Inspired by a Russian, first made by a Hungarian, who was succeeded by a Frenchman and then a German, the winemaking lineage at Masseto has been decidedly international – until now, that is. Since January 2024, the leading Super Tuscan and Ornellaia’s sibling estate has had its first native at the helm: Marco Balsimelli – born in Arezzo, not far from Siena, took the reins from longtime Production Director Axel Heinz.  Balsimelli comes with his own illustrious pedigree, having long been based in Bordeaux, working at Gruaud Larose and, since 2010, alongside the famous Eric Boissenot as a consultant winemaker to many of the region’s leading estates, but the chance to work at Ornellaia and Masseto – iconic names from his Tuscan homeland – was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.  It was André Tchelistcheff (the Russian-born Napa winemaker) who first suggested to Lodovico Antinori that a particular hill on the Ornellaia estate would be perfect for Merlot. Tchelistcheff was consulting for Antinori, and recognised the potential of the parcel of blue clay – the same soil that is synonymous with Pétrus. Back then, in the 1980s, Merlot was barely planted in Tuscany and remained an unknown quantity in the region, with only Castello di Ama – based further inland in Chianti Classico – having some vines (today used for its flagship L’Apparita). Nevertheless, the Ornellaia team took a chance and planted most of the seven-hectare swathe of clay in 1984 (additional planting took place in 1995).  The first vintage of Merlot from the site was made in 1987: Masseto was born. The name comes from “masso”, Italian for rock, after the large boulder-like clumps of clay that dot the vineyard’s surface. It didn’t take long for the wine to earn international acclaim, with Wine Spectator giving the 2001 vintage 100 points, and its place was cemented in vinous history.  Although Tchelistcheff consulted until 1989, replaced by Michel Rolland from 1991, Hungarian Tibor Gál was the property’s first winemaker. Gál was succeeded by Thomas Duroux (now of Ch. Palmer), who in 2005 passed the baton to Axel Heinz, the German-born winemaker who preceded Balsimelli. The property has changed hands over the years too, with the Mondavi family taking a share in 1999 before buying it outright from Lodovico Antinori, and selling it onto the Frescobaldi family, who took full ownership of Ornellaia and Masseto from 2005.  Much might have changed, but the terroir hasn’t. “It’s a very special site,” Balsimelli tells me. The all-important clay dominates the topsoil, which is only about a metre deep. When it rains, the clay swells, making it near impossible for the vines’ roots to develop. High sodium levels in the soils only accentuate the problem. “For the roots, it’s a battle every day,” he says. It’s that struggle, he feels, that you can taste in the concentrated, high-acid fruit from the site.  The climate is key too, lying just 10 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Fresh marine breezes mean the temperature is around 5°C lower than that in central Tuscany, with a drop of circa 15°C from day to night. Combine this with the light reflected off the sea, and you get a long growing season, preserving aromatics and acidity, yet encouraging phenolic ripeness – wines that combine perfume and power. Surrounded by forest, there is a reason that Masseto is run as an entirely separate project to Ornellaia, with its own unique identity – even if it has always shared a winemaker (and, until 2019, a winery) with its sibling estate.  For Balsimelli, the project has provided a fresh challenge. The shift away from a consultant role – no longer offering advice before moving on to the next project, but sitting with each and every decision – adds a new weight of responsibility. “I spend a lot of time thinking about the technical questions and the consequences,” he tells me. Since most of his work with Boissenot had been based on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, focused on Cabernet-driven blends from larger estates, working with a small property, focused on just one variety and various sub-plots is a different sort of jigsaw puzzle. The approach, for him, is much more Burgundian – all about expressing the purity of the site and its blue clay. “You have to be perfect with only one type of soil and one grape variety,” he explains.  The quest for perfection was started long ago at Masseto and today the vines average between 20 and 30 years in age. They’ve also been moving from cordon-trained to bush vines – first trialled in 2008 and something which they have found helps temper the effects of global warming (coping better in dry conditions and shading the fruit from the heat of the sun). Farmed organically since 2012, there has also been a significant focus on encouraging biodiversity across the site, including using cover crops to reduce soil compaction, increase organic matter and retain humidity in the soils.  Balsimelli’s first vintage was 2024, which won’t be released until 2027. But he’s clearly excited by the site, as well as how he can tweak and improve a wine that is already lauded by critics and consumers. “When you taste old vintages of Masseto, you can feel the legacy, taste the terroir,” he says – and that’s exactly what he wants to do moving forward, channelling the Boissenot philosophy: understanding a piece of land and finding the best solution to express it in the glass. For him, that solution will be all about accentuating the wine’s elegance.  He notes how there was – across the world of wine – a trend towards low yield and high levels of maturity in the early 2000s, but his preferred vintages are those that saw more balance. The 2006, for example, is his favourite at the moment – a year with more rainfall, more vigour, and – he feels – more energy as a result. It’s a vintage that he believes is “the key for the future”.  The site is one that can ripen quickly, and he plans to focus on freshness, maybe picking a little earlier, reducing extraction and lowering temperatures for maceration. The 2022 is the vintage set to be released this September – a wine that Balsimelli notes shows just how good the site is – performing even in tricky conditions such as 2022’s hot growing season. It is, he says, “the magic of Massseto”. Magic it may be, but Balsimelli is set on elevating this special estate even further.   Explore all current listings of Masseto or read more Editorial 

Often considered the Pétrus of Italy, Masseto is a wine like no other. Ahead of the new release, we sat down with Marco Balsimelli – the man at the helm today – to talk about the special site and what lies ahead for the Super Tuscan 

Talking to the Super Tuscan’s new Production Director Marco Balsimelli about Masseto, Ornellaia sibling estate and its unique Merlot wines

