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If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an immensely dense wine that is going to be a classic. The dark tannins are still lined with wood aging but that will go because the fruit underneath is also just as dense and intense. Blackberry, black plum and damson plum give power and sweetness. This is a great wine with huge potential. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2014 Cos d’Estournel is rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades. The 2014 needs time to shed some baby fat, but it is quite impressive, even in the early going. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot and 2 % Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThe grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThere’s a clear consistency across Cos d’Estournel’s wines – the quality is absolutely unmissable, but don’t open the 2014 just yet. Remember that from the end of August the weather really favoured St-Estèphe, with the result that all those key elements - tannins, acidity and fruit - are here in force. It’s still young and closed, with tight tannins, but after 10 minutes or so in the glass olive paste and rosemary notes emerge, followed by graphite and bilberry fruit. Give it time, then reap the rewards. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2014 Cos d’Estournel has a deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed at this stage, offering slowly emerging scents of fresh blackcurrants, black plums and blackberries plus nuances of pencil shavings, dried lavender, bay leaves and fertile loam with a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it has a generous mid-palate of muscular, youthful fruit with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIntense, with a roiling core of luscious loganberry, blackberry and black currant fruit. Singed spice, apple wood and black tea accents emerge steadily on the finish. Has a rare combination of density and precision. Will cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035. 14,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Glorious aromatics with currants, flowers, stones and light mushrooms. Medium to full body and fine tannins that are long and polished. Super linear, structured and long. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2014 Les Forts de Latour is a blend of 71.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28.6% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal expanding scents of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums and boysenberries with suggestions of wood smoke, fragrant earth, cast-iron pan and charcuterie plus a faint waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, the earthy/savory palate has loads of lively black fruit with a refreshing line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2014 Forts de Latour has turned out beautifully. Pliant, supple and open-knit, the wine is super-expressive, even at this early stage. There is lovely depth to the dark red cherry, plum and leather nuances, all in the vivid, articulate style that is found in the best 2014s. Best of all, the 2014 Forts de Latour will drink well with minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe second wine of the estate is the 2014 Les Forts De Latour and this beauty is better than most estate grand vin. Made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, this straight up classic Pauillac is loaded with notions of red and black currants, lead pencil shavings, roasted coffee, graphite, and Asian spices. Deep, medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and layered, it’s a seriously good wine that’s going to continue drinking beautifully for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDHighly enjoyable, has gorgeous elegance and freshness, and is showing better right now than the 2015 Pauillac de Latour. Extremely fresh, hedgerow and cassis bud backed up by richer seams of liquorice and blackberry. Not yet ready but you can see that with a stiff wind and a good carafe, you could get there in the next few years. Tight black spice uncurls to show carefully-delivered smoked cedar on the finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECPacked with the fruit of the vintage, this wine is bright and crisp. Its acidity and pure black-currant flavors are delicious, juicy, the tannins now sitting easily in the background. The wine, which comes from a specific parcel, is developing well and will be released after 2020. It should be drunk from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEOffers a core of pure cassis and blackberry fruit, with mouthwatering streaks of graphite and anise. Racy-edged, featuring ample grip buried through the finish. Reveals a violet echo for good measure. Textbook. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,022 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

One of the highlights in a dark horse vintage for Bordeaux, the 2014 Pichon Lalande is absolutely exquisite. Aromatic and silky on the palate, with bright, finely sculpted fruit and mid-weight structure, the 2014 is a picture-perfect example of the best 2014 has to offer. I have always adored the 2014 Pichon Lalande. This tasting only serves to reinforce that feeling. Ideal conditions in September extended the harvest and yielded perfumed, silky wines.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGShowing the hallmark elegance and seductiveness of this terrific estate, the 2014 Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is deeply colored (especially in the vintage) and delivers a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, ripe plums, graphite, cedar pencil, roasted coffee, and tons of building minerality and liquid rock-like nuances. Incredibly pure, textured, full-bodied, and with a seamless integration of its fruit, tannin, and acidity, it’s already approachable but will keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDWarm and ripe, this is a beautifully balanced wine. It is packed with black-currant fruits that are bursting out of the glass. A darker side comes with the tannins and new wood flavors that are still prominent. It looks likely the wine will develop slowly, so don't drink before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery solid, with lots of cassis bush and sweet tobacco notes adding texture to the core of crushed ripe raspberry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. A licorice snap accent dances throughout, while a bolt of iron runs underneath. This is Pauillac. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 94 WSNow firmly under the ownership of the Rouzaud family of Champagne Roederer, Pichon-Lalande continues to make wines of finesse as well as structure. The blend can include a lot of Merlot, but in 2014 two-thirds was composed of Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is more subdued than when tasted in 2016, but it still shows very ripe blackcurrant and blackberry aromas, laced with some mint and oak. The texture is velvety and surprisingly open, even forward, but there are underlying tannins to ensure a long life. The finish is persistent and vigorous, with purity and clarity of fruit. (Drink between 2020-2038)Decanter | 93 DECAromas of cassis bush and shaved chocolate with berries. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Tangy undertones with fresh acidity. Drink in 2020.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has an expressive bouquet with lively blackberry, cedar, flint and graphite aromas that are not powerful, yet display admirable precision. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, the Merlot content lending this Pauillac its trademark fleshiness and roundness, yet there is clearly structure here (not always a trait of this Pauillac growth). It will develop more complexity and personality with bottle age, but at the moment you can sit back and just admire the cohesion and superb length. Winemaker Nicolas Glumineau has overseen a quite wonderful Pichon-Lalande, one with inbuilt longevity.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NM

