Lastly, and pure perfection in white wine, the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is based on 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Semillon that was aged in 50% new oak. This massively rich, concentrated, powerful white offers a heavenly nose of honeyed flowers, orange marmalade, lemon grass, and toasted bread, with a building sense of salinity and minerality that shows on the finish. Drink this stunningly rich, layered, concentrated 2020 over the coming two decades. Drink 2024‑2044. Rated 100. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

The 2021 Carbonnieux Blanc has a relatively spicy bouquet, very slight touches of muscat filtering through the citric fruit. The palate is mediumbodied with a spicy entry and good weight. Persistent in the mouth, leaving behind a long, saline aftertaste. This is another excellent dry white Bordeaux. Drink 2026‑2042. Rated (92-94). ‑ Neil Martin, vinous.com April, 2022

The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full‑bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid#8209;palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7#8209;8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3#8209;4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate. Drink 2033‑2073. Rated 98. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

One of the undeniable successes is the 2021 Château Rauzan-Ségla, which emerges from yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare and is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. It has remarkable depth and density as well as classic aromas of cassis, tobacco, spicy oak, and subtle floral notes. These all carry to a medium-bodied, concentrated 2021 with polished tannins and a great finish. It's one classy, seamless, elegant Margaux that will drink well right out of the gate yet keep for 20 years. Rated (93‑95). ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

The 2020 Château Rauzan‑Ségla is pure Margaux brilliance, and this beautifully elegant wine embodies the best of the vintage. Revealing a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a great bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, lead pencil, sandalwood, smoked tobacco, and hints of incense, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It offers pleasure today (although it closes down with extended air) but deserves 5‑7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more. This is clearly in the same league as the 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Tasted on multiple occasions with consistent results. Drink 2028‑2058. Rated 98. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

The Grand Vin 2019 Château Rauzan‑Ségla is beautiful, and it seems this estate can do no wrong since 2015. A more elegant, ethereal, complex Margaux, it has a perfumed and complex style in its red, blue, and black fruits as well as notes of white flowers, chalky minerality, and exotic spices. Haute couture at its finest and seamless, medium to full‑bodied, perfectly balanced, and just stunning any way you look at it, it already offers pleasure today yet will easily have 30 years of prime drinking. Drink 2022‑2052. Rated 97. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com April, 2022

I continue to just love this terroir. The 2019 Clos Du Marquis brings beautiful richness and depth with the purity and elegance of the vintage. Cassis, smoked black cherries, tobacco, gravelly earth, and spice are just some of the nuances, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a rich, dense mid-palate, serious, almost chewy tannins, and a great finish. It's not for those looking for instant gratification and demands a good decade of bottle age. Rated 94+. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com April, 2022

Cassis, graphite, smoky tobacco, violets, and a wonderful sense of minerality all emerge from the 2022 Château Léoville Barton, a riveting Saint-Julien that shows the style of this estate while bringing the richness and depth of the vintage. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it has enough tannins to warrant a decade of cellaring and will have 30+ years of prime drinking. I’d put this up with the finest Léoville Barton I’ve tasted, as well as with the truly greats of the vintage. Drink 2035‑2075. Rated 98+. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

The 2022 Léoville Barton, the second vintage made in the new winery, was the first to be completely gravity‑fed instead of using pumps. It has a magnificent bouquet that fullfils my admittedly lofty expectations given its showing from barrel, blessed with an almost pixelated quality that previous vintages perhaps lacked. The nose is very precise with pure black fruit and fine mineralité. Elegant and poised, the medium‑bodied palate features finely chiseled tannins and just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. Very persistent—a SaintJulien you just don't want to finish. This ranks among the finest in the appellation. Drink 2030‑2070. Rated 97. ‑ Neal Martin, vinous.com January, 2025

I continue to love Château Léoville Barton, and their 2021 doesn't disappoint. (If anything, the fresher style favored here played nicely with the vintage character.) Lots of cassis and darker currants as well as crushed stone, graphite, and floral notes emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, pure, elegant tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's not going to match the all-time greats here, but it's a seriously good wine in the vintage and I'd be happy with bottles in the cellar. Rated (92‑94). ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

