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Xavier Borie consistently makes one of the finest of all Pauillacs here. Now that he has left Ducru Beaucaillou to the care of his brother, he has more time to devote to this fine property which, in top vintages such as 1982, 1990, 1996 and 2000, has regularly produced quite magnificent wines. Frequently a match for Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet and usually cheaper en primeur. An extremely reliable property that the canny buyer should consider every year. This lovely nose, offers clean, focused dark fruits with hints of cassis, text-book Pauillac minerality and sweet French oak; generous and full, yet refined. The palate is smooth and easy-going, with lovely purity to the ripe, dark, mineral fruit. Clean acidity and long, refined tannins seanlessly support the fruit with great balance. Not a blockbuster, this is a classic, serious Pauillac of lovely finesse. ONE TO FOLLOW.Farr Vintners
'The 2006 exhibits a deep purple color as well as classic aromas of cassis and blueberries, ripe tannin, medium body, a distinctive minerality, and a long finish. It recalls the brilliant 1995 and 1996 made here. Fashioned from yields of 47 hectoliters per hectare, the final blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.90-92"Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
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"This 7 hectare vineyard adjoins Ausone and has the same owner and winemaker. The Vauthier family have owned it since 1921. "Readers should think of it as a junior Ausone" says Robert Parker. MSG always provides some of the best value in Saint Emilion. Those of us who cannot obtain or afford a case of Ausone should consider Moulin St Georges as it offers more than a hint of the Ausone style at a fraction of the price. Made from 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, yields only 32 hl/ha. Like Ausone, it is elevaged in 100% new oak barrels. Production 2500 cases. Pure black cherry fruit. Dense, focussed, layered, textured. Supple and sexy. Very good.Score: 16.5/20 Decanter"
"Tasted at Chateau Ausone.the Moulin Saint Georges has a well defined, ripe, supple bouquet with notes of cassis, black plum, maraschino cherry and a touch of orange zest: harmonious and lifted. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a slight creaminess to the texture but it is not overdone. Very well balanced with fine tannins, very focused and lithe with pure red-berried fruits laced with a soupcon of vanilla pod towards the finish. Excellent. Tasted March 2010."
Score: 91-93/100 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
"Incredibly deep, teeth-staining colour, with lashings of oak and fruit to match, but this is a St Emilion that manages to be elegant despite its power and concentration. The perfume is a violet-scented delight, the tannins are well integrated, the oak is deftly handled and the fruit combines notes of redcurrant, cassis and blackberry with a touch of green pepper. 15+ years." Score: 94/100 Tim Atkin MW
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"This is a perennial superstar thanks to the efforts of proprietor Philippe Cuvelier and the estate's manager, Tony Ballu. This beautifully-situated, nearly 48-acre vineyard, high on the clay and deep limestone plateau just adjacent to the town walls of St.-Emilion, was harvested between September 28 and October 13, with yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. The natural alcohol turned out to be 14%. A magical wine, it may have a hard time eclipsing the 2005, but it is another prodigious effort in its own right. The dense purple color offers up notes of white chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, crushed rock, and white flowers. Textured, full-bodied, enormously pure, and voluptuously textured, it is nearly too easy to drink because of the exquisite balance and seamless integration of all its component parts. This is a killer Clos Fourtet that should drink well young yet evolve for 20+ years. (Tasted five times.) Drink 2010-2030."
Score: 95-98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)
"Offers blueberry, currant, mineral and violet. Full-bodied, with big, juicy tannins and loads of fruit. Very concentrated and velvety, with a lovely texture."
