Decanter Award 5 stars Feb 2012 "Restrained aromas suggesting a fine depth, offering black fruit, chocolate and earth. Smooth and substantial entry with a refined thickness on the mid-palate... lots of class and a great future. Drink from 2014."

16+/20 Jancis Robinson "68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Dark crimson. Very classic savoury nose. Mid weight with lift on the end. No suggestion of sweetness or charm, but this should really appeal to classicists in search of a good-value alternative to St-Estèphe."

Valle de Uco, one of the leading areas of Mendoza. Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderfully full wine with rich concentrated cassis fruit merged with chocolate, coffee and herbs. Great complexity and length.

Rosabrook Wines was one of the first wine producing pioneers of the Margaret River wine region. Full and juicy on the palate, flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry are underpinned by ripe tannins and a touch of smokey oak. Very silky smooth on the finish with notes of minty eucalyptus.

The sexiest Cab-based Tuscan, no contest. Decanter 95. Parker 95 "beautiful... profound elegance of this classic vintage... layer after layer of dark fruit, oak spice, chocolate...tobacco... a big personality".

A combination of black berries, eucylyptus and mocha flavours. A medium to full bodied wine with soft tannins.

Bordeaux experienced an extremely hot summer in 2003, leading to some great wines being made if the terroir allowed it. It certainly did for Ch Batailley, which made one of the msot delicious wines from their estate for years. Great for drinking now.

Deep garnet in the glass. Earthy, some spice on the nose. Black berry and dark berry upfront on the palate. Balanced with oak, freshly cut wood. Fresh tobacco leaves. Sticky tannins. Full bodied, medium high acidity. Medium length finish

The "second wine" here, the 2016 Le Petit Clos is a very different blend from the 2015; it is now mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just 4% Merlot and 1% Carménère, while last year it was almost half Carménère. The vineyards are now certified in organic and biodynamic agriculture. The bunches were hand-destemmed, and the grapes fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a six-week maceration. Malolactic was in barrique, and the élevage happened as follows: the wine spent seven months in new French barriques, and then 71% of the volume was transferred to French oak barriques (22% new and 49% second year), while the rest of the wine was put in oak vats. The élevage was 23 months in total. With the change in varieties, this feels very different from the Clos Apalta—more Cabernet here and more Carménère there. The nose is elegant and nuanced, with herbs, spices and a core of ripe red and black fruit, quite varietal and with integrated oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with round tannins and vibrant acidity, making it long and supple.

Catena is one of the quality leaders in Argentina and it's also a large winery, so they combine quality and quantity. Furthermore, they are one of the pioneers: They were the first to plant vineyards in Gualtallary, which is nowadays considered one of the highest potential zones in the country, but they were deemed crazy when they planted there.

The 46th release of Yalumba’s historic blend unites centuries of experience with all of the brilliance that was 2015 in the Barossa. It’s densely packed with crunchy berry fruits, eloquently boosted with dark chocolate oak and framed in magnificently fine tannins. One of the greats. Tyson Stelzer, WBM, January/February 2020

Deep purple in colour this Chilean offering has rich ripe cherries and juicy plums on the nose with flavours of jammy blackcurrents and blackberries on the palate. Medium bodied and well balanced.

A rich effort from this well-known property in St Christoly. Lovely rich mouthfeel, ripe and tannic with a luscious long finish. Low acidity suggests drinking this wine young, say 2018-2023.

Lots of spice/savoury notes, tar and smoke, a great big whack of dark dense cassis. A fun packed, fruit-packed joy of a wine at the price.

A red coloured wine with violet highlights which has outstanding aromas of blackberries, plums and black cherries, blended with hints of vanilla. In the mouth there are smooth, rounded tannins and flavours of red and black fruits, enhanced with notes of caramel.

Finca Decero is a highly acclaimed, Swiss family-owned, single-vineyard wine estate located at 1050 metres altitude in the Agrelo sub-appellation of Mendoza, Argentina. Finca Decero’s Remolinos Vineyard has garnered a strong following for silky, elegant and balanced wines. Nurtured ‘from scratch’, the approach is sensitive to the environment and natural attributes of the unique Remolinos Vineyard. Their focus on sustainability transcends not only vineyard and production methods but also extends to their team and community. Finca Decero’s business social responsibility program has been recognized amongst the foremost of Argentina. This Cabernet Sauvignon has classic notes of cassis and some cherry and red fruit flavours with a freshness throughout. The wine has supple integrated tannins, from 14 months in French oak barrels. A medium-bodied, elegant style of Cabernet Sauvignon.

A huge, berry-scented mouthful; a blend of mostly cab, with merlot and petit sirah in supporting roles. Silky but crisp with wild blackberry and currant, the wine shows ripe fruit and ripe tannins and is a bargain at the price point for a wine made from mainly Oakville (Screaming Eagle country) fruit.

