Bordeaux under $50

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 92 Points | Dark spices, blackberries, warm stones and hints of black vanilla, walnut and oyster sauce. Tannins are tight and chewy on the medium- to full-bodied palate and need some time to soften. Better in 2025 but already delicious.

The Wine Advocate 91 Points | The 2020 de Bel-Air has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and pretty notes of crushed raspberries and blackberries, kirsch and lavender, plus wafts of fallen leaves, wild mushrooms and damp soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is delicately styled with loads of savory characters intertwined with red and black berries layers, framed by soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on an earthy note.

Jeb Dunnuck 90 Points | Another terrific wine in the vintage, the 2020 Château Bel-Air Cuvée Jean & Gabriel checks in as equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc raised in one-third new French oak. Redcurrants, sandalwood, cherries, and leafy herbs all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, balanced mouthfeel and outstanding length. It's well worth seeking out and has 8-10 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

Expert Ratings -Vintage 2019 

James Suckling writes:  Blueberry, blackcurrant, and black cherry in the nose with some sweet tobacco and moss. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are polished and savory. Fruity yet reserved finish. Give this two or three years to open. Try after 2023.  - James Suckling 93

Jane Anson writes:  A Cru Bourgeois Superieur as of the 2018 vintage, giving a good display of understated Médoc charm with its 2019 vintage. Blackberry and black cherry fruits, firm tannins, well measured with an elegant frame. Violet edges to the colour also suggesting bright acidities, a little austere overall at this stage but great potential to develop over the next few years in bottle.  - Decanter 90

James Molesworth writes:  Direct, with a good mix of cassis, bitter plum, savory and tobacco notes. Fresh and focused through the finish, with a lingering hint of chalky minerality. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  - Wine Spectator

Winemaker Notes

Expert Review - Vintage 2016

Decanter 90 Points | Plum, lilac and vanilla, with a touch of toasted cinnamon alongside the bright red fruits. Powerful, even masculine, with chewy but refined tannins and plenty of life ahead. 

Memo Summary Notes

The 2016 Castera is currently at a beautiful stage, showing a blend of ripe fruit and secondary, aged characteristics:

• Aromas: A complex bouquet of ripe blackberries, plums, blackcurrant, and violets, evolving into notes of cedar, tobacco, leather, and baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon).

• Palate: Medium to full-bodied with a structure supported by fine, polished, yet present tannins. The fruit is dense and savory, balanced by good acidity and a touch of earthiness typical of Bordeaux

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Roger Voss of The Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | This is a balanced, full wine. It has a smoky character from wood aging. Black-currant flavors and a layer of acidity bring freshness. The wine will certainly age. Cellar Selection.

James Suckling 90 Points | Notes of plums and mulberries with dark spices, dried herbs and nut shell undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins and juicy, dark fruits. It has a chalky texture and flavorful finish. Drink or hold. 

Jeb Dunnuck 89 Points | The 2020 Château Haut Selve is charming, with plenty of character in its red and black fruits as well as herbal, tobacco, and loamy soil-like aromas and flavors. With medium-bodied richness and a forward, already attractive style, it will drink nicely over the coming 5-7 years. 

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Good intensity, brilliant color (shinny ruby). Aromas of fresh red fruit and slightly jammy on the finish.

Winemaker Description 

Deep ruby color. Dark and rich on the nose, with intense berry and Indian spices. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and silky tannin structure. Balanced and polished. Winery Notes Classified Cru Bourgeois in 1932, Château Picard, in the heart of the village of Saint-Estèphe, has always been considered one of the best of this appellation.

The last of the properties acquired by Mähler-Besse (1997), this 8 hectares estate was chosen for its development potential and its average surface area, allowing complete control of its production. Since the acquisition of Château Picard, Mähler-Besse, who has renovated the Napoleon III-style cellars, has endowed the property with an efficient wine-making tool, with entry of the harvest by gravity.

Its exceptional terroir with a clayey tendency, characteristic of Saint-Estèphe, presents soils loaded with calcified remains of cockles and sea urchins. This vineyard with a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon produces finely smoked and spicy wines of very good class. Blend : 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

The Wine Enthusiast by Roger Voss 93 Points |  French historical monument, this chateau is owned by the Cruse family, one of the leading Bordeaux dynasties. This wine is richly textured with dense black fruits and considerable potential. Power and concentration will allow it to age well. Drink from 2026.

