Catalog

The 2021 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2025): 94/100 “The great 2021 wine is heavily marked by Cabernet Sauvignon (97%). It is therefore logically rather straight and taut, but with plenty of breed and definition, with notes of red fruit, licorice and spices.”

Vinous (A. Galloni - December 2023): 95/100 “The Durfort-Vivens 2021 was magnificent, rich, dynamic and super-expressive. Above all, the 2021 is perfectly balanced. Black fruit, lavender, licorice, leather and clove burst from the glass. Today the 2021 is an infant. It needs time to shed some of its considerable tannin and for the acids to soften, although that might not ever fully happen.”

Bettane + Desseauve (Guide 2026) : 94/100

The 2019 vintage in the press:

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2024): 99/100

Vinous (N. Martin - September 2021): 93/100 “The 2019 Durfort-Vivens was matured in two-thirds new oak barrels and one-third in amphore. Plush on the nose with blueberry and violet scents, this is Margaux in style though much tighter than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine delineation and poise. It's pretty delineated towards the finish that shows more mineralité than previous vintages. There is an appealing linearity here, a trait that Gonzague Lurton seeks in this wines. Excellent.”

The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - December 2018): 93/100 "The 2016 Durfort-Vivens is gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and structure play off the natural intensity of the year beautifully. Blackberry, grilled herbs, licorice, leather and crème de cassis are all vividly sketched in this layered, expressive Margaux. Readers should expect a dark, exotic Margaux that stands a bit apart from the norm for the appellation."

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The 2023 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2027) : 93/100 “A reliable choice from the appellation, offering a Margaux that is perfectly balanced and refined. The nose combines fresh fruit and floral notes with great charm. On the palate, it is soft and supple, unfolding naturally with very fine tannins and a delicious finish. A harmonious and seductive wine.”

J-M Quarin (March 2026): 95/100 "Very aromatic, refined, pure nose with ripe fruit. It develops delicately creamy in the glass, with a hint of hazelnuts. Meticulous and elegant on the palate, graceful to the touch, with lots of flavor, the wine slowly evolves towards a savory finish without losing its velvety texture. Beautiful, unmistakable persistence. Fine tannins. Very good." 

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2026): 91/100 "The 2023 Château d’Issan has a well-defined nose with predominantly red berry fruit (redcurrant and wild strawberry), with light rose petal scents emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit laced with white pepper. I would have liked more length and breadth, given the vintage."

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2027) : 93/100

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The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2026): 93/100 "The 2016 Château d'Issan has a more lush, slightly precocious bouquet with violet-infused black plum and marine scents, classic in style, “cool and collected”. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced, unapologetically classic in style with just the right amount of austerity on the finish. Surely one of the best vintages from this historic estate in recent years."

J-M Quarin (March 2020): 93/100 “Delicate and mellow on entry, delightful in the middle, finely pulpy and aromatic, the wine glides through the finish savory and long, on fine-grained tannicity.”

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2020): 94/100 "The 2016 d'Issan has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, violets, rose petal and light undergrowth aromas, displaying fine lift and great intensity. The medium-bodied palate offers fine-grained tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Fresh and vibrant, with a very harmonious, elegant and persistent finish. Excellent."

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The 2015 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 95/100 “Beautiful dark red, intense. Very aromatic nose, fine, fruity, pure, ripe. Minutious on the entry, particularly tasty in the middle, with a graceful bearing, the wine melts on the palate, juicy, fat, long and even deep. Bravo!”

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2025): 90/100 “The 2015 Château d'Issan has a potent bouquet with bold toasty black plum and gamey scents. There's possibly just a bit of Brettanomyces here. The palate is pure and medium-bodied with a pleasant fluidity, a keen bead of acidity and tensile finsh. This is modern in style and well made, yet I am certain this bottle was not showing at its peak.”

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The 2022 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2026): 98/100 "Once again, it stands out as one of the most captivating wines in the appellation. What a festival of aromas: red and black fruits, flowers, menthol... At this stage, it is the most charming wine in the appellation, with a magical sparkle, silky tannins and magnificent length. It will nevertheless age very well."

J-M Quarin (February 2025): 99/100 “Intense purple-black color. Magnificent nose: intense, fine, subtle, pure and complex. Grows a little more intense with agitation, becoming captivating, with nuances of vanilla, cherry and zan. Full-bodied on the attack, fleshy in the mid-palate, with a great burst of flavor, the wine glides across the palate, savory, rich, mellow and deep. The finish is almost ethereal, taking it into another dimension that's impossible to spit out. The Médoc's most extraordinary advance towards ultra-luxury of taste! Bravo et merci.”

