Chateau Pichon-Longueville Lalande 2me cru classe
The history of Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron is a tale of two estates. The chateau and vineyard known as Pichon Baron was given in dowry to the founders daughter when she married Jacques du Pichon Longueville. After the death of their descendent, the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville, in 1850 the estate was again divided - on his deathbed, he gave what became Chateau Pichon Baron to the men of his family, and what became Chateau Pichon Lalande to the women - resulting in, some say, more masculine and sensuous styles of wine respectively! Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the estate went through a period of rather lacklustre production - however, since 1990, they have been producing, according to many, some of the best wines in their history. The 2016 has earned high praise and glowing comparisons to their legendary 1990 Pichon Baron.
Opus One Cabernet Blend
Opus One is the coming together of two of the world's supreme wine figures, Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. Opus One began its life in 1979 when Château Mouton Rothschild winemaker Lucien Sionneau and Robert Mondavi's son, Timothy made the partnership's first vintage. Their goal was to create a wine of unparalleled quality that reflected the traditions of both houses. The wine is French in style, but Californian in substance, Opus One is produced with the utmost attention to detail. The 2006 Opus One is a traditional Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine shows saturated black fruit concentration with flecks of purple in the glass. The nose is one of dark chocolate, blackberry, smallgoods and rose petal. In the mouth, flavours of cassis and coffee with robust plum and cherry are only a small taste of how great this wine will become with careful cellaring.</p>
Chateau Pontet-Canet 5me cru classe
Chateau Pontet Canet is a large Pauillac estate that can trace its origins back to 1725, when Jean-François Pontet gave his name to the estate he had acquired. The wine was not château-bottled until 1972 and in 1975 the property was sold to Guy Tesseron, who also owns Château Lafon-Rochet in St-Estephe. Today it is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron. Pontet-Canet's 78 hectares of vineyards adjoin those of Mouton Rothschild and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (5%). The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and finely integrated tannins. The wines have great ageing potential. Pontet-Canet is classified as a 5ème Cru Classé.. It was the first major Bordeaux wine producer to earn official organic certification, and its biodynamic production is a hallmark of its current operations.
Château Palmer
Chateau Canon 1er grand cru classe
Chateau Canon is a 1er Grand Cru Classé estate in the St Emilion appellation on Bordeauxs right bank. The Grand Vin Chateau Canon is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. After harvesting the grapes are meticulously sorted before undergoing fermentation and a two week post-ferment maceration to build tannin structure. Maturation takes place in 60% new French oak for 18 to 20 months. In the best years, Chateau Canon is deeply coloured and plush with ample mouth-coating blue and blackberry fruit.
Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2me cru classe
Majestic, intense, full bodied and tannic, Cos dEstournel is considered the leading wine of St Estèphe. Highly tannic in its youth, over time it develops much much like the great wines of adjoining Pauillac. The wine is typically a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, consistently displaying immense power and evident breed.
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1er cru classe
One of the most famous - as well as one of the most expensive - wines in the world, Chateau Lafite Rothschilds history dates back to 1235, by which time, it is believed, the vines were already planted and thriving. Nearly 1,000 years later it still retains the name of its then-owner Gombaud de Lafite. It wasnt until 1868 that the Rothschilds came to become the Chateaus owners, after it was sold at public auction in Paris - and it remains in their hands today. Producing an elegant Paulliac wine, Chateau Lafite is renowned for its characteristic blend of rich dark fruit with spicy, savoury and earthy notes of cassis, tobacco, and truffle. The 2016 earned sterling reviews, with James Suckling scoring it a perfect 100 and speculating on its standing as Perhaps the greatest Lafite since the legendary 1959.
CHATEAU LA MISSION-HAUT-BRION Cru classe
Château la Mission Haut-Brion is on uniquely stony soil in the Pessac-Léognan appellation close to the city of Bordeaux. It is a Cru Classé in the Graves Classification of 1953. The 22.5 hectare red wine vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (44%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The chateau wine is vinified in large (180hl) temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats and aged in 100% new French oak for an average of 22 months. Annual production is 6000-7000 dozen. The famous white wine of the chateau comes from 3.5 ha planted to Semillon (62%) and Sauvignon Blanc (38%). Overall planting density is 10,000 vines per hectare (red) and 8000 vines per hectare (white). Since 1983, under the ownership of Domaine Clarence Dillon (which also owns the neighbouring Chateau Haut Brion), the entire estate has been renovated vineyards, winemaking facilities and the chateau itself. The property got its name in the 1600s when it was owned by the Catholic Church.
CARRUADES DE LAFITE Second wine of Chateau Lafite
Chateau Calon-Segur 3me cru classe
With its name enclosed in a heart on the label, Chateau Calon-Ségur is a third-growth estate (3ème Cru Classé) in Saint-Estèphe. Firm and sturdy in style, Chateau Calon-Ségur is somewhat austere in its youth, possessing a prominent tannin structure that rewards extended cellaring over 10 to 20 years.