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Forget everything that school wisdom says, because everything was different in 2003. Inform yourself well before you subscribe to the vintage, because never before has a vintage in the recent past been so uneven.

The vintage brought not only Vienna (with 37 comma something), but also Bordeaux the absolute temperature record since records began: 40.7°C showed the thermometer on 4 August in Mérignac, where the weather station and airport are located. However, it was not quite as dry in Bordeaux as in the south of France. Those sites were clearly favoured whose terroir contains more clay than gravel, but otherwise the wines did not adhere to any rule of thumb. Normally, one would think that a heat year would be a red rather than a white wine year. In 2003, however, the whites - both dry and noble sweet - were brilliant and much more consistent than the reds. Similarly, one might think that it is a Cabernet rather than a Merlot year, but there are surprisingly many charming wines on the Right Bank, where Merlot traditionally reigns supreme.


Generally, one reads that Pomerol was the most disappointing appellation (our notes confirm this) and St-Estèphe the most successful. I can only take note of the latter, because in the tastings of the Union des Grands Crus there were only four wines from this appellation (particularly good: Phélan-Ségur and Cos Labory). Other tastings (as well as the great Cru Bourgeois tasting in Margaux) unfortunately fell victim to an imponderable, which is just part of the life of a wine journalist: Fish poisoning (politeness forbids naming the château where we were served the no-longer-dewy Aloze) made for a very indisposed day in the Médoc. (Anthony Barton commented on the situation with his inimitable British humour: "Well, you know, we hate journalists!": You know, we hate journalists!)

My insider tips

Off the beaten track, I particularly liked this year:

Bellevue, Cos Labory, Dassault, Destieux, Faizeau, Fontenil, Franc Mayone, Haut-Sarpe, Joanin-Bécot, Kirwan, La Couspaude, La Gravière, Langoa-Barton, Larmande, Lascombes, Le Gay, Phélan-Ségur, Rollan de By.

The abbreviations

Bx Bordeaux
BxSup Bordeaux Supérieur
CdC Côtes de Castillon
Froonsac
Gr Graves
HtM Haut-Médoc
Lis Listrac
LlPom Lalande de Pomerol
Med Médoc
Mgx Margaux
Mou Moulis
MstEm Montagne St-Émilion
Pau Pauillac
PL Pessac-Léognan
Pom Pomerol
StEm St-Émilion
StEm1 St-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé
StEs St-Estèphe
StJ St-Julien


The red wines


89 Angelus StEm; black-purple to the rim; dense dark fruit, seems a bit very extracted, pithy tannin, tight, only on the finish does length and substance show.

89 Angludet Mgx; behaviour; enigmatic, juicy, good core, fine.

89 Armailhac Pau; finesse, friable tannin, good fruit, appealing length, not too austere.

94 Ausone StEm1; Black purple; gigantic liquorice fruit; perfectly soft at the front, hard at the back, crisp, yet eternally long, absolutely great wine.

88 Bahans Ht-Brion PL (second wine from Haut-Brion); Something different from La Chapelle (the second wine from La Mission), more straightforward, earthier, more terroir, but not quite as punchy.

89 Balestard La Tonnelle StEm; Discreet milk chocolate note; juicy bite, lots of lard, very fresh and present.

88 Barde-Haut StEm; Lots of tannin, but otherwise very tidy.

86 Batailley Pau; Taut, stregn, yet shallow and short.

90 Beau-Séjour Bécot StEm1; Cassis, blackberries and red fruits; juicy, hearty fruit, lots of lard and bite, pithy and substantial, lively and fresh.

87 Beaumont HtM; Viennese candy currant; good fruit, clean if a little superficial.

87 Beauregard Pom; juicy fruit; a little more simple-knit, clean, neat.

88 Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse StEm1; Firm, tannic, no charm, what's going on? At least a touch of charm in the middle.

