| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Cantemerle | Haut Medoc | WS 89-91 | $215.00 | $17.92 | $114.67 | $19.11
A balanced and fruity red, with berry and currant character. Medium- to full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a clean, mineral aftertaste. Long finish. Very well-done. Almost 92-94. - W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Carruades de Lafite | Pauillac | WS 92-94 | RP 88-90 | $330.00 | $27.50 | $171.43 | $28.57
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Once again Lafite's second wine, the 2001 Carruades de Lafite is an impeccably made effort. A blend of 50.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22.2% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it represents 42.5% of Lafite's harvest. Revealing excellent red and black currant characteristics intermixed with hints of new saddle leather, wood,and spice box, it possesses a sweeter, more developed personality than its bigger sibling, and fine length. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2015. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Charmail | Haut Medoc | RP 88-90 | $160.00 | $13.33 | $83.12 | $13.85
One of the Haut-Medoc's superb cru bourgeois properties, Charmail has been at the top of its game for over a decade. The 1002, a blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, enjoyed a 15-day cold maceration (5 degrees centigrade) prior to beginning fermentation. This appears to ensure extraordinary color as well as a perfumed, intense black fruit character in the aromatics. Dense blue/purple-colored, deep, and rich, with savory, exceptionally pure, well-delineated berry fruit, it will drink well for 10-12 years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2014. This overachieving estate is producing wines of classified growth quality. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Cheval Blanc | St. Emilion | RP 92-94 | $2430.00 | $202.50 | $1,262.34 | $210.39
Fifty percent of the crop made it into the 2001 Cheval Blanc, which includes an unusually high percentage of Merlot (65%, along with 25% Cabernet Franc). As administrator Pierre Lurton told me, in this vintage the vines had to be extensively pruned (and crop-thinned), so yields were kept low. The Cabernet Franc vineyards produced 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the Merlot vineyards, 39 hectoliters per hectare. The cool September weather resulted in a late harvest for this estate. The 2001 has a lot in common with the 1999 and 1988. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a sweet bouquet of menthol, ripe black currant, plum and cherry fruit, and an intriguing mineral characteristic. The wine is medium-bodied, with wonderful sweetness and purity, good definition, a light texture, and sweet tannin in the finish ....it is a fruit-driven, dense effort with abundant quantities of vibrant acidity. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Clerc Milon | Pauillac | WS 92-94 | $341.25 | $28.44 | $177.27 | $29.55
Currants and lead pencil, with ripe fruit on the nose. Full-bodied and very strong, lots of tannins, but incredibly refined and polished. Almost classic in quality. Serious Clerc. Better than the 2000. -- W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Cos d'Estournel | St.-Estephe | WS 92-94 | WS 95-100 | $670.00 | $55.83 | $348.00 | $58.00. |
Young administrator Jean-Guilhaume Prats compares the 2001 Cos to the 1988 and 1979, classic efforts with good acidity, definition, and tannin. One of the vintage's greatest successes, this 2001 is one of the dozen or so wines that appear to be superior to their 2000 counterparts. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot representing 40% of the total production, it boasts an opaque ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of cassis, spice, licorice, and vanilla. What makes it stand out in the company of other 2001's are its terrific multil-ayered texture and tremendous length. Prats is doing a lot of experimentation, including 12-15 days of cold maceration prior to fermentation, and aging the wine in barrels on it s lees ...unusual for a Medoc estate of this size. The results speak for themselves. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | | >Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Ducru Beaucaillou | St.-Julien | RP 90-92
WS 92-94 | $585.00 | $48.75 | $303.90 | $50.65
|
A late harvest (October 1-12) produced a surprisingly fruit-driven, pure, up-front 2001 Ducru. Xavier Borie thinks this blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc is "better than the 1999, riper, denser, and fuller." When tasted next to the 1999, the only difference is a firmer style of tannin in the 2001, whereas the 1999 is pure charm and elegance. The 2001 is a medium-bodied, pure example displaying notes of red and black currants
intermixed with minerals, spice box, and hints of cedar as well as toast. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Faizeau Vieilles | Montagne St. Emilion | RP 88-90 | $147.50 | $12.29 | $76.62 | $12.77
Vignes |
Made by Dr. Alain Raynaud's sister, Chantal Lebreton, this wine is being produced from increasingly low yields in addition to riper and riper fruit. The 2001 exhibits a dense purple color as well as sweet aromas of black raspberries and cherries intertwined with hints of minerals and vanilla. Nicely-textured, pure, vibrant, and medium bodied, it
should drink well for a decade. Bravo!
