits rouges. Très jolie finale tendue. »
Owned by the same people since 1894, Capbern's history is intimately linked to that of Calon-Ségur. With a vineyard of 38 hectares spread over two distinct areas (one near Calon, the other near Meyney), Capbern has a more chalky terroir, providing just the right amount of acidity and freshness to counterbalance the natural richness of Saint-Estèphe.
With more body than the Marquis (thanks to its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also to longer ageing), Capbern is a mini-Calon, for a quarter of the price.
Vinous (N. Martin): 90-92/100 "The 2024 Capbern has a fresh bouquet with blackberry, cranberry, incense and pencil shaving aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with strict tannins. This is armed with satisfying freshness, brightness and hints of allspice and cumin in the background. This is cohesive on the modest, sapid finish. Although this is not the best Capbern that I have encountered in recent years, it is certainly a decent wine for the vintage."
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Capbern is a very pretty, delicate Saint-Estèphe. Cabernet Sauvignon takes the leading role in this elegant, nuanced wine. Crushed flowers, spice, new leather, cedar, licorice and incense all delineated in the glass. Vibrant floral notes reappear on the long persistent finish."
On a magnificent gravelly hillock that has nothing to envy that of its neighbour Montrose, Meyney (Crédit Agricole property) is a serious candidate for the title of best Médoc bourgeois cru in each vintage. Long, complex, refined, distinguished tannins: a great Médoc cut for long ageing. Recommended by Mr. De Boüard (Angelus) from the 2014 vintage.
La Revue du Vin de France : 92-94/100 « Ce vin possède une race indéniable, avec beaucoup de définition et de profondeur. Il est élancé et charnu, avec un grain de tanins admirable. L’équilibre est superbe et la finale éclatante. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Meyney is another big step in the right direction for this re-emerging. Saint-Estèphe estate. In 2024, Meyney is refined yet still very deep, without the heaviness that was once typical here. It will be interesting to see in future years how much of that is the new style here and how much is the vintage. Either way, the 2024 Meyney is standout."
J-M Quarin : 91/100 « Beau rouge sombre, intense. Nez moyennement aromatique, sentant bon les fruits mûrs, les épices et le petit verdot. Délicat en entrée de bouche, savoureux au milieu, bien construit, le vin glisse sur le palais, très agréable vers une longueur tout en arômes. Tannins enveloppés. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Meyney has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry and light cassis notes, but I just seek a little more delineation and nuance. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and saline with sappy black fruit, finely knit tannins and a cohesive finish. I like the length of Meyney and, given its reasonable price, it should be worth seeking out once released."
Second wine of Calon Ségur with, since 2013, a heart on the label like its big brother.
Vinous (A. Galloni): 91-93/100 "THe 2024 Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is a classy, polished wine. Dark cherry, spice, new leather, cedar, incense and tobacco fill out the layers nicely. Medium in body, with terrific depth, the 2024 is impeccably done. It offers lovely textural resonance and fine balance, making for a very impressive second wine from the château."
J-M Quarin : 91/100 « Couleur rouge sombre, aux reflets noirs. Nez discret au premier abord et plus suave à l'agitation du verre. Bouche ample et séduisante à souhait, avec sa nuance de fruits mûrs et son gras fin. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 86-88/100 "The 2024 Le Marquis de Calon Ségur is missing some fruit concentration on the nose. Therefore, it comes across a little austere, especially when compared to recent vintages. The palate is simple with rounded tannins, fine acidity, light spiced black fruit and touches of brown spices on the finish. But it just lacks some bite and complexity, so this one for earlier drinking."
Unquestionably the most popular vintage of the Médoc. Over the years, Haut-Marbuzet has been able to gain in finesse and balance by keeping its Merlot dominance and maturing in new oak barrels. Delicious !
La Revue du Vin de France : 91-93/100 « Issu des rendements les plus faibles depuis 1991, soit 19 hl/h, le vin est toutefois très soyeux, tout en fruit, avec une trame droite portée par une proportion plus importante de cabernets qu’à son habitude. Il est toutefois dans l’ADN du cru, avec son velouté habituel. »
J-M Quarin : 90/100 « Couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, pur, au fruité mûr. Bouche tout en délicatesse tactile, au moelleux délicat, évoluant parfumée et tellement agréable. Longueur normale. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Haut-Marbuzet has quite an exuberant bouquet with orange rind-infused red berry fruit, hints of violet and peony that emerge with time. The palate is grippy and medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fresh, minerally finish. It will need 2 or 3 years to shave its edges, but there is energy here."