Memo Notes Summary 

• Pairing: Its robust structure and elegant tannins make it an ideal partner for savory dishes:

  • Red Meats: Grilled steak (especially an Entrecôte), roast beef, or lamb.

  • Game: Duck confit or roasted game birds.

  • Cheeses: Hard, aged French cheeses.

The Château du Taillan 2019 is an excellent choice for a well-structured, classic Cru Bourgeois that represents exceptional value from a superb Bordeaux vintage.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points | The 2022 Château Tronquoy is the finest vintage of this cuvée ever produced, offering fabulous aromatics of cassis, graphite, violets, flowers, chocolate, and earthy nuances. Full-bodied and beautifully rich and textured on the palate, with sweet tannins and a seamless, concentrated mouthfeel, it’s already hard to resist, and as I said from barrel, it shows the ripeness of the vintage while staying pure, balanced, and seamless. It’s going to benefit from just 4-6 years in the cellar and drink well for 25+ years. 

James Suckling 95 Points | Lots of blackberries, lead pencil, dark earth and blackcurrants. Bright and clear. Full-bodied with lots of fruit yet framed and structured with a deep and intense finish. It goes on for a long time. Greatest Tronquoy ever. A blend of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 6% petit verdot. Needs five to six years to open. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

The Wine Enthusiast 95 Points | Spicy and structured, this is a classic Saint-Estèphe. Big tannins are boldly paired with the potential of the ripe black currant fruits that are juicy and fresh. The two sides of this wine are not yet together but do promise considerable aging. 

The Wine Advocate 94 Points | This year's blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 de Pez comes tumbling out of the glass with an astonishingly beautiful perfume of lilacs, black cherries and black raspberries over a core of stewed plums, clove oil, dark chocolate and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with energetic black fruits, supported by a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed. I love where this once-malingering château is headed—bravo to winemaker Nicolas Glumineau from Pichon Lalande! 

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | Bright and fresh, featuring an upfront display of red and black currant preserve flavors, laced with black tea and backed by a nice iron twinge through the finish. Sneaky long, too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

Decanter 93 Points | Owned by Pichon Comtesse, this is a lovely St Estèphe with polish and poise. Good depth to the berry fruits, with an appealing unfussy confidence. New cellars this year that allows for more precise reflection of the plots in 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 

James Suckling 93 Points | Sweet berries with cedar and sandalwood, as well as flowers, such as lavender. Perfumed. Full-to medium-bodied with very polished and refined tannins that run the length of the wine. Very attractive and balanced. 

Winemaker Description 

Historically owned by the Marcelis family, passionate about viticulture, Château Moutinot is now run by the Helfrich family.

The property concerned with respect for the environment is committed to a High Environmental Value approach and promotes a living land, where human intervention on the vine is limited to what is strictly necessary, in the respect for flora and fauna but also for the health of farmers and consumers. The wine of Château Moutinot is an elegant wine, which combines fruity and gluttony.

Winemaker Description 

This premium French wine from Chateau Greysac originates from the Medoc region of Bordeaux. It has a characteristic deep purple coloring and medium legs. The aroma is complex and a mix of blueberries, plum, and raspberries blend with a fresh earthiness that dances in the nose.

The wine has a medium body and slightly acidic in structure with strong tannins, with notes of blackberries and licorice. The finish is clean and slightly tannic, with an aftertaste of black fruits and a more earthy flavors that linger on the tongue. The wine is exceptionally well made and well balanced and the ideal of what a good Medoc should be.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points: From a large, 113-acre estate, this wine is dense, structured and full of dark coffee and spice flavors allied to rich tannins. Blackberry fruits shine through this texture promising aging. Drink from 2026.
Cellar Selection

James Suckling 92 Points: Sweet currant and berry aromas with some very flowers follow through to a medium body, with firm and creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. I like the walnut and chocolate undertones. 59% merlot, 37% cabernet sauvignon, 3% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. Better after 2023.