An absolute blockbuster is the 2015 Clos Fourtet, which is a blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. It offers a huge nose of black and blue fruits, loads of incense, violets, chocolate, and underbrush aromas, full body, a seductive, ethereal texture, lots of fine tannins, and a finish that just won’t quit. This is as classy, seamless, and elegant as it gets. Give bottle 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2015 Clos-Fourtet has a sensual, warm bouquet with chestnut and smoke-tinged red fruit, well defined and more understated than its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, elegant and refined, silky and smooth in texture with beautifully poised red cherry and cranberry notes toward the finish. A tang of tobacco lingers on the aftertaste. Stunning. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is intense and withholding right now, not budging an inch. It’s dark and inky in colour, and on the nose and attack it simply hints at what is to come. But with time in the glass, the layers of cassis fruits and dark spices are dealt out one by one, firm and confident. Clearly one that will bring enjoyment in time.Decanter | 97 DECThoroughly ripe but seemingly light-footed, as a remarkably silky structure lets waves of plum sauce, blueberry reduction and raspberry puree glide through effortlessly. Light licorice, violet and ganache hints add to the finish, showing very fine chalky minerality in the background. Drink now through 2035. 4,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBlueberry, stone, mineral and dried-flower aromas follow through to a full body. Silky and polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Shows finesse, and polished with such sensitivity. Superb finish. Drink in 2022 but already a joy to taste.James Suckling | 96 JSSituated against the walls of Saint-Émilion, this estate is producing impressive wines like this vintage with its balance of acidity and opulent, ripe black fruits. Freshness and richness combine in this wine that has a powerful structure that will let it age for many years. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Clos Fourtet has lifted menthol notes on the nose over a core of chocolate-covered cherries, dried mulberries, baked plums and potpourri plus a touch of cloves. Medium-bodied and very firm with lovely ripe, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, it finishes long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Swathed in spicy and toasty oak aromas, this has a wealth of superbly expressed red and dark berries, flowers and mint. The palate delivers a very assertive and energetic array of dark berries and spiced plums with a fresh, focused, vibrant finish. Superb wine. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2015 Grand Puy Lacoste is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Sensual, polished and refined, the 2015 is all class. Silky tannins, perfumed aromatics and beautifully delineated fruit are some of the signatures. The natural richness of the year comes through nicely, but without overpowering the wine’s mid-weight sense of structure. This is a fabulous example of the year.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGI love this from the first nose. It’s not quite as complex as the 2017 at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, never mind the 2016, but this is still an exceptionally good Pauillac in the vintage. There’s black fruits, firm tannins, excellent graphite and slate notes and touches of liquorice with clear depth and length. Very good quality, and carefully extracted, it goes gently into the night. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe wine from this estate, owned by one of the great Bordeaux families, is already balanced between fruit and tannins. Black currants from the Cabernet Sauvignon comes through strongly, giving a juicy character to the wine’s structure. It is rich and will mature well. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThis is on the charming side of the spectrum, with a rounded hint to the mix of violet-infused plum and cherry fruit, accented by notes of singed cedar and sandalwood. Light black tea and warm cast iron accents pervade the finish, returning this to a more typical Pauillac profile. Best from 2020 through 2032. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2015 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is another classic wine that shines for its elegance, balance, and sheer class. Offering medium-bodied notes of crème de cassis, crushed flowers, new leather, and ample tobacco, it has good tension and concentration, a fresh, tight texture, and outstanding length. It has some upside and will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, at which point it should drink nicely for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2015 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is medium garnet-purple colored with a nose of red and black currants, cedar chest and roses with a touch of dusty earth. The medium-bodied mouth is chewy, with lively fruit and good balance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

94–96. Barrel Sample. This wine is packed with dry botrytis flavor, but also a bright freshness. Together they give an obviously sweet wine good structure as well as ripeness. The tension between the fruit and the mineral texture will allow this wine to age for many years. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEIntense, with candied lemon peel, glazed yellow apple and honey notes streaming through, picking up mirabelle plum and papaya accents through the finish, which is carried by a buried racy streak. This has a good bright feel overall. Best from 2020 through 2040. 