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 85-87/100 "The 2024 Haut-Marbuzet is a bit awkward. The aromatics are unfocused and the contours are angular. There's good depth of fruit and brightness underlying it all, but also a metallic edge that is impossible to look past. It will be interesting to see if the 2024 comes together. The undated samples tasted a week apart do not reflect well on the château, one whose wines I have long admired.""
Previously settled on firm tannins that made them stark in their youth, Cos Labory's wines have for the last ten years changed in style, becoming more pleasant and gaining in depth and refinement (its vineyard is adjacent to those of Lafite-Rothschild and Cos d'Estournel). “Probably the best value in the 1855 classification to date”, as Bettane & Desseauve (Guide 2025) points out.
The Audoy family having sold its vineyard to the neighboring Cos d'Estournel at the beginning of 2023, a new era begins at Cos Labory.
La Revue du Vin de France : 93-94/100 « Deuxième millésime réalisé par les équipes de Cos d’Estournel et deuxième année en conversion bio, 2024 est un vin élégant et équilibré, mais avec de la structure. Il est doté d’une belle rondeur et d’une finale vive et soyeuse. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Cos Labory is powerful, burly wine. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, licorice, incense and chocolate are all dialed up. Strong saline accents extend the brooding finish. Ample, deep and quite imposing. Cos Labory offers plenty of impact. There is still some rusticity here that needs to be addressed, but Cos Labory is moving in the right direction."
J-M Quarin : 92/100 « Beau rouge sombre et intense. Nez très fruité, fin, intense et pur. Moelleux à l'attaque, suave en milieu de bouche, avec du goût, le vin caresse le palais, puis rebondit en finale long et savoureux. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 88-90/100 "The 2024 Cos Labory has another powerful, fruit-driven bouquet with black cherry, cassis, iodine and violet aromas. You would assume it comes from a warm vintage like 2020 or 2022. The palate is dense medium-bodied with a noticeable lattice of tannins, firm grip and a dash of black pepper on the finish. This is one of the few Left Bank wines that might require some bottle age."
This 45-hectare estate (in a single block to the south of Saint-Estèphe), famous for its Tuscan yellow façade and label, was acquired by Mr Lorenzetti in 2021. Knowing the investments made and the care given to the other crus in his stable of grands crus (Lilian-Ladouys, Pédesclaux and d'Issan), there is no doubt that Lafon-Rochet will shine with new lustre from the 2022 vintage, while remaining very affordable among its peers.
Since 2022 and the arrival of new cellar master M. Congé (ex-Lafite-Rothschild), Lafon-Rochet has shown more depth of flesh than in the past, while retaining the unctuousness and fruity brightness that are its signature features, thanks to its high Merlot content (40%).
La Revue du Vin de France : 91-93/100 « La proportion de cabernet (72 %) est jamais vue ici et cela fonctionne très bien dans le millésime. Le vin est droit, ciselé, tendu mais pas austère et surtout bien étiré. Beau travail sur la précision des tanins. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Lafon-Rochet is sleek, elegant and polished, as it so often is. Silky tannins and lifted floral overtones are immediatly alluring. Soft bur persistent, with fine balance, the 2024 has a lot to offer. Punchy red/purplish fruit, blood orange, spice and new leather are beautifully delineated. There's a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage, and yet is the personality of site that speaks loudest. Lafon-Rochet is always a bet lithe. That quality is present in 2024, although a second sample showed more over body."
J-M Quarin : 92/100 « Belle couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez au fruité mûr, évoluant truffé à l'agitation du verre. Tonique dès l'entrée en bouche, avec un brin de bois, le vin s'enrichit au milieu, fondant et même gras, vers une finale de longueur normale et sans angle tannique. Il s'agit du Lafon Rochet le plus doté en cabernet sauvignon. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 89-91/100 "The 2024 Lafon-Rochet has, again, a rather light and straightforward bouquet. It is clean and delineated, though it does not deliver the same complexity as the previous two vintages. Fine tannins frame the cohesive palate, and the prudent use of oak (with 10% aged in concrete) proved to be an assiduous decision as it imparts elegance on the finish. Overall, this Lafon-Rochet doesn't possess the complexity of the best recent vintages, but is a capable and fresh Saint-Estèphe."
Phélan-Ségur is one of Saint-Estèphe's historic estates, with a 70-hectare vineyard on the front line of the Gironde estuary, bordered to the north by Calon-Ségur and to the south by Meyney and Montrose. The arrival in 2018 of a new Belgian owner (Mr. Van de Vyvere) ushered in a new era and new ambitions at Phélan-Ségur: 20 hectares under organic management, braiding of the vines (instead of trimming), gradual reduction in planting density to 8,000 vines/ha to combat summer drought, sparing use of sulfur, parcel-by-parcel vinification using indigenous yeasts...
