Vinous (94-97)

Good medium ruby. High-pitched violet perfume lifts the aroma of ripe black cherry. Wonderfully suave, intense and refined, with a pungently fresh quality that reminded me of cut grass. This highly concentrated wine has perfectly integrated acidity, as well as a stronger limestone character than usual. In a rather masculine style but also seamless and suave. Finishes with outstanding length and class, the tannins totally buffered by fruit and minerals. Mounir Saouma noted that this wine has been great since the beginning.

Burghound (90-93)

Reduction knocks down the underlying fruit though wisps of spice escape the funk. More positively are the racy and highly energetic middle weight flavors that brim with minerality on the markedly firm but balanced and persistent finish that will need to add depth to reach the upper end of my projected range.

Burghound (93-95)

This too is firmly reduced. There is almost painful intensity to the beautifully delineated and mineral-driven broad-shouldered flavors that possess a highly refined textured before culminating in an almost crisp, moderately austere and wonderfully persistent finale that is quite firmly structured. This is a bit atypical but no less attractive for it and a Bèze that should amply reward a decade plus of cellaring. Lovely.

Burghound (91-94)

A notably fresher nose offers up notes of various red berries along with a plentitude of floral nuances. There is also better energy on the palate of the medium-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the saline and lingering if again mildly rustic finish. With that said, this is much better-balanced.

Vinous (92-94)

(from vines in both Charmes and Mazoyères): Dark red-ruby. Inviting aromas of raspberry, minerals, smoked meat and dried rose, along with a cool licorice note. Juicy, intense wine with excellent definition and lovely inner-mouth floral lift. Still a bit youthfully medicinal but already conveys an attractive texture and a harmony of elements. Finishes juicy, spicy and quite long, with suave, fine-grained tannins and a repeating suggestion of medicinal reserve. Saouma was not the only producer I visited this fall who noted that Charmes-Chambertin has benefited substantially from global warming. Not too long ago, Charmes typically had a greenness as well as underripe tannins, he said. (I will withhold early judgment on a 350-liter barrel of Griottes-Chambertin, which was fusel and extremely reduced, and still had some unconverted malic acidity.)

Burghound (88-91)

A somber nose half-heartedly offers up notes of forest floor, earth and leather on the essence of red berry fruit-scented aromas. There is better volume and muscle to the bigger and richer if decidedly grippy and somewhat short finish. This too may lengthen out but today it seems a bit clipped and compact.

Burghound (92-95)

This is very ripe, indeed to the point where the cassis, warm earth and softly floral-scented aromas exhibit hints of mocha. In much the same fashion as the Clos St. Denis there is a relatively sleek mouth feel to the solidly intense and muscular larger-scaled flavors that possess a lovely sense of harmony and excellent complexity on the lingering finish that is a bit less youthfully austere than usual.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The 2016 Echézeaux Grand Cru wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of smoked meats, cassis, blackberries, incense and rich soil tones. On the palate, it's full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with rich but supple tannins, a deep and concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and a long, thrillingly carnal finish. This is a beautifully made Echézeaux from this challenging frost vintage.

Vinous (93-95)

(the crop level here was barely 15 hectoliters per hectare, according to Saouma): Full, bright ruby. Higher-toned and considerably more expressive on the nose than the Echézeaux, offering aromas of black raspberry, licorice and violet along with suggestions of more exotic ripeness. Densely packed and seriously concentrated, but a bit youthfully imploded owing to its crushed-rock minerality; conveys a strong impression of dry extract but little early sweetness. As young as this wine is, it's much more harmonious today than the Echézeaux. Finishes very long, with serious but fine-grained tannins.

Burghound (91-93)

An overtly floral and well-layered nose is elegant, airy and pure with plenty of spice elements adding breadth to the super-fresh essence of red currant aromas that are trimmed in discreet oak nuances. There is notably more size, weight and power to the tautly muscular flavors that culminate in a serious, robust and lingering finish. This is not a monster of concentration but I like the balance and overall sense of harmony.

Burghound (93-95)

(Don't Miss!) There is enough reduction to mask the fruit but not the sauvage elements Mazis is famous for. There is a bit more size, weight and power to the big-bodied flavors that brim with both minerality and dry extract, all wrapped in a dusty, mouth coating and tightly wound finish that is austere but not rustic. Once again ample patience will be required as this is very clearly built-to-age.

