Catalog

Rothschild (de Lafite) property. Adjacent to Yquem, Rieussec was until 2012 one of the sweetest wines of Sauternes, revealing itself only after a minimum of 10 years of cellaring. First (r)evolution from 2013 towards a more elegant and delicate style, combining richness and finesse.

Second (r)evolution in 2019 with a drastic tightening of the selections, Rieussec thought as the "head cream" of Château Rieussec, accompanied by a total break of the visual codes: new bottle, new labeling, new repositionable cork, new packaging (box of 4 bottles). Rieussec is now positioned on the second step of Sauternes behind Yquem.

Climens has been, for more than 50 years, the finest, the fruitiest and the most endearing of the Sauternes wines. Almost discreet in its first youth, Climens does not cease to develop and to refine itself in bottle. Biodynamic since the 2014 vintage. Magnificent 2016 "a fruit of an exemplary purity" noted 99/100 by the Revue du Vin de France.

Following 4 years of almost no production (none in 2017, 2018 and 2020, barely 1200 bottles in 2019), Climens changed hands in 2022.

The most mythical vintage of Bordeaux, among all! Already, in 1855, it was the only cru to be recognized as a premier cru classé supérieur, placing it above the red premiers crus classés.

The most mythical vintage of Bordeaux, among all! Already, in 1855, it was the only cru to be recognized as a premier cru classé supérieur, placing it above the red premiers crus classés.

80% Merlot, La Chenade is the almost second wine of the Cruzelles. Designed and conceived by Mr. Durantou (Église-Clinet), this is one of the best quality/price ratios on the entire right bank. In confidence!

80% Merlot, La Chenade is the almost second wine of the Cruzelles. Designed and conceived by Mr. Durantou (Église-Clinet), this is one of the best quality/price ratios on the entire right bank. In confidence!

Puyguéraud is the reference of the Côtes de Francs, producing with great regularity wines of very high level. The owner, Nicolas Thienpont, also manages Pavie-Macquin and Larcis-Ducasse in St-Émilion. Always well rated, Puyguéraud proves better than others that it is possible to taste a beautiful and great Bordeaux for less than 15 € a bottle.

Dubourdieu property. Unanimously considered as the best and most distinguished of the red Graves, with a grand cru classé grape variety: 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot.

Roundness, suppleness and depth of flesh are the hallmarks of the consensual red wines produced in Larrivet Haut-Brion, advised by Mr. Rolland until 2014 and then by Mr. Derenoncourt. No link between Larrivet (in Léognan) and Haut-Brion (in Pessac).

This 12 ha vineyard is admirably located between its two illustrious neighbours, Chasse-Spleen and Poujeaux. A single watchword for the production of wines, whatever the vintage: the finesse of the tannins. Refined and silky, Branas Grand Poujeaux has been a revelation since 2009. Advised by Mr. de Boüard from 2012, it is now one of the finest bourgeois wines in the Médoc.

Although contiguous to Poujeaux, Chasse-Spleen offers another face to Moulis wines, more tannic and, in its first youth, more austere. A great Medoc classic.

Chasse-Spleen expands in 2023 with the acquisition of Brillette, 35 ha of a beautiful terroir of deep gravel in Moulis.

We no longer present Sociando-Mallet, which should be in a good place in the cellar of any wine lover, as the quality and above all the regularity of its last thirty vintages are so impressive. Without wishing to underestimate the hard work of the late Mr Gautreau since 1969, it must be said that the terroir, against the Gironde on a gravelly ridge comparable to that of Montrose, is indeed that of a Grand Cru Classé. Unavoidable 2016, the greatest wine of Sociando-Mallet since 1996.

The third wine jewel of Bernard Magrez (after Pape Clément and Fombrauge), bought in 1999. After a complete overhaul of the vineyard (it is now the largest Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc with 225 ha of vineyards), La Tour Carnet displays a modern, smooth and powerful style. A formidable competitor in blind tastings.

The third wine jewel of Bernard Magrez (after Pape Clément and Fombrauge), bought in 1999. After a complete overhaul of the vineyard (it is now the largest Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc with 225 ha of vineyards), La Tour Carnet displays a modern, smooth and powerful style. A formidable competitor in blind tastings.

Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.

