BORDEAUX 1995

VINTAGE ASSESSMENT AND TASTING NOTES

Index
* - Fair
** - Quite Good
*** - Good
**** - Excellent
***** - Outstanding


Cru Bourgeois

Chateau La Tour de By Medoc - Excellent colour, quite opulent, perfumed nose, plenty of concentration, good soft tannins and acidity. Pleasant finish , will be good value. Quality: ** Value : ***

Chateau Verdignan Haut Medoc - Very good colour, this has a little extra dimension, superb concewntrattion of blackcurrant fruit, some tannin though heavily masked with silky texture, very good for the appelation. Quality: **(*) Value: ****

Chateau La Tour Carnet Haut Medoc - Excellent colour, red fruits on the nose. A juicy concentration palate texture. Good balancing structure. Not a big wine but well made. Very good for the appellation. Quality: **(*) Value: ***

Chateau Citran Haut Medoc - Very full colour, good cassis nose, a commendably rich well endowed palate consistency and concentration. Very good for the appelation. Quality: **(*) Value: ***

Chateau Poujeaux Moulis - Excellent colour, firm unyielding nose, with good concentration, this has more richness in the middle palate than the other Cru Bourgeois, a firm structure. This has much more long term make up. Again a wine well above that which it's status reflects. Quality: *** Value: ***



Region de Saint Estephe

Chateau Phelan Segur - Full deep plum colour, concentrated blackcurrant nose, rich, very full acidic and tannic, excellent. Quality: **(*) Value: ***

Chateau Lafon Rochet 5th Cru - Very deep colour, ripe concentrated palate, round and complexx. Good balance with a nice oaky finish. A wine with a charming opulance due to the 60% merlot cepage. Quality: **(*) Value: ***

Chateau La Dame Montrose - Full colour, very nice nose, round concentrated, soft will drink well in 3 years. Quality: **(*) Value: ***

Montrose 2nd Cru Classe - Almost black, very interesting nose of chocolate and black fruits, on the palate, very rich and concentrated with superb balance. A wine which will be approachable throughout itts life. Quality: ***(*) Value: ***

Chateau Haut Marbuzet Grand Vin - 100 % new Oak, medium to full colour, nose: rich sweet and open, concentrated and spicy, soft fruit on the palate, nice ripe tannins, long delicious finish. Quality: *** Value ***

Cos D'Estournel 2nd Cru - Fantastic deep colour, a cocktail of exotic fruits with the tell-tale cigar-box nose hidden at the rear, immediate warm fruit, soft expansive round and suplle palate. Good tannic finish showing excellent backbone. Very well balanced generosity and structure. Very long vanilla finish. A high quality '95. Quality: **** Value ***(*)



R¼

Croizet Bages 5th Cru - Bright plum colour, open high-toned fruity nose, of strawberries, opulent weighty palate, very forthcoming and charming, with good ripe tannins. Will be very good value and an early drinker. Quality: *** Value ***(*)

Haut Bages Liberal 5th Cru - Very nice deep colour, lovely vanilla over-tones on the nose rich spicy and concentrated palate. Well balanced all round. Quality: *** Value: ***(*)

Duhart Milon de Rothschild 4th Cru - Excellent deep appearance, the nose immediately offers concentrated cassis flavours combined with vanilla, Good glossy fruit texture on tthe palate, smothering the tannins. Rich and velvety. I like the style here. Very good. Quality: *** Value ***(*)

Lynch Moussas 5th Cru - Fine colour, full sweet nose with a touch of cream,, Nice concentration a solid weight. Quite an extracted wine with considerable tannic backbone, but will be balannced with afew years bottle age. Will be good value. Quality: **(*) Value ***

Lynch Bages 5th Cru - Very good colour, elegantly rich nose, very good texture and style of fruit concentration here. Fine extract and pulp. A noble, muscular wine wioth a long and homogeous finish and immpeccable balance. A star of the vintage. Quality: **** Value: ****

Chateau Pontet Canet 5th cru - Fine colour, beautifully rich red fruits on the nose, chunky, generous palate, round, dense and cedary. Ripe tannins, nice vanilla finish, long and satisfying. Very good. Quality: *** Value ****

Chateau Pichon Baron Longueville 2nd Cru - Extremely full plum colour, nose is a little unexpressive. The palate is very exotic and classy, rich and opulent, a star for sure, very concentrated and intense, long finish. Very good. Quality: **** Value: ***(*)

