1 | Wine | New Arrivals, Red Bordeaux Blend, 91 to 95

"A stunning sleeper of the vintage, this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon was made by winemaking guru/consultant Stephane Derenoncourt. The wine’s 14.5% alcohol tells you something about its amazing richness and intensity. Aromas of smoke, lead pencil shavings, sweet kirsch and black currants soar from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, opulent, fleshy wine. Some tannin lurks beneath the surface, but the overall impression is one of opulence and extravagance. Drink this beauty over the next decade or more." -Robert Parker

"A tasty, opulent 2005 from proprietress Helene Garcin, this sexy wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color followed by a sweet bouquet of licorice, black cherries, blackberries, oak, and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, fleshy, and disarming, it will drink well in 2-3 years, and should age for 12-15." -Robert Parker

"Bright ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice pastille and violet. Round, suave and lush but with lovely inner-mouth lift to the cassis and chocolate flavors. Serious depth here, and quite ripe for 2010. Finishes seamless, subtle and long, with suave, chocolatey tannins. This youthfully medicinal blend seems built for a graceful evolution in bottle."

"Juicy and direct, with solid plum, raspberry and bitter cherry notes pushed by woodspice, singed alder and charcoal. Nice range, and with a pleasantly chewy, grippy feel."

"One of the superstars of the vintage, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as abundant notes of blueberry liqueur, graphite, truffles, acacia flowers and subtle toast. Full-bodied, opulent and already easy to drink, this large-scaled wine possesses high levels of tannin, but they are relatively well-concealed by the extravagant fruit, glycerin, texture and density of this compelling Troplong Mondot. This impressive wine may shut down after bottling and require 4-5 years of cellaring. It has the potential to last at least 15-20 years. Bravo!" -Robert Parker

"A mix of dark plum, blackberry and fig fruit rumbles along here, with a charcoal note cutting a broad swath. Solid, if a bit blunt in the end, as bittersweet cocoa clamps own on the finish. Went for obvious extraction, and now we have to wait and see if this stretches out in time or stays landlocked by the square tannins."
-Reviewed by: Wine Spectator - 89 to 92 pts

"It boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as gorgeous aromas of black and blue fruits, spring flowers, and hints of background toast and forest floor. Well-integrated wood and acidity as well as moderately ripe tannins make for a medium to full-bodied, expansive, flavorful, rich, well-delineated effort. It will need 3-5 years of bottle age and should drink well for two decades thereafter."-Robert Parker

"The intensely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the plateau at Mouton has produced an inky/purple-colored wine with the famous Mouton creme de cassis and floral characteristics vividly displayed. For the first time in a number of years they appear to have outdistanced their cross street rival, the biodynamically farmed Chateau Pontet Canet of Alfred Tesseron. Wonderfully sweet tannins envelop the enormous fruit and extravagant richness of this full-bodied Mouton Rothschild. With profound density as well as surprisingly sweet tannin, this terrific effort will probably shut down slightly and require 5-8 years of cellaring after bottling. It appears to have 30 or more years of aging potential, making it potentially one of the 3 or 4 longest-lived wines of the vintage."-Robert Parker

"The 2012 Pape Clement is one of the stars of the vintage, which is not surprising given this estate's performances over the last 10-15 years. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, it exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color along with a beautifully sweet, graphite-scented nose with hints of black currants, Asian plum sauce, soy and forest floor. Impressively built with medium to full-bodied flavors, it has more layers than many wines from this vintage, an appealing density and a velvety texture." -Robert Parker

"Features a core of dark anise, fruitcake, plum sauce and raspberry, with a fleshy texture that hangs through the finish. Has guts without the vintage’s chewy, taut feel."
Reviewed by: Wine Spectator, 90 to 93 pts

"This full-bodied beauty exhibits a dense opaque purple color in addition to copious notes of creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice and incense. It should drink well for 15-20 years. This will be a sleeper of the vintage." -Robert Parker