For me Château Calon Ségur is one of the wines of the vintage in 2014. This is enthralling St Estèphe and it is not far off the quality of the legendary 2009 and 2010. Calon’s technical director Vincent Millet described 2014 as ‘very exciting.’ The technical analysis is similar to that of 2010 and 2012, and in terms of flowering and picking conditions, similar to 2009. The purity here in 2014 is exceptional. The grace and delicacy is difficult to match, but there is also considerable concentration in 2014 too. Château Capbern, the ‘Gasqueston’ now dropped from the name, is vivacious and enticing in this vintage, a year in which St Estèphe reigns supreme.

2014 looks to be a strong vintage in Pauillac. I’ve already reported on the outstanding wines from Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Pichon-Lalande, Château Duhart-Milon, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Château Pontet-Canet. At the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux event held at Château Lynch-Moussas [pictured], Château Lynch-Bages and Château Pichon Longueville were equally impressive, while Château Batailley was extremely fine. Good wines have been made at Château d’Armailhac, Château Clerc Milon and Château Grand-Puy Ducasse.

I was very struck by the strong blackcurrant cassis aromatics of Château Lafite-Rothschild in 2014. It was incredibly expressive, almost sublimated in style and extremely ripe. It felt like it will count amongst the great years of Lafite, yet it weights in at just 12.6 degrees alcohol. Château Duhart-Milon looks very strong in 2014. It possesses Lafite-like focus and concentration. Carruades de Lafite was also expressive and plump, showing a lot of juicy Merlot fruit alongside ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. All in all this this feels the most exciting vintage for these wines since 2009 and 2010 and light years from the difficult 2013 vintage.

Once again there is a silky and Burgundian quality to the 2014 offering from pioneering bio-dynamic Pauillac producer Château Pontet-Canet. Much work here goes into not doing much work, if you get my drift. It’s not that there isn’t a lot going on or that they are not busy, but the holistic approach pursued at Pontet-Canet has that objective in mind. Vineyard balance is attained with the long view, through the use preventative preparations, horsepower and manual effort, not cajoling the vineyard with exaggerated regimes and petrochemicals, so that the vines find that gentle sweet spot of expression and harmony themselves. You can feel the philosophy in the unhurried, peaceful manner of the place when you are there [even in primeurs week, though perhaps not in the visiting merchants and critics]. And there’s no doubt the wine feels all the better for it.