What a difference a year makes. 2014 is an opulent vintage for Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. It contrasts strongly with the [100% Cabernet Sauvignon] wine made here in the extremely tricky 2013 vintage [though itself something of a success]. The Gods definitely favoured Pauillac in 2014 with the sort of Indian summer completely tuned to the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There is freshness here, the echo of the comparatively cool August, but the wonderful richness and texture to the palate and gloss to the tannins is all September sun.

St Julien offers purity and clarity in 2014. The wines show beautiful blackcurrant tones and are fresh and vivid. The best have very good length and structure. Tannins are sophisticated and ripe. Some properties are comparing the vintage to 2005 and 2006, and, while the wines don’t quite have the weight and concentration of 2009 and 2010, they are nevertheless vivacious and appealing. Top of the list are Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Château Léoville-Las-Cases, Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Saint-Pierre. Right behind are Château Gruaud Larose, Château Branaire-Ducru, Clos du Marquis and Château Léoville Barton. Château Gloria and Château Lalande Borie are excellent and offer good value for the consumer.

In 2013 for Bruno Borie at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou the inspiration was the Pointer Sisters, in 2014 it was Winston Churchill. For him, Churchill’s refrain ‘Never, never, never give up’ epitomised the effort needed in the vintage – though it could equally have described the dedication required in 2013 too. After a mediocre summer, it was, as elsewhere, 2014’s beautiful Indian summer that allowed the grapes not only to ripen fully, but also retain enticing freshness and balance, the result of the cooler than average summer. This is a very strong vintage for Ducru. The wine has beautiful, pure Cabernet tones on the aromatics and the palate. Second wine Croix de Beaucaillou is lifted and vibrant and Lalande Borie offers fresh, enticing St Julien at a more affordable price.

The purity of the wines across the Delon range is always enticing. Château Léoville-Las-Cases epitomizes this purity. The 2014 vintage appears very successful here. This is strong St Julien, with plenty of extract and weight but also freshness. It should come as no surprise that Clos du Marquis has turned in another excellent wine. Fashioned from terroir separate from the great Léoville estate, this is aromatic St Julien with plenty of fruit, depth and structure. Le Petit Lion is satisfying in 2014. It represents 20% of the production of the grand vin, and includes the fruit from younger vines and from older Merlots from the vineyard parcels of Léoville-Las-Cases itself.