Winemaker Notes
The 2005 Chateau Figeac is known for its elegant, restrained style with notes of dark fruit, tobacco, and leather. It is a medium-bodied wine with racy tannins, built on finesse and delicacy rather than power and concentration. The blend typically includes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
About Winery
Figeac is a very ancient property. In the 2nd century, the Figeacus family gave its name to the estate. Traces of this Gallo-Roman villa still exist today. In the 15th century, FIGEAC was one of five noble houses in Saint-Emilion and passed from the Lescours family, who at that time also owned Ausone, into the hands of the Cazes family, who transmitted it through marriage to the Carles in the 17th century. After the Manoncourt family acquired the property in 1892, FIGEAC was mainly managed by agricultural engineers.
However, in 1943, the year in which Thierry Manoncourt made his first vintage, a period of resurgencebegan for Figeac. Thierry Manoncourt realised in that year the huge potential of FIGEAC’s terroir and urged his mother, a Parisian, to hold on to the estate. In 1955 CHATEAU-FIGEAC became a First Great Classified Growth.
Today, Madame Manoncourt and her daughters are ably supported by highly skilled wine-growing teams and are as eager as ever to guarantee the long-term continuity of FIGEAC.
Winemaker Notes
This is very floral with blueberry, fresh-currant and currant-bush aromas. Crushed stones. Medium body and creamy, lightly chewy tannins with citrus and blueberries. Tangy and pretty. From biodynamically grown grapes.
About Winery
Château Haut-Bages Libéral, a Fifth Growth estate from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, was founded in the 18th century by the Libéral family on the Bages plateau in Pauillac. Over time, its vineyards came to border prestigious neighbors like Château Latour and Château Pichon Baron, and much of its wine was historically exported to Belgium and the Netherlands. Today, under Claire Villars-Lurton’s management, the estate is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon–driven wines and commitment to organic and biodynamic practices.
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Chateau Palmer Margaux offers a complex and layered palate, rich in black fruit aromas like blackcurrant, plum, and blueberry, with hints of cedar, tobacco, and dark chocolate. The wine boasts velvety tannins and a full-bodied structure, with a balanced acidity and a remarkably long, elegant finish.
About Winery
Château Palmer was established in the first half of the nineteenth century by the English general, Charles Palmer. In 1814, on his way back from the Peninsular War where he had fought with Wellington against Napoleon, General Palmer acquired Château de Gascq and gave it his own name.In 1938, the Sichel family joined forces with a group of wine merchant friends to purchase the property.
Today, the vines of Château Palmer (AOC Margaux) cover a surface of 52 hectares of croupes (knolls) of Garonne gravel and are made up of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. This combination of soil and grape varieties has been the greatest asset of Château Palmer (3ème Cru Classé) from its earliest beginnings.
At Château Palmer, tradition and evolving techniques have always gone hand in hand, and always with respect for the typical characteristics of this outstanding terroir.
Highly reputed worldwide, the wines of Château Palmer rank among the most prestigious of Bordeaux and are coveted by keen wine enthusiasts the world over.
PRE-ORDER
2014 | WE 93
A blend typically dominated by Merlot, with a deep ruby color. It is described as fleshy, showing ripe dark fruit, plum, and black cherry, with a savory, lightly toasted oak note.
2015 | JS 94
It is noted for its rich, silky profile, featuring dark fruit, cassis, and earthy notes with well-integrated tannins. Owned by Sylvie Cazes, this 80% Merlot blend is considered a top-performing, refined vintage for the estate.
2016 | JS 94
The 2016 Château Chauvin is a highly-rated Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classe, praised for its elegance, balance, and ripe fruit. Featuring 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is described as having polished tannins, dark fruit flavors, and a long finish.
2018 | JD 95
Full-bodied with a round, layered, and velvety mouthfeel. It features bright, crunchy fruit (blackberry, plum) mixed with firm yet ripe tannins.
About Winery
Château Chauvin, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, boasts a history intertwined with the development of the region's wine industry. Established in 1852 during the division of the Corbin stronghold, it was acquired by Jean Fourcaud-Laussac, who also owned Château Cheval Blanc. In 1891, Victor Ondet purchased the estate, and three generations of the Ondet family managed it until 2014. In 2014, Sylvie Cazes and her children bought the estate, initiating a significant restructuring program and renovating the cellars.
Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Optimus is a blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. It has a medium ruby-purple color and pure aromas of red and black berries with earthy, autumnal accents and a streak of spice. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with pretty floral perfume on the long finish.
About Winery
L'Aventure was founded in 1998 by a French winemaker, Stephan Asseo. After Stephan graduated enology school in Burgundy, the Asseo family bought their first estate, Domaine de Courteillac, in the Bordeaux area in 1982. Later, the family purchased additional properties: Chateau Robin and Chateau Fleur-Cardinale in Saint-Emilion. Stephan raised these properties to a level of great quality, while managing some other well-established domaines such as Chateau Guillot-Clauzel in Pomerol and Chateau Corbin in St Emilion.
Stephan saw in the New World a unique opportunity to expand his experience, while gaining more freedom in viticulture and vinification. He began by looking all over California for land, including Napa/Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties, but it was the terroir and climate of Paso Robles that impressed him the most.
