From one of the founding figures of natural farming in Italy. Not-interventionist approach and no use of chemicals, additives or preservatives. A blend of varying amount of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and sometimes Tocai Rosso and Lagrein depending on the year. Fresh, sapid wine. Juicy and mineral.

Ch. Lynch Bages, a Cinquième Cru Classé, is one of the best-known Médoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel. The wine can be surprisingly soft and approachable when young; however, when fully mature, it develops a succulent richness and a heavenly bouquet of minty blackcurrants and cigar boxes. As Oz Clarke says, “Lynch Bages is impressive at five years, beautiful at 10 years and irresistible at 20.”

The 2003 Lynch Bages has re-emphasised just how good the Left Bank wines are. Huge wafts of muscular, minty, cassis-laden Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose introduce a powerful structured palate with savoury hints of liquorice. It displays even more elegance than other vintages and looks likely to prove absolutely stunning with a bit of patience. Cellar Potential 2012-2030

In 2016 Bolgheri was blessed by the second exceptional vintage on the trot, after the superb 2015. People are struggling to remember two such excellent consecutive vintages and it is fair to say that the release of the wines has been much anticipated. The critics have been lavish with their praise. 100/100 Wine Advocate, 98/100 Wine Enthusiast, 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate scored the wine a perfect 100 points, and gave it this review, full of superlatives. “The 2016 Sassicaia is a wine of soaring achievement. I tasted this wine several times during the course of its creation in both barrel and bottle, and the highly deserved 100-point score you see here was enthusiastically assigned at the conclusion of a mini vertical in which I tasted and compared the 2016 vintage against 2015 (which I scored 97 points). It makes perfect sense to present these two excellent vintages in back-to-back comparison fashion because they are two of the best to emerge from Bolgheri, and indeed Tenuta San Guido, in recent memory. These are very similar vintages with long, hot summer months that fuelled a long growing season. There was a bit more rain in 2016, and in analytical terms this vintage has a tad more acidity. However, the results in the glass are extraordinarily different. The 2015 vintage is exuberant, round, succulent and immediate, whereas the 2016 vintage shows pinpoint sharpness and precision (with similar grit and texture at the back). That acidity will carry it long into the future as the wine completes its slow evolutionary course. This wine is chiselled and sharp with blackberry, ripe cherry, grilled herb and barbecue spice. The aromas flow from the glass in a continuous stream and are all marked by radiant intensity. The mouthfeel is long and powerful. The crisp linearity of the wine's tannic backbone is perfectly measured to the volume and depth of the fruit flavors. To my mind, the 2016 Sassicaia stands tall next to the epic 1985 vintage that set the ultimate benchmark for vino italiano.“ Bruce Sanderson of the Wine Spectator scored Sassicaia at 97 points, while Mick O’Connell MW scored it at 98 points and wrote this note. “Super-dense core of black fruit and cassis - wood spice still integrating. Dense and concentrated with fine grain tannin and superb length. Pure and very fine. A lot of complexity - spice and cedar with touch of cigar box. Really juicy acid too - almost mouth-watering which gives a fabulous freshness and purity alongside the intense fruit core. Fabulous. One of the best I have tasted from Sassicaia”. Sassicaia is today one of the most sought after fine wines in the world. This is larely because of the vision, enerf=gy and drive o proprietor Mario Incisa della Rocchetta. The name Sassicaia means place of many stones and the gravelly soil has been compared to those found in the Medoc. "Mid-deep ruby-garnet. A notable nose ragrance with tobacco scent lifts out of the glass. Acore or ripe, sweet cassis fruit is wrapped in subtle clove oak spice, some earthy tones and cigar box. Needs only a little coaxing from the glass, whish is surprising, given its youth. Focussed, precise and elegant cassis on the palate with crushed rock and tobacco. Very fine, fairly firm tannins, with a line of acidity helping to give structure. Very long, delicate, scented finish." Tim Jackson, MW, jancisrobinson.com

