With a history dating back to 1152, Château d'Issan was established as a third growth in the 1855 classification. By 1945 when the Cruse family purchased this storybook Margaux property with its 17th century Château and moat, it was a shadow of its former self with just 2ha in production. With 44ha planted to 60% Cabernet and 40% Merlot, the Cruse family sold 50% to Jacky Lorenzetti in 2013. D'Issan is now firing on all cylinders, producing a wine that is both fleshy and structured. Up to 40% of the production is declassified into a second wine (Blason d’Issan).

"Haut Bailly II is the second wine of Château Haut-Bailly in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. As the younger sibling of the renowned Château Haut-Bailly, Haut Bailly II encapsulates the estate's commitment to quality and tradition. Situated in the revered Pessac-Léognan terroir, the vineyards are blessed with gravelly soils and an ideal climate, making it conducive to cultivating predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The production of Haut Bailly II mirrors the meticulous attention to detail found in Château Haut-Bailly. However, it is crafted to be approachable and enjoyable at a younger age while still showcasing the elegance and characteristics of its parent estate. The resulting wine exudes flavours of red and black fruits, refined tannins, and a well-balanced structure. Haut Bailly II offers enthusiasts an opportunity to experience a taste of Château Haut-Bailly's legacy, delivering a true essence of the Pessac-Léognan appellation in every glass."

Very precise and focused with tight, sleek yet firm tannins, framing a fresh core of black fruit, gravel and tobacco. Crushed stones and tea leaves, too. Savory and medium-bodied. Driven and linear. Lots of cabernet character. Chewy tannins. Rather muscular. But polished texture. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 3% petit verdot.

Very deep, dark ruby-red, the wine is practically opaque, with a purple rim. Aromas are of restrained and brooding dark-fruit. Dark-plum and damson fruit combines harmoniously with fresh acidity on the palate. The wine has a milky texture and smooth tannins that are so fine. The structure is of mid-weight, but the soft tannins leave a gap on the finish. Alcohol is well in balance, allowing juicy dark-plum fruit to reassert itself on the long, fresh finish.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild’s celebrated second wine, Carruades de Lafite is named from plots acquired in 1845 just next to the vines on the Château hilltop and the final blend contains both declassified first growth fruit as well as a higher percentage of Merlot than the first wine, anywhere from 30-50 percent depending on the vintage. As a result, you get the elegance and persistence of Lafite but also a suppleness making it approachable when young but always with enough structure to warrant at least a decade of cellaring.

Château Duhart-Milon is a fourth growth (Quatrième Cru Classé) estate in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux. Part of the Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the wine is made by the same winemaking team as Château Lafite. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with a substantial component of Merlot, the Grand Vin is matured for 18 months in approximately 50% new French oak barriques. Château Duhart-Milon is typically a sturdy solid Pauillac with firm structure and earthy savoury richness.

"Château Lafite-Rothschild is one of the most renowned properties in the Médoc. Owned by Baron Eric de Rothschild and located in the north of the Pauillac appellation, Lafite Rothschild is also one of the largest Médoc estates. It has 95 hectares of vineyards planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Lafite Rothschild's vineyards lie on deep gravel beds (up to 5 metres thick) over marl and limestone. Annual production tops 35,000 cases, although a third of this consists of the second wine called Carruades de Lafite. Of all the Médoc Grand Crus, Lafite Rothschild can be the most beguiling and difficult to understand. It is never the most powerful, yet, along with Margaux, possesses the most exquisite bouquet of any Médoc wine. It has the elegance, balance and harmony that epitomises claret at its very best."

One of the very greatest estates of Bordeaux, Chateau 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 world’s 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 artworks for the Mouton label. 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 artworks for the Mouton label. 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 – 80pct Cabernet Sauvignon, 16pct Merlot, 3pct Cabernet Franc and 1pct 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.