The 2025 Bordeaux vintage is defined by a paradox of extreme heat yet produced many wines with surprising elegance. After a mild winter, an exceptionally early and uniform flowering in mid-May set the stage for an accelerated growing season. However, the defining characteristic was a series of intense heatwaves in June and August, with temperatures peaking near 42°C.
The result was a year of remarkably low yields but also intense, pure concentration. Small, thick-skinned berries – particularly in the Merlot – produced wines with deep colour and rich phenolic structure. While the heat initially threatened to block ongoing ripening, critical rains in late August combined with cooler night temperatures preserved a “crystalline” acidity that distinguishes 2025 from the more opulent and hedonistic 2022 vintage.
Key Vintage 2025 Highlights:
• Quality vs. Quantity: Exceptional aromatic intensity and ripe tannins, though volumes are down roughly -15% due to heat-induced berry shrivelling.
• Terroir Success: Clay and limestone soils (notably in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol) thrived by regulating water stress.
• Style: Early tastings suggest a “modern classic” – combining the power of solar vintages with a refined, fresh finish and moderate alcohol levels (averaging 13.5–14%).
For collectors, 2025 stands as a “vigneron’s year,” where precise harvest timing was essential to balance its natural fruit density with graceful acids.
Chateau Haut-Breton Larigaudiere 2025, Margaux
A rich, ripe, generous aromatics with an accessible plushness tempered by graphite and wood spice notes. The palate is textbook Margaux – silky soft, seductive, and texturally incredibly fine with a deceptive voluminous breath and depth of fruit. A very harmonious classical rendition that should put on a little more muscle in the barrel. One of the finest expressions I have tasted yet from Haut Breton.
(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Tour Baladoz 2025, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
This attractive Saint Emilion packs an impressive 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec alongside a more traditional 70% Merlot component. The nose is creamy, plush and delicately savoury with a wealth of blue and purple fruits, a fragrant brightness and stony liquorice salinity. Creamy tannins are braced by a bright underlying acidity, caressed by the most velvety, creamy limestone minerality. Lovely dry extract, a full plush mid-palate and a very fine-grained finish. Harmony and balance personified.
(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Croizille 2025, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
This flagship 4.5-hectare Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and in 2025 shows a luxuriously plush aromatics of black cherry, damson plum and saline black currant fruits with a kiss of liquorice and graphite. Broad and silky on the palate, the power and concentration is clear to see with bright, crisp supporting acids, a delicately picante wood spice and a creamy black currant laden finish with very impressive concentration and depth. A really impressive, well finessed Right Bank expression that shows the true pedigree of the 2025 vintage.
(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Wines are available direct from the De Schepper Family’s own negociant business ‘De Mour’. For more information and pricing, contact: anthony_crameri@orange.fr
The 2016 Bordeaux vintage was nothing short of dramatic. For those tending the vines, it was a growing season shaped by an extraordinary mix of weather patterns which produced wines of remarkable balance and complexity. At the time, the oenologists echoed what many were feeling: “Bordeaux, by some miracle compared to many French wine regions, is preparing for an exceptional vintage.” Within the context of this historical pronouncement, and a surfeit of high critical scores dished out at En-primeur time, the only thing that can settle the status of this vintage once and for all is a “10 years on” tasting of bottled wines. Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.
A wet and cold winter set the stage for the 2016 vintage, with rainfall in the first six months of the growing season matching that of the entire previous year. Then, from mid-June to mid-August, the weather shifted dramatically, bringing a long, hot, and dry summer, followed by just 20mm of rain in early September. For many winemakers, that combination was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the dry heat during July and August was a worry – especially on gravelly soils or younger vines which struggled with water stress.
On the other hand, the soils that had stored the winter’s water, especially clay and limestone plots, proved their worth and sustained the vines throughout the drought. Then came a timely and gentle revival: light rains in mid-September, followed by a long Indian-summer stretch – warm days, cool nights, and slowed-down ripening.
Christian Seely from Pichon Baron and Veronique Sanders from Haut Bailly.
As a result, many of the top estates found themselves harvesting remarkably late, often stretching far into October, allowing grapes the time they needed for full phenolic maturity: deep colour, rich tannins, well concentrated flavours, but without excess alcohol or overripe jammy fruit. As Jacques Thienpont of Le Pin noted, it was the first time in the estate’s history that harvest didn’t begin until October. Overall, the vintage was characterised by a balance of fruit and high (but supremely ripe) tannins with fresh acidity and pleasingly moderate alcohol levels.
Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.
The 2016 Bordeaux Selection:
Chateau Cheval Blanc 2016, Saint Emilion
Lifted and perfumed. Silky and utterly sophisticated.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Ausone 2016, St Emilion
Dark tight and broody. More black berry intensity. Chiselled and fresh. Precise.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Red fruit, cedar, black berry. Earthy, Xmas spice. Class.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Rich, broad expansive aromatics. Black currant and graphite. Incredible depth. Very impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 99+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Margaux 2016, Margaux
Fragrant cassis and saline black fruits. Silky, precise and fine grained.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac
More savoury and brûléed. Dense and powerful with beautifully chalky tannins. A classic Mouton.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac
Red and black berry fruits, exotic lifted perfume. Silky soft, pristine and very persistent.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Latour 2016, Pauillac
Complex salty cassis, oyster shell, graphite with a dense seamless palate, impressive power with phenomenal finesse. Bold wine. As close to perfection as possible.
(Wine Safari Score: 100/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Le Pin 2016, Pomerol
Mint chocolate chip, black berry and damson plum. Sweet fruited, generous palate and beautifully exotic.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lafleur 2016, Pomerol
Beautifully exotic and complex, but also intricate. Brûléed, dark berries, salted cassis with a long luxurious creamy finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Petrus 2016, Pomerol
Dense, creamy and delicately lactic with chocolate praline notes, pithy graphite tannins and a cool finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Angelus 2016, Saint Emilion
Deep dense ripe black fruits, cassis, sapidity, full and powerful. Opulent and accessible.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Belair Monange 2016, Saint Emilion
Smoky chalky nose, graphite and black currant compote. Dense and compact power. Very smart.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Canon 2016, Saint Emilion
Graphite, black currant, sleek, silky, sophisticated. Superb.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Canon La Gafaliere 2016, Saint Emilion
Dark, spicy, picante intense fruit, raisined cherries and a chalky finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Figeac 2016, Saint Emilion
Fabulous oak – fruit integration. Complex and classy. Very silky and complete. Sensational.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Clos Fourtet 2016, Saint Emilion
Deep, dark and broody. Spicy mineral tannins, graphite hints and plenty of limestone grip.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau L’IF 2016, Saint Emilion
Touch stewed, raisined black berries. Fleshy, ripe expression. Exuberant.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Gaffeliere 2016, Saint Emilion
Rich and textured. Plenty of ripeness and power. Black fruits are slightly raisined on the finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Mondotte 2016, Saint Emilion
Warm toasty aromatics, plush and creamy, full throttle but beautifully fresh. A great success.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Pavie 2016, Saint Emilion
Dense and dark, packed with blue and black berry fruits. Chewy tannins, dry grippy limestone length. Serious.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Pavie Macquin 2016, Saint Emilion
Dusty limestone, liquor and creme de cassis. Cool and supple, elegant and vibrant. This is classy.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Quintus 2016, Saint Emilion
Earthy savoury black fruits. Polished but slightly baked black berry compote style on the finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint Emilion, 15.5% Abv.
Broody black fruited nose, the palate silky, tangy and super vibrant. Very seductive.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Valandraud 2016, Saint Emilion
Earthy savoury black fruits. Dense, mineral grip. Slightly austere on the finish. But classical power.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Conseillante 2016, Pomerol
Brûléed, exotic enticing nose. Creamy and cool, packed with blue and purple fruits. Simply sensational.
(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau L’Evangile 2016, Pomerol
Silky, opulent and utterly seductive! Very polished example.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lafleur-Gazin 2016, Pomerol
Ripe savoury black berry fruits, pithy, ripe. Chiselled tannins.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Hosanna 2016, Pomerol
Salty, picante black berry fruits. Oyster shell, cassis and a long creamy finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Fleur-Petrus 2016, Pomerol
Graphite, wood smoke and creasote on the nose. Broad creamy palate with polished tannins, silky drying finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Trotanoy 2016, Pomerol
Broody black currant fruits, creamy and mineral. Power packed. Wow.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Violette 2016, Pomerol
Blue black fruits, effortless concentration, light and airy but still substantial.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Clinet 2016, Pomerol
Silky, complex, very complete wine. Cool and mineral. Textured but such class!
