
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! — 4 months ago
Solid. Some terroir — 5 months ago
Solid value here — 5 months ago
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Red and black fruits on the nose with cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco and chocolates.
Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.
Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, spices and chocolates.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a very tasty GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Elegant and nicely balanced. Tangy and interesting.
Still young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.
Already drinking nicely, even by itself as a sipping wine.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Aged in large French oak barrels.
14% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$70. — 7 months ago
Light and lovely, very easy to drink! No oakiness at all. — 4 years ago
Aerated and decanted for 2 hours. Drinking so nicely. Beautiful finish — 6 years ago
I liked it a lot — a month ago
#AgedWineTuesday.
Dark ruby in color with a reddish/ brick rim.
Pretty nose of red and black fruits with cedar, licorice and chocolate notes.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, plums, light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates, black pepper and tobacco leaf.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious 14 year old GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rich, but not extracted. Elegant with lots of chocolate notes. Well balanced with nice complexity.
Impressively fresh and youthful for its age, with good structure and balance. The high alcohol is well integrated by now.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.
Drinking at its peak, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
A gorgeous wine to drink by itself or with food.
A blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre. Grapes from very old vines are aged in new French oak barrels for 14 months.
15% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$100. — 3 months ago
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. — 5 months ago
Lovely light Provençal Rosé. Light strawberry flavor with some vanilla. Perfect with light mild fish. . — 2 years ago
Very young but lots of promise. I gave this 4 hrs in the decanter before consuming. — 5 years ago


2018 vintage. Cooked pineapple. Toasted coconut. Dry lemon curd. Just sweet enough. — 3 months ago
Yup a new one to me and it’s well proportioned and lively on palate with well aged ripe fruits and earthy. Tasty! — 7 months ago
2022 vintage. One of the Castel family estates since 1973 ( before the estate was known as Domaine de Tartuguière). With 144 hectares of vines,this is the largest contiguous vineyard in the Médoc. Vanessa Trouy has been in charge since 2002. Dark red colour. Needs a bit of time to open up, give it 15 minutes to release attractive aromas of strawberries, flowers, nutmeg and oak. Good fruit concentration in the mouth, with a solid tannic structure,fresh acidity and nice length. This will need a few years to show all its potential, and has serious ageing potential. For now decanting is recommended, pair with a good steak. Another terrific Bordeaux value. — 9 months ago
Apple. Very clean. A lot of bubbles. Yum! — 6 years ago
Ming L
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. — a month ago