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The 2022 Château Tronquoy is the finest vintage of this cuvée ever produced, offering fabulous aromatics of cassis, graphite, violets, flowers, chocolate, and earthy nuances. Full-bodied and beautifully rich and textured on the palate, with sweet tannins and a seamless, concentrated mouthfeel, it’s already hard to resist, and as I said from barrel, it shows the ripeness of the vintage while staying pure, balanced, and seamless. It’s going to benefit from just 4-6 years in the cellar and drink well for 25+ years.

This is a very classically structured Bordeaux with blackcurrant, walnut, cedar and hints of toasted oak. It’s reserved now, but shows very serious, polished tannins. Persistent and powerful with fantastic length. Very precise.

Our Discovery Series has arrived! At the core of this program is a mission to showcase wines of impeccable quality, unmistakable regional typicité, and exceptional value. As I often say, we’re not just placing a label on someone’s latest release—we’re curating standout selections from our deep, trusted network of sources. Each wine must rise above its peers, often outperforming bottles at multiples of the price. Only those that meet this high bar make it into the lineup. For many, including myself, 2016 is the “Goldilocks” vintage in Bordeaux—everything in just the right proportions. It will long be remembered as one of the great reference-point vintages for the region, but perhaps even more distinctly in the Northern Médoc, where nearly every top château produced an epic bottling. That is one of the many reasons I fell so deeply for this wine. The other is its source: a producer we’ve long admired, making a wine I would happily feature at full price. As part of our Discovery Series, it stands out as an extraordinary value. Now, at nearly ten years past the vintage, the wine is in full voice. Aromatically, it shows a floral and mineral lift surrounding layers of dark red fruit. On the palate, it is textured and generous, with enough structure to express the typicité of St-Estèphe, while remaining open and approachable. With striking precision, impressive depth of flavor, and a vivid expressiveness right from the first sip, this is a brilliant expression of Bordeaux—and still a bargain at twice the price. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

Coming from a vintage compared to 2016 and 2019 by the château, the 2020 Château Tronquoy-Lalande checks in as 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, hitting 13.5% alcohol. Beautiful cassis, plums, damp earth, and chocolate notes all emerge from this beauty, which is a layered, medium to full-bodied, gorgeously textured Saint-Estèphe. The tannins are present yet polished, and it has a great mid-palate and outstanding length. I'd wager this is one of the finest vintages of this cuvée to date. It has the purity of fruit and opulence to shine even today, yet I suspect it won't hit prime time for 7-8 years, and it should have 20 years of prime drinking at that point.

Bid on this bottle of 1989 Montrose, St-Estèphe (100TWI, 99JD, 99JS, 98VN, 97RP). The Wine Independent: "The 1989 Montrose, from a very warm, dry year, is made from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color (holding its color amazingly!) it sky-rockets from the glass with flamboyant notes of black cherry compote, blueberry pie, and blackcurrant jelly, followed by notes of star anise, peonies, crushed rocks, and tar, plus exotic hints of cardamom and cumin seed. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, opulent, and well structured, delivering firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness to support the generous, wonderfully pure fruit, finishing long and earthy. This is textbook Montrose. (LPB)" (09/2023)

Open, ready to drink, fleshy and enjoyable, great value for money. Brambled black fruits with redcurrant and pomegranate freshness running through, plenty of dark spice and melted tannins. Hard not to say that this is just a great drinking wine, ready to enjoy.

The second wine of Cos d’Estournel is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46.5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc, and it took 55% of the crop. It was bottled in July 2018, after 13 months in barrel, using 30% new oak. This has a truly striking nose, with fragrant black fruits, black cherry, currant, damson and olive, but with a powerfully fragrant violet and white-flower element too, a real rose garden of a nose, with notes of crushed limestone. It is quite reminiscent of the floral intensity of Palmer in this vintage, which is a good thing. The palate is supremely fresh, pure and broad, showing a moderate texture, correct and sinewy, with a wealth of ripe tannins running beneath it all, supporting a layer of black summer fruits, all intertwined with toast, vanilla oak and some floral elements. Fresh, bold, pure and concentrated, this is a stunning second wine.

Obviously wood-aged, with a smoky toast flavor, this is a wine that shows the power of Saint-Estèphe tannins in full force. At the same time, there is a blackberry character that adds richness and juiciness, which cuts through the dry core. Age for at least 7–8 years.

This starts off a little bretty with barnyard undertones, but it blows off to flowers and rich fruit. Round and juicy, with yummy flavors. A long finish on this. Very spicy and earthy. St. Estephe character. Enjoy or age.