Vinous (A. Galloni-February 2025): 97/100 “The 2022 Brane-Cantenac showed supremely well from barrel. Now in bottle, the aromatics are tightly wound at first, opening with each swirl to reveal blackberry, crushed stone, peony and cracked black pepper scents. It is quintessential Brane-Cantenac. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins that lend this MArgaux unerring sym. Indeed, this is the finest balanced Brane-Cantenac that I have encountered to date. It is almost pixelated in quiality and very focused, with wonderful depth, precision and gentle grip toward the finish. So much energy is packed into this wine that it is almost impossible to detect the 100% new oak. It's brillant.”

Bettane + Desseauve (Guide 2027) : 96/100

The 2020 vintage in the press :

La Revue du Vin de France (November 2026) : 95/100 “The wine is deep, with fruit that is still dense, whole and almost raw. Its presence and vigour suggest great potential. With this vintage, Brane-Cantenac proves that it can rival its peers in terms of intensity and body.”

The 2019 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 97/100 “Dark, crimson color, intense and beautiful. Very aromatic nose, with ripe, subtle fruit. Complex. Minutious on the entry, very, very aromatic in the middle, with class in the touch and a lot of taste, the wine evolves juicy, long, tasty, on a melting body. It's superb and, above all, impossible to spit out.”

Vinous (A. Galloni-February 2019): 97/100 “The 2019 Brane-Cantenac is wild and exotic from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are dazzling. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, tobacco, new leather, menthol and cinnamon are all kicked up in this flamboyant Margaux. The 2019 is radiant and generous, yet also retains a very classic sense of structure. The precision here is just unreal. In 2019, Brane-Cantenac is an absolute head-turner. It is a sort of wine wine that abounds in Bordeaux, a wine that offers tremendous quality and relative value.”

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The 2016 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (November 2026) : 95/100 “A fresh, pure and lively wine, still a little raw but clearly of fine pedigree. Great vigour on the palate, full of promise, with brilliant acidity. It simply needs a little time for the hint of harshness that still characterises the mouthfeel to mellow.”

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2026): 96/100 "The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has the most extravagant bouquet by far, with vivacious black and blue fruit, bunches of violet, potpourri and heather. Beautiful definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite sapid in style, not as luxuriant as the nose, and the finish seems to have clammed up at the moment. But just give this time."

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 96/100 “Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Very aromatic, fruity and creamy on the nose. Soft on the palate, tasty in the middle, with class in the touch, the wine melts on the palate, deep, delicate, taut and tender at the same time. Great aromatic persistence, with a fine grain. Superb!"

Vinous (N. Martin - December 2018): 96/100 "The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn't come better than this."

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The 2015 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (November 2026) : 95/100 “There is a hint of overripeness in the fruit: the palate is inviting, even more so than that of the 2016, velvety yet without any heaviness, flavourful and still lively on the finish. The perfect integration of the oak is worth highlighting in this wine, which effortlessly avoids the sometimes slightly static and dull character of the vintage.”

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 97/100 “Dark, intense, slightly evolved color. Very aromatic nose, with pure, ripe, suave fruit. Ample on the attack, mellow in the mid-palate, with class in the touch and a very fine ascent between the middle and the finish, the wine evolves long, liquorice and deep. It's superb and the right expression of this vintage compared to the previous one.”

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2025): 93/100 “The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is a classy Margaux that is drinking beautifully at ten years old. It still has those blackberry and bilberry scents mixed with tobacco and light minty aromas that I have not noticed in previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, a keen line of acidity, bright red fruit mixed with curry leaf and touches of black tea. It doesn't have the chutzpah of a truly great Brane-Cantenac on the finish but conveys a sense of class."

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The 2008 vintage in the press :

La Revue du Vin de France (November 2026) : 92/100 “The wine is still reserved but very refined, despite its obvious tannic firmness. It is a ‘cool’, late-harvest, distinguished wine, which reveals floral notes when aerated. It has by no means revealed its full potential.”