The magic of Masseto - Marco Balsimelli

The magic of Masseto

William Kelley + Yohan Castaing – Wine Advocate  Once again, the Wine Advocate’s Bordeaux en primeur coverage is shared by William Kelley and Yohan Castaing, with both providing scores, but Kelley writing the publication’s report. It’s telling that the highest potential score given for any of the 2024s is 94-96, with over half of the wines sitting below 90: in Kelley’s words, the year – which “tested growers’ limits” – “has produced few compelling wines”. Although there are some “notable successes”, the duo he feels that this is “clearly Bordeaux’s weakest vintage of the last decade”, with many wines that are “dilute, herbaceous and tart”.  The year is not homogenous, and Kelley attributes this simply to ripeness levels. He argues that those producers who “dared to wait” to harvest were rewarded. He is clear, however, that no particular variety or sub-region fared particularly better in 2024, with the year only able to be judged at a producer level. The best 2024s are, for Kelley, “intensely flavored middleweights with good structure and energy, exhibiting integrated acidity and ripe tannin”. Although the worst have acidity that can be “shrill”, with “astringent tannins and overt pyrazine character”, some – largely from early-ripening sites harvested late – “possess a density and mid-palate amplitude that transcends the year”. The vintage is, however, “a throwback”, closer to those of the 1990s than anything more recent. Elevage should help flesh out some of the wines, but Kelley is cautious of the wines’ fragility – and anticipates it “will only amplify the gap between the best and the rest”.  Kelley’s highlights: Cheval Blanc, La Conseillante, Pontet-Canet, Les Carmes Haut-Brion  Explore Kelley’s full report, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate (subscribers only)    Jane Anson – Inside Bordeaux  For Anson, 2024 exceeded her expectations: although there are, she acknowledges, "many disappointing bottles", the vintage is better than 2013 and – in the best cases – than 2021. She feels there are “more overall successes on the Right Bank than Left, simply because underripe Cabernet is very difficult to mask”, and generally speaking second wines don’t come recommended this year, with a notable step in quality. In the best reds, the acidity lends “juice, muscles and salinity”, with the Médoc offering linear, “floral, fragrant, nuanced” Claret. She highlights the quality of Saint-Julien in particular, and notes that there are “many excellent wines” in Pauillac, while Saint-Estèphe is more varied.  The Right Bank produced her wine of the vintage – Eglise-Clinet – but she notes how Pomerol is varied, with some successful wines that are “fabulous, lifted, aromatic, great quality” and some that are less successful, generally with the best hailing from the inner plateau. In Saint-Emilion, she notes how the limestone’s natural austerity needed to be managed – but “there are many tasty, successful if slim wines” in the appellation.  She emphasises the quality of the whites in the vintage, both sweet and dry, with “greater consistency and many excellent wines”. The dry whites offer great aromatics, but don’t have the density of the best wines, hence her ceiling on scores. She describes the sweet wines as “less luscious than the 2022s and 2023s”, but with “many balanced, delicious wines that are full of pleasure”.   Anson’s highlights: Eglise-Clinet, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Coutet, Pavillon Blanc, Les Champs Libres, Margaux, Léoville Poyferré, Brane-Cantenac, Ausone, Laroque, Couvent des Jacobins, La Prade, Vieux Château Saint André, L’If, Pagodes de Cos Blanc, Rieussec, Suduiraut, Clos Albus, Les Hauts de Smith Blanc, Les Charmes-Godard  Explore Anson’s full report, notes and scores on Inside Bordeaux (subscribers only)    Antonio Galloni – Vinous  Galloni is the first of the two Vinous writers to publish their report on 2024 Bordeaux. Although he admits the wines are “all over the place in terms of quality and style”, he also feels that “the very best wines have a lot to offer”. After all, “Weather is no longer the critical element in determining the quality of wines and therefore a vintage.”  He emphasises how key élevage will be in the wines’ development, expecting “a very high level of variability in the finished wines” – feeling, as per the title of his report, that many of the wines sit on a “razor’s edge”. Galloni describes the 2024s as aromatic, leaning towards red fruit, with the best “exud[ing] balance” – although some can be “excessively light”, making for a “frustratingly erratic vintage”. It is, however, “far from the total disaster” suggested. For him, it’s a year where the Left Bank and Cabernet thrived, highlighting the wines of Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac, and finding those of Pomerol and Pessac-Léognan the most variable.   He emphases the quality of the dry whites in 2024, which are “some of the finest” in the vintage and can be “truly exceptional”, while also offering relative value. As for the sweets, they are – for him – very good, but not outstanding, not having the “thrill factor of the very best years”.  Galloni’s highlights: Beychevelle, Clos Puy Arnaud, Cos d’Estournel, Jean Faure, Larcis-Ducasse, Lascombes, La Conseillante, Rauzan-Ségla  Explore Antonio Galloni’s full report, notes and scores on Vinous (subscribers only)    Neal Martin – Vinous    Following on from Galloni’s report (above), Neal Martin covers the growing season defined by its “biblical” amount of rain. He feels 2024 is “a good vintage with limitations”, noting that the wines are inconsistent and the “maleficent season… widens the divide between the haves and have-nots”. He emphasises that those who triumphed had not the best terroir, but “the deepest pockets and those who made the right decisions at the right times” – and even then, it is “a growing season that is impossible to transcend”.  He, like others, notes how different the vintage would have been just a couple of decades ago, noting that it is “unequivocally far superior” to the likes of 1984, 1992 or 2013. Although it is not consistent, he admits there are wines that “touch the sky”, and the best are “pretty” – offering “delineated and focused” aromatics, balanced wines in which a “spine of acidity lends poise”, with “ample freshness and sapidity”. They are, he writes, “ideal restaurant wines that will provide easy-drinking pleasure whilst you wait for the 2019 or 2022s to mature”.  Martin highlights the quality of the dry whites – with cool conditions producing “riveting, tensile Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon-based wines that often trump their red counterparts”. As for Sauternes, he reports that they are very good, but not classically opulent, instead “full of freshness and purity”.  Neal Martin’s highlights: Vieux Château Certan, Lafleur, Eglise-Clinet, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Montrose, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Malartic-Lagravière Blanc, Le Blanc de Lafite, Les Champs Libres, Doisy-Daëne, Coutet, Guiraud, Suduiraut  Explore Neal Martin’s full report, notes and scores on Vinous (subscribers only)    James Suckling  For James Suckling, tasting 2024 was a nostalgic experience – reminding him of “modern renditions of years such as 1985 or 1995”. Although he feels it is among the most heterogenous vintages he’s tasted, he describes the top 2024s as having “fine tannins and a crunchy, bright character”, “linear and fresh” with “vivid acidity”, noting that they’ll be approachable early. The best, he believes, come from early-ripening sites with the large teams necessary to tackle the year. He feels the dry whites, meanwhile, are very good to excellent – with Haut-Brion Blanc and Pavillon Blanc both among his top-scoring wines.  Suckling’s highlights: Haut-Brion Blanc, Evangile, Lafleur, Latour, Pavillon Blanc, Angélus, Ausone, Cos d’Estournel, Haut-Brion, Eglise-Clinet, La Mission Haut-Brion, Léoville Las Cases, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Pétrus, Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc, Vieux Château Certan  Explore James Suckling’s full report, notes and scores on his website (subscribers only)    Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – The Wine Independent  The headline for Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW is that the best reds in 2024 are “lighter-bodied, soft-textured, refreshing and perfumed”, while there are “many spectacular dry white wines and small quantities of excellent wines from Sauternes”. She notes how the wines generally have ripe tannins, but flavour ripeness was more challenging – and has resulted in “a lot of good, delicious, drinkable, if not awe-inspiring, reds” although “many don’t have the flavor layers or intensity of a truly great wine”.  One thing shines through for her: “Quality levels are all over the show.” She, like us, feels the Right Bank is more consistent and notes that “many elegant, bright, refreshing, soft-textured and perfumed wines” come from Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. On the Left Bank, she finds that quality drops away as you move away from the gravel terraces and the finest terroirs, although many Classed Growths produced wines “worthy of their status” if in a lighter style than recent years.  The dry whites are, for her, “the silver lining” of the vintage – noting their consistency and quality. She finds that many have “an effortless sense of harmony”, the aromatics and acidity preserved by the cooler conditions. She highlights a number of dry whites to look out for – noted below. Quality in Sauternes and Barsac is “excellent”, she writes, feeling the acid backbone injects “vivacity” into the wines, bringing greater balance versus warmer vintages. The best have “great flavor intensity, plenty of botrytis-instilled complexity, and racy backbones” – and are wines well worth seeking out.  Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW’s highlights: Figeac, Haut-Brion Blanc, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pavillon Blanc, Eglise-Clinet, Montrose, Trotte Vieille, Pape Clément Blanc, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Valandraud Blanc, D’Aiguilhe Blanc, Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, Suduiraut Pur Sémillon, Les Champs Libres, Cos d’Estournel Blanc, Lespault-Martillac Blanc  Explore Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW’s full report on The Wine Independent (subscribers only)    Georgie Hindle – Decanter  Decanter’s coverage is being gradually released, and so far includes a report on the growing season, as well as an early look at the styles the year produced. Georgie Hindle says it is closest in style to 2021, looking at recent vintages, however highlights the drier, warmer summer which differentiates it. She emphasises that the year is not uniform, and the wines are generally shaped by a “taut, mineral freshness” rather than fruit depth or opulence. She says the best “offer flashes of aromatic precision, elegant and refreshing clarity with structure and length” – they “achieve balance between fruit, acidity and tannins”. Many are weak or thin and – as we and others have emphasised – you cannot generalise this year – and it shouldn’t be one you write-off, she urges.   She doesn’t feel that the dry whites fared better than the reds, with results similarly mixed – but some successful wines that are aromatic and appealing. As for the region’s sweet wines, they offer “an easy drinkability” but don’t all have “the density and consistency of stronger vintages”.    Explore Georgie Hindle’s coverage on Decanter (subscribers only)     Colin Hay – The Drinks Business This is the first year we’re including The Drinks Business. A trade publication, it has been expanding its coverage of Bordeaux and relatively recently started scoring wines, all tackled by Colin Hay. Despite the challenging growing season, he argues that “those with both the resources – human and financial – and above all the acumen to respond to its trials and tribulations have triumphed”. Although at the lower end of the quality tree, he finds the wines disappointing and the vintage far from even, he writes that “at the top of the pyramid” there are “wines that transcend the challenges of the vintage” – “fully ripe, elegant, refined, highly aromatic, with soft, delicate, finely grained tannins and a succulence, clarity and brilliance that is rare indeed”. He finds them “remarkable” – even without the context of the year. Although they don’t reach the heights of 2019, 2020 or 2022, he feels the wines can be favourably compared to other recent vintages – indeed, he feels the best sit above wines from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006. 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. He writes that although the wines are “likely to be highly accessible in their youth”, they “still have quite significant ageing potential”. He is another to feel the vintage is slightly stronger on the Right Bank, and rave about the whites (“unique and spectacular”, “an undoubted highlight of the vintage” that he puts on a par with 2017 and 2021) and the sweets (although he confesses these are less consistent). Although there are exceptions, Pauillac is “the least flattered by the vintage”, and can be austere. He found that estates in Saint-Estèphe seemed to embrace the vintage, finding several highlights – including Montrose, “a wine of staggering depth and originality, yet also of an ethereal and aerial beauty and profound aromatic complexity”. In Saint-Julien, he finds “a reassuring sweetness to the fruit and a nutty creaminess”, coping with the vintage better, as Margaux also did, offering much “charm and typicity”. He finds the reds of Pessac-Léognan and Graves especially heterogenous, although he feels people will remember the vintage for its whites.  On the Right Bank, Hay finds that the best of Pomerol “indicate nothing of the difficulties of the growing season”, with elevated proportions of Cabernet providing “additional aromatic lift and florality”. In Saint-Emilion, he also discovers many vintage-transcending wines, “far more homogenous” than expected, especially versus the Left Bank, and many of them sit within its classification system – suggesting it is “an impressive guarantor of quality to the consumer”.  Colin Hay’s highlights: Mouton Rothschild, Montrose, Cos d’Estournel, Gruaud Larose, Palmer, Lafleur, Le Pin, Petrus, Eglise-Clinet, Trotanoy, Bélair-Monange, Rocheyron, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Angélus, Beauséjour, Larcis-Ducasse, Pavie, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, L’Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne, Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Suduiraut Explore Colin Hay’s full report, notes and scores on The Drinks Business Jeb Dunnuck Although 2024 was a difficult vintage, it produced “charming, mid-weight, forward, moderately concentrated wines”, writes Dunnuck. He compares quality to 2021 but with more “openness and suppleness”, feeling it is neither a Left or Right Bank year, but one that needs to be analysed by estate. He does feel, however, that Pessac is “a shining gem in the vintage”. The wines are about “approachability over density”, and the Merlot-driven wines of the Right Bank show their terroir well, while Pomerol is darker in style. On the Left Bank, similarly, they are not blockbusters, but – he says – they “will certainly appeal to those who pine for the yesteryears of the 1980s and 1990s”, and will “unquestionably offer ample drinking and longevity”. He suggests they may follow a similar trajectory to the 2001s, wines “drinking beautifully today” – and some “have a balance and harmony that might surprise”.  As for the whites, although there are “some brilliant whites”, it is not universal – a good rather than great vintage. And that is trye for the vintage across the board, in his mind, selective buying is advised, but there are some good wines worthy of attention. Jeb Dunnuck’s highlights: Figeac, Haut-Brion, La Conseillante, Lafaurie Peyraguey Coeur de Terroir, Pavillon Blanc, Mouton Rothschild, Pape Clément, Suduiraut, Suduiraut Pur Semillon, Valandraud Blanc    Explore Bordeaux 2024 