The arrival of Mr. Derenoncourt as a consultant in 2002 relaunched Prieuré-Lichine, giving it first of all a better aromatic dimension thanks to a more mature grape. The limitation of yields since 2009 has resulted in additional density and volume, which he lacked to compete with his peers. Progress hailed by the Revue du Vin de France, notably for its 2020, rated 95/100 « the most complete in a long time ». 

By the quality of the selections, and the creation of a 3rd wine from 2009, Pavillon Rouge would have easily been considered as the Great Wine of Château Margaux only 20 years ago.

The best cru bourgeois of Saint-Julien (it could easily have been classified in 1855), kept by the Saint-Pierre team, even owner, and in very good shape in the last vintages. The Médoc's best value par excellence.

Since the arrival of Bruno Borie in 2003, Ducru-Beaucaillou has been flying from success to success.  No one has forgotten that, until 1980, Ducru was the greatest of the Médoc's second growths, a position it is now regaining. Bravo !

The arrival of Mr. Dhalluin in 2004 not only benefited Mouton-Rothschild, but also the two other classified growths of Barony: d'Armailhac and Clerc-Milon. Their vines occupy the southern (d'Armailhac) and northern (Clerc-Milon) part of the Mouton gravel plateau. D'Armailhac is barely less rich than Clerc-Milon, but it gives the same aromatic nobility of blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar blends.

Apart from the first great classified growths, no other Bordeaux wine is as world famous as Lynch-Bages. Its worldwide success comes as much from its opulent, full-bodied and robust style, from its unfailing regularity since 1975, and from its media promotion orchestrated by Jean-Michel Cazes. Lynch-Bages was the first wine sent into space (Discovery shuttle in 1985). It is even said that it is him who gave the taste of Bordeaux to the Americans!

Contiguous to Mouton-Rothschild, Pontet-Canet is in good vintages the very type of great Pauillac, straight and racy. The first of the Grands Crus Classés to be certified "organic" (in 2010), Pontet-Canet has been at the top of the Médoc since 2000.

Contiguous to Mouton-Rothschild, Pontet-Canet is in good vintages the very type of great Pauillac, straight and racy. The first of the Grands Crus Classés to be certified "organic" (in 2010), Pontet-Canet has been at the top of the Médoc since 2000.

Bought in 1986 by the AXA group, initially under the leadership of Mr. Cazes (Lynch-Bages), Pichon-Longueville Baron regained its best form in the powerful and distinguished style of the great Pauillac. It must be said that a small half of its vines are located next to those of Latour, on a first growth terroir! For the Revue du Vin de France: "Pichon-Baron is at the top in the last vintages".

Mr Rouzaud (Champagne Roederer) acquired it in 2007 and has since strengthened the technical team by adding the advice of Mr Boissenot. Pichon-Comtesse remains faithful to the style that has made it so successful, as dense, suave, charming, enchanting and above all endearing.

Mouton-Rothschild's upgrade in 1973 from second to first grand cru classé was as legitimate as it was deserved in view of the quality of its terroir, a plateau of 90 hectares of deep gravel to the north of Pauillac, with Lafite-Rothschild as a neighbor. Despite this promotion, and even though it regularly tops the rankings in tastings, Mouton-Rothschild remains to this day the least expensive of the Médoc's premier crus classés. Its powerful, full-bodied style and its ability to age well have led Mr. Bettane to write "perhaps the most formally perfect wine in the Médoc...".

On the terroir of Pez, known to be the best in St-Estèphe (excluding classified growths), the Cazes family uses the same recipes here as those that made Lynch-Bages so successful: generous fruit and opulent texture. Ormes de Pez is an'almost' Lynch-Bages but at a quarter of the price!

Second wine of Cos d'Estournel, probably the best second wine of the Médoc after those of the first classified growths (for half or even a quarter of the price).

After 43 vintages, Mr Charmolüe sold the estate to Mr Bouygues in 2006. The change of ownership was accompanied by a spectacular project designed to bring Montrose into the 21st century: use of geothermal energy, installation of photovoltaic panels, recycling of CO2 from alcoholic fermentation...

There has also been a change of style in the wines, with a move towards greater aromatic complexity and textural refinement. Montrose nevertheless remains a wine of great breed, resting on a powerful tannic architecture and reserved for the most patient connoisseurs.

The very high quality of Cos d'Estournel's recent vintages is impressive, placing it undoubtedly among the first great classified growths of the Médoc. A single qualifier comes to mind when we think of Cos d'Estournel: monumental, for its wines as well as for its cellar.