Château Bellevue de Rambaud is owned and worked by brothers Hubert and Pierre Lavaud and is located near the village of Pellegrue, some 30 kilometres southeast of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Produce of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from some 20 hectares of vines, the wine is deep crimson red in color with aromas suggestive of fleshy berry, plum and a fine winegrowing earth; polished and smooth on the tongue, medium-full in body and just richly-textured with fresh and delicate tannins that lend grip, effortlessly carrying a burst of gently intense flavors good and long on the finish. If the vintage of 2010 here lacks any of the sheer density of the very popular 2009, it lacks nought in terms of clarity, purity and freshness of fruit. And Château Bellevue de Rambaud remains among the best values in Bordeaux that we've encountered.

Château La Révérence is a 3-hectare estate located behind the village of Saint-Emilion on a high plateau toward Pomerol and in the company of some very famous Grand Cru châteaux. The vineyard is planted to about half each Merlot and Cabernet Franc on soils of sand/clay and gravelly topsoil with clay subsoil. The average age of the vines is some 30-plus years. The vineyard is farmed lutte-raisonnée, which is loosely translatable as sustainable, with minimal use of pesticides. The fruit is hand-harvested. Grapes are destemmed, pressed then macerated before fermenting. Half is fermented in temperature-controlled tanks, half in 400 liter barrels, with the goal of emphasizing smooth tannins and complex aromas in the wine. The wine is then aged for 12 months in ⅔ new french oak and bottled unfiltered. Deep-pitched aromas suggestive of dark ripe plum and blackberry, with hints cocoa and spice, reglisse, violet and toasty oak; smooth and rounded on the tongue then expressing its more gripping, engaging nature with building flavor and broad taut tannins that carry spice-dusted berry flavors warm and long. Give this one a double decanting and serve with a well-marbled red meat or high-fat content cheese for best result.

Now positioned as a totally separate vineyard and a real clos (enclosed walled vineyard), this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from Jean-Hubert Delon is a beauty. Creme de cassis notes intermixed with some vanillin, crushed rock and spring flowers jump from the glass. Full-bodied and powerful (nearly 14% natural alcohol), this is a generously endowed, rich wine that was first made in 1902. The 2009 should drink well for 20-25 years. Readers need to think of it as a true classified growth, although technically it is not. Rated 93. ‑ Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 199, February, 2012

Another impressive offering from proprietor Stephan von Neipperg, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot displays classic notes of wet gravel as well as jammy, smoky, sweet red and black currants, raspberries and forest floor. A classic Pessac-Leognan with the lush, opulent style of 2009 well-displayed, this is a seductive, full-bodied, fleshy wine to drink over the next 10-12 years. Rated 91. ‑ Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 199, February, 2012

A pretty, seductive style of wine, the medium-bodied, dark plum/ruby-tinged 2008 exhibits generous quantities of black cherries, tobacco leaf, licorice and earth as well as loads of spice, an endearing, lush texture and rich fruit. Drink: 2011-2026. Rated 89. ‑ Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 194, May, 2011