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, 14.5% Abv.
Juicy red and black berry fruits, graphite, limestone and mineral lift. Dense, creamy and very classy.
(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Haut-Bailly 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Lovely melange of savoury earth and black berry. Compact, dense, silky but plenty of power.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Intricate, perfumed and exotic, very enticing. Compact but sleek. Silky tannins, fresh and elegant. True class.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Savoury, truffle, exotic and complex. Creamy and intense.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Domaine de Chevalier 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Ripe red berry fruits, graphite and limestone, densely textured, compact and true class. Wow.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan
Earth, truffle, savoury black fruits. Fabulous creamy depth, intricate acids, and true class.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Clarence de Chateau Haut Brion, 13.5% Abv.
Supple, silky and soft, plenty of earthy minerality, with a taut grippy finish. Punches way above its price point.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau D’Issan 2016, Margaux
Plenty of brûléed black fruit, creamy tannins and earthy black currant compote finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Palmer 2016, Margaux
Cool, pure black fruits, impressive intensity and length. Very elegant with underlying power.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Leoville Barton 2016, Saint Julien
A dense, compact wine with impressive depth and power, tantalisingly structured for the long haul. Yes please!
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Pontet-Canet 2016, Pauillac
This is super juicy, vibrant and textured with a tangy acidity, fabulous saline crème de cassis depth. Really lovely opulence.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Les Forts de Latour 2016, Pauillac
Complex layered wine with tilled earth, black berries and wet tobacco. Super serious.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Carruades de Lafite 2016, Pauillac
Medium weight, elegant and silky with black currant, damson plum and black cherry depth.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Le Petit Mouton 2016, Pauillac
Creamy black fruited depth, graphite, tilled earth with delicate mint and milk chocolate nuances.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Pichon Baron 2016, Pauillac
Dense, compact, powerful expression full of earthy black berry fruit, sweet tannins. graphite and cedar spice. Plenty of stuffing for the long haul.
The De Schepper family owns five wine estates in Bordeaux as well as the De Mour negociant firm that is tasked with distributing their wines, more often than not, direct to international merchants and retailers. In my experience of tasting and reviewing their wines for the past decade, this is a firm that prides itself on its values, based on human expertise passed down through generations, technical mastery of all stages in the winemaking process, as well as upmarket product ranges developed via exclusive partnerships.
Within their product range, the special pure Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée of Château Haut Breton Larigaudière was created and named “Le Createur”, a literal translation of the family name of the owners “De Schepper”, a name of Flemish origin, in honor of Emile De Schepper, who bought the estate in 1964 and started the extensive renovation of the château. “Le Créateur” is an endless and tireless search tor the perfection of the personality of a specific vintage. I recently cracked a bottle of their 2015 vintage to assess how this pure Cabernet Sauvignon is looking after 10 years from vintage.
Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere Le Createur 2015, Margaux, 13.5% Abv.
This pure 100% Cabernet Sauvignon shows a beautifully complex and intricate aromatics of fresh violets, black cherry, dried bay leaf spice, red currants and black plum with hints of tilled earth, black tea and fresh tannery leather. The palate displays a beautiful crunchy freshness and definition with powerful linear tannins and a stony minerality supported by layers of creme de cassis and black berry fruits, a delicate wood spice, freshly brewed tea and delicate herbal notes on the long creamy finish. Drink this classy wine now and over the next 10+ years.
With many international critics releasing their new ‘in bottle’ scores for the 2022 Bordeaux vintage, it has become patently clear that this is indeed a very highly lauded vendange worthy of consumer attention. The only caveat was that on the whole, it was certainly not a cheap vintage with many Cru Classe Chateaux pushing the limits with release pricing.
But while the vintage quality was nearly universally high, some producers erred on the side of caution in a slowing market and released their wines at affordable prices. The below two wines from the De Mour stable are two sterling examples of this.
