Wines and Beyond

Red Wine by Ch?teau Cheval Blanc from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. Subtle herb, menthol, cranberry, black currant, and licorice aromas emerge from this dark ruby/plum-colored wine. It is medium-bodied and elegant with plenty of sweet fruit, but not a lot of weight or intensity. The complexity and nobility of Cheval Blanc's gravelly terroir is apparent in this delicate, subtle St.-Emilion. Give it a few years to develop additional aromatics, and drink it over the following 12-15. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 90 Points Intense aromas of tar, blackberry and wet earth, with just a hint of tobacco and flowers. Full-bodied, chewy and long. Extracted, yet turns caressing and velvety in texture. Broad-shouldered and muscular for this estate. This is better than the 2000. Best after 2012. Wine Spectator 94 Points

Red Wine by Ch. Cos d'Estournel from St. Estephe, France - Bordeaux. The prodigious, fantastic 2003 Cos d’Estournel is a candidate for “wine of the vintage.” A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon (unusually high for this chateau), 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, 17,500 cases were produced from low yields. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by a compelling perfume of black fruits, subtle smoke, pain grille, incense, and flowers. With extraordinary richness, full body, and remarkable freshness, elegance, and persistence, this is one of the finest wines ever made by this estate. The good news is that it will be drinkable at a young age yet evolve for three decades or more. Kudos to winemaker Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier. -Robert ParkerIn the old Gascon language, the word ‘Cos’ means ‘The Hill of Pebbles’. Appropriately named, Château Cos d’Estournel is situated on the banks of the Gironde River between Pauillac and St. Estèphe, where the property is clearly defined by the hill of Cos, reaching to a height of almost 65 feet. It is today owned by Michel Reybier, and continues to be managed by a member of the Prats family under the direction of Jean-Guillaume Prats. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc

Red Wine by Ch?teau L?oville Las Cases from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure creme de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid. Best after 2011. Wine Spectator 97 Points

Red Wine by Ch?teau Hosanna from Pomerol, France - Bordeaux. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this is the Cheval Blanc of Pomerol. A wine of admirable complexity, elegance, and purity, it possesses a deep ruby/purple color as well as wonderful notes of blueberries, mint, acacia flowers, espresso, and white chocolate. Opulent, rich, and pure, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and wood, it is a beautiful offering that is not far off the pace of the exceptional 2000. Sadly, there are only about 1,000 cases of this offering produced from the finest parcels of old vines carved from the vineyard previously known as Certan-Giraud. Kudos to proprietor Christian Moueix. -Wine Advocate Subtle aromas of chocolate, berry and mineral follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with very well?integrated tannins and a long berry and fresh herb finish. Very long and refined. Builds on your palate. A relatively new wine from Christian Moueix of Petrus, and on the rise. Best after 2007. 1,250 cases made. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch?teau Hosanna from Pomerol, France - Bordeaux. Aromas of blackberry, forest fruits and licorice with just a hint of spice. Full-bodied, with loads of ripe fruit and velvety tannins. Raisins, toasted oak and just a hint of dark chocolate. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch?teau Pavie from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. ...the 2002 is one of the top wines of the vintage. Its deep plum/ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of fruitcake, cranberries, cherry liqueur, crushed rocks, and subtle oak. Savory, full-bodied, remarkably concentrated, layered, and forward for a Pavie, it should be accessible in 3-4 years, and will evolve effortlessly for two decades. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Pichon-Longueville-Lalande from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. ...plenty of structure, wonderful sweetness, a closed style, but a rich, textured, persistent character... -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Monbousquet from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. A strong performance in a difficult vintage, the 2002 Monbousquet (60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc) reveals abundant aromas of espresso, sweet black currants and cherries, damp earth, compost, and new oak. It is a medium to full-bodied, fleshy offering with light tannin as well as a long finish. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. This is the home estate of Chantal and Gerard Perse, who have become the poster children for owners taking a less hallowed terroir and producing sumptuous, high quality wine. Readers should realize that Monbousquet is not meant to be cellared for 20-30 years. It is a beautifully made wine that has performed well in every blind tasting I have conducted, often out-scoring far more hallowed as well as expensive wines. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Monbousquet from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. From a mixture of sand, gravel, and clay soils, this unheralded terroir produces wines well-above its pedigree thanks to the extraordinary efforts of proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse. The wines are given a 4- to 5-week maceration in both stainless steel and oak, and are aged sur-lie in new oak. The dark ruby/purple-colored 2003 offers up notes of smoky meats, melted licorice, jammy black cherries, spice box, earth, and cedar. This plump, fleshy, sexy, unfined, unfiltered wine represents a classic blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. -Wine Advocate An intense ruby-red colour. Delicate woody aromas with notes of toast and ripe fruit. In the mouth the attack is supple and full, the tannins refined and the structure very aromatic. The red fruit comes to the fore - blackberry and cherry. Excellent concentration and a fresh finish with good aromatic return of the fruit.

