I think the wines produced in 2009 and 2010 by this Château are amazing. The 2009 had graphite, black tea and currant on the nose, and there were so many layers to this wine that it continued to show over the hours (and two days later) the same graphite and black tea, plus flinty, rocky minerality, currants, garrigue and cedar. There is a refinement to the structure and mouthfeel of this wine. Just wait until the 2010!

People are often surprised when I tell them that my favorite 5th Growth Pauillac is not Lynch Bages but rather its close neighbor Grand-Put-Lacoste. Currants,blackberries,cedar,graphite,earth and mineral meld effortlessly in this sleek and powerful wine where the copius fruit is held at bay by the sheer structure. Wine this balanced is difficult to resist but this classic will greatly reward several years of bottle age and could be cellared for well over a decade.

This blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc is brooding, backward Pauillac for the long haul. The nose is extraordinary; lead pencil, black currant and high class gravelly earth are all in harmony. On the palate the wine is tense, packed and unyielding. The finish is powerfully tannic but also powerfully complex, hinting at the bright future that this wine has. This wine is from the old school, and is not a 2009 to open early, but the patient will be rewarded, as this Grand-Puy-Lacoste has the structure to unfold like the 1982 has. I am happy to see that wines like this are still being made in Bordeaux.