L'Aventure is located on the west side of Paso Robles in the Willow Creek District. The 127-acre property with 57 acres planted, is comprised of multiple hills of various elevation and complex soils. Because of its proximity to the ocean, the vineyard has clear warm days and drastic cool nighttime temperatures which increases the time of the grape’s maturation cycle providing fruit that creates a more complex and balanced wine. Stephan’s choice of this lean terroir provides him with the fruit necessary to create wine with a good balance between alcohol and acidity. The resulting wines are full and rich yet well balanced and elegant.
Winemaker Notes
With their smoky and spicy bouquet, the red wines are of an admirable quality and a very characteristic softness. The wine is both concentrated, fine and harmonious, with an aromatic palette as wide as it is precise. The depth and length in the mouth are exceptional. Quality of the terroir, sustained efforts and dynamism have borne fruit bringing Pape Clément to a level very close to that of the premiers crus.
About WineryChateau Pape Clément owes its name to its most illustrious owner. A man of the cloth born in 1264, Bertrand de Goth became Bishop of Comminges, in the Pyrenees Mountains, at the age of 31; he later became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299.
He then received as a gift the property in Pessac, the Vineyard de La Mothe. Taken by a passion for the vine, he continually took part personally in equipping, organizing and managing the domain in accordance with the most modern and rational practices. Nevertheless, on 5 June 1305 the cardinals met in a conclave in Pérouse and appointed him to succeed Pope Benedict XI, who had passed away prematurely after only eleven months of reign. Bertrand de Goth took the name of Clement V.
Supported by Philip IV, it was he who decided in 1309 to move the papal court to Avignon, thus breaking with Rome and its battles of influence. During this same period, the weight of his responsibilities led him to relinquish his property, giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Henceforward, the vineyard was to be known to posterity under the name of this enlightened pope.
Management under the clergy brings modernity The grateful Church perpetuated Pope Clement's work. Each archbishop in turn turned to modernity and technical progress, to the point of the wine estate becoming a model vineyard. In addition to especially early harvests, which remain one of its special characteristics, Chateau Pape Clément is without a doubt the first vineyard in France to align vine stock to facilitate labour.
At the end of the 18th century, the Archbishop of Bordeaux was dispossessed of his property. The papal vineyard became part of the public domain.
8 June 1937 was a dark day in the vineyard's history, when a violent hailstorm destroyed virtually the entirety of the estate. Two years later, Paul Montagne bought it and gradually brought it back to life. Thanks to his efforts, the vineyard returned to its former rank and stood up to the surge in urbanization. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, perpetuate this secular tradition so that Chateau Pape Clément wines continue to delight the wine-lovers of today and tomorrow.
PRE-ORDER
2003 | WS 92
Known for its soft, refined tannins, it is very approachable with savory notes, redcurrant, raspberry, and a hint of tobacco.
2009 | JS 95
A full-bodied, rich, and "sexy" wine with strong Cabernet Sauvignon influence, providing intense cassis, violet, and blackberry fruit.
2010 | JS 96
Powerful yet elegant with silky tannins, offering flavors of velvety plum, graphite, raspberry, and smoke.
2012 | JS 94
Powerful yet delicate, featuring dark fruit, spices, blackcurrant, and a structured, tannic finish.
2015 | JS 96
Highlighted as a tight, compact, and long-finished vintage.
2016 | WE 94
Elegant and floral, featuring cassis, red berries, and refined tannins.
2021 | JS 96
Racy, focused, and "Burgundy-like" with notes of red currants, raspberry, violet, dark chocolate, and a stony, mineral finish.
About Winery
Chateau Margaux, a Premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux, is one of the most famous wines in the world. Care has been lavished on the property by a line of owners with an abiding concern for the reputation of the estate.
For more than five hundred years, season after season, generations of vineyard-workers, grapeharvesters, cellar-workers, coopers and many other craftsmen have all played a part in making Chateau Margaux what it is today: a wine with an incomparable personality, reflected in the elegant Palladian building which adorns its label. In 1977, the estate was purchased by the late André Mentzelopoulos, and it is now run by his daughter, Corinne Mentzelopoulos.
PRE-ORDER
About Winery
Château Phélan Ségur is a historic winery in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, with roots tracing back to the 18th century. It was established by Irishman Bernard Phelan, who merged two estates, Clos de Garramey and Ségur de Cabanac, to form the foundation of the property. His son, Frank Phelan, further developed the estate, which was later renamed Phélan Ségur in the early 20th century. The winery has seen multiple ownership changes, including the Gardinier family in 1985, and is currently owned by Philippe Van de Vyvere, who acquired it in 2018.
Winemaker Notes
A wine of good density ruby red, with brown, mahogany, biscuit hints. It has maintained its luster and clarity. The rim is fairly thick. The tears are fine, clear, abundant and regular. At once expressive, forthright and complex. There are notes of all families of fragrance: fruit, flowers, and spices. Taste: The attack is forthright, round and suave, soothing even. The intense aromas initially recall the complexity of the nose. There is leather and lightly charred wood, and roasted notes. The beauty of the vintage is revealed by its elegance rather than its full-flavor. The wine has an attractive aromatic range with a finish of remarkable elegance.