5,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe lemon colored 2015 Guiraud features beautiful lime juice and lemon curd scents with paraffin and honeycomb nuances plus touches of chalk dust, ginger and candied peel. It has gorgeous tension in the mouth with tons of citrus, mineral and savory layers, finishing on a zesty note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPNo heavy caramel here; rather, a lot of candied citrus on the nose ranging from lemon right across to bitter orange. On the palate this is both creamy and fresh. The sweetness and alcohol are already beautifully integrated. Drink or hold (and this has at least a couple of decades of ageing potential).James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Guiraud appears to have acquired quite a bit of body during its aging. Rich and deep in the glass, but with lovely nuance, it offers tons of immediacy. Orange peel, pineapple, mint, honey, chamomile and sweet French oak notes are nicely pushed forward. Best of all, the 2015 is ready to provide pleasure with minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGBright apricot aromas and a touch of oak. Sleek, fresh and precise; admirable clarity of fruit. Zesty thanks to fine acidity. While not showing a lot of depth now, it has a welcome light touch (Drink between 2020-2040)Decanter | 93 DECOne of the few Sauternes I was able to taste, the 2015 Château Guiraud is well worth spending money on. Boasting tons of tangerine, caramelized citrus, honeyed peach and white flowers, this full-bodied beauty has good acidity, ample concentration, and a clean, balanced style on the palate that’s going to allow it to age gracefully. (Drink between 2018-2043)Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

The 2015 L’Eglise-Clinet is one of the wines of the vintage. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2015 towers out of the glass with stunning power and richness. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, tobacco and menthol are some of the many notes pulse through this riveting Pomerol. There is plenty of structure, but the tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Hints of lavender, smoke, spice, licorice reappear to round out the finish. L’Eglise-Clinet is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak. More importantly, the 2015 is a total pleasure bomb. This a fabulous wine from Denis Durantou. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThe violets, roses and dark fruits are so evident but they entice you in a subtle and fresh way. Full-bodied, dense and tannic, yet everything is so in tune with everything else and there are no hard edges or loose ends. It’s like a whirlpool that draws you down and then shows you its beauty. The harmony and complexity is phenomenal. Try in 2024 but I don’t want to wait.James Suckling | 99 JSComposed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 L’Eglise Clinet comes bursting out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of exotic spices and potpourri over a core of blueberry compote, red currant jelly, spiced black plums and mulberries with touches of unsmoked cigars, powdered cinnamon and licorice. Big, rich and full-bodied, the palate offers exquisite harmony, packed with exotic spice and red and black fruit layers, finishing on an epically long-lasting mineral note. In an understated word: WOW.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis delivers a fresh, enticing beam of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry coulis flavors that stretch out admirably while light anise, singed apple wood and fruitcake notes check in. Picks up some sneaky grip and a pretty mineral twinge through the finish. Rather elegant overall considering how much is here. Best from 2020 through 2035. 1,510 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe second wine of Eglise Clinet, the 2015 La Petite Eglise is a pretty, elegant, even Burgundian, 2015 that opens up beautifully with time in the glass, Ripe red currants, cherries, sandalwood, cedary spice, and dried floral notes all emerge from this medium-bodied 2015 that has fine tannin and a great finish. It’s certainly not a blockbuster but excels on its finesse and elegance. Drink it anytime over the coming decade. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste the top cuvee from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Aromas of tar, black olive skin and blackberries follow through to a full body. Ultra-fine tannins and a long, linear finish with super intensity. Well-crafted in every sense. A fabulous Pomerol for the future. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSNewly-arrived Technical Director Marielle Cazaux turned out a jewel of a wine at La Conseillante in 2015, her debut vintage. A polished and super-sophisticated Pomerol, La Conseillante is all class. Precise, lifted aromatics make a strong first impression, but it is the wine’s overall feel and sense of harmony that truly dazzle. Over the last two years, the 2015 seems to have gained in freshness, precision and nuance. What a wine! The blend is 81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc. Don’t’ miss it.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGComposed of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old French oak, the medium garnet-purple colored 2015 La Conseillante opens with reticent, earthy notes of dusty soil, garrigue, forest floor and iron ore with a core of warm plums, cassis, cigar boxes, star anise and dark chocolate plus a hint of violets. Medium to full-bodied with decadent fruit and a gorgeous plushness to the texture, the palate features impeccable poise and compelling depth, finishing on a lingering mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPReminding me of the 2009, the 2015 La Conseillante is more overt and sexy compared to the 2016, offering a huge nose of mulled black fruits, spring flowers, chocolate and gravely/clay-like earthiness. This is a full-bodied, complex, elegant and layered 2015 that has a singular character and the class to drink well for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThis is reserved, with subtle Earl Grey tea, singed apple wood and warm fruitcake aromas opening slowly ahead of a core of dark boysenberry, raspberry and blackberry compote flavors. A lovely swath of velvety tannins carries the finish, with the fruit and spice aromas pulling together nicely. Some patience is needed here, but this is one of the elite of the AOC in this vintage. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,333 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is a perfumed wine, rich in tannins and with a good balance between the Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend. Ripe black fruits and velvet tannins give the wine elegance and charm. It is juicy and ripe, with a background of firm structure set against a crisp final texture. The wine will develop well; drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA warm, sunny vintage, giving crème de cassis flavours and a crème caramel edging. Still young, but packed with gourmet, creamy character. Very much on primary flavours right now, so more focused on plum and black cherry than black truffle, but not question that this will appear over the next few years. Traces of heat on the finish. 70% new oak. A yield of 39.5hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DEC

