Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Cantemerle 2023 – Haut-Médoc, BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A beautifully expressive Left Bank blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 71%, Merlot 18%, Petit Verdot 7%, and Cabernet Franc 4% that delivers immediate charm while retaining classic Haut-Médoc structure and aging potential. The wine shows vibrant fruit purity, polished tannins, and a well-judged touch of oak, making it approachable young yet capable of evolving gracefully over the coming decade.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe blackberry, black cherry, cassis, and plum layered with subtle cedar, vanilla spice, graphite, and a gentle floral lift. Fresh berry brightness carries through the palate, framed by light savory notes and a refined oak accent that enhances rather than dominates.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with supple texture and finely integrated tannins. Juicy, energetic entry with excellent balance between fruit concentration and freshness. Smooth mid-palate flow and a clean, persistent finish that stays lively and inviting.

Food Pairings
Grilled steak, roast chicken, lamb chops, mushroom risotto, charcuterie boards, aged Gruyère or Comté, and classic bistro fare. A versatile table wine that shines across a wide range of savory dishes.

🍷 Personal Pick
Cantemerle never disappoints, this is pure drinking pleasure wrapped in Bordeaux elegance. Juicy, polished, and instantly enjoyable, yet grounded with just enough structure to remind you why Haut-Médoc remains timeless. A perfect bottle when you want serious pedigree without serious effort.

Did You Know?
Château Cantemerle is classified as a Fifth Growth in the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification and is known for producing some of the most consistently approachable and age-worthy wines of the Médoc, often offering outstanding value relative to its pedigree. — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Château Haut-Batailley 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé, BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A beautifully structured and layered Pauillac delivering serious grip, depth of red fruit, and refined finesse, driven by a 60% Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with 37% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot support. The wine shows clear complexity and architectural balance, combining power and polish without heaviness, positioning itself as a confident mid-pack contender capable of punching above its weight.

Aromas & Flavors
Red currant, cassis, wild raspberry, graphite, cedar shavings, crushed gravel, subtle tobacco leaf, cocoa dust and fresh spice.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with firm, finely grained tannins, excellent mid-palate density, vibrant yet integrated acidity, precise structural tension, and a long, focused finish that grips beautifully without roughness.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb rack, beef bourguignon, duck breast, rosemary potatoes, aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A poised and confident Pauillac showing layered complexity, structural clarity, and real finesse. Not a brute-force heavyweight, but a beautifully driven, technically precise wine with strong aging potential and excellent balance.

🍷 Personal Pick
This feels like a wine that thrives on precision rather than raw horsepower, beautifully controlled grip, layered red fruit, and elegant finesse throughout. The kind of bottle that rewards attention and quietly impresses from start to finish. — 2 days ago

Doug Powers

9.3

This wine seems finally mature, with tannins fully resolved, but still showing a firm backbone and structure, fresh acidity, very good balance, lingering finish, always a good wine for me. Funny anecdote about Sociando-Mallet, at least in the 1980s they used the worst “glue” on their labels, so about 1/3 of them fall off — as long as the bottles are in OWCs, not a big deal, but this is one where the label did fall off. 🤔🤷 — a month ago

with Jim

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2020 vintage. One of the best I've tasted from this very reliable Château, only surpassed by the 2022. — 16 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc 2019 – Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Pessac-Léognan white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon (Sauvignon dominant) 70% Sauvignon Blanc with 30% Sémillon, delivering tension, texture, and layered complexity. Sauvignon Blanc drives citrus energy, minerality, and aromatic lift, while Sémillon contributes mid-palate weight, subtle creaminess, and aging potential. This is a serious white Bordeaux built for balance rather than flash, expressive yet restrained, polished and quietly powerful.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh lemon zest, grapefruit pith, white peach, and green apple. Subtle white flowers, crushed stone, and gentle herbal tones. Light almond, beeswax, and faint vanilla from integrated oak. Citrus oil and saline minerality linger through the finish with beautiful clarity and precision.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a vibrant, energetic entry. Crisp, linear acidity balanced by Sémillon’s rounded texture. Silky mid-palate with excellent tension and freshness. Clean, focused, long finish with mineral persistence and refined structure.

Food Pairings
Chilean sea bass, halibut, or turbot with light citrus or beurre blanc. Scallops, shrimp, or lobster. Roast chicken with herbs and lemon. Soft cheeses, triple-cream brie, or fresh chèvre. Elegant vegetable dishes, asparagus, fennel, or spring peas. A natural partner for delicate yet flavorful cuisine.