As the floodgates open for Bordeaux 2024 releases, the world’s leading wine critics are offering their thoughts on the vintage. Here you’ll find a round-up of what the Wine Advocate, Vinous and more are saying about the vintage so far – and the wines they rated most highly 

Your essential crib-sheet to what the world’s leading wine critics are saying about Bordeaux 2024 en primeur–including Wine Advocate, Vinous,Decanter and more

Bordeaux 2024 en primeur – what the critics are saying 

Bordeaux 2024: what the critics are saying 

Bordeaux is incredibly varied – with hugely different styles of wine produced across its appellations. Here, we run through everything you really need to know about each of the main subregions – and the best estates in each  

Explore Bordeaux, subregions, their wines and top estates – in Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Pomerol, Saint-Emilion 

Your guide to Bordeaux’s subregions, wines and top producers

Your guide to Bordeaux’s subregions   

The 2024 vintage in Bordeaux brought record rainfall – but there’s much more to the year than this. As the first wines are released, Sophie Thorpe reports on a complicated year and the wines it produced

Explore the 2024 vintage in Bordeaux and the wines it produced – looking at the growing season and style of the wines as they’re released en primeur

Bordeaux 2024 wines en primeur – vintage overview

Bordeaux 2024: vintage overview  

Magical Merlot: Pétrus 
Our final event of 2022 and arguably the most impressive was a line-up of 20 vintages of Pétrus back to 1947. 
With special guest William Kelley to talk our guests through the wines, this was a momentous occasion, not only for the wines but also because it was the last ever event held in The Ritz’s historic William Kent Room, before this magnificent, iconic space underwent a two-year renovation. 
The last flight of the evening was remarkable – with arguably the greatest vintages of Pétrus ever produced, the 1989, 1990 and an unfathomably rare magnum of 1947. The 1990, 1989 and 1947 were the hottest vintages on record in Bordeaux at the time – and clearly proved beneficial for Pétrus – whose distinct terroir produced three wines of extraordinary complexity. Critic Robert Parker concluded – after tasting it on 11 different occasions – that the 1947 Pétrus is the “wine of the century”, quite some accolade. Despite the excitement around this trio, the top wines of the evening were the 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2006 which really stood out for their incredible depth, elegance and concentration. 
The wines, paired with seven sumptuous courses prepared by Executive Head Chef John Williams MBE made for an unforgettable end to 2022. 
Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV10, Grand Cru (in magnum) 1982 Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Clos de la Mouchère, Domaine Henri Boillot Pétrus vertical: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1990, 1989, 1947 (from magnum)
 Castello di Ama’s L’Apparita and La Ricolma versus Percarlo 
Pétrus was not the only iconic Merlot to feature in our events this year. Both L’Apparita (the 100% Merlot from Castello di Ama) and La Ricolma – (San Giusto a Rentennano’s equivalent) have both become wine icons in their own right and beautifully showcase the extraordinary complexity that this grape can achieve in the hills of Chianti. 
Both La Ricolma and L’Apparita started as experiments but, once each of these neighbouring estates (although at completely different altitudes) got a handle on this French import, the results were extraordinary. 
The Castello di Ama and San Guisto a Rentennano events both took place at London’s own Italian icon – The River Café. With Ruth Rogers and her team curating the perfect menu to partner these outstanding wines, it made for two very special evenings. 
For our L’Apparita event, we tasted a vertical back to 1985 – the first-ever vintage of the wine, and one of only six bottles remaining at the estate. Alongside this special wine (which it was a privilege to taste), highlights of the night included the 2018 and exceptional 1995. 
Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV10, Grand Cru (in magnum) 2020 Al Poggio Chardonnay di Toscana L’Apparita vertical: 2018, 2015, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1992, 1988, 1985 
 At our San Guisto a Rentennano dinner, La Ricolma was pitted against its Sangiovese sibling Percarlo, in a taste-off spanning 1998 to 2007. It was impossible to pick a winner, but it was the consistency of the wines that really shone through. They were all emotionally charged stunners – particularly 2007 La Ricolma and 2006 Percarlo. 
 Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV10, Grand Cru (in magnum) 2021 Fuori Misura Rosato, San Giusto a Rentennano, Tuscany Percarlo vertical: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 1998 (all in magnum) La Ricolma vertical: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 (all in magnum) 1997 Vin San Giusto, Passito, San Giusto a Rentennano, Tuscany
 Exploring the Legend: Ch. Rayas 1990-2011 
The Rhône was well represented, with a once-in-a-lifetime vertical of Ch. Rayas – the mystical Châteaunuef-du-Pape estate that has few peers in the fine wine world. With William Kelley co-hosting, the tasting included 19 vintages of this rare, exotic beauty. 
Much to everyone’s surprise, it was the so-called “off-vintages”, years that might be deemed “lesser”, that were the most impressive – it was in these bottlings that the singularity of Rayas shone through, over-riding the character of the appellation or year. 
The 2008 (given “only” 93 points by Parker back in 2012, upgraded from its original 90 in 2010) was the wine of the night for most people. By contrast, the top-rated 2009 from a blockbuster vintage was impressive, yet the vintage ever so slightly masked the Rayas style – making the wine feel more like another (very good) Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Overall, the wines showed an effortless timelessness. 
Tasting through this line-up was an absolute privilege; for these rightly revered, rare wines are incredible. With no new oak, they are all about the purity and quality of fruit. They show exceptional longevity, an ethereality and easy grace that mesmerises. 
Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV10, Grand Cru (in magnum) Ch. Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc vertical: 1999, 2004, 2006 Ch. Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape vertical: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1990 
Harlan: Napa’s iconic Cabernet 
Another icon, this time from the other side of the pond was explored in our event with Napa’s Harlan, an estate that has led the charge when it comes to planting vineyards above the valley floor. 
When first established, Harlan took a substantial risk, buying uncultivated land at a higher altitude that had never been planted to vines. The hillsides of Napa are largely unsuitable for cultivation, either too steep or too rocky for vines to take root. Harlan’s vines commonly have less than a foot of topsoil to burrow into before hitting the bedrock. This combination of soils, multiple exposures, the drainage of these hillside plots and the altitude all help produce a wine of singular character.   
 Tasting 11 vintages of this extraordinary wine, from the early days through to the present, was an insightful journey into one of Napa’s most complex terroirs. The favourites of the night had to be the 2006 and 1994, but the landmark vintages such as 2018, 2013 and 2001 were unsurprisingly show-stopping. 
Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV10, Grand Cru (in magnum) 2018 Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, Henri Boillot (in magnum) Harlan vertical: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2006, 2001, 1997, 1996, 1993 
Champagne takes centre stage: Henri Giraud’s Arg̈onne World-class Champagne producers were also well-serviced in our events in 2022. A vertical of Arg̈onne – Henri Giraud’s top cuvée – was a masterclass in oak-matured Champagne. 
Arg̈onne is named after the oak forest that defines the wine. Only made in exceptional vintages, it’s a particularly special, age-worthy Champagne that is 100% fermented and aged in Argonne oak that winemaker Sébastien le Golvet hand picks from the forest. Once transformed into a barrel he then custom toasts the barrels to suit the vintage characteristics. 
Sébastien le Golvet – son-in-law to founder Claude Giraud – is constantly experimenting. After making wine at Giraud for over 20 years, he believes the oak helps retain tension in the wines, allowing them to better express the Aÿ terroir. The talented winemaker believes that the toast level is integral to the wine’s resulting style. 
It was a fascinating tasting and the way this wine develops with age is extraordinary. The highlights of the evening were the 2008 Argonne for its depth, richness and balance, but also the 2011 Blanc de Blancs, which was pure precision, richness and controlled intensity. 
 Full line-up: Champagne Henri Giraud, MV07 2019 and 2009 Coteaux Champenois, Aÿ Blanc, Grand Cru, Henri Giraud 2011 and 2002 Champagne Henri Giraud, Blanc de Blancs 2012 Champagne Henri Giraud, Arg̈onne Rosé Arg̈onne vertical: 2014, 2008, 2004, 2002 Champagne Henri Giraud, Arg̈onne 2000 Champagne Henri Giraud, Fût de Chêne d'Arg̈onne 1995 Champagne Henri Giraud, Fût de Chêne Ratafia Champenois Solera 90-16, Henri Giraud (17%) 
Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne 
Everyone who tries Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne seems to be immediately seduced by it. We felt such a crowd-pleaser deserved centre stage at one of our events this year and we invited Taittinger’s Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy to London to explain the magic behind what is almost everyone’s favourite Blanc de Blancs.  
The Champagne is named after the 16th century Count of Champagne – Thibaud IV le Chansonnier – who, legend has it, returned from the Orient during the Crusades with both the Damask rose and the Chardonnay grape. Comtes de Champagne represents the top bottling in Taittinger’s range and the label features a portrait of Thibaud IV le Chansonnier.  
  All the grapes for Comtes de Champagne are sourced from the Côte des Blancs, a ridge running 30km north to south with east-facing vineyards, predominantly planted to Chardonnay (95%). The fruit is sourced from all five Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs – Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. This cuvée is made in only the top vintages exclusively from first-press juice only. A small percentage (5%) of the blend is aged in new oak barrels to create a delicate balance of toasted notes in the final wine.   Tasting vintages back to 1989 was fascinating to see, not only how the wine matures but also the change in style as the dosage has altered considerably over the years, becoming drier as drinkers’ tastes have changed.  All the wines showed beautifully. The evening started with the then yet-to-be-released 2012 – which our guests were the first in the world to taste – But it was the 1995 Blanc de Blancs and ‘85 Rosé that were the standout wines of the night. The rosé was in pristine condition despite its age, coming direct from the cellars of Taittinger. Full line-up:  Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs vertical: 2012, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2000, 1989, 1988, Champagne Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Rosé vertical: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 1996 Montrachet Dinner with Domaine des Comtes Lafon Getting to taste a vertical of Montrachet from Comtes Lafon spanning 2017 to 2001 was an undeniable highlight of the year. This was a truly rare opportunity to explore this coveted and rare wine through the ages.  Treasured for its scarcity and revered for its quality, Lafon’s Montrachet comes from a miniscule plot (just 31.82 ares) in the Grand Cru – and, unsurprisingly, delivers excellence year after year. Secured by collectors immediately on release, this is the pinnacle of white Burgundy.  Critics speak of a herbal minerality, of crustacea, of vivacious florals and bittersweet nuttiness: these wines capture the true essence of complexity in each vintage – the wine is a masterclass in singularity. With an exquisite menu courtesy of world-renowned three-Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, we were joined by Léa Lafon, fifth-generation member of the Lafon family and a custodian of the renowned Meursault-based domaine to talk us through this incredible vertical. Comtes Lafon makes one of the richest and most powerful Montrachets, possessing both great concentration, yet also amazing freshness that carries it through its long drinking window. Being fortunate enough to drink through 15 vintages really highlighted the wines’ capacity to age.  The top 2017, 2014 and 2010 vintages were a masterclass in Chardonnay perfected, but it was the supposedly “lesser” years such as 2006 or 2011 that showed the sheer class of both the site and the winemaking. Full line-up:  Champagne Henri Giraud, MV07 Montrachet, Grand Cru, Domaine des Comtes Lafon vertical: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
 And much, much more We also explored a property that is a firm FINE+RARE favourite, tasting through all the vintages ever made of Venissa’s unique white. This wine is made from the Dorona di Venezia grape – a variety that was almost lost to history were it not for Gianluca Bisol’s heritage site on the island of Mazzorbo. Nothing tastes quite like it, and it was a privilege to explore its evolution with Matteo Bisol.  Full line-up:  Champagne Henri Giraud, MV07 Venissa Bianco vertical: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010 Venissa Rosso vertical: 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011 Venissa Vermouth   We also hosted events outside London. Our Hong Kong team explored the wonderful Rieslings of the Mosel’s Markus Molitor paired with the finest Sichuan dishes from Jing Alley. It was an unforgettable culinary experience perfectly pairing Molitor’s precise razor-sharp Rieslings with Chengdu-style Sichuanese cuisine. In Europe, we held events in Portofino, Milan and Piedmont celebrating the great whites of France to a much-appreciative crowd of Italian Francophiles.  Looking into 2023  Last year’s line-up is going to be hard to beat but we are going to do everything we can to outdo ourselves in 2023. Next month we kick off with our first event in London with a vertical tasting of Ch. Ausone – one of Saint-Emilion’s finest estates. We will explore the vintages under the tenure of current owners, the Vauthier family, which has taken this property to new heights over the last 20 years. Later in the year, we will be celebrating the tenure of Bordeaux legend Paul Pontallier with a vertical of Ch. Margaux from his time at the estate, covering some of the finest vintages ever made at the First Growth, wines which are a lasting tribute to Pontallier’s legacy. And that’s only the beginning – with much, much more in the pipeline. We hope you can make it!   Find out more about our events + experiences 

