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One of the very greatest estates of Bordeaux, Château Mouton Rothschild is in the commune of Pauillac in the Haut-Medoc, 50km north-west of the city of Bordeaux. Its Chateau wine or grand vin is among the worlds most highly-rated and expensive. Excluded from the highest rank (Premier Cru or First Growth) of the famous Bordeaux Classification of 1855, Mouton was finally promoted in 1973 after decades of lobbying by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who ran the estate from 1922 until his death in 1988. Mouton was first in the region to bottle at the estate, rather than shipping its wine to merchants for bottling elsewhere. Since 1924 artists including Braque, Dali, Picasso, Henry Moore, Miro, Chagall, Kandinsky, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, David Hockney and Lucian Freud have been commissioned to produce label images. Mouton, uniquely among the First Growths, remains in the hands of the same family as it was at the time of the 1855 Classification. The vineyards are on slopes with gravel-based soils leading down to the Gironde estuary and total 75ha 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The Chateau wine is (unusually) fermented in large oak vats and then matured in new oak barrels for between 19 and 22 months. Total production of the grand vin is 20,000 dozen or less. There is a second wine, Le Petit Mouton, established in 1993. The grand vin is noted for its flamboyance exotic, powerful aromas of cassis, minerals, tobacco leaf and graphite, an opulent palate and impressive length of flavour.

'The 2011 Cote Rotie La Mouline is more perfumed, exuberant and approachable than the 2010. It exhibits a crazy bouquet of spice-box, vanilla bean, spring flowers and sweet kirsch, cassis and black raspberry. Full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with sweet tannin, it will be hard to resist in its youth and have 2+ decades of prime drinking. The father/son team of Marcel and Philippe Guigal continue to keep their estate at the top of the hierarchy in the Rhône Valley. All the way from their inexpensive Côtes du Rhône to their top-end Côte Rôties and Hermtiage, the attention to detail and focus on quality is unmatched... this estate is producing some of the most incredible and singular wines in the world.' - 96-99 Points |Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Limited Stock | Available in selected stores only.

Bouchard owns two parcels at the top and bottom of the famed walled vineyard, although presently their Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru comes from the top part, as the bottom has been pulled up. This part of this famous, 50 hectare walled vineyard tends to produce the best wine that have Grand Cru concentration and structure.

CHATEAU DE LA TOUR Vieilles Vignes, Clos de Vougeot

Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori and named after the grove of flowering ash trees that surround the winery, the estate over looks the Tyrrhenian Sea with views stretching to islands of the Tuscan Archipelago and as far as Corsica. Sitting adjacent Tenuta San Guido (producer of Sassicaia) this is one of the estates that helped put Bolgehri on the map, along with Lodovicos older brothers Solaia and Tiganello, as well as Sassicaia. There are 3 wines in the range, the flagship Ornellaia; its second label, Le Serre Nuove; and its entry-level gem, Le Volte. Grape Varieties in 2014: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. The 2015 vintage comprised 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot.

Château la Mission Haut-Brion is on uniquely stony soil in the Pessac-Léognan appellation close to the city of Bordeaux. It is a Cru Classé in the Graves Classification of 1953. The 22.5 hectare red wine vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (44%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The chateau wine is vinified in large (180hl) temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and aged in 100% new French oak for an average of 22 months. Annual production is 6000-7000 dozen. The famous white wine of the chateau comes from 3.5 ha planted to Semillon (62%) and Sauvignon Blanc (38%). Overall planting density is 10,000 vines per hectare (red) and 8000 vines per hectare (white). Since 1983, under the ownership of Domaine Clarence Dillon (which also owns the neighbouring Chateau Haut Brion), the entire estate has been renovated vineyards, winemaking facilities and the chateau itself. The property got its name in the 1600s when it was owned by the Catholic Church.