Bordeaux 2015:
the reds
Rather unique in character, it is clear that 2015 – with its hallmark freshness – is the best vintage since 2010 in Bordeaux. Many of the wines are excellent, “modern classics” that combine elegance and power, but it is important to be selective.
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Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste,
Ready, but will keep,
This wine is made by the team at Fifth Growth estate Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Its fabulous bouquet of blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box is classic Pauillac, as are its muscular, but opulent tannins and crisp freshness. The palate boasts the hallmark of the quality and appealing nature of the 2015 vintage, with rich, ripe black-fruit flavours, framed by a hint of toasty, fine-grained oak. It has the structure and energy to age gracefully but is hugely enjoyable now, ideally with rare roast lamb or beef.
Davy Zyw, Buyer (November 2019)
Davy Zyw, Buyer (November 2019)
Ready, but will keep,
Although this wine is classified as a “humble” Bordeaux Supérieur, its grower, Hervè Lhuillier, lavishes Grand Cru levels of care on its vines. This shows in the wine, which is incredibly sleek and polished for this level – a quality further enhanced by the generosity of the 2015 vintage. Lovely plum and cedar aromas are evident, and the wine is long, but not overdone. Overall, it’s a very impressive effort.
For laying down,
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
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
Chateau Pontet-Canet,
For laying down,
This grand Pauillac property delivers awesome flavours in 2015. You can't help but enjoy this magnificently ripe, sturdy, smoky claret. It has the cedary Pauillac characteristic. The tannins are pleasingly silky, and there is tremendous balance. Creamy blackberries and a precise shape, lead to a fruit-dominant finish hat tingles in the mouth. It needs some bottle age, but it follows the tradition of great wine from this leading estate. It's rich and powerful, but elegant and sweet.
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
For laying down,
The new cellar, winery and tasting room is now open at Les Carmes and it really is quite an astounding building. The 2015 is a pretty powerful wine, serious, complex and very interesting indeed. The floral bouquet is very pretty, layered with really ripe raspberries which are ever so attractive. My favourite aspect of the wine has to be the earthy, mineral character though, as well as the brilliant tannic structure.
The gravelly soils offer a lovely character and the wine has a sense of place, of terroir. Light in the mouth, the tobacco, sweet black fruits and creamy texture create a wonderful palate, but the savoury characteristics are what I enjoy most about this wine. It is another really promising wine for this up and coming estate.
Blend: 45% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
The gravelly soils offer a lovely character and the wine has a sense of place, of terroir. Light in the mouth, the tobacco, sweet black fruits and creamy texture create a wonderful palate, but the savoury characteristics are what I enjoy most about this wine. It is another really promising wine for this up and coming estate.
Blend: 45% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
For laying down,
Ch. Figeac stands out in some style in 2015. We have a soft spot for the wines of this estate and found the wines to be triumphant again this year. Fine, stylish and with generous gravitas, the wine immediately appeals in the glass with a tremendous dark purple colour. Lively, with spice evident on the nose and dancing on the palate, the highlight here is the really super-fine tannins which are just wonderfully integrated.
The finish is tasty, harmonious and refreshing. We loved the tension and underlying power of the wine. There is the coolness shared by the 2015s, but slightly more restrained. It's a wine which makes you happy to taste, drink and enjoy. Really delicious and complete, t is very much Ch. Figeac.
Blend: 29% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc
The finish is tasty, harmonious and refreshing. We loved the tension and underlying power of the wine. There is the coolness shared by the 2015s, but slightly more restrained. It's a wine which makes you happy to taste, drink and enjoy. Really delicious and complete, t is very much Ch. Figeac.
Blend: 29% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Lafite Rothschild,
For laying down,
There is lovely creamy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit here, with a persistence that is ever so attractive. This is really excellent. It exhibits a dense purple colour in addition to an excellent bouquet of black fruits, smoke, earth, and minerals, supple tannin, an excellent texture and a long, fine finish.
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot
Chateau Pape Clement,
For laying down,
Ch. Pape Clément is a very concentrated wine in 2015. The deep purple-coloured wine exhibits a fragrant bouquet of flowers, red as well as black fruits. Medium-bodied, well textured and rich, with attractive acidity, a long finish and moderate but sweet tannin, this is made in a textbook Pessac-Léognan style, with crunchy, dusty fruit. Good grip and polished tannins are present and there is plenty of weight here.
Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
For laying down,
This estate is always one of my favourite red Bordeaux and it is beautifully harmonious and quintessentially Margaux in 2015. A Second Growth of real complexity, its attractive nose has a wonderfully floral perfume. The well-integrated tannins and nicely judged acidity combine to produce a benchmark palate. There is real potential here. The racy freshness of the vintage is present and the coolness on the finish is rewarding. Ever so generous, delicious, fresh and juicy.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère
Chateau Palmer,
For laying down,
Ch. Palmer, a perennial favourite of our team has made another blockbuster in 2015. It is a remarkable wine and oozes class this year. The quality is exceptional and as good as the First Growths this vintage, with a glorious concentration of blackcurrant fruit on the nose and an intense, smooth, fruity, rich yet fine-boned palate.
