French, Bordeaux

Grape Type: 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc.

Chateau Saint Sulpice is a 100-acre estate situated in a village of the same name in the northern section of Entre-Deux-Mers, just south of St. Emilion and 14 miles northeast of Bordeaux. The property is planted mainly with Merlot and is very carefully tended by owner-winemaker Pierre Duberge and his son Christophe. Their cellar is spotless and recently modernized to include a battery of stainless steel tanks.

The wine is given a classical vinification for a Bordeaux red: complete destemming, fermentation in new temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 8 days, and aging in vats for several months before bottling. This approach maximizes the natural fruit qualities.

The 2005 vintage produced excellent, healthy fruit and the wines are characterized by extremely ripe, powerful, and extracted wines with structured tannins. Pierre and Christophe Duberge are the winemaking team at the estate. Pierre has said unequivocally the 2005 vintage is "the best wine we have made in 20 years."

The wine shows lots of red-fruit aromas. It is concentrated, full and dense in the mouth, with silky tannins and a supple finish.

This item is limited!

93 Points - Wine Advocate, February 2009
"A top-notch success, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2006 Smith-Haut-Lafitte offers aromas of smoky, juicy black currants, graphite, earth, truffles, and forest floor. Full-bodied with superb purity, noticeable but sweet tannins, this round, generous, long wine should drink nicely for 15-20+ years. One can’t say enough about the work proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard have done at Smith-Haut-Lafitte since 1990." -Robert Parker

92 Points - Wine Spectator, March 2009
"Gorgeous aromas of dark chocolate, cappuccino and berries lead to a full body, with luscious fruit and round tannins. Long and voluptuous for the vintage. Impressive. Best after 2014. 10,000 cases made." -James Suckling

91+ Points - Wine Advocate, April 2008
"Always one of the most ageworthy and backward wines of Bordeaux, Sociando Mallet could be described as the poor man’s version of Latour or Montrose. Based on the still painfully young bottles of the 1975 and 1982 in my cellar, the 2005 will undoubtedly last for 30-40 years. It exhibits graphite, black currant liqueur, smoke, and toast characteristics, zesty acidity, huge tannins, and equally massive concentration and extract. From a proprietor who consistently transcends his pedigree, it is a beauty of purity and symmetry. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040." -Robert Parker

88 Points - Wine Advocate, April 2006
"A selection of Valandraud’s Jean-Luc Thunevin, this big, sexy, plump Cotes de Bourg is undeniably a sleeper of the vintage. Aromas and flavors of melted fudge, black cherries, forest floor, and earth emerge from this medium-bodied, supple-textured wine. It will offer delightful drinking over the next 2-3 years." -Robert Parker

88 Points - Wine Spectator, March 2006
"Wonderfully fruity and perfumed. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a medium finish. Focused and refined with lovely fruit. Best after 2007. 5,400 cases made." -James Suckling

87 Points - Wine Spectator, Web Only 2008
"Blackberry, toasty oak and mocha aromas lead to a medium-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a balanced, refined finish. Has a pretty texture. Best after 2009. 41,000 cases made." -James Suckling

This item is limited!

93 Points - Wine Advocate, February 2009
"Showing better than it did from barrel, the 2006 Trotanoy does have one consistent characteristic that seems to be pervasive no matter what the vintage’s style and personality is – an earthy, big-boned, brawny, muscular style. This wine is deep, rich, full-bodied, with loads of meaty black cherry fruit intermixed with crushed rocks, truffle, and a hint of autumnal vegetation. The wine is broad, deep, and built for serious connoisseurs with cellars to wait it out. This wine needs 4-5 years of cellaring and should keep for at least two decades. It is an impressive Trotanoy, but not one for those unable to defer their gratification." -Robert Parker

93 Points - Wine Spectator, March 2009
"Berry, coffee and tobacco aromas follow through to a full body, with well-integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish. There's a solid core of fruit. Powerful and structured. Best after 2014. 1,800 cases made." -James Suckling

90 Points - Wine Spectator, Web Only 2008
"Has a solid core of fresh blackberry and a healthy dose of toasty oak. Full-bodied, with a chewy texture, but the fruit is always there. Needs time. A solid, outstanding producer for this region. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made." -James Suckling