Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Clos des Lunes "Lune d'Argent" 2024. Bordeaux Blanc – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Bordeaux Blanc crafted from 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, produced by Clos des Lunes, the white wine estate of the Bernard family (SC Domaine de Chevalier) in one of Bordeaux's finest white wine terroirs. While still in its youth, the 2024 vintage already reveals exceptional balance, precision, and elegance. Its beautifully integrated texture hints at an even brighter future with a few years of bottle age.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive aromas of white peach, ripe citrus, honeysuckle, lemon blossom, and fresh herbs unfold alongside subtle notes of wet stone and flint. The palate is layered yet remarkably refined, where the richness of Sémillon meets the freshness and lift of Sauvignon Blanc.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a silky, almost creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity. Despite its youthful structure, the edges are already remarkably soft, leading to a long, mineral-driven finish that lingers with freshness rather than weight.

Food Pairings
A natural companion for oysters, scallops, lobster, grilled prawns, sea bass, Dover sole, or creamy goat cheese. Its precision and elegance make it an outstanding seafood wine.

Verdict
Another outstanding vintage that continues the remarkable consistency of Clos des Lunes. The 2024 is tighter than the 2023 but noticeably more polished, combining youthful energy with impressive finesse. Delicious today, yet clearly built to reward three to six years of cellaring.

Did You Know?
Clos des Lunes is owned by the Bernard family, also proprietors of the prestigious Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan. Although produced under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation, the estate applies many of the same meticulous vineyard and cellar practices that have made Domaine de Chevalier one of Bordeaux's benchmark producers of dry white wine.

🍷 Personal Pick
This has quietly become one of the cornerstone whites in my cellar. I've followed several vintages, and each one seems to refine the style even further. The 2024 impressed me with its precision, softer edges, and seamless balance despite its youth. It's one of those bottles I never hesitate to recommend, beautiful now with seafood, but patient enthusiast will be rewarded with even greater complexity in a few years.
— 5 days ago

Yoly Sardinas

9.2

Capital Grill - Providence RI — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

More or less the same aspect as the Pucelles, medium gold in colour . A lot more reserved and younger on the nose , more linear and mineral , seashell, light lemon and some white flowers . This is discreet , at least on the nose , on the palate however this is intense but linear and focused , with a touch of lemon oil , but mostly chalky mineral , seashell notes , long vibrant length . Really fresh and vital though there is good mouthfeel , just a hint of toastiness on the finish . Long and fine , fresh and still young . From now and over the next 5- 10 years . Also a late release from the domaine , with wax capsule and Diam cork. — 3 months ago

Michael Amoruso

9.2

2018 vintage. Cooked pineapple. Toasted coconut. Dry lemon curd. Just sweet enough. — 4 months ago

Mike Evans

9.6

Stunning and agile. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château La Tour de Bessan Margaux 2022 — Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Left Bank blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot · 5% Petit Verdot (estate typically varies slightly by vintage) delivering structure, elegance, and aromatic finesse. Great frame and graphite tension coming from the Cab Sauv., mid-palate polish thanks to Merlot, and liked how Petit Verdot brings subtle spice and color depth. A beautifully traditional, unclassified Margaux that punches above its weight.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, violet, pencil shavings, cedar, light tobacco, and crushed stone. Fruit stays fresh and pure with delicate floral lift typical of the appellation.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with polished, fine-grained tannins. Dry, linear, and elegant rather than powerful. Balanced acidity keeps everything lifted and graceful with a clean, savory finish.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, grilled lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom risotto, lentils, Comté or aged goat cheese. A very food-friendly claret.

Verdict
Proof that Margaux elegance doesn’t require classified growth pricing. Refined, honest, and beautifully composed. Delicious now with air, but easily cellar-worthy for 6–10 years.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of “weekday Bordeaux”, structured yet graceful, polished without heaviness. The sort of bottle that quietly disappears over dinner because everything just clicks.

Did You Know?
La Tour de Bessan is run by Marie-Laure Lurton (of the Lurton family estates) and is known for crafting textbook, terroir-driven Margaux expressions that emphasize finesse over extraction. — 6 months ago

Kurt Schuster

9.3

Lush and velvety and plump. It’s hard to say restrained fruit forward but that’s what it feels like. It’s not an overwhelming fruit bomb, but it’s a smack you in the face with just the right amount of subtlety. Good structure, even though you can’t even tell any tans or acid or present, deep like almost inky black color. It’s surprising because I found it light and my wife found it heavy and both are right. It actually did not go with our dinner have an Italian style steak with arugula and Parmesan, that’s not the wine‘s fault it’s me choosing the wrong line. Silken expressive, but I don’t wanna call it constrained more like concentrated expression of the wine versus something dynamic and evolving. Absolutely delicious, but also heady and overwhelming.  — a day ago

with Denise

Michael Bontà

9.5

Clear pale salmon. Medium + intensity on the nose with strawberry, blood orange, geranium leaf, pink grapefruit, tomato leaf, white peach. On the palate dry, medium + acidity, medium + intensity medium body, long finish and medium alcohol with notes of grapefruit, red cherry, grass, white peach and something plastic that I can't quite identify but isn't undesirable. Outstanding wine and fun to drink on its own without food. Creamy and sophisticated — 7 days ago

Ming L

9.4

The nose opens with waves of ripe black cherry, cassis, plum liqueur, and dark chocolate Beneath the opulence lies impressive complexity with hints of espresso, violets, and peppery spice emerge gradually with air. The palate is dense and supple, showing warmth and generosity. Plenty of nuance beneath the lavish fruit.

Possibly the best value for a St-Emilion GCC. Will need to seek out more. — 2 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

Cena dauvenay — 4 months ago

Ming L

9.3

The nose is a tapestry of ripe plum, cedar, and smoky graphite, with a vivid burst of crème de cassis and violets. The palate is plush and sleek, offering concentrated blackberry and earthy notes framed by suave tannins. Finish is long and savoury.

Purchased at around $40. What a value! — 5 months ago

Brad Jensen

9.5

Velvety red fruits, vanilla, rubber industrial tubing, cracked pepper and wet forest floor permeate the nose, with a slight malo character that pervades, along with an overall floral element that wafts throughout. You can tell the pedigree with this. Deep red/purple coloration on a medium to full body, and even though this in young, the acidity seems well aligned, with tannins perfectly integrated, dry, but not austere. Palate is rich and refined, with prominent red fruits, not overly jammy or fleshy, but silky plums, black cherries, granite or graphite, with pencil shavings, slight balsamic characteristics, and a loooong lingering dry palate that lingers for quite some time. Really impressive for a wine so young! — 5 months ago

with Tiva

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

1993 vintage. Last tasted 7.15.25 (9.0). Sampled via Coravin. Beautifully, supple body which is the best compliment this effort has going for it currently. Not much going on elsewhere. 6.24.26. — a month ago

hyoah jeon

9.0

Pineapple, soft minerality with a honey sweetness. Slightly off dry, (to my taste) and provides perfect structural balance throughout — 13 days ago

romo

9.1

Likely the top QBR this year. - at Archer — a month ago

Jen Landon

8.9

I liked it a lot — 2 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2016 | True to type Sauternes | paired with apple crumble — 4 months ago

Mike Evans

9.4

Tropical but with lovely weight and depth. — 5 months ago

Chris MacLean

9.1

More focused than the 2015 as you might expect. Integrated butterscotch and rocks. — 5 months ago

with Sarah

Andy@andyberke.com

8.9

Solid. Some terroir — 6 months ago