The wine is powerful, but has such precision that it takes your breath away. Fine-grained tannins add elegance and there’s an intriguing, almost raspberry hint to the finish. This is a beautiful wine with the most sumptuous of finishes. A terrific, seamless wine, with a core of minerality: a true wine-lover’s wine.
Blend: 44% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot
The wine is powerful, but has such precision that it takes your breath away. Fine-grained tannins add elegance and there’s an intriguing, almost raspberry hint to the finish. This is a beautiful wine with the most sumptuous of finishes. A terrific, seamless wine, with a core of minerality: a true wine-lover’s wine.
Blend: 44% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot
Chateau Margaux,
For laying down,
This is a wine of great finesse, very soft and graceful. The emphasis is not on power, but there is an underlying momentum to the wine. There is a wealth of ripe, red fruit on the nose. Purity is an effective descriptor too.
Fine-grained tannins dominate the finish, which is persistent and with great harmony. Layers upon layers of fruit dance on the palate and a textured spice really pleases. It is a pure expression of wines from Margaux.
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Fine-grained tannins dominate the finish, which is persistent and with great harmony. Layers upon layers of fruit dance on the palate and a textured spice really pleases. It is a pure expression of wines from Margaux.
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Giscours,
For laying down,
There are generous helpings of blackberries and cream on the palate here and they sit wonderfully alongside the elegant Margaux femininity. Fine tannins, crunchy black fruit and excellent length. There is a wonderfully tasty minerality, structure and texture, which is typical of this commune. Focused and direct, it is a real pleasure to taste this wine. This is a serious, grown-up Ch. Giscours. I love the precision and character. It is so representative of Margaux.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Chateau Angludet,
For laying down,
What a lovely, rich and fresh wine. Ch. Angludet is always one of the most reliable châteaux. The rich concentration is so generous and rewarding. I love the sweetness at the front of the palate. Good depth, a bit of intensity and lovely tannins that harmoniously combine with an appealing acidity on the finish. Often described as a traditionalist's wine, this is actually rather delicious. Cabernet provides the power here, but it is so restrained, floral, perfumed and flavoursome. Margaux performed very well in 2015 and this wine is reflective of the quality of the vintage. Given that the price is always appropriate to the quality of the wine here, we have no hesitation in recommending it.
Blend: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot
Blend: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot
For laying down,
Deep ruby to purple, Rauzan-Ségla’s 2015 is a wine of great finesse. It displays tasty raspberry, cherry and forest floor aromas. This is really good Margaux. All the aromatics one would expect from this great commune are held together with wonderful precision. This is really rather stylish, elegant and accessible. It is an engaging dark-fruit based wine, with a significant volume of tannin on the finish.
The length is long and fresh, with a lingering coolness. The wine displays a tension, suggesting there is more to come in the future. What a terrific effort this year, the wine is certainly very close to its more illustrious neighbours and should therefore offer tremendous value.
Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
The length is long and fresh, with a lingering coolness. The wine displays a tension, suggesting there is more to come in the future. What a terrific effort this year, the wine is certainly very close to its more illustrious neighbours and should therefore offer tremendous value.
Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Batailley,
For laying down,
The toasty, ripe plum and cedar nose is extremely welcome and is followed by the freshness which has become a hallmark of the 2015 vintage. The purity of fruit is beguiling, with grippy acidity and tannins.
There is some sweetness, but it is allied to a purity which works very well indeed. This is a great example of Claret and Pauillac. It is also excellent value, and a wine which we have no hesitation in recommending again this year. Another very enjoyable wine from this estate.
Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
There is some sweetness, but it is allied to a purity which works very well indeed. This is a great example of Claret and Pauillac. It is also excellent value, and a wine which we have no hesitation in recommending again this year. Another very enjoyable wine from this estate.
Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste,
For laying down,
Balance, purity and finesse are the hallmarks of this approachable, intense wine – another fine example from the 2015 vintage. Very pure, fresh and clean, it also has a super attractive palate of blackberry and raspberry.
The finish is peppery and full of spice, with some hints of cedar too. I really like this wine. It's a top-class Pauillac, brilliant Claret and so precise. The velvety palate is polished and direct, but there is lots of interest dancing around the mouth. Another fantastic wine from François-Xavier Borie.
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
The finish is peppery and full of spice, with some hints of cedar too. I really like this wine. It's a top-class Pauillac, brilliant Claret and so precise. The velvety palate is polished and direct, but there is lots of interest dancing around the mouth. Another fantastic wine from François-Xavier Borie.
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
Ch. Lynch-Bages shines out like a beacon this year; it is definitely one of our favourite wines of the vintage. It has a very generous nose of toasty oak and dark fruits which are immediately appealing.