Red Wine by Ch?teau Ducru Beaucaillou from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. One can't say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien. An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate 93 points

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. Well done. Good, dark color to this '99, with lots of plummy, berry and cassis character. It's medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Best after 2004. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch?teau Duhart-Milon from Bordeaux, France - Bordeaux. Dark in color, almost black, with beautiful aromas of spices, blackberry and milk chocolate. Full-bodied and very silky, yet tannic, with a wonderful texture. This is long and caressing. Gorgeous. Best after 2015. -Wine Spectator The 2005 Duhart-Milon is not far behind the 2003 (which I rated 94 points). A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot, it reflects the fact that the Rothschilds and their administrator, Charles Chevalier, have been making a major effort to increase quality at this property. Firm and structured, with a deep ruby/purple color and hints of graphite, black currants, licorice, smoke, and earth, it possesses a textured, rich, pure center, strong tannins, and real elegance as well as length. Four to six years of bottle age will be required, and it should last for 20-25 years. -Wine Advocate 90-92

Red Wine by Ch. Lascombes from Margaux, France - Bordeaux. In less than five years this property has emerged as one of the appellation's up and coming stars thanks to the infusion of money from the American conglomerate, Colony Capital, as well as the braintrust that now oversees the winemaking, Yves Vatelot (of Reignac fame) and the internationally renowned oenologist, Michel Rolland. The dark plum/ruby-hued, open-knit 2003 offers a big, sweet nose of barbecue smoke, plum liqueur, creme de cassis, flowers, new saddle leather, and damp earth. Loads of black fruits, a full-bodied palate impression, low acidity, and a savory, expansive mouthfeel suggest it can be drunk in 2-3 years, or cellared for 15+. -Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Gruaud Larose from St-Julien, France - Bordeaux. This has the plump richness typical of Gruaud, its potent extract fragrant with blueberry and tobacco in a standoff between the green and black. The tannins are hidden behind all that fruit, not at all obvious, softed to chocolate scents. This shoud be at its best around 10 years from the vintage. -Wines & Spirits Plummy aromas, with leaf and tobacco undertones. Medium-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a medium finish. Balanced and delightful already... -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Winemaker's Collection from Medoc, France - Bordeaux. This special project of the Bordeaux negociant, Bordeaux Millesimes (called Once Upon a Wine), and its proprietor, Dominique Renard, was originally labeled The Winemakers' Collection, Episode 1, but the name had to be changed. As I wrote last year, in each vintage, one of the world's greatest winemakers (Michel Rolland in 2005 and Denis Dubordieu in 2006) is chosen to focus on a single parcel of a given terroir, in this case, Chateau d'Arsac. Five-thousand cases will be produced in 2005, and everything, including viticulture, fermentation, upbringing, and bottling, is being controlled by the chosen winemaker who has full control over the winemaking team, the yields, the choice of fermenters, the style and type of barrels, the time in oak, and the manner in which the wine is bottled. Michel Rolland was fortunate to be chosen in 2005 as this is an exceptional vintage. It boasts classic richness, deep, smoky, black currant and sweet cherry fruit, a gorgeously opulent texture, decent acidity, high but sweet tannin, and a seamless, full-throttle mouthfeel. This stunning effort competes with some of Bordeaux's finest wines. It should age effortlessly for 15 or more years. -Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 92-94

