Wine Spectator's tasting notes for the 2014 vintage

On the occasion of the Bordeaux Primeurs 2014, here is a series of scores awarded by some of the most influential tasters in the world of classified Bordeaux wines.

Top 12 best-rated Bordeaux En Primeur wines of 2014

First, let's begin by the 12 castles, including the highest-rated ones : their maximum scores are the highest, with a  variation between 99 and 98 out of 100.

It should be noted that the Great Sauternes are performing well in the rankings as well as Haut-Brion red and white and the great Pomerols. 2014 is a vintage of terroir that respects the hierarchy.

Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Cheval Blanc	Saint-Emilion	96	99
Latour	Pauillac	96	99
Pine (the)	Pomerol	96	99
Yquem (d')	Sauternes	96	99
Mouton Rothschild	Pauillac	95	98
Petrus	Pomerol	95	98
Trotanoy	Pomerol	95	98
High red Brion	Pessac-Léognan Red	95	98
Cutlery	Barsac	95	98
High white Brion	dry white	95	98
Extravagant of the Ch. Doisy-Daëne	Barsac	95	98
Fargues (de)	Sauternes	95	98

The wines of Pomerol

Note:

Château Lafleur (though exceptional to taste), Château La Conseillante And Château The Gay are not included in the ranking.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Pine (the)	Pomerol	96	99
Petrus	Pomerol	95	98
Trotanoy	Pomerol	95	98
Vieux Château Certan	Pomerol	94	97
Petrus Flower	Pomerol	94	97
The Gospel	Pomerol	93	96
Hosanna	Pomerol	93	96
Latour in Pomerol	Pomerol	93	96
Church Clinet	Pomerol	92	95
Clos The Church (Pom)	Pomerol	91	94
Clinet	Pomerol	91	94
Certain of May	Pomerol	91	94
La Grave in Pomerol	Pomerol	91	94
Small village	Pomerol	90	93
Lafleur Gazin	Pomerol	90	93
Gazin	Pomerol	90	93
Nénin	Pomerol	89	92
Pointe (la)	Pomerol	89	92
True Gay Cross	Pomerol	89	92
Gay Flower	Pomerol	89	92

Saint-Emilion wines - Classified Growths

This ranking does not show Château Ausone, which according to Jean Marc Quarin would be the red wine of the vintage.

To be continued:

The castles Fleur Cardinale And of Quintus are still getting very good scores for their 2014 vintages, which confirms their steady progress over the last few years.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Horse White	Saint-Emilion	96	99
Mondotte (the)	Saint-Emilion	94	97
Valandraud	Saint-Emilion	94	97
Belair-Monange	Saint-Emilion	94	97
Pavia	Saint-Emilion	94	97
Angélus	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Canon la Gaffelière	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Beauséjour Duffau	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Figeac	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Pavie Macquin	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Peby Faugères	Saint-Emilion	93	96
Branon	Saint-Emilion	92	95
Clos Fourtet	Saint-Emilion	92	95
Troplong Mondot	Saint-Emilion	92	95
Larcis Ducasse	Saint-Emilion	92	95
Pavia Decesse	Saint-Emilion	92	95
Little Horse (the)	Saint-Emilion	91	94
Quintus	Saint-Emilion	91	94
Beautiful Stay Kiss	Saint-Emilion	91	94
Faugères	Saint-Emilion	91	94
Fleur Cardinale	Saint-Emilion	90	93
Canon	Saint-Emilion	90	93
Gaffelière (la)	Saint-Emilion	90	93
Quinault L'Enclos	Saint-Emilion	90	93
Baleau Coast	Saint-Emilion	90	93
The Great Walls	Saint-Emilion	90	93

Dry white wines

This ranking contains two surprises: the White Pavilion of the Château Margaux and the Smith Haut Lafitte who join in a tie Château The Haut Brion Blanc Mission in 2nd position.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
High white Brion	dry white	95	98
White Pavilion of the ch. Margaux	dry white	94	97
Mission Haut Brion (The) white	dry white	94	97
Smith Haut Lafitte white	dry white	94	97
Domaine of Chevalier white	dry white	92	95
Pape Clément white	dry white	92	95
Larrivet Haut Brion white	dry white	90	93
Doisy Daëne (White Bordeaux)	dry white	90	93
Fieuzal white (of)	dry white	89	92
Malartic Lagravière white	dry white	89	92
Carbonnieux white	dry white	89	92
G of ch. Guiraud	dry white	89	92
Olivier white	dry white	89	92
Haut Bergey white	dry white	89	92

Pessac-Léognan wines

Two surprises in this ranking: Château Smith Haut Lafitte red 2014 which stands out this year from Château Pape-Clément 2014. Wine Spectator gave it a disappointing rating.Château Carmelites Haut-Brion 2014 when Jean Michel Quarin gave him 18/20.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Haut Brion red	Pessac-Léognan Red	95	98
Smith Haut Lafitte red	Pessac-Léognan Red	93	96
Mission Haut Brion (There) red	Pessac-Léognan Red	93	96
Haut Bergey red	Pessac-Léognan Red	91	94
Pape Clément red	Pessac-Léognan Red	91	94
Clarence of Haut-Brion (THE)	Pessac-Léognan Red	91	94
Malartic Lagravière red	Pessac-Léognan Red	91	94
Olivier red	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Domaine of Chevalier red	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Clarity of Haut-Brion (There)	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Latour Martillac red	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Chapel of the Mission Ht Brion	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Carmes Haut Brion	Pessac-Léognan Red	89	92
Fieuzal red (of)	Pessac-Léognan Red	88	91

The wines of Saint-Estèphe

Cos d'Estournel has dropped out of the rankings, while very beautiful notes were allocated to the Castles Calon-Ségur 2014, Phélan-Ségur, Capbern and Les Ormes de Pez. These rather high scores reflect an almost perfect ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon in this northern part of the Médoc.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Montrose	Saint-Estèphe	94	97
Calon Ségur	Saint-Estèphe	92	95
Phélan Ségur	Saint-Estèphe	90	93
Capbern	Saint-Estèphe	90	93
Elms of Pez (the)	Saint-Estèphe	90	93
Boscq (the)	Saint-Estèphe	89	92
Meyney	Saint-Estèphe	88	91
Tronquoy-Lalande	Saint-Estèphe	88	91
Crock (the)	Saint-Estèphe	88	91
Moulin Riche	Saint-Estèphe	88	91
Lilian Ladouys	Saint-Estèphe	87	90

The wines of Saint-Julien

This year, the excellent Ducru Beaucaillou 2014 did not obtain the necessary scores to be included in this ranking.

Note:

The very fine performance of Château Beychevelle 2014 and Château Branaire Ducru 2014.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Léoville Las Cases	Saint Julien	94	97
Léoville Barton	Saint Julien	92	95
Léoville Poyferré	Saint Julien	92	95
Beychevelle	Saint Julien	91	94
Branaire Ducru	Saint Julien	91	94
Langoa Barton	Saint Julien	91	94
Clos du Marquis	Saint Julien	90	93
Talbot	Saint Julien	90	93
Gruaud Larose	Saint Julien	89	92
Gloria	Saint Julien	89	92
Saint Peter	Saint Julien	89	92
Lafon Rochet	Saint Julien	88	91
Lagrange	Saint Julien	87	90

The wines of Pauillac

Of the exceptional grades for Grands Pauillac, 2014 version.

Note the absence of the Château Pontet-Canet 2014 on this great vintage and the very good performance from Château Grand Puy Lacoste  2014 (5th Grand Cru Classé) whose quality improves every year, and which now surpasses the 2nd Classified Growths.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Latour	Pauillac	96	99
Mouton Rothschild	Pauillac	95	98
Lafite Rothschild	Pauillac	94	97
Grand Puy Lacoste	Pauillac	93	96
Lynch Bages	Pauillac	93	96
Pichon Baron	Pauillac	92	95
Pichon LC de Lalande	Pauillac	92	95
Strong in Latour (THE)	Pauillac	91	94
Petit Mouton of Mouton Rothschild	Pauillac	91	94
Clerc Milon	Pauillac	91	94
Armailhac (d')	Pauillac	90	93
Carruades de Lafite	Pauillac	90	93
Duhart Milon	Pauillac	90	93
Silver Wing	Pauillac	89	92
High Bages Liberal	Pauillac	89	92

The wines Margaux

Malescot Saint Exupéry 2014 achieves an excellent performance while the majority of these otherwise charming wines obtain lower scores.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Margaux	Margaux	94	97
Palmer	Margaux	93	96
Malescot Saint Exupery	Margaux	92	95
Red Flag of the ch. Margaux	Margaux	91	94
Cantenac Brown	Margaux	90	93
Alter Ego de Palmer	Margaux	90	93
Giscours	Margaux	90	93
Siran	Margaux	89	92
Marquis d'Alesme	Margaux	89	92
Rauzan Ségla	Margaux	89	92
Kirwan	Margaux	89	92
Marquis of Term	Margaux	89	92
Lichine Priory	Margaux	89	92
Ferrière	Margaux	88	91
Tertre (du)	Margaux	88	91
Luze Pavilion	Margaux	88	91
Brane Cantenac	Margaux	87	90
Labégorce	Margaux	87	90
Lascombes	Margaux	87	90
Rauzan Gassies	Margaux	87	90
Issan (d')	Margaux	86	89

The wines of Sauternes and Barsac

The overall scores reflect an excellent level.

Note:

The absence of Château Climens 2014 of this ranking and let us note the very fine performance of Château Coutet 2014 and of the Château de Fargues 2014.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Yquem (d')	Sauternes	96	99
Cutlery	Barsac	95	98
Extravagant of Ch. Doisy-Daëne	Barsac	95	98
Fargues (de)	Sauternes	95	98
Guiraud	Sauternes	94	97
Doisy Vedrines	Sauternes	94	97
Suduiraut	Sauternes	93	96
Rieussec	Sauternes	92	95
Doisy Daëne	Barsac	92	95
Lafaurie Peyraguey	Sauternes	92	95
Rayne Vigneau	Sauternes	90	93
White Tower	Sauternes	90	93
Lamothe Guignard	Sauternes	89	92
Filhot	Sauternes	89	92

The second wines of the Premiers: quality guaranteed.

Overall, the scores of the second-place winners reflect a very high level of quality and in a completely consistent manner.

Name Château	Name	Minimum score.	Maximum score.
Red Flag of the ch. Margaux	Margaux	91	94
Alter Ego de Palmer	Margaux	90	93
Strong in Latour (THE)	Pauillac	91	94
Petit Mouton of Mouton Rothschild	Pauillac	91	94
Carruades de Lafite	Pauillac	90	93
Countess's Reserve	Pauillac	88	91
Clarence of Haut-Brion (THE)	Pessac-Léognan Red	91	94
Chapel of the Mission Ht Brion	Pessac-Léognan Red	90	93
Clos du Marquis	Saint Julien	90	93
Little Horse (the)	Saint-Emilion	91	94

Would you like to have more information about Wine?

 Visit the Primeurs 2014 shop and find our tips for buying fresh produce