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Gloria | St.-Julien | WS 85-88 | $230.00 | $19.17 | $119.48 | $19.91
This has a very good core of berry, currant fruit, as well as silky tannins. Medium- to full-bodied. Almost 89-91. -W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Grand Mayne | St. Emilion | WS 92-94 | $421.35 | $35.94 | $224.00 | $37.33
Solid core of fruit and refined tannins. The character is complex, with berry, mineral and lemon grass. -- W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Haut-Brion | Pessac-Leognan | RP 92-94
WS 95-100 | $1,620.00 | $135.00 | $831.00 | $138.50
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Haut-Brion's 2001 represents only 50% of the production. A blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, it is extremely perfumed, revealing notes of iron, plums, black currants, cherries, earth, and
smoke. With excellent purity and medium body, it is a quintessential example of Haut-Brion's elegance and finesse. Lighter than either the massive 2000 or stunningly convincing 1998, the 2001 is another beauty from the brilliant
father and son team of Jean and Jean-Philippe Delmas. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2019. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| La Couspaude | St. Emilion | RP 89-91
WS 92-94 | $468.75 | $39.06 | $243.51 | $40.58
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The French call this a vin gourmand, meaning a sensual, hedonistic offering designed to provide enormous pleasure. Jean-Claude Aubert is doing a far better job of integrating the wood than he has accomplished in the past. La Couspaude has always been a flashy, flesh-pot sort of wine that goes right to your hedonistic senses, but with the better integrated wood, one can appreciate the gorgeous purity of ripe black cherry and berry fruit in this opulentlytextured layered, low acid, fleshy effort. Atypical for the vintage, it is a pure, perfumed, already drinkable 2001. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2012. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| La Croix de Gay | Pomerol | RP 88-89
WS 89-91 | $316.25 | $26.35 | $164.29 | $27.38
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A strong effort from this property, the 2001 was produced from low yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. A blend of 90°/o Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, this dark ruby/purple-colored Pomerol offers sweet cherry fruit along with subtle wood and earth notes. Medium-bodied and pure, with vibrant fruit, and a nicelytextured, medium bodied finish, this finesse-styled wine possesses excellent sweetness as well as palate presence. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
| Château | AppellationScore | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| La Mission | Pessac-Leognan | RP 90-93
WS 92-94 | $1,041.25 | $86.77 | $540.91 | $90.15
Haut- Brion |
While it is virtually impossible to duplicate the surreal wine made at La Mission-Haut-Brion in 2000, the 2001 La Mission is an elegant, vibrant, well-defined effort with sweet, concentrated rich fruit. A blend of 62% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc, it boasts a dense plum/purple color along with a sweet perfume of mineral-infused black currant fruit with a hint of tar in the background. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, with good texture, sweet tannin, and a long finish, it is stylistically similar to the 1999, but with more fruit density as well as delineation. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2018. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Lafite-Rothschild | Pauillac | WS 95-100 | $1,620.00 | $135.00 | $831.00 | $138.50
Fabulous for the vintage. Very grapey, with dark fruits and cured tobacco, leading to a cedar and berry undertone. Full-bodied, with round and rich fruit and big, velvety tannins, yet with all in reserve. A generous, seductive young wine that surprises you with its length. -- W.S.
| Château | AppellationScore | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Latour | Pauillac | RP 92-94+
WS 95-100 | $1,620.00 | $135.00 | $831.00 | $138.50
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A classic Lafite-Rothschild, the 2001 is a wine of concentrated elegance, finesse, and delicacy. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot (only 43% of the crop was acceptable) is reminiscent of the 1999, but it reveals additional tannin as well as a more austere finish. An impressive deep ruby/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of cedar, black currants, lead pencil shavings, and subtle toasty oak. It is medium-bodied, with a nicelylayered mid-palate (something many 2001's are not yet revealing), admirable delicacy and precision, and a long finish. It will be drinkable at an early age, yet will last two decades. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2022. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Leoville-Barton | St.-Julien | RP 87-89+ | $448.75 | $37.40 | $233.12 | $38.85
The color is handsome dense ruby/purple. The nose offers up hints of black fruits, licorice, earth, and cedar ....the barrel again process will promote additional texture and fat ...Anticipated maturity 2008-2018. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Les Forts de Latour | Pauillac | RP 88-90 | $415.00 | $34.58 | $215.58 | $35.93
| WS 89-91
The undeniably reliable second wine, the 2001 Forts de Latour, is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21 Merlot, and represents 35% of the production. It exhibits abundant quantities of sweet tannin, medium body, admirable fruit extraction as well as ripeness, and plenty of cedar, black currant, and earthy fruit. It should drink well for 14-15 years. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price6pk Btl |
| Lynch-Bages | Pauillac | WS 89-91 | $457.50 | $38.13 | $237.66 | $39.61
Firm and balanced, with silky tannins and good fruit. Medium finish, with fine tannins and a fruity, currant aftertaste. __ W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Margaux | Margaux | RP 91-93 | $1,620.00 | $135.00 | $831.00 | $138.50
| WS 92-94
A Cabernet Sauvignon-based offering (the blend was 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc), the 2001 Margaux is the result of a severe selection (35% of the crop made it into the grand vin). A deep ruby color is followed by aromas of sweet cassis fruit intermixed with licorice and subtle toasty oak. Elegant, medium-weight, and stylish, it is similar to the 1999 with seemingly more concentration and tannin. With beautiful balance as well as low acidity, it will be drinkable young. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Montrose | St. Estephe | RP 90-91 +
WS 92-94 | $477.50 | $39.79 | $248.00 | $41.33
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Montrose is justifiable proud of having fashioned one of the vintage's most powerful and concentrated wines. Yields were a mere 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the 2001 Montrose (which represents 64% of the total production) is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. A classic effort in the style, according to the chateau, "of the highly successful 1955," it is backward, tannic, and impressively concentrated. It possesses good freshness, full body, high tannin, low acidity, admirable extract, and load of creme de cassis fruit intermixed with chocolate, liquid minerals, and earth. There is more noticeable tannin than in the blockbuster 2000. The 2001 will require a decade of cellaring to shed its tannic clout. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030. - R.P.