While we’re in the midst of planning our full line-up of events for 2023, we look back at 2022’s dinners and tastings – with highlights including verticals of Pétrus, Rayas, Harlan and Comtes Lafon’s Montrachet

A round-up of some of the best events we hosted in 2022 – including verticals of Pétrus, Rayas, Comtes Lafon and more

Looking back at our wine events in 2022

Looking back at our 2022 events

James Suckling First out of the gate is James Suckling, who is in complete agreement with what we have been told by the châteaux and tasted so far: this is another great vintage for both the Left and Right Bank, forming the third in a trilogy of great vintages for Bordeaux. He writes, “The Médoc reds are closer in character to the 2019 vintage with more linear and finer tannins and precise, pure cabernet fruit while the Right Bank, particularly Pomerol and St.Emilion, is more like 2018 with reds that have more flamboyant fruit and creamier, densely ripe tannins.” While he had heard reports of heterogeneity, 90% of what he has tasted “show an outstanding quality level from first growths to petit chateaux”. He feels that Merlot has excelled, however there are plenty of outstanding wines in the Médoc too – indeed several worthy of perfect scores. Suckling’s highlights: Haut-Brion, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Hosanna, La Fleur-Pétrus, Smith Haut-Lafitte, Le Gay, L’Eglise-Clinet, Troplong-Mondot, Angélus, Ducru-Beaucaillou, L’Evangile, Trotte Vieille Read more of James Suckling’s thoughts on the vintage on his site Jane Anson – Decanter Jane Anson rates the 2020 vintage four out of five, similar in quality to 2018 but lower than the ’19 and ’16 vintages. While she believes the Right Bank is similar in style to 1989 or the 2018s, she feels the Left Bank has more in common with 1996, 2000 and 2006 due to the tannic profile caused by the dry summer months. “You will find plenty of racy, supple tannins that power forward and have a sense of energy, but also tannins that are a little dry and sometimes underripe if the drought led to blockages,” she says. Despite many similarities in terms of tannin concentration to 2010 and ’16, she feels overall the 2020 vintage is not as consistent as either of these years. For her, the biggest potential issue was this risk of unripe tannins, typically in the Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly affecting the Left Bank. While she notes that some properties’ second wines bear the brunt of this, she commends the exceptional efforts of La Croix Ducru-Beacaillou, Mondot and Blason de l’Evangile. She highlights, however, that 2020 continues a trend in the region, with the best wines performing “a sleight of hand from the vintage conditions” – something that she feels comes from “a confidence that I find in Bordeaux today, where there no longer seems to be the need to choose the biggest tannins for the main estate wine, and instead many choose to prioritise site expression.” All her potential 100-point wines (of which there are five) come from the Right Bank, bar Ch. Margaux which takes the title of wine of the vintage on the Left Bank, while Ch. Canon steals the top spot on the Right.  Anson’s highlights: Ausone, Bélair-Monange, Canon, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Larcis-Ducasse, Rocheyron, La Gaffelière, Pontet-Canet, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Montrose, Calon Ségur, Lafleur, L'Evangile, Trotanoy, La Croix de Beaucaillou, Fleur Cardinale, La Serre, Le Prieuré, Durfort-Vivens, Les Perrières de Lafleur, Clos Puy Arnaud, Phélan Ségur, Domaine de l’Aurage Read more of Jane Anson’s thoughts on the vintage on the Decanter site Jancis Robinson MW, Julia Harding MW + James Lawther MW – jancisrobinson.com  The team at jancisrobinson.com has tackled the vintage as a trio – with James Lawther MW tasting in the region, and Julia Harding MW and Jancis Robinson MW herself tasting in the UK. Collectively, they’ve tasted their way through the majority of major releases, publishing a range of articles around the vintage including tasting reports on the Left Bank, Right Bank and white wines of Bordeaux 2020. Perhaps most refreshing to hear is a positive article on the “revolution” that is taking place in Bordeaux when it comes to precision viticulture leading to
“delightfully fresh, expressive, 'new old' wines”. As for 2020, “There are admittedly some stunningly good 2020s, even if [it] is not as consistent a vintage as 2019,” Robinson says. Lawther highlights the surprising freshness of the wines, positioning it somewhere between ’18 and ’19. The lower alcohol levels on the Left Bank “delightfully combine the classicism of traditional Bordeaux with modern winemaking and vine-growing sophistication”. Similarly to Anson’s report, Robinson feels some of the later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon wouldn’t have reached full maturity before the threat of early October storms forced
vignerons to pick by 30th September (something that didn’t impact the Right Bank with its earlier-ripening Merlot). She feels, however, the overall volume produced on the Left Bank allowed estates to be extremely selective, including only the finest lots in the Grand Vin. All in all, the team declares it a vintage that falls in favour of the Right Bank – with wines that have led Robinson herself to “[fall] back in love with” Saint-Emilion. On the Left, however, Robinson notes particular consistency in the wines of Graves/Pessac-Léognan,  jancisrobinson.com’s highlights: Lafleur, Margaux, Lafite Rothschild, Cos d’Estournel, Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Pétrus, Angélus, Pichon Baron, Vieux Château Certan, Montrose, Ausone, La Lagune, Léoville Barton, Prieuré-Lichine, Rauzan-Gassies, du Tertre, Kirwan, Canon, Figeac, Pavie Read the team's full report on jancisrobinson.com Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – Wine Advocate For Wine Advocate’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, 2020 is “an enigma – a vintage that has been more difficult to understand than 2018 or 2019, with far more potential and, in some cases, greater growing season complexities than even 2017 (the year of the devastating frosts).” Despite comparisons with 2018, the wines are, in her view, very different. She highlights the differences between Left and Right Banks this year – with “more weight and generosity” in the latter, and more varied quality on the Left, noting that some from the Médoc lacked mid-palate weight. The key she thinks was the impact of the August rains: welcome relief for some, too late for others, and too much (therefore diluting the fruit) for certain properties in the Médoc in particular.  Overall she feels the variability brings 2020 in line with 2017 in some ways, however thinks that, at its best, the vintage is up alongside 2018 and 2019: “For some areas and terroirs, this is absolutely the third outstanding vintage.”  She notes that it is a simplification too far to declare it a Merlot vintage, as there are excellent wines from both Cabernets too. Pomerol and Saint-Emilion impressed her, while Fronsac and the Côtes de Castillon offer some great-value wines. Like us, she notes some outstanding performances from Pessac-Léognan. In the Médoc, she emphasises the importance of terroirs
with sufficient gravel to drain the August rains, as well as the budget and manpower to do the necessary work to manage the year’s challenging conditions. On the Right Bank, she characterises the best wines as “beautifully pure and perfumed expressions of ripeness”. Pessac is for her “staunchly earthy/savory”, while she warns some are dilute, the Médoc’s finest are “a paradox – lighter bodied, elegant, perfumed head-turners”.  Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW’s highlights: Smith Haut Lafitte, Haut Bailly, Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion, Clerc Milon, Mouton Rothschild, Pontet-Canet, Canon, Angélus, Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certan, Margaux, L’Eglise Clinet, Le Dôme, Le Tertre Roteboeuf, Pavie, L’Evangile, Rauzan-Ségla Read Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW's full report on Wine Advocate Neal Martin – Vinous   In his report for Vinous Neal Martin declares 2020 “an excellent vintage” and “the third in a trilogy of great vintages”. He feels it is “better than 2018 but doesn’t quite reach the peaks of 2019”.  While he describes 2018 as more hedonistic and 2019 elegant and purer, he believes the difference between 2019 and 2020 is marginal. “There are instances where 2020 will surpass 2018 and 2019,” he says, believing this will become clearer in bottle.  In his view, lower alcohols on the Left Bank have “allowed for greater expression of individual terroirs and more salinity in the wines”, but the finest examples are wines that also have great concentration. In contrast, the alcohol levels on the Right Bank are generally higher than in 2019 and the best wines of the vintage were those that managed to retain elegance. The 2020s’ slightly firmer tannins in general, Martin believes, will “merit long-term cellaring” compared to the 2019, which can be enjoyed earlier.    Martin highlights the cool nights in August and September as a key factor in determining the success of a Bordeaux vintage, helping the wines retain acidity – and 2020 had just this. These cool nights mean the wines have “excellent acidity levels that engender fresh wines with ample tension”.  As has been the case in the last three vintages, he has found greater consistency in the top hierarchy of wines, where the finer terroirs have kept the vines healthy through a challenging growing season. Despite this, he says there are “still a raft of excellent wines punching above their weight outside the famous appellations, representing outstanding value”.   Neal Martin’s highlights: Margaux, Trotanoy, La Mission Haut-Brion, Canon, Figeac, La Conseillante, L’Eglise Clinet, Lafite, La Gaffelière, Haut-Brion, Léoville Las Cases, Pichon Lalande, Mouton Rothschild, Vieux Château Certan, De Pez, Grand-Puy-Ducasse, La Bridane, Marojallia, La Voûte, Le Chemin, Latour-Martillac and Latour-Martillac Blanc  Read Neal Martin’s full report on Vinous  Jeb Dunnuck  Jeb Dunnuck is undeniably enthusiastic about 2020, declaring it “unquestionably a great vintage”.  For him, the wines more focused than 2018, but denser than 2019 – but feels it sits just behind these two and 2016 in the rankings. He notes that the early season rains have given the wines “a beautiful sense of purity”. As almost everyone has noted, it is this purity and freshness from such a warm vintage that is surprising.  He highlights the advantage of clay and limestone soils, as well as old vines. For him Pomerol is the star of the vintage (with “a bevy of legendary wines”), while Saint-Emilion and Pessac-Léognan also thrived. He found the Médoc less consistent (especially Margaux), with the best wines coming from further north in the region, where you’ll find “a swath of beautiful, elegant, ripe, classically styled wines”.   Jeb Dunnuck’s highlights: Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certan, La Fleur-Pétrus, Clinet, La Conseillante, Hosanna, Feytit-Clinet, L’Eglise Clinet, Clos L’Eglise, L’Evangile, Valandraud, Tertre Roteboeuf, Clos Fourtet, Larcis Ducasse, Belair Monange, Pavie Decesse, Canon, Troplong Mondot, Figeac, Pavie, La Mondotte, Pichon Comtesse, Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Baron, Lynch-Bages, Calon Ségur, Cos d’Estournel, Capbern, Phelan Ségur, Lafon-Rochet, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Poyferré, Beychevelle, Léoville Barton. Margaux, Rauzan-Ségla, Brane-Cantenac, D’Issan, Giscours, Malescot Saint Exupéry, Labégorce, Marquis d’Alesme, Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte, Haut-Bailly, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Domaine de Chevalier  Read the full report on jebdunnuck.com  Antonio Galloni – Vinous   Antonio Galloni is the last of the major critics to release his report on the Bordeaux 2020 vintage and was impressed by the “energy and vibrancy” of the year. While he believes 2020 is not as consistent as 2019 or even 2018, he does believe the best examples are “incredibly exciting” and “unquestionably dazzling” wines.   For Galloni, the most important signature of 2020 is “a balance of richness and energy” which he believes is “highly unusual”. From his interviews with winemakers, he surmises that the cold August/September nights, along with the high seed count in the berries are the reasons behind the freshness of the wines, making them “sizzle with brightness and mineral-drenched vibrancy”.   He identifies Pessac-Léognan as the most consistent appellation of the vintage, which benefitted most from summer rains. The Left Bank, more generally, he says is more about “linearity and persistence rather than volume”, providing the wines with a classic feel and notably lower alcohols. The châteaux situated on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, he believes, produced some of the vintage’s most exciting wines, “defined by a soaring vertical energy”, in a notable positive shift away from an overreliance on opulence.  Antonio Galloni’s highlights: Haut-Brion, Margaux, Pavie, Angélus, Clos Fourtet, L’Eglise Client, La Mission Haut-Brion, Mouton-Rothschild, Pichon Baron, Trotanoy, Vieux Chateau Certain  Read Antonio Galloni’s full report on Vinous  Find out more about Bordeaux or read more Editorial

The Bordeaux châteaux – and the world’s wine lovers – are waiting for the critics to give their verdict on the 2020 vintage. We’ll be adding to this page as their reports are released – offering a summary of what each of these prestigious palates are saying about the vintage

Our round-up of what the world’s top tasters are saying about the Bordeaux 2020 en primeur vintage