Decanter 91 Points: Lovely, expressive nose of sweet ripe fruits. The tannins are a bit too present at the moment, they take over and have a drying effect due to quite high acidity. There is definitely a core of ripe dark fruits with herb and liquorice edges but this needs more time to integrate

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points: This château continues to bring the goods, and their 2019 Château Lilian Ladouys offers a medium-bodied, supple, elegant, and certainly delicious style as well as complex notes of redcurrants, darker mulberries, cedary spice, and dried herbs. It shows the elegant, more mid-weight side to the vintage, yet the balance is spot on, it has ripe tannins, and it’s going to keep for 15+ years. Best After 2022

Decanter Magazine 91 Points: Lovely, expressive nose of sweet ripe fruits. The tannins are a bit too present at the moment, they take over and have a drying effect due to quite high acidity. There is definitely a core of ripe dark fruits with herb and liquorice edges but this needs more time to integrate.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points: Offering up aromas of sweet berries, cherries, licorice and spices, the 2019 Lilian Ladouys is medium to full-bodied, ample and charming, with a giving, easygoing profile and a clean, precise finish. It's a competent effort that shows none of the appellation's stereo typically hard edges. Best After 2021

Winemaker Notes

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

The Wine Enthusiast by Roger Voss writes 92 Points | This luscious wine, dominated by Merlot, has a smoky aroma and spicy black fruits. It is a rich wine at its opening and this continues through the ripe tannins and the balancing acidity. Drink from 2027. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points | An undeniable star in Margaux, the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% each Cabernet Franc, Carménère, and Petit Verdot. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a sensational perfume of darker currants and cassis that gives way to more floral, spicy oak and graphite nuances with air. With flawless overall balance, ripe, velvety tannins, terrific purity, and a great finish, this riveting Brane-Cantenac already offers pleasure, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up with 4-5 years of bottle age, only to reemerge later and drink beautifully for 30+ years. It's one of the truly greats in the appellation, and readers will love to have this beauty in the cellar.

Decanter 98 Points | Crushed velvet smoothness and almost weightless purity. Gorgeous aromatics – wild flowers, bramble fruit and soft cinnamon. Bright berry fruit, salty mineral touches and a hint of liquorice create charm and depth. This exudes Margaux elegance with bounce, finesse and fleshiness. Already so enjoyable but built to develop further. An utterly delicious wine that captures the essence of the vintage.

Jane Anson 98 Points | Deep plum colour, touch of grilled campfire smoke on the aromatics, good lift through the finish, this is so enjoyable, clearly skilled and full of joy. One of the wines of the vintage, totally delivers on En Primeur beauty. 

Winemaker

Chateau Brane-Cantenac was for many years the home of Lucien Lurton - it is now owned and run by his son Henri. Its vineyards are located west of the village of Cantenac in the Margaux appellation. Brane-Cantenac's vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (40%), Cabernet Franc (4.5%), and Carmenere 0,5%, and lie on fine, gravelly soils. Vinification includes up to 18 months of wood ageing, a third to a half in new 'barriques'.

Winemaker Description

Chapelle de Meyney ("the Chapel of Meyney") is the second wine of Chateau Meyney, one of the oldest estates in the Medoc of Bordeaux.

Expert Review - Vintage 2018

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | This is the second wine from this estate that faces the Gironde estuary. It has rich tannins as well as powerful black-currant fruits. With density as well as bold flavors and structure, the wine is set to mature well. Drink from 2024.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 93 Points | This is very classic with firm, racy tannins and dark, juicy fruit. Lots of chocolate and currants. Very balanced. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet sauvignon.

Decanter 90 Points | Rich and heady fruit aromas on the nose, expressive and full. Nicely bright red and black fruits on the palate, clear and clear - a touch of smoke, tobacco, white pepper and cedar spice suggests the wood needs to soften a little bit but the fruit is really well presented, crisp and with bite. Lovely licks of stone and salty minerality put you in the Médoc and this has an easy style to it with a long, fresh finish. Cool, classic and darkly charming.

Winemaker Description

To celebrate the 2020 vintage, Goulée by Cos d’Estournel is renamed G d’Estournel. This wine displays a unique profile: the balance and aromatics of a fresh vintage are accompanied by an acidity and a quality of tannins usually observed in warmer vintages. Goulée by Cos d’Estournel 2020, carried by the richness of the Merlot, is essentially delectable, and marked by notes reminiscent of salty sea breezes and a black pepper touch that lend it a great energy. 

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 88 Points | Juicy and direct, with plum and blackberry fruit leading the way, while light anise and applewood notes add energy through the finish. Accessible now. Drink now through 2025. 4,200 cases made, 400 cases imported. 

Winemaker Description

Dark red in color with aromas of cherry, cocoa, black olive and toasted hazelnut on the nose. On the palate, mellow tannins with a spicy vanilla and chocolate finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider) 88-91 Points | Medium-bodied, fresh, fruity, floral, and soft with polished fruits.

The Wine Independent 91 Points | Sweet berries with spices; creamy and polished tannins; velvety texture.