88 Belair StEm1; Decent juiciness; savoury bite, lots of lard, lots of tannin, good.

87 Belgrave HtM; Clean fruit, much substance with currently still hard tannin, the charm is noticeably missing.

91 Bellevue StEm; Juicy and dense with a fine bite.

90 Berliquet StEm; Friendly, juicy, savoury, good chocolate fruit, supple and fine, smoky at the back.

90 Bernadotte HtM; Amazingly fine and dense; full of charm, excellent.

90 Beychevelle StJ; Juicy fruit, lots of lard, full-bodied, firm, dense, spotlessly clean.

88 Bouscaut PL; Backing cherry-plum fruit; juicy, earthy, good bite, solid and well done.

86 Branaire Ducru StJ; Behaviour; tannic, austere, tight, hard.

88 Brane-Cantenac Mgx; Somewhat stuffed, mulberry; blackberry dark fruit, savoury tannic bite, very good core, clearly one of the firmer wines of this estate.

89 Branon PL; Very fine, lots of melting.

88 Brillette Mou; Elegant and fine.

90 Cadet-Piola StEm; Fine! Dense, wonderful bite.

87 Camensac HtM PEZ; Pure wild cherry! More simply knit, straightforward, clean, neat, if austere.

89 Canon StEm; Juicy density, nice substance with nougat and coconut; juicy, friendly elegant, transparent.

90 Canon la Gaffelière StEm; plummy dark fruit; full-bodied, almost mulberry-like, lots of lard, pithy and firm.

88 Cantemerle HtM; Fine fresh sweetness, good fruit; juicy, hearty, good bite.

87 Cantenac-Brown Mgx; Dusty, pithy, tannic, dense, leg-hard - will it ever come?

90 Cap de Mourlin StEm; Finesse, marzipan; elegant and drinkable, lots of charm.

89 Carbonnieux PL Behaviour; clean, fresh, good fruit, fine chocolate notes, still superficial tannin, juicy and fine.

90 Carruades de Lafite Pau Splendid elegance in the nose, which continues on the palate, fine, elegance wonderful.

86 Chantegrive PL Very restrained in fruit expression; more simply knit, straightforward, clean, but no more.

83 Chasse-Spleen Mou Behaviour, little statement, green and acid, unpleasant.

87 Citran HtM Behaviour, with reduction stink; little fruit, hard tannin, no charm, could still come.

88 Clarke Lis At last a clean, discreetly wood-infused nose; delicate, finely structured, surprisingly charming, though not really deep.

89 Clerc Milon Pau Behavioural; also little statement on the palate at the front, into the finish the wine presses, gets better and better.

92 Clinet Pom Juicy, dense richness, a whole red fruit basket; friendly, yet compact and intense fruit, lots of lard, fitting tannin, firm and long, excellent.

87 Clos Fourtet StEm1 Behaviour, hint of dark fruity wild cherry; savoury, distinct bitterness (where does that come from?), a hint of wild cherry, austere finish.

89 Clos de la Tour Réserve BxSup Supple, good fruit, sparkling clean, fine balance.

91 Clos l'Église Pom Needs time and air, but then becomes complete, excellent.

89 Corbin StEm Juicy, charming and fine.

91 Cos Labory StEs Behaviour; juicy density, chocolate, much substance, quite excellent, a surprise for the little known estate.

88 Coufran HtM Behaviour; juicy, savoury, crisp bite, fresh, lots of tannin, but could still grow out.

90 Croizet Bages Pau Fine cassis-blackberry fruit, juicy, soft texture, firm fruit bite, sparkling clean and decidedly good.

92 Dassault StEm Dense dark fruit; juicy, extract-sweet fruit, lots of lard, lots of fat, excellent.

88 Dauzac Mgx Blackberry jam, reminiscent of Merlot; good core, lots of bite, could show a bit more fruit.

90 De France PL Blackberries and cassis; good wood, clean structure, friendly and attractive, juicy and fine.

91 Destieux StEm Wow! Quite amazingly good.

90 Dom. de Chevalier PL Restrained cassis fruit; attractive chocolate cassis fruit, elegant and smooth, juicy and accessible.

90 Du Tertre Mgx Soft up front, savoury, tannic bite at the back, yet elegant.

91 Ducru Beaucaillou StJ Deep but inaccessible, great substance behind but also enormous tannin, absolutely classic, perhaps the slowest finishing wine I tasted this time.