🍷 Personal Pick
This sits right in my sweet spot for Bordeaux whites, delicacy, precision, freshness, and texture in perfect harmony. Beautiful on its own, but truly shines at the table. One of those bottles that reminds you why great Sauvignon-driven Bordeaux can quietly outperform flashier styles.

Did You Know?
Pessac-Léognan whites are often fermented and aged partially in oak with lees contact, giving Sauvignon Blanc added depth and texture without masking freshness. Sémillon plays a crucial role by enhancing mouthfeel, aging potential, and savory complexity, a hallmark of top Graves and Pessac whites. — 4 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1961 vintage. Ahoy there! Lower neck fill. Durand employed. Opened (not decanted) with plenty of cork splintering/crumbles despite the Durand and meticulous/slow movements. Cork stayed intact but just barely and about 80% saturated. Extensive (3-4 minutes) cleaning of the bottle lip and inch-deep, upper neck to remove fused cork residue. Tasted 45 mins, 2 hours, 4 hours and 6 hours after opening. Heavier body than expected given the producer. A bit of a slap in the face as it rolled in as medium/medium-heavy body which is hilarious. Nose initially a mysterious, century+ sitting room with plenty of decay, dust and past. Things shifted to soy/teriyaki sauce fairly shortly after with a little 5-10 minute fried chicken nose that vanished. Various (dark/semi-sweet) chocolates and cherry reduction sauce eventually emerged. A paced, harmonious narrative stayed constant throughout. Gorgeous experience. Didn't exactly diminish my impressions of H-B being the best first growth in BDX. It's generally the lightest and least-flashy. 1.23.26. — a day ago

JKT

9.0

Very tasty classic Bordeaux of twenty years, medium bodied earthy red fruited lifted profile — 3 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A beautifully balanced Pessac-Léognan red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 65% · Merlot 30% · Cabernet Franc 4% · Petit Verdot 1% that delivers finesse, aromatic complexity, and immediate approachability while maintaining classical structure and aging potential. Cabernet Sauvignon provides backbone, graphite tension, and dark fruit depth, Merlot softens the palate with plush texture and generosity, Cabernet Franc adds lift and floral spice, while Petit Verdot contributes subtle color, grip, and savory edge. A textbook expression of modern-classic Pessac harmony.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, ripe plum, and dark cherry layered with cedar, graphite, cocoa nib, tobacco leaf, crushed gravel, and subtle floral lift. The fruit feels vibrant and pure with beautifully integrated oak and savory mineral nuance.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with finely polished tannins and excellent balance between freshness and density. Silky entry, energetic mid-palate, and a long, clean, gently savory finish. Elegant rather than massive, delivering precision and drinkability without sacrificing depth.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom-based dishes, herb-roasted poultry, aged hard cheeses, and classic French bistro fare. Equally rewarding with refined meals or elevated casual cooking.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Pessac that keeps you reaching for another glass, delicate yet layered, polished yet expressive, and dangerously easy to enjoy young. Immediate gratification today, with the structure and balance to reward cellaring down the road. A beautiful testament to classical Pessac elegance done right.

Did You Know?
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is known for its gravel-rich soils in Pessac-Léognan, which drive freshness, mineral tension, and aromatic lift in both red and white wines, helping maintain balance even in warmer vintages. — 2 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Elegant and highly energized dry white showing vivid tension and polish, driven by Sauvignon Blanc 90%, Sémillon 5% and Sauvignon Gris 5%. Bright citrus and stone fruit lead into subtle floral lift and gentle oak framing, delivering full flavor intensity without heaviness. The acidity is fully active yet beautifully controlled, giving precision, length, and clarity rather than sharpness.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon zest, grapefruit pith, white peach, green apple, crushed stone, acacia blossom, subtle almond and light toast.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, taut and linear with a silky mid-palate, vibrant acid spine, and a clean, saline-tinged finish that keeps everything lifted and fresh.

Food Pairings
Seared scallops, citrus-driven crudo, grilled branzino, goat cheese, herb-roasted chicken, light truffle pasta.

Verdict
A polished, terroir-driven white that balances energy and refinement effortlessly. Serious freshness without aggression, a textbook modern Pessac Blanc showing both drinkability and aging promise.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of white Bordeaux, fully alive on the palate, laser-focused acidity without fatigue, and quietly layered. — 2 days ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.4

Dark rubi robe, nose of cedar, dark cherries and asian spices. Medium bodied, oh so elegant tannins, notes of tobacco, berries and anise. Very long, very elegant. This is probably as good as it gets in terms of elegance and complexity in Rive Gauche Bordeaux other than first growths, and not by much. Enthusiastically recommended. — 20 days ago

with Jamie, Jose and 2 others