4 | Wine | Margaux, $20 to $50

"This sports freshly brewed espresso, crushed currant, steeped blackberry and succulent black cherry fruit. The long, tar-coated finish is well-polished. A bit amped up in style, but stays balanced enough. Accessible now."

"The 2005 presents a purple colour with hints of ruby. The nose reveals a powerful bouquet of firm-textured fruit (gooseberries, blackcurrants) complemented by sweet spices. The full-bodied, flavourful attack is followed by plump tannins; very harmonious finish with lingering aromas of stone fruit. A wine for laying down that suggests very enjoyable future drinking."

"A beautiful effort. ...the medium to full-bodied 2008 demonstrates the resurgence in quality being enjoyed by this long-time Margaux underachiever. Perfumed aromas of licorice, spring flowers, black currants and subtle oak are followed by a soft, round, opulent, sexy, generous, savory wine revealing no hard edges." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A wonderful success of the vintage, the 2008 d'Issan exhibits a dark plum/garnet/purple color as well as abundant aromas of flowers, Asian spices, jammy plums and black currants. Broad, savory and medium to full-bodied with sweet tannin and an evolved, already delicious, complex style, this cuvee will age nicely for 10-15 years."

"A ripe, woodsy wine with plenty of forest floor, black currant, cherry and dusty, loamy soil notes, this wine is showing quite well, with medium to full-bodied, silky tannins and a long finish. It should certainly last for 20+ years."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 89 pts.

"A bright, ripe style, with very fresh crushed plum, raspberry and blackberry fruit wrapped in silky tannins and laced with hints of anise and black tea. The rounded finish has modest grip for mid-term cellaring."

"A sleeper of the vintage. Sweet black currant fruit intermixed with some roasted herbs, licorice, and background oak is followed by a medium-bodied wine with excellent concentration, fresh acids, and ripe, sweet tannins."

"This stunning, evolved, dark plum/ruby-hued 2008 reveals aromas of forest floor, sweet black and red currants, licorice and roasted herbs. Classic, elegant and medium to full-bodied, it provides a sexy, complex, intellectual as well as hedonistic turn-on." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A seductive, opulent, textured Margaux with notes of licorice, black fruits, asphalt, pen ink and truffle, this is one of the finest du Tertres ever made. It has a hedonistic quality to it, but at the same time, there is great class, precision and freshness to this full-bodied, concentrated, but very supple-textured wine. Drink it over the next 20+ years."-Robert Parker

"It exhibits a classic Margaux fragrance of acacia flowers/violets, blueberries, cassis, licorice and camphor. Opulent and full-bodied with silky tannins as well as a rich, dense style, it will be interesting to compare the 2009 with the brilliant 2000 and 2005 over the next two to three decades."-Robert Parker

"This is a step up, with a level of glycerin that sets it apart from the pack, showing ripe, mouthfilling plum, fig and blackberry fruit laid over a nice graphite spine. Sweet tobacco and violet notes fill in on the lengthy finish."