90 Duhart Milon Pau As always, a little more closed, but wonderfully styled, very fine and good.

90 Durfort-Vivens Mgx Underlying plum-blackberry jam; fine cassis bite, a little unusually high-pitched, but with plenty of charm and freshness despite the tannin.

93 Faizeau MstEm Absolutely magnificent, a huge surprise.

87 Ferrande PL Wiener Zuckerl Himbeer; raspberry jam also on the palate, idiosyncratically sweet fruit, individual.

88 Ferrière Mgx Fresh and somewhat high toned; friendly despite hard tannin, clean and good.

89 Fieuzal PL Overripe plum fruit (a touch of oxidation); friendly fresh fruit, juicy, accessible, extract sweet, fine.

91 Figeac StEm1 Fresh, friendly, minty, open and clear, very attractive; juicy and friendly, transparent and clear, excellent.

91 Fonplégade StEm Dark fruit, substance infused; compact, a little monolitihic, but with good and structured fullness behind, is a pleasure, has class and style.

85 Fonréaud Lis Decent density; pithy acidity, but at least with substance.

89 Fonroque StEm Elegant, supple and fine.

92 Fontenil Fro The estate of Dany Rolland, the wife of oenologist guru Michel, is a safe bet year in, year out.

89 Fourcas-Dupré Lis Decent richness; juicy, good bite, acidity well integrated in the substance, nice potential.

85 Fourcas-Hosten Lis Fullness, austere jam, hearty, again brisk acidity.

92 Franc-Mayne StEm Lovely marzipan; clear, juicy, good focused fruit, good bite, very classic, fine and long.

89 Gazin Pom Ink with dark chocolate; soft richness up front but noticeably tighter and more austere on the finish.

88 Giscours Mgx Clean, nice wood; then more joinery on the palate, good substance, tannic, could still integrate.

89 Grand Corbin-Despagne StEm Clean, fresh and really good.

90 Grand Mayne StEm Marzipan, coconut, very modern; friendly, a little hard at the back but the substance is there.

90 Grand Pontet StEm Round, dense, compact.

89 Grand Puy-Ducasse Pau Friendly cassis fruit; nice bite, juicy, good core, potential, for a long time one of the bursting wines of this estate.

88 Greysac Med Sweet, lots of finesse, fine toasty aromas, full of charm.

88 Gruaud-Larose StJ Taut, hard, but with a good core, long.

89 Guadet St-Julien StEm Clean and very tidy.

84 Haut-Bages Liberal Pau Behaviour; weing statement, almost stale.

88+ Haut-Bailly PL Behaviour; discreet dark fruit, soft texture, good tannin, but doesn't quite come out of itself yet, could have a great future.

90 Haut-Bergey PL Hearty dense dark fruit; fresh fruit, clean cassis notes, crumbly tannin, nice balance.

91 Haut-Brion PL Elegance, transparency, velvet and silk, the opposite of a dense heat year.

87 Haut Condissas Med From the same stable as Rollan de By, the wine is considered even better than the latter, but here it was noticeably less good: hearty and rather austere.

91 Haut Sarpe StEm Extractively sweet, attractive, juicy and delightful.

89 Jean de Gué Cuvée Prestige LlPom Very fine and balanced.

91 Joanin Bécot CDC Beautiful brightness, excellent.

90 Kirwan Mgx; Powidl and mushrooms; attractive mushroom note, juicy and supple, puts pressure behind, very good.

87? La Cabanne Pom; coconut and red berries; starts juicy but goes off with whipping tannin, wait and see.

92 La Chapelle d'Ausone StEm; Black; gorgeous, complete, currently more accessible than Ausone itself, with Les Forts de Latour probably the best second wine this year.

90 La Chapelle de la Mission Ht-Brion PL; Delicate fruit, supple, elegant, quite different from the Right Bank; pure elegance, excellent.