The 2021 Léoville-Barton was picked from 27 September until 7 October, matured in 60% new oak. The alcohol is 13.12%. It has a clean and pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and hints of shucked oyster shell: focused and very well delineated, classic in style. The palate has a smooth and cohesive entry, very well-knit with beautifully integrated oak. Crisp acidity with the perfect amount of tension on the classically-styled finish, this Léoville Barton demonstrates the advantages of their brand new cellar (even though the reception was not finished in time!) I cannot see any reason not to own a few bottles of this in your cellar. Drink 2026‑2050. Rated (93‑95). ‑ Neal Martin, vinous.com May, 2022

The 2021 Léoville-Barton is a wine of notable intensity, but all of that power is directed inward. Tightly coiled and vibrant, the Léoville-Barton is going to need time to be ready, but that is to be expected. There is terrific energy here, if not the volume of the preceding three vintages. That's not a problem. Drink 2031‑2061. Rated (92‑94). ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com May, 2022

Heady on the nose, perfumed and scented. The palate is alive and playful, delivering high acidity but also focused fruit so it's both lightly framed and fun but also savoury and serious. Smooth and silky tannins give the gentle frame letting the strawberry, creamy raspberry and red cherry fruit do the talking. It's unfussy, all the elements to the fore but all well balanced with a charming texture overall and persistence of high-toned red berry fruits with saline sides. Hints of green pepper, black pepper, slate and pencil lead on the finish. I like this a lot! Rated 94. ‑ Georgie Hindle, decanter.com May, 2022

The flagship from this great château, the 2020 Château Léoville Barton checks in as 85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14.5% Merlot that saw 60% new French oak. It has fabulous aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, liquid violets, spring flowers, and background oak. Full‑bodied and concentrated on the palate, its purity of fruit is just about off the chart, it has a great mid‑palate, and enough tannins to warrant 7‑8 years of bottle age. This is another sensational wine from this team that will have 30‑40 years of overall longevity. Drink 2030‑2070. Rated 97+. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

The Grand Vin 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century for the Cuvelier family, is reminiscent of the 2016 with its powerful, concentrated, yet vibrant and inward style. Pure crème de cassis, melted chocolate, loamy earth, graphite, and some spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a stacked mid-palate, nicely integrated oak, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now. The blend of the 2020 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new barrels, hitting 13.58% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.81. It will benefit from just 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 50 years or more if well stored. Bravo. Tasted multiple times with consistent results. Drink 2028‑2078. Rated (98+). ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

The 2021 Château Langoa Barton (61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc) has a great, pure, medium-bodied style as well as medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. It has good acidity, notes of violets, graphite, and tobacco, quality tannins, and a great finish. The balance here is spot on, and this is certainly an outstanding wine in the making. It's also the first vintage to be made in the new winery, which was still under construction while I was in Bordeaux. Rated (91‑93). ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

A dark, brooding nose, full of bramble fruits and cherry chocolate drops. Tannins are to the fore; they coat the mouth giving a chewy, supple texture lifting the bright strawberry, bitter raspberry and juicy red cherry fruits and giving this an air of knitted tension - all delivered in one straight line. I like the focus, it doesn't waver from start to finish and is intense the whole way also with sweet cedar, clove and cinnamon edges to the finish which gives nuances and depth. Good effort. Drink 2026‑2044. Rated 93. ‑ Georgie Hindle, decanter.com May, 2022

A youthful, unevolved 2018 with lots of up-front blue and black fruits as well as cedary herbs, violets, and scorched earth, the 2018 Château Gloria is medium to full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and both richness and freshness. The purity of fruit is spot on. It's another brilliant wine from this estate that readers will love. It's going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and cruise for two decades in cold cellars. Drink 2023‑2043. Rated 94. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2021

Classic Pauillac darker currants, smoky tobacco, spicy wood, damp earth, and graphite all define the 2019 Château Latour, a ripe and approachable Latour that has more accessibility than many vintages while still possessing quintessential Latour character and depth. Blended from 92.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and aged 18 months in new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied with a round, layered mouthfeel, beautiful, almost velvety tannins, and a tremendous finish. I'd happily drink a bottle today (don't tell anyone), yet it's going to benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for 50 years or more in fine form. Drink 2031‑2081. Rated 100. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2026

