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30th June 2011

This morning starts with the superb Saint Emilion property, Château Angelus, which has deservedly secured an excellent reputation in recent years and is widely considered as being one of the 'top' Châteaux in Saint Emilion. Sadly, Hubert de Bouard has sadly been caught up in the misguided trap of asking too much for their 2010 which is offered @ £2,500.00 IB per case... This would have flown out of the door @ £2,200.00!

94-96 Robert Parker
"A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc cropped at 32 hectoliters per hectare, the 2010 may not hit the peaks of the extraordinary 2009 or 2005, but it is another fabulous wine from proprietor Hubert de Bouard. It boasts an inky/blue/purple color along with abundant aromas of acacia flowers, blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice and subtle toasty oak in the background. A notion of graphite emerges as the wine sits in the glass, which tends to be a characteristic of Angelus. Long, rich, dense and full-bodied with high but well-integrated tannins, it will rival the 1989 and 1990 as well as the 2009 and 2005 as one of the finest wines made at this estate. At present, the 2009 has a slight edge because of its more sumptuous texture. Nevertheless, the 2010 is a great wine with a future of at least 30 years"

97-98 James Suckling
"Wild aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate and hints of toasted nuts. Very intense. Full bodied, with super integrated tannins and a fabulous finish. Goes on for minutes. This takes off on the palate. Really impressive. 45 percent Cabernet Franc and 55 percent Merlo"

92-94 Neal Martin, 18.5 James Lawther (Decnater.com) 17.5 Jancis Robinson & 94-97 James Molesworth

We are delighted to offer and highly recommend the great super-second from the Medoc, Château Leoville Las Cases @ £2,250.00 IB per case... At last, a Château that has produced a brilliant wine with a correct price-tag!

This is available for general sale – Please revert (ASAP) if you would like to acquire some...

95-98 Robert Parker
"As one would expect, this is a powerful, concentrated wine with 13.7% natural alcohol (compared to 2005's 13.2%). The pH is quite normal at 3.56, and its relatively high total acidity gives it a classic, fresh, yet backward style. Given how long vintages such as 1982, 1986, and I suspect, 2000 are taking to reach maturity, prospective purchasers of this wine should easily invest in a decade of cellaring, although I suspect it will be closer to 15 or more years before it reveals secondary nuances. A good 40- to 50-year wine, it is a dense purple, full-bodied style of Las Cases, with classic sweet kirsch, graphite and black currant fruit as well as hints of new saddle leather and subtle oak. Backward, layered and multi-dimensional, the wine is stunningly rich, but brooding. Forget it at least until 2020 or later".

96-98 Neal Martin
"Cropped at 36.7hl/ha, the Leoville Las-Cases is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, offering 13.7% alcohol and a pH of 3.56. It will be raised in 75% new oak. The nose is very intense with notes of blackberry, cassis, tobacco and a touch of black truffle, all very well defined and perhaps less generous, but more cerebral than the 2009. The palate is full-bodied with exceptionally silky smooth tannins, wonderful harmony and sense of beguiling composure and completeness. The finish is tannic, driven by the ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. I expect this Las-Cases to close down for a few years...it will need time to mellow and reach its drinking plateau. Drink 2025- Tasted March 2011"

19.5 Steven Spurrier
"Stunning concentration of fruit, precision and purity, a great vineyard expression and a totally great wine in the most simple sense of the term. Drink 2025-50".

And now to the famously controversial Saint Emilion property, Château Pavie which is available for general sale @ £2,500.00 IB per case...

95-98+ Robert Parker
"Along with several other Medoc first-growths as well as Ausone in St.-Emilion and possibly Petrus and Lafleur in Pomerol, few estates have such a record for consistent quality as Gerard Perse's Chateau Pavie. Made from a classic blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 was cropped at a ridiculously low 26 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between October 12 and 19. Surprisingly, the alcohol is only 14.2% which is actually less than the 2008 and 2009. Since Perse acquired this estate in 1998, most Pavies have possessed off the charts richness and the 2010 is no different. It also reveals an opaque purple color, abundant notes of roasted coffee, blackberries, cassis, full-bodied power and sensational density, texture and length. There is also a boatload of tannin, so do not expect this 2010 to provide near-term consumption. Somewhat reminiscent of the 2005 in its freshness, precision and intensity, it requires 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 3-4 ddecades thereafter. I had this wine on four separate occasions and would rank it slightly behind the 2000, 2005 and 2009".

96-97 James Suckling
"Very powerful. It sneaks up on you. It doesn't show its strength at first but then takes off with excellent ripe fruit, spices, chocolate and nuts. So long and exciting. I prefer the style to the 2009 by a hair"

18.0 James Lawther (Decanter.com)
"Bound to court controversy again this year. Some will love it, others hate it. Aromatically pitched closer to the Mediterranean with raisined fruit notes. Rich, thick fruit on the palate. Bold and full but keen acidity for balance. Huge, tight muscular frame. Built for the long haul. Drink 2022-2045".

We are now able to confirm the collective (first & second tranche) price for Château Mouton Rothschild. Unfortunately, and as per our previous announcement, allocations from this (normally very generous property) have been severely slashed. However, we are delighted to offer (to last year's buyers' first) a reduced allocation @ £7,900.00 IB per case.