The 2009 has the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) ever included in a Calon-Segur (the rest is Merlot and Petit Verdot). Completely different from its St.-Estephe brethren, it is more backward and structured with a dense purple color, lots of black cherry, black currant, loamy earth, forest floor and spice notes, excruciatingly high levels of tannin, and a wonderful inner core of sweetness and concentration

Aromas of blackcurrant and ripe red fruits. Full and rounded palate with a long lingering finish.

Lovely BIG and smooth. A blend of 9 different Cabernet vineyards from 3 different areas, ranging from 116m above sea level to 755m. Related to the Swartland Revolution where Rhone blends were taking over from the Bordeaux blends of Stellenbosch, Cabernet suddenly became branded 'uncool', so Pieter thought he would devote some time to the iconic grape variety. Wines from each vineyard were vinified separately and bottled under each vineyard name and then the BIG blend was created to show the true character of a South African Cabernet Sauvignon. With stunning black fruit, sweet peppery spice, fine tannin and good acidity, this is a very drinkable wine that shows complexity and liveliness. A wine where each sip stays as interesting as the first. Love this. The fruit from each site was fully destemmed fruit and separately (some of the fruit was still being picked while other batches had long since been in barrel) went through wild yeast fermentation and ageing in a combination of 225l and 300l used oak barrels for 18 months.

CWM Ranking - High 2:1 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV Sensitive extraction leaving a medium bodied, attractive fruity wine which will drink well from the off. Ripe brambly fruit and clean, balancing acidity.

88-90 RobertParker.com "The 2020 Belle-Vue is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.5%. Deep purple-black colored, it prances out of the glass with exuberant notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums and mulberries with hints of menthol, mocha and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate delivers appealing freshness and balance, delivering minted black fruit flavors and a soft, well-managed texture, finishing with a spicy lift."

CWM Ranking High 2:1 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. 32% new oak. Savoury, curranty nose, Firm, dry and savoury on the palate too, with blackcurrant fruit and chewy but yielding tannins chewy. Fresh, elegant finish.

CWM Ranking: First Class Cantemerle = Blackbird singing. 95ha. Rain in spring so mildew threat. Dry summer, a little rain in 15th Aug and in Sept. Healthy grapes and easy harvest. 13.5% 58%CS 29%M 7%CF 6%PV Lovely exotic nose with violets, black fruits, spices, Strong character of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc, very fresh. Merlot is charming and opulent. Interesting blend. Nice acidity. Lower yield 40hl/ha. Soft extraction, lower alcohol than 2019, compare with 2010 bit more complex than 2019. 40% new oak. Well balanced, creamy integrated tannins, lovely length, First class.

CWM Rating - Starred First Biodynamic conversion. Helps when climate is difficult to manage so health of the soil is very important. 2020 all major events of the season were successful; good flowering, hydric stress after veraison, good ripeness. Bright aromatics typical of vintage. 65% CS, old vines on gravel, 30% Merlot v successful in 2020, best vintage for 10 years, 5% PV from old vines thick skins small berries adding density. 3.55 pH 13.5% 10% less yield than 2019. 50% new oak, some concrete egg fermenters. Serious Cabernet nose with cedar and gravitas, class and structure, lithe tannins though everything perfectly ripe.

CWM Rating - High 2:1 13.9% 34 hl/ha. 54CS 34M 6PV & 6CF 2020 is about roundness, opulence. Not a big wine as not big extraction, mid palate built on fatness, soft tannins, fresh finish. Plenty of flavour and texture.

CWM Ranking: High 2:1 55% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot. 30% new oak. Dark ruby, aromatic with dark blackcurrant and currant, treacle, coffee. Firm tannins grip the palate but there’s fruit there too and a chocolate edge, long and rich, oaky. Needs some time to integrate.

89/100 Jane Anson, Decanter "Plum colour, attractive bright purple reflections, they have done a good job of finessing the nose. Lacks a little balance through the body of the wine, but the concentration and tight tannins are tempered by careful grilled coffee and vanilla bean sweetness, and brambled berry fruit appears with coaxing. A yield of 30hl/ha. 25% new oak for ageing, with amphora also used. New owner Gérard Jicquel since 2019 (he also bought Château d'Agassac this year)."

CWM Ranking - First Class 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. 77.5ha, 34 hl/ha, 13.5%. 150 different parcels. 40% new oak. Etienne Charriet winemaker. Just pigeage used for extraction. Deep dark opaque ruby colour. Very pretty aromas. Mixed hedgerow fruit. Like a very high class jam / jelly / compote. Cedar, creamy oak, and secondary sweetness. Very good, harmonious rich and juicy palate. Plums and cherry, some elegant oak and medium full bodied attack.