Score: 94-97 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
"Very dark purple. Meaty, interesting nose with hints of treacle and liquorice. Thick and sweet at the start and then some real texture kicks in but it doesn't seem overdone - just ambitious. The alcohol is, just, kept in check. If purple had a taste, this would be it. Quite racy and sinewy. Though you need to wait quite a while for this one... Sweet and juicy and round. Lots of body and fat here. Long. Pretty impressive. Very suave. Lots of glamour. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2015-2030."Score: 17.5 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
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"Another winner from these old vines (mostly Merlot), this sleeper of the vintage from the Raynaud family that owns La Croix de Gay and La Fleur de Gay in Pomerol exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as wonderful mocha and black cherry jam notes. Fleshy and full-bodied with outstanding purity and a heady, potent finish (the alcohol must exceed 14%), it should drink nicely for a decade or more"90-92/100 Parker
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Light gold. Sweet, vivacious, barley sugar aromas. Some cheesiness. Lovely viscosity. Not enormous but concentrated and tight. Lots of acidity, not the richest but well balanced. - Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com Some apple and lemon character with medium sweetness and a fresh finish. - James Suckling, Wine Spectator
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PRICE IS THE ALL UP FINAL LANDED COST INCLUSIVE OF GST"Ducru is on top form these days. Bruno Borie has made some very serious wines at Ducru in recent vintages with many vats previously destined for the grand vin now being used for the second label. From 2003 onwards production of the first wine has been reduced from 15,000-20,000 cs to 9,000-11,000 cs. There is now more second wine - La Croix de Beaucaillou than there is Grand Vin. Bruno's policy is now to only select fruit from the heart of the Ducru vineyard, overlooking the estuary for the Grand Vin. Ducru is clearly back where it belongs at the top of the super-second league. Classically structured, Ducru 2009 is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Merlot. 90% new oak. 45 hl/ha. This is turbo-charged and super-concentrated. Classic black cassis with a firm structure. Lots of black fruit on the palate with good balancing tannins. A blockbuster but not forced. Complex, balanced and long. Classy, serious and built for the long term.
Score: 18 Farr Vintners
Can the 2009 Ducru Beaucaillou be better than the brilliant 2000 and extraordinary 2003 and 2005? Purchasers will have to decide for themselves, but this compelling effort is one of the all-time great Ducru Beaucaillous. It is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, and, remarkably, despite the fact that 90% new oak was utilized, not a hint of wood can be found in either the aromatics or flavors. This inky/purple-hued, unctuously textured 2009 reveals layers and layers of blue, red, and black fruits, and hints of licorice and spice box. Despite its substantial, massive size, it retains an elegant style, but will need 3-5 years of cellaring. It should last for 40+ years. (Tasted once.) Drink 2013-2053.
Score: 96-98+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)
Tasted at the château. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged in 90% new oak and 10% one-year old for 12 months, cropped at around 42hl/ha coming in with 13.49% alcohol, this has a very deep colour, very lucid. The nose is well defined, very pure, with blackberry, a touch of iodine, something reminiscent of the sea here, perhaps with a touch of seaweed? The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, the new oak very well integrated, quite feminine and sensual, silky towards the long finish. This will need longer to allow the oak to melt into the fabric of the wine but it will be worth the wait. As Bruno Borie said: imagine Beyonce. Tasted March 2010.
Score: 93-95 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
This has an impressive powerful and hearty structure, with seductive floral, currant and licorice aromas and flavors, showing powerful tannins at the end. This sneaks up on you at the end. Structured and very, very powerful. The blockbuster tannins are sweet and fruit-coated. This is a classic, powerful style of Ducru. May be best yet. Wow.
Score: 96-99 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
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"A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2006 Calon Segur is an elegant, classic effort that represents about 60% of their total production. Deep ruby, with forest floor, cassis, black cherry, and soil undertones in both the aromas and flavors, this is a medium to full-bodied wine. A success for the vintage, it exhibits fine density, moderately high but sweet tannins, and alluring texture, and fine purity. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2035"91/100 parker
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"An inky/blue/purple color is followed by aromas and flavors of incense, flowery black currants, and subtle smoke and oak. This full-bodied 2009, which exhibits wonderful intensity, purity, and length, is an exceptional effort, but in this vintage, it must take a back seat to some of its peers, such as Pichon Lalande, Pontet-Canet and Lynch-Bages, not to mention all the first-growths. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful wine that should drink well for 30+ years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2040."
Score: 93-95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)
"Tasted at the château and at the UGC. A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot, picked between 24th September and the 9th October, cropped at around 35hl/ha and bestowed with 13.76% alcohol. This has a very tight nose at first, demanding coaxing from the glass. Very fine definition, a strict linearity at first, opening up a glacial pace, graphite, smoke, small black cherries, a hint of bilberry and crushed stones. The palate is full-bodied with brilliant definition and focus, even finer tannins than the stupendous 2008, very rounded and supple and yet with a firm linear backbone. No frills at the moment, just pure concentration. Wonderful persistency towards the finish. Top class. Tasted March 2010."
