Bordeaux 2011 – St-Julien

Deep crimson. Delicately, leafily fragrant. On the lighter side but the tannins reined in to keep the balance. Finishes dry but still fragrant. (JH)

Deep black cherry colour. Perfumed with cassis, vanilla and spice with a slight green note. More dry and savoury on the palate but there's a cool freshness and balance that leaves the mouth fresh. (JH)

Now with its Jade Jagger label (Rolling Stone and Beaucaillou, gettit?). 'Planned to ask Christian Lacroix but he was working on beer', said Bruno Borie. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. First year for the Petit Verdot. 60% new oak. Deep bright cherry. First year for the Petit Verdot. Exotically spiced, black fruit, even a little leathery. Purest phase of ripeness. Then more savoury on the palate. Both earthy and juicy. Very rounded but rich in the mouth, too, good amount of flesh – more flesh than many – filling out the tannins so that they are well hidden. (JH) 13.2%

Smallest Ducru harvest in the last 25 years, with 25% of the fruit that appeared in April/May eliminated. A vintage Bruno Borie likens to Nicole Kidman (cf Beyoncé in 2009). 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. 95% new oak. pH 3.6. Deep dark cherry crimson. Seductive fruit on the nose. Warm and dry and the tannins have great finesse and zero dryness. Puts the many dry Margaux tasted this morning into perspective. Dense but really supple and has a juicy flourish on the finish. Long. And very pure cassis through the middle. (JH) 13.1%

Light cherry-linctus sweetness. Light floral note. Gently and attractively fragrant. There's some chew here and fruit to hold the middle ground. Showing so much better balance than the Haut-Médocs just tasted. Juicy and polished. (JH)

Deep dark cherry and inky core. Oak and cassis vie for dominance on the nose and there's perhaps a note of brett here too giving hardness on the palate. Some char and chocolate. Nice freshness but the tannins are a bit thick and the whole is rather hard work. (JH)

Bright crimson. Attractive sweet red fruit, touch of spice. Fragrant and inviting. Elegant, juicy, fresh and so bright. Fine boned and scented. Dry, fresh finish. (JH)

Gentle, dark, small-berried fruit, blackberry more than cassis. Hint of cedar. Much more cedary on the palate. Taut and firm but not dry. Embryonic rather than dry tannins. Long, fresh, juicy finish. (JH)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 27% new oak. Deep velvety crimson. Ripe lifted red cherry. Very spicy. Much more restrained on the palate. Elegant, fresh, lithe and fluid. Not huge depth. Fresh fruit comes back again on the finish. (JH) 13.1%

Deep dark cherry colour. Not much on the nose. Some oak char and savour on the palate and a slight herbaceous note. Tannins are rounded but there's just not a lot of flavour even though the structure is kept in its place. Juicy finish. (JH)

Very very dark and black core. Touch of oak char on the nose with sweet dark fruit hiding underneath. Cool and lithe and on the lean side yet fresh and fluid. Not forcing the vintage. Finishes fresh and really lively. (JH)

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc. 40% new barrels. Inky black cherry with black core. Wonderfully refined cassis fruit purity with just the slightest hint of cedar. Lovely elegance with fine fruit fragrance on the palate. Refined dry texture without any dryness. Top-class Cabernet character. Great length with finesse in the tannins to the very end. Classic St-Julien. (JH)

Second wine of Las Cases. (Clos du Marquis is a different wine not a second wine.) Includes more of the old Merlot that used to go into the Clos du Marquis, which is now more Cab dominated. Deep crimson. Dusty minerally red fruit. just a little smoky. Lithe and supple and lots of fresh red fruit. Bright with some dusty but not dry tannin. Tight but not at all hard. (JH)

Very low yields this year. Some fruit burnt in the heat spike of June. Across the whole estate the yields were 26 hl/ha. 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc. Rich inky crimson with deep purple crimson rim. Not as open on the nose as the Clos du Marquis. 'Very Léoville Las Cases.' Deep and dark and closed on the nose though you know it is intense. Great power and structure in the mouth but the structure is less obdurate than in many years. Dense but not heavy. Very firm. (JH) 13.4%

Inky core. Chocolate and char on the nose. Furry and dry on the palate with sweetness of oak as well as cherry fruit. Pretty drying finish but there is some stuffing in the frame. (JH)

Inky core, dark cherry rim. Refined dark fruit and graphite nose. Moreish and fresh and alive on the palate, fully structured and still balanced by the juicy fruit in the middle. Just a bit dry on the finish. (JH)

Dark cherry crimson. Cassis aroma, a touch dusty. Furry texture with thick tannins, freshness pulling it through on the finish. Nice density of fruit should fill out the frame as the tannins soften/clarify. (JH)