March releases on the Place de Bordeaux 2024: Report and top-scoring wines

Beguiling scents of wild flowers, dark bramble fruits and some aniseed notes on the nose. Textured and fleshy, full and bright, but sleek and lean too, the tannins have real bit and angles giving this a little bit of an austere frame. Nothing overdone or too ripe about this though and in a sene atypical, but I love the finesse on show and the reigned-in sense to the flavours. Well shaped, well constructed, deep and layered, so dark and finely knitted. Not seductive but almost sultry in a severe way. I love the energy, the focus and the overall expression. Almost hands off, great acidity, piercing with pristine fruit. It's such a young wine that it's really hard to see it in its full glory right now but I love the dark spices; liquorice, aniseed and clove. Totally gorgeous. At this price it should knock your socks off and it does. But this will require patience.

Smells gorgeous - highly scented with lots of floral notes and ripe blackcurrants - the aromatics burst out of the glass. Succulent and juicy, lively and bright straight away, this is gorgeous - it's direct and focussed, certainly lean but not austere with a wonderfully silky texture and well defined tannins that give energy and frame the wine from start to finish. This really packs a punch, the concentrated flavour while not heavy or plush lingers a long long time and is so enjoyable. Cool blue fruits, pencil led salinity, cola edges and bright acidity - clean, pure and precise. And so drinkable. It's not exuberant, chewy or dense, it's light footed, still with a mineral salty grip but carefully controlled and calm yet generous in all the right places. This will age no doubt, but there's lots of zestiness giving a sense of freshness and approachability that is so delightful. A wine that knocks it out of the park and one so representative of Bordeaux and the Pauillac terroir.

Scented and extremely perfumed on the nose, smells heady and profound with Szechuan peppercorns, green and spicy notes of sage and plum. Smooth and racy, clean, rich and full in the mouth. Slightly tight and coiled, a little tense but with super fine tannins give a lovely structure overall. The dark fruit flavours are pure and crisp yet also dense with concentration - this is well built with shoulders but is suave too. Great acidity gives the backbone but it's the combination of power and vibrancy that makes this stand out. Confident but not at all showy, almost understated, especially at this point. A real beauty and one that will develop beautifully. Made from ancient, old-vine Shiraz on clay soils.

Fragrant and totally captivating on the nose, so beautifully scented - a nose to fall in love with - earthy with red berry fruits and soft fragranced flowers. Supple, almost thick on the palate but still with energy and movement. Richly textured and mouthfilling - almost a soft chew to the fruit - you're getting a lot of wine here, but it retains elegance and charm with a mouthwatering core. Tannins are slightly powdery with touches of cherry, rose petal, strawberry as well as mint and sage herbs. Focussed, fresh and dramatic with intensity and character. Excellent minerality too ending the flavours on a wet stone note. Incredible.

Fragrant and appealing, really quite welcoming on the nose with creamy strawberries, wild flowers and dried herbs and some iron filings. Supple and bright, quite high acidity makes the mouth water instantly with fine-grained tannins giving the structure and support. A really substantial wine with a big, bold frame but it caresses and holds interest. Great texture to the tannins, lovely intensity and grip but still giving delicate and pure fruit. Compelling and totally captivating. A touch tight still, this will need some time, but it's a beauty.

Beautiful fresh nose filled with lifted cherry scented and iron touches, really open and expressive and light - almost an aerial quality to the aromatics on the nose. Juicy and so crunchy and alive, this is wonderful, it's got a flash of heat and touch of that cherry cough syrup spice but backed up by the most beautifully integrated fine tannins and pristine acidity. Pure and controlled, so easy to appreciate this wine for its quality and the drinkability. The stars have aligned here, doesn't carry as much overt tannic weight or structure as the 2017s but this has finesse and such allure. Graceful, charming, clean and crystalline with a long pulsing energetic frame.

