Laguna Cellar Wine of the Month - October 2023

Château Chauvin 2010 - "Chauvin produces a stylish wine, always exhibiting plenty of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue notes as well as hints of spice box and Christmas fruitcake in a medium to full-bodied, elegant yet savory and expansively textured style. The 2010 has a precociousness that gives it an up-front, sexy appeal, but then clamps down on the palate as the tannins begin to accumulate in the wine’s finish. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 25." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (2/27/2013, Issue 205),  Ratings: 90, Drink: 2016-2041

Château Villemaurine 2015 - "The 2015 Villemaurine is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old oak barrels for 16 months. Medium garnet-purple in color, it is scented of crushed black cherries, mulberries and blackberry preserves with cedar chest and rose hip hints. Medium to full-bodied with firm, grainy tannins, it's tightly knit with loads of layers and wonderful purity, finishing with great length and depth." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (2/21/2018, Interim Issue), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2021-2043

Hermitage La Maison Bleue 2016 - "The 2016 Hermitage La Maison Bleue (2,000 cases) comes from vines on the eastern side of the appellation and more sedimentary and limestone soils. This deep ruby/purple-colored beauty gives up loads of black raspberry, toasted spiced, incense, and crushed rock aromatics. This flows to a ripe, sexy, medium to full-bodied Hermitage that has moderate tannins, a layered, beautifully pure, elegant, even charming texture, and a great finish. It's already approachable yet will have 10-15 years of prime drinking." Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 93, Drink: 2019-2034

Château Duhart-Milon 2017 - "The 2017 Chateau Duhart-Milon is terrific, offering tons of Pauillac character in its smoked tobacco, blackcurrant, new leather, and spicy, earthy aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it has the forward, elegant, classic style of the vintage and will continue drinking beautifully for 20-25 years or more. It’s a hidden gem in the vintage I’d be thrilled to have in the cellar." Jeb Dunnuck, 2017 Bordeaux From Bottle (2/26/2020) Rating: 92, Drink: 2020-2034