88 La Clare Med; Nomen est omen: Clean and clear.

91 La Clémence Pom; Absolutely First Class.

89 La Conseillante Pom; Behaviour; chocolatey richness, medium body, juicy bite, tannic at the back.

91 La Couspaude StEm; Sweet, milk chocolate; juicy blackberry fruit, good bite while softly packing the tannins, juicy and very, very fine.

88 La Croix de Beaucaillou StJ (second wine from Ducru); Lightweight, yet nice substance, tannic back.

89 La Croix de Gay Pom; Fine jam, very Merlot-like; good clean bite, savoury and crisp, needs time.

91 La Dominique StEm; Friendly mulberry nose; juicy bite, elegant fruit, yet plenty of substance, considerably long and fine, future.

89 La Fleur de Boüard LlPom; Wonderfully fine balance, nice bite.

90 La Gaffelière StEm1; Nougaty plum dark fruit; dense, pithy, juicy, hearty, future.

92 La Gomerie StEm; Dense like concrete, but with great substance.

91 La Gravière LlPom; Compact, dense, firm; extract sweet, lovely, probably good value, very fine.

89 La Lagune HtM; Sweet cassis nose; fine, friable tannins, good bite, has charm, buy tip!

87 La Louvière PL; behaviour; little statement, a little empty, but could come back.

90? La Mission Haut-Brion PL; Still very restrained and encapsulated, difficult to judge, earthy charm, but still quite hidden.

84 La Pointe Pom; behaviour; somewhat one-dimensional, acidic, not very attractive.

92 La Serre StEm; Very fine, supple, dense and complete.

88 La Tour Carnet HtM; Behaviour; a little rustic but with good core and firm tannin bite, medium length.

88 La Tour de By Med; Fine wood, lots of toasting, accessible dark fruit; transparent and supple, lots of charm, classic and fine.

89 La Tour Figeac StEm; Fine lard, good density, juicy.

89 La Tour Haut-Brion PL; A tiny bit four-boned; supple, elegant, but clearly terroir-influenced, an extremely attractive and charming example of this wine.

93 La Vielle Cure Fro; A bomb surprise: the wine sings and shines.

89 Labégorce Mgx; Soft, supple, wonderfully sweet, very pleasing, very polished.

92 Lafite Rothschild Pau; Not unexpectedly the most closed of the three, but wonderfully contoured, extract-sweet, elegant, long, a classic Lafite in 1985 style.

88 Lafon-Rochet StEs; Juicy dark fruit, lots of lard; clean fruit, juicy, savoury, tannic on the finish.

88 Lagrange StJ; The first St-Julien with a real nose; deep fruit, soft, starts great but then tears off, no length.

89 Lalande-Borie StJ; Wonderful fruit, lots of finesse, clean and fine.

88 Lamarque HtM; Plugged plum fruit, diffuse and not quite clear; extract sweet, smooth, polished, but doesn't have too much depth.

91 Langoa Barton StJ; Juicy classic fruit; lots of substance and polish, excellent.

90 Laplagnotte-Bellevue StEm; Very fine, good bite, nice structure.

90 Larcis Ducasse StEm; Juicy, soft dark fruit, extract-sweet and fine.

92 Larmande StEm; Charm! With air comes the extract-sweet fruit, very fine, chocolate and depth.

90 Laroze StEm, much, fruit, much finesse, elegant and fine.

86 Larrivet Haut-Brion PL; Very idiosyncratic, smelly, strongly cooked mixed compote; transparent and wide-meshed, flutters on the finish.

92 Lascombes Mgx; Fragrance! Finesse, elegance, sparkling clean, very, very fine.

94+ Latour Pau; Quiet size; still completely embryonic grandeur, but behind it a Latour of the old, classic, ever-expanding kind, marvellous, but at the moment still immensely pithy, dense and hearty tannin, quite great.

88 Latour-Martillac PL; Behaviour; encapsulated fruit, shows little here, but remains eternally on the palate.

93 Le Gay Pom; Everything new: owner, Chai, Cuvier etc. (see Newsletter 1A, p. 11): Wonderful lard, yet transparent, unexcitingly great, excellent.

92 Léoville Barton StJ; Behavioural, opens up splendidly with air, wonderful fruit, currently still austere, but has enormous substance and remarkable potential.

