Latest Classics Released

Château Giscours, 3eme Cru Classé, Margaux
£390 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£200 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

Giscours was once an estate in trouble, yet since the dawn of the millennium it has undergone systematic and consistent improvement. Each year has seen dramatic enhancement on the last. Increasing the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and a major overhaul of everything at the estate from vineyards to winery and everything in between has yielded a stunning effort in 2015. Wonderfully symmetrical it opens with elegant violet tones which soon swell and surge into a mélange of dark fruit. The palate then softens with suave tannins and builds once again onto a finish of great detail and finesse.. 

The 2015 Giscours is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. That is in stark comparison to older vintages, for example the 2000 Giscours that was 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot. Winemaker Alexandre Van Beek told me that the 2015 "...reflects the true terroir at Giscours that created the great wines of the 1960s and 1970s." That is something to live up to with fresh memories of the 1961 in my brain. The bouquet is very intense and almost "untamed" at first, but it calms down in the glass, revealing attractive scents of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and graphite. This is a Giscours determined to make a good impression...and it does. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure, a little spicier than recent vintages, adorned with a gentle crescendo in the mouth towards a really quite fantastic, tensile, complex and compelling finish. Having tasted the 1961 and 1970 Giscours just a few months ago, I wager that the 2015 will be the best since the 1961. Time to fall back in love with this great Margaux property. Drink 2025 - 2060.Neal Martin, 94-96/100

The 2015 Giscours is terrific. In fact, this may be one of the very best recent vintages I have tasted here. Ample and quite broad in its first impression, the 2015 possesses magnificent depth from start to finish. Even with all of its intensity, the 2015 retains striking freshness and delineation. Succulent dark cherry, plum, blood orange and sweet spice notes all flesh out in the glass. Creamy, silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. The purity of the fruit here is striking. The 2015 is a terrific Giscours.
Antonio Galloni, 91-94/100

Château Duhart-Milon, 4eme Cru Classé, Pauillac
£500 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£257.50 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

Located just to the west of Lafite-Rothschild and under shared ownership the estate has seen heavy investment to heighten the wines latent potential. Without doubt these goals have been achieved. With the simple and classic cépage of just Cabernet and Merlot this classicism is exhibited in the wine itself. Approachable and balanced this is a wine that impresses for its confidence in its own ability. A wine that speaks eloquently and persuasively without having to resort to brashness to make itself heard. 

The 2015 Duhart-Milon is soft, open-knit and expressive, with gorgeous dark red and purplish fruit pushed forward and pretty spiced notes that add complexity. Medium in body and gracious, the 2015 should drink nicely with minimal cellaring. This is a very pretty, understated Duhart.
Antonio Galloni, 90-92/100

It has a tightly-wound bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and cassis fruit, moderate complexity, perhaps just a little static at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with quite supple tannin for the normally obdurate Duhart-Milon, the acidity nicely judged with a pleasing salinity towards the finish. I would just like to see more personality come through by the time of bottling. Otherwise, this is a fine Duhart-Milon that is more compromising than the tannic "beasts" of yesteryear, and it should drink after 5-7 years in bottle. Drink 2020 – 2045.Neal Martin, 90-92/100

Château Le Dome, St-Émilion
£905 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£455 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

The 2015 Le Dôme is a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot picked on October 2 and 6. It has a clean and precise bouquet, tightly wound at first, gently warming up, developing more delineation and focus. This might be a more understated Le Dôme compared to recent years, but you might argue more sophisticated. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive density, a vein of dark chocolate on the entry that is rapidly overtaken by layers of lightly spiced black fruit. The finish is tightly wound at the moment, but it will open by the time of bottling. What I like here is the fineness of the tannin, something not always exuded by Mathus' top cuvée. It simply expresses the joys of Cabernet Franc and it should age nicely over the next 5-20 years. Drink 2021 – 2045. Neal Martin, 94–96/100 

2015 Château Léoville Barton, 2ème Cru Classé, Saint Julien
£580 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£290 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

This superb Second Growth property can be relied upon to deliver wines which caress and delight.A combination of classicism and modernity wrapped up in the prefect package. One finds that Léoville Barton tends to make seamless wines. They are almost unassuming yet remain quietly confident. No bravado or strutting to be found here. Just delicious, traditional Bordeaux at its finest. The 2015 adheres to this recipe and takes it a step further. A producer who has truly performed this vintage! The 1985 is still drinking wonderfully today…the 2015 is an exciting proposition. Some of the highest ever scores for the estate indicate the pedigree of this offering. Do not delay. 