Recent vintages have been very convincing, with racy wines combining intensity, vinosity and finesse in the image of Calon-Ségur.
La Revue du Vin de France : 92-94/100 « Le cru confirme sa belle forme, avec des vins qui ont gagné en précision ces dernières années. Le 2024 s’inscrit dans cette dynamique : il est précis, longiligne, persistant, avec un fruit frais et des tanins épicés élégants. Notons les progrès réalisés sur le second vin, vraiment délicieux en 2024. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Phélan Ségur is an absolute delight. Dark and ample, the 2024 offers up a compelling mix of black cherry, leather, game, incense, licorice, gravel and pipe tobacco. All the elements are so well balanced. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, in other words, a very high percentage of Cabernet. That comes through nicely in the wine's aromatic finish. Phélan Ségur is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the year."
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "In the 2024 Phélan Ségur, 12,9% alcohol (analytical), Cabernet Sauvignon clearly exerts the most influence over its understated bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light graphite scents. The nose displays fine delineation, though obviously not the intensity of, say, the 2022 vintage. The palate is medium-bodied and linear in style with lighter tannins than in recent vintages and an attractive sapid note that runs from start to finish. The strict, black-olive-tinged finale seems almost Pauillac-like. There is an appealing classicism to the 2024."
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).
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 91-93/100 "The 2024 Les Pagodes de Cos is terrific. Medium in body and vibrant, the 2024 is impeccable. Blackberry, spice, leather, menthol and chocolate open gradually. A wine of balance and harmony, the 2024 is super-elegant. I find the less bombastic style here vis-à-vis the past quite investing."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Les Pagodes de Cos has quite a rich bouquet for the vintage with black cherry, hints of cassis and black olive, the latter only emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied and a little spicier than expected, with chalky tannins and a compact finish."
The acquisition of Calon-Ségur in 2012 by a subsidiary of Crédit Mutuel (a French bank) heralds the great awakening of this famous terroir of gravel on limestone, in one piece and entirely surrounded by a wall (a unique fact in the Médoc). All of Bordeaux wants Calon-Ségur to be as fabulous as those of the middle of the last century after a 15-year investment plan.
La Revue du Vin de France : 95-96/100 « Nous retrouvons un Calon de grand équilibre et saluons le beau travail sur la texture du vin, point fort ici, avec un grain d’une finesse admirable. Le vin est très posé, avec un fruit explosif, une finale de grande ampleur qui s’épanouit dans un registre frais, avec une minéralité saline. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 93-95/100 "The 2024 Calon Ségur is shaping up very nicely. Dark and ample, with terrific balance, the 2024 is another strong wine from the team led by Technical Director Vincent Millet. Readers will find a Calon Ségur of inner strenght, its deceptively mid-weight structure notwithstanding. The 2024 is a wine of restraint and class more than power, never a bad thing at this property. The 100% new oak is very nicely balanced, even in the early going. This has great potential."
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, fin, pur, fruité et suave, se développant floral, réglissé et fumé dans le verre. Magnifique entrée en bouche, ample, juteuse et soyeuse, puis le vin fond, noble dans son déroulé vers une grande longueur séveuse et délicatement parfumée par un fond boisé subtil. C'est incrachable ! Calon Ségur navigue de plus en plus fréquemment dans 90 % de cabernet. Improbable il y a quelques années ! »
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2024 Calon Ségur has a well-defined bouquet, with more prominent wood than previous recent vintages, which consequently obscures the property's DNA. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit tinged with black olive. It's quite lively, with a liberal sprinkling of white pepper and thyme. I admire the freshness of this Saint-Estèphe and there is decent length on the finish. This is not a top-ranking Calon-Ségur, but it should still provide up to 20 years of drinking pleasure."
The very high quality of Cos d'Estournel's recent vintages is impressive, placing it undoubtedly among the first great classified growths of the Médoc. A single qualifier comes to mind when we think of Cos d'Estournel: monumental, for its wines as well as for its cellar.
