Kirwan

16 - armit
16- JR
92-95 - WS
90-92+ - RP
92-94 - NM
16.5 - Decanter

Soft red fruits, subtle floral fragrances on the nose, on the palate this is sweet and ripe with good detail and clean lines. A good balanced middle-weight that is easily placed in its commune, this is lovely Margaux with a fine, persistent finish. Drink 2017-2030+ armit

Wow. A subtle yet fabulous burst of fruit on the nose, with currant, mineral and flowers. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a fruity, beautiful finish. So pretty. Chewy. Big Kirwan.
James Suckling

Rauzan Ségla

armit: 17
JR - 17.5
WS - 93-96
92-95 - RP
96-98 - NM
93-TA

A quiet brooding nose opens out slowly to reveal ripe red fruits, a little spice and perfume. There is lots of detail and precision here and a carefully controlled expression rather than a rush to please. On the palate, the refined approach continues but with impressive underlying power and drive, moving the wine forward with quiet confidence. This is not a flashy wine but rather one that is very comfortable in its own skin. Great stuff. Drink 2019-2030+ - armit

The nose is well defined, very classic in style with blackberry, black olive, graphite and an intriguing note of woodbines. This is a magnificent Rauzan-Segla, easily the best I have tasted at en primeur. Firstly, it is much more harmonious than usual at this nascent stage, the acidity level is just about perfect, there is a vibrancy that is really enthralling and the poise on the finish ranks alongside that of Chateau Margaux, tasted just before. The finish is very strong, slightly creamy in texture, but also superbly defined and with superb length. Very natural and refine, yet powerful. This may be the best Rauzan Segla that John Kolasa has made. Tasted March 2010. - Neal Martin

Alter Ego de Palmer

Jancis: 16.5
Wine Spectator: 88-91
Neil Martin: 91-93

49% Cabernet Sauvignon. 51% Merlot. Very dark crimson. Very sweet and potent with masses of black fruits. Attractive scent but almost soupy! Big and bold and a sort of cross between New World style and Palmer sinewy influence. Very dramatic. Very round and a little bit inky on the end. Quite aggressive. Falls apart a bit on the finish. A little bit green on the finish. Jancis Robinson

Love the gorgeous red fruits in this wine. It seems a little Porty, with prune and blackberry character, but so soft, round and rich. Could use a little more in the center palate, but opulent and generous. A little hot. 50 percent Merlot and 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. A lucid purple colour. A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 51% Merlot, I do not even need to approach the glass to nose this wine. Just under 13.7% alcohol. A sense of controlled opulence here, black plum, a touch of cassis and bilberry, the oak just a little dominant at the moment but that will subsume itself into the wine with time. The palate is full-bodied with seamless tannins, a typically plush, approachable Alter Ego with black cherry, a hint of thyme and white fennel, gentle but insistent grip towards the finish. Tasted March 2010. Neil Martin

Château Lascombes

Jancis: 16.5
Wine Spectator: 92-95
Neil Martin: 91-93

Very dark crimson. Sweet malted milk plus linseed oil. Very sweet start and then lusciously worked tannins. A bit Napa Valley rather than Margaux but there is lots of pleasure here. Just rather awkward tannins on the finish. - Jancis Robinson

Fascinating aromas of crushed berries and fresh herbs follow through to a full body, with velvety, polished tannins and a long, long finish. Wonderful wine. More reserved than the 2005, but potentially better. - Wine spectator

Tasted at a negociant. The Lascombes has a ripe, sweet nose that does not exude the delineation of the Malescot St. Exupery tasted just before. Surprisingly, this sample is a little introverted compared to others, but that might change after bottling of course. The palate is medium-bodied but with very good weight on the palate; the tannins a little brutish at the moment, much more masculine and a little austere, although there is good delineation and perhaps less opulent than previous years. This should show its true potential after bottling...so one to watch. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin

Giscours, 3ème cru Margaux

Jancis: 16.
Wine Spectator: 92-95
Neil Martin: 90-93

A confident, assertive nose which is instantly recognizable as Margaux- violets overlaying rich black fruits, very appealing. On the palate, the confidence continues but there is also unmistakable charm and grace here too. Given time in the mouth and more air, the wine begins to reveal itself but clearly there is much more to come and the excellent length on the finish confirms the unmistakable class. Drink 2019-2030+ 16 points arrmit

