Bordeaux 2023

Tasted April 2024. Blend 99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. ABV 14.2. This mediaeval property has experienced a new lease of life under David Suire's stewardship and is surely one to watch over the coming years. Aromas of ripe red plums, red cherries and black olive tapenade give way to warm, baking spice notes and a pleasant mossy, earthy undergrowth characteristic. The nose is deceptively ripe as the mouth is fresh and crunchy with slick and silky tannins.

Tasted April 2024. Classic Margaux with satin-like tannins, delicate spice and medium body. There's some refreshing crunchy red fruit in addition to denser blackberry fruit and mocha richnes, and it has a classy, elegant finish.

Tasted April 2024. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot. Fresh and soft black and red berry fruit, with delicate spice and toasty oak. Fragrant raspberry and juicy acidity throughout, finishing long and spicy with mouthwatering mineral notes.

Tasted April 2024. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot. Fresh black berry fruit on the nose and palate. Creamy texture and medium-body, with silky tannins and a long fruity finish.

Tasted April 2024. 95% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon. 13.6% ABV and 70% new barrels. The team at Larrivet Haut Brion are convinced this is the best vintage of white wine they have ever produced. Expressive and full of intense yellow fruit and a hint of cream on the nose. Intense and concentrated on the palate too with zesty citrus, and exotic fruit, with a refreshing mineral finish.

Tasted April 2024. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot. 13.3% ABV and 50% new barrels, with the Merlot matured in terracotta amphorae. Larrivet Haut-Brion remains one of our hot tips in Bordeaux, seriously puching above its weight. Dense, crushed, juicy black fruit, licorice, sweet spice. More raspberry and cranberry on the palate, with floral, aromatic notes balancing the concentation. Refreshing acidity and a long, silky finish with saline notes.

Tasted April 2024. Refined and elegant in style with lots of floral character and fresh red fruit. Detailed on the palate with herbal complexity, saline notes and a long fine, appetising finish.

Tasted April 2024. Ripe, soft blackberry fruit, with some floral notes and minerals. Similar on the palate with silky, long, fine tannins and lovely purity of aromatic black fruit. A very impressive effort, and the first made in their state of the art new cellar.

Floral and explosive on the nose, thanks to a hefty dose of Cabernet Franc. Dried rose petals, fresh mint, sage, dried peel and wild strawberry on the nose. Crushed chalk element to the texture on the palate with a long, silky finish.

Dense dark fruit on the nose and palate, with complex mocha, floral and spicy notes. Dried herbs and a chalky note on the finish.

Textural and rich, with powerful, spicy fruit. There's some pomegranate, cranberry crunch to the dense core of fruit, with fresh mint and dried woody herbs adding complexity to the nose. Densely-packed, ripe tannins.

Tasted April 2024. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.1% ABV. Generous, powerful and full-bodied with ripe blackberry, blackcurrant and black plum. Refreshing mint, cherry, and stony notes on the palate, with lots of velvet tannins and creamy texture.

Tasted April 2024. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère, 1% Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV. Harmonious with freshness and power at the same time. Floral aromas and blackberry, with fine tannins and lovely balance.

Tasted April 2024. Bright and pretty on the nose, with dark plum, cherry and bramble fruit on the palate. Layers of complexity already with spice, balsamic and subtle truffle. Savoury and appetising on the finish.

Tasted April 2024. Elegant and structured, with a chalky feel on the palate. Fresh dark berries, plum, balsamic, truffle and licorice. Bright acidity and a long, savoury finish.

Tasted April 2024. Rich and structured, with incredible complexity. Wild rosemary, sage, truffle, clove and mocha. Dense plum and cherry fruit. Impressive depth on the palate.

Tasted April 2023. Generous yet understated, with a stony feel throughout, and a core of blackberry and soft plum fruit. Approachable with appetising refreshing acidity and soft tannins, an excellent mid-weight Bordeaux for the dinner table.

Tasted April 2024. 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon. 14% ABV. An excellent Domaine de Chevalier Blanc with a brilliant interplay of weight on the palate and saline complexity. Textural and zesty initially, it then becomes razor sharp with a steely, salty finish.

Tasted April 2024. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 13% ABV. Domaine de Chevalier produced a smaller than average crop because of mildew affecting the Merlot, as a result Merlot makes up a smaller than usual proportion of the blend. Aromatic and focused, with restrained black berry fruit and lots of savoury, forest floor complexity. Already some appetising earthy, mineral hints are developing and there's plenty of broad tannin and salinity on the finish.

Tasted April 2024. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Aromatic on the nose with bramble, soft black plum and blackcurrant on the palate. Expressive, perfumed and pure, with smooth tannins. Approachable now but has plenty of concentration to age.

Tasted April 2024. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. An usually high proportion of Cabernet this year. Classic St-Julien characters of blackcurrant and fresh mint, with silky tannins and refreshing, juicy mid-palate.