The powerfully structured palate has savoury hints of liquorice and ripe black juicy fruit which all combine in a dense, brooding, almost muscular mouth-feel. Displaying some elegance too, this Cabernet-dominated wine will surely gain even more weight in barrel and it could be tremendously stunning with a bit if patience. This estate now effortlessly outperforms its designated 1855 classification.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
The powerfully structured palate has savoury hints of liquorice and ripe black juicy fruit which all combine in a dense, brooding, almost muscular mouth-feel. Displaying some elegance too, this Cabernet-dominated wine will surely gain even more weight in barrel and it could be tremendously stunning with a bit if patience. This estate now effortlessly outperforms its designated 1855 classification.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Chateau Pichon Lalande,
For laying down,
The 2015 Reserve de la Comtesse is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a very fine, quite sophisticated and pure bouquet with black cherries, cedar and violet aromas, perfumed and sensual. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, rounded tannin that is cloaked by layers of tobacco-tinged black fruit that segues into a long, lightly spiced finish. This is a delightful, quite serious deuxième vin that I suspect will age much longer than drinkers will afford it. Try to give this five years and you will be rewarded. 2020-2035.
90-92/100
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
90-92/100
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
Chateau Pichon Lalande,
For laying down,
What a charming wine. The seductive fruit is so typical of this historic estate and I just love the enticing nose of pure cassis fruit and hints of cocoa. The ripe blackcurrant and cedar flavours combine with a touch of sweetness to produce a very generous palate.
This wine fundamentally tastes just as Pauillac should: silky, creamy and lush; ripe, fleshy and juicy. There is concentration here, as well as balance, and the cool freshness one has come to expect of wines from 2015 vintage. Really excellent.
Blend: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
This wine fundamentally tastes just as Pauillac should: silky, creamy and lush; ripe, fleshy and juicy. There is concentration here, as well as balance, and the cool freshness one has come to expect of wines from 2015 vintage. Really excellent.
Blend: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Chateau Pichon Baron,
For laying down,
This wine suggests that Ch. Pichon Baron is really making the most of their great terroir. There is layered complexity on offer here and the weight of fruit is superbly controlled and focused.
Layered with terrific creamy notes, this wine lifts, lifts and lifts with each moment it sits on the palate. The generosity of fruit fills the finish and it combines beautifully with the spicy, toasty vanilla. There is some power here, but the structure is so sound, that it is felt but not forceful. The finish is prolonged and effortlessly enjoyable.
Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot
Layered with terrific creamy notes, this wine lifts, lifts and lifts with each moment it sits on the palate. The generosity of fruit fills the finish and it combines beautifully with the spicy, toasty vanilla. There is some power here, but the structure is so sound, that it is felt but not forceful. The finish is prolonged and effortlessly enjoyable.
Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
This is seriously impressive, with a kick of sweet cassis fruit beautifully cloaking the grippy but extremely ripe tannins. It is a fine introduction to the wines of the great Ch. Lynch-Bages estate and really well proportioned. It is so cool, so refreshing, yet wonderfully ripe and opulent.
There is lovely creamy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, all kept together by a fine persistence. A delicate, harmonious red fruit nose leads onto a silky, feminine palate and a beautifully balanced finish. This is an excellent (and very good-value) glimpse at the wonders of the estate, but is also a very good wine in its own right.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot
There is lovely creamy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, all kept together by a fine persistence. A delicate, harmonious red fruit nose leads onto a silky, feminine palate and a beautifully balanced finish. This is an excellent (and very good-value) glimpse at the wonders of the estate, but is also a very good wine in its own right.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot
Chateau Mouton Rothschild,
For laying down,
The 2015 Ch. Mouton Rothschild is simply outstanding. It has a superb cool and racy palate brimming with Cabernet fruit. There is the ripeness, flair and gravitas you would expect from a First Growth and a very long, succulent finish.
The rich, intoxicating nose is extremely exciting, I just love the racy, pure cassis notes. The silky core of fruit is absolutely delicious. This is a really strong wine from a vintage which is justifiably rated highly. The crunch of fruit, a hallmark of the vintage, is present and utterly refreshing.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
The rich, intoxicating nose is extremely exciting, I just love the racy, pure cassis notes. The silky core of fruit is absolutely delicious. This is a really strong wine from a vintage which is justifiably rated highly. The crunch of fruit, a hallmark of the vintage, is present and utterly refreshing.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
For laying down,
Ch. d'Armailhac has all the hallmarks of its big brother, Ch. Mouton Rothschild, this year. The property is found right next door and shares many of the qualities that have made its illustrious sibling so famous.
It is creamy, brimming full of dark, dense blackberries and has a lovely savoury finish. This is seriously juicy, and I really like the succulent ripe fruits that dominate the palate. The cool and racy undertones are really pleasing. Full of flair and gravitas, if priced correctly it will be a real treat.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
It is creamy, brimming full of dark, dense blackberries and has a lovely savoury finish. This is seriously juicy, and I really like the succulent ripe fruits that dominate the palate. The cool and racy undertones are really pleasing. Full of flair and gravitas, if priced correctly it will be a real treat.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer (July 2019)