“The aromas to this are stunning with lavender, rose petals, walnut skin, strawberries and raspberries. Captivating. Full body, layers of polished tannins and perfectly ripe fruit. Dense and very long. Breathtaking classicism.”

“The 2015 La Fleur-Pétrus is a magical wine. Soaring aromatics, beautifully layered, translucent fruit and exceptional balance are the signatures. Hints of orange peel, white pepper and rose petal add an exotic flair. A wine of total harmony, the 2015 offers superb intensity and structure to play off the natural richness of the year. A dollop of Petit Verdot rounds out the blend. The 2015 is like a full-on orchestra where all the instruments are clearly heard but also come together in unison to create a wall of sound that is overwhelming in its beauty.”

James Suckling’s Great Wines of the World 2020 Masterclasses took place in Hong Kong, with about 50 people in total over two separate sessions. The second session of the day focused on “which vintage was better in Bordeaux, the 2009 or 2010,” with Château La Fleur-Pétrus 2009 receiving the highest score during the blind tasting.

James said that “there’s been a debate whether 2009 is better than 2010 from the beginning.” James tasted both vintages from barrel and bottle years ago. He also said in a previously recorded conversation that “the 2010 was always a slightly more tannic and a cooler vintage while 2009 was warmed, richer and higher toned with lots of fruit and ripe tannins.”

While the top scoring wines were both from 2009, James added “we will continue to debate which is better.” Additionally, “one point made was that the 2009s were starting to be drinkable after about a decade in bottle and the 2010s were tight and less complete at the moment.” See the full recap HERE

The editors of Robb Report shared a selection of holiday gift recommendations for oenophiles, including Realm Cellars The Bard 2018, Château La Fleur-Pétrus 2016 and Ornellaia 2018.

The writer shares details on the team behind Realm Cellars, before delving into the wine itself, noting that The Bard is a terrific intro to the acclaimed, yet elusive portfolio. “A complicated blend from vineyard sites up and down Napa Valley, from Calistoga to Coombsville, the Cabernet-dominant red (with splashes of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah, for good measure) is a showcase of the stellar 2018 vintage as opposed to a snapshot of a single site, as other Realm bottles are. And it’s a balanced, complex, seamless beauty. Expressive, high-toned aromas mix cassis and violets with earth and crushed rock. Vibrant, juicy boysenberry and plum flavors are layered with hints of dark chocolate and spice on a palate that’s full-bodied but far from heavy. Freshness balances plushness, and acidity melds with structure.”

A perfect blend of elegance and power, the Château La Fleur-Pétrus 2016 “offers character worthy of the address. Gravelly notes lurk under intriguing layers of delicate violets, black currant, anise, mint and pipe tobacco on the nose. Beautifully intense red and black fruit follows, from red currant to black cherry, on a tannin structure that’s both sinewy and silky.”

Ornellaia is described as a “classic Bordeaux mix that has the vivid freshness lately seen in the best years from Bolgheri, near Tuscany’s coast. The estate handpicked and sorted the grapes, with each varietal and vineyard block vinified separately, aging in oak for about 12 months. Only then was the balance between each varietal conceived and married, and once again returned to barriques for another six months before aging for a further year once bottled, producing silky-smooth tannins and a long finish. The wine tastes more of red fruit than black, but it’s still rich, dense and savory with herbal notes and a whiff of wild fennel.”

Read more in-depth notes on each wine and the rest of Robb’s selections HERE

Please enjoy this wonderful video interview where Christian and Edouard Moueix speak about their father, Jean-Pierre Moueix. Christian discusses his early instinct that the wines of Pomerol would have extraordinary success thanks to the charm displayed in their youth. In addition to enjoying drinking wine himself, they discussed how he loved producing wines that offer immediate pleasure to the consumer. This remains their key focus for all of their labels, allowing the beauty of the terroir shine – which they speak about in great detail. Above all else, they produce wines with love designed to take the consumer on a journey.

We are excited to announce that, on Friday, August 12^th, Gary Farrell commenced their first day of the 2022 harvest and their 40^th vintage.  General Manager Nancy Bailey says “It’s a bit on the early side, but not a surprise to those of us who have been watching the ticking grape bomb. This is actually the 3^rd earliest start date in the past 10 years since Director of Winemaking Theresa Heredia came on board in 2012 (2015 started on 8/10; 2016 started on 8/9). As befits our 40^th Anniversary, we commenced with ~7 tons of Starr Ridge Pinot Noir, a vineyard that our founder Gary Farrell planted.”

We are also excited to share with you a 3-part video short series on the road to harvest, featuring GFW’s Vineyard Liaison Randy Czech.

McDonald Mountain Vineyard

Terra de Promissio Vineyard:

Durell Vineyard:

Laura Denby wrote about the “Best Wine Gifts Any Wine Lover Will Appreciate” and included GFW Russian River Valley Chardonnay. Read the full article HERE

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Chardonnay

A food-friendly chardonnay is a welcome gift at any dinner party, and this full-bodied bottle from Gary Farrell is a crowd-pleaser. Perfect for pairing with fish, shellfish, chicken, or pasta, it’s a great meal accompaniment that works any time of year. Even folks who aren’t typically fans of chardonnay will appreciate the juicy acidity that’s balanced with a creamy texture.

GFW_Food&Wine_9.16.22

Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth sits down with Christian Moueix in “Tasting the New Cheval Blanc, La Fleur-Pétrus, Beauregard and More,” and the Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix portfolio, including Château La Fleur-Pétrus and Château La Serre, features prominently among the standouts from the 2025 vintage.

Moueix, who Molesworth has met with in Bordeaux for nearly 20 years, gives an unusually candid read on the year, comparing it to the celebrated 2022. “For me it’s a good to very good vintage,” Moueix tells him, before noting that a brutal three-month drought stripped moisture from the Merlot berries and left the wines with a tighter, more tannic structure than the supple 2022. He credits a shift toward gentler extraction techniques with keeping that tannin in check across the portfolio.

Molesworth calls the 2025 La Fleur-Pétrus a tightly coiled wine at this early stage, layered with bitter plum, black currant, and dark cherry fruit alongside warm brick, tobacco, and cast iron notes, with fine-grained tannins built for the long haul. The 2025 La Serre, meanwhile, shows a fresher, more immediate style, with enticing mulberry and boysenberry compote laced with anise and violet, the kind of wine Molesworth says typically delivers right out of the gate.

Check out the full tasting report HERE.