Fragranced and floral on the nose with clear toast, liquorice, cedar and blueberries. Dense yet agile, this has weight and an instant texture in the mouth - like crushed velvet, massy and full but chalky and softly chewy while remaining cool and lifted. I like the clean aspect with a really mineral, graphite aspect to the finish. Feels polished and utterly elegant, still super young, this hasn't given up any tension yet, but it will be sublime in time. Blackcurrants, plums and sweet spices but cool too, nothing overripe or pushed about this. Very good.

Scented cranberries and redcurrants with lots of bright floral notes, this is both lifted and expressive on the nose and well as quite seductively perfumed. Smooth and so supple, tannins are so fine and integrated, barely there except a powdery coating around the mouth giving some bite and tension while the rest of the flavours drive through the centre from start to finish. Feels purposeful and intentional, so well crafted, perfect tannins and fruit purity. Great freshness, but more that this wine hints to so much future pleasure. Clarity and precision with so much nuance. Chalky, wet stone finish, ends cool with a minty touch. Long. Dreamy.

Toffee notes with green peppercorns, dark fruit - fragranced cherries, balsamic notes, cedar, cinnamon and clove - lots of exotic spices on the nose. Smooth and satisfying on the palate, really juicy and so full of life and vibrancy. Lifted, delicate and graceful, this wine is sleek and moresh. Succulent with great energy while remaining so balanced. Density is there no doubt but this isn't heavy. I love the slightly powdery tannins on the finish alongside slate and graphite notes adding mineral touches. A stunning wine with great freshness. The 60th release of this wine, first made in 1956.

Green herbs, lots of Cabernet markers on the nose with chocolate, mint, aniseed and some liquorice with cool blue fruits. Smooth and alive, lifted and finessed with a juicy core surrounded by quite chalky tannins. There's power but it's restrained, quite sleek and svelte right now, not yet expanding but has such a gorgeous outline and refined tannins. I love the expression with a cooling, refreshing minty taste the whole way through. Lifted, pure and utterly moreish. Gorgeous. Really shines in the glass but at the same time it's so understated.

<p>The multi-regional Cabernet Sauvignon partner to the Shiraz of Grange, Bin 707 has dedicated fan base, who will welcome its return in 2021 after the quality and style of fruit was not available in 2020. This release sees more than 50% of the blend coming from Coonawarra, which stands out in its confidently brisk nose of blackcurrant, ferns and spearmint alongside sweeter ripe boysenberry and with warm hot cross bun notes (Barossa Valley and Wrattonbully fruit comprise the remainder). The plush, generous inky palate runs a similar theme, with menthol freshness and chocolatey-smooth tannins an undercurrent to imposing black fruit and sweet spices. A darker, deeper, denser option than the 100% Coonawarra fruit of Bin 169, this spends 16 months in new US oak hogsheads, lending a hint of coconut to the finish. Released at £475.</p>

A strong heady nose, really full on and impactful, almost verging on too much. Rich and ripe, layered and dense, a full mouthful straight away with such bright acidity this is soaring out of the glass. Amazingly well built, far too young of course, but there's structure, intensity, spice, liquorice, blackcurrants and brightness on show. Gorgeously sculpted, muscular yet suave, dark but lifted, clean but textured. Ends fresh. A great wine.

Fragranced and aromatically complex on the nose - beguiling and totally captivating red berries, clove, vanilla, liquorice and wild herbs. This has an inky density to it, weighty and fully textured but with amazing purity of fruit. Bright and piercing acidity adds to the overall expression with tannins that are refined yet carry a sense of opulence and seduction. Clean and sleek, wide, full and mouthwatering with liquorice, cherry blossom and strawberry fruit all the way through. Delicious.

