St Julien

This is the rst vintage of our own-label St Julien to be made by Ch. Léoville-Las Cases, one of the nest 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 nish. 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

Despite increasing recognition in recent years, one would still have to say that Ch. St Pierre remains one of the Médoc’s surprise packages, under most people’s radar whilst making assured and rewarding wines. Always nicely expressive of the St Julien appellation, in 2012 the wine has an attractive savoury note and is generously fruity. Predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, the tannins are nicely ripe and there is an attractive gloss of new oak.
Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Buying Director

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)

Ch. Langoa Barton impresses in 2012. The character of its Cabernet Sauvignon is vivid and expressive, created from low yields by nature’s vicissitudes during the growing season and supported by a rigorously enforced selection process, which removed any fruit deemed even possibly unripe. Cabernet Sauvignon is 70% of the blend, with 22% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, all of which will be aged in 60% new barrels. The wine presents with a remarkably juicy initial expression of cassis and the palate remains fruit-driven. Any thoughts that Langoa might tend towards rusticity in this vintage should be dismissed although the wine should be considered for earlier drinking after five or so years.
Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Buying Director

Langoa-Barton is always one of the first names on our buying list for any new Bordeaux vintage. The consistently sensible pricing and excellent quality from Anthony Barton and his daughter Lillian make it one of the must-haves in Bordeaux. Their 2006 is more masculine than usual, with bags of restrained dark fruit combined with firm tannins, a powerful structure, and a lively mineral-laden finish. This will definitely be a Langoa for the long term.
Simon Staples, BBR Fine Wine Director, June 2007

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.

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.

Very calm, pure, dark fruited, even suave and certainly assured the 2013 Ch. Léoville-Poyferré shows much of the polished, more contemporary style, that we have come to expect from the quietly determined Didier Cuvelier and team this last decade. This does have a serious-enough tannic finish but there is fruit aplenty and 2013 can be considered a vintage for the château to be proud of and one that will reward mid-term. Drinking 2019-2025.
Tom Cave - Cellar Plan Manager


Lovely sweet intensity on the nose, lots of pure cassis coming through on the nose, very polished and pure with a touch of well integrated oak. Lots of cassis and  black cherries coming through on the palate, good complexity, sweetness and generosity for the vintage and compared to other wines from the region, a good long and well balanced finish. Classic poyferre and another tour de force in a difficult vintage. I have some 01 and 04 in my cellar which are delicious now and this should prove to be a wise purchase for the followers of this property if released at the right price.
Max Lalondrelle - Fine Wine Buying Director