A blockbuster of a Les Forts, the 2020 Les Forts de Latour is based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26.5% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and aged 18 months in 60% new French oak. Its deep ruby/plum hue is followed by textbook Latour notes of currants, melted crayon, graphite, and lead pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, dense, and concentrated on the palate, it has a powerful, structured mouthfeel, remarkable purity, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great, great finish. It might be the finest Les Forts I've tasted. Hitting 13.1% alcohol, it's approachable today yet has another 30 years of longevity. Drink 2026‑2056. Rated 96. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2026

The 2019 Les Forts De Latour is more open, expressive, and complex, with a medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific aromatics of ripe currants, leather, graphite, and cedary spice. I love its overall purity, and it has fabulous balance and outstanding length. Coming from slightly less ideal parcels (those farther from the Gironde estuary), it doesn't have the density of the 2020 or 2022 but shines for its overall equilibrium and elegance, while still bringing some solid Pauillac power. Drink 2025‑2045. Rated 93+. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2025

The second wine of this great château, the 2016 Les Forts de Latour continues to impress. I commented on release that it was the best wine in the vintage, and my opinion hasn't changed. This beauty offers plenty of classic Latour character as well as notes of blackcurrants, saddle leather, lead pencil shavings, and dried flowers. Full-bodied, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it's just now starting to round into form and will no doubt continue drinking well for another 2+ decades. It's a gorgeous Pauillac. Drink 2022‑2044. Rated 95. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com August, 2022

Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2020 Château Lafite-Rothschild is a sensational effort checking in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.94. As Lafite as Lafite gets, this ultra-classic reveals a dense ruby/plum hue as well as a tight, yet layered bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and subtle spice. Flawlessly balanced, deep, concentrated, and layered, it has an incredible mid-palate, building, perfect tannins, and a finish that leaves you salivating. Refined, elegant, and perfection are the buzz words here. Unfortunately, it's not for the instant gratification crowd, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this require 15 years to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window. It will probably hit its 100th birthday in fine form. Drink 2038‑2113. Rated 100. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

The flagship 2022 Château Calon Ségur checks in as 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It's a massive wine from this château that brings a fabulous nose of darker currants, smoked tobacco, chocolaty oak, graphite, and loamy earth. This full-bodied, deep, unctuous Saint-Estèphe has a round, layered mouthfeel, remarkably pure tannins, and flawless overall balance. It's going to take a decade to shed its baby fat, but this is legit sensational juice! Don’t miss it. Drink 2033‑2083. Rated 93. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Calon Ségur is one heck of a winner in the vintage and is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Hitting 12.9% alcohol, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of cassis, violets, ripe darker raspberries, and spring flowers. It's elegant and has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It's unquestionably one of the gems from the Médoc and will round into form with 3-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, be long-lived. Rated (94-97). ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

A fine Calon Ségur this year with 92% Cabernet, the highest in the blend since the 2009 vintage. This is rich and dark with a spiced nose full of black chocolate and black pepper edged by soft floral notes. Graceful and refined on the palate bursting with freshness and such integrated tannins. Smooth but on the mineral edge so you get that hint of austerity/salinity together with the acidity giving this some sharpness and high definition. It's got concentration and depth but at the moment it's so linear and detailed in its precision that it's coming across very straight and taut. Tannins have some grip and this has a nice weight on the mid-palate leading into a long finish. I adore the sweet salty tang at the end. I'm looking forward to tasting this in bottle. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. No chaptalisation. A yield of 36hl/ha. 20 months ageing, 100% new oak barrels. Rated 95. ‑ Georgie Hindle, decanter.com May, 2022

From the team at Calon-Ségur and deep ruby/plum-hued, the 2022 Château Capbern has a youthful, unevolved profile in its black and blue fruits as well as crushed stone, graphite, and violet-like perfume. This carries to a rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated Capbern that has solid depth of fruit, juicy acidity, and ripe tannins. It has all the right components, but it's going to need some time to come together. Rated 93+. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

The 2018 Château Capbern checks in as a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new barrels. It has a deep, dark, earthy, classic Saint-Estèphe bouquet that gives up lots of cassis and almost blue fruits as well as ample chocolate, damp earth, and leafy herb-like aromas and flavors. With a full-bodied, rich, opulent mouthfeel, loads of sumptuous dark fruits, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this brilliant 2018 brings lots of fruit and opulence, yet stays weightless and balanced, with solid underlying structure. A hidden gem in the vintage, this is every bit as good as the 2016, and it's going to shine for two decades or more. Drink 2021‑2041. Rated 94. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2020