84 Léoville Poyferré StJ; Dusty, cardboardy, hard tannin, unfriendly.

88 Les Carmes Haut-Brion PL; A little acetonous; clean, balanced fruit, earthy elegance, very typical for the region, medium length.

92 Les Forts de Latour Pau; Behavioural; concentrated, concentrated fruit, still tannic at the moment, but the enormous concentration is lurking behind it, excellent.

90 Les Grandes Murailles StEm; Juicy, hearty, big.

89 Les Ormes de Pez StEs; Friendly fruit; not too much concentration, but nice balance.

93 Lucia Bortolussi StEm (A microcuvée of the same family that runs the car repair shop at the end of the village facing Libourne - so again a real garage wine); Juicy, dense, quite big.

89 Lynch-Bages Pau; Clean cherry fruit, subtle cassis sweetness; savoury bite, tight and good.

86 Lynch-Moussas Pau; Little statement, tight, dense, short.

84 Magdelaine StEm1; Hearty, but austere on the palate and terribly uncharming.

88 Malescasse HtM; Unconventional nose, somewhat diffuse, but behind it nice substance; crisp, pithy tannin, but not unfriendly, very neatly made.

90 Malescot St-Exupéry Mgx; blackberry jam; supple density, good texture, underlyingly dense, very fine.

94 Margaux Mgx; behaviour on the nose - but the palate! An absolute gem, beautiful fruit, rather a more elegant Margaux, despite the power, dense tannin at the back.

88 Marjosse BxSup; finesse, transparent, sparkling clean, very fine.

88 Marquis d'Alesme Becker Mgx; Blunt nose (Brett?); extract sweetness, decent bite, lots of lard, crisp and fine.

88 Marquis de Terme; Mgx A bit dusty; pithy, juicy, dense, a bit rustic but not bad.

84 Maucaillou Mou; behaviour; a little sweet and sour, little balance, no pleasure.

90 Monbrison Mgx; Juicy, supple, surprisingly much finesse, good core, makes pressure, very fine.

92 Montviel Pom Encapsulated; but then it explodes, enigmatic, dense, deep, very fine.

88 Moulin du Cadet StEm; Juicy, firm and good.

88 Moulin Haut-Laroque Fro; Fine, clean, really good.

93 Mouton-Rothschild Pau; Very fine and dense, soft and accessible, elegant, reminds me of 1985 in style.

89 Olivier PL; Clean-friendly, sweet dark fruit; juicy, hearty pithy tannin, yet surprisingly friendly, fine.

91 Pape Clément PL; plum jam; fine fruit, crumbly tannin, nice balance, elegant, lots of finesse, long.

89 Pauillac SC de Ch. Latour Pau (Latour's third wine); Concentrated, juicy already in the nose; amazingly dense, discreet toasty aromas, juicy and elegant.

93 Pavie StEm1; Nougat and coconut; firm, pithy dark fruit, lots of lard, the extract sweetness is enormous at the back, pithy tannin, potential. A wine that divides the tasters like no other - I like it very much.

92 Pavie Decesse StEm; Strange nose, clearly fishy notes; enormous substance, much better than the nose suggests, powerful, juicy, great.

91 Pavie-Macquin StEm; Juicy, dense, fine and soft, excellent vinification.

89 Pavillon Rouge Mgx Unmistakable breed of Margaux!; The scent is unmistakable; at the very back a few toasted notes like the Pauillac Latour, fine and clean, the most tannin-centred Pavillon so far.

90 Péby-Faugères StEm; Fine chocolate bite, nice balance.

88 Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard StEm; Juicy, hearty, very good.

92 Petit Village Pom; Clear, friendly, transparent, orange zest; chocolaty richness, attractive fruit, elegant, fresh and sparkling clean, excellent.

92 Phélan-Ségur StEs; Wonderfully fine nose; soft melting, juicy fruit, easily the best of the series, and finally another great Phélan.

