Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château du Tertre, Red Blend – 2018
AOC Margaux – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷
5th Growth, Grand Cru Classé en 1855

Overview
A historic Margaux estate, Château du Tertre sits on a prominent gravel “tertre” (hillock) that gives the château its name. The 2018 vintage was a warm and generous year, producing wines with depth, richness, and polished tannins. The estate’s blend for the V.18 crafted Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 25%, and Petit Verdot 5%, delivering the quintessential Margaux elegance.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and ripe plum layered with graphite, cedar, and cigar box. Hints of violets, licorice, and cocoa weave through the bouquet, adding complexity.

Mouthfeel
Elegant yet bold: medium to full-bodied with polished and structured tannins, a silky mid-palate, and a long, harmonious finish. A wine showing its prime with youthful vibrancy and well-integrated oak.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb with herbs, beef Wellington, duck breast, Truffle risotto, porcini pasta, mushroom burgers, aged Gruyère, Manchego, or Brie de Meaux.

Verdict
The 2018 vintage is a standout for Margaux, and Château du Tertre shines with a balance of power and finesse. Dark-fruited, silky, and aromatic, this wine embodies the elegance that Margaux is celebrated for, approachable now, yet cellar-worthy for another decade.

Did You Know?
Château du Tertre shares historical ties with Château Giscours (also in Margaux), once under the same ownership. Its elevated gravel terroir provides excellent drainage, making it ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon’s deep root systems.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: For me, the 2018 du Tertre is the sweet spot, Margaux elegance meets ripe, modern Bordeaux style, without sacrificing finesse and within a reasonable price point. Cheers! — 3 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby , thin pink ruby rim . Quite closed at first , with dark cassis , tobacco hints. This is quite rich on the palate with cassis and blackcurrant , tobacco and grafite hints. Good fresh acidity , and grippy tannin . Saline, tobacco tinged finish . Really good balance and length . Showing well but will improve over the next 5-10 years. At Vinous Icons NY, Pier 60 , Feb 2025 — 3 months ago

Eric Halim

9.4

On nose, Toastiness, blackcurrant, spices, chocolates, floral, sweet notes, complex aroma

On palate, its Elegant structure, silky, mellowed acidity, red cherries, red currants, its bright and fresh. The best cantermele i have tasted so far. — 7 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.2

Dar rubi robe, nose of blackcurrant, anise and limestone. Very cabernet in the mouth with the peppery register, rounded up by the ripe Merlot. Great acidity and balance, an excellent bottle just lacking a bit of complexity which is typical of the 2000 bordeaux. — 8 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other

David Koenen

9.5

Birth year tastings, evening 4. Concentrated, deep and dark mysterious color. Blackcurrant, creamy, moisty potting soil, oriental spices, fleshy notes, firm tannins, chalky, obvious but also nicely balanced use of wood, powerful and impressive. Still a baby, or rather, a toddler, with plenty years ahead of it. — 22 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Pretty deep ruby , thin ruby rim . This is quite closed at first , but very focused mineral and grafite , oyster shell notes with dark blackcurrant and blackberry notes , spicy touches too . On the palate this is really focused and reserved , lots of mineral tinged black fruits , tobacco , oyster shell . Quite rich yet very good balance, fresh acidity . Ripe but gritty tannins , saline and really long finish . Accessible now , but really destined for the long term. Wait another 5-10 years , will drink well a further 20 . At Vinous Icons, Pier 60 NY, Feb 2025 — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Pours a deep cherry with a tawny rim. Nose of an old cedar chest of drawers, blueberry, blackcurrant and earth - very polished. Those notes from the nose translate onto the medium + bodied palate - reflecting the excellent vintage. It’s easy to get swept up with Grand Cru Burgundy but don’t forget about aged classed growth Bordeaux of quality like this - just superb. Went well with Roast Beef for Sunday Lunch. — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby garnet , quite thin garnet rim , quite youthful in appearance. Quite exuberant and open from the off blackcurrant , cedar , tobacco , touch of earthy sous bois and grafite, still really quite alive . On the palate this is quite fine boned and elegant , cassis , cedar , blackberry and grafite notes . Refreshing acidity and resolved tannin , with quite reasonable length and good saline balance . Really quite classic , and though not a big , or intense wine , it is well balanced and at peak . Now and over the next 5 - 10 years. Surprises positively for a 1994. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Quite deep ruby , narrow ruby rim. Deep and more concentrated on the nose , with dark cassis , ripe summer fruits , dark cherry , grafite , oyster shell notes. On the palate this is quite rich and decadent , cassis , ripe blackberry , blueberry a, dark cherry . Sweet but ample tannin , balanced acidity , quite rich but well balanced , good blackcurrant, grafite tinged , length . This is showing well but will continue to do so over the next 10-15 years , perhaps longer . — 7 months ago