The Grand Vin 2022 Château Mauvesin Barton is beautiful and well worth seeking out. Ripe red and black fruits, chalky minerality, and floral notes are just some of its nuances, and it's medium to full‑bodied, with a pure, elegant, layered mouthfeel and beautiful tannins. I think you could safely put this up with the best to date from the château, and it’s going to evolve for 20+ years if well stored. Drink 2025‑2045. Rated 93. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

Located about 10 km to the west of Pauillac at Saint‑Sauveur in the Haut‑Médoc, Château Rollin is officially classified as a Crus Bourgeois. Produce of the fruit of 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot vines planted to silty gravelly soils of the various plots of vineyard located within 1½ kilomètres around the cellars; medium deep ruby in color with classic Bordelais aromas suggestive of fleshy berry, ripe plum, spice and vineyard floor with just the subtlest hint of graphite; poised and structured on the tongue, ample, mouthfilling, almost spherical in shape with a crunchy, innervating fleshy fruit quality and fine, resolved tannins delivering a nice wollop of classic, if modern and ripe claret flavor. Oh, and do check the price. This is simply stunning value in good left bank Bordeaux red wine.

Produce of the fruit of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted to gravelly/sandy soils of in the Haut‑Médoc on the left bank of the Gironde River estuary; the wine is aged not in oak, but in concrete vats; medium deep ruby in color with aromas suggestive of dark berry, spiced plum and earth (we're reminded of that old descriptor for many a fine Bordeaux: № 2 pencil shavings); polished on entry, perhaps more velvety than silky in texture with classic Bordelais astringency, gentle warmth and intensity of flavor; this would be just a perfect choice with a jambon beurre or steak frites à la béarnaise.

The estate covers a little less than 8 hectares, of which just under 7 are planted with vines. The single contiguous vineyard is located on one of the most prestigious terroirs of Saint-Émilion, that is, the limestone plateau. Its south/southwestern exposures and steady incline allow the sun to nourish the vines for a significant part of the day. The average age of the vines is between 40 and 50 years, and their roots have grown deep into the sponge‑like limestone soil, a natural water regulator. It is this terroir that lends the outstanding quality to the wines, giving both ageworthiness and freshness, whatever hurdles the vintage may offer. The Croix de Beauséjour represents the first course, the entrée (or appetizer, in our parlance) into the wines of the property. Deep, almost midnight ruby in color to a more sanguine ruby toward the edges with aromas that run deep, with undulating concentrated wafts of dried berries, dried cherries, spiced plum and pulverized stone; at once, firm, then cool, collected, harmonious and equilibrious on the tongue, well-demonstrating its impressive depth of complex intensity of flavor and stony underpinning; mon dieu, ça c'est le truc.

The 2016 Corbin is a gorgeous, supple Saint-Émilion that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Floral notes add brightness and energy to a core of red cherry and plum fruit. Hints of chocolate, leather and menthol shape the persistent, substantial finish. A racy wine with no hard edges and tons of pure harmony, the 2016 is simply impeccable today. Tasted two times. Drink 2018-2028. Rated 93. - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com January, 2019

Spiced dark cherries, iron, tobacco, and floral notes all define the 2020 Clos Des Jacobins, a medium to full‑bodied, pure, polished, and beautifully balanced 2020 with lots of character. The tannins are nicely polished and integrated, and it has plenty of mid‑palate depth as well as outstanding length. While it's unquestionably drinking nicely today, it's going to benefit from just a few years of bottle age and keep for 10‑15 years. Drink 2025‑2040. Rated 91. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

A sensational Troplong. Vibrant and vivid, this makes you smile from the first smell: milk chocolate, floral notes of roses and lavender, wet stones, liquorice, cinnamon and ripe bramble fruits. Round and thrilling on the palate, tannins are abundant with a chalky blueberry coolness while a salty tang settles around the mouth. Lovely precision and purity of fruit; you feel the sharp definition - still linear which makes it less immediately charming than the 2019 but giving undeniable complexity. Deep but not heady, this remains pure and detailed, with a leanness from the terroir really setting this apart. After a few minutes, the glamour starts to appear giving a salivating, succulent and moreish aspect to the finish. An absolute beauty. Drink 2028‑2047. Rated 100. ‑ Georgina Hindle, decanter.com January, 2023