I absolutely loved the 2015 Léoville Barton and this has everything you could want from a Left Bank Bordeaux. Cassis, smoked earth, graphite, tobacco leaf, and thrilling amounts of minerality all emerge from this inky colored, full-bodied, power-packed, brut of a Saint-Julien that holds everything together and stays pure, balanced and elegant on the palate. It has a lot of tannins, yet more than enough fruit. The 2015 is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, brought up in 60% new French oak, and it needs 7-8 years of bottle age and will shine for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDRich, generous and elegant, this is a very dense wine but with great black fruits to balance this structure. The elements are already coming together to create another great wine from this property. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThis is a very focused Barton with ultra-fine tannins that are so polished and chalky. It drives through the center palate with currant and berry character. Full-bodied, polished and straightforward with driving tannin. Love the texture. Class. Yes. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSA dense, powerful wine, the 2015 Léoville-Barton is going to need quite a bit of time to come together, as it is massively tannic and structured at this stage.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Leoville Barton offers up notions of warm red currants, black raspberries and dark chocolate with wafts of cigar box, violets and bay leaves. Elegant, medium-bodied and sporting great freshness, the taut, tightly wound palate of intense red fruits and floral accents is well-framed with firm, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis delivers some serious wow, dripping with warm fig, blackberry and boysenberry reduction notes, along with melted black licorice and fruitcake flavors. Shows ample grip but remains beautifully polished, letting the fruit sail on. Don’t worry though, as long echoes of roasted apple wood and tar signal that this is built for the long haul. Best from 2025 through 2042. 11,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the deepest, richest and darkest of the St-Juliens in 2015, showing a lick of tar and a crack of cassis. Confident and settling in for the long haul, a salty minerality kicks in on the finish to give a mouthwatering quality. 60% new oak barrels. Eric Boissenot consults. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040Decanter | 94 DEC

A legendary wine in the making from the Delon Family is the 2015 Leoville Las Cases and there are very few wines more impressive in the vintage. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot, this full-bodied, tight, super-concentrated, focused 2015 boasts an awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, charcoal, lead pencil, and minerality. Deep, layered, with perfect ripeness and building tannin, hide bottle for 6-7 years and enjoy this prodigious effort over the following 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis wine that comes mainly from a magnificent walled vineyard within sight of the Gironde estuary is structured and dense. Its tannins and firm character show its enormous aging potential. Powerful black fruits come from the 85% Cabernet Sauvignon in this rich, juicy wine. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2015 Léoville Las Cases is simply captivating. Sumptuous, racy and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is endowed with tremendous energy from start to finish. An exotic melange of crème de cassis, graphite, menthol and licorice bursts onto the palate as the 2015 shows off its alluring personality. Spectacularly rich, dense and full-throttle, with huge tannins that are nearly buried underneath the fruit, the 2015 is an unusual Las Cases. It is also breathtakingly beautiful. Readers who can find it should not miss it.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGBlackcurrant, blueberry and currant aromas with hints of black licorice and hot stones. Full-bodied with dense and integrated tannins and a long, long finish. It is all there and all about proportional harmony. Excellent focus and beauty. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSFilled with blackberry, black currant, fig and boysenberry preserve flavors, this starts off showy, but a back end of brambly grip, warm tar, and pastis-soaked apple wood emerges slowly before taking an authoritative lead on the finish. All the while, a cool charcoal note weaves in and around everything. Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,667 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 97 WSAt 94% (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc) this is the highest-ever Cab content in this grand vin. Very dense at first but full of power and elegance, with lots of energy. Beautifully made, and seems more Pauillac than St-Julien. This will be a very great wine. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 96 DECRicher and more demonstrative than the 2016, the 2015 Léoville Las Cases dodders up generous aromas of sweet berries, pencil shavings and loamy soil, framed by a deft application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, broad and expansive, with a fleshy core of fruit, succulent acids and a giving, gourmand profile, like many 2015s from the Northern Médoc, it’s already quite structurally open today, and it will likely attain its peak before both the 2014 and 2016 vintages that bookend it. For many consumers, that may be an advantage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

One of the finest Pauillacs of 2015, Lynch-Bages is rich, racy and voluptuous. A rush of dark red and purplish stone fruit, mint, new leather, spice and blood orange give the 2015 a very decidedly exotic character that is impossible to miss. Raspberry jam, mocha, new leather and expressive floral notes appear with time in the glass, rounding things out nicely. Even though the 2015 is quite forward and open at this stage, the wine has plenty of stuffing as well as the underlying structure to support many years of exceptional drinking. This is a stellar showing for Lynch-Bages. Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis vintage was ideal for the rich style that this estate has made its own. This wine is full bodied and ripe with black-currant and dark berry fruits. The tannins fall into the cushioned wine with ease and richness. Of course, the wine should be aged, so wait until 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBrambly and attractive ripe blackberries and red-plum aromas with some floral accents, too. The palate has a very plush, polished and regal shape as tannins frame up a core of ripe black fruit. Succulent, impressive finish. Best from 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSThis has an ample core of plum, fig and blackberry compote flavors, underlined liberally with graphite and smoldering tobacco notes. Fleshy and focused, with ample grip through the juniper- and tar-accented finish. Well-built. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe inky colored 2015 Château Lynch-Bages is a seriously impressive Pauillac that’s up with the crème de la crème of the appellation in 2015. Notes of ripe blackcurrants, caramelized cherries, tobacco leaf and a kiss of lead pencil all emerge from this textbook Pauillac that has medium to full-bodied richness, notable concentration, and building structure. Made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that saw 75% new barrels, it needs 5-7 years of cellaring and will be one of the longer-lived wines from the Médoc.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDThis is powerful and deep with high but careful extraction and firm tannins. At this stage it feels so much younger and more closed than almost anything else I’ve tasted from this vintage in Pauillac. This is going for a firm, impressive impact and it manages it, but it lacks some generosity in the fruit character that it has in spades in 2016. 2% Petit Verdot. 75% new oak. One-third malolactic fermentation in vats, two-thirds in barrel. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECMedium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Lynch Bages offers up crushed black berries, black cherries and dried herbs with an earthy undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate is firm and taut with lively fruit and a chewy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