About WineryChateau Pape Clément owes its name to its most illustrious owner. A man of the cloth born in 1264, Bertrand de Goth became Bishop of Comminges, in the Pyrenees Mountains, at the age of 31; he later became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299.
He then received as a gift the property in Pessac, the Vineyard de La Mothe. Taken by a passion for the vine, he continually took part personally in equipping, organizing and managing the domain in accordance with the most modern and rational practices. Nevertheless, on 5 June 1305 the cardinals met in a conclave in Pérouse and appointed him to succeed Pope Benedict XI, who had passed away prematurely after only eleven months of reign. Bertrand de Goth took the name of Clement V.
Supported by Philip IV, it was he who decided in 1309 to move the papal court to Avignon, thus breaking with Rome and its battles of influence. During this same period, the weight of his responsibilities led him to relinquish his property, giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Henceforward, the vineyard was to be known to posterity under the name of this enlightened pope.
Management under the clergy brings modernity The grateful Church perpetuated Pope Clement's work. Each archbishop in turn turned to modernity and technical progress, to the point of the wine estate becoming a model vineyard. In addition to especially early harvests, which remain one of its special characteristics, Chateau Pape Clément is without a doubt the first vineyard in France to align vine stock to facilitate labour.
At the end of the 18th century, the Archbishop of Bordeaux was dispossessed of his property. The papal vineyard became part of the public domain.
8 June 1937 was a dark day in the vineyard's history, when a violent hailstorm destroyed virtually the entirety of the estate. Two years later, Paul Montagne bought it and gradually brought it back to life. Thanks to his efforts, the vineyard returned to its former rank and stood up to the surge in urbanization. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, perpetuate this secular tradition so that Chateau Pape Clément wines continue to delight the wine-lovers of today and tomorrow.
Winemaker Notes
Winemaker Véronique Drouhin crafts the 2016 Joseph Drouhin Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru to showcase power and refinement. It features a brilliant, intense ruby-red color and aromas of black cherry and dark chocolate in its youth. The tannins offer a strong structure, balanced by a velvety texture and a lingering finish of cherry and licorice.
About Winery
Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in 1880 in Beaune, Burgundy, by Joseph Drouhin, and has since grown into one of the region’s most respected wine producers. Over the generations, the family expanded its holdings to include vineyards across Burgundy—such as Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, and Côte Chalonnaise—and later established Domaine Drouhin Oregon in the Willamette Valley. Today, the estate remains family-run by Joseph’s great-grandchildren, who continue the tradition of producing elegant wines with a focus on terroir and sustainable practices, including organic certification for their Burgundy vineyards since 2009
PRE-ORDER
About Winery
Château d’Issan is in the heart of the Margaux appellation, a truly privileged location, which explains the outstanding quality of its wines. The mild weather, regulated by being close to the sea and the Gironde Estuary, provides ideal conditions for vine growth. The vines at Château d’Issan benefit from close, on-going care designed to produce perfectly ripe grapes. Everything is organized so that each individual plot can be tended independently in order to get the very best out of its fruit. Château d’Issan is a Third Growth of the 1855 Imperial Classification.
The wine is made from the old vines in the Château d’Issan enclosure in the middle of the Margaux appellation. The soil here is mainly made up of surface gravel on top of a clay subsoil, which contributes to optimal ripeness and freshness in our two grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon 65% and Merlot 35%. Château d’Issan expresses the exquisite bouquet so characteristic of Margaux, and stands out with its suppleness, subtlety, elegance and long keeping potential that come from its unique terroir.
Winemaker Notes
Aromas of mulberries, dried herbs, smoke, tapenade, cloves, chocolate, bark; full-bodied, chewy tannins, plush dark fruit, olive character, compact finish.
About Winery
Bernard Magrez - Creator of Luxury Wine Experience. Owner of 42 vineyards around the world and a famous producer of great Bordeaux wines. Some see it as the career of a man driven by a quest for perfection, others see the passion of a determined entrepreneur. Bernard Magrez’s journey is that of passion, a constant desire for improvement, know-how and exceptional success which has its roots first in Bordeaux, in the Grands Crus Classws, then in other prestigious terroirs in France and around the world. Bernard Magrez owns many of Bordeaux's most iconic estates including Chateau Pape Clement an exceptional Grand Cru Classe in Graves from Pessac-Lwognan. Celebrated for his attention to detail in the vineyard and constant achievement of excellence in the winery which translates into award-winning wines for every occasion.
At the end of the 18th century, the Archbishop of Bordeaux was dispossessed of his property. The papal vineyard became part of the public domain.
8 June 1937 was a dark day in the vineyard's history, when a violent hailstorm destroyed virtually the entirety of the estate. Two years later, Paul Montagne bought it and gradually brought it back to life. Thanks to his efforts, the vineyard returned to its former rank and stood up to the surge in urbanization. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, perpetuate this secular tradition so that Chateau Pape Clément wines continue to delight the wine-lovers of today and tomorrow.