Produce of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc hand‑harvested from 4 hectares (about 10 acres) of sustainably&farmed vines an average age of 45‑plus years and planted to the clay/limestone soils of this notably exceptional section of Saint‑Émilion. Rich ruby in color with complex aromas an amalgam of kirsch, plum, earth and rain‑moistened stone; full and rich onto the tongue with sapid, almost chewy fruit, gentle structure of ripe tannins, gentle astringency and a certain kirsch‑like quality that serves to freshen the palate, stretching fine typical Saint‑Émilion flavor long and fresh on the finish.

Lots of ripe red and blue fruits as well as chocolate and leafy herbs notes emerge from the 2018 Château Saint Georges, and this medium to full‑bodied, ripe, plump 2018 has terrific purity, some earthy, spicy, cedary undertones, ripe yet present tannins, and a good finish. Drink it over the coming 10‑12 years. Drink 2021‑2033. Rated 89. ‑ Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com March, 2023

Alluring deep ruby in color with discreet aromatics of cherry, earth and stone (petrichor, really; Alan noted Black Forest kirsch and cocoa); plush if firm and stony on entry with nice chalky palate‑cleansing astringency. Brilliant value, too.

Ripe red and black fruits, savory herbs, truffle, and new leather notes all shine in the 2022 Château Puygueraud, a balanced, charming, beautifully textured 2022 that's already hard to resist. It's well worth seeking out and will be a smoking good Bordeaux to drink over the coming decade. It's another gorgeous wine from Nicolas Thienpont. Drink 2025‑2035. Rated 92. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com February, 2025

The 2019 Château Puygueraud is also terrific, with ripe darker cherry, plum, leafy tobacco and hints of chocolate on the nose. This medium-bodied, rounded, supple, elegant beauty has soft tannins, wonderful balance, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming decade. Drink 2022‑2032. Rated 92. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com April, 2022

Produce of the fruit of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from on average twenty-plus years old vines planted to clay/limestone and sandy/clay/silt soils with south/southwest exposures here in this historically hard right bank area of Bordeaux, opposite Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Saint-Julien and Pauillac across the Gironde river estuary and just upstream from the famous/infamous nuclear power plant, Centrale Nucleaire du Blayais across the muddy-watered estuary from Saint-Estèphe. Power may be the operative word as the soils here yield wines of structure, density and a certain tannic grip. Rich ruby/purple red in color with distinctive and forward aromas of earth and berry along with suggestion of petrichor and tarry dried cherries; structured and earthy on the palate, not at all for the Bordeaux feint of heart, this wine wants some fat to cut into (Alexandre Bordenave, winegrower, recommends charcuterie; here in Austin we might recommend a hearty beef stew or soft-ripened cheese like Brie or Camembert alongside a toasted baguette); in the end, this is clear demonstration that Merlot can be as structured and potent a wine as its running mate Cabernet Sauvignon depending, of course, on where it is grown.

Château Marjosse is a small but historical Bordeaux property, built in 1782 and located near the village of Tizac‑de‑Curton in the heart of the Entre‑deux‑Mers region just east of the city of Bordeaux. The winery is simply‑equipped but marvellously functional, with cellars now over two hundred‑years old. There are 35 hectares of vineyards exceptionally well‑situated on a clay/limestone plateau around 300 mètres above sea level. Winemaker, Pierre Lurton, born and raised in a neighbouring château, bought the property piece by piece starting in 1991 and has been producing widely‑acclaimed, sensibly‑priced red and white wines since. From a typical Bordeaux blanc blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle, vivid platinum/yellow with glints of green in color and ultra‑fresh aromas suggestive of sappy green fig, cool melon, white peach, gooseberry and crushed stone (we remind ourselves that it is the stuff of cool green grapes growing in among their happiest of places); at once, both svelte in body and just ample and rounded on the tongue, with nerve and freshness to spare, and just lots and lots of mouthwatering fresh flavor to the finish.