La Revue du Vin de France : 95-96/100 « “Raffinement” est sans doute l’adjectif qui qualifie le mieux ce Cos d’Estournel 2024. Le vin ne manque cependant pas de volume, avec un cœur de bouche dense et une finale montante. Avec moins de 13° d’alcool il se montre particulièrement digeste, sans pour autant manquer de potentiel de garde. »
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, fin, pur et fruité. Touche légèrement boisée à l'agitation du verre. Ample à l'attaque, juteux en milieu de bouche, avec de la classe dans le toucher, le vin fond en finale, puissant, séveux et très long. C'est incroyable de ressentir une telle puissance avec un si petit degré d'alcool ! »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 95-98/100 "The 2024 Cos d'Estournel could very well be one of the wines to the vintage. Bright and vibrant in the glass, with tons of energy, the 2024 impresses with its vertical structure, depth and overall balance. Blue/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, lavenderand mocha are beautifully delineated throughout. The 2024 is super-classic. The modest 12.8% alcohol is notable, especially because that also means there is less extraction of wood. Cos Is one of early favorites in 2024."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 93-95/100 "The 2024 Cos d'Estournel has an atypically powerful bouquet, revealing black fuit laced with graphite and gravelly scents. The palate has a Pauillac-like entry that's fresh but certainly intense. There's plenty of grip in this Cos d'Estournel that's a little sweeter and reassuringly persistent on the finish compared to its peers. It does not deliver the mineralité of a top-flight Cos d'Estournel, though there's certainly much more fruit intensity than you would expect given the growing season. I observed more classicism during my second record, which suggests that the depthof fruit may become more prominent during barrel maturation."
After 43 vintages, Mr Charmolüe sold the estate to Mr Bouygues in 2006. The change of ownership was accompanied by a spectacular project designed to bring Montrose into the 21st century: use of geothermal energy, installation of photovoltaic panels, recycling of CO2 from alcoholic fermentation...
There has also been a change of style in the wines, with a move towards greater aromatic complexity and textural refinement. Montrose nevertheless remains a wine of great breed, resting on a powerful tannic architecture and reserved for the most patient connoisseurs.
La Revue du Vin de France : 96-97/100 « Le cru poursuit son impressionnante série, il faut dire qu’il ne néglige aucun détail pour produire le plus grand vin possible. Ce dernier est désormais élaboré avec le cœur du terroir (une autre cuvée, différente de la Dame, sera d’ailleurs bientôt mise sur le marché). Le vin est multi-dimensionnel, avec une pureté de bouche exemplaire, mais surtout une matière qui se déploie très longuement et s’étire sur des tanins très civilisés. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 94-96/100 "The 2024 Montrose exudes Cabernet Sauvignon character in its aromatic savoriness and tannic structure. In fact, the 2024 has the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever. Tightly wound today, the 2024 impresses with its energy and focus. There's a bit less mid-palate and overall heft than most years, as well as a brighter fruit profile. Floral, spice and mineral overtones lend brightness throughout. The 2024 is a super-classic, nervy Montorse that will need a number of years to be at its most expressive. Aging projected to be 18 moths, with 60% new oak."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 94-96/100 "The 2024 Montrose has a well-defined and very able nose that demonstrates classicism, fine delineation and a little more florality than the Terrasse III. The palate is medium-bodied with very finely chiselled tannins and a keen line of acidity. This symmetrical Saint-Estèphe is blessed with an elegant, sapid and reassuringly precise finish that the estate seems to have honed in the last few years. It does not have the unbridled ambition of, say, the 2020 Montrose, but it is exceptionally well crafted and will become a fine Saint-Estèphe."
J-M Quarin : 94/100 « Beau rouge sombre, aux reflets vifs. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur et subtil. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, parfumé au milieu, le vin évolue fondant, savoureux, avec de la classe dans le toucher. Bien construit, il s'achève long et très bon. »
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.
La Revue du Vin de France : 90-92/100 « Très belle réussite. Une amplitude plus importante que la moyenne de l’appellation, avec des tanins précis, un toucher crémeux et souple et une juste définition acide. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 89-91/100 "The 2024 Fugue de Nénin is a tasty second wine from Jean-Hubert Delon's Pomerol estate; Floral, bold and fruity, the 2024 offers tons of immediacy in a mid-weight style that is all charm. Crushed flowers, orange peel and bright red-toned fruit are front and center. This is very nicely done."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 85-87/100 "The 2024 Fugue de Nénin has an uncomplicated bouquet that blends sappy red berry fruit with a touch of fig. The palate is medium-bodied and balanced with soft tannins on the entry, but it feels a little simplistic on the finish. This is an early-drinking Pomerol."
As its name indicates, Bellegrave is on the crown of alluvial gravel of the Isle. With application, Mr. Bouldy has been offering for 40 years a true artisanal Pomerol, fresh, with velvety, energetic tannins and excellent keeping qualities.
This beautiful 24-hectare estate has been run by Alain Moueix since 1992. He applies the same philosophy and methods as at Fonroque (Saint-Émilion): organic farming since 2015, biodynamic certification in 2018, search for freshness and elegance through controlled extractions... Mazeyres offers delicate and measured wines, without blush, with a great finesse of flavor that increases even more in recent vintages.