Another bargain alert! At this price level, perhaps the most subtle and elegant of all wines tasted. Not as expressive as Ormes de Pez, but top marks for delicate refinement and indeed a noticeably floral aromatic profile that accentuates the palate. As wine consultant Kevin Gagnon noted at a tasting: ‘Finesse and great length.’ Do not hesitate. (PK)

Bid on this 3 liter of 2003 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe (3L) (98JS, 97RP, 94ST). James Suckling: "A dense and powerful wine as always with very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity with tobacco, dried fruit and fresh spices such as lemon grass and Thai basil. Layered and long. " (10/2015)

Bid on this bottle of 2005 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe (99JS, 98JD, 97JA, 97RP, 97VN, 97WE, 96TWI, 96WS, 95DC). James Suckling: "The purity of fruit in this is fascinating with plums, currants and other dark fruits. Then there is another layer of spices and chocolate. So much cassis. Full and very layered with chewy polished tannins and a long, long finish. Just starting to open. Changes all the time." (09/2015)

The 2009 Meyney is a step up from Haut-Marbuzet and Lafon-Rochet on the nose: blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone, forest floor and a hint of pain d’épices - wonderful definition and intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, very well judged acidity. Good grip and quite stocky/broad-shouldered in style with a persistent but at the moment, still a tightly wound finish. This is impressive and when its identity is revealed - cue gasps from the audience. Go buy. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. (NM)

Few, if any, non-classed growths have a better terroir or track record in recent vintages. Fragrant fruit, well balanced with a full, rounded flavour. Just right to drink now after 10 years. (SP)

The 2016 Serilhan is a treat. It has a gorgeous, beautifully defined bouquet with blackberry, cigar box and smoky aromas that gently unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent black and red fruit, very fine tannin, a veneer of quality new oak but with more than sufficient fruit underneath and a long sensual finish. Utterly seductive, this is a temptress from Saint Estèphe! (NM)

Set includes 2 x 2016 Cos d'Estournel and 1 x 2016 Pagodes de Cos in a special 10th anniversary OWC

The purity of fruit to this is fascinating with plums, currants and other dark fruits. Then there is another layer of spices and chocolate. So much cassis. Full and very layered with chewy polished tannins and a long, long finish. Just starting to open. Changes all the time.

A new benchmark for Montrose. Extremely aromatic and beautiful, with lavender, violets, pencil shavings and black currants on the nose. Complex and medium-bodied. The muscular structure and intensity are something else. The purity of fruit is dreamy. Marks a new era for Montrose. It is now made from only 45 hectares of vineyards right in front of the chateau instead of about 60 hectares before. From organically grown grapes. 75% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot and 4% cabernet franc

Fine, new saddle leather aromas, vivid violet, juicy blackberry and tobacco leaf. Smooth and fresh, it has superior depth with noticeable yet refined tannins. The high percentage of new oak and Cabernet Sauvignon make for a seamless, long finish: opulent, fresh and precise. Enjoy with duck breast. (PK)

A return to form in my eyes for Calon Ségur after the atypical 2018, rippling with elegance, balance and savory blue fruits of Cabernet, with rose and peony flowers. Concentrated, chiselled and juicy, this has clear personality and equals the great, classically balanced vintages of Calon like 2016. A yield of 33hl/ha, 3.85pH, 100% new oak. (JA)

Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, pencil shavings and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, this is creamy and crunchy with open, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc.

The 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it's one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn't own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990. (WK)

The 2020 Château Meyney is a solid step up, with more elegance and finesse, as well as structure. Giving up medium-bodied aromas and flavors of darker currants, black cherries, classy oak, tobacco leaf, and damp earth, it has terrific overall balance, building, fine-grained tannins, and a great finish. It has some accessibility today yet will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.

A timeless classic in the making, the 2025 Montrose unfurls in the glass with notes of dark berries, black truffle, burning embers and violets, gaining in range and detail with aeration. Full-bodied, dense and elegantly muscular, it's layered and multidimensional, with a prodigiously concentrated core of fruit, exceptional quality of tannin and a long, resonant finish. The 2025 is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, derived exclusively from the estate's historic core on the fourth terrace situated just in front of the château itself. With a pH of 3.65 and 13.4% alcohol, it remains classically balanced despite its impressive power and intensity. Readers will have a fascinating time parsing the nuances of style and quality between the 2025, 2023 and 2022 over the decades to come! (WK)

Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2000 Montrose, St-Estèphe (98TWI, 96JD, 96JS, 95JA, 94RP, 94ST, 93WS). The Wine Independent: "A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Montrose is medium to deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It charges out with ready-to-go notes of juicy plums, black cherry compote, and wild blueberries, opening out to a perfume of candied violets, camphor, rose oil, new leather, and fragrant soil. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and very fresh with soft, velvety tannins and bags of vibrant black and blue fruits, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous! (LPB)" (02/2024)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 1990 Montrose, St-Estèphe (100JD, 100RP, 96JA, 96TWI, 95JG, 95VN, 94WS). Wine Advocate: "Now, here was the real deal, unfettered by any infection, a regal Saint Estèphe. It shows approximately the same evolution as the 1989 in bottle, but unsurprisingly showed less bricking in magnum format. The bouquet is cut from a different cloth to the 1989 and attests to that warm vintage: hickory, clove, undergrowth and wild fennel, later garrigue-like scents and terracotta, the latter two more pronounced on the bottle format compared to the youthful magnum. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, yet the balance is perfect, a ballerina-like poise with the structure of the Forth Bridge. It is a multi-layered Montrose that offers enormous length, fresh and vibrant with the magnum demonstrating tangible mineralite and tension as it fans out on the crescendo of a finish—a fanfare for Saint Estèphe in all its glory... (NM)" (03/2017)

Bid on this 3-magnum lot of 2005 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe (1.5L) (99JS, 98JD, 98RP, 97JA, 97VN, 97WE, 96TWI, 96WS, 95DC, 95W&S). James Suckling: The purity of fruit to this is fascinating with plums, currants and other dark fruits. Then there is another layer of spices and chocolate. So much cassis. Full and very layered with chewy polished tannins and a long, long finish. Just starting to open. Changes all the time. (11/2015)

Bid on this 6-bottle lot of 2002 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe (94JS, 94RP, 93VN, 92DC, 90WS). Wine Advocate: "Deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, the palate sports tobacco, cedar chest and yeast extract scents over a core of figs, dried mulberries, fruitcake, sautéed herbs and cinnamon toast with a waft of oolong tea. Medium-bodied, the palate features bags of freshness, with firm yet grainy tannins and plenty of mature dried berry flavors, finishing long and spicy. (LPB)" (11/2018)

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. (LPB)

Another magical wine from this property, the 2009 Château Cos D'Estournel reminds me slightly of the 2005 with its incredibly rich, powerful, opulent style married to stunning finesse and elegance. Still youthful yet with a touch of maturity, its deep ruby/plum color is followed by classic Saint-Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, dried tobacco, loamy earth, Asian spices, and licorice. Deep, full-bodied, and massive on the palate, it's flawlessly balanced and has building tannins hiding under its wealth of fruit, with no hard edges and a great, great finish. This tour de force is still 5-7 years away from maturity and is a legendary wine to follow over the coming 40-50 years.

This is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical.

The polish and intensity of this wine is beautiful for the vintage, with blackcurrant, lead pencil and light chocolate character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated fruit and tannins, and a long finish. Velvet texture. Excellent potential. Fermented from selected yeast from the various parcels. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 1.5% petit verdot, and 1.5% cabernet franc.

Complex and subtle aromas of blackcurrants, hazelnut, bark, mushrooms and chocolate follow through to a full body, with racy and long tannins that run the length of the wine. Classically structured. Polished yet musical. Very Phelan.

Surpassing the 2019 and rivaling the 2016 as this estate's finest vintage of the last few decades, the 2020 Montrose is a monument in the making. Wafting from the glass with aromas of violets, dark berries, licorice, loamy soil, black truffle and subtle spices, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with a seamless, elegantly muscular profile, terrific purity and energy, beautifully powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. It checks in at 13.7% alcohol, the same as the superb 2009, but it is even deeper, more vibrant and more complex than the 2009. This will be worth a special effort to seek out and only confirms Montrose's status as one of the contemporary Médoc's leading estates and a de facto first growth. (WK)

The 2023 Château Calon Ségur is absolutely brilliant and clearly in the top handful of wines in the vintage. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it has a stunning array of cassis and black raspberry-like fruits intermixed with smoky tobacco, graphite, and classy oak. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamlessly textured, it has more mid-palate depth, richness, and length than just about every other wine out there.

The 2019 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of stewed black plums, boysenberry preserves, blackcurrant jelly, and kirsch, plus touches of garrigue, lavender oil, and anise. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a lot of energy, with vibrant black fruits, firm, grainy tannins, and great tension, finishing very long and fragrant.

