Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Bottled in late July, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is an amazing effort, especially when one considers the production volume. Loaded with black cherry fruit and cola-like spice, this full-bodied, richly textured wine never seems heavy or warm, while exotic Indian spice notes linger on the finish. It should drink well for at least 20 years.

Bottled in May, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is a floral, elegant, unbelievably complex wine. Roses and violets, cherries and stone fruit, cinnamon and allspice and more are carried across the full-bodied yet almost weightless palate, finishing in a swirl of silky tannins and lingering spice. Drink it over the next two decades.(JC)

The pale to medium lemon-gold colored 2005 d'Yquem opens with a provocative, mineral and earth-tinged nose of chalk dust, wet pebbles and dried wild mushrooms over a core of warm apricots, green mango, honeyed toast, ginger and pink grapefruit plus wafts of honeycomb, orange blossoms and saffron. The palate confirms the wine is still a little closed and shut down, offering achingly gorgeous glimpses at the tightly wound, intricate layers structured with a racy acid line and wonderfully creamy texture, finishing incredibly long and perfumed.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Brane-Cantenac displays notes of warm red and black plums, Morello cherries and mulberries with hints of spice cake and earth. Medium-bodied, elegant, soft and fleshy, it delivers a lively line of freshness and an earthy finish. (LPB)

A blend of 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc matured in 65% new and 35% one-year-old French oak for 16 months, the 2015 Clinet offers a medium to deep garnet-purple color and slowly, provocatively unfurls in the glass with notes of crushed black cherries, warm black raspberries and red cherry compote plus nuances of bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, fenugreek and forest floor and wafts of potpourri and mocha.

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 la Fleur-Petrus features notes of baked blackberries, boysenberries and plum pudding with nuances of sautéed herbs and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the mid-palate is a little lean, while it has a firm, chewy texture and invigorating finish. (LPB)

The deep garnet colored 2009 Le Gay simply sings of minted cassis, baked plums and blueberry pie with touches of cardamom, cloves, tree bark and pencil shavings plus a waft of lavender. The palate is medium to full-bodied and exquisitely textured with satiny tannins and bold freshness framing the vibrant, multilayered fruit, finishing long and perfumed. (LPB)

Tasted at the château, the 2006 Le Gay has an intriguing, attractive bouquet with secondary aromas of truffle and dried blood, an almost ferrous verging on animally aroma that renders it a little rustic compared to other vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, savory in the mouth with a touch of bacon fat infusing the red fruit, just a touch of dryness perhaps on the finish, but this is still a great Le Gay that has the structure to suggest it will give another 15 years of pleasure. It will not improve further, but it will hold strong for a few years yet.  (NM)

Composed of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet colored 2010 Angélus has an open-for-business nose of baked plums, Black Forest cake and blueberry pie with touches of hoisin, Marmite toast and eucalyptus. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-sensuous, the palate is jam-packed with decadent fruit and framed by firm, ripe, and rounded tannins, finishing with epic length.

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Clos du Marquis gives up expressive notes of warm mulberries, kirsch and blackberry pie with touches of sandalwood, potpourri, anise and charcuterie. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a great core of rich, spicy fruit framed by plush tannins and finishing with an invigorating lift.