1 | Wine | Saint Emilion, 91 or higher, 2011

"Not surprisingly, Alain Vauthier’s 2011 Ausone is one of the greatest wines he has produced. I know this sounds impossible, but it is the reason why I spend so much time tasting and reflecting on what is in front of me. The 2011 could turn out to be better than his 2009 – sacre bleu! Probably the wine of the vintage, the 2011 exhibits a murky, inky, blue/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of creme de cassis, plum sauce, crushed rocks (primarily chalk), acacia flowers and hints of graphite, truffles and damp forest floor. The riveting aromatics are followed by a wine that does not let the taster down in the mouth. Full-bodied with extraordinary purity, oozing richness and well-integrated velvety tannins, acidity, oak and alcohol, this is another superb achievement by Vauthier from this phenomenal site on the decomposed limestone hillsides of St.-Emilion. Possibly the longest-lived wine of the vintage, it should evolve for 30-40 years. Since few of us can afford Ausone (or even find it, assuming we have the discretionary income necessary to purchase it), readers should seek out the second wine, which usually represents one-third of the entire production."-Robert Parker

"I tasted this cuvee three times, and on each occasion it was totally exhilarating. Notes of white chocolate, creme de cassis, raspberry liqueur, truffles and lead pencil shavings emerge from this stunningly proportioned 2011. With massive fruit and richness, sweet tannin and adequate acidity, it is even more impressive than most vintages to date given the less than perfect growing conditions of 2011. Drink it over the next two decades."-Robert Parker

"Another top-notch success, the 2011 (70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) hit 15% natural alcohol. Yields were a low 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred quite late. The result is a dense purple-colored wine with a stunning bouquet of blackberry jam, graphite, charcoal and blueberries. With superb density and purity as well as a multidimensional mouthfeel, this intense St.-Emilion is a sleeper of the vintage, although consumers are catching on to the exquisite quality emerging from La Fleur Cardinale. The 2011 should drink well for 15+ years." -Robert Parker

"A very classic wine, the 2011 is inky purple, with a superb aromatic display of black raspberry, cassis, chocolate, forest floor and some vague smoky, barbecue scents. Full-bodied, powerful, pure and impressively rich, this blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 92 to 94 pts.

"Quite expressive, offering bright blueberry and raspberry aromas and flavors, with lots of lightly toasted spice flittering through the long, silky finish. Showing lovely purity, this is a really beautiful, tender expression for the vintage."

"A very ripe, vivid style, with warm linzer torte, cherry confiture and blackberry jam flavors laced with ample toast and roasted wood spice notes. This has heft, but also enough polish through the finish, thanks to well-embedded acidity."
-Wine Spectator, 89 to 92 pts.

"The 2011 Clos de Sarpe represents a return to form after a somewhat underachieving 2009. This small 12+ acre vineyard had remarkably low yields of 16 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend from the proprietor, Monsieur Beyney, was 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Along with La Fleur Morange, this is one of the most powerful wines of the vintage (15% natural alcohol). While most top vintages of Clos de Sarpe reveal excruciatingly high levels of tannin, the 2011’s tannin levels are very manageable and the tannin is remarkably sweet and well-integrated, giving this wine more charm and appeal at an early age than one normally sees. Nevertheless, it is a powerful, opaque purple-colored wine displaying notes of incense, blueberry and blackberry liqueur and spring flowers. Concentrated, full-bodied and multidimensional with lots of intensity as well as the aforementioned sweet tannins, it should drink well for at least two decades."-Robert Parker

"Always among the sexiest, most opulent and flamboyant wines of the vintage, Croix de Labrie’s 2011 offers stunningly ripe Merlot fruit in its luxurious, easily understood, irresistible personality. Lots of ripe fruit as well as a disarming style make for a wine to drink during its first decade of life. It’s a winner!" -Robert Parker

"The impressively endowed 2011 Faugeres is a big wine for the vintage, boasting an opaque ruby/purple color as well as notes of creosote, black currants, blueberries, coffee beans and toasty oak. This modern-styled, full-bodied, pure, textured, long St.-Emilion’s zesty acidity gives freshness and vibrancy to this big wine. It tips the scales at 14% natural alcohol, and is a blend of 85% Merlot with the rest primarily Cabernet Franc and a tiny bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. It should evolve for 15-20 years." -Robert Parker

"The wine boasts a dense blue/purple color as well as aromas of black raspberries, blackberries, acacia flowers, espresso, toasty oak, and a sweet, mossy, foresty character that ranges from an autumnal, vegetative smell to minerality. Opulent, dense and strikingly rich and extracted with moderately high tannins, this is one of the bigger, richer wines of the vintage. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20-25."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 91 to 93+ pts.

"A gorgeous red, offering ganache and fig notes melded nicely together, with ample heft, but good freshness, with a long, dark, richly layered finish. This goes for power—and pulls it off."

"A successful effort in this vintage, Barde-Haut’s 2011 (90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc) from proprietor Helene Garcin exhibits soft black currant and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of spice box, earth, vanillin and blue fruits. Medium-bodied with surprising density for a 2011, soft tannins, adequate acidity and a fine finish, it should age effortlessly for 10-15 years."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 90 to 92 pts.

"This has solid flesh, with plum and cherry compote notes framed by a lightly taut plum skin edge. There's good spice through the finish. Well-extracted but not overdone."

"The wine exhibits a distinctive peppery, slightly herbaceous, exotic nose that initially is difficult to fathom. This rich, medium-bodied 2011 continues with a certain herbaceous streak that runs through the flavors. Nevertheless, there is impressive ripeness, concentration and density, and the tannins are velvety and well-integrated. If the green, peppery character calms down somewhat, my score should climb into the low 90s. However, this is not one of the top Larcis Ducasses made in the last 7-8 years."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 89 to 93 pts.

"This is lovely, with floral notes at first, which are then followed by pure, precise blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit aromas and flavors. Features a silky texture, fine acidity and a buried mineral hint on the finish. Classy."