The 2016 Beychevelle has a stunning bouquet of vibrant, shimmering blackberry and wild strawberry fruit laced with crushed stone and rose petals. The well-balanced palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a slightly savory/dried blood finish that lingers in the mouth. Tasting both in London and in Bordeaux, I found the latter bottle to have a little more precision and race on the finish. This will surely be a benchmark for this Saint Julien estate.Vinous Media | 96 VMI was able to taste the 2016 Château Beychevelle on two occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. This is also the first vintage made in the new cellar. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly seamless and elegant on the palate, yet beautifully concentrated, it offers a heavenly perfume of spring flowers, violets, saddle leather, and blueberry and cassis fruit. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in 50% new oak, it’s still tight, taunt, and reserved on the palate, yet has the hallmark purity of fruit and balance of the vintage front and center. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will keep for 25+ years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2016 Beychevelle is comprised of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months aging in 50% new and 50% second use barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little broody to begin, opening slowly to reveal subtle savory notes of dried herbs, charcuterie and black olives before breaking through to a profound core of warm cassis, baked black plums, red currant jelly and candied violets. The palate is medium-bodied and delicately played with a quiet intensity of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing with a lingering savory lift. This latent beauty will require a bit more time than most 2016s, but it promises to overdeliver to those prepared to wait. Around 19,000 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPStacks of cassis, graphite and smoke on the nose of this rather full-bodied St.-Julien with a ton of velvety tannins that drive the long finish that’s simultaneously sweet, fresh and powdery. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 94 JSNow with a brand-new, see-through glass winery, this estate is showing its true elegance. The wine does not have great power but it offers a ripe, smooth, sophisticated texture and black fruits. It already shows delicious flavors that will improve. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a slightly beefy edge, with warmed plum and blackberry paste flavors pumping through. Shows a touch of heft on the back end, with dark tobacco and earth notes leaving a subtly chewy feel, though there’s ample fruit to soak that up. Best from 2024 through 2038. 19,167 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBy this vintage, the gravity-operated vat room and cellar were in operation, with smaller steel vats allowing for greater parcel selection. Still closed on the nose, though with firm blackcurrant and blackberry aromas in the background, it’s suave and concentrated, showing ripe tannins and ample acidity. The wine seems balanced, though it’s not showing much complexity yet. Structured and persistent. Drinking Window 2024 - 2045.Decanter | 92 DEC

An enticing nose oscillating between pure black fruit and fine spices that becomes more floral in character after airing and refreshed by minty notes. This is a wine of remarkable finesse thanks to the harmonious proportions of its tannic and acidic architecture that shapes its juicy substance. This is a vintage marking a change of style towards more precision and purity, as well as finesse, without losing the essential aging capacity that should impart even more delicacy to this outstanding wine. (Drink between 2030-2060)Decanter | 100 DECSuperb aromas of crushed berries, violets and sandalwood with hints of cedar and roses. Full body, very fine tannins and savory, delicious fruit. Vibrant acidity combines beautifully with the fruit and structure. Harmonious and attractive. Fine-toned. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Calon Ségur is dense and radiant on the palate, just as it was from barrel. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 is distinguished by its sense of freshness, lift and nuance, much of which comes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Sweet floral, spice and minty notes add aromatic intensity to a core of sweet red cherry and plum fruit. There is plenty of underlying structure, but the tannins are sweet, silky and perfectly ripe. In short, the 2016 Calon Ségur is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Technical Director Vincent Millet and his team did a tremendous job with the 2016. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA monumental wine in the making, the 2016 Château Calon-Ségur is blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that spent a full 20 months in all new French oak. It offers an incredibly powerful, concentrated, classic style in its crème de cassis, graphite, scorched earth, tobacco, and lead pencil aromas and flavors. These give way to an inky, full-bodied 2016 that has perfectly integrated acidity and tannins, subtle background oak, thrilling depth and purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. My money is on it being the greatest wine ever made at this address. Although it shines even today on its purity and balance, it needs 5-7 years of bottle age to hit prime time and will keep for three to four decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2016 Calon-Ségur is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing warm red and black currants, kirsch and plum preserves with wafts of fragrant earth, violets, chocolate box and wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly expressed and finely crafted, it has a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bold freshness supporting the densely packed black fruits, finishing long and mineral-laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis sports a big, juicy core of delicious dark plum, blackberry and black cherry compote flavors streaked with violet, bay and tobacco notes that add energy. Loam and charcoal accents add the bass line on the finish, where the fruit really kicks into second gear. A no-brainer for the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2040. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFine perfumes from the 18% Cabernet Franc in the blend are balanced by the firm, dark tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has weight and richness as well as a bold, dark structure. It is going to take its time and this powerful wine will not be ready before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2016 Grand Puy-Lacoste has a clean, precise bouquet with nicely detailed blackberry, briar and tobacco aromas, touches of mint emerging with time, all utterly charming. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, conveying a sense of symmetry throughout and leading into a deft, quite persistent finish. This is very classy, and it should age with style. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMA neoclassical edition of Grand-Puy-Lacoste, this has cedar, graphite, deeply integrated cedar and spicy-oak influence and a very fresh array of ripe blackberries, dark cherries and cassis. The palate is so seamless. It builds beautifully and delivers a long, seamless array of perfectly ripe dark fruit, swathed in fine, firm, ascending layers of tannins. As good as we have seen in recent vintages, this is a star of the vintage. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThis has a punch of mouthfilling dark cassis fruits and lots of complex tobacco, liquorice and truffle. Layer upon layer of flavour is joined by tight tannins, but with air and life in between. It’s young and well balanced, easily equal to the power of a Lynch Bages or a Pichon Baron. I loved it en primeur and love it again here. Consultant is Eric Boissenot, technical director is Christel Spinner. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECThe deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Grand-Puy-Lacoste gives up pure kirsch and red and black currants with violets and baking spices. Medium-bodied, firm and grainy, it’s very expressive with good concentration and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPA lively style, with lots of briar and tobacco notes out front, backed by punchy plum and black currant paste flavors. Has a shot of sweet tobacco lining the finish, with echoes of savory and hints of iron giving this range and length. Best from 2023 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSJuicy and jammy, this wine is already smoothly textured. Its black fruits add a fresh touch and give a ripe feeling. Likely to develop quickly the wine will be ready to drink from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSTasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 60ha of vineyards are situated on an ancient alluvial terrace topped by a thin layer of more recent Garonne gravel. The winery’s 28 wooden fermentation vats correspond to individual parcels, and the grand vin red (in 2016, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) is aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels. Andy Howard MW: Intriguing wine with an extra layer of aromatics. Floral, leafy, a touch herbal. Great purity allied with fresh acidity and integrated oak. A very fine Pessac. Robert Mathias: A brooding nose, coffee, cedar and dried tobacco. Broad structure with black cherry fruit. Tannins very fine, some warmth on the finish. Tim Triptree MW: Hedonistic aromatics of ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry, complex notes of smoke and cedar, leather, dried meats, tobacco and cinnamon spice. Opulent, ripe, great balance and length. Harmonious, ageworthy Pessac. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 96 DECBlended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2016 Pape Clément is fabulous. Racy and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 captures the style that now characterizes Bernard Magrez’s wines from his estate in Pessac. Specifically, the 2016 is wonderfully deep in the glass, and yet retains terrific freshness as well. A rush of dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, grilled herb, leather and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its compelling, inviting personality. I would prefer to give the 2016 at least a few years in bottle to allow its full breadth of aromatics to develop. Even so, there is so much to like. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, Pape Clément is gorgeous in 2016. Tasted two time Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis rich, warm wine offers tannins cushioned within layers of black fruits. It is dense with structure and fruit while also having the freshness and acidity typical of this vintage. The wine will age for several years, becoming richer and more opulent. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Coming from one of the coolest terroirs in Saint-Emilion, the 2016 Château Troplong Mondot is a blend of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 77% new French oak. This deep purple-hued effort offers a smorgasbord of powerful blue and black fruits, smoked earth, truffle, chocolate, and licorice. Full-bodied, deep, and opulent on the palate, it’s a truly great wine as well as one of the superstars in 2016. It should drink well for upwards of three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDLove the aromas of redcurrants and cherries with flowers. Full body and tight, finely chewy tannins that impress. Linear and focused young red. Try from 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. Powerful, dense and explosive, the 2016 has a lot to say. Super-ripe dark cherry, raspberry jam, chocolate, spice and new oak give the wine much of its lush, exotic feel. The château has moved in a totally different stylistic direction since this wine was made, but there is no denying the 2016 is striking. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis is stunning. Troplong never has trouble conjuring up wonderfully rich fruit, but here it is plump and dense without being pumped up. The tannins are chewy rather than chalky, but the elegance of the vintage is unmistakable, and the rich chocolate flavours are dusted with mint. There is a very pretty salinity on the finish that lasts for minutes. I had a fascinating visit here at the start of the week, and retasted several times as this is a wine that I sometimes have trouble understanding. My main takeout is that the majority of the richness here is found naturally in the terroir - limestone on the plateau but with cool clay over the top, which explains why they are such late harvesters. But there are always winemaking and viticultural choices coming into play in any wine, and here there are adjustments being made to bring out a more finely wrought version of what is always a high impact and successful wine. Yields are higher this year, up at 48hl/ha, which helps, as does the style of the vintage and quieter extraction in the cellar, but Troplong remains true to itself. 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050.Decanter | 95 DECAged in 77% new and 23% one-year-old French oak barrels and composed of 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet-purple color and comes bursting out of the glass with bold preserved plums, Black Forest cake and Indian spices scents plus suggestions of espresso, black olives, cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich, plushly textured and oh-so-decadent, it packs in the spiced black fruit layers and finishes with fantastic persistence.