Vert de Vin 90 Points | Fruity, with pulpy and generous fruit, precise and firm tannins.

Winemaker Description 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 96 Points | One of the best ever with super currants, mint, mineral and iodine. Crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied, it has wonderful caressing tannins that run the length of the wine. A real Potensac, cabernet-driven, that goes on for minutes. 43% cabernet sauvignon, 36.5% merlot, 19.5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Decanter 93 Points | Fragranced, black bramble fruit, so scented and aromatic. Crystalline pure fruit, blackcurrants, cherries and plums, with grippy, but super fine and fresh tannins and balanced acidity. You get the structure - wide, firm, so refined in terms of tannic impression, they're at the fore but so discerning and integrated, really supportive and help to focus the wine from start to finish. Precise and sleek, agile yet concentrated with a lovely cool and juicy core alongside graphite and pencil lead touches. Powerful but polished and ageable. A great buy. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | The 2022 Château Potensac is darker and more concentrated, featuring currants, spring flowers, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, with layered depth, balanced structure, and beautiful tannins, it’s a serious, structured Potensac.

The Wine Advocate 91+ Points | One of the sleepers of the vintage is the 2022 Potensac, a dense, concentrated wine redolent of crème de cassis, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, layered and youthfully structured. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Decanter 92 Points | Seductive aromatics, good balance running through the palate, this is enjoyable. Petit Verdot for the first time in the blend, from the Pontac-Lynch vines. This has some lovely depth and width through the palate, one of the better second wines. With the addition of new plots and new grapes, they did many more blending sessions than usual, to be sure especially, whether to add the 1% Malbec to the first wine (most of this info needs to be switched into the Issan entry). Young vines mainly in this wine, Merlot oriented. This year they added 7ha of vines (as of March, from Pontac Lynch, including a 1948 plot of Petit Verdot and a 1958 Cabernet Franc, plus 1% of Malbec that has gone into the blend of the 1st wine).

James Suckling 92 Points | Dried oranges and plums with bark, mushroom and forest floor aromas that follow through to medium to full body with a dense finish and excellent energy. Spices such as nutmeg and sandalwood. Some chocolate, too. 57% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 3% petit verdot.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 95 Points | The lead pencil and blackcurrant aromas are very impressive. Full-bodied and tannic, but very velvety with fine texture. Lots of pretty fruit. Typical for the appellation. Second wine of Domaine de Chevalier. Try after 2028.

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points | The 2020 L'Esprit De Chevalier is more restrained aromatically, yet has outstanding purity in its red and black fruits as well as notes of dried herbs, tobacco, chocolate, and damp earth. It's a medium-bodied, elegant, balanced, and certainly delicious second wine that will benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and shine for a decade.

Vinous 91 Points | The 2020 Esprit de Chevalier has a very perfumed, floral bouquet with pressed iris and peony infusing the blackberry and blueberry fruit. Very controlled and classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with quite concentrated black fruit laced with white pepper and a touch of Provençal herbs. Slight viscosity here, powerful with a generous finish, this is a superb Deuxième Vin that should give 12-15 years' drinking pleasure.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | Fleshy and demonstrative, the 2020 L'Esprit de Chevalier bursts with aromas of sweet berries, plums and petals. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with polished tannins and an expansive finish, it will drink well young.

Winemaker Description

Domaine de Chevalier is renowned for its ability to produce great wines even in unfashionable vintages thanks to its unique terroir and a draconian selection in the vineyard and the cellar. In fact, this philosophy at times requires vineyard workers to carry out five waves of picking in order to pick only the ripest possible grapes.

Furthermore, as of 1986, the planting of young vines led to the creation of both a red and white second wine called Esprit de Chevalier. This includes vats that do not have quite the structure and focus of the grand vin as well as wine made from young vines, Vats that go into red Esprit de Chevalier must nevertheless be complex, well-balanced, well-structured and, above all, elegant enough to be in keeping with Chevalier’s image. Esprit de Chevalier is a charming red wine with many of the same qualities as the grand vin and the added advantage that can be enjoyed earlier.