Smells wild and strong on the nose, some elements of blackcurrants, damsons and plums, but darkly cool not overly ripe. The meaty, wild Syrah elements come through (even at just 6% of the blend) with a touch of florality from the Cabernet Franc (19%). Really vivid bright purple in the glass too, almost fuschia pink on the rim. Thick and unctuous, this has weight and body with a fleshy, plump texture, almost chewy but bouncy too so you get strength and clear structure but with lift and brightness from the pure fruit and high acidity. I love the styling, feels controlled and purposeful. Suave but still muscular, confident. It's a big wine with plenty to say. Very long and keeps the intensity all the way through. I like the cool mint eucalyptus note on the finish reminding you it's full of Cabernet. I'd still struggle to say where it's from but it's very good. 6% Syrah and 5% Petit Verdot complete the blend.

Fragrant nose with black olives, tapenade with some graphite notes, wild flowers, dried herbs, black cherries and blackcurrants. Juicy and supple, so much energy and focus, lovely precision. A crushed stone finish leaves a chalky but still fruity ending. Deep and concentrated but light on its feet. Lovely grip and intensity but keeping a touch of bright red fruits alongside the juicy acidity, red berry fruit and slightly sweet spice that comes through after a few minutes. Layered and charming. A lovely combination which captures attention blending freshness with herbal and spiced elements. I love the overall clarity on the finish. Very moreish.

Wild herbal notes on the nose with rose petals, jasmine, fragrant spices and red cherries. Bright acidity and fresh plump red cherries and berries, so forward and energetic with supportive almost mineral-edged tannins that give a wide expanse in the mouth. I love the texture, it's round, filling and so generous yet so controlled and refined at the same time. Supple, juicy, almost chewy given the texture but elongates keeping the intensity of flavour and acidity. I love it.

A delicate combination of aniseed and exotic spices with fragrant floral scents and ripe red berry fruit. Smells really quite individual, a touch of vanilla and caramel about this too. Clean, supple and alive, this has character from the get go, juicy and precise, thrilling acidity joins massy but fine tannins that give this a buzzy, lifted but filling expression from the get go. Everything is at the fore, and carries the intensity to a long finish. Upfront and so intense, but refined and purposeful. It feels effortless as much as it does intense which is quite a feat. Joyful and with complexity. Too young now but give this a few years at least. I love the graphite and wet stone chalkiness on the finish too.

While the summer was hot and dry, with three months of drought, the vines' roots were able to tap water reserves which had been topped up by rainfall the previous winter and spring. Despite the warm growing season, Ornellaia 2021 feels less dense and muscular than vintages of old, offering pretty floral and wild herb perfumes alongside ripe red and black fruit scents. It's intense, fresh and vertical in character, with fine, ripe, round tannins that seem to be a trademark of the vintage – it's a gorgeous, breezy iteration of the Bolgheri benchmark that is already drinking well. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon (up from 50% in 2020), 25% Merlot (down from 32%), 15% Cabernet Franc (up from 13%) and 7% Petit Verdot (up from 5%); a carefully considered response from the winemaking team to the increasingly warm summers in the region.

Sweet rose petals and stewed strawberries on the nose with touches of green flowers giving the florality. Smooth and supple, lovely clarity and poise. I like the light touch in the glass, really clean and pure with red berry fruits. Juicy and so alive on the palate really giving this so much appeal and drinkability. I love the lift and the brightness while still having depth and layers of chalky tannins. Delicious and moreish.

Herbal and dark fruit with lots of spiced elements too - a little meaty. Thick and full in the mouth, this has instant appeal in terms of texture and plumpness. Wide and filling, not so juicy but densely packed with plenty of lift and energy. Round and complete with lots of drinkability. One you want to share with friends with some juicy lamb. Salty on the finish. Extremely good.

Smells incredible, like a box of fragrant chocolates, profound florality on the nose, so scented and expressive. Thick and juicy, full, and so vibrant, wow, really expands and enlivens in the glass. Such high, almost piercing acidity before the chalky, slightly grippy mineral tannins come into play, covering the entire mouth in a mineral coating. Some salinity, iodine notes countering the bright, almost sour cherries. Bright, forward, so intense, yet so fresh too. Lifted and juicy, with such zing and bite and overall precision. I love this. Great structure, character and confidence and will last for decades such is the tannic make up and the acidic backbone.

