Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2015

This is on the charming side of the spectrum, with a rounded hint to the mix of violet-infused plum and cherry fruit, accented by notes of singed cedar and sandalwood. Light black tea and warm cast iron accents pervade the finish, returning this to a more typical Pauillac profile. Best from 2020 through 2032. 10,000 cases made.

I love this from the first nose. It’s not quite as complex as the 2017 at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, let alone the 2016, but this is still an exceptionally good Pauillac in the vintage. There are black fruits, firm tannins, excellent graphite and slate notes, and touches of liquorice with clear depth and length. Very good quality, and carefully extracted, it goes gently into the night. 75% new oak.

Swathed in spicy and toasty oak aromas, this has a wealth of superbly expressed red and dark berries, flowers and mint. The palate delivers a very assertive and energetic array of dark berries and spiced plums with a fresh, focused, vibrant finish. Superb wine. Try from 2023.

The 2015 Grand Puy Lacoste is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Sensual, polished and refined, the 2015 is all class. Silky tannins, perfumed aromatics and beautifully delineated fruit are some of the signatures. The natural richness of the year comes through nicely, but without overpowering the wine's mid-weight sense of structure. This is a fabulous example of the year.

Tobacco leaf, cedar chest, flowers, plums, smoke, cigar box, and cassis create the nose. On the palate, the wine is rich, fresh, fruity, ripe, and generous. Full-bodied, long, and loaded with everything great about Pauillac and GPL, the finish is all about the creamy-textured, tobacco-tinged red fruits that really linger. Drink from 2026-2055.

Dark ruby with purple reflections, subtly lighter at the rim. Somewhat shy on the nose, subtle hints of cassis and mint, fresh sweet cherry and a hint of orange zest. Medium complexity, juicy and sweet, charming texture, with ripe, supporting tannins in the background. Lingers long. A delicious accompaniment at the table.

The second wine of the estate is the 2015 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Lacoste-Borie, a ripe, rounded, undeniably delicious effort that gives up plenty of darker berry fruits, gravelly minerality, and spring flower aromas and flavors. It’s forward, easy drinking, and ideal for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years. (I suspect it will keep longer.)

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple, with garnet glints at the rim. Delicate bouquet of damson plums, cassis and fine peppermint notes, very multi-layered. On the palate, the wine is almost tender with its homogeneous, ripe flow, radiates beautiful Cabernet sweetness and finishes seductively, as delicate as it began. A silky, tender Pauillac that should not be underestimated. With further maturity, one can even expect it to gain another notch.

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet glints at the rim. Absolutely delicate bouquet, damson plums, cassis and fine herbal-mint notes, very multi-layered. On the palate the wine is almost tender with its homogeneous, ripe flow, radiates a beautiful Cabernet sweetness and finishes seductively, as delicately as it began. A silky, tender Pauillac that should not be underestimated. One might even expect an extra point at full maturity. (18/20). 17: Like all 2015s, it lightened after bottling and was somewhat restrained. The future, however, looks carefree. (18/20). 18: Clearly brightening garnet-ruby, lighter than other Pauillac crus. Fine-fruited, blueberry-tinged bouquet, slight creamy hints, minimal toasty notes that are quite seductive. Juicy, long-drawn palate, the tannins are already almost mild in character, the balance is beautiful and the wine practically dances across the tongue. One of the most elegant crus in the Médoc for this vintage. Seems inclined to offer early pleasure. (18/20). 18: Rich, dark wine-red with a violet sheen. The bouquet shows remarkable depth from the outset, fine woods, tobacco and, above that, a ripe, expansive fruit note. It needs air and then builds. On the palate, fleshy with substantial extract. It shows balanced astringency and points to a long life. Everything is regal and it has a bit more finesse than power. Rather a reassuring classic. I identified it as a French wine in this blind tasting.

Juicy yet understated, with Pauillac scrape and intensity, the appellation’s signature in the glass—cassis bud, cocoa bean, graphite, bilberry, crushed mint, tobacco, saffron. There is enough weight and definition to the tannins to suggest it will age well from here, but a good decant will bring it into its drinking window. A definite standout and one to watch. 75% new oak for ageing.

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2015 Grand-Puy-Lacoste sashays out with showy notions of baked black cherries, fruitcake, and dried mulberries, plus a waft of redcurrant jelly, Indian spices, and incense. The medium-bodied palate is lively and plush, with tons of expressive black and red berry preserves flavors and a wonderfully spicy finish.

Consistently reliable, this cru delivers a very charming 2015, with intense fruit and a supple, easy-drinking balance. All in all, a lovely classic with a bright future.

Deep purple. What a bouquet, what complexity. It’s not power that prevails but rather the subtlety and finesse of the nose, with notes of violets, plum, and a touch of peppermint. Elegant, lively attack. On the palate, the wine immediately reveals a character driven by its vibrancy and acid structure. The tannins are perfectly integrated and silky. Nevertheless, they gain breadth at the very end of the finish, showing they should not be underestimated. A wine that will be fascinating to follow over time and that boasts excellent potential. A great success.

Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Very aromatic nose, offering ripe fruit and a touch of caramel. Almost velvety on the attack, then smooth mid-palate, with not the slightest trace of over-extraction; the wine glides along, flavorful and refined, with moderate power, while lovely aromas hover above the substance. Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc.

A superior yet so obvious composition of elegance, sensuality and breed: truly top class.

(74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 45 hl/ha) Elegant, dense, fresh, complex bouquet, cassis, plums, tobacco, cedar, currants. Dense, elegant, multi-layered palate with dense, fine, fresh fruit, plenty of fine tannins, powerful, full aromatics, finely muscular structure, long, full finish. 19/20 2024 - 2045

The wine from this estate, owned by one of the great Bordeaux families, is already balanced between fruit and tannins. Black currants from the Cabernet Sauvignon comes through strongly, giving a juicy character to the wine's structure. It is rich and will mature well. Drink from 2025.