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.

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

This has an attractive perfume of dark fruits, blackcurrant, cassis, spice, cinnamon and mocha. The wine is tight, taut with a refreshing weight on the mid-palate and fine-grained tannins.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 59%, Merlot 31%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 4%

Sarget de Gruaud Larose is the second wine of Second Growth Ch. Gruaud Larose, a property that produces some of St Julien's most full-bodied and long-lived wines. Often a staff favourite at Berry Bros. & Rudd, Sarget is capable of serious ageing for a second wine, while 2006 is a dark horse of a vintage that suffered by following the great 2005 vintage.

A textbook St Julien nose of cigar-box, pencil shaving and cedar combines with smooth cassis and spice. It’s elegant and smooth on the palate, but with good structure and composed, fine-grained tannins. This is quintessential Claret and outstandingly good value.

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

Ch. Saint-Pierre is one of the smaller and lesser known properties within the appellation of St Julien. The 2015 brims with juicy red and black forest fruit, while the palate has a savoury twist of graphite. Full-bodied and flavoursome, this displays ripe, firm tannins and refreshingly crunchy fruit on the finish.

This is a stunning wine, epitomising St Julien's breed and elegance but with an extra dash of generosity. A fabulous rich nose leads to a structured palate with a lovely weight of ripe, creamy raspberry and loganberry fruit with liquorice and toast hints. The fruit quality is outstanding, with real energy and freshness, topped off by a long, pure finish. The harvest was very late here so the Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (30%) were able to really blossom. Given their reasonable pricing policy this is one of the wines of the vintage for value as well as quality.

Another estate which, without shouting it from the rooftops, has been quietly elevating itself to the very highest echelons of the Bordeaux hierarchy. The bouquet is one of the most opulent we experienced this year, laced with ripe black fruits.

The palate is amazingly harmonious, with gorgeous integration between oak and fruit, and the purity and precision is awesome. Beautifully balanced, this is one of my stars of the vintage, as it has been for the past 2 years.

Surprisingly accessible as well as supple, this 2001 St.-Julien reveals a deep plum/purple color along with a rich bouquet of smoke, roasted vegetables, black currants, plums, licorice, and Asian spices. Velvety-textured and medium-bodied, with loads of fruit, and a plump, expansive, plush texture, this is an atypically forward Gruaud Larose to drink now and over the next 12-14 years.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Jun-2004)

The enigmatic Philippe Blanc, director of Ch. Beychevelle, was in fine humour when we visited him to taste his 2008 Grand Vin. This estate just gets better and better and Philippe’s sunny disposition was a reflection of the bright fruit shining out of his wine. The round, plump, fleshy feel of 47% Merlot certainly comes across with opulent notes of ripe morello cherries but 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc add to its darker side and provide an elegant backbone. This is well balanced and rewarding: a fine achievement.

With its excellent terroir, Beychevelle should produce one of the great wines of the region. Well, shock horror, in 2006 it has made a big leap towards doing exactly that. With lovely unctuous fruit and silky concentration, this surprisingly powerful 2006 is a revelation. General Manager Philippe Blanc has plans to replant some of his Merlot with Cabernet in the future and it is no coincidence that the success of this focused, sexy 2006 has the lowest amount of Merlot (29%) and the highest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%) ever. Snap this up before the prices start going the same way.

Ch. Beychevelle’s 2009 has a beautiful nose of ripe bramble fruit and dark cassis and a smooth but highly concentrated palate of both red and black fruits. The Merlot content (44%) is surprisingly well-balanced here, considering the turbo-charged nature of some of the Right Bank wines. Beychevelle have blended it perfectly with their 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to make a truly harmonious wine.

Performing better from bottle than it did from cask, this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc has put on weight over the last year. It exhibits the classic style of both Las Cases and St.-Julien in its deep black currant notes interwoven with sweet cherries, wet stones, and toasty vanillin. Made in a structured, medium to full-bodied style with superb concentration, beautiful purity, and admirable symmetry, this beauty is one of the strongest efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028. Also tasted: 2004 Clos du Marquis (88)
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 29/06/2007