What the critics are saying about Bordeaux 2020

Bordeaux 2020: what the critics are saying

JAMES SUCKLING James Suckling was the first out with his report, published on 19th April, before most people have made it out to taste the new vintage. He’s not shying away from calling this a truly great vintage, saying “it sets a new benchmark for Bordeaux”. It’s the 40th vintage he has tasted en primeur, and he feels it proves the region’s ability to face the challenges of climate change, with its uniquely hot and dry conditions. He notes that while the reds are the undoubted star, it is also a great vintage for Sauternes – with botrytis development in mid-October that produced exceptional wines.  While the growing season urges parallels with 2003, the wines are totally different. The 2022s “can be flamboyant, fruity and tannic, yet they have a freshness and form that give them energy and vitality”, he writes. While he found a few wines that were over the top, he generally felt there was consistent quality across the spectrum, from more modest estates to the grandest châteaux, with the wines “exceptional”. He gives nine potential 100-point scores, versus only one last year (for Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes – an address he also praises this year).  Suckling’s highlights: Cheval Blanc, Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Lafite-Rothschild, Le Pin, Léoville Las Cases, Pontet-Canet, Trotanoy, Pavillon Blanc du Ch. Margaux, Angélus, Canon Read James Suckling’s full report  WILLIAM KELLEY – WINE ADVOCATE  Publishing his report on the Friday of Primeurs week, William Kelley defines 2022 as “an amplifier” – highlighting differences between sites and how producers work both in the vineyard and winery. “Bordeaux has produced some monumental wines in 2022, but unlike many of the great vintages of the 20th century, the year was not a rising tide that raised all boats,” he says. The best wines offer “remarkable concentration, energy and harmony” but there are some that are “jammy, astringent and rustic”. He highlights that those with higher organic matter in their soils and who managed their canopies well were rewarded. He argues that vines adapted to the long, dry season, and the experience of recent warm vintages ensured that 2022 was not another 2003 – despite its extreme, hot, dry conditions. He warns that the frequently high pHs are a risk for the final hurdle – with an increased chance of volatile acidity and Brettanomyces, suggesting that although few samples showed these faults during the en primeur tastings, “it is certain that some producers will trip before the finish line this year”. Nevertheless, he is clearly impressed by the best wines – with eight potential 100-point scores in the mix. In a first, the work was divided between Kelley and Yohan Castaing, a relatively new member to the Wine Advocate team – so there are notes from both. The highlights noted below are 12 specifically recommended. Kelley’s highlights: Berliquet, Bourgneuf, Branaire-Ducru, Clos Manou, Dame de Montrose, De Retout, Domaine de l’A, Grand Village, Haut Marbuzet, Langoa Barton, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Mangot Read Kelley’s full report, notes and scores on the Wine Advocate GEORGIE HINDLE – DECANTER  Despite the year’s extreme conditions, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent Georgie Hindle writes that “a surprisingly large number of vineyards and their growers prevailed against the odds to create a wealth of exceptional wines in 2022”. She feels there are “both serious highs and lows”, but “some estates produced their best-ever bottles” – with “supple textures, excellent definition, long finishes and a sheer brightness and energy that has produced some of the most compelling wines I’ve ever tasted at this early stage”. She also emphasises how, despite being similarly hot, the year is not another 2003. For Hindle, the Margaux appellation was a highlight, as were the wines from the Haut-Médoc, as well as the top end of Saint-Emilion. She has pulled out a list of “coup de coeur" wines – those that were heart-stoppingly good, and it is those that feature as her highlights below. Hindle’s highlights: Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse, Canon, Cheval Blanc, Clos Fourtet, Figeac, Larcis-Ducasse, Laroque, Troplong Mondot, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Smith Haut Lafitte, Brane-Cantenac, Giscours, Branaire-Ducru, Gruaud-Larose, Léoville-Las Cases, Pichon Comtesse, Montrose, Phélan Ségur, La Conseillante, La Fleur-Pétrus, Vieux Château Certan, Clos du Clocher, Pétrus Read Hindle’s full report, notes and scores on Decanter ANTONIO GALLONI – VINOUS  The first of the two Vinous reports comes from Antonio Galloni, who declares the best wines of the vintage to be “magnificent, viscerally thrilling wines” – “some of the most memorable young wines [he has] ever tasted” – although does temper this enthusiasm by saying that some selection is warranted. Running through the growing season, he highlights how “patience and technology” were critical – with larger numbers of smaller vats, allowing producers to harvest only what was perfectly ripe. The greatest surprise, of course, is the wines – not rich and opulent as for 2009 or 2018, but wines that “combine flavour intensity, energy and finesse in a way that I can only describe as magical”. He repeats the refrain that the wines bode well for Bordeaux’s fate in the face of climate change, and is clearly enchanted by the best wines. He flags that some of the wines are “a bit fragile” and that “élevage will make or break them”, not feeling it’s totally consistent below the top tier. He does, however, pull out a handful of over-performers, which we’ve listed as his highlights below. For him, the advancements in viticulture and winemaking are what define 2022 – wines of “notable depth and freshness without excess weight”, but exactly why they turned out the way they did remains something of a mystery. Galloni’s highlights: Alter Ego de Palmer, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Brane-Cantenac, Clos Puy Arnaud, Clos Saint-Julien, Figeac, Les Forts de Latour, Giscours, La Conseillante, La Gaffelière, Lafon-Rochet, Larcis-Ducasse, Léoville Las Cases, Le Pin Beausoleil, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Malartic Lagravière, Moulin Saint-Georges, Puyblanquet, Quinault l’Enclos Read Galloni’s full report, notes and scores on Vinous JEB DUNNUCK  Jen Dunnuck is clear that the best 2022s are set to be “legendary”, with “brilliant wines from throughout the region”, but highlights that “there are dramatically different styles in the vintage” – emphasising that this is different to quality, which is “incredibly high”. The vintage is united by its “theme of ripeness and power”, yet yields, winemaking and terroir have all resulted in the aforementioned diversity. He finds the wines of the northern Médoc to be “powerful, concentrated, majestic wines showing remarkable purity and vibrance” and is fast to defend both the pH and alcohol levels, with the former sitting at or below the level of the 2020s and the alcohols “well within the normal ranges of 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and very few 2022s show excessive alcohol”. He points to wines from the Right Bank’s limestone and deeper clay soils as “highlights of the vintage” – having retained “an incredible sense of freshness and purity while showing the inherent ripeness and power of the vintage”, although he finds Pomerol “slightly more erratic”. In his view, the satellite appellations have produced a “number of terrific wines” – with Castillon producing many “that rival the best from Saint-Emilion”. He compares the year to a blend of 2020 and 2018, or a mix of 2005 and 2010, with a little 2009 here and there. They are, he feels, “ripe, concentrated, sumptuous wines