The word was out early that the Bordelais felt they had something special in 2022, long before the world’s wine merchants arrived to make their own assessments at En-primeur. Heatwaves and drought are not usually parents to high-quality wines. However, the wines in barrel confounded merchants’ expectations, with most agreeing that the 2022 vintage was indeed a special one across Bordeaux. Despite the lack of water, the vines did not seem to suffer terribly, remaining in leaf and in good health right up to the harvest. The berries were small and so yields were restricted. All varieties were beautifully ripe, so much so that some properties felt no need to produce any second wines, many opting rather to increase the proportion of press wine in the final blend, such was its quality. Predictably, release prices were very high!
Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere 2022, Margaux, 13.5% Abv.
The aromatics on this 2022 show a youthful allure, densely packed with layers of creme de cassis, black cherry and sweet black plum over an already well interwoven wood spice. The palate is sleek and lithe with beautifully polished tannins, a really plush light touch salty black and blueberry fruited concentration, finishing with a delicate acidity and a long, fine vein of graphite minerality. The essence of classic Margaux! Drink from 2026 to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Tour Baladoz 2022, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe, 14% Abv.
Dark and opaque in colour, this wine looks immediately deep and inviting, offering up aromatics of caramelised plums, ripe black berry confit, creme de cassis and vanilla pod spice. The palate is plush, accessibly fleshy and opulent with a plump sweet black and blueberry density, invigorating glassy acids, creamy dry tannins and a kiss of brûléed espresso and brown breakfast toast nuances on the finish. An utterly thrilling expression once again. Drink from 2025 to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The De Mour wines are exported direct to merchants from the Chateaux. Contact: anthony_crameri@orange.fr
There are very few moments of the year that are more suited to drinking fine Bordeaux reds than in the chilly winter months and for the past several decades, the big name, big ticket Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux reds from the Medoc have dominated the media column inches with their hundreds of years of history and famous Chateaux names used to seduce consumers. While the wines are often exceptional in quality, their big-ticket pricing when offered En-primeur through negociants have resulted in a large number of consumers being left behind with the wrong messaging. In reality, with the influence of longer and warmer summers in recent years, the true quality of affordable Bordeaux wine has never been better, and that’s before you encounter a winemaking genius like De Mour group winemaker, Jean Michel Garcion.
The De Schepper family now owns five wine estates in Bordeaux as well as the De Mour negociant firm that is tasked with distributing the wines, more often than not, direct to international merchants and retailers. In my experience of tasting and reviewing their wines for the past decade, this is a firm that prides itself on its values, based on human expertise passed down through generations, technical mastery of all stages in the winemaking process, as well as upmarket product ranges developed via exclusive partnerships. All of the family’s estates have obtained ISOO 14001 and HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certification and Jean Michel’s focus is firmly on maintaining a constantly high quality at all price points.
I recently selected four exciting wines from the De Mour portfolio which are not represented by other Bordeaux negociants, giving De Mour total control over their own pricing, distribution methods, and sales and marketing, offering real tangible benefits to a new generation of Bordeaux consumers. The family purchased their fifth estate in 2004, Chateau Lacombe Cadiot, a handsome Bordeaux Supérieur estate located in Ludon, increasing the total area under vines to 55 hectares. After recently updating the Fine Wine Safari vertical tasting notes on their superb flagship winery, Chateau La Croizille, situated between Chateaux Troplong Mondot and Tertre Roteboeuf, and bordering on their other Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé property, Chateau Tour Baladoz, I thought I would highlight some of the other exceptional wines in their range.
Chateau Tour Baladoz 2021 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 13.5% Abv.
I first tasted the 2021 Chateau Tour Baladoz at En-primeur time in 2022 as an unfinished barrel sample, and then again as a finished bottled wine, in September 2023 at the winery with winemaker Jean Michel Garcion. Revisiting the wine in September 2024, after another year in bottle, has benefitted the wine immeasurably. A classical right bank blend of 85% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc but with an exotic 5% sprinkling of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec, the aromatics reveal a sophisticated wine with an enticing heady perfume of pressed violets, moist tobacco leaf, blue and black berry fruits, gravel and graphite, and a piercing maritime crème de cassis intensity with a distinctive salted toffee and vanilla pod spice kiss from the 70% new French oak used for 15 months of maturation. On the palate, the wine has fleshed out and gained impressive weight since last tasted, coating the mouth with luxurious creamy fine-grained tannins, sweet black currant, black cherry, and mulberry fruits, finishing with a concentrated, hedonistic Merlot opulence. Once again, this wine shows that superior terroir combined with a striking winemaking prowess, can negate difficult vintage conditions. A very classy wine indeed, to drink on release until 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lacombe Cadiot
The Chateau Lacombe Cadiot 2020 is another impressive Bordeaux Supérieur made by Jean Michel Garcion and is sourced from a 15-hectare vineyard bringing together a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot from vines that are on average 25 years old and grown on classic loam and clay soils in Ludon-Médoc, just down the road from the famous Chateau Cantemerle Cru Classé Haut Medoc estate. The wine was matured for 12 months after fermentation, 60% in oak barrels including 25% new oak, and the remainder was aged in vats. This is certainly a wine with a pedigree, with the previous 2019 vintage scoring 97/100 in the Decanter World Wine Awards blind tastings as well as an admirable ‘sighted’ 94/100 on A Fine Wine Safari.