Red Wine by Ch?teau Magdelaine from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. The world of wine is first nature to Edouard Moueix who grew up with many Bordeaux harvests. He has immersed himself in the family business over the last several years and is now the proprietor of Chateau Magdelaine. Chateau Magdelaine is an important vineyard both for Saint-Emilion and my family says Edouard, My goal is to let the great team of the Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix produce this very stylish and elegant wine, while communicating the uniqueness of this Estate. Blackberry, vanilla and cherry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a fresh finish. Very pretty indeed. Love the length to this. Still tightly wound but should open nicely with bottle age. Elegant and refined. Fine winemaking. Best after 2007. -Wine Spectator

Red Wine by Ch?teau Duhart-Milon from Bordeaux, France - Bordeaux. The Rothschild family acquired Chateau Duhart-Milon, a 4e Cru in the 1855 classification, from the Castejas of Pauillac, in 1962. The property was named after the Sieur of Duhart, gun-runner to Louis XIV, who originally owned the property, and from the name of the little hamlet of Milon which separates the Duhart-Milon vineyard from that of Chateau Lafite. The vineyard covers 50 hectares and is planted with the classical cepages of Medoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (21%) and a small amount of Petit Verdot. This cepage has always been traditionally planted at Duhart-Milon and a certain excess of it in the pre-war vintages might explain their slightly flinty hardiness. Full bodied, with firm tannins. The early tastings show signs of a wine with fine spicy and very ripe black fruit aromas. The mouth is structured with elegant tannins and great length. Good core of fruit, with silky tannins and a medium to long finish of licorice, smoke and berry. Very good red. Best after 2007.- Wine Spectator Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot

Red Wine by Ch. Phelan Segur from St. Estephe, France - Bordeaux. Subtle yet rich aromas of currant, spice and smoke follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a long, flavorful aftertaste. Very thick, almost syrupy. Impressive. Best after 2010. -Wine Spectator The excellent 2003 has a deep ruby/plum color and asweet nose of creme de cassis, licorice, dried herbs, and earth. It is fresh, rich, savory, with velvety-textured tannins and a supple mouthfeel. It should drink well for up to a decade. This is a sleeper of the vintage. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Red Wine by Ch?teau Sociando-Mallet from Medoc, France - Bordeaux. Aromas of currant and leaves. Medium- to full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a caressing finish. Ends chewy. Best after 2009. Wine Spectator 90 points Sociando Mallet's big, extracted, rich, classic 2004 boasts a deep ruby/purple hue as well as aromas of charcoal, wet stones, cold steel, and abundant black currant and cassis fruit. This medium to full-bodied, structured, powerful wine will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring. It should last for two decades. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 90 points Dark red with ruby highlights. Plum, redcurrant and a whiff of smoked meat on the nose. Supple and vinous, with very good spine and savory character. Notes of plum, currant, dark chocolate and licorice firmed by lively but integrated acidity. Finishes with broad tannins and good grip. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 89 points

Red Wine by Ch?teau Duhart-Milon from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. Grape Varieties: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon Deep ruby color, with slight oakiness on the nose and notes of preserved fruit. Somewhat closed on the palate and pleasantly fruity.

