en primeur > Bordeaux 2006 > vintage report > product listing
white rosé red all prices exclude VAT and duty
La Prade
Score: 16/20 Bib Commune: Cotes des Francs
A few miles from St Emilion, we are having more and more fun discovering wines from an area that is finally starting to believe that it can really mix it with the big boys. Rich and smooth mouthfeel borne of sweet dark fruit and very soft tannins. A great value wine for this vintage - recommended.
£77 Available
Beaumont
Score: 14+/20Bib Commune: Haut-Medoc
Light, easy and quite forward with some very ripe, almost jammy, fruit on the nose. The tannins are quite pronounced but should soften. Not brilliant but always worth the money.
£60 Available
Sociando Mallet
Score: 17/20 Bib Commune: Haut-Medoc
The wine has the spicy, exotic, even salty trademark Sociando nose with classy ripe fruit on the palate - though lighter than the 2005. Quite restrained and very elegant, it needs some time to develop but is a great effort overall. If you ever wanted to get an idea of what Gironde seaweed tasted like, this would be a good place to start. Very good in our opinion.
£220 Available
Kirwan
Score: 16/20Bib 17?/20JR Commune: Margaux
The fix is in again for this Irish thoroughbred. A dashing effort showing plenty of spice and vanilla on the nose with a nice core of black fruit and smokiness. Rich and textured, this will probably pip many others at the post.
£230 Available
Lascombes
Score: 16/20Bib 16+/20JR Commune: Margaux
Evolving from vintage to vintage, Lascombes has done a pretty good job in what seems to be a tricky year in Margaux. A lovely fruity nose gives way to a medium-bodied wine with glimpses of sweet fruit in amongst the bracing tannins.
£365 Available
Malescot St Exupery
Score: 16.5/20JR 88-91WS Commune: Margaux
Not quite as sexy as 2005 but still a pretty good effort from Malescot. Structure is all there with buckets of blackberries and spice. Higher extraction than some others but still manages a long, smooth finish with some sweet fruit hanging around in the mouth.
£255 Available
Chateau Margaux
Score: 19/20Bib 18++/20JR Commune: Margaux
This is dense and luxurious stuff with the lowest proportion of Merlot ever for Chateau Margaux. Liquorice, black fruit and creaminess on the nose with great subtlety and elegance on the palate. Layer upon layer of flavour and nuance, this is a cracker and wonít be cheap. Finish long and velvety and oozes class, just like the surroundings. Terrific!
£3600 Available
Pavillon Rouge
Score: 17/20 Bib 17/20JR Commune: Margaux
This wine makes up 55% of the overall Chateau Margaux production this year. Shows the concentration of the 2000 vintage with plenty of sweet cassis and hints of black tea. Tannins are fresh yet quite round and the acidity is quite high, revealing a core of precocious, lively fruit. Will be good.
£250-280
Palmer
Score: 18+/20Bib 18/20JR 92-94WS Commune: Margaux
Palmer have served up another blockbuster here that calls to mind the quality of last vintage. Rich and ripe nose of raspberry, cassis, cream, cigar box and tea, it is very lightly extracted. More savouriness on the palate adds complexity and depth. Tannins are smooth and the balance there in spades. Very long, rich finish ? one of the top wines of the vintage, and probably a third of the price of a First Growth.
£920-1100
Poujeaux
Score: 15+/20 Bib Commune: Moulis
Delicious nose with sweet, ripe red fruit, dusty black fruit and some interesting savouriness. Should be a bargain.
£140 Available
Lafite-Rothschild
Score: 16/20Bib 16++/20JR 92-94WS Commune: Pauillac
A ton of complexity on the nose as you would expect from such a giant. Lots of rich dark fruit amongst some earthy notes and a luxurious creaminess from some very expensive oak! Tending towards coffee even - Alice thought this must be the vinous equivalent of downing three espressos in a row! Really elegant on the palate with a long, luxurious, creamy black fruit finish that goes on and on. Thumping tannins suggest it will need plenty of time - definitely one for the long haul. Very, very good, if not quite stratospheric stuff.
££3275 Available
Latour
Score: 95-100WS Commune: Pauillac
The Grand Vin takes the Forts de Latour, throws in some high octane juice, sticks one of those shiny superchargers on the bonnet, and then drag-races into the middle distance. It is sensational stuff, and though it is backward as always at this stage, it still flexes its muscles enough to show off layers of blue and black fruit, truffles, pencil shavings, violets and spice. Crisp acidity and tannins but no bitterness leaves you wanting more and more. Amazing finish goes on and on. It will need a heap of time to be at its best but if you can afford to buy some, you can probably afford to wait.
££3600 available
Les Forts de Latour
Score: 18+/20Bib 17/20JR 89-91WS Commune: Pauillac
£575 Available
Mouton-Rothschild
Score: 18+/20Bib 17.5+/20JR Commune: Pauillac
More than just an oral work-out, this wine got the arm muscles pumping too as it needed quite a swirling to open up a little. In our opinion a return to first growth form and a better effort than 2005. Well done to the new winemaking team. Great intensity and concentration of dark fruit and layers of secondary characters on nose. The richness and balance show through on palate and the tannins are pretty silky. We think it will flesh out a bit on the finish - and when it does, it will be a great wine.
£4000 available
Pibran
Score: 16/20Bib 16+/20JR Commune: Pauillac
After a wonderful 2005, this tiny Pauillac chateau have followed up with a very commendable 2006 version from an blend unusual to the area: 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a lovely dark, rich colour and an intriguing nose of plums, cherries and pencil shavings. Smooth and peppery finish - very easy drinking.
£135 available
Domaine de Chevalier
Score: 88-91 WS Commune: Pessac-Leognan
A little backward as can sometimes be the case with this wine. Silky cassis nose with some spice and richness. Creamy and sweet fruit on palate. Tannins to the fore at the moment though. Patience will be rewarded.
£230 Available
La Mission Haut-Brion
Score: 19+/20 Bib 95-100WS Commune: Pessac-Leognan
Is this the wine of the vintage? We think it might be. Not everyone will agree but it is certainly a very sexy attempt. We tasted it with Prince Robert in the newly fashioned Mission tasting room and the wine is certainly as smart as its new surroundings. Extra layers and depths on the nose with pepper, spices, herbs, floral notes and liquered black fruit. Texture is a step up with seductive smoothness and hyper-fine tannins! Incredible elegance and finesse. You could take a sip, go a for a spin all the way around the Rocade back to where you started and still taste the finish. Awesome.
£3100 available
La Chapelle de la Mission
Score: 17+/20 Bib Commune: Pessac-Leognan
The best ever second wine from La Mission? Quite probably. Luxurious red and black fruit on the nose compete with subtly gamey hints before the wine opens out on the palate with incredibly lush fruit and peppery spice. Very ripe fruit and defined minerality on the finish. Delicious.
Pape Clement
Score: 15/20 Bib Commune: Pessac-Leognan
Deliciously luxurious stuff with a complex, savoury nose and persistent fruit on the finish. Will depend largely on release price as to the success of this one.
£570-670
Smith Haut-Lafitte
Score: 17/20 Bib Commune: Pessac-Leognan
Daniel and Florence Cathiard have done it again, this time producing the second best wine we tried at the Pessac/Graves tasting. Really classy nose that makes you want to linger longer. Red cherries and plums with savoury, lightly oaked notes. Great structure makes it a pleasure to taste (especially as the taste-buds are a bit weary by this stage in the trip). Very good wine.
£305 available