This is a striking wine that displays a dense, dark, opaque purple black colour in the glass. On the nose, this succulent Merlot laden blend offers up rich aromatics of perfumed violets, lilac, bay leaf spice, sweet blackberries, salted black liquorice and black cherry before notes of ripe black plums and freshly baked blueberry crumble. Medium to full bodied in the mouth, the palate revels in the creamy plushness and ample ripeness of the 2020 vintage, framed by a lively, accessible core of black currant fruits, black raspberries, and a sappy cinnamon spice on the finish. The tannins are sweet and rounded yet ever present, charming, and generous, adding a delicate frame to the expressive fruit concentration. A delightfully well-proportioned wine that showcases Jean Michel’s masterful winemaking experience that has, for a large part, been fine-tuned over many vintages in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Hence, the right bank similarities with this Médoc expression are no coincidence. Drink on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Nativus 2019, AOC Bordeaux, 15.5% Abv.
This 100% Merlot red boasts a rich, heady aromatics packed with lilac, Parma violets, savoury black currants, tobacco leaf, black breakfast tea, pink musk and hints of warm blueberry crumble. There are overt notions of rich sweet oak which is incredibly well integrated into the fabric of the wine, balanced by the plush, opulent black plum and black cherry fruit concentration. Full, broad, and fleshy, the mouthfeel is comfortingly dense and creamy, revealing sweet ripe tannins and a soft caressing low acid elegance. A powerful Bordeaux red expression that offers a plush, hedonistic fruit gravitas over structured minerality and classicism. Enjoy with a nice chunk of cote de boeuf for the full fireworks! From 2024 to 2030+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Lady de Mour 2022, AOC Margaux, 12.5% Abv.
The 2022 Lady de Mour is produced from premium grapes grown in Arsac in the Margaux appellation on gravelly sand and gravel clay soils. The vines are on average 22+ years of age and planted to mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. In the 2022 cuvee, the blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that is aged for between 12 to 18 months in French oak barriques with normally a 30% new oak portion. The high-density plantings at 10,000 vines per hectare yield a wine that that is beautifully intense, floral, and perfumed, revealing notes of Parma violets, rose petals, black cherry pastille and pink musk over blue and black berry fruits, purple rock candy, and subtle notes of cherry cola. Regarded as one of the finest vintages on the left bank in almost a decade, this 2022 speaks confidently of Margaux’s textural complexity, weightless concentration, and supreme elegance, with a palate packed full of sweet crème de cassis, tart blueberries, and black cherries dusted with a salted caramel and vanilla pod spice. Undeniable seductive and fabulously harmonious, boasting an impressive fruit balance with the silkiest of tannins. This is undoubtably another masterclass in precision winemaking from Jean Michel Garcion. Drink now and over the next 6 to 8+ years.
Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines from the De Schepper family are available through their own in-house negociant, De Mour. Contact Anthony Crameri to find out more about all available labels, vintages, and ex-cellar pricing.
The pursuit of excellence has always led Chateau Margaux to produce a second wine, which took the name of Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux in 1908. Over the years, the selection has become more and more rigorous, thus improving the quality of Pavillon Rouge and consequently, that of the third wine. The maiden 2009 release was aged in barrels with the same care as Pavillon Rouge and was bottled after fifteen months, thus giving birth to the first vintage of Margaux du Chateau Margaux.