Vinous (N. Martin) : 87-89/100 "The 2024 Mazeyres just comes across a little simplistic on the nose, a little Médoc in style with gravel-tinged dark red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and slightly powdery in texture with pliant tannins and a soft landing on the finish. This is nicely balanced but early-drinking."
La Revue du Vin de France : 90-91/100 « Joli toucher de bouche, soyeux et velouté, qui surprend par son équilibre. L’acidité, plus mûre que la moyenne du millésime, soutient une matière sapide sans jamais heurter. Le fruit noir s’entrelace à des nuances végétales racinaires, apportant de la profondeur, avec un léger décalage aromatique. La finale saline et les tanins traçants prolongent le vin avec justesse et finesse. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 90-92/100 "The 2024 Mazeyres is a deep, polished wine. Dark and ample, the 2024 possesses very good balance. Black cherry, leather, spice and menthol are front and center. This sample shows a very slight sign of oxidation in the bouquet that is typical of wines raised with minimal SO2. Even so, this is promising."
The late Mr. Durantou's confidential Pomerol, made from a 0.6-acre parcel belonging to L'Église-Clinet. Its very high proportion of Merlot (90%) and sandier terroir give it a softer profile and an almost immediate charm. More rapidly accessible, without excessive stature, with crisp fruit and fine ageing, La Petite Église is a fine entry into the Durantou universe.
More than a second wine, it's certainly one of the appellation's best value for money.
J-M Quarin : 91/100 « Couleur rouge sombre, intense. Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr et subtil. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, savoureux au milieu, le vin glisse sur le palais avant de marquer un peu le tannin dans la persistance. Longueur normale. »
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2024 La Petite Église was showing a bit of reduction on the nose that made it a little harder to read, but there is certainly decent fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and impressive structure given the vintage and that this is a Deuxième Vin with plenty of mineral-driven black fruit on the vivacious finish. It is excellent."
La Revue du Vin de France : 92-93/100 « Assurément un des meilleurs rapports prix/plaisir de Pomerol ! Dès le nez, on devine un fruit de qualité, avec un accent mis sur la délicatesse. Les tanins sont particulièrement soignés, poudrés, soulignés par les notes traçantes des 10 % de cabernet franc. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 91-93/100 "The 2024 La Petite Eglise is really in a class by itself when it comes to the second wines of Pomerol. Dark and sumptuous in the glass, the 2024 exudes attractive inner perfume and fabulous balance. Inky dark red fruit, pomegranate lavender, spice, menthol, incense and rose petal stain the palate. This racy, striking Pomerol is lights out. I would be thrilled to own it."
Attention: great wine! Quietly, Feytit-Clinet is closing in on the biggest names in Pomerol, with only the price lagging behind. As the Revue du Vin de France rightly points out, "there are no spectacular château or ultra-modern wineries here", the reputation of this cru is built solely on the consistent quality of its wines.
More impressive than its success in great vintages is Feytit-Clinet's performance in "smaller" vintages: the 2013 is a Guide Hachette Coup de Coeur, the 2017 is one of the wines of the vintage according to A. Galloni (Vinous)...
La Revue du Vin de France : 89-91/100 « Le terroir tendre de Feytit-Clinet, combiné à la fraîcheur du millésime, a enfanté un pomerol simple, aux tanins poudrés, à la tension citronnée. Le bâtonnage prévu permettra sûrement d’envelopper le toucher et les notes racinaires. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 91-94/100 "The 2024 Feytit-Clinet is a very good wine in a challenging harvest marked by hail, mildew, coulure and millerandage. Dark and layered, with very good textural presence, the 2024 possesses notable depth. Black-toned fruit, leather, spice, gravel, incense and licorice convey an impression of somber gravitas. Some saignée in vinification as well as bâtonnage helped build attractive texture. As has been the case for some years now, the tannins are quite a bit less imposing here than they were in the past. Elevage, 65% new oak and 35% once-used barrels, will play a critical in determining the final result. Harvest started on September 18 for the Merlots and wrapped up on the 28th."
J-M Quarin : 90/100 « Nez très aromatique, fruité et un brin boisé. Bouche fruitée, élancée, savoureuse, agréable et de longueur moyenne. »
Nénin is like Léoville-Las Cases (same owner): a great wine, straight, tight, with a lot of length and always excellent ageing potential. In great shape in the last vintages, as Bettane&Desseauve underlines "In constant progress for its structural and aromatic precision, it is now in the court of the greatest".
