Domaine de Montille Les Greves 1er cru
Domaine de Montille Clos du Roi Grand Cru
Brooding and muscular, with impressive concentration and complexity, Domaine de Montilles Corton Clos du Roi is a traditional style that is firm in structure but not austere. Etienne de Montilles sensitive winemaking lends a vibrancy and freshness to this Grand Cru Corton.
Baron de Philippe Rothschild - Concha Y Toro Almaviva Cabernet
Almaviva is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In 2015, it earned James Sucklings illustrious Wine of The Year. It is an energetic and elegant Cabernet, with intense aromatics and a full body. Almaviva sees Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha y Toro in collaboration. Founded in 1997, the vineyard is located in Chiles Maipo Valley. The aim? To make French style grand cru classé quality wines in Chile.
Chateau Talbot 4me cru classe
Classified as one of ten 4me crus in 1855, Chateau Talbot, in the Saint-Julien appellation, has a distinguished history. Throughout the years, it has been owned by the Governor of Aquitane, the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Marquis of Aux before being acquired by the Cordier family, the fourth generation of which are still in ownership today. Their 2016 Grand Cru is a wine of exceptional personality and charisma, already impressing critics with its silky sweetness and subtle edge. Balanced, crisp, and full of complexity, it is loaded with ageing potential, promising to become something even more prodigious just a few short years from now.
Chateau Palmer 3me cru classe
Regarded a Super Second (but technically a 3me growth), Palmer is capable of producing wines that equal or even outstrip the quality of its famous Premier cru neighbour, Ch. Margaux. Named for the wealthy English military man who bought the estate in the early 19th century, Palmer is now majority owned by the Mahler Besse and Sichel families - famous Bordeaux negociants. Many of the best plots on the property were purchased after the Classification of 1855, explaining in part why Palmer did not warrant higher standing at that time. Certainly today there is no question that the wine is among Bordeauxs best. The estate also makes a separate second label - named Alter Ego - which is made from similarly high quality fruit but treated differently in the winery with the aim of producing a counterpoint in style to the First wine.
Chateau Montrose 2me cru classe
Chateau Montrose is a second Grand Cru Classé estate in St-Estephe and is considered one of the leading wine properties of the appellation. Located in the eastern half of the appellation just 800 metres from the Gironde estuary, the propertys proximity to the water provides a unique micro-climate that protects the vines from frost. The Grand Vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, that appears very powerful and austere in its youth, with a backbone of firm tannins that provides exceptional longevity.
Chateau Lynch-Bages 5me cru classe
Lynch-Bages is an iconic fifth growth of Pauillac and has the distinction of having produced the only wine that has ever been sent into space. Established in the early 1700s, the wine was labelled Chateau Jurine Bages at the time of the 1855 classification, later renamed in recognition of earlier owners the Lynch family. Jean-Charles Cazes purchased the property in the 1930s, later passing the management of the estate to his grandson Jean-Michel Cazes who modernised the winery and was a prolific spruiker of not just his own wines, but those of all Bordeaux throughout the 70s and beyond. Now managed by the next generation, (another Jean-Charles) Lynch-Bages continues to produce Cabernet Sauvignon-led wines of great concentration, offering ripe cassis and enviable cellaring potential.
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases 2me cru classe
With one of the longest and most pedigreed histories in the Medoc region, Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases has passed through the hands of some of Frances most notable and wealthiest noble families, culminating in the Las Cases family - the final royal family to hold title to the Chateau. Up until the French Revolution, after which large portions of it were sold off, it was one of the largest vineyards in Bordeaux. Today, the estate remains family owned by the Delons, of which brother Jean Hubert and sister Genevieve manage proceedings. Famed for producing a wine of structure, power, and traditional style, the 2016 vintage has earned outstandingly high praise, including a score of 100 from Andrew Caillared and a 19/20 from Jancis Robinson who praised its extraordinary vitality and energy and proclaimed it glorious to taste now.
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron 2me cru classe
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Lalande 2me cru classe
The history of Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is a tale of two estates. The chateau and vineyard known as Pichon Baron was given in dowry to the founders daughter when she married Jacques du Pichon Longueville. After the death of their descendent, the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville, in 1850 the estate was again divided - on his deathbed, he gave what became Chateau Pichon Baron to the men of his family, and what became Chateau Pichon Lalande to the women - resulting in, some say, more masculine and sensuous styles of wine respectively! Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the estate went through a period of rather lacklustre production - however, since 1990, they have been producing, according to many, some of the best wines in their history. The 2016 has earned high praise and glowing comparisons to their legendary 1990 Pichon Baron.