Fragrant and expressive on the nose. wild herbs, pine needles, some hints of Mediterranean scrub, juniper and lavender. Smooth and succulent, supple and agile in the mouth, scintillatingly fresh. Lean and tense in the slight tightness to the tannins and acidity - both channeling the wine in quite a straight line right now, but there's supreme depth on offer, a layering of elements and an elongated fresh finish with a cool lift. Cherries, cranberries, some bloody orange and almost peach pit with a gravelly understone offering wet stones. Grippy and intense, yet reigned in and suave. Not yet demonstrating full greatness but it hints at it.

Beautiful and dark, quite captivating heady aromas - liquorice, aniseed, vanilla, cedar, blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf, some herbal tones and floral elements as well. Supple and forward, this is lithe and sprightly despite the clear heft and power behind the wine. Tannins are so fine and well integrated, it's more the flavours need to soften for me - still quite oak influenced with some ripe blackcurrant and cool blueberries mixing together. It feels polished if not so characterful right now. Lovely high-resolution details on show, you really can feel the precision. I think this will be a beautiful wine in time and this has such a long finish with clear flavour still evident after a few minutes. I'd love to sit and leave this open for a few hours and come back to it to see some evolution.

A 10-year-old library release - the third in a row for Clos Apalta with 'Vinothèque on the label differentiating this release (ex-estate in 2022) from the original in 2016. Black fruits on the nose, cool and fresh with dried herbs and graphite minerality - lovely complexity with lots of fragrant aromas. Thick and filling on the palate, a round wine, not heavy, juicy but concentrated and full of life. This has substance, not muscle, it’s chiselled but this carries some power. You can smell the richness in the full fruit. It has a nice frame though, settles around the mouth with good persistence from start to finish. Feels like it has more life left, but there is a sense of heat and oak around the edges, spiced and a touch imposing on the finish although great acidity keeps the lift. I like the expression, cool and fresh yet still determined. Ageing 28 months in 100% new French oak, 225 litre barrels. 3.66pH.

Dark nose, sultry and seductive, rose and violet petals and berry fruit, scented in a rich perfumed way. Quite a profound initial burst of flavour and texture on the palate, deep and full black and red cherries and bramble fruit. Tannins are full and filling, this makes a bold first impression then just tapers off slightly towards the finish, becoming more pointed and losing some easy brightness becoming more serious and knitted. This is saving some of its greatness for later but I love the lingering tight cherry and iron-edged finish. Something very captivating about this wine.

Sleek and straight, I love the texture here, smooth and so filling in a caressing kind of way. Tannins are lovely, soft and subtle, and this has a delicate sweetness with some savoury touches and bright acidity giving tang. It's lean and straight, gorgeous streamlined elements, nothing too massy or plump, but keeps the intensity of flavour al the way and ends still with lift and bite and juice. I like this a lot, it's not trying too hard to overplease. Glossy and shiny. Floral and finessed.

Slightly spiced cherries on the nose, a touch of heat and pink peppercorn with floral accents too. Something a bit ferrous about the nose; blood orange and wet stones. Broad and wide, this has impact in the mouth, tannic but plump and juicy yet keeping a straight line from start to finish so it has tension as well as body. Crystalline and pure, gorgeous refinement with plenty of tasty pleasure on offer. Lovely tension and drive still on the finish, ending with an iron tang. Delightful.

Dark nose, softly herbal and fragrant, touches of sunkissed ripe fruit - raisins, figs, plums and notes of jasmine and liquorice. Smooth and supple, this has life and energy. Round and intense, with some sweet ripe cherries and blackcurrants, this feels quite a serious wine, structured and with clear muscle on show but still showing refinement in the tannin finesse and overall weight on the palate. Streamlined and focussed with power underneath - reigned in right now but noticeable nonetheless. Nice touches of graphite. and cool blue fruits help offset the sweet ripeness which is evident but this manages to walk the line between the two.