St Julien

This is the first vintage of our own-label St Julien to be made by Ch. Léoville-Las Cases, one of the finest properties in Bordeaux. Broodingly deep, dark and glossy in the glass, it has a ripe nose of black cherries, crème de cassis and cedar wood. The full-bodied palate is laden with pure blackcurrant fruit, wood-smoke and has a long, complex finish. A blend of 63 percent Merlot and 37 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, the superb 2016 vintage will repay a year or two in the cellar, but is hard to resist now.

There is a perfumed nose here, with linear aromas and a real scent of pure Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The subtleties of accompanying grapes ably fill in the gaps to make a wholly complete wine, with ripe and grippy tannins supporting the juicy fruit flavours. The wine has real depth, energy and length. It is a very good effort indeed. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Laura Atkinson, Private Account Manager

This Fourth Growth St Julien estate has been performing consistently well for the past several vintages and 2014 is no exception. The nose is pretty, attractively perfumed, fresh and expressive. The palate is dominated by rich, fleshy fruit. There is a purity here, great precision and ripe tannins which grip, and offer an intense focus. High acidity, complexity and a persistence on the finish suggest this wine has excellent potential for aging. Elegant and fine, it is a wine that the château can be proud of. Bravo indeed.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

The second wine of one of the best performing Second Growths shares many of the characteristics of its Grand Vin but offers superb value. Ch. Gruaud Larose is traditionally a good keeper; the Sarget, whose name comes from a previous shareholder, needs some time but not as long. 

I haven’t bought Ch. Langoa Barton or Ch. Léoville-Barton for my own cellar since 2005 and I wonder why. It is not because they have been ‘aggressive’ in their pricing policy, far from it, they are consistently being harangued by their neighbours to dramatically put their prices up.

Then is it the quality? No, again both have been perfectly ‘sound’, ah but that’s it! Over the last few years they haven’t stood out from the crowd enough. This year they both do, and I think the simple reason is the style of the vintage. It is not a flamboyant, dramatic vintage like 2009 or 2010.

It is classic and that is why classic wine makers have come to the fore and ended up back on my shopping list again. Ch. Langoa Barton, the feminine seductress, using its sweet, dense red fruit core to entrap and entice. Ch. Léoville-Barton in contrast, a yang to Langoa’s yin. Rich, dense, unforgiving, powerful black fruit dominant. This is a really profound brace this year.
Simon Staples, Berrys’ Fine Wine Director

The Bartons never make a bad wine; they always offer outstanding value and also have a knack of producing gorgeous wines in slightly off vintages. This may make life a tad predictable but it certainly explains why Langoa-Barton rightly flies out the door year in, year out. Made from almost 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, their 2007 is a particularly good edition with lovely pure plums and damsons on the nose and surprisingly refined, fresh, creamy raspberries and cassis on the palate. There is surprising weight, grip and focus although a fleshy structure will ensure highly pleasurable early drinking.

"A dense ruby/purple color and a heady, vibrant, crunchy (what the French would call croquant) fruitiness (raspberries and cherries) along with spicy oak and herb notes emerge from this medium-bodied, moderately tannic 2004. Drink it over the next 12-14 years." 88-90 points. (Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Jun-2006)

Patrick Maroteau's excellent 2015 from this Fourth Growth estate shows a real purity, with great precision and ripe tannins that grip and offer an intense focus. The rich, fresh, spicy nose of damsons and blackberry fruit oozes class. There is precision here, a polish – quite simply harmonious.

The wine tastes glorious, just as great wine should taste: crunchy pure and fresh fruit, high acidity, silky ripe tannins and nice balance. This is a triumphant wine, with a typical and classic blend for this great estate, and phenomenal length. It is a wine that the château can be proud of. Really elegant and one of our favourites, it's a must-buy this year.

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

We have consistently flagged up the progress made at this Fourth Growth St Julien estate in recent years and this vintage shows superbly the technical expertise which underpins their success. The bouquet shows intense focus, and on the palate there is great precision, with a tightly-knit core of sweet, ripe, berry fruit.