87 Pichon-Baron Pau; Somewhat one-dimensional, wide-meshed, with strict tannin, brisk.

91 Pichon-Lalande Pau; Juicy, dense, yet elegant, wonderful balance, not a blockbuster, but wonderfully fine.

88 Picque Caillou PL; Highly toned cassis fruit, Viennese sugar currant; candy-like fruit, simple and light-weight, though not bad.

86 Pontet-Canet Pau; Behaviour; austere, tight, whipping tannin.

88 Poujeaux Mou; Decent nose; juicy, hearty, dense, good melting.

90 Puy Arnaud CdC (Vinified by Stéphane Derenoncourt); Lovely fruit, shines.

90 Prieuré-Lichine Mgx; The first real Margaux nose in this (blind) sequence of samples; good bite, clean texture, pithy but with balance, fine.

90 Quinault l'Enclos StEm; Very polished and full of finesse.

88 Rahoul PL; Clean cassis nose, very pure; elegant, smooth, transparent, good fruit, light-bodied.

88 Rauzan Gassies Mgx; Behaviour, delicate, a little transparent fruit, cleanly made, few rough edges.

93 Rauzan-Ségla Mgx; fragrance and depth; friendly melting, extract sweetness, squeaky clean vinified, a wine to dig into, modern and really fine.

90 Réserve de la Comtesse Pau; finesse and density, wonderful elegance, indeed a little Comtesse, perhaps one of the best second wines ever.

90 Riou de Tailhas StEm; Very, very fine.

91 Ripeau StEm; Juicy, dense and compact.

91 Rochebelle StEm; Fine bite, sparkling clean.

91 Rol Valentin StEm; Wonderfully deep and juicy.

91 Rollan de By Med; Juicy and dense, quite amazingly good.

90 Ronan BxSup (From the same stable as Clinet); Juicy, lots of finesse, a flatterer.

91 Sanctus StEm (From Ch. la Bienfaisance); Very fine and animated.

90 Sansonnet StEm; Much finesse, good structure.

88 Siran Mgx; Behavioural; simple if clean fruit, good bite, solid Bourgeois quality.

88 Smith Haut-Lafitte PL; Very restrained dark fruit; opens up on the palate, hints of chocolate and cassis, good texture, clean and fine.

88 Talbot StJ; Behavioural; savoury, tight, stern tannin, medium length.

88 Tour Seran Med; Clean and fresh, a new Cru Bourgeois.

90 Troplong Mondot StEm; Juicy marzipan fruit, nice bite, long and full of life.

89 Trotte Vieille StEm; Restrained dark fruit; juicy bite, good substance, friendly and fine.

89 Trotte Vieille StEm1; Juicy, friendly, gschmackige density, good bite, fine.

90 Veyry CdC; Smooth and elegant.

88 Vieux Ch. Certan Pom; Delicate liquorice notes; transparent, clean, straightforward.

White dry

88 Bouscaut PL; Hearty fruit; juicy tight, straightforward, clean, fine.

89 Carbonnieux PL; Piquant Sauvignon; clean fruit, lots of melting, supple, yet crisp and firm on the finish.

87 Chantegrive PL; Piquant Sauvignon; soft in style, a little one-dimensional.

90 De France PL; Quite restrained; but then soft, supple, extract-sweet, perfectly used wood, big, long, lots of potential.

89 Dom. de Chevalier PL; Behavioural, though noble; dense, almost dark fruity, currant leaves, very individual style, hangs in, long.

88 Ferrande Gr; Solid, clean fruit, not the greatest depth, but soft, extract sweet and attractive.

87 Fieuzal PL; Behaviour; simple, straightforward but clean fruit.

91 Haut-Bergey PL; Juicy, dense, brilliant, bursts with attractiveness.

92 Haut Brion PL; (52 SE, 48 SB) Slightly seedier and not quite as expressive, not as clearly defined as Laville; more enigmatic, complex, more wood, restrained nobility, very fine.

86+? La Louvière PL; Still very restrained (yeasty cloudy), one-dimensional.

90 Larrivet Haut-Brion PL; Exotic fruit basket; soft texture, clean fruit, very reminiscent of Viognier, attractive, individual and high class.

