Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide Looks at Bordeaux
Wine Enthusiast
December 2014
91 pts/CELLAR SELECTION Clos Cantenac 2012 Saint-Emilion
Big and bold, this new-wood-aged wine is developing well. With mint aromas, coffee and toast on the palate and ripe blackberry fruits, it has a good future. It’s dense, solid and dark in character at this stage. Drink from 2017. Old Bridge Cellars.
90 pts Clos Cantenac 2011 Saint-Emilion
Already well developed, this solid, wood-aged wine packs powerful tannins as well as fruit. It has a dense character, spice and a core of firmness. With its rich fruit and fresh acidity at the end, it’s nearly ready to drink but merits a wait. Drink from 2016.
89 pts Chateau de Sours 2012 La Source Bordeaux Blanc
A little wood aging has subdued the fruitiness of this wine while bringing out a rich character with touches of pineapple and honey as well as crisper lemon flavors. It’s a wine in progress and will be better from 2016.
88 pts Chateau de Sours 2011 Bordeaux
Rich and juicy, this is a luscious, full wine. It has layers of black currants fruitiness along with a solid structure that is still developing. The wine is ripe, packed with fruity Merlot and developing well. Drink from 2016.
87 pts Chateau de Sours 2012 Bordeaux
This ripe and smoky wine has some firm tannins while bringing out bright berry fruits. It’s smooth and balanced, the structure enough to sustain the polished surface. Acidity at the end, along with the tannins, promise aging. Drink from the end of 2015.
87 pts Chateau de Sours 2012 La Fleur d’Amelie Bordeaux
New wood shows strongly in this smoky wine with burnt wood overtones. Fruit weight behind it holds hints of black currants and acidity. Allow this solid offering time to soften and mold itself into a structured wine. Drink from 2016.