Burghound (91-94)

Prominent spice nuances add breadth to the distinctly earthy and sauvage-inflected deeply pitched nose of red and dark currant, poached plum and leather. The succulent but muscular medium-bodied plus flavors possess plenty of minerality and even better depth and persistence on the attractively balanced if very firm finish.

Burghound (91-93)

A ripe yet cool nose reflects notes of black raspberry, poached plum and a lovely violet top note. There is very good volume to the caressing yet muscular medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length and even better depth. This should be excellent in time.

Experience the exquisite allure of the Lucien Muzard Santenay 1er Cru Maladiere 2015, a fine vintage hailing from the esteemed vineyards of Santenay, Burgundy. Crafted by the renowned Muzard family, descendants of centuries-old line of winemakers, this robust yet nuanced red wine speaks to the extraordinary terroir and meticulous care of the winemaker. Employing traditional viticulture methods, the grapes are harvested by hand to ensure the preservation of complex aromatic profile.

The Lucien Muzard Santenay 1er Cru Maladiere 2015 is characterised by its rich, full-bodied mouthfeel and refined tannic structure. Aromas of red and black fruits mingle with subtle hints of minerals and spices, providing an enticing olfactory experience. On the palate, it reveals a vivacious acidity balanced with a lingering finish that evokes its old-world roots.

Boasting of longevity that only grows more elegant with age, Lucien Muzard Santenay 1er Cru Maladiere 2015 is truly a testament to exceptional Burgundian winemaking.

Wine Spectator (96)

Textbook, with mouthfilling and slightly gutsy black currant, fig and blackberry fruit flavors bound together by singed cedar, iron and tobacco notes. Features a tug of loam followed by a second wave of fruit through the finish. This is just starting to stretch out.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)

Wine of the Year 2022 Inky plum in colour, you can see this is rich and textured even before going anywhere near the nose, which then displays ripe fruit. Gorgeous quality, a wine that is packed full of graphite, pencil lead, waves of violet, cassis, liqourice, and chewy but well defined tannins. Leaps out of the glass and is clear proof that, when it gets it right, the 2014 vintage equals the 2015 in this northern sector of the Médoc. Good value also compared to the 2015 and 2016 - a must buy for me. 70% new oak, Eric Boissenot consultant.

James Suckling (98-99)

This is really back-ended thanks to a powerful and almost endless finish. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with incredible concentration and length. Round and polished tannins. Layered. This unravels bit by bit. Energetic acidity gives it such superb freshness. This is at the 2010/2009 level.

James Suckling (95-96)

This is an excellent Lynch that starts off slowly and then drives at the end with dark fruit and hints of hazelnuts. Strong and focused tannins. A beautiful young wine.

James Suckling (95-96)

This is an excellent Lynch that starts off slowly and then drives at the end with dark fruit and hints of hazelnuts. Strong and focused tannins. A beautiful young wine.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

One of the finest vintages I've ever tasted from this address, the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages has everything you look for in a great wine: incredible aromatics, richness without weight, perfect balance, and a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts. Dense purple, it reveals a glorious perfume of blackcurrants and blackberry fruits, a deep, unctuous mouthfeel, building tannins, and a complex array of cedar pencil, tobacco, wood smoke, and chocolate. A true blockbuster in every sense, with masses of fruit and tannins as well as moderate acidity, it will probably merit a triple-digit score in a decade and is a 50+-year wine from this team.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

One of the finest vintages I've ever tasted from this address, the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages has everything you look for in a great wine: incredible aromatics, richness without weight, perfect balance, and a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts. Dense purple, it reveals a glorious perfume of blackcurrants and blackberry fruits, a deep, unctuous mouthfeel, building tannins, and a complex array of cedar pencil, tobacco, wood smoke, and chocolate. A true blockbuster in every sense, with masses of fruit and tannins as well as moderate acidity, it will probably merit a triple-digit score in a decade and is a 50+-year wine from this team.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo.

James Suckling (99)

A beautifully layered red with blackcurrant, hazelnut and lead-pencil character and fine, velvety tannins. Full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a tightly knit ball of polished tannins that are cashmere in texture. So very long and impressive. Give this time. A terrific Lynch. Better after 2027.

James Suckling (95)

Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards.