Bordeaux 2015: Pontet Canet, Quinault l'Enclos, Fonbel...

This afternoon sees one of the first big name releases:

• Pontet Canet at £795 per 12. Half the price of the 2009 (100 pts) and with 40% less quantity released this year than in 2014.  One of Bordeaux's most distinctive wines with good scores across the board; 97-98 James Suckling, 95-98 Antonio Galloni and 94-96 Neal Martin "It is an intriguing and complex, almost mercurial Pontet-Canet, a wine that I suspect will gain more weight during its élevage. Afford this 5-8 years in bottle and you should have a delicious, intellectual Pontet-Canet on your hands."

A flurry of Right Bank releases to start the morning:

• Quinault l'Enclos at £235 per 12. One of the most interesting releases in our view, Quinault has improved massively under the ownership of Cheval Blanc and the 2015 is widely considered the best ever Quinault.  Cheval Blanc was amazing this year but Quinault held its ground well when tasted alongside, a beautifully elegant St Emilion.  We liked it a lot and the critics agree, 93-94 from Suckling "Bright and precise. Best ever." and 91-93 Neal Martin "There is great length here, an extremely fine Quinault L'Enclos that will give a lot of pleasure with just 4-5 years in bottle.".
• Fonbel at £130 per 12. Made by the team of Ausone this offers consistently good value value drinking, cheaper than 2009 and 2010 (£160) and with its best ever Wine Advocate score.  90-92 from Neal Martin "you might regard as the entry-level wine of the Vauthier family...The class comes through in the mouth at the moment, but the aromatics will catch up during their élevage".
• Clos de l'Oratoire at £290 per 12. Great reviews across the board for this St Emilion including 95-96 James Suckling "A depth and texture that is very unique for this estate with blackberry, stone and mineral undertones. Full and tight. Wonderful length and style. Precise".
• La Cabanne at £240 per 12. Good value, affordable Pomerol with 94-95 from James Suckling and 92-94 Neal Martin "certainly more sophisticated than recent vintages, with impressive purity...it should turn into a delicious, perhaps relatively approachable Pomerol that will give a couple decades of pleasure."
• Clos de l'Oratoire at £290 per 12. Great reviews across the board for this St Emilion including 95-96 James Suckling "A depth and texture that is very unique for this estate with blackberry, stone and mineral undertones. Full and tight. Wonderful length and style. Precise".
• Aiguilhe at £165 per 12. Another success from the Cotes de Castillon with 91-94 from the Wine Spectator "Features lush fruit, with creamy-edged plum, raspberry and blackberry flavors that glide along. There's depth here, but this is rounded and fresh in feel, with lovely purity.".
• Monbousquet at £360 per 12.  A late harvest St Emilon style from Gerard Perse of Chateau Pavie.  93-96 from James Molesworth in the Wine Spectator "Dark and winey, with a large-scale core of cassis, plum and currant fruit, inlaid with dense yet polished structure. A gorgeous apple wood backdrop through the finish gives this a bit of muscle to match the fruit.".
• Monbousquet Blanc at £410 per 12. The small production white made at Monbousquet.  91-92 James Suckling "A gorgeous white with sliced pear and apple with hints of pineapple. Full body, bright and clean."

And a couple from the Left Bank:

• Lafon Rochet at £295 per 12, similar in price to the 2009 and 2010. 92-95 from Antonio Galloni "There is little question Lafon-Rochet is one of the stars of Saint-Estèphe in 2015".
• Prieur lichine at £295 per 12. 95-96 from James Suckling "Greatest wine in the history of the estate".