CWM Ranking: - First Class Decent yields of 50 hl/ha help keep this regular performer on an even keel pricewise. 60% Cab Sauv 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. 25% new oak. V dark, opaque black purple. Savoury, woody, nose, then fine rich fruit with plenty of concentration, backed up with some ripe but big tannins and fine acidity.

91/100 Jane Anson, Decanter "Fragrant with fresh lilac and peonies on the aromatics, fairly high acidities overall with sculpted blackcurrant fruits. A higher level of Cabernet Sauvignon than in recent years after the replanting in the vineyard. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend, 3.85pH, 60% new oak. A yield of 33hl/ha."

CWM Ranking: Starred First 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot. All picked in second half of September. Dark ruby, Exotic aromas with primary and secondary characteristics already present. Big yet silky palate with lots of cassis, plums, chocolate. Supple, juicy, well structured. Creamy oak but well integrated with ripe fruit. Very good. Precise, well balanced, poised. Rich and long finish. Quite luxurious. Excellent integration of tannins, acidity, and alcohol. Certainly a keeper.

CWM Ranking - First Class 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Veronique Dausse considers this a good vintage for St Estephe. The clay soils protected the vines from water stress during the drought-like summer. There is a lot of Merlot planted across the 70ha of vineyards at Phelan Segur. Average yield for St Estephe 41hl ha . 44hl ha at Phelan, clay helped. Deep dark ruby, chocolate and cassis nose, good concentration, fresh and energetic, long, fine and precise. Tannins were well integrated and well balanced.

Wine Advocate James Suckling Decanter Jeb Dunnuck Jancis Robinson Jean-Marc Quarin 93-95 96-97 94 95-97 18 17 Jancis Robinson "85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot. Aged for 18 months in barrel (60% new). Lustrous purple. Minerally, stony, saline nose. Really remarkably opulent on palate entry which almost distracts from those massive tannins underneath. There's just a suggestion of vintage port tannins here (not the sweetness). Very fine winemaking indeed. I have to admit I was tempted to swallow this, it was so majestic. I don't remember being as bowled over by a Léoville Barton at this early stage before. Lovely, confident, persistent finish. Such grace!"

CWM Ranking - Starred First 79 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Low yield of 33 hl/ha (roughly the average for the appellation) 13.3% ABV. A classic example of a difficult growing season leading eventually to a harvest of great quality fruit and a superb wine. Hydric stress led to blocked maturation so harvesting was delayed, resulting in even lower yields as September heat built. Dark Cabernet aromas, juicy and structured. Plenty of tannins. Quite densely packed fruit on the nose; ripe blackcurrant along with bitter chocolate and cedar. Lovely weight, richness, power and balance. Some blue fruit on the palate. Layered tannin. VERY polished. Supple. Very enjoyable. A well integrated touch of creamy oak (50% new). Red fruit freshness and acidity on finish. Long and really fine, excellent structure with more layers as the wine evolves. This wine has a long time to go.

CWM Ranking - First Class 76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. 13.3% ABV 35 hl/ha yield. 60% new oak This is the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Grand Vin since 2013. Clay subsoils saved Talbot’s vines from excessive stress in the dry summer, and on the contrary allowed them to accumulate tannins, anthocyanins, and sugar at a very early stage. The result is full and very aromatic Merlot, charming and spicy Petit Verdot, and, above all, high-class Cabernet Sauvignon: highly coloured, extremely well-structured tannins, and with great complexity. This is a ripe and intense wine with good power, with fruit matching the high levels of tannin. Long and well structured. Good creaminess on the mid palate. Elegant lift on the finish

This delicious Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays cranberry and briary aromas with hints of brown butter and clove. On the palate, the rich mix of cranberry and black currant flavours set against a beautifully integrated backdrop of lightly toasted oak, all leading to a smooth lingering finish of berries and butter. Full bodied 88% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Petit Verdot 3% Merlot 1,5% Cabernet Franc and 1,5% Malbec blend from Napa, USA.

Generations is a Bordeaux-style blend created to honor our family's past, present and future. The fruit is night-picked from our estate vineyards in Yountville and aged in new French oak barrels. Aromas of black cherry, coffee bean and blueberry segue to a full-bodied wine with a long finish of ripe berry and toasty crème brûlée. THE VINTAGE Napa Valley received a steady amount of rain during the winter months, saturating the ground and paving the way for the vintage to come. The early and mild spring saw a good berry set, while the rest of the season was marked by some significant heat spikes in June and August with one final spike over Labor Day Weekend, which all combined to make it one of the hotter years on record. While the harvest was slightly smaller than normal—with moderate berry and cluster size—the quality was exceptional.