!["This is an amazing effort among the many dazzling 2008 St.-Emilions...[Proprietor Jean-Philippe] Janoueix, an advocate of high density vine plantings, has fashioned a 2008 with sensational fruit levels, an inky ruby/purple color, stunning texture (akin to a Shanghai skyscraper), and tremendous purity. Despite 100% malolactic in new French oak, and aging in the weird looking cigar-shaped barrels, the oak is well-concealed by the wine’s wealth of fruit and concentration. Chocolate, charcoal, blackberry, and blueberry aromas and flavors dominate this sensational effort. It possesses high tannins, but, like so many of the top wines of this vintage, they are sweet and ripe." Reviewed by Robert Parker.* -The Wine Advocate, 92-94 pts.*
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"Violet and sandalwood on the nose, with dark fruits. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and fresh fruit. A little lean on the palate, but pretty."* -Wine Spectator, 87-90 pts.*](/images/winelabels/263078M.jpg)
"This is an amazing effort among the many dazzling 2008 St.-Emilions...[Proprietor Jean-Philippe] Janoueix, an advocate of high density vine plantings, has fashioned a 2008 with sensational fruit levels, an inky ruby/purple color, stunning texture (akin to a Shanghai skyscraper), and tremendous purity. Despite 100% malolactic in new French oak, and aging in the weird looking cigar-shaped barrels, the oak is well-concealed by the wine’s wealth of fruit and concentration. Chocolate, charcoal, blackberry, and blueberry aromas and flavors dominate this sensational effort. It possesses high tannins, but, like so many of the top wines of this vintage, they are sweet and ripe." Reviewed by Robert Parker.
The Wine Advocate, 92-94 pts.
"Violet and sandalwood on the nose, with dark fruits. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and fresh fruit. A little lean on the palate, but pretty."
Wine Spectator, 87-90 pts.
$30.50/750ML btl
$366.00/case of 12
2008 - Chateau La Croix St Georges
"A brilliant effort from proprietor Jean-Philippe Janoueix, this blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc possesses an inky purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of melted chocolate, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, new saddle leather, lead pencil shavings, and a touch of new oak. While dense, powerful, full-bodied, and built for the long haul, the tannins are sweet, and the acids give the wine precision. This long, deep, impressive 2008 should be approachable in 2-3 years, and last for two decades." Reviewed by Robert Parker.
The Wine Advocate, 93-95 pts.
"This has a concentrated nose of ultraripe blackberry and licorice. Full-bodied, with ripe yet racy tannins and a medium finish. Well-structured."
Wine Spectator, 88-91 pts.
$45.50/750ML btl
$546.00/case of 12
"The 2008 La Fleur de Bouard was cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine came in at 13% natural alcohol. Its dense purple color is accompanied by a big, sweet nose of white chocolate, creme de cassis, licorice, tar, and toast. A lively, crisp acid profile is due to the lack of serious heat in 2008. Textured and long, it is capable of lasting a decade or more. This is a sleeper of the vintage."
The Wine Advocate, 90-93 pts.
"Berry, vanilla and toasted coconut aromas. Licorice too. Full-bodied, with a solid core of tannins and fruit. Dense and pretty."
Wine Spectator, 88-91 pts.
$25.25/750ML btl
$303.00/case of 12
"A dense purple color is followed by a gorgeously sweet perfume of kirsch, black currants, toasty oak, and notions of coffee as well as flowers. Rich and unevolved, with a textured, full-bodied style as well as outstanding purity, power, and length, this 2008 is likely to merit an even higher score given the late malolactics. Sadly, just over 600 cases will be produced." Reviewed by Robert Parker.
The Wine Advocate, 93-95 pts.
"Sweet blackberry and licorice character on the nose. Full-bodied, with very polished and refined tannins. Long and silky, with subtle fruit."
Wine Spectator, 88-91 pts.
$56.50/750ML btl
$678.00/case of 12
"The 2008 exhibits loads of cassis, lead pencil shavings, spice box, and hints of cedar as well as herbs in its complex aromatics. The wine possesses outstanding texture, superb purity, good freshness (because of higher than normal acids), and ripe, long tannin. It is almost an anomaly to have tannins this ripe with acids this crisp. Deep, rich, and full-bodied, the 2008 La Tour Carnet should evolve over the next twenty years. Reviewed by Robert Parker."
The Wine Advocate, 90-93 pts.
$27.50/750ML btl
$330.00/case of 12
2008 - Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Limit 6 Bottles per customer.
"The 2008 Lafite Rothschild is one of the most profound young wines I have ever tasted....Boasts an opaque ruby/purple color (one of the darkest Lafites I have seen in 30 years) as well as an extraordinary, blockbuster aromatic profile of lead pencil shavings, forest floor, black fruits, licorice, and a hint of unsmoked, high-class cigar tobacco. In the mouth, a massive richness is accompanied by a freshness, delineation, nuance, delicacy, and mind-boggling density. Even after three decades of tasting, I am still astonished when tasting such a prodigious wine as this. Full, inky, and rich with creme de cassis and spice box characteristics as well as a length that I stopped measuring after a minute, the wine reveals a sweetness to the tannin and an opulence to the fruit that suggests a hot, sunny vintage, but again, that was not the case...This is a great, great wine." Reviewed by Robert Parker.
The Wine Advocate, 98-100 pts.
"This has a very intriguing nose. Already shows complex aromas of currant and crushed berries, with hints of dried flowers. Full-bodied and very chewy, with intense tannins, but polished and velvety. Long and pretty. The finish stays with you a long time."
Wine Spectator, 91-94 pts.
"The rather overt oak often found in this cuvee seems to have been considerably tamed in the 2008. It is more charming, displaying a plush texture along with sweet cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with intriguing notes of Christmas fruitcake, spice box, and herbs. There is plenty of sweet tannin in this medium-bodied effort, but unlike the tannins in the right bank wines, the tannins in most of the northern Medocs are more prominent, largely because these wines possess high percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon. Five to eight years of patience will be required, and the 2008 Lagrange should last for 25 years."
The Wine Advocate, 90-92 pts.
"Subtle and perfumed, with currant and cassis. Full and chewy, with a solid core of fruit and tannins. Long and caressing. Very well done for the vintage." -Wine Spectator, 88-91 pts.
$35.50/750ML btl
$426.00/case of 12
"A noteworthy sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 is the finest Lalande Borie I have yet tasted. Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc that was harvested between October 1-16 during dry, sunny weather with warm days and cool nights. It is a surprisingly dense, supple, fruit-driven effort revealing abundant notes of berry fruit, mocha, and spice box, sweet tannin, and a fleshy mouthfeel. It will have many admirers among those unable to defer their gratification. Enjoy it over the next 7-10 years."
The Wine Advocate, 88-90 pts.
"Sweet berries and flowers on the nose. Lots of raspberries. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and good acidity. Slightly hollow midpalate."
-Wine Spectator, 86-89 pts.
$18.75/750ML btl
$225.00/case of 12
2008 - Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion
"Another sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 is one of the strongest efforts yet produced at Larrivet Haut-Brion. A classic Graves bouquet of earth, camphor, subtle barbecue smoke, and sweet red and black currants is followed by a lush, richly fruity, medium to full-bodied wine displaying superb purity, a beguiling texture, and a long finish. It should drink exceptionally well young, and evolve for 12-15 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.
The Wine Advocate, 90-92 pts.
"Crushed blackberry and licorice aromas follow through to a full body, with soft tannins and a caressing finish."
Wine Spectator, 87-90 pts.
$26.00/750ML btl
$312.00/case of 12