Produce of about 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested in the cool of the early morning from vineyards at Gornac some 30 kilometres south of Saint‑Émilion; rich ruby/purple in color with aromas suggestive of ripe plump dark berries, toasted baguette, graphite and vineyard floor; cool and reserved onto the tongue, velvet in texture becoming more chewy with broad dusty tannins and classic claret astringency, this taster is contemplating an Antone's Original Po' Boy, a Jambon Beurre or muffuletta or simply a nice fat piece of a Brie-type cheese. This is classic Bordelais claret for a most reasonable price.

Sweetness seems to have gone out of fashion of late. And sweet wine seems to have hit the skids, market-wise, as well. So, necessity being the mother of invention, here's a little something, if not completely different, certainly far more prevalent now than in days gone by — dry white wine from Sauternes. Produce of about half each certified organically farmed Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon vines an average of 35 years old and planted to sandy gravel and clay gravel soils of Sauternes to the southeast of the city of Bordeaux: lovely yellow gold in color with characteristic waxy Bordelais blanc aromas suggestive of fresh ripe melon, green fig, fresh mint leaves, rain‑moistened stone and, with a little air, citrus blossom; oh this is a tactile wine alright, gently glycerol, rounded, cushy, satisfying, but with nerve and spine, pith and underpinning enough to keep fresh melon, citrus and stone‑tinged flavors moving along, skipping along, fresh and vital and flavorful long on the finish. And, even if completely dry, price‑wise, it's a really sweet deal.

The 2022 Yquem is a blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc with 160 g/L residual sugar and a total acidity of 5.39 g/L. It is the first certified organic vintage for the estate and has the lowest level of total sulphur ever: 234 g/L, high within the sphere of wine but comparatively low for Sauternes. The 2022 was aged for 24 months in new barrels that underwent slightly less drying than those used for red wines in order to retain some green tannins. Given the growing season, the 2022 Yquem has a surprisingly understated bouquet that demands coaxing. Scents of orange pith, passion fruit and quince are exquisitely defined, a hint of chamomile dancing around in the background. The palate is medium-bodied. Given the high level of residual sugar, what is surprising is that the 2022 does not seem a weighty or texturally unctuous Yquem, yet there is an intensity and concentration that is arresting. Vivid flavours of clementine, wild honey, quince and tangerine that effortlessly combine. The acidity almost nonchalantly counters the sensation of residual sugar, so it feels less than it actually is, the scintilla of salinity toward the finish tempting you back for more. This is a marvellous and quite cerebral Yquem for which patience is required. Drink 2030‑2100. Rated 98. ‑ Neal Martin, vinous.com March, 2025

The 2021 Yquem was tasted in Amsterdam, the first wine poured at a lunch, thereby allowing me a longer period to examine it. Slightly burnished in hue, it has a very attractive bouquet with scents of dried quince, clementine, linseed and subtle candle wax, perhaps more discrete than usual, but certainly fresh and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied and viscous on the entry, a Yquem with perhaps a lighter chassis than recent vintages, prioritizing poise and purity over horsepower — exactly the right approach in such a challenging season. It opens wonderfully in the glass, gaining more frangipane and kaki fruit scents, though it seems to have a lighter and more tensile finish than the 2020 or 2019. As such, I suspect that it will be comparatively approachable and, of course, delicious. Readers should note that I will probably re-taste the 2021 in Bordeaux during primeur. Drink 2030‑2060. Rated 96. ‑ Neal Martin, vinous.com January, 2024

The 2020 Yquem, a blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, cropped at a measly 10hl/ha, has a very sensual bouquet. It’s pretty mercurial as it unfolds in the glass, with scents of freshly sliced white peaches, almonds and pineapple. The oak is beautifully integrated, and allowing it further time, there are additional scents of Vervain tea, pressed white flowers and saffron. The palate makes an immediate impact with a mineral-rich, surprisingly saline entry that lends it edginess right from the off. The poise in this Yquem rivets you to the spot. Compared to recent vintages, this keeps everything buttoned down and tightly controlled until the finish, whereupon it fans out with nascent swagger. Stem ginger, caramelized pear and orange rind notes are delivered with excellent delineation. This animated and opulent Yquem is destined to age gracefully over the coming decades. Drink 2040‑2100. Rated 97. ‑ Neal Martin, vinous.com