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPRipe and focused, with a pure, unadulterated beam of raspberry and cherry preserve flavors that is both wide and deep, gilded prettily with a lilting violet note and infused with subtle chalky minerality through the finish. Beautiful. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis wine has power and a rich character that almost overwhelms. Intense tannins along with dark-chocolate flavors and huge concentration give a massive wine that shows some of the alcohol in its edge of pepper. The wine will calm and soften although it will always remain huge.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Another rockstar Sauternes is the 2017 Château Guiraud, which has the freshness and purity of the vintage, yet ample depth and richness. Caramelized limes, citrus, and ample minerality all emerge from this full-bodied, impeccably balanced dessert wine. Its acidity is present yet integrated, and it has a great mid-palate and a big finish, all pointing to this being a beautiful Sauternes with a long life.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDThis is very fruity and layered with botrytis spice and dried-apricot and pear flavors. Full body. Very sweet with tangy acidity. There an almost sweet-and-sour undertone to this. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2021 and onwards.James Suckling | 95 JS94–96. Barrel Sample. Ripe, botrytized fruit currently dominates this wine with its rich concentration. It is a full and liquorous wine that will age for many years. Drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2017 Guiraud is brimming with pineapple, passion fruit, spice and vanillin. Rich, structured and racy, it shows tremendous character as well as personality. Readers should expect a bold, extroverted Sauternes. I loved it. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGSilky and concentrated, this is one of the successes of the appellation for me. It has lovely zest and zip, with touches of candied ginger and a fresh lift on the finish. It manages to give shade and light more than most in the vintage, but is just a little shorter than in some previous years. Very good quality, reminiscent of the 2009. (Drink between 2020-2032)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2017 Guiraud opens with subtle notions of crushed rocks, wild fungi and fragrant earth leading to a profound core of orange marmalade, crystalized lemon peel, dried pineapple and paraffin wax. The rich, opulent, wonderfully exotic palate delivers soft acidity and loads of spicy sparks, finishing with great length and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPMango, peach melba, gingerbread and hazelnut notes are laced with a racy streak of orange peel, giving this unctuous, forward Sauternes good energy through the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2035. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Deep and typical on the nose with blackcurrants, black tea, leather and graphite. The aromas draw you down to the palate. Full-bodied, creamy and beautiful with extremely polished, refined tannins. Yet, it’s powerful and long. Highest percent of cabernet sauvignon ever. Juicy and almost exotic, but very tidy with ripe tannins. Try after 2025 and onwards.James Suckling | 98 JSComposed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple colored. It opens slowly, cautiously with restrained notes of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries, warm blackcurrants and wild blueberries, followed by emerging notions of smoked meats, fragrant earth, crushed rocks and lilacs with touches of cast-iron pan and Marmite toast. Medium-bodied, the palate is deceptively light and quite ethereal on entry, growing in the mouth to reveal elegant layers of energetic red and black fruits with tons of savory accents. Framed by exquisitely ripe, wonderfully fine-grained tannins, it has exhilarating freshness and a very long, hypnotically perfumed finish. On a final note, the alcohol here is a jaw-dropping 12.5%, which is something of a miracle considering the ripeness of the Cabernet. A total head-turner, I cannot wait to follow the development of this wine!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPDeep ruby in colour but not so inky as to be impenetrable - that is not their style. Nose subdued at first, but on the palate it unfurls to show violet edging and rich but well defined black fruits. Lafite never tries overly hard to please everyone in its early years, and this will take some time to open up. There is plenty of concentration - there are hefty tannins but they are so finessed that you don’t feel them at first. It will almost certainly take a full ten years to reach its drinking window, unlike many in 2017. Its 97% Cabernet Sauvignon means a lot of the power is implied at this point, with only a hint of Merlot to soften and gently layer up through the palate. Extremely impressive. A yield of 40hl/ha, only very lightly affected by frost. 99% new oak. 3.75pH. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050Decanter | 97 DECThis wine is poised, gathering freshness and good acidity in the same structured container as the pure black-currant fruits. With 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has a classicism about it: fruity and structured at the same time. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDuring en primeur, the 2017 Lafite-Rothschild was one of the most impressive wines of the Left Bank. Today, it is equally impressive. An ample, richly constituted wine, the 2017 is an unusually dark, somber Lafite, with a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon that is among the highest ever here. There is a sort of monastic sense of austerity that gives the wine its impression of reserve. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol develop in the glass, but it will be many years before it awakens. Readers will have to be patient but there is a lot to look forward to here. Like many of his colleagues, Technical Director Eric Kohler opted for gentle extractions and incorporated a relatively high amount of press wine (16%) into the blend. Those are merely details, though, because the 2017 Lafite is stellar.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThis is a youthful tumble of warmed black currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors, entwined with bay leaf, tobacco, savory, lilac, smoldering charcoal and warm cast iron notes. Terrific stony minerality zips everything up for now, but riveting acidity and excellent energy should carry this easily in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 16,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe grand vin 2017 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild checks as a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes just 2.5% Merlot and less than 1% of Petit Verdot, brought up in new French oak. It shows the classy, elegant style of both the vintage and the estate, revealing a ruby/purple hue, complex notes of red and black currants, lead pencil, and cedary herbs, medium-bodied richness and depth, and both present tannins and acidity. It checks in behind the 2015 and 2016 yet is nevertheless a classic Lafite. It will benefit from a decade of bottle age and keep for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