Score: 95-97 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
"Loads of currant and blackberry, with mineral and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with ultrafine, very long tannins. Really builds on the palate. A racy style, with excellent length."
Score: 92-95 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
"33 hl/ha, older vines. Two thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one third Merlot - they say Merlot quality in 09 was very Cabernet Sauvignon-like. IPT (total polyphenol index) 88, TA 3.4 g/l. One of the most concentrated vintages ever - from fruit not extraction. Very very dark crimson. Very mineral and grown up. Lovely lift and great, polished tannins. Very fresh and fine tannins with density and lift on the finish. Very sophisticated. Lots of mass. Reminds me a little of their 1990, though the yields were very much lower in 2009. Very glossy and confident. Very sophisticated. Date tasted 31st March 2010. Drink 2018-2030."
Score: 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
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PRICE IS THE ALL UP FINAL LANDED COST INCLUSIVE OF GST"Tasted at the château and the UGC. A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot (no Petit Verdot). A very deep, almost opaque garnet/purple colour. The nose has beautiful definition with scents of ripe blackberries, small black cherries, blueberry, a touch of mint and cedar. Very focused with the oak completely in synch with the fruit. Seamless tannins on the full-bodied palate, lively and animated, very taut, this is not the cashmere wine of Ducru for example, a little firmer in terms of the backbone, very well balanced, perhaps a little more masculine. Tightly coiled towards the espresso/minerally finish, really leaving a tingle of excitement on the tongue. Superb - real finesse in the wine, although that comes through leaving it for five minutes in the glass. The sample at the UGC showed more harmony and cohesion than the one at the château. Tasted March 2010.
Score: 93-95 Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
Intense aromas of blackberry and smoke. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and long finish. Solid and tight. As it should be.
Score: 91-94 James Suckling, WineSpectator.com
Dark crimson. Purple rim. Very sweet indeed on the nose - unusually so for St-Julien. Glamorous and luscious with a hint of ink and freshness. Lots to enjoy! The tannins are very well handled and it's pure pleasure. Maybe lacks just a hint of freshness. Date tasted 1st April 2010. Drink 2016-2028.
Score: 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com
Black red, concentrated and smoky blackcurrant fruit with a little herby lift, very good firm fruit, still quite tight, but concentration and balance assure a good future. Drink 2015-28.
Score: 17 Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com
Bilberry and blackberry give brightness on the nose but under this is richer firmer cassis. The tannins although firm feel ripe and although the acidity in the mid palate is quite obvious black fruited fleshiness towards the back balances. Drink 2020-2040.
Score: 89-92 Derek Smedley MW
This Japanese-owned third growth is very Cabernet Sauvignon in style, with firm, slightly four-square tannins, but good underlying acidity and bright blackcurrant fruit. The tannins should soften in barrel and bottle to produce something with considerable style and restraint. 10+ years.
Score: 91
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Rieussec is one of the richest and most exotic of all Sauternes, producing particularly good wines in the late 1980s and the mid 1990s. Rieussec has been owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild since 1985 and is located at one of the highest points of Sauternes in the village of Fargues where its vineyards border those of Chateau d`Yquem.
Rieussec's 75 hectares of vineyards are planted with 89% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Muscadelle. Yields are low and the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak casks before being matured in oak barriques (70% new) for 18-24 months. Classsfied as a 1er Cru Classe, its best vintages rival those from d`Yquem.
"Coppery. Diffuse rather toasty nose. Very very sweet but with enormous acidity too and depth. Toasty, almost burnt, a very strong expression with some depth though the sweetness is such that it easily masks everything else at this stage. 18/20." Jancis Robinson. "Butter toffee and honey show through on the nose with floral overtones and ripe melons. Rich and quite viscous on the palate with plenty of glycerol and a creamy texture. Clean and long with botrytis and a little spice to the finish. ONE OF THE WINES OF THE VINTAGE. " Farr Vintners. "Loads of spicy honey and apple character. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with a solid core of fruit and lots of botrytis character. Very racy. 95-100/100. Wine Spectator
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