extraprima extraprima Bordeaux 2018 96 – 98 HAUT-BAILLY Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 96 – 98 | Suckling 97 – 98 | WeinWisser 19 + /20 The mildew caused an uneven maturity of the grapes at Haut-Bailly. Therefore picking and sorting the grapes had to be made very differentiated and attentively. The harvest took place from the 17 th of September to the 9 th of October. The berries were much smaller than usual, so finally, the yield was a mere 21 hl per hectare. The remarkable second wine La Parde from the vintage 2018 on, is renamed »Haut-Bailly II«. At 14.4 % and an IPT of 86, the highest ever alcohol and tannin content were measured at Haut-Bailly. The Assemblage consists of 55 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 % Merlot, and 5 % each, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 50 % new oak barrels. Very dark, massively viscous color. Extremely opulent, with dark-berry sweetness, and wide-spread aromatics, the big nose of the Haut-Bailly seems to be made entirely of one piece. Lush and intense in the mouth, it also shows enormous depth and subtle differentiation. Extremely dense and offensive, it is highly compacted in itself, showing a cool-toned, intensive tannin-framework, which was finely buffered with sweet e x tract and intensity. Eternally long and fine, it has a breathtaking creaminess and freshness, is very polished and even — a superb Haut-Bailly, in the Péssac-Appellation just behind Haut-Brion and La Mission. 45 95 – 96 PAPE-CLÉMENT Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 96 – 98 | Suckling 97 – 98 | WeinWisser 18.5/20 Pape-Clément was harvested from the 20 th of September to the 12 th of October. The Grand Vin consists of 66 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, and 4 % Cabernet Franc. Two-thirds of it age in new barrels, a total of 10 % of the Grand Vim age in big oak-casks. Black color. Fresh and highly concentrated, the Pape-Clément smells with excellent depth and generous sweetness. Deep and full, the Pape-Clement also appears in the mouth, with very fine-grained, closely woven tannins and exceptional freshness. Complex, with a racy structure and a delicate, lively acidity, it presents itself very tightly organized, cool-toned and wide, very clear and transparent, with high extraction without being chocolaty. 2018 is a full-bodied, powerful Pape-Clément, which remains long and compact on the palate and exerts great fascination. 96 – 98 SMITH HAUT LAFITTE Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 97 – 99 | Suckling 98 – 99 | WeinWisser 19/20 At Smith Haut Lafite, due to the ecological farmingt, a loss by mildew of 30 % had to be accepted. The berries were small with thick skins, so technical director Fabien Teitgen opted for a gentler extraction and longer maceration time. Means, at the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the pomace was left as in a tea infusion only. Between four and six weeks, the musts were left on the skins for a quite long period. The assemblage consists of 60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 34 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Much of the 60 % new barriques-barrels were used from their own cooperage of Smith Haut Lafitte. Black, massive color. Dark-berried and with a hint of chocolate, the marvelous red Smith Haut Lafitte smells impressive and is yet exceptionally fresh and precise. With some graphite and very softly condensed dark-berry-aromas, it is very wide-spread, massive, and opulently rich. The mighty appearance in the mouth is reminiscent of the equally perfect Haut-Bailly, but the tannins of the Smith Haut Lafitte are a little more rounded. It has an enormous, broad structure on the palate, with perfect balance and deeply layered, soft extract-sweetness. Eternally long, this perfect 2018 SHL concludes with a lot of finesse and is always fruit-driven with generous dark-berry-aromas in the finish. Thomas Boxberger and Fabien Teitgen Ratings in red and all descriptions by Thomas Boxberger © 2019. Other ratings: Suckling = James Suckling | Parker = Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Translation of the wine descriptions: Thomas Boxberger and Leo Constantin von Schaabner