Winemaker Notes

Deep purple colour with intense aromas of red and black fruits, crushed violets and a touch of mocha. The palate has generous ripe fruits and a plush, velvety texture supported by vibrant acidity, with fruits and spices that linger on the finish. Extreme refinement.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Jeb Dunnuck writes:  The 2019 Le Petit Ducru De Ducru-Beaucaillou is also Merlot-dominated and includes 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. It offers classic Saint-Julien elegance and purity in its darker currant and cherry fruits as well as notes of tobacco, violets, and lead pencil. With medium-bodied richness on the palate, it has wonderful tannins, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It needs air to show at its best and is just a charming, elegant, layered 2019 to enjoy over any time over the coming decade.  Drinking 2022 to 3032.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Georgina Hindle writes:  Lovely, fresh, delicate and fruity nose; smells quite rich and ripe. Good push of plush fruit, bright cherry straight away then darkens to something more serious and sensual. Tannins are overpowering, just so abundant, covering the tongue and cheeks but they're soft - you need that structure to give it life. Feels sculpted if a little excessive right now, but good freshness and drive, and round on the mid-palate with no angles. Some spice at the end. From the western part of the appellation, a parcel of about 25ha purchased in the 1970s. 10ha in the process of being replanted - so 15ha in production. This is the third wine and receives declassified fruit from the higher wines, although produced with the same philosophy.  Drinking 2023 to 2031  - Decanter 90

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2019 Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou is plush, creamy and open-knit, all of which give it considerable immediacy, not to mention tons of charm. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha and licorice lend nuance in this racy, Merlot-based blend. The Petit Ducru is a new wine meant to be the third selection from the château.  Drinking 2025 to 2029.  - Vinous 92

Winemaker Description 

Purple colour. The nose is spicy and slightly smoky, with notes of tobacco evolving with airing into aromas of red fruits. The attack is silky, and the mid-palate is fleshy. The wine has a good balance and a tasty and aromatic finish.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2019

Wine Spectator 93 points | A solid, slightly burly version, featuring streaks of tar and bay leaf mixed with dark plum and black currant preserve flavors. The finish is underscored by a warm paving stone note, which adds cut, drive and a hint of old school. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024. (2019). 

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points |  From a reliable estate, this wine is firm in feel. It also has open black fruits that pair alongside the generous tannins. It is good long-term aging. Barrel Sample: 93-95Wine Advocate 92 points Deep purple-black in color, the 2019 Meyney strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of cassis, warm plums and baked blackberries plus hints of cedar chest, bay leaves, pencil lead and clove oil plus a waft of underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate has a generous core of ripe black fruits with a slight touch of oak poking through and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with impressive length. (2019).

Decanter 93 points | One of the wines I use as a marker of how good the vintage is in St Estèphe, because it isn't classified but is in a brilliant location right next door to Montrose. And this is good, extremely concentrated, pure cassis and bilberry flavours, tons of tannins, clear austerity and fairly high acidity as I am getting in a lot of these 2019s. Not the same luscious character as 2018, but in many ways that makes it more typical of the appellation, and the alcohol seems less over the top than in 2018. Lots to enjoy here, not quite up to 2016 standard but not far. Tasted two weeks apart, and if anything its expression had deepened second time around.  Barrel Sample: 93Jeb Dunnuck 94 points This estate has been on a roll of late, and the 2019 Château Meyney is a terrific wine. Beautiful notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, dried flowers, and dried tobacco all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Count me impressed. Not a powerhouse, it should drink nicely right out of the gate yet also evolve for 20 years or more. Range: 92-94 Points. (2019).

James Suckling 92 Points |  Aromas of ripe berries, licorice and chocolate with a touch of mushroom and some dustiness. Silky, polished texture with medium body and firm tannins. Holds long and even, with a lingering sensation of crushed stones. Hold for a couple of years. Second wine of Meyney. Best after 2023.

Vinous 95 points The 2019 Meyney has a divine bouquet, so pure and winsome with floral red berry scents, beautifully integrated new oak and superb precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy to the point where you can almost overlook the backbone of this Saint-Estèphe. It could have been blowsy, yet it retains superb balance and feels luxuriant and long on the finish. This is a stellar showing easily eclipsing its performances either in barrel or just after bottling. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.  —  Neal Martin. (2019).

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Brilliant color, intense, lovely red fruits, silky and rich attack. Deeply coloured with purple reflection. Fruity on the nose, dominated by morello cherry and almond paste. Medium-bodied on the palate, priority is given to the fruit. Turning more intense on the finish with good tannins.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

James Suckling 91 Points | This has aromas of raspberries, blackberries, currants, rosehips and hazelnuts. It’s medium-bodied with fine, silky tannins. Elegant and fresh. Pretty finish. Drink from 2024.