After a relatively dry 2016, the first months of 2017 brought the necessary rain required to keep the water table balanced. Winter temperatures weren’t particularly cold. The vines budded around April 4th, but Chateau Margaux wasn’t wary enough of the spring-like temperatures and a frost on the nights of April 27th and 28th served as a reminder that, above all, winegrowers are dependent on nature. The choice location of their vineyard plots allowed them to limit frost damage and only 10% of their red vines were affected.
Summer 2017 more or less resembled summer 2016: warm and very dry through July and August. Light rainfall in early September was the only thing that disrupted a rare opportunity to produce a third great vintage after 2015 and 2016. The Chateau had just harvested their white grapes when heavy precipitation dashed their hopes of a truly standout year. Harvest for the reds finally commenced between September 12th and October 3rd in exceptionally fine weather conditions.
Margaux du Chateau Margaux, AOC Margaux, Bordeaux, 13.5% Abv.
A delicately spicy, cedary, perfumed aromatics with violets and rose petals and an ample plummy fruit complexity, joining notes of graphite, black chai tea, bay leaf, black currants and salty black cherry. The 2017 is a perfect melange of elegance, weightless concentration and mineral classism with a seductively creamy breadth and a beautifully elegant, textured depth. This wine delivers finesse with power like only the Margaux appellation can. Really beautiful and probably the bargain on-trade Bordeaux choice. Drink now to 2032+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Margaux du Chateau Margaux is distributed exclusively to the premium on-trade in the UK by Flint Wines.
As owner of one of Europe’s foremost rugby squads, Racing 92, together with four quality Bordeaux wine chateaux, Jacky Lorenzetti has many commitments on his time, but his love of wine and sport always manages to shine through the pressures of a larger business empire. As President of Racing 92 rugby club, he changed its name from Racing Metro back in 2015 and helped establish it further as one of the most successful clubs in the French Top 14 rugby championship.
Jacky Lorenzetti has always had a fine appreciation of the great wines of the Médoc region. Jacky and his wife Françoise first purchased Chateau Lilian Ladouys and its 46 hectares in 2008, and then went on to purchase Château Pédesclaux in 2009. In 2013, Jacky teamed up with Emmanuel Cruse taking over 50% of Chateau d’Issan, a fine 1855 Margaux Grand Cru Classé certified winery.
Château Lilian Ladouys – Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel – St Estephe: In 2008, Jacky and Françoise Lorenzetti acquired the estate after falling in love with it. When tasted, Lilian Ladouys always reveals a rich and crisp structure with ripe tannins and refined oak which melts into an explosion of fruit. It has the opulence and length of a Saint-Estephe fine wine. Thanks to the appellation’s limestone-clay subsoils, its power is balanced out by a wonderful sensation of freshness. The recent upgrade to Exceptionnel has catapulted Lilian Ladouys into wine lovers’ consciousness all round Europe.
Chateau Lilian Ladouys Le Devise de Lilian 2017, St Estephe, 13% Abv.
Soft silky very elegant, supple red fruits, red currant pastille, black currant and red plum. Exotic and easy going with silky tannins. Great drinkability for an accessible vintage.
(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2016, St Estephe, 13.5% Abv.
Earthy, raisined black cherry, liquorice, savoury plummy aromatics. Super slky and soft textured with supple tannins, cedar spice and delicate weightless cherry fruit concentration. A serious effort from a blockbuster vintage in Bordeaux.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Château Lafon Rochet – Grand Cru Classé en 1855 – Saint Estephe: Lafon-Rochet is a close neighbour to Lilian Ladouys and is among the greatest terroirs of St-Estephe. The vineyards are mainly located around the château in a large contiguous plot, not far from Cos d’Estournel, Cos Labory, and across the stream in Pauillac, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
Chateau Lafon Rochet Les Pelerins de Lafon Rochet 2019, 14% Abv.
Dark black broody aromatics with smokey black berry, graphite, and blue berry nuances. Palate shows exotic sour cherry fruits, black currant, parma violets and a delicate, soft textured weightless intense finish. Very classy indeed.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lafon Rochet 2016, St Estephe, 14% Abv.