Bordeaux 2018 | Graves and Péssac-Léognan rouge extraprima 46 94 – 95 LES CARMES HAUT-BRION Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 94 – 96 | Suckling 97 – 98 | WeinWisser 19/20 Les Carmes Haut-Brion was harvested from the 13 th to the 28 th of September with a yield of 37 hl per hectare. The Grand Vin is composed of 37 % Cabernet Franc, 34 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 29 % Merlot with 13.75 % alcohol. To keep up with modern times, 75 % of the wine is aged in new barriques, 16 % in big oak-casks, and 9 % in amphorae. Somewhat lighter color. Fragrant and spicy, Les Carmes has a very own character in the smell, with sweetish top notes, lots of fresh fruit and red-berry kernel, very distinct, ripe, and with liqueur reflexes. The dense, racy tannin structure of Les Carmes is backed by a subtle acidity, deep and polished, very long and sexy. Slightly rougher than Haut-Bailly and Smith-Haut-Lafitte, the Les Carmes shows tremendous freshness and high concentration from the Cabernet Franc. A characterful, multi-layered Péssac-Léognan, that invites to spend a lot of time with it. 94 – 95 HAUT-BAILLY II Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 91 – 93 | Suckling 93 – 94 | WeinWisser 17/20 The La Parde is now called Haut-Bailly II and with the new name, immediately landed a direct hit. This is definitely one of the best second wines of the vintage! It consists of 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 35 % Merlot, has 14.3 % alcohol, and ages in 30 % new barrels. Bright color, viscous. Dark-berried, cherry-like, and with delicate herbal spice, the Haut-Bailly II smells very wide and full of meat. It has enormous power, subtle chocolatey to nutty nuances, and a lot of fruit. Dense and broad in the mouth, the tannins are excellent and precisely worked, as well as widely distributed on the palate. Silky, very compact, deep, and complex, it has a powerful liqueur-like finish. One can hardly believe that it is a second wine. Some Grand Vin could easily cut a slice here. 94 – 95 DE FIEUZAL Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 91 – 93 | Suckling 92 – 93 | Due to mildew at Fieuzal, only 22 hl per hectare were harvested. The Grand Vin was composed of 55 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 10 % Cabernet Franc and 5 % Petit Verdot with 14 % alcohol. Half of it is aging in new barriques, with some big oak-casks being used as well. Dark color, brightening rim. Luscious, raisiny, and fleshy, the Fieuzal rouge 2018 smells with good depth and freshness quite a bit untypical by character. Full-bodied, round and soft, very full and racy, it shows a lot of creaminess on the palate. Fine tannins accompany the beautiful, soft course. Elegant and rounded, the Fieuzal shows surprisingly few edges this year. Château Haut-Bailly 93 – 94 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 94 – 96 | Suckling 99 – 100 | WeinWisser 18.5 + /20 The Domaine de Chevalier consists of 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, and 5 % Petit Verdot, is aged to one-third in new barrels with 13.5 % alcohol. Dark color. Sweetish, spicy in the nose with a lot of power and fruit, ripe Merlot richness, a bit dull note, with a slightly greenish trace. Full and intense, just as somewhat dull fruit flavors, little creaminess, and juice, yet very powerful and profound. Very lively and compact Domaine de Chevalier with vibrating acidity and a full, dry finish with a lot of race. 93 – 94 DE FRANCE Péssac-Léognan rouge Parker 90 – 92 | Suckling 92 – 93 | Due to the frost of 2017, the vines on de France were very productive in the following growing season and produced a whopping 52 hl per hectare. The qualities are clearly on the rise in recent years at de France. The 2018 Rouge consists of 55 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 % Merlot with 13.5 % alcohol and is aged in 30 % new barrels. Dark color. Open, juicy, clean, and distinct, the nose of de France presents itself very animating. It has a lot of fruit with beautiful depth, fine oak presence, and good complexity. Dense and concentrated, with a liqueur-sweet, rich, and deep top note and good freshness, it presents itself in the mouth with ripe tannins, race, and grip — excellent de France with creaminess, intensity, and length. Ratings in red and all descriptions by Thomas Boxberger © 2019. Other ratings: Suckling = James Suckling | Parker = Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Translation of the wine descriptions: Thomas Boxberger and Leo Constantin von Schaabner
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