2014 Red Bordeaux

One of the several wines in the Jean-Hubert Delon (Léoville Las Cases) stable, Ch. Potensac is a great little wine. It holds its own when tasted alongside its more illustrious siblings, displaying a powerful underbelly and precise structure. It usually offers exceptional value and rewards five to 10 years’ cellaring – I expect both aspects to be true this year. Spicy green peppers greet the nose, combined with dark fruit, blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry. There is some sweet fruit on the finish, which is well balanced, quite long and intermixed with earthy spice, fresh acidity and ripe tannins.

40% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot

Ch. Haut-Batailley has a genuine Pauillac personality in 2014. Graceful and charming, it also appears to be delicate too, displaying a lightness of touch. There is a welcoming harmony to this wine. It just tastes as red Bordeaux should. Attractive, fleshy fruit nose, helpings of alluring dark fruits - in particular cherry and plum - and a spicy, lingering finish.

A beautiful savoury nose that's rich and enticing. Black fruit dominance which is slightly different to other years. Not better or worse because of it but different and still moreish and will offer relatively early access to its undoubted charms. Will be a bargain too. Come one. Come all.
Simon Staples, Sales Director - Asia

The rejuvenated Ch. du Tertre is steadily building a reputation for excellent value for money. The 2014 has a lovely expressive nose, with sweet red fruits combining effortlessly with aromas of floral cassis and dried fruit. There are generous helpings of blackberries and cream on the palate which sit wonderfully alongside the elegant Margaux femininity. Fine tannins, crunchy black fruit and excellent length. The Cabernet Franc provides a really strong backbone and the Cabernet Sauvignon a structure and texture, which is typical of this commune. There is a lovely peppery focus here, courtesy of the Cabernet Franc. Focused and direct, it is a real pleasure to taste this wine, even at such an early stage, straight from barrel. It's one of the best du Tertre wines we have tasted in many years.

Giscours was one of my favourite wines of the week. It is multi-layered with an ultra-fine tannic structure that makes you really fancy drinking it now! It has a great, juicy density that's completely compelling. Not as complex as 2010 but definitely up there with the 2009 Giscours. A favourable euro rate, a bountiful crop and a savvy head honcho at the Château will see this coming in at a great price and early release. No pressure there then.
Simon Staples, Sales Director - Asia

Round and seductive, Ch. Giscours is brimming with dark fruit this year, showing an inky colour. It is neatly packed with dense fruit, with good concentration and luscious tannins. Black fruit dominates the nose and palate. There is an elegance here, alongside a structure which demonstrates the super terroir of this property and indeed the appellation. Cool, refreshing acidity appears on the finish and textured tannins complete a really attractive mouth-feel. A broad, fleshy fruit profile really appeals.

The 2014 Malartic-Lagravière has a crisp and focused bouquet with precise blackberry and briary scents, a lovely undercurrent of mineralité. The palate is beautifully balanced on the entry with rounded, quite concentrated black fruit. There is a lot of extraction here and I fear that they may have found a touch of under-ripe tannin towards the finish, which is a shame because the nose is so damn gorgeous! Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Neal Martin, vinous.com

Ch. d'Issan has increasingly impressed us over recent years. There is a wonderful explosion of fruit on the nose, with strong, black fruit and soft, creamy notes. The combination of weight and polish is particularly pleasing. There is some grip, crunchy tannins and a feeling of composure on the palate. The nose has excellent intensity. The palate has a real density of fruit and impressive length. The typical cooling freshness of this vintage is apparent on the finish, and the fruit is wonderfully pure, juicy and ripe. This is one of the best wines from the Margaux appellation this year.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot

The yield was 40 hectolitres per hectare this year: that doesn't represent a great yield, but it is much better than recent years, in particular 2013. I always buy this wine for my own cellar and will be doing so again. Soft and really approachable, this is a gentle wine. Shy, but pretty on the nose, it is decadent and could be enjoyed very early; but that's not to say it won't age well, all the component parts are singing in harmony: ripe, fleshy fruit, freshness, attractive acidity and silky, fine tannins. The finish is soft too. This is so silky and enjoyable, even when tasting a barrel sample.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot

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

This year the blend is 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet, 1% Cabernet Franc and just 4,750 cases will be produced. The nose is elegant, refined and pure. Beautifully streamlined. Spicy, almost sweet Asian spice in style. The fruit explodes in the mouth but is restrained by the beautiful structure (almost the highest total acidity on record). A very linear wine showing a very fine, silky tannin structure and great integration of oak. Clinet 2014 is well balanced and has a long, pure finish. Recommended!

The 2014 Smith Haut-Lafitte has a much simpler bouquet than the 2014 Pape-Clément, with scents of pencil lead and cooked meat infusing the black fruit. The palate is well balanced with slightly firm tannin, moderate levels of acidity that segues to a very peppery and vivacious finish. This is a sophisticated and classy Pessac-Léognan, though I wonder if it is starting to close down? Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Neal Martin, vinous.com

This wine is elegant, fine, rich, beautifully-textured and bursting with cassis, blackcurrants and intensity. The instant explosion of flavour is utterly compelling here. After several years in barrel this should add in intensity, age gracefully and develop complex, multi-layered fruit. It showcases all the hallmarks of the great Ch. Mouton Rothschild stable and could be punching above its weight this year. It will be a real treat to enjoy in several years’ time.

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Carmenere

For many years now and since the turn of the 21st century, Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron has been performing exceptionally well, in both the challenging and more favourable vintages. Their best Merlot plots are located next to Ch. Latour, and although this provides just 20 percent of the blend this year, it contributes a lot to the whole – providing dignified elegance and the cooling freshness we are finding in the top performers of 2014. There is a layered complexity here, fine, grainy tannins and generosity of fruit. A creamy texture fills the finish, enhanced by a prolonged, lingering, spicy undercurrent. It is a very good result.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot

A dark black-red, Montrose is brooding in the glass. Complex and concentrated on the nose, there are blackcurrants, liquorice and hints of mint. There is a nice intensity on the palate, quite firm, full-bodied and full of minerals and spice. Perhaps more refined than usual, the wine is really rewarding and quite generous with notes of fleshy dark cherry and blackcurrants. There is an inherent richness here, a lovely dark fruit profile and pure, focused tannins which are typical of this great estate. This is a really fine effort, engaging, atypical of the great commune of St Estèphe and one of our favourites from the vintage. Modern and pure, it is a perfect expression of modern Ch. Montrose.

30% Merlot, 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc

Brilliant deep colour. Dense dark fruit aromas, cassis, incredible concentration. Amazing perfume. So often Lafite is impenetrable from cask. The palate is dense and concentrated but so beautifully balanced. Such fine boned structure, perfectly silky, the purest and most elegant wine of the vintage. The tannins are fine, powdery and beautifully integrated. A long, lifted finish. Oh so Lafite and everything it should be.
Gareth Birchley - Fine Wine Buyer

There is real energy on the nose of the Grand Vin. Sweet, succulent and beautifully-perfumed with floral aromas and a touch of vanilla-spice. There is focus here, but a rewarding elegance too, even at this young age. Like La Conseillante and Ch. Figeac, this great estate has used its famous terroir to create a special wine in 2014. Light, silky, yet generous and lifting on the finish, it is a splendid result this year. Minerality follows on the lingering finish, with carefully- and well-managed tannins rounding things off. This is really good St Emilion.