In 2016 Bolgheri was blessed by the second exceptional vintage on the trot, after the superb 2015. People are struggling to remember two such excellent consecutive vintages and it is fair to say that the release of the wines has been much anticipated. The critics have been lavish with their praise. This fantastic wine has monumental depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee, liquorice and baking chocolate. Glossy shine and a polished texture that segues to important richness, concentration and textural fibre. Wraps thickly over the palate, imparting waves of sweet dark fruit and dark spice that lingers for many long minutes. The Ornellaia vineyard totals 280 acres that are divided into more than 70 vineyard plots according to soil type, exposition and varietal. All the vineyards are about three miles from the Mediterranean shore. The mild maritime climate features sea breezes that keep the sky clear with low rainfall and long summers that favour the development of aromatic compounds. The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally softly crushed. In 2016, optical sorting has been introduced in addition to manual selection, in order to further increase the quality of selection. Each grape variety and single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel and concrete tanks at temperatures between 26-30°C for two weeks, followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolacticfermentation took place mainly in oak barrels, 70% new and 30% once-used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature- controlled cellars for about 20 months. After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 8 months. After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release. Cellar Potential 2020-2040 “2016 represents another immensely successful vintage highlighting all the virtues of Bolgheri’s climate: abundant sunshine, without excessive heat, a dry summer to allow the grapes to achieve perfect ripeness and concentration, and just about enough rain to avoid stress. All these elements combine to yield a wine that shows lush ripeness and crisp firmness, opposing forces creating a sense of dense raciness we like to describe as “tension”.” Axel Heinz – Estate Director “A particularly dark and young colour is the prelude to a complex nose of black berries, spices and cedar. The palate is rich and dense, balanced by a refined and firm tannic structure, lifted by a juicy and bright acidity.” Olga Fusari – Winemaker – July 2018 Monica Larner scored the wine at 98 points and gave it this glowing review. “The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a wine of extreme complexity and precision. It offers monumental depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee, licorice and baking chocolate. I tasted this 2016 vintage beside the less-impactful 2015 vintage (which was reviewed last year). These two editions are very different when compared side to side, and this 2016 release is clearly superior in terms of the quality, clarity and intensity of its offerings. This Ornellaia delivers glossy shine and a polished texture that segues to important richness, concentration and textural fiber. It wraps thickly over the palate, imparting waves of sweet dark fruit and dark spice that linger for many long minutes. This beautiful wine is hitting the market now, but collectors will want to put it straight into their cellars for safekeeping.” Bruce Sanderson scored it at 96 points and Mick O’Connell MW scored it at 97 points, writing this note. “Plush nose, cedar and cigar box spice. Merlot showing with plum and currants. Super finesse here, long and fine but very dense and compact - opulence and vibrancy simultaneously - gives nice tension and contrast. Excellent stuff.”

An intense ruby red colour with plum-red nuances. The nose is fruity and intense with notes of evolution and recalls ripe red fruits such as berries, blackberries, wild cherries, and a light touch of oak. The palate is elegant with well-balanced body, delicate structure, and a very persistent, silky finish.

A well-polished, full-flavoured wine which is aged in a barrel for a year. With notes of black fruits, tobacco, eucalyptus, mixed spice and wild herb flavours. A powerful, linear wine with great texture.

Soft and silky on the palate with notes of rich, red fruit, dried herbs, and cigar box. Perfume and plums on the nose.

A full-bodied wine, juicy in the mouth with notes of red cherry, cassis, savoury dark chocolate and tobacco. On the nose, menthol, violet, and mixed herbs.

Full on aromas of black cherry and blackcurrant followed by chocolate and coffee beans. Hints of sage and bay leaf linger. On the palate, juicy with dark cherry and savoury chocolate, a bright acidity and soft tannins. Finishing dry it lingers awhile.

A wine which brings a well-structured palate with strong tannins and flavours of bright cherry and cassis followed by hints of spice and chocolate. Wafts of forest floor and blackberry hit your nose as you drink.

A full-flavoured wine with notes of cassis, black pepper and a hint of spice. A nice background of oak brings tones of vanilla and caramel. Mature and soft tannins bring a nice balance and freshness to the wine.

Intense aromas of dark red fruits - blackberry, cassis, followed by ripe fruit and a bit of spice on the palate. Finishing with a hint of minty toast. A full-bodied wine with well-rounded tannins that lingers in your mouth for a long time.

Lovely aromas of deep, red fruits followed by rich silky flavours which is typical of the Merlot grape. This wine is a delight to drink now but would do well with many years in the cellar.

Intense pepper, cassis and cherry aromas. Fruits flavours and ripe tannins allow this wine to have a long finish

A robustly red coloured wine with intense aromas of toast, red fruit and spice. It is very well-balanced, full on the palate, and offers wonderful dark fruits that linger.

Intense ruby-red colour. The nose has layer upon layer of caramel, cinnamon with hints of mint, but without any dominance of oak. A spicy, full-flavored wine, with good body, fruit and firm tannins and a strong finish.

A delicious and modern Haut Medoc from the 2009 vintage. Pouring crimson in colour, it has a meaty nose that is more savoury than most merlots. It show bright dark fruits, soft tannins and has a full mouth feel. A great wine at this price.

Dark cherry colour with spicy and black fruit berries with a hint of French oak. Fruit explosion on the palate, fine and balanced.

Great floral perfume with redcurrant, cedar, black pepper and hints of Turkish delight. Macerated fruit comes through on the palate. Textured and well compsed

Dense and richly textured, with baked fruit characters, plum, fig and date. Drinking now or can be kept for several years

Red berry fruit aromas with a touch of oak. Well balanced with round tannins. Excellent wine, excellent value

A blend of 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 7.5% Cabernet Franc. This has a ripe blackberry, violet tinged nose that is perhaps lacking the clarity and vigour that it often shows at this stage. A touch of seashells become apparent in the glass. The palate is full-bodied, quite sinewy comparative to other Saint Juliens with good concentration and purity of fruit with no signs of under-ripeness. The Langoa 2007 has a persistent finish with good depth and focus with blackberry and cedar to the fore. Very fine, as usual. Tasted April 2008 Score: 90/91 Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2008