La Revue du Vin de France : 93-95/100 « Loin du style plantureux du cru, 2024 tempère la générosité classiquement exotique de ses merlots sur graves et offre une interprétation al dente. Dans un style pur, à 13°, il arbore des tanins crayeux, une mi-puissance, avec une finale rappelant le pétrichor. L’apport modéré de fût neuf (65 %) devrait respecter cette matière. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 91-93/100 "The 2024 Nénin is redolent of dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and new leather. The strong presence of Cabernets, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, in this vintage yields a Grand Vin that is quite different in style for Nénin is quite appealing. The 2024 is a touch slender -that is inescapable- but the direction here is extremly positive."
J-M Quarin : 92/100 « Couleur intense. Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr. Juteux à l'attaque, suave en milieu de bouche, avec du goût et un toucher velouté, le vin file droit vers une finale de bonne longueur. Un profil inféré par le plus haut pourcentage de cabernet franc et de cabernet sauvignon recensé jusqu'alors. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 89-91/100 "The 2024 Nénin has a tertiary bouquet at first and takes a few swirls of the glass to find its feet, but touches of black plum and incense finally emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. The fleshy mid-palate gives way to a lightly spiced finish with a splash of soy. This should be quite approachable once bottled."
Always of a high standard for a reasonable price (in Pomerol), the wines of Gazin, medium-bodied and marked by truffles, are the archetype of the appellation and of exemplary consistency vintage after vintage. “One of Pomerol's best wines, with happy surprises after 10 years” for Bettane & Desseauve as for us.
J-M Quarin : 93/100 « Beau rouge sombre, aux reflets noirs. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité et subtil. Délicat en entrée de bouche, très savoureux au milieu, le vin fond sur le palais, juteux, subtil et long. C'est très bien fait et difficile à cracher. Ce pourcentage de cabernet sauvignon est très appréciable. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Gazin is classy and elegant even if it is a bit strict at this stage. Rose petal, mint, blood orange and cinnamon meld into a core of red-toned fruit. There’s gorgeous textural depth and resonance here. Clean saline notes extend the finish. All this needs is a bit of polish and pliancy in the mid-palate, but elevage should take care of that. Gazin is distinguished in 2024 by its unusually high presence of Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), along with 90% Merlot and no Cabernet Franc in this vintage."
Vinous (N. Martin) : 89-91/100 "The 2024 Gazin has a light, tertiary bouquet with blackberry and raspberry fruit. This needs a little more vigor but it is nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins, a healthy dash of white pepper and a structured, grippier finish than its peers. I appreciate the freshness in this Pomerol and it should show well once in bottle, but this needs more substance."
La Revue du Vin de France : 91-92/100 « Le profil frais du millésime rappelle la réserve naturelle du cru. Sans être austère, il laisse entrevoir une droiture singulière tout en gardant de l’harmonie et de la chair. Les tanins crayeux (10 % de cabernet-sauvignon) étirent la finale avec grâce. »
One of the appellation's ripest and most hedonistic crus until 2000, Clinet has since gained in distinction and refinement through successive touches (15% Cabernet in the vines, state-of-the-art technical equipment...). All this without losing the aromatic intensity and depth of flesh that are its hallmarks. Today, Clinet is unquestionably one of Pomerol's finest wines.
J-M Quarin : 94/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, au fruité mûr. Délicat en entrée de bouche, très aromatique au milieu, avec un toucher velouté, le vin glisse sur le palais, aérien, vers une finale à la saveur de mûre et sans angle tannique. C'est bon et c'est du Clinet. »
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2024 Clinet was matured in 60% new oak. The bouquet opens with red and black fruit, pencil shavings from the Cabernet and light tertiary scents in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. The oak is neatly integrated and benefits from slightly less new wood, which allows the terroir to show through. Cohesive toward the finish with decent length, this is thoughtfully produced Clinet."
La Revue du Vin de France : 92-93/100 « Le style classiquement généreux de Clinet est tempéré par le millésime. Avec 13° et 20 % de cabernet-sauvignon, 2024 offre donc un Clinet sans excès, très digeste, avec de beaux tanins traçants du cabernet mis en avant par une réduction de barriques neuves (60 %). Gourmand et défini, il vieillira avec grâce. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 92-94/100 "The 2024 Clinet is a dark stylish wine. Black cherry, lavender, spice, licorice and blue-toned fruit are beautifully delineated. Dark and vibrant in the glass, with terrific depth, Clinet is super-expressive in 2024. Ronan Laborde bled the musts to bring the wine into the rich, textured style he seeks here. Clinet is a rare Pomerol that is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Cabernet very much in evidence."
Garcin property (Barde-Haut, Poesia), 5.9 ha ideally located on the Pomerol plateau (between Clinet and L'Église-Clinet). Clos L'Église has been returning since 2011 to a more harmonious, melting and tasty version, similar to the style of La Conseillante.
J-M Quarin : 94/100 « Couleur sombre et intense. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très savoureux au milieu, avec un gras fin prenant le palais, le vin fond, subtil, parfumé, long et très bon. »
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.