Chateau Pichon Lalande 2nd Cru - Fine colour, fine rich nose, deep and exotic, sexy. The palate is fat round and complex with a black fruits base. Soft, forward, refreshing and delicious. Very deep Colour, very full open nose rich and aromatic, good fruit, excellent weight, some spice, lovely soft merlot tannins. Good length. Elegant wine, generous, well balanced oaky finish. Quality: **** Value: ***(*)

Pauillac de Latour (third wine of Latour) - Very deep colour, very rich deep scented black fruits, spicy, velvety, silky, good structure and acidity. Long and very appealing for drinking in about 3-4 years Quality: *** Value: ****

Les Forts de Latour (second wine of Latour) - Superb colour, classically endowed, reserved nose. Full body, velvety round, solid girder in the middle palate, complex tannic structure with a spicy cedar finish. Very good for a the category. Quality: ***(*) Value: ****

Chateau Latour Premier Cru - Extremely fine colour, extraordinarily rich nose of red and black fruits, confiture, initially a velvety rich blanket over the palate, an exciting amount of complex flavours. The structure gradually fighting its way through the silky texture. There is considerable size and concentration here a real blockbuster. Quality: ***** Value: ****

Chateau D'Armailhac 5th Cru - Nice full colour, rich spicy nose, big gutsy fruit , good acidity, holds well. More powerful than the 1994. Quality: *** Value: ****

Chateau Clerc Milon 5th Cru - Deeper colour than above, more closed on the nose, rich seductive round and supple. A powrful weighty wine with nice vanilla flavours on the finish. Quality: *** Value: ****

Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru - Very full, dark colour. The nose is still very closed as alwayys with Mouton.. The palate is four square revealing little of its character, soft and velvety texture very tannic and concentrated a well balanced heavy weight. Difficult to assess at this stage. Aristocratic. Quality: **** Value: ***

Carruades de Lafite (2nd wine Lafite) - Lovely deep plum colour, fine underlying cherry fruit, a rich in concentration with a commendable soft finish, a well balanced wine for relatively early drinking. Excellant value to be had here. Quality: *** Value ****

Chateau Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru - Slightly deeper than the 1994. Nose is fairly closed revealing a hint of cedar, on the palate, well integrated flavours and weight of red and black fruits, quite exotic spicy and complex. A very diverse complex finish with asubtle hint of vanilla. Certainly this is a very fine wine. Quality: ****(*) Value: ***(*)



Region de St. Julien

Chateau Branaire Ducru 3rd Cru - Good colour, Rich opulent palate, soft easy and enticing, good backbone, a well made wine. Quality: *** Value: ***(*)

Chateau Lagrange 2nd Cru - Very nice colour, super concentrated nose, still a little reserved, the palate is round and fat with lots of supple complex flavours. A big wine requiring 6-8 years bottle age. Certainly very good approaching the quality of the 1990. Quality: ***(*) Value ****

Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2nd Cru - Nice full colour, rich nose, a charming, seductive supple style of wine with generous body and ample tannic backbone. Excellent acidity, long spicy complex finish. Very good for the commune. Quality: ***(*) Value ****

Chateau Gruaud Larose 2nd Cru - Exceptional colour, Excellent depth on tthe nose, palate, round succulent and supple, ripe tannins, very good persistence a very good example. Quality: ***(*) Value: ****

Chateau Leoville Barton 2nd Cru - Exceptional full colour, quite a firm unyielding nose, elegant and subtle, very good palate weight, with soft fruits and bags of ripe taninns. This seems to have more complexity, power and equilibrium than many, good acidity, very long on the finish. Very fine. Quality: **** Value: *****



Region de Margaux

Chateau D'Angludet Cru Bourgeois - Very good colour, nose a little dumb. Very nice concentrattion of fruit on tthe palate, round and supple. Nice ripe backing structure. Sweet plums on the finish. Quality: *** Value ****

Chateau Monbrison Cru Bourgeois - Medium to Good colour, rich, ripe and concenmtrated red fruits on the nose, high-toned flavours, good and balance. Not a big wine but stylish. Quality: *** Value: ***

Chateau Prieure Lichine - Very good colour and nose, rich creamy concentrattion on tthe palate, velvety supple and round, good balance. I like the style here. Quality: ***(*) Value: *****

Chateau Lascombes - 35% Merlot, 58% Cabernet, 2% Petit Verdot, 5% Caberenet Franc. Excellent colour, very complex nose, with that extra soft sweetness apparent now with Lascombes, round and intricate palate. A seductive wine certainly the best made so far at Lascombes. Very good. Quality: **** Value: *****

Chateau Rausan Segla 2nd Cru - Extraordinary colour, very exciting nose, rich in blackcurrants, very good size, velvety texture, powerful but ripe tannins, good balance, round and complete. A blockbuster with a long life ahead, but will be apprachable throughout its progression. Very good indeed. Quality:****(*)Value: ****