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The 2019 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2023): 93+/100 “The 2019 Rauzan-Ségla is surly and backward on the nose despite aeration. Gravelly black fruit, sous-bois and touches of seaweed emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fleshy and smooth, a dash of white pepper and cedar towards the shelled finish. This is one bottle that desperately needs more aeration to show its capabilities - one for long-term cellaring".

La Revue du Vin de France (September 2022): 97/100 “Another splendid success for this vintage. Intense and very civilized, it falls into the mouth with evidence and grace, like a haute couture dress. A great incarnation of Margaux at its best".

J-M Quarin (March 2022): 96/100 “Delicate on the entry, very aromatic in the middle, complex and tasty, the wine takes on taste between the middle and the finish and stretches out, offering fruit and floral nuances. Juicy, deep, with a slightly austere tannic structure behind which come multiple aromas. A great, racy wine. Bravo!”

The 2015 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (August 2020): 96/100 “Mellow mouthfeel, full-bodied and melting, with fatness from the mid-palate and real aromatic power. It's long and very good.”

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2025): 96/100 “The 2015 Rauzan-Ségla has so much freshness and vitality on the nose, with raspberry, cranberry and the crushed violet and iris flower aromas that define it as Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied tannins matched with a pinpoint bead of acidity. There is elegance from the start, with impressive weight and length, remaining sapid with a hint of graphite on the finish. A marvelous Rauzan-Ségla that probably represents one of the best values on the left bank."

The 2022 vintage in the press:

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2027): 95/100

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2026): 93/100 “The 2022 Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux showed a little reduction at first, though there is clearly very concentrated fruit here: blackberry and blueberry, violet and light iris flower scents that emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth, silky tannins. Commendable tension, very refined, very pure in terms of fruit with a sleek, very cohesive finish. Discreet in conveying its sense of class, this is a delightful 2022 Margaux and it matches many Grand Vins."

The 2020 vintage in the press:

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2024): 92/100

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2024): 94/100 “The 2020 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux has a wonderfully delineated, utterly charming bouquet—pure and floral with enticing violets infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant, finessed tannins. A gentle grip disguises the power of this Margaux, which is persistent and caressing on the finish—outstanding. This shoots well above my expectations!"

The 2018 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (March 2022): 95/100 “Pulpy at the start of the mouth, fat and fragrant at the same time, with a strong occupation of the palate, the wine stretches out on the finish, complex and racy in its fresh and long return. It's very good.”

Vinous (A. Galloni - March 2021): 94/100 "The 2018 Pavillon Rouge is a powerful, brooding wine with huge fruit and equally imposing tannins. Time in the glass brings out elements of Château Margaux finesse to balance things out. In 2018 the Pavillon has some lots that tend to go into The Grand Vin, but that were deemed too tannic for that wine."

The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - february 2026): 91/100 “The 2016 Pavillon Rouge is more tertiary on the nose, with blackberry and tobacco, veering more towards Pauillac in style with its enticing marine element. The palate is medium-bodied, with sappy black fruit, fresh and quite peppery. There is a bit of muscle on the finish, and personally I would afford it more time in bottle to shave its edges."

The 2015 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2025): 90/100 “The 2015 Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux has a light, earthy bouquet that requires more fruit presence, with scents of briary and black tea. The palate is medium-bodied and ferrous, with pliant tannins, dusky red fruit and a little attenuation toward the finish. The 2015 is drinking perfectly now."

Jean-Marc Quarin (September 2020): 95/100 “For the moment, the nose is a little discreet, with ripe, suave fruit and a hint of meatiness. It's the palate that sets this wine apart. Soft and melting from the outset, it develops complexity in the mid-palate, gaining power in the finish, but all in nuance. Very fine-grained, long finish with lots of flavor."

The 2014 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2024): 93/100 “The 2014 Pavillon Rouge has a more classically styled nose compared to its peers, black fruit mixed with graphite and tobacco, unfolding nicely in the glass and incrementally gaining opulence. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, rounded in the mouth, fleshy and plush, with no hard edges in sight. This is quite a seductive Margaux, but it pulls it off well.”

J-M Quarin (September 2020): 94/100 “Very well constructed, savory, the wine caresses the ascending palate on the finish, with a slightly firmer tannic presence, without the flavor being altered...”

The 2010 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2020): 92/100 "The 2010 Pavillon Rouge has a delightful, elegant bouquet with wild strawberry, blackberry and cedar aromas, very well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, veins of blue fruit emerging with time in the glass and with just a touch of salted liquorice towards the finish. This could be à point."