Vinous (N. Martin): 92-94/100 "The 2024 La Conseillante has a clean and focused bouquet, with quite pure scents of blackberry, boysenberry and light blueberry. This is clearly without the flamboyance of a warming vintage, yet with ample freshness and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and balanced, with slightly grainy yet fine tannins. This is a La Conseillante that wisely stays within its means. Quite strict on the finish, it's a nimble Pomerol that will drink earlier than say, the 2020, 2022 or 2023."
Vinous (A. Galloni): 95-98/100 "The 2024 La Conseillante is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Vertical and explosive, with spectacular depth, the 2024 is an eye-opening wine, with regard to both the potential of the property and the vintage. In 2024, La Conseillante separates itself from the pack by a wide margin. It may ultimately not merit the very highest of scores, but it will almost certainly come close. Dark blue fruit, violet, spice, new leather, menthol and licorice stain the palate all the way through the creamy finish. Conseillante is a very serious wine. Technical Director Marielle Cazeaux made all the right choices in a very challenging year in which yields were reducted by 50% in the field and then through strict selection in the cellar."
La Revue du Vin de France : 84-96/100 « Marielle Cazaux continue de faire briller La Conseillante et livre une interprétation aérienne de 2024. L’âme de ce millésime réside dans la délicatesse du toucher animé par une fraîcheur ligérienne, tout en gardant de la chair et un velouté de tanins. Très nuancé, ce vin fait partie des réussites du millésime. »
Vieux Château Certan is one (the last?) of the very few Bordeaux grands crus where the owners, Alexandre Thienpont and his son Guillaume since 2011, are still the only cellar masters on board. Thanks to its Cabernet Franc (30% on average), Vieux-Certan offers a firm, distinguished and refined version of Pomerol, closer to Lafleur than Petrus. Its 2022 vintage has been showered with praise, as in Vinous, where the two tasters (Galloni and Martin) each rated it 100/100.
Vinous (N. Martin) : 95-97/100 "The 2024 Vieux Château Certan contains a higher proportion of Cabernet this year (23% Sauvignon and Franc combined). That Cabernet is articulated on the nose: graphite and light tobacco scents percolating through the mainly black fruit. This has plenty of freshness and more fruit than some other Pomerol cuvées. The palate is medium-bodied, but there is much more weight and density on the back palate than nearly all of its peers. Distinctly peppery and quite spicy in style, this is one of the few to transcend the strict limitations of the growing season. In some ways, it is an uncompromising VCC that does not have the finesse of the greatest vintages I have tasted over the years, yet there is flavour and substance packed inside this nascent wine. Deeply impressive. This is one of the very few '24s that will oblige bottle age."
Vinous (A. Galloni): 93-96/100 "The 2024 Vieux Château Certan is a delicate, elegant wine driven by its strong floral component from the significant presence of Cabernets in the blend this year. Silky tannins add to an impression of restraint. I can't remember tasting a young VCC with this equilibrium, one that approaches a Burgundian textural feel, for lack of a better word. The 2024 opens with a bit of time in the glass, but it is a decidedly understated, calm VCC. I can't wait to see how it ages."
La Revue du Vin de France : 94-96/100 « Un vin de grande classe, très “VCC”, porté par des cabernets francs traçants (20 %) et un équilibre remarquable entre droiture et velouté. La bouche est fine, de mi-puissance, avec une texture de cachemire et une sapidité florale (fleur de vigne, fleur d’oranger) très nuancée. Les tanins de graphite, presque médocains, rappellent les 9 % de cabernet sauvignon et sont soutenus par 5 % de presse bien intégrés. L’élevage (deux tiers de fûts neufs) accompagne un style serein et ancré, tout en subtilité et en relief. »
A talented and demanding winemaker, Mr. Durantou, at the service of a great terroir flush with Pomerol's church (between Lafleur and Clinet), has revealed and propelled L'Église-Clinet among Pomerol's finest crus. L'Église-Clinet is undoubtedly one of the most subtle in terms of aromatic precision, fine grain and satiny texture. Much too soon lost in 2020, Mr. Durantou fortunately has three daughters, united and determined to continue their father's work with brio.
J-M Quarin : 96/100 « Couleur rouge sombre, aux reflets noirs. Intense. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur, fruité, sentant bon les fruits noirs, puis les fleurs à l'agitation du verre. Minutieux dès l'entrée en bouche, particulièrement aromatique au milieu, avec un corps dense et beaucoup de goût, le vin évolue savoureux et complexe vers une grande longueur, tout à la fois séveuse et fondante. C'est remarquable pour l'année. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 94-96/100 "The 2024 L'Eglise-Clinet takes time to unfurl generous black cherry, mint and cassis aromas that blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with chiseled tannins that frame the mineral-driven black fruit. It's not the most powerful L'Eglise-Clinet I have ever tasted at this stage, but you have to admire the manner in which this just builds toward the finish whilst retaining poise and tension. The 2024 is a wonderful Pomerol that will age effortlessly in bottle."