Chateau Palmer 3rd Cru - Awesome colour, lots of legs. Very impressive open sexy nose. This has depth and class, very good texture, spicy and rich palate, flavoury peppery finish. Very good indeed. Quality: **** Value: ***

Chateau Margaux Premier Cru - 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Very deep colour for Margaux. Elegant nose of cedar and rich fruits, an immediate impression of class here. This has everything, excellent power with a certain subtlety, balance, concentration finesse and a fomidable length on the finish. Surely a great Margaux. Quality: ***** Value *****



Region de Graves Pessac Leognan

La Mission Haut Brion Grand Vin - Very deep colour, Very spicy, peppery nose. Palate has full rich concentration, with good acidity and very good length. This will be undoubtedly very good. Quality: **** Value: ***

Chateau Haut Brion Premier Cru - Fine colour, very high-toned nose, of red fruits, powerful palate weight, solid structure, with subtle oak finish, long and impressive. Quality: ****(*)Value: ***(*)



Region de Saint Emilion

Troplong Mondot Grand Cru Classe - Very deep colour, Firm closed nose, with richness creeping through from behind, Very rich palate with concentarttion, weight and complexity, long and supple. Perhaps less flattering than would have been expected palate, but still very good. Quality: ***(*) Value: ****

Chateau Grand Mayne Grand Cru Classe - Opaque appearance, nose showing some richness but a little closed, solid weight, silky texture, complex with rigorous tannins on the finish. Soft and seductive with a considerable extraction which will require considerable bottle age. Patience will reward. Quality: *** Value: ****

Chateau La Dominique Grand Cru Classe - Full colour, Stawberry juice nose, good weight on the palte with lots of tannin and acidity. Long complex flavours. Elegant. Quality: ***(*) Value: ****

Chateau Clos Fourtet 1er Grand Cru Classe - Very nice full colour, seems to have extra dimension. Warm concentrated fruit, lots of sttyle here. Structured nice wine. Quality: ***(*) Value: ***(*)

Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere Grand Cru Classe - Very dark colour, rich and concentrated nose, more structure on the palate than many. This is a serious complex St Emilion which will develop over 6-8 years. Quality: ***(*) Value: ****

Chateau Figeac 1er Grand Cru Classe - Very full attractive colour, very rich nose ripe sweet blackberries, round supple velvety sweet palate. Good backbone. A smartly concentrated wine. Quality: ***(*) Value: ***

Chateau Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classe - Very deep colour. Very concentrated cassis nose. extremely powerful, rich, spicy palate, multi-dimentional flavours, very good ripeness. A long classical finish. Will be a very good wine requiring 10 years bottle age. Fo me the pinnacle of the commune this year. Quality: ***** Value: *****

Chateau Canon 1er Grand Cru Classe - Very full colour, superb nose of red fruits, complex, strawberry and rasberries, palate holds good acidityy, packed with fruit, plenty of ripe tannins. Very good grip and length. Excellent. Quality: **** Value: ****

Chateau Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru Classe - Very good colour, closed powerfully endowed nose, Very forceful palate weight, there is considerable depth here in the middle palate, Sweetness clabouring from beneath, good flesh and tannins which appear very ripe. This is a big wine for Cheval Blanc. Very good indeed. Quality: ****(*) Value:****



Region de Pomerol

Chateau L'Evangile - Very intense colour, nose of prunes and fruit cocktail with fresh cream, awesome concentration. Fabulous texture, supple and puissant. A very exciting wine which will require little bottle age to reveal its charm. Quality: ****(*) Value: ****

Chateau L'Eglise Clinet - Superb colour very deep at the centre, vibrant nose, very full palate weight, velvety tannins breaking through giving a solid structure. Excellent length and class on the finish. Quality: **** Value: ****

Vieux Chateau certan - Fine colour, the nose is a little sedated, subtle nuances of sweet blackberries, powerful, round, seductive, unctuous palate, very rich and comlex flavours. The backbone here is considerable. Superb complicated finish. Very good indeed. Quality: **** Value: ****

Chateau Beauregard - Certainly tthere is richness here on the palate, soft forward and delicious. Nice vanilla flavours on the finish. The tannins are very ripe and not over apparent. This will be a wine to enjoy in its early life, but perhaps not a keeper. Very good example for this chateau. Quality:***(*) Value: ****(*)

Chateau La Conseillante - Full colour, classy nose of blackcurrants and syrup. This has body and extra weight on the palate, lovely concentrated texture with a substantial structure. Very good indeed. Quality: ****(*) Value: ****(*)