Copious amounts of creme de cassis, graphite, spice box and a whiff of new saddle leather result in a classic, authoritative, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with no hard edges.
The 2005 La Vina de Andres Romeo is a bit more brooding and backward. Opaque purple/black, it has an alluring nose of toasty oak, pencil lead, scorched earth, espresso, truffle, and blackberry.
The sexy second wine of this estate, the 2005 Blason D’Issan, has a surprisingly saturated, ruby/plum/purple color, wonderful sweet black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, silky tannins, medium body and outstanding concentration, richness and length.
With scents of dark cherry, Indian ink, wild strawberry and a touch of raspberry preserve, all with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet core of red berry fruit. The tannins are strong and quite robust, although it is counterbalanced by plenty of fresh red fruit mingling with dried herbs, white pepper and a touch of sage.
An inky/purple color is accompanied by a fabulous creme de cassis-scented bouquet revealing notions of smoked meats, creosote, blackberries, and acacia flowers.
The 1995 is a 40% Merlot/60% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. It exhibits more of the trademark characteristics of its bigger sibling. Elegant, with spicy new oak, lead pencil, and creamy black currant fruit, this is a medium-bodied, finesse-styled wine with excellent purity and overall equilibrium.
A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2008 exhibits graphite, sandalwood, black and red currant, chocolate and damp earth characteristics in its elegant, medium to full-bodied, fresh, lively personality. It is a delicious, luscious, already evolved wine.
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Carruades de Lafite charges out of the gate with bold scents of baked plums and boysenberries followed by hints of menthol, tobacco leaf, cloves and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a well-poised frame of ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the savory flavors, finishing with a spicy kick.
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Carruades de Lafite charges out of the gate with bold scents of baked plums and boysenberries followed by hints of menthol, tobacco leaf, cloves and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a well-poised frame of ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the savory flavors, finishing with a spicy kick.
The estate’s second wine, the 2004 Bahans-Haut-Brion, possesses a similar character, but is lighter and softer than the Haut Brion, with notes of red and black currants, plum, and earth.
An absolutely sensational second wine from Haut-Brion, the 2005 Bahans Haut-Brion displays all the smoke, gravel and chocolate notes along with ripe black fruits. Broad, savory, rich and lush, this is a sensational wine (now called Le Clarence) with gorgeous texture and length.
The 2006 Bahans-Haut-Brion has a fragrant earthy, woodland, almost autumnal bouquet that is well defined and fully mature. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, lightweight perhaps but with a keen thread of acidity, attenuated slightly towards the finish.
On the nose, ripe black cherries mixed with cassis are all nicely defined and holding on to their freshness. It manifests spicy aromas, almost Moroccan-inspired, as it gradually opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with dense black fruit, a little tarry in texture with firm tannin.
It has an effervescent bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit and superb mineralité. This is extremely well focused, with hints of rose petal emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with finer tannin.
Wood spice, earth, black currant and sweet cherry characteristics are found in this elegant, medium to full-bodied, surprisingly rich, well-textured effort.
Dense ruby/purple with a spicy, resiny bouquet, a sweet entry on the palate, and admirable purity as well as texture, this is a classy blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Bernadotte’s well-made 2004 exhibits a deep ruby/plum/purple color as well as elegant cranberry, black cherry, and currant notes, good acidity, and a spicy, fresh, invigorating finish.
Juicy, succulent, cedary black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, herbs and spice box are very pure, authoritative and substantial. Dark ruby/purple, medium to full-bodied and delicious
Dark ruby with some amber at the edge, this wine has a ripe, intense, cassis smell. Moderately rich and tannic on the palate, with good depth, the 1983 continues to exhibit an aggressive texture, and a long, rough finish.
Deep ruby, low in acidity, ripe, round, fruity, and precocious, this medium-bodied, supple wine is very tasty and displays the cedary, black currant fruit so common in the wines of St.-Julien.
A dense plum/purple color is accompanied by sweet cassis and black currant aromas, broad, round, juicy fruit flavors, medium body, and hints of figs, spice box and cedar.
The clarity and detail here with briary, cedar and touches of forest floor, suggesting that it has both feet planted on its drinking plateau. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm grip in the mouth. This is clean and fresh with a fine line of acidity: brambly red fruit, white pepper, cloves and a touch of fennel on the finish.
It has fashioned a terrific, inky/blue/purple-hued 2005 with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers, creme de cassis, pain grille, and blueberries. Powerful and concentrated with full-bodied richness, stunning purity.
ts deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet black cherry, scorched earth, and camphor notes, a sweet, rich mid-palate, medium to full body, and excellent purity as well as depth.
A stunning success for the vintage, this enticing St.-Julien reveals notes of lead pencil shavings, sweet raspberries and black currants and a subtle touch of oak. Elegant, restrained yet authoritative and impressively intense, it is a medium to full-bodied, lightly tannic
The 2009 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet color and reveals compelling notions of warm cassis, licorice, baked plums and hoisin with hints of sautéed herbs and pencil lead. Youthful and medium to full-bodied, it has a generous core of black fruits with a firm and grainy structure and bags of freshness, finishing long with great purity.
The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied , with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent .
The dense ruby/purple 2012 offers pure blackcurrant and black cherry fruit along with some notes of Christmas spices and earth. It is full-bodied and opulent, with light tannins in the finish. This is a beauty of impeccable balance, great purity and texture.
W.S. 90 pts
The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cantemerle has a nose of warm plums, blackberries and red currants with a waft of fragrant earth. Medium-bodied with nice vibrancy and freshness, it offers approachable tannins with a lift to the finish
The dense ruby/purple-colored, charming, finesse-styled 1999 Cantenac Brown offers excellent sweetness, medium body, and abundant black currant fruit intermixed with truffle, toasty oak, and subtle dried herb notes.
The color is a dense ruby with purple nuances. Once past the blockbuster bouquet of menthol, leather, black fruits, licorice, and mocha, the wine reveals medium body, extraordinary elegance, purity, and sweet, harmonious flavors with no hard edges.
A surprisingly Burgundy-like bouquet with ample red cherries, candied strawberry and redcurrant scents, the Merlot clearly more conspicuous than the Cabernet Franc, at least for now. The palate is medium-bodied with just a touch of coarseness on the entry.
W.S. 94 pts
This attractive dark ruby/purple-colored wine has impressive credentials, and may merit an outstanding score with another year or two in the bottle. It offers a gorgeous nose of roasted herbs, meats, cedar, cassis, spice, and vanillin. This dense, medium to full-bodied wine possesses outstanding levels of extract, plenty of glycerin, and a plush, layered, hedonistic finish.
The 2012 Clerc Milon has an almost blackish-blue opaque color, soft tannins, ripe notes of blackcurrants, licorice and subtle background oak. There is an attractive floral, licorice quality to the fruit. The wine is medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with ripe tannin.
The 2015 Corbin is medium garnet-purple colored with cigar box and spice box notions accenting the core of red and black plums, blackberry preserves and earthy layers plus a hint of lavender. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, elegant and well balanced with grainy tannins, finishing lively and long.
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant.
Deep garnet in color, Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant.
D'Armailhac's 1992 is a charming, straightforward, richly fruity wine with moderate to dark ruby color, and a spicy nose of roasted nuts and jammy blackcurrants. The attack offers lush, velvety-textured fruit that fades quickly. Nevertheless, this is a pure, attractive, elegant wine
W.S. 90 pts
It has a fresh, rather herbaceous bouquet that does not quite deliver the requisite fruit to suit this style. The palate is medium-bodied with sharp and rather angular tannin.