Winemaker Description 

Baron de Brane is the second wine of Château Brane-Cantenac, a second growth château owned by Henri Lurton and one of the oldest and largest properties in Margaux. The blend is made up of about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the grapes coming from developing vineyards, some on gravel beds 12 metres deep.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points | Spice-laden red and black fruits, leafy tobacco, savory flowers, and new leather notes all shine in the 2022 Château Tour Saint Christophe, another brilliant wine from this team. I love its complexity, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with fine tannins, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, and a great finish. Based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

James Suckling 96 Points | A very good year for Tour Saint Christophe, showing great depth and flavor despite high alcohol. Abundant dark minerals, fresh blackberries, black olives and a hint of cocoa powder. Pretty full-bodied and firm with crunchy, reactive tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Lots of density here.

Decanter 94 Points | Gorgeously scented on the nose, smooth, round and focused with purity and persistence. Tannins are so fine, really sculpting this wine, with a clear bite and almost strict tang to the overall structure giving a sense of tension. I like the terroir aspect, the saltiness but still with juicy richness. Less ample than Bellefonte but more precise. 

The Wine Advocate 93+ Points | This first vintage under the denomination of Grand Cru Classé, the 2022 Tour Saint Christophe is excellent, offering up aromas of spices, cassis, dark wild berries, orange peel and licorice mingled with delicate oaky notes. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it's layered and textured and framed by powdery, velvety tannins enhanced by a racy, pure, fresh finish. It should gain raciness with some time in the cellar.

Winemaker Description 

This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

James Suckling 94 Points | This has a pretty nose with dark spices, nut shell and cedar notes with a dark fruit backbone, following through to a medium body with firm and finely polished tannins that go on and on. Refined and nicely balanced with velvety texture. Lingering and chalky finish. Try after 2026.

Vinous 93 Points | The 2020 Sociando Mallet has retained its impressive aromatics from its showing in barrel with beautifully defined blackberry and raspberry fruit, pressed violet and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm backbone, a little powdery in texture, fine backbone with ample freshness and tension towards its graphite-infused finish. Bravo!

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2020 Sociando-Mallet is very attractive, exhibiting aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with lively acids and powdery tannins, it's a strong effort from a site that always does well in warm vintages. The 2020 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.

Decanter 92 Points | Wonderfully fragrant on the nose, just stopping short of being potent. Glorious perfumed scents and rich, ripe black fruits. Clean and clear, this has a lively energy to it and a little bit of liquorice which gives a savoury, dark and sticky edge to the fruit. Clarity, classicism and precision on show. Sculpted, muscular, grippy and chewy. Excellent potential with a slate and coffee-toned finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | This estate in eastern Margaux offers a finely balanced, ripe wine, smoothly polished with wood aging. Its structure is still firm but showing fine potential. Drink from 2027.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Juicy and open in feel, with a vibrant display of dark plum and boysenberry preserve flavors that are harnessed just right by streaks of alder and warm humus. A late hibiscus note and minimal toast add freshness.

James Suckling 92 Points | A juicy and vibrant Margaux that shows fine spices, subtle cream, hibiscus and lots of fresh currants. Lively and crunchy with medium body and vivid, fine-veined tannins. Succulent with a bright, medium-long finish.

Winemaker Description 

Intense deep purple robe. Seductive and intense nose of cassis, raspberries, spices, vanilla and unctuous grilled and toasty aromas. Well-structured wine that is at the same time rich and lush in the mouth with smooth tannins and a very long finish.

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Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | Owned by the Cuvelier family, proprietors of Léoville-Poyferré, this picturesque Saint-Estèphe estate has produced a fine 2019 Le Crock. Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, currants, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with an ample core of succulent fruit underpinned by ripe, powdery tannins.

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Leads off with sweet bay leaf, tobacco and warm earth hints, which are quickly met by a core of steeped plum and black currant fruit. Shows subtle charcoal dusting and a note of cast iron that add fuel to the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035.

Vinous 92 Points | The 2019 Le Crock is a powerful, burly Saint-Estèphe. A rush of black cherry, scorched earth, licorice, tobacco and menthol makes a strong opening statement. Rich, virile and packed, the 2019 is big, hearty wine that shows the savory personality of Saint-Estèphe. The tannins are a bit coarse, but then again, that is to be expected. There is certainly a lot of wine here.

James Suckling 92 Points | Lots of blackcurrants and spices with some dried flowers follow through to a medium body with firm, silky tannins and a bitter-citrus and dark-walnut aftertaste to the fruit. Needs time to soften. Try after 2024.