Haut Médoc, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc & Listrac

Château Beaumont 

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.
“Very blue fruit nose, opulent and layered with slight ink characters and a touch of cigar box. The palate possesses good weight and concentration. Medium bodied with good acidity, the blueberry and black plum fruits are to the front and then the tannins follow through coating the mouth lavishly. A good finish, lasting, not dry and quite enjoyable.” Drink from 2016. Genesis score 15.5.

“Tasted twice, a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, there is a slightly roasted quality on the nose, dried herbs and scorched earth. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannins, missing a little fruit this year with a dry, slightly austere finish.” Tasted April 2011. 84-86 Neil Martin

“Solid core of ripe fruit, with toasted oak and chocolate character. Full and chewy.” Score 89-90 James Suckling

“Distinctive autumnal notes on the nose. Fresh and vital and relatively lightweight but very serious. Round and polished on the palate. Full of appeal and with just a bit of leafiness to stop it being sickly. Lots of pure pleasure and confident attack here. Appetising. Sinewy.” Score 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Château Hourtin-Ducasse 

 “Good Cabernet fruit on the nose, a bit of cassis and spice too. Ripe redcurrant and blackberry fruits create a lovely, rich and succulent mouth feel. Very pure with excellent texture, the acidity provides structure creating good mouth feel.  Persistent on the finish with a touch of oak to complement. Great wine for the price, a Genesis recommendation.”
Drink from 2017. Genesis score 15.5+.

Château Poujeaux         

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot
“Classy nose with plenty of cassis well integrated with cedar and a touch of smokiness - lots of purity here and good precision of fruit and oak. Firm tannins, but the fleshiness creates tension and a pleasing mouth feel. There is good length on the finish - the dark fruits carry on towards the end and are lifted by good acidity.” Drink from 2020.
Genesis score 16+.

“An undeniable sleeper of the vintage, this may be the finest Poujeaux I have tasted in three decades. A crushed rock/mineral character is intertwined with abundant black currant, blackberry, incense and camphor notes in this full-bodied, unctuously textured, elegant, pure effort. It is capable of lasting 15 years. Kudos to new proprietor Philippe Cuvelier (also the owner of St.-Emilion’s Clos Fourtet) for resurrecting this well-known estate.” 90-92 Robert Parker

“First sample: Fresh, lively on the nose. Lots of fresh fruit. Almost aggressively fresh and raw! A bit tart and green.  (Score and tasting dates refer to the second sample.) Second sample: Particularly deep purple. Very, very rich. Taken right to the limit of ripeness. Yet there is freshness here too and the tannins, while a little drying, are not excessively painful. This is a very intense ambassador for 2010’s special qualities. Very fine tannins on the finish and lovely crunch. Pretty stolid and dense. Maybe a slight lack of acidity...?”  16.5/20 Jancis Robinson

“Feels a little soft on the edges, but the core of plum, raspberry and fig character is persistent, and there's a nice tobacco edge on the finish, which picks up some grip. Love the fruity and chocolate character here, with lots spices and nutmeg. Full and velvety with soft tannins and a long finish.” 92-93 James Suckling

Château Potensac             

42% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot
“Love this on the nose, very juicy with plenty of cassis and a touch of blackberry too. The palate is full-bodied, rich and concentrated with lots of definition. The fruit is upfront, juicy, and fresh.  A sweet and lingering finish creates a lively feel.” Drink from 2019. Genesis score 16.

“Traditionally made, yet exhibiting some modern touches such as ripe fruit, the 2010 Potensac is another sleeper of the vintage from this estate, owned by Jean-Hubert Delon, the proprietor of Leoville Las Cases. Classic Bordeaux notes of red and black currants, earth, and spice box are well-presented in this deep ruby/purple-colored, medium-bodied wine, which should drink nicely for a decade or more.” 87-89 Robert Parker

“The Potensac ’10 is a blend of 42% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot including 9.3% vin de presse. It offers 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.55. There is just a slight sense of sur-maturité on the nose perhaps from the Merlot, just a hint of prune. Not over the top but it is just there. The palate is full-bodied with succulent grippy tannins...a huge Potensac that is redeemed but very silky finish. Long in the mouth, one of the few 2010’s that actually reminds me of the 2009.” Tasted March 2010. 89-91 Neil Martin

“Very primal, with cassis and violet running from start to finish, backed by a lightly chalky, slightly tight finish. Shows the austere side of the vintage, but has admirable length.” 90-93  James Molesworth

 “Very dark crimson. Rich and scented and very ripe black fruit on the nose. Loose texture – much more so than I would have imagined for this property in 2010 – with tightening tannins only on the very end. Almost painful levels of tannin and acidity on the finish. Bit of a trial to taste at this stage. Were stones macerated in the fermentation vat? A lesson in austerity.” 16/20 Jancis Robinson

“This is one of the fruitiest Potensacs that I remember, with loads of blueberry and currants. Full and velvety. Plenty going on underneath.” 91-92 James Suckling

Château Cissac  

“Wonderful mineral nose with good tension.  Very good weight on the palate, pure, rich and full.  This is complemented by ripe black cherry and currant fruits that help round-off the firm structure.  A little grip on the finish but overall a pretty good wine.” Drink from 2019. Genesis score 15.5+.

“The Cissac 2010 has an attractive well-defined bouquet with bright dark berried fruits, cassis and a slight honeyed accent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very clean fruits, nothing over-ambitious but very harmonious and silky smooth towards the finish. This is the best Cissac I have tasted en primeur.” Tasted April 2011.
90-92 Neil Martin