that have a real ‘wow’ factor”. Dunnuck’s highlights: Montrose, Mouton Rothschild, Haut-Bailly, La Conseillante, Larcis-Ducasse, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Cos d’Estournel, Léoville Las Cases, Vieux Château Certan, Pétrus, Pichon Comtesse, Léoville Poyferré Read Dunnuck’s full report, notes and scores JANE ANSON – INSIDE BORDEAUX  Anson offered early coverage of the growing conditions and yields – ahead of tasting the wines – but her final reports don’t delve much into the detail of the year on its own, instead focusing on tasting notes and the methodology of her scoring. She is one of few critics to mainly offer firm scores rather than bands (apart from when there’s a chance of 100 points, which she doesn’t like to offer to unfinished wines), something she argues is most useful for those deciding on whether or not to buy. As her scores highlight (with five potential 100-pointers on the Right Bank, and two on the Left, but none for dry or sweet whites), she feels it’s a stronger year for reds than whites. She highlights the high levels of tannin and colour, as well as alcohols – noting that because of the latter she has erred on the side of caution with her drinking windows. She found the second wines stronger in the northern Médoc generally, and notes how producers used very different approaches to the vintage. On the Right Bank, she emphasises the advantage of being on Saint-Emilion’s limestone plateau, and that Pomerol offers “muscular swaggering style” this year. She pulls out a selection of wines as value buys, which we’ve listed as her highlights below. Anson’s highlights: Laroque, Saintayme, Peymouton, Bel-Air, Haut-Simard, Feytit-Clinet, Le Rey les Rocheuses, Laurence, Petit Bocq, Roquetaillade la Grange, Cantelys, Ferrande, Angludet, Mejean, De Pez, Fonbadet, Haut-Bages Libéral, Domaine les Sadons, Finegrave, La Fleur Lauga, Larrivaux, Bel Air Gloria, Cap Leon Veyrin, G d’Estournel, G de Guiraud, Charmes-Godard, Clos Floridène, L’Exuberance Blanc Read Anson’s full report, notes and scores LISA PERROTTI-BROWN MW – THE WINE INDEPENDENT  With some major releases arriving earlier than anticipated, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW initially published a “teaser” article on the year, with notes and scores for wines that had been released or were set to be in the coming days, including more detail on Cheval Blanc, Angélus, the Barton stable and Beychevelle. In her notes on early releases, Perrotti-Brown writes that 2022 was “a faith-affirming vintage for Bordeaux growers” – proving that the region could handle climate change. She highlights the surprising consistency from the year, as well as “a luminosity… that defies what we thought we knew about Bordeaux varieties”. With “its myriad of earthy, nuanced, soft-spoken, shimmery expressions”, it’s “a vintage that Bordeaux fans and serious collectors will want to seek out”. In her full report, released a week later, Perrotti-Brown declares 2022 “a classic, great Bordeaux vintage”. Echoing our findings, she notes that there are no rules in this vintage – picking dates varied significantly, and yet drastically different approaches resulted in excellent wines. She believes that a minority of wines (less than 10% of what she tasted) were acidified which is not in itself problematic, but where it has been done poorly, it shows. She also argues that the record-high percentages of press wine leads to a ruggedness to the tannin structure of some wines. Despite these two quibbles, she was “surprised by how consistent [she] found the wines from top to bottom”, in terms of quality – but she feels, like Galloni, that the heterogeneity of the vintage comes through in the style of the wines. Overall, however, she finds the wines fuller-bodied, high in tannin and quite high in alcohol, but with no dried-fruit character, instead showing impressive bright, red fruit and florals – even if the acidity is relatively low. Stand-out appellations are tricky, but she points to Saint-Emilion’s limestone plateau and areas off it, as well as parts of Castillon, Fronsac and Entre-Deux-Mers with similar bedrock. She writes: “There are many beautiful wines from the Right Bank and Pessac-Leognan, but the top wines of the Médoc are astonishingly great in 2022. If you love Cabernet Sauvignon, you may want to pay special attention to this vintage because the results, in some cases, are mind-blowing.” Perrotti-Brown highlights that the vintage allowed “properties on the peripheries of ‘great terroir’” to thrive this year – and she pulls out a list of estates falling in this category that are likely to offer good value in 2022, which we’ve featured as her highlights below. Perrotti-Brown’s highlights: Branas Grand Poujeaux, Cantemerle, Cantenac Brown, Capbern, Clos Cantenac, Clos de Sarpe, Clos du Clocher, Clos Lunelles, Cos Labory, Couhins-Lurton, D’Arce, De Carles, Haut Carles, De Pez, Fonroque, Fontenil, Fourcas Hosten, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Gros Caillou, Le Promenoir, Haut-Bages Monpelou, Haut-Simard, Jean Faure, Kirwan, La Mouline, La Mouline Totem, La Rose Perrière, La Vieille Cure, Lafon-Rochet, Lassegue, Latour-Martillac, Les Trois Croix, L’If, Malescasse, Marjosse, Maucaillou, Mauvesin Barton, Montlandrie, Meyney, Pavillon Rouge, Phélan-Ségur, Poesia, Potensac, Siran, Tour Bayard, Tour Bayard l’Angelot, Tour Saint-Christophe, Vermont, Cuvée Prestige Read Perrotti-Brown’s full report, notes and scores on The Wine Independent NEAL MARTIN – VINOUS After the requisite satirical introduction, Martin launches into his report emphasising his frustration at estates’ insistence that he tastes at the château itself, rather than at larger tastings – something he feels is under the belief that it will lead to higher scores. He argues that the anticipated vintage is subject to some fairly typical hyperbole. Although he emphasises that the vines seemed “in verdant rude health” prior to harvest, he’s not convinced that the heat and drought had no impact – as some producers, he suggest, argue. He references the increased use of press wine on the Left Bank, something he attributes to the influence of superstar consultant Eric Boissenot. As to the wines themselves, he seems reluctant to offer glowing praise, but writes that, “The crème de la crème is blessed with kaleidoscopic aromatics, intense fruit, finely-sculpted tannins, structure, elegance and length. Above all, contrary to what the growing season implied, they are suffused with freshness.” These are wines that “dazzle”. He feels however that – and contrary to others – that “terroir is not the be-all and end-all” but instead “a guiding hand” which results in “a partial flattening of the hierarchical pyramid”. Although he sings the praises of the best wines in 2022, he caveats this by saying some wines are “sweet ‘n’ sour”. This he attributes to “human error” and picking dates in particular, with the phenolic and sugar ripeness not always matching up. He feels that it was a season that demanded producers’ “A game”. He found Left and Right Bank are fairly equal in the year, but Saint-Julien was a particular standout. He finds the wines “unabashedly floral”, perfumed and black- rather than red-fruited. He highlights the powdered texture of the tannins in the vintage, as well as the unexpected freshness in the best wines. Most importantly, he emphasises that these are wines for long-term ageing. It’s a far from simple vintage, but, as he concludes, “If you could keep a leash on all that potential energy, greatness was in the offing.” Martin’s highlights: Brane-Cantenac, De Fargues, Haut-Bages Libéral, L’Eglise-Clinet, La Conseillante, Léoville Barton, Phélan-Ségur, Pichon Baron, Ségla, Sénéjac, Vieux Château Certan Read Martin's full report, notes and scores on Vinous Find out more about the vintage and browse all the latest Bordeaux 2022 releases

