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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 Pontet Canet is a large Pauillac estate that can trace its origins back to 1725, when Jean-François Pontet gave his name to the estate he had acquired. The wine was not château-bottled until 1972 and in 1975 the property was sold to Guy Tesseron, who also owns Château Lafon-Rochet in St-Estephe. Today it is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron. Pontet-Canet's 78 hectares of vineyards adjoin those of Mouton Rothschild and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and finely integrated tannins. The wines have great ageing potential. Pontet-Canet is classified as a 5ème Cru Classé.. It was the first major Bordeaux wine producer to earn official organic certification, and its biodynamic production is a hallmark of its current operations.

While the estate known as Chateau Haut-Bailly dates back to 1461, its wine production began in 1530, falling into the hands of the de Leuvarde and Le Bailly families in 1630. It was purchased in 1998 by Robert G Wilmers, a Harvard-educated banker, and his French wife Elisabeth and under their care, the estate has begun producing some of the best wines in its history. The cellars and production procedures were renovated and modernised and this year, the Chateau itself was awarded government recognition of its cultural and vinious heritage. From some of the oldest vines in the region, the 2016 has been lauded as one of the Chateaus best, with Neal Martin hailing it as perhaps the best that I have tasted in almost 20 years of tasting at this estate.

Purchased by the Cuvelier family in the 1920s, the estates long and storied history has involved the merging of estates, changing of hands, and a range of vineyard management techniques, some more successful than others. However, in the hands of Didier Cuvelier, a quick leap forward in quality took place around 1982. Changes in direction, including the addition of Michel Rolland and Emilie Peynaud to the production team, rapid modernization of winemaking facilities and a replanting of 20 hectares of vines, have yielded superb results. The 2016 continues the Chateaus modern upward trajectory with a raft of critical praise for this powerful, vivid, and captivating wine.

Dating back over 800 years in the Bordeaux region, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is owned today by Daniel and Florence Cathiard. The estate also features a world class spa, which specialises in Vinotherapie - using grape extracts in many of their treatments. Up until the year 2000, the estate was not known for producing top quality wines, however in the capable hands of the Cathiard family and after over a decade of hard work and reinvention, the wines truly began to come into their own. It has been, in the words of Andrew Caillard, an astonishing ascendancy in the past 15 years, and given the sterling reviews the 2016 vintage has received, its trajectory seems set to continue its meteoric rise.

One of the original Second Growths of the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, Rauzan-Ségla's 51 hectares of mineral rich soils begin on the banks of the Gironde, on the left bank of Bordeaux. A complex mix of gravel, clay and limestone subsoil imparts a richness and complexity to the Cabernet (62%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (1%) and Petit Verdot (1%) grapes used to produce this powerfully intense and elegant wine. The estate was last sold in 1994 to the Wertheimer family of Chanel, who employed former Château Latour winemakers, David Orr and John Kolasa. Nicolas Audebert, the former winemaker at Cheval des Andes, the LVMH property in Mendoza Argentina, was hired to succeed John Kolasa following his retirement in 2014.