Château Margaux, 1er Grand Cru Classé

Jancis: 19
Wine Spectator: 96-99
Neil Martin: 98-98

The Cabernet was so good, it was easy to decide the blend for the grand vin –including 87% Cabernet Sauvignon. Blended early Feb. 2009 reminds Pontallier of 1990 because of its lushness. The grand vin was 36% of the crop. pH 3.79, TA 3.3 g/l Very dark crimson. Sumptuous nose – just gorgeous. So fine, so ripe but with lovely freshness too. Margaux finesse. Truly a wonderful nose. The nose is really the thing already. Will it ever be difficult to drink?  Breadth across the palate. Just wonderfully relaxed and fresh and beautifully balanced. Soft tannins on the finish, very very long. We debate whether the texture is cashmere or silk. - Jancis Robinson

The nose is so intensely fruity, but subtle and reserved at the same time. Fascinating. Full-bodied, yet superrefined, building on the palate. It's like watching a long-distance runner starting off slowly but continuing along his or her path. Fine and dense tannins. A few minutes in the glass and the massive tannins show. Muscular and subdued.. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. Sample taken 22nd March. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, close to the average proportions of the last 10 years. The final alcohol comes in at 13.2-13.3%. An extremely alluring bouquet: blackberry, cassis and violets, your quintessential Margaux really, but cloaked in a sense of sensuality and sumptuousness that is rarely seen. Very fine definition with touches of cold limestone coming through. The palate is brilliantly poised with filigree tannins, breathtaking delineation and focus. There is immense intensity here, the energy of the channel with a crisp, taut finish. Wonderful length. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin

Château Palmer, 3ème Grand Cru Classé

Jancis: 18
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 94-96

41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. Lustrous dark crimson. Very sweet and opulent on the nose. Very charming and glamorous. Much more of an expression of Merlot than many Médocs in 2009. Big and glamorous – a slightly Italian note. This year obsessed by extraction even more than usual. Prefer to play with press wines later. New from Parsec, a robot that turns though three dimensions. Experimented in 2008 for gentle extraction. Italian elan. Fresh. - Jancis Robinson

Loaded with exotic fruit, with masses of crushed blackberry and blueberry. Superclear and fruit forward. Full and velvety, with fresh acidity and a long, long finish. This is almost in your face, but reserved in a way. Superseductive - James Suckling

Sample taken on 19th March. A blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 52% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, cropped between 23rd September and 14th October, and 13.9% and 3.75pH. IPT is 88, which has never been seen before. A deep purple hue, the nose very tight at the moment with black cherry, cassis, a touch of oyster shell and liquorice. Blossoming in the glass. The palate is medium to full-bodied with seamless tannins, beautiful balanced and immense purity. The oak is well integrated (50%). Wonderful poise on the finish and superb length. Yes, modern in style, but there it is imbued with irresistible purity. Tasted March 2010- Neil Martin

Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

Jancis Robinson: 17
Wine Spectator: 90-93
Neil Martin: 92-94

41% of the crop. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 29% Merlot. Pontallier says: 'We were tempted to make a Pavillon better than ever. Luscious but light. Stricter selection for Pavillon than usual.' Bright crimson. Very fragrant, like the Issan. Quite low key. Very sweet palate entry and light and just a little herbaceous on the palate. Some chew as though the lots with the least ripe tannins went into this. Deep throat warming finish though. Very pure.- Jancis Robinson

Love the strawberry and ripe raspberry aromas. Full-bodied, with superrefined tannins, berry, flower and rose petal. Fresh finish. Harmonious. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. 67% CS, 29M% and 4% PV and includes 13-14% of vin de presse. This has a lucid purple colour. A plush, sensuous nose with black cherry, cassis and violets: very pure, in some ways reminding me of a combination of the 1996 and 2006 but with more panache and vigour. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, quite edgy on the entry, very good acidity here, a certain symmetry that perhaps has been missing in recent vintages. The finish is very natural, showing very fine minerality and poise. This is superb. Tasted March 2010. - Neil Martin