Red Wine by Ch?teau Mongravey from Margaux, France - Bordeaux. In keeping with Bordeaux's left bank tradition, this wine is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon. Mongravey is a rich full bodied wine that's quite velvety in the mouth. It's full of black fruit flavors along with rich chocolate and hints of mint. It's very approachable at this young age. It is a wine which will offer you pure instants of happiness and emotion. Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. This wine will mature in 8 to 10 years but will cellar for up to 15 years. Since 1980, Chateau Mongravey's destiny lay in the hands of Regis Bernaleau who, thought and built the remarkable cellar, both aesthetically and technically. It's through hard work that he has been able to pass on his passion while ensuring that this exceptional cru always shines with prestige and elegance. Chateau Mongravey is amongst the most elegant Margaux wines... It is not surprising that the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois has awarded this exceptional cru the title of Cru Bourgeois as of the 2003 vintage.

Red Wine by Chateau de Pez from St. Estephe, France - Bordeaux. Blend: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot The 2004 vintage is a lovely, solid color with dark red, almost purplish-blue highlights. The nose is packed with rich, complex, slightly jammy fruit, plus aromas of roasting and mocha from maturation in wood. It is very fresh, with floral, spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is a crisp, fleshy attack, followed by mouth-filling but not overly hard tannins. The wine grows richer and fatter by the moment but with no loss of elegance. This handsome wine will mature to perfection. There is an aging potential here that will more than reward a few years' cellaring. Dark, dry tannins are what good Saint-Estephe is all about when young, and de Pez doesn't disappoint. But it does more, with refined black plum skin flavors, a rich mix of spices and mint, and a refreshing streak of acidity. In 4-5 years, this will be an outstanding wine. -Wine Enthusiast

Red Wine by Ch?au d'Aiguilhe from Cotes de Castillon, France - Bordeaux. This large (120+ acres) vineyard planted on limestone and clay soils is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the 2003 was produced from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare. It exhibits a dense purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of scorched earth, blackberries, underbrush, cherries, and smoke. Layered, opulent, powerful, and rich, with its tannin character well-hidden by abundant fruit, it should drink well for 10-12 years. It is another example of this backwater appellation producing a wine that transcends its pedigree. -Robert Parker

Red Wine by Ch. Duhart-Milon from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. Fruity and expressive nose. Good, frank and complex attack with good balance. Nice length without overpowering tannins. Blend: Merlot 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%

Red Wine by Domaines Baron Rothschild from Pauillac, France - Bordeaux. Deep, purple color. Discreet and complex on the nose, blending aromas of tobacco, dried fruit (figs) and licorice with toasted notes (hazelnuts,almonds). A big wine, structured and powerful on the palate, with tannins still in evidence and a very good finish with notes of licorice.

Red Wine by Ch?teau de Reignac from Bordeaux, France - Bordeaux. Reignac's gentle slopes and gravely soils facilitate natural drainage. The gravel reflects and stores the sun's heat which promotes early ripening of the estate's grapes. Great terroir is the key to the wines of Reignac. It is this splendid terroir, recommended by Michel Rolland that gives Reignac its edge. Possibly the finest Reignac I have ever tasted from proprietor Yves Vatelot, this superlative blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon is treated like a spoiled child, ages on its lees, and bottled unfiltered. There are over 16,000 cases of this cuvee, which should be uncommonly long-lived for a wine of this pedigree. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a sweet nose of blackberries, cherries, smoke and pain grille. Deep, full-bodied, moderately tannic, fresh, and well-delineated, with 14% natural alcohol, it should drink well for 10-12 years -Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 91-93

Red Wine by Ch?teau Simard from St-Emilion, France - Bordeaux. Released commercially with at least ten years of bottle age, Chateau Simard is a fine and supple wine due to the combination of sandy, gravelly soils with rigorous grape selection. Temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and concrete vats. Traditional racking and fining. Bottled at the chateau. Chateau Simard's classically elegant, refined style results not only from its fine vineyard location, but also from the number of years the wine spends in bottle. It is never released until a least a decade after the vintage date. The complexity and nuance of the fragrance, the gentleness and finesse of the flavors are immediately apparent. An equally good choice for beef, lamb, roast duck and composed dishes like risotto. The perfect accompaniment to a wide range of cheeses.