| Château | AppellationScore | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Mouton-Rothschild | Pauillac | RP 91-93+
WS 95-100 | $1,620.00 | $135.00 | $831.00 | $138.50
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A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc produced from small yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare, 66% of the production made it into the 2001 Mouton. The entire Cabernet Sauvignon crop was harvested between October 8-10. While the 2001 does not posses the charm or finesse of the 1999, or the massive power and body of the virtually perfect 2000, it possess forward, evolved aromatics consisting of espresso, creme de cassis, Asian spice, licorice, and toasty oak. Low acid and high tannin result in an austere finish ....For now, it is dominated by its Cabernet Sauvignon. Additional fat should emerge as the wine evolves in the barrel. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Palmer | Margaux | RP 90-92
WS 95-100 | $1,118.75 | $93.23 | $581.17 | $96.86
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An elegant rendition of Palmer, the 2001 reveals less power and muscled than the 2000, and possibly less charm than the 1999. This blend of 51 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a stylish nose of flowers, black fruits, and new oak. TI offers a sweet attack, medium body, moderate tannin, and a crisp finish. Surprisingly, the acidity is lower in the 2001 than in the 2000. Fifty percent of the crop made it into the final blend. Yields were 44 hectoliters per hectare. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2015. - R.P/
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Pavilion Rouge de Château Margaux | Margaux | WS 89-91 | $337.50 | $28.13 | $175.32 | $29.22
Lovely violet and lightly smoky, with a fresh fruit character. Medium- to full-bodied, with grapey character and a refined tannin structure. -- W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price6pk Btl |
| Pichon Baron | Pauillac | RP 88-89 | $493.75 | $41.15 | $256.49 | $42.75
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price6pk Btl |
| Pichon Baron | Pauillac | RP 88-89 | $493.75 | $41.15 | $256.49 | $42.75
This serious Pauillac reveals...herbaceous, cedary characteristics... A dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by scents of red and black currants, medium body, attractive fat, sweet tannin .... It is an elegant , nicely concentrated effort... -- R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Pichon Lalande | Pauillac | RP 89-91+ | $670.00 | $55.83 | $348.00 | $58.00
| WS 95-100
Proprietor Madame de Lencquesaing is proud of her 2001 Pichon Lalande. Only 37% of the production made it into the grand vin (a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and a whopping 14% Petit Verdot - an historic high for this varietal). Yields were 45 hectoliters per hectare. The normally late to mature Petit Verdot was actually harvested before the Cabernet Sauvignon, which was picked between October 2-14. The dense purple/blue/blackcolored Pichon Lalande exhibits a spicy perfume offering scents of cedar, incense, earth, black currant and berry fuit. Firm, pure, and surprisingly more Pauillac in style than usual (many Pichon Lalandes reveal a silky, St.-Julien-like character), the 2001 does not have the power, volume, or size of the 2000. A strong effort for the vintage, it possesses high acidity as well as more noticeable tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018. - R.P.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Pontet Canet | Pauillac | WS 89-91 | $341.25 | $28.44 | $177.27 | $29.55
Bright and floral, with beautiful aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a pretty berry, mineral aftertaste. Very cool wine. Could move up a notch. -- W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Puygueraud | Cotes de Francs WS 89-91 | $116.25 | $9.69 | $60.00 | $10.00
Ripe and soft, yet refined and caressing, with beautiful, focused fruit and a medium to long finish. A beauty. -- W.S.
| Château | Appellation | Score | Case Price | Case/Btl | 6pk Price | 6pk Btl |
| Vieux Chateau | Pomerol | RP 92-95 | $928.75 | $77.40 | $482.47 | $ | 80.41
Certan | WS 95-100
One of the stars of the vintage, Alexandre Thienpont has been at the top of his game since 1998. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the dense opaque purple-colored 2001 offers phenomenally sweet aromas of black cherry liqueur intermixed with charcoal, vanilla, new saddle leather, and a hint of fruitcake. It is full-bodied and opulently textured, with low acidity, ripe tannin and a remarkably layered, unctuous texture that has more in common with the 2000 than the 2001. Thienpont feels the unusual blend, with all the old vine Merlot (from vineyards planted in 1932, 1942, and 1959), has given the wine a profound depth and unctuosity that even the 2000 does not possess. This is a splendid achievement! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. - R.P.
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