La Revue du Vin de France : 93-96/100 « Le nez, réservé, nous rappelle le pedigree de ce cru de plateau, et distille de fines notes de fruits bleus et de violette. Le toucher est particulièrement savoureux, avec des tanins serrés, une définition acide vibrante, une grande allonge. Une des meilleures réussites de l’appellation. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 95-97/100 "The 2024 L'Église-Clinet is brilliant and intensely aromatic in its first impression. Vibrant red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, cedar and rose petal soar from the glass. Readers will find a vertical, explosive L'Église-Clinet that impresses with its poise and balance. The 2024 deftly marries finesse and power to a degree I have seldom seen here in the past. Superb."
A doll-like vineyard comprising 4 pure Merlot parcels, located between Lafleur-Pétrus, Le Pin and Trotanoy. Henri Parent, owner and son of the late Mme Péré-Vergé, is committed to producing at La Violette the most melting, radiant and exuberant version of Pomerol. All this under the guidance of oenologist Michel Roland, who has made La Violette a showcase for his expertise: the search for the most accomplished maturity, manual de-stemming grain by grain, complete vinification in barrel, etc. The critics have succumbed to the charm of La Violette.
Critics succumb to La Violette's charm: “A great wine of emotion that touches the heart as much as the mind” for M. Bettane, “More than ever, La Violette offers a unique experience in Pomerol” for La Revue du Vin de France.
La Violette is undoubtedly the most sensual and extrovert Pomerol, but also one of the rarest (800 cases per year).
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, fin, pur, fruité et profond. Ample à l'attaque, minutieux en milieu de bouche, très aromatique, le vin fond sur le palais, juteux et dense. C'est long, complexe et noble. Bravo ! »
Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2024 La Violette has a gorgeous bouquet with pure black cherries and crushed violet scents–well defined while retaining that opulent style. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins in its signature style, not as complex as the best vintages but it maintains balance and purity to the end."
La Revue du Vin de France : 92-93/100 « Particulièrement profond et sapide. La vinification en barrique apporte un enrobage bienvenu dans ce millésime filiforme ; elle apport de l’amplitude, du dynamisme. Son relief acide de belle qualité promet à ce pomerol une belle capacité de garde. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 93-95/100 "The 2024 La Violette is a sensual yet powerful Pomerol. Blue/Purplish fruit, lavender, menthol, chocolate and espresso all meld together. La violette is vinified entirely in Franch oak barrels. It's an approach that seems especially well-suited to this wine, as the wood amplifies flavor intensity. In recent years, La Violette has shed some of the heavy extraction that was penalizing in the past."
Like Pétrus, Le Pin is 100% Merlot. But if Pétrus has adopted a more classic style in recent years, Le Pin remains a hedonistic wine, often exuberant, sometimes even exotic. And unlike Pétrus, Le Pin is much rarer (500 cases per year).
J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur sombre, intense, vive et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, subtil et truffé. Gras à l'attaque, gras en milieu de bouche, parfumé, avec de la classe dans le toucher, le vin fond à la fois juteux, aérien et en même temps dense. C'est superbe ! C'est du Le Pin. »
Vinous (N. Martin) : 93-95/100 "The 2024 Le Pin has a relatively light, delineated bouquet of red berry fruit and touches of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine lattice of tannins. Very elegant and harmonious with a deft touch of white pepper, this is a delightful, slightly ferrous Pomerol that will drink well for 15 to 20 years. It just sashays along without a care in the world. 13.05% abv."
La Revue du Vin de France : 93-95/100 « Loin du style plantureux du cru, 2024 tempère la générosité classiquement exotique de ses merlots sur graves et offre une interprétation al dente. Dans un style pur, à 13°, il arbore des tanins crayeux, une mi-puissance, avec une finale rappelant le pétrichor. L’apport modéré de fût neuf (65 %) devrait respecter cette matière. »
Vinous (A. Galloni) : 89-92/100 "The 2024 Le Pin is aromatic and light on its feet, with lovely perfume but less in the way of mid-palate pliancy or persistence. Perhaps I caught Le Pin at an awkward stage, but my distinct impression is of a wine marked by elements of dulution and very fragile balance. Elevage will be critical. Wines like this can sometimes blossom in bottle, so we will see."