89 Latour-Martilllac PL; Piquant, the Sauvignon is noticeable; savoury piquancy, very lively, juicy, clear, sparkling clean.

95 Laville Haut-Brion PL; (88 SE, 12 SB; read 12-15 August by the entire team, from cleaners to director) Dense, complex, lanolin; lovely grapefruit, gorgeous wine, one of the best white Graves I've tasted.

83 Malartic-Lagraviere PL; Somewhat pungent nose; very simple on the palate, acidic, little expression.

87 Olivier PL; Dense, spicy, the Sauvignon comes through well; soft in texture but rustic in fruit expression.

90 Pape Clément PL; Greenish yellow, restrained; calmly flowing, soft fruit, sparkling clean and really fine.

90 Pavillon Blanc de Ch. Margaux Bx; Finesse! Sparkling clean, 100% Sauvignon are very clear; soft, yet fresh and fine.

90 Picque Caillou PL; Juicy, fresh, dense, fine fruit, good wood, smooth creamy, really fine.

90 Rahoul Gr; Wonderfully fresh, juicy, grad pleasant butteriness; supple and dense, remarkably long, international in style, but that ultimately means nothing other than "really good wine".

90 Smith Haut-Lafitte PL; Piquant, clear wood behind; soft, fine, well developed, enigmatic, lots of potential.

The sweet wines

These are exclusively wines from the Sauternes appellation.

90 Bastor Lamontagne; Supple, honey, very sweet, very fine.

91 Broustet; Spicy (a lot of Sauvignon?); Power, sweet, could have used a little more acidity.

92 Caillou Acetone-like; encapsulated, like cork (tasted twice on different days), but the tone fades with air; very young, very sweet, very great.

90 Clos Haut-Peyraguey; Strongly reductive nose; still young and straightforward, lots of power, currently still little elegance.

95 Coutet; Fresh, juicy, sparkling clean; wonderful balance, strong sweetness, but everything fits, great.

90 D'Arche; Fruity piquancy, lots of juice and lard, very clean, but a bit short.

91 De Fargues; Youthful acetone; soft, round, clean, fine, power.

89 De Malle; A little one-dimensional, straightforward, clean, fine.

93 Doisy-Daëne; Fine, elegant, almost dry nose; uniquely fresh and juicy, combines power with hearty fullness, really fine.

89? Doisy-Védrines; Still quite yeasty and encapsulated, a bit flat at the moment, could still turn out.

92 Filhot; Slight reduction stink, juicy density behind; fine, creamy sweetness, lots of lard, very present, fresh.

90+ Guiraud; Soft, sweet, a little more simply knit, monolithic, straightforward, power.

91 La Tour Blanche; Spicy acetone reduction stink, juicy bite, savoury, clean, fine.

93 Lafaurie-Peyraguey; Elegant, juicy, wonderfully supple and creamy, combines power and depth, great.

90 Lamothe; Still quite closed; a little one-dimensional, four-grained, juicy, dense, fine.

91 Lamothe-Guignard; Still very restrained; beautiful honey, bite, fat, fine.

91 Myrat Yeasty; juicy density, pithy, nice balance, a little (alcohol) sharp.

92 Nairac Still cloudy; restrained; juicy, dense, lovely sweetness, brilliant.

93 Rabaud-Promis; Piquant green elements in the sweetness, juicy, fresh, a tomboyish charmer with enough acidity.

91 Rayne Vigneau; Very young, still clearly reductive but with a good core, juicy and fine.

91? Rieussec; Still very restrained and diffuse, soft and sweet, not to be judged conclusively.

89 Romer Reduktionsstinkerl; lighter-bodied, drier than most.

94 Romer du Hayot; Still yeasty and correspondingly acetonous; juicy, dense, enormous substance, great.

93 Sigalas Rabaud; Finest caramel, beautifully integrated into the acidity, juicy, deep, dense, excellent.

88 Suau Grüngold; still quite encapsulated; enormous acidity, which is countered by too little corresponding sweetness, not very harmonious.

87 Suduiraut; behaviour, straightforward, little statement, simple in context (and a little disappointing).


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