It has a more compelling and intense bouquet than the 2015 Langoa Barton at this early stage, whereas in other years I have found the siblings closer together. It delivers some lovely blackberry, sage and cigar box scents. The palate is very refined with edgy tannin, beautifully balanced with seamlessly integrated oak. It is the classic Léoville-Barton style, full of energy and showing more breeding than the Langoa on the finish. This is just an outstanding, classic, drop-dead gorgeous Léoville Barton that is destined to give immense pleasure over the coming years. Drink 2025- 2055 
Neal Martin, 94-96/100 

The 2015 Léoville-Barton is superb. Vivid and wonderfully nuanced in the glass, the 2015 offers exceptional purity in its aromas and flavors. As always, the house style favors finesse over pure power, but in 2015 there is a good bit of both. Graphite, pencil shavings and crème de cassis, herbs and mocha meld into a rich, textured, beautifully persistent finish. The tannins are there, but they are nearly buried. Léoville-Barton is not the most powerful or showy Saint-Julien in 2015, but it is class personified. Don't miss it. Tasted two times. 
Antonio Galloni, 93-96/100

2015 Château Climens, Barsac
£515 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£265 Per 12 Half Bottles En Primeur
£265 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

Climens has a wonderfully distinct style due in part to its location and the preference to shun Sauvignon Blanc instead favouring Semillon as the sole varietal. No one has mastered Semillon like Climens and in 2015 – feted for the quality of its sweet wines – the estate has outdone itself once again. With fastidious selection and separation to the point which pickers individual baskets are numbered and poured over! This ensures only the most perfect grapes are selected at every stage has resulted in a wine of great purity and definition as well as richness. Tropical fruits overlap with zesty citrus and a languid texture that is quite seductive. 

Aromas that spring from samples included acacia honey, orange blossom, grapefruit and a little frangipane, all beautifully defined and gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, a dash of spice on the entry, lively in the mouth with ginger and a dash of pepper tincturing the honeyed fruit, long and sustained as it fans out with vigor. This is a fabulous Climens from Bérénice Lurton and her team, and as usual, those with wise heads will opt to lay bottles down for 15 years to get the most from this special Barsac. It is destined to be a great Climens. 2025 – 2060 
Neal Martin, 96-98/100 

Château Lascombes, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux
£535 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£270 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

This esteemed Second Growth property has seen a real rise in quality over the past decade. Undoubtedly the best wines being made at the estate are those of today. Possibly the most modern in style of wines from Margaux it has a glossy, forward style overflowing with bright, intense fruit. Lascombes has seen an increase in price on last year – as many have, reflecting the quality of the vintage – but still offers good value when compared to the best vintages of the past. This offers fans of the estate a great opportunity to buy a wine full of life and lushness that will provide great pleasure which will be accessible relatively soon after bottling. 

The 2015 Lascombes is rich, powerful and inviting. All the elements fall into place in a juicy, succulent Margaux endowed with superb overall balance. Sweet red cherry, plum, spice and grilled herbs are given an added kick of polish by the silky tannins. Racy and open-knit, the 2015 is built to deliver considerable pleasure with minimal cellaring. Readers should expect a bold, forward Margaux with modern contours and plenty of concentration. 
Antonio Galloni, 92–95/100 

Château Lagrange, 3ème Cru Classé, Saint Julien
£305 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£155 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

A hearty wine that shows added finesse this year. Worth buying for fans of the estate.

It has a tightly-knit bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light rose petal scents, elegant in style. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannin, moderate weight in the mouth, not as intense as either the 2009 or 2010, although it is harmonious and graceful. There is a pleasant spicy, white pepper note that lingers on the aftertaste of what should be one of the earlier drinking Saint Julien wines. 
Neal Martin, 90-92/100  

Château Brainare Ducru, 4ème Cru Classé, Saint Julien
£400 Per 12 Bottles En Primeur
£200 Per 6 Bottles En Primeur

The 2015 Branaire-Ducru is deep, fleshy and delicious. Radiant, open-knit and endowed with a total sense of class, the Branaire hits all the right notes. A striking mélange of dark red and purplish fruit, wild flowers, hard candy, mint, spice and new leather makes a strong opening statement. Sweet floral notes add lift on the finish. Branaire is one of the freshest, most perfumed Saint-Juliens of the vintage. As such, it is a wine of pure pleasure and sensuality, not to mention a terrific example of the year. 
Antonio Galloni, 92–94/100