Rich earthy savoury nose with a warming feel of ripeness and depth with hoisin plum sauce, freshly tilled earth, with a beautifully intense and tangy fresh palate with creamy black currant, blueberry muffin, silky tannins, and a sweet savoury polished finish. Very classy from this impressive Bordeaux vintage.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Château Pédesclaux – Pauillac: The Chateau classified in 1855 is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Pauillac, and in the world of the great Pauillac, Château Pédesclaux is the image of its terroir: complex and powerful. In this mosaic of soils, clays promote power and bold expression of elegance. Emmanuel Cruse, co-owner of Château d’Issan, is General Manager of Pédesclaux, and his lineage coming from a long line of proprietors and merchants that have been present in the Medoc since the 18th century, make his expertise in the Bordeaux market very well recognized and respected.
Chateau Pedesclaux Fleur de Pedesclaux 2016, Pauillac, 13% Abv.
A delicious Pauillac with an unusually high 67% of Merlot supported by Cabernet. Nose shows mint chocolate, cocoa, creme de cassis, red currant and sweet vanilla oak spice. Plush and loose knit with creamy soft tannins and tangy acids, this is a deliciously forward fleshy wine with black currant, dried herbs and minty, purple grapey candied menthol nuances on the finish. Simply delightful.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Pedesclaux 2014, Pauillac, 14% Abv.
Earthy and savoury with violets, cigar wrapper, graphite, and menthol cassis nuances. Sweet fruited, elegant and soft textured with fruit purity, salty cassis, thyme, Cabernet blackberry, menthol black currant cough sweets and a delicate, succulent finish. Lovely precision and purity for an almost 10-year-old wine.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau d’Issan Moulin d’Issan 2019, Haut Medoc, 13% Abv.
Made from fruit sourced from Chateau d’Issan’s Haut Medoc property, this is a 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blend. A wonderfully soft, plush expression with a fleshy, supple concentration, sleek spicy tannins and a delicious red currant, black berry, and plummy mouth coating breadth. Really pretty, archetypal Bordeaux, with impressive precision and focus and a lovely Merlot dominated fleshy finish. A deliciously affordable all-rounder.
Officially the second wine of Chateau d’Issan, the classy 2016 shows lovely leafy, sweet cassis notes with hints of black currant, sweet black plum, peach tea and subtle dried violet and potpourri notes. Compact and plush, dense and creamy with sweet tannins, opulent fleshy fruits and a deliciously elegant, savoury, plush mouthfeel. Really classy with classical Margaux power and precision.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Jacky Lorenzetti stable of Bordeaux fine wines are imported into the UK by Simon Halliday at Sporting Wine Club and are available for retail by the bottle from specialist fine wine merchants like Museum Wines.
The Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux gathers in London annually to profile 124 talented Chateaux, selected for their quality and value for money. Covering 27 different appellation areas, the tasting always represents a unique snapshot into currently available vintages, but more importantly, offers a valuable preview of the next En-primeur offering from these producers, in this case, the 2023 vintage.
Whilst 2023 vintage might be remembered as a year of extremes, it also produced some very favourable conditions at crucial times throughout the growing season including a warm dry spring that led to an early growth spurt and gave the vines time to establish themselves before the summer heatwaves arrived. With any serious damaged avoided during the frosts on the 4th and 5th of April, weather improved steadily in May with a very successful flowering and fruit set before a prolonged period of wet and humid conditions followed in late June, bringing with it a serious threat of mildew damage. From mid-July onwards temperatures were generally cooler than 2022, although they did regularly hit 30c in August and overall conditions remained favourable with red grape harvesting commencing for many in mid-September. The overall quality of the 2023 harvest is considered outstanding.
Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere 2023, Margaux
Taut, broody and embryonic, the aromatics are spicy and cool, packed full of dark black berries, bramble berries and juniper spice. The palate is medium bodied, spicy and tightly wound with dry grippy mineral tannins, sleek purple and black berry fruits with gentle oak spice on the finish. The acids are fresh but not tart, tangy and well integrated, but should soften to allow the fruits to flesh out after several years.
(Wine Safari Score: 91-92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Tour Baladoz 2023, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux
A attractively fragrant, perfumed aromatics filled with Parma violets, purple flowers and white blossom. The entry is sleek, silky and soft textured showing lovely balance and harmony already, underpinned by spicy black berry, limestone minerality and a hint of graphite on the finish. An impressively polished, tangy, juicy effort from the vintage.
(Wine Safari Score: 92-93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau La Croizille 2023, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé (B)
Rich, dark and broody with aromatics of purple rock candy, violets, creme de cassis and black cherry confit. The palate is bold and dense, packed full of fleshy, textured fruit extract, dry velvety tannins and tangy acids, all intelligently coaxed and caressed into a seriously powerful right bank expression that immediately shows its terroir pedigree.
