5 | Wine | Haut-medoc, 91 or higher, 750 ml

"This dense purple wine displays notes of charcoal, subtle toast and white chocolate as well as blueberry and blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of graphite and licorice. Dense, full-bodied, unctuously textured, and quite long and thick, this concentrated, impressively endowed wine is silky-textured and already accessible. However, I suspect its best days are at least 5-7 years ahead of it. It should keep for a minimum of two decades."-Robert Parker

"Probably La Tour Carnet’s best since their 2001, the 2010 La Tour Carnet exhibits wonderful ripeness, a dense ruby/purple color, notes of licorice, camphor and some toast as well as lots of black currant and blueberry fruit. It is medium to full-bodied, with attractive sweetness of tannin, good acidity, excellent delineation to its component parts, and a full-bodied, impressively long finish. This wine may close down somewhat, given the moderate tannins, but it seems relatively accessible despite being a 2010." -Robert Parker

"Sports a rather overt toasted spice and fruitcake profile, with ripe blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry notes backed by more toast and anise on the finish. Shows harmony despite the overt style, but this is a touch shy on length and purity for outstanding."
-Wine Spectator - 89 pts

"In a somewhat tragic twist, this over-achieving cru bourgeois in Haut-Medoc has turned in its finest wine to date, an unfined cuvee made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, created by the late proprietor Vincent Mulliez, who died suddenly last year. Sadly, this was his best effort. Notes of blackberries, black currants, licorice and a hint of toasty oak jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, well-endowed, impressively pure and textured wine. It should drink nicely for up to a decade."-Robert Parker

"The finest La Bernadotte made to date, this 2009 is an undeniable sleeper of the vintage... It reveals a dense purple color along with a big, sweet kiss of black cherries, black currants, charcoal, and spice. With layers of fruit, decent acidity, freshness, and precision, and an opulent, fleshy, succulent style, it should drink easily for a decade or more."-Robert Parker

"weet plum and red and black currant fruit, intermixed with notes of resiny pine forest and forest floor as well as a hint of barrique, are followed by a wine with gorgeous depth, an attractive, medium-bodied texture, a fresh, poised personality, and a moderately long finish. This is another beauty, not weighty, but pure, savory, and capable of lasting 15 or more years, although it is accessible already." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"It is not unusual that the 2009 La Lagune is a spectacular effort given the fact that this estate has been making terrific wines over the last decade or more. It boasts a dense purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of blueberries, mulberries, cassis, white chocolate and subtle toasty oak. Notes of Chinese black tea, cedarwood and forest floor also make an appearance in the singular aromatic and flavor profiles. This sumptuous, full-bodied La Lagune possesses low acidity, abundant but ripe, sweet tannin and a long, 45-second finish. Give this beauty 5-7 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades."-Robert Parker