There is a very fine weave on the palate, a silky texture and a real concentration drawn from the low yield, which is around 18% below the figure for 2010. The tannins are abundant but are extremely fine, and this wine should age well for 15-20 years. Owner Patrick Maroteaux places this below the great vintages such as 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010, but above 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.

With his entire pride of properties purring this year it’s not surprising that, after its third year of production, this is the finest Petit Lion to date. Ripe and intense on the nose, sweet and powerful on the palate, this is just a whisker away in quality from the spectacular Clos du Marquis but should well be a bargain. (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot)
(Simon Staples, BBR Fine Wine Director)

A very solid performer both in terms of quality and pricing. It is very difficult to find any cheap back vintages of Ch. Talbot and when we do it is always at a higher price than at release. The 2014 was made under the watchful eyes of the famous consultant Stephane Derenoncourt and it is a stunner. Blackcurrant and cherries on the nose with a touch of cedar, one of the most focused and fresh wines of the appellation, lovely concentration and depth on the palate, bags of black fruits in the middle and and an excellent finish with firm but ripe tannins. Serious and structured, it will provide customers with generous fresh early drinking while having all the ingredients for long term cellaring. Definitely one to watch.
Max Lalondrelle, Fine Wine Buying Director/Bordeaux Buyer

The easy-going charm of 2014 as a vintage suits Talbot’s cheerful character well. Displaying a plethora of ripe, plump dark fruits with a depth of flavour this is going to delight followers of this perennially popular château.
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager A very solid performer both in terms of quality and pricing. It is very difficult to find any cheap back vintage of Ch. Talbot and when we do it is always at a higher price that release. The 2014 made under the watchful eyes of the famous consultant Stephane Derenoncourt is a stunner. Blackcurrant and cherries on the nose with a touch of cedar, one of the most focused and fresh wine of the appellation, lovely concentration and depth on the palate, bags of black fruits in the middle and and excellent finish with firm but ripe tannins. Serious and structured it will provide customers with generous fresh early drinking while having all the ingredients for long term cellaring. Definitely one to watch.
Max Lalondrelle, Fine Wine Buying Director/Bordeaux Buyer

Exceptionally fragrant this year, this Ch. Langoa Barton wine displays enticing aromas of both red and black fruits. The fruit continues strongly on the palate, but the wine retains a very fine elegance, while the tannins and acidity imbue it with an excellent structure, and there is excellent persistence and length on the finish. I usually find that I prefer Léoville-Barton to Langoa Barton at this early stage but this is an exceptionally fine Langoa; it may well be in the lead for now.

I was brought up on Ch. Gruaud Larose. I remember the 1983, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90 all with great fondness. I was mocked by my colleagues quite a lot. “Wouldn’t you like some fruit in your wine” or other such “quips”. I think it rude and a little unkind, but I sort of see their point with “Old Gruaud”.

But since 2005 I’ve fallen in love with it again in a different way. The 2011 is along the same lines. A major density of sweet, black fruit, with real weight and layers. Creamy and intoxicating. Rounded, plump and charming. Old Gruaud’s good, the new era is Great!
Simon Staples, Asia Wine Director

The second wine of Chteau Loville-Las-Cases, this is one of the finest St. Julians and also one of the best second wines being produced. The 1995 is the same elegant style one would expect from the first wine; it has outstanding depth and ripe sweet fruits in perfect harmony with its tannins, acidity and alcohol. Drink now and for a further 12 years.

Cassis and current aromas give way to some dusty cedar and notes of Indian spice; classic Gruaud Larose! There is an upfront sweetness to the palate with a deep core of black fruit that is guided and honed by fine drying tannins. The acidity is in perfect balance, suggesting this will age superbly.
Hong Kong Fine Wine Team This is an abnormally luscious and seductive wine for Gruaud Larose; especiallysurprising in a vintage like 2006. The powerful, spicy dark fruit nose withhints of violets acts as a highly enticing welcome. But, fear not, alongsidethe abundant, creamy, blackberry and strawberry fruit it has good tannic grip,freshness and lots of breed and elegance, in that typically chunky GruaudLarose way. Manager David Launay was ruthless with his selection, using only45% of his crop for this wine. The result is very satisfying, providing onceagain an irresistible combination of value and quality.
Simon Staples - Fine Wine Director - Jun-07