A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Calon Segur is deep garnet-purple in color. It skips out with bright, pretty scents of kirsch, black raspberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of cloves, cardamom, and star anise. The full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black and red berries flavors, supported by super-firm, super-ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and minerally. A real head-turner! (LPB)

G d’Estournel comes from the team behind Cos d’Estournel, the Saint-Estèphe estate ranked a Second Growth in Bordeaux’s 1855 classification. The 2020 bottling carries the Médoc appellation, connecting it to Bordeaux’s Left Bank peninsula between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean.

Clearly the standout in the lineup, the 2020 Pagodes De Cos is deep ruby-purple in hue and offers a Grand Vin-like perfume of cassis, spicy oak, tobacco, and scorched earth. Medium to full-bodied, it’s pure and elegant on the palate, with ripe tannins, a seamless texture, and beautiful overall balance. The blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, and it should evolve gracefully over the coming 15+ years. Drink 2025-2045.

Crafted by former owner Basile Tesseron, the wine has a pleasingly silky, polished and smooth aspect, reflecting irresistible Cabernet-driven graphite and bright red and black fruit. Sheer pleasure! What I like most is the ripe polish without the modern gloss. Enjoy with baked aubergine or roast chicken. (PK)

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2023 Château Montrose sports a vivid purple hue as well as awesome aromatics of crème de cassis, fresh blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stone, tobacco, and violets. It's medium to full-bodied and has a concentrated, layered, seamless mouthfeel, flawless balance, fine polished tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, it stays in the more aristocratic style of the vintage and is an utterly sensational, deep, multi-dimensional Montrose. It's one for the ages, yet I suspect it will be approachable within a reasonable time frame as well.

The polish and intensity of this wine is beautiful for the vintage, with blackcurrant, lead pencil and light chocolate character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with well-integrated fruit and tannins, and a long finish. Velvet texture. Excellent potential. Fermented from selected yeast from the various parcels. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 1.5% petit verdot, and 1.5% cabernet franc.

The last year for Montrose under the Charmolüe family, before the Bouygues bought in 2006. Inky plum in colour, moreish from the very first sip. So juicy, such well controlled extraction, balanced but intense and concentrated, with layers of still-vibrant cassis, bilberry, eucalyptus and cocoa bean. You can now clearly see where this is heading, but it will continue to build over the next few years, and then stay on the plateau for decades.

Château Cos Labory was ranked a Fifth Growth in Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification. This 2023 red comes from Saint-Estèphe, the northernmost of the Médoc’s four renowned communal appellations, and is built around Cabernet Sauvignon and other traditional Bordeaux blending varieties.

A chewy, structured red with blackberry, chocolate and some walnut and bark. It’s full-bodied and solid with lots of fruit and tannins. Second wine of Calon Segur. Needs five or six years to soften. Try after 2026.

A timeless classic in the making, the 2025 Montrose unfurls in the glass with notes of dark berries, black truffle, burning embers and violets, gaining in range and detail with aeration. Full-bodied, dense and elegantly muscular, it's layered and multidimensional, with a prodigiously concentrated core of fruit, exceptional quality of tannin and a long, resonant finish. The 2025 is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, derived exclusively from the estate's historic core on the fourth terrace situated just in front of the château itself. With a pH of 3.65 and 13.4% alcohol, it remains classically balanced despite its impressive power and intensity. Readers will have a fascinating time parsing the nuances of style and quality between the 2025, 2023 and 2022 over the decades to come! (WK)

Looking at the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel, this awesome Saint-Estèphe checks in as a normal blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 50% new oak. Remarkably concentrated yet with a graceful elegance, it has sensational cassis, graphite, spring flowers, and subtle tobacco-driven aromatics, full-bodied richness, a deeply layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a monumental finish. Hitting 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.79, it's as good a Cos d'Estournel as has ever been made. It actually has ample upfront appeal yet won't hit the early stages of its prime drinking window for another decade, and it will have 50-75 years of overall longevity. (Drink between 2035-2110) (JD)

Bid on this 6-bottle lot of 2003 Montrose, St-Estèphe (99JD, 98RP, 97JS, 96ST, 96TWI, 95JA, 95WE, 95WS, 92VN). Jeb Dunnuck: "A prodigious beast of a wine that's now starting to shed just a touch of its considerable baby fat, the 2003 Château Montrose is based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It shows the richness of the vintage with its ripe, opulent core of fruit, yet it freshens up noticeably with time in the glass, offering currants, mulberries, smoked tobacco, minty herbs, and licorice. Full-bodied, deep, and powerful on the palate, it still has classic Bordeaux focus and structure. It's drinking brilliantly today with a decant and has another 20-30 years of prime drinking." (08/2022)