New buyers please contact us immediately if you wish to acquire a case...

97-100 Robert Parker
"The 2010 Mouton possesses the highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) of any wine this estate has produced. Combined with 6% Merlot, the wine achieved 13.9% natural alcohol. Under director Philippe Dalhuin, the harvest was accomplished between September 28 and October 13, and only 49% of the crop made it into this powerful effort. Reminiscent of the 1986, it is a 50-60 year wine that is not meant for consumers looking for near-term gratification. This backward, tannic, full-bodied, exceptionally promising 2010 reveals enormous weight along with extravagant levels of precise, fresh boysenberry and creme de cassis fruit. The abundant minerality is due no doubt to the fresh acidity. In need of at least 15 years of cellaring, it will undoubtedly remain an infant at age 25 (as does the 1986)".

98-100 Neal Martin
"Of all the First Growths, Mouton has perhaps the most seductive bouquet with macerated black cherries, crème de cassis, blackcurrant, mint and cedar all with very fine delineation but a drop more opulence than say, Lafite or Latour. The palate is full-bodied with saturated, ripe tannins, layers of pure blackberry and dark cherries intertwined with a touch of blueberry. Very good grip, very smooth and flirting with the idea of ostentatiousness...but 2010 is not that kind of vintage and the Cabernet defined the finish with graphite and a touch of, what almost feels great mineralité, much more so than the 2009. Great length and poise, this actually reminds me of the stupendous 2006. Drink 2020-2050. Tasted March 2011".

19.5 Steven Spurrier
"19.5. Huge, exotic multi-fruit nose, layers and layers of flavour, the richness lifted by ingrained acidity, perfect balance for such a richly textured wine, the best Mouton for years. Drink 2020-50".

99-100 James Suckling
"This is pure Mouton. The aromas to this wine are so fabulous. I thought right away back to the 1947, one of the great classics of Mouton. Menthol, minty, light eucalyptus, currants and dark fruits on the nose. Full bodied, with super intense and powerful fruit and tannins. So unique for a first growth. Almost all Cab. Magnificent. This is clearly better than 2009. 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 6 percent Merlot"

Château Haut Brion has released their truly stunning 2010 however, we are informed that the Château is only releasing one, combined tranche (40% reduction in allocations) therefore, our offer @ £7,850.00 IB per case may have already sold out by the time you have read this!

98-100 Robert Parker
Following a harvest that finished on October 10, Haut-Brion produced a 2010 that should turn out to be one of its all-time greats ... an amazing feat given what they have accomplished over recent vintages. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc that came in at 14.6% alcohol, the 2010 boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of scorched earth/burning embers, blueberries, black currant liqueur and crushed rocks. Full and opulent with nobility, finesse, purity and elegance, this amazing effort possesses extraordinary levels of extract as well as formidable, but sweet, well-integrated tannins. It requires 8-10 years of cellaring and should drink well for 50+ year

96-98 Neal Martin
"A blend of 23% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, this has a quintessential Haut-Brion nose with that trait of fresh black olives defining the nose straight out of the blocks. It is a little less opulent than La Mission but with slightly better clarity at this stage. The palate displays very fine, succulent tannins and like the La Mission there is a Pauillac-like personality thanks to the graphite imparted by the ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderful definition towards the finish. This is a superb Haut-Brion. Tasted March 2011"

19.5 Steven Spurrier
"Stunning aromas of beautifully concentrated red fruits, already expressive, even exuberant, a taffeta-like finesse hides great strength for the long term. Drink 2020-45"

18+ Jancis Robinson
"23% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc. 7,800 cases, not 10,000+ as in 2009. 42% grand vin (compared with 57% in 2009). Full, opulent nose in which the classic Haut-Brion aroma is well masked by lots of slightly austere fruit. Very fine tannins - very drying finish. An extremely slow burner. Much drier than La Mission, and at the moment not desperately expressive. Its lips are pursed at the moment, and so are mine tasting it. Unusual to come across such a long-term wine even here. This may not make a massive impact en primeur because it is keeping so much in reserve. I think it will eventually make a great wine but it's surly at the moment. 14.6%"

97-98 James Suckling
"Wonderful aromas of dark fruits with sweet tobacco and lilac character. Blackberries too. Amazing nose. This is tight and powerful with beautiful tannins and a racy structure. It lasts for minutes. Super refined yet muscular style of Haut-Brion due to a much lower percentage of Merlot in the blend. I like the 2009 better. Its more typical. This is 57 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc".

We can also offer Haut Brion's second wine, Clarence Haut Brion @ £1,275.00 IB per case, which I highly recommend. It's important to note that 'Clarence' is gathered from the vats that do not suit Haut Brion's final blend. The quality is immensely high...

92-94 Neal Martin
"A blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this has a very different nose to the La Chapelle, the Cabernet very potent here, crushed stones with a hint of graphite. This has more backbone that the La Chapelle, very fine tannins with good acidity, dense blackberry, cassis and a touch of black plum, strict and linear towards the finish which is more masculine than the La Chapelle. Do not overlook this second label. Tasted March 201".