After weeks and months of tasting, the world’s leading wine critics are announcing their verdict on the latest Bordeaux vintage. Here you’ll find a round-up of what they’re all saying, with a summary of each report and the wines they rated most highly, updated and added as they’re released

Your crib-sheet to what the world’s leading wine critics are saying about Bordeaux 2022 en primeur – including Wine Advocate, Vinous, Decanter and more

Bordeaux 2022 – critics’ round-up

Bordeaux 2022: what the critics are saying

With “freshness” and “structure” often the buzz words defining the best Bordeaux wines of recent warm vintages – the plush richness and suppleness brought by the Merlot variety often seems undersold compared to the role of the Cabernets in the blend.  Christian Moueix, Director at Petrus (1970-2008), Trotanoy and La Fleur-Petrus; John Kolasa of Chateau Rauzan Segla and Chateau Canon (1997-2015); Maylis Marcenat of Chateau Clos de Sarpe; as well as Pascal Baratie of Chateau Haut-Brion - the First Growth with the highest proportion of merlot in its blend - identify how global warming is affecting merlot and what this means for its long term future in the region.  We also discover why merlot became central to Bordeaux’s success and today remains much loved, providing it is grown in the right place and managed correctly. 
Managing rising alcohol levels There is no grape more synonymous with the region of Bordeaux than merlot, playing an extensive role in almost all wines of the region on both the Left and Right Banks. Whilst it plays second fiddle to the cabernet sauvignon dominant wines of Saint-Julien and Pauillac, everywhere else from Pessac to Pomerol it plays a significant role in the blend. But merlot in
recent years has become a concern for many in the region. With the rising climatic temperatures in Bordeaux, some vignerons are struggling to manage ever-rising alcohol levels, whilst trying to achieve full phenolic ripeness of the tannins in the skins and seeds.  Merlot is an earlier ripening variety than cabernet sauvignon and its sugar levels can increase quickly in hot temperatures, leaving an imbalance between sugar and tannin ripeness. The more steady the temperatures are through the summer, the more chance the sugar levels and phenolic ripeness will reach optimum levels at the same time. In a hot vintage, sugar levels rise too quickly forcing vignerons to pick the grapes before they have had time for the tannins to reach phenolic maturity, afraid that if the sugar levels become too high, there will be a drop in acidity, as well as causing serious problems at fermentation. For Pascal Baratie, vineyard manager at Chateau Haut-Brion the higher levels of alcohol have not however proved problematic for them, stating “since the 2000s, there has been a gap between phenolic maturity and technological maturity (measurement of sugar and acidity levels). Today, during the maturity checks in the vineyard before the harvest, when we taste the grapes at 13 degrees potential alcohol, we note that the tannins are still hard… so we need to wait to obtain more supple tannins and greater phenolic maturity.  The balance obtained today, is certainly different to pre-2000 levels, but we are fortunate to be on a great terroir, which produces balanced wines, with a good tannic potential even with high alcoholic degrees. The regularity of great vintages of the last 20 years lets us think that the supposed problem of alcoholic degrees is more in the head than in the glass.” However not all Chateaux are fortunate to share the same terroir as Haut-Brion. Drought in Bordeaux 
Higher alcohols are not the only concern with merlot. Drought is also becoming problematic when trying to plant young merlot vines in Bordeaux, particularly on gravel soils. Merlot requires moisture to grow and whilst the clay-rich soils of Saint-Estephe on the Left Bank and Pomerol and Saint-Emilion on the Right Bank naturally retain moisture; the gravel soils in Margaux, Saint Julien and Pauillac are becoming increasingly dry in the warming climate. John Kolasa states “this is becoming a real problem where there is deep gravel, like in Margaux.  Young merlot vines need years of root growth to break through the gravel and reach water reserves below, but in parts of Margaux where the gravel can be up to two metres deep, the roots take longer than three years to break through. Three years is the current allowance for
irrigating vines in the region. It is once this irrigation stops that these vines suffer and die. It is one of the reasons you see less merlot being planted in Margaux. If they can’t find a way for young merlot vines to survive in gravel soils, it will undoubtedly lead to a change in style over the coming years.”  Merlot's susceptibility to disease Global warming effects are not just an increase in temperatures but an increase in erratic weather episodes, leading to a heightened pressure of rot and mildew – something merlot is much more susceptible to than the cabernet varieties, due to its thinner skin.  “Merlot is a wonderful variety but it is more difficult to manage these days” states Maylis Marcenat from Saint-Emilion's Chateau Clos de Sarpe. “In 2018, our merlot suffered a lot from mildew. We lost around 40% of our production mostly on the merlot vines. The cabernet franc has a better resistance.  The weather is more uncertain these days, a lot of rain followed by a very dry season makes it difficult to predict.”  Rot is also a concern and certainly nothing new in the region, it plagued the merlot vines of the late sixties and seventies. So much so, that replanting of the variety was in fact banned in Pomerol following the disastrous 1968 vintage. Vignerons were instead strongly encouraged to plant cabernet sauvignon. Christian Moueix recalls, “I remember, of course, the terrible rot of 1968 and the desire of some researchers to find a varietal resistant to rot. I attended many meetings in 1970-1971 and protested against the banning of planting Merlot. It was a violent controversy and, in 1972, I refused to plant those new cabernets sauvignons in Pomerol.”  Moueix’s decision was justified. John Kolasa states following this ”it became very fashionable to grow cabernet sauvignon in the '60s and '70s on the wrong rootstocks!” Kolasa ended up pulling out all the cabernet sauvignon vines planted at Chateau Canon during this time, stating, “the damn things would never ripen”. The early '70s saw a bout of poor vintages for the region largely due to bad weather either just before or during harvest. The cabernet sauvignon at the time was unripe, incredibly green and it was the earlier ripening merlot that became the more reliable source. 

Kolasa outlines one theory behind the rot that plagued Merlot on the Right Bank at that time. “Much of the Right Bank back then was undeveloped, compared to the bigger estates on the Left Bank. The vineyards were also producing many other fruit and vegetables. When the vineyards were ploughed by horse and cart these fruit trees were not a problem, the horse
simply went around the tree, but with the introduction of tractors and machinery, many vignerons simply chopped down the tree.  The trouble is they killed the tree but left the roots in the ground. Similarly to roses, if you leave dead roots in the ground they become infected with fungi. These dead roots in the soil came to plague vineyards with rot at that time.” John recalls finding rotting roots all over the vineyards at Chateau Canon. His first year at the property in 1997, he made two separate cuvees, one from vines away from the tree roots and one nearby.  “I only had to put my nose in the glass of the two to know which one was which, the wine made by the affected vines smelt terrible. Following that experiment it was so clear to me. I took up all the vines affected. Pulling up old vines is never something one wants to do, knowing that it will takes decades for the new vines to reach maturity, but these vines were so infected I was left with no choice.”  Merlot as a more reliable source of ripe fruit found favour through the '70s and '80s. By the mid '90s, the influence of the American market enamoured by the plush, richness and soft texture the merlot provides in the blend, only saw more plantings of the variety.  For Christian Moueix the Americans love affair with Merlot stopped in 2005, with the release of the film Sideways which saw the main character famously state, "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving, I am NOT drinking any f**king merlot!”. It is worth noting his favourite wine in the film was Cheval Blanc, a merlot blend! The damaging effects of global warming have only further put merlot in the shadows as the cabernet varieties share the limelight, but these vignerons are confident of its future in Bordeaux. 
Merlot still remains essential to the Bordeaux psyche Christian Moueix states: “Global warming has been positive for Bordeaux as everybody would admit. The rising of alcohol is almost impossible to control since it comes not only from heat and sun but from the level of CO2 in the atmosphere”. For Moueix provided merlot is planted in the right soil he is confident in its prolonged future in the region.  “We still replant merlot in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion; this is the varietal best suited to our terroirs. To manage the climate, we have adapted the canopy to avoid the direct impact of sun. This is all we can do at this point unless the addition of water becomes legal.” Baratie from Chateau Haut Brion outlines the importance of balance that both the merlot and cabernet varietals still bring to the classic Bordeaux blend. “We do not want to part with Merlot because it is satisfactory today even in hot years and for the future we want to keep its current proportion. We have to keep a balanced planting to obtain maturity on plots of
merlot and cabernets whatever the weather conditions of the year. From time to time, we have cooler years and it is interesting to have matured Merlot, when the cabernet sauvignons are likely to be harder and herbaceous. In 2011, a very dry spring year, Chateau Haut-Brion was made up of only 35% merlot, while in 2012, a more classic climate year, it was made up of 65.5% merlot. Over two successive years, the climatic conditions were different and led us to select a different proportion of grape varieties in the wine. We can see that we cannot do without merlot in one vintage like the other. Merlot brings an interesting juice, as well as sweetness, fine and supple tannins which make it essential. It may be replaceable with another grape, but at the moment we do not have the knowledge.”  The importance of terroir Despite the risks of rot, drought, mildew and high sugar levels, fantastic merlot continues to be grown in Bordeaux providing the terroir is right. Speaking with these vignerons one thing they all agree on is that the soil remains the most fundamental aspect to its success - in the past, today and in the future. “Merlot grown on clay and limestone soil can still preserve freshness as well as minimal hydric stress in my terroir.  So why not use it?" states Maylis Marcenat from Chateau Clos de Sarpe. “The merlot is still an exceptional plant. The sweetness, the complexity is unique. I think in Saint Emilion, and especially on clay and limestone, all the merlot are more creamy, tasty, with a lot of juiciness.“ At Chateau Haut-Brion, Baratie agrees, “We tend to favour merlot on grounds that are relatively well supplied with water and to favour cabernet sauvignon on gravelly soils. But we have plots of merlot on gravelly soils, little supplied with water, which give very great wines every year and we do not plan to change the grape variety on these very qualitative plots. But
in addition, we are adapting later ripening and drought-resistant rootstocks.” Intra-plot vinification, precise technical understanding of viticulture, clonal development, replanting better-matched rootstocks, has all helped Bordeaux and Merlot in particular, cope with the changing climate. But the art of blending is still vital part of the wines of Bordeaux and today has become an important measure to reduce the alcohol in Merlot-dominant wines. Cabernet Franc to the rescue Many wineries up and down the Medoc are lowering the proportion of merlot in their blends, opting more for cabernet franc. John Kolasa outlines how cabernet franc can effectively lower the overall alcohol level in the blend of a wine. “Blending just 5% of cabernet franc in with merlot can be an effective method of lowering the alcohol, as well as adding freshness. It is something Petrus did with the 2019 vintage. Look at the success of Chateau Figeac in 2019 – a third cabernet franc, a third merlot and a third cabernet Sauvignon. This is a big increase of cabernet franc in the blend and is performing better in the warming climate”. 
The future of Merlot Despite the difficulties Merlot is facing, there seems plenty of ways vignerons in the region are adapting to manage Merlot differently in this warmer climate. Marcenat of Clos du Sarpe believes “the way of cultivating must change. Less green harvesting, we no longer need too much concentration in the grapes, we must be careful with the thinning of the canopy. Merlot needs more cover crops, it benefits from keeping as much grass as possible and we must choose the right organic fertiliser. With this in place, merlot has a future”. For Baratie “The balance of the wines obtained in recent years suits us, thanks to the contribution of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, so we are not worried about the future of merlot. However, thanks to our clonal selection initiated by Jean-Bernard Delmas, today we choose clones on a different criteria from those desired in the past. We currently favour two criteria: the Total Polyphenol Index (IPT) and yields that are not too low.” No doubt helping to modify concentration of alcohol and adding structural freshness
from the higher levels of tannins. Moueix too sees Merlot having a long future ahead in Bordeaux but at the same time would welcome new clones of Merlot that produce less alcohol. “Nevertheless,” states Christian, ”I dare to compare it to a vaccine: it would need a lot of experiments before taking the risk of replacing the present clones which produce wonderful wines.” Perhaps the biggest threat for the future of merlot therefore comes not from the clay-rich soils of the Right Bank but from the gravel-rich soils of the Medoc, where it remains a minority in the blend, but nevertheless an important element to the profile of these wines. If a solution cannot be found for growing young merlot vines on gravel soil, will we see alternatives varieties in the assemblage and a change in style? Browse all Bordeaux listings or explore more Editorial 

Merlot today remains the most-planted variety in Bordeaux but its dominance is waning somewhat in an ever warming climate. 

Merlot remains the most-planted grape variety in Bordeaux. We explore why it became central to Bordeaux’s success and remains so highly regarded

Merlot grapes and wines at the heart of Bordeaux 

Merlot: Part of the Bordeaux psyche

Château La Fleur-Pétrus

France

Accounts

Your access is restricted because of your age.

Access forbidden

You must be over the legal age to view this page. Please verify your age to enter.

Are you over the legal age to purchase alcohol?

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, there may be a delay to the selected ship date.

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, you will not be able to define a ship date, and we will get in touch with you to arrange delivery.

Your order request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Due to the quantity requested for collection, there may be a delay in meeting your requested collection date.

Due to the quantity requested for collection, it is not possible to define a collection date at this stage. Our team will liaise with the warehouse and contact you directly to confirm a suitable pick-up date.

For orders with a high value, we recommend shipping with a third party carrier. Items shipped with third parties will remain in banded OWCs.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a collection date. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the collection date with you directly.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to continue the purchase. Please select third party, or change the quantity (maximum 48 is allowed).

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a shipping date at checkout. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the delivery date with you directly.

For up to 499 bottles in storage, the rate is 39¢/bottle per month or a $50 minimum monthly charge (this covers up to 142 bottles). For over 500 bottles, the storage rate is 35¢/bottle per month.

Standard storage rate

By selecting third-party shipping, you will take full responsibility for all aspects of legal compliance and authorize Vinfolio to transfer the items to the party specified in your instructions. Items shipped via third parties will remain in their original packaging.

Collection times are between 8:30am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Wines at Will Call, that are not picked up within 10 business days, will be transferred to storage and subject to a $1.50 per bottle stocking fee.

Items to be sourced and shipped to our state-of-the-art fine wine storage facility for the best possible safe-keeping where you can arrange collection from our warehouse address in Napa.

Will Call (Napa)

You entered the incorrect password too many times. Your account has been temporarily locked. Please wait five minutes before trying again.

It seems you are visiting from {country}, we invite you to experience our {nationality} website.

Are you browsing from {country}?

Forgot Password

We're in the final stages of upgrading to our brand-new trading platform. As part of this transition, we're currently migrating all customer-owned inventory to ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Our new and improved platform will be ready for you on Friday, April 4.

Thank you for your patience - we can't wait to show you what's next.

Oops, something went wrong

We couldn't find any results to show here.

Please note: tax will be calculated at the next step

Our website is currently down for maintenance.

Maintenance Mode

Pre-authorizing a Payment Method enables your Account Manager to make payments on your behalf, without payment verification.

Pre-authorize

This transaction has been blocked by authentication failure.

Authentication failure

Your payment card has expired. Please check your details and try again.

Expired card

Insufficient funds to pay your balance. Please check your details and try again.

Insufficient funds

This transaction has been blocked by the payment provider due to possible fraudulent behaviour.

Transaction blocked

Please choose a different payment method and try again.

Unknown error

About description for demonstration purposes

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold, delivered or transferred.

At {shortName}

Your allocation will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your pre-order item will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your delivery request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

represents all the wines that are in your possession and have been consumed.

This is the price you paid for this item.

Cost price

After adding your new address, you'll be redirected back to this page.

Create a new address

Your notification will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

The lowest price you're willing to sell at.

shows all the items that you have pre-ordered, including en primeur wines, and all the items on your watchlist.

Futures

You can set a sell price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

shows all the actions that you have taken on items in your Portfolio.

History

shows all the items that are currently in transit to or from {shortName}.

In transit

Local delivery is free for orders over HK$1,800 (to a single location). For orders below this value, delivery is HK$150 for up to four cases and HK$50 per case thereafter.

Shipping starts from €15 within Italy and €45 to Switzerland and the rest of Europe for up to 48 bottles (75cl). Costs vary by destination. Larger shipments can be quoted on request.

The date shown below is when your order will ship from our local warehouse. Your final delivery date, along with full tracking details, will be provided once our team has processed your request.

You can arrange collection from our Retail store on 22nd Floor, 8 Wyndham Street, Central Hong Kong.
Collection times are between 9:30am-13:00 and 14:00-18:00pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

You can arranged collection from our warehouse STI INTERNAZIONALE SPA, on Viale del Lavoro, 57, 37051 Bovolone, Verona.
Pick-up hours are between 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

represents all the wines you currently have in your Portfolio that aren't stored with us. Press the

My cellar

Name

Net price

New portfolio available

New portfolio

You do not have any invoices at this time.

shows all the items from your Portfolio that are currently on the market.

On sale

shows all the items you currently have in your Portfolio. You can perform individual actions on them from this page.

Overview

shows any items that are currently awaiting user action.

Pending

This is the dynamic estimated value of the item with trading margin removed.

Pre-authorised payments enable automatic transactions on your behalf, ensuring seamless and hassle-free payments. This allows recurring charges, subscriptions, or scheduled payments to be processed without manual approval each time.

The number of cases you wish to place on sale

Your catalogue item will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

* At time of sale a 15% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total estimated value*'

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

Profile

This item is at Vinfolio, available for storage or shipping. For more information on shipping and handling visit vinfolio.com/shipping

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Upon arrival your wine will be stored at Vinfolio in our temperature-controlled warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

When a wine is on "pre-arrival", it means that we have a confirmed order on the bottles from our supplier and we are simply waiting for the winery or distributor to ship the wine to us. The delivery timeframe for pre-arrival wines varies significantly, depending on where the wine is coming from. We will notify you once they arrive at our warehouse and, at that point, you can decide to arrange shipping or list them for sale.

Château La Fleur-Pétrus

Filter

Please wait

Related articles