(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Contact Anthony Crameri for ex-cellar trade prices, EU stockists and current vintage availability.
Le Trianon de Larigaudiere is the second wine of Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere and is produced from the youngest vines in the vineyard around the Chateau in the Margaux appellation. The Chateau’s wines are produced by Jean Michel Garcion, one of the of the most respected winemakers on the left bank, who’s also a massive admirer of Cabernet Sauvignon. As a result, this younger vine wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon but also a generous 40% Merlot, which lends the cuvee great softness, fleshiness and opulence in the mouth.
Following a cold pre-fermentation maceration, the juice is kept on the skins for between 15 and 30 days in concrete and stainless-steel vats of varying sizes, for fine-tuned, plot-by-plot fermentation. Each decision is based on the specific vintage and the resulting grape quality. After fermentation, the wines are aged 12 to 15 months in French and American oak barrels, including 25% new barrels, 60% first fill and 15% in second fill oak barriques.
The Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere has recently undergone a sizable facelift making the tasting room a worthwhile stop when traveling down the D2 through Margaux.
Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiere Le Trianon de Larigaudiere 2020, Margaux, 12.5% Abv.
A broody opaque dark red black plum colour in the glass, the 2020 Trianon boast classical Bordeaux aromatics of violets, earthy black currants, macerated black plums, red cherries, wet tobacco and raspberry herbal tea nuances that melt into subtle wood spice and vanilla pod notes. The palate is beautifully sleek and harmonious with satin soft tannins and tart sour black cherry acids that are invigorating and mouthwatering. Not only is the texture beautifully elegant, accessible and soft but the wine retains the signature Margaux’esque majesty and finesse that makes the wines of this appellation so seductive, young or old. In true second wine style, this 2020 is delicious and ready to go now but will offer incremental drinking pleasure for a good 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 90+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Available ex-Chateau on direct import. Contact anthony_crameri@orange.fr for more information.
I have always been a big fan of Bordeaux second and third wines because of the pedigree and excellent value for money they normally offer. At the 2010 En-primeur tastings, I remember tasting with Chateau Margaux’s Paul Pontallier when he revealed the 2009 maiden release of the Margaux du Chateau Margaux, a wine that had yet to be named. In following years when this 2009 vintage finally arrived onto the market, it was decided that distribution would be exclusively through the on-trade and restaurant trade. This was of course a time when Bordeaux prices were running riot in the open market making it incredibly difficult for restaurants to list quality Bordeaux wines at affordable prices.
The third wine of the legendary Chateau Margaux, the Margaux du Chateau Margaux 2014 benefited enormously from the outstanding selection made in this vintage. The Pavillon Rouge and Chateau Margaux assemblages made up just 60% of the harvest in 2014 which allowed the Margaux du Chateau Margaux cuvee to be enhanced with multiple parcels previously destined for Chateau Margaux’s Pavillon Rouge, a wine that regularly sells for over £250+ retail per bottle and double or triple that amount in premium restaurants. The result is one of the finest vintages of this third wine to date composed in equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon (49%) and Merlot (49%) with a small percentage of Petit Verdot. If you see it on a restaurant list at circa £100 per bottle, buy it with confidence.
Margaux du Chateau Margaux 2014, Bordeaux, 13% Abv.
This pretty wine displays a wonderfully inviting perfumed nose of pressed violets, grilled coffee beans, black cherry and buttered brown breakfast toast. Even for a 2014, this seven-year-old wine shows lashings of blackcurrant and black plum fruit with the extra years in bottle giving the wine some glorious complexing notes of tannery leather, tobacco and wood smoke. Close your eyes and it`s like sitting back in a comfy old leather armchair in the library of a grand old London private members club. In the mouth, it reveals plush reassuring nuances of black berry fruits, hints of autumnal foresty bramble berries and a seductive touch of cocoa bean and milk chocolate. The length is long and impressive with fine ripe fleshy tannins and an elegant harmonious texture that screams classy Margaux terroir. A truly impressive wine conceived and blended for relatively early consumption in a restaurant environment but packs more than enough punch to accompany the heartiest of cuisine. Drink now and over the next 6 to 8+ years.