J-M Quarin (January 2022): 94/100 “Slightly discreet nose, with ripe, even sunny fruit. Meaty touch. The palate is a caress. The wine melts and develops airily, deliciously, without any tannic presence.”

The 2005 vintage in the press:

Vinous (A. Galloni - April 2021): 93/100 "The 2005 Pavillon Rouge is in a beautiful spot right now where it is just beginning to show signs of aromatic complexity and nuance. At fifiteen years of age, the DNA of the vintage remains - ¨Pavillon Rouge is a potent, hulking wine. Sweet tobacco, cedar, mint, dried flowers and anise add layers of nuance. Readers lucky enough to own the 2005 should be delighted. I imagine positively stellar. The more it opens in the glass, the more classic it becomes."

J-M Quarin (June 2019): 94/100 “Superb! A wine that can be confused with Château Margaux...A must try!”

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The 2023 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2027) : 96/100 “The wine offers a generous bouquet of black and red fruits, a hint of spice and notes of mint. The attack is full-bodied and straightforward, with the fruit taking centre stage. It then unfolds, with well-integrated tannins, great length and a lovely freshness on the finish.”

Vinous (A. Galloni – March 2026): 100/100 “There's not much to say about the 2023 Palmer. It was exceptionally beautiful en primeur, and it is all that today. Black cherry, plum, gravel, incense, truffle, licorice and chocolate soar from the glass. Texturally gorgeous and riveting, Palmer delivers on all fronts in 2023. As always, Palmer is one of the most distinctive wines in Bordeaux. It's next to impossible to say we are on the Left Bank.”

J-M Quarin (March 2026): 97/100 "Intense, beautiful black colour. Very aromatic, refined, fruity nose with hints of liquorice and a fresh black fruit background. It's impossible to distinguish the grape varieties! Ultra-precise on the attack, very aromatic in the middle, the wine melts on the palate, noble and complex. It finishes deep and ascending with great tannic distinction. Very elegant. It's impossible to spit it out!"

Vinous (N. Martin - February 2026): 96/100 "The 2023 Palmer was bottled in July 2026, the same time as Alter Ego. As you might expect, this is a little more control and precision on the nose by comparison, hints of peony and violet pinpointing its Margaux origin. Superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins. Just a bit more backbone at the moment compared to its First Growth neighbor tasted directly before, a little more graphite comes through toward the finish. This Palmer coats the mouth and seems to be one of the most mineral-driven within the Margaux appellation. Excellent."

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2027) : 96/100

The 2023 vintage in the press:

La Revue du Vin de France (Guide 2027) : 100/100 

Vinous (N. Martin - January 2026): 99/100 “The 2022 Château Margaux is almost stentorian on the nose, very Pauillac in style, complex and beautifully defined with layers of black fruit, tobacco and a dash of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Perfectly balanced, poised and persistent, with incredible mineralité and purity towards the satin-textured finish. Potentially the wine of the vintage.”

Bettane et Desseauve (Guide 2027) : 97/100

The 2020 vintage in the press:

J-M Quarin (September 2023): 99/100 “Deep, dark red color. Great, complex, subtle nose. Nuances of raspberry and flowers. Hint of ink. Hint of licorice. Fascinating. Ultra meticulous on the entry, ultra melting in the middle, with an insane class in the touch, the wine melts on the palate, refined, subtle and graceful. Very long, complex and fine-grained. It's beautiful, pure, dense and yet unputdownable.”

The 2016 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - february 2026): 99/100 “The 2016 Château Margaux has a magnificent bouquet with pure black fruit, violet and iris flowers, crushed stone coming through with time. Brilliant delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, wonderful weight and density, pure and delivering that peacock's tail on the finish. This has a haunting beauty almost unmatched in this vintage.”

The 2012 vintage in the press:

Vinous (N. Martin - May 2021): 94+/100 "The 2012 Château Margaux is a wine that, based on this showing, is a little closed at the moment and needs the most coaxing from the glass; Plenty of black fruit in situ, altough it does not really blossom. It is very well-balanced, quite deep and powerful, but it needs time to develop refinement on the finish."

J-M Quarin (February 2020): 96/100 “Minutious on entry, then complex in the middle, the wine develops particularly aromatic on an upward stimulus on the finish where it comes to a sophisticated, long finish on fine grain. This superb balance makes it unputdownable!”