772 | Wine | France, 91 or higher, 2006

"An extraordinary perfume of crushed black currants, licorice, wet stones, and subtle background oak. ...are found in this tannic, dense, masculine-styled 2006. Backward and extraordinarily pure, it is built like a Manhattan skyscraper with exceptional focus, depth, texture, and length." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Ripe aromas of currant, milk chocolate and smoky oak. Lush, sweet and full, with superripe yet backward flavors of dark berries, dark chocolate and minerals. Wonderfully layered, structured wine whose excellent vinosity and firm tannins call for several years of patience." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Superrefined and pretty. Complex aromas of truffle, blackberry and flowers follow through to a full body, with supersilky tannins and a long, polished, caressing finish."

"A spectacular effort (what’s new?), this brilliant offering from proprietor Hubert de Bouard is another classic. A blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of creosote, blueberry pie, espresso roast, blackberries, and graphite. Extremely full-bodied and stunningly rich with a multi-layered texture, sweet tannin, and a 45-second finish, this exceptional 2006 is one of the great wines of St.-Emilion." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"The dense purple-colored 2006 boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, burning embers, and a sensation that can only be described as like walking through a damp forest on a hot, humid day. Full-bodied, extraordinarily textured, and multidimensional with an amazingly long finish of nearly 60 seconds, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from a 75-acre vineyard is a compelling wine that is one of the stars of the vintage." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Sixty-four percent of the production went into this wine, and while it displays the vintage’s powerful tannins and structure, it possesses superb concentration, and the minerality/scorched earth notes of a great Haut-Brion. Medium to full-bodied, with perhaps not quite the fleshiness of the 2005 or 2000, it is built more along the lines of the 1998 and 1996. It is a brilliant effort displaying sensational purity, texture, and length that should be exceptionally long-lived." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This has a wonderful nose of perfume, sandalwood, ripe plum and berries. Full-bodied, with seamless tannins and a long finish. Gorgeous."

"Very perfumed and beautiful. ...showing blackberry and raspberry aromas, with hints of vanilla. Deep and complex. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, powerful finish. Excellent for the vintage."
This wine was named #96 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009.

"This enormously endowed, modern day classic is a legend in the making. ...The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to reach maturity, after which it should keep for 30+ years. This vineyard, just south of Mouton Rothschild, has produced an opaque bluish/purple-colored 2006 with an extraordinarily pure nose of graphite, charcoal, sweet creme de cassis, and a hint of scorched earth. Incredible concentration, stunning richness, and a 60-second finish result in a wine that transcends the vintage as well as this estate’s 1855 classification." Reviewed by Robert Parker, 95+ pts.