There was no frost in the vineyard in 2017, due to its situation high upon the limestone plateau. Composed of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, which was harvested from September 25 to October 3, the 2017 Pavie is very deep garnet-purple in color and rolls slowly and sensuously out of the glass with growing scents of Black Forest cake, black plum preserves, blueberry compote and fruitcake plus suggestions of melted chocolate, licorice, crushed rocks and Indian spices with a waft of violets. Full-bodied, the palate packs a powerful punch, laden with electric layers of energetic black and blue fruits. All this decadent fruit is supported by fantastic freshness and very, very ripe, velvety tannins, finishing with epic length. Location, location, location was everything in 2017. Pavie has one of the most enviable locations in all of Bordeaux and boy-oh-boy does it show in this spectacular wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe wine of the vintage, the 2017 Chateau Pavie is an incredible achievement and is certainly in the same league as past great vintages such as 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016. This hillside terroir escaped from the frost unscathed, and the 2017 is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a rock star bouquet of pure creme de cassis, espresso roast, crushed violets, graphite, and a distinct sense of minerality. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has a wonderful sense of elegance, flawless balance, and again, awesome purity. This sensational effort has some upfront charm yet, given the tannins, a solid 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted and it should cruise for 25-30 years in cool cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2017 Pavie is a serious, powerful wine endowed with tremendous energy. Black cherry, plum, mocha, spice and leather are just some of the many nuances that build in the glass. In so many vintages, Pavie is a wine of immediacy, but in 2017 readers will find a more reticent wine, one that will need at least a few years in bottle to blossom. Creamy and beautifully layered, with superb vibrancy, the 2017 is striking.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGA stunner, with waves of velvety textured plum sauce, blackberry reduction and warm cassis rolling through, inlaid seamlessly with violet, black tea and singed applewood notes. Voluptuous and showy, but with a very fine chalky minerality pervading on the finish, imparting a sense of grace and refinement. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2040. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSPowerful but well-rounded and carefully extracted, this has the St-Emilion confident power but tons of wonderful slate character to hold everything in check. There are walls of damson and dark chocolate that you can climb here, and it climbs right out of the 2017 pigeonhole. Great stuff, one of the best in the lineup, and a definite step-up from how it was showing En Primeur. (Drink between 2024-2040)Decanter | 95 DECComplex nose with a striking medicinal note, but also tons of of elderberry and a touch of old balsamic vinegar. A stunning 2017 with everything you expect from a great St.-Emilion except opulence. Very long, positively dry finish with quite some minerality. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 95 JSThis wine is rich. But it also has a poise and control that balances the richness. With its restrained power and black fruits, the wine will develop impressively. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The flagship 2018 Château Beychevelle is a more serious, concentrated, focused wine that still has that classic Saint-Julien purity of fruit as well as a wealth of fruit. Gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered blueberries, violets, spring flowers, tobacco leaf, and cedar notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannins, moderate acidity, and a great, great finish. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it’s one of the sexiest, most up-front and irresistible wines in the vintage. Don’t let that scare you, though; it’s going to drink beautifully for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAn unabashedly flamboyant, exotic wine, the 2018 Beychevelle possesses tremendous richness and raciness right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and espresso infuse this sumptuous Saint-Julien with striking aromatic and flavor complexity. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its irresistibly sensual personality. Time in the cellar should help the new oak assimilate, but readers should be prepared for a full-throttle, heady wine.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGAged for around 18 months in barrel, 60% new and 40% second fill, the 2018 Beychevelle needs a fair bit of swirling to release classic notes of cassis, plum preserves and ripe blackberries, with emerging suggestions of unsmoked cigars, tilled soil and cedar chest, plus a waft of pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate is still very tightly wound, offering finely packed black fruit and earthy layers within a frame of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. This will need a good 5-6 years to come around and then will drink beautifully over the next 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPViolet and warm cassis aromas and flavors lead the way, melding with applewood, ganache, açaí and blueberry reduction notes along the way. Almost lush in the end, but there’s a buried tarry streak giving it just a bit of grippy texture for contrast. Serious juice. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2038..Wine Spectator | 95 WSCurrants and blackberries with crushed stone and fresh herbs. Some flower stem, too. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and linear with firm, driven tannins. This needs four or five years of bottle age to open and come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSThere is attractive tension in this wine between the dry tannins and opulently ripe black fruits. That sets the wine on a course of long-term aging. Bold, dense fruits are matched by the dry core. The wine will take time. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEGorgeously brushed tannins with a smoked oak nose. This is excellent, firm and bright, layered and nuanced, gently inviting you in, with plenty of promise of life ahead. Has some austerity and although this is not in 2016 territory of 360-degree expansion, it is highly successful. A yield of 55hl/ha, with 50% of production going into the grand vin. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2036.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2018 Cantenac Brown is fabulous. Dark rich and expansive, the 2018 wraps around the palate with stunning depth. Dark red/black fruit, iron, cedar, chocolate, dried herbs and a whole range of earthy notes are pushed forward as this ample Margaux shows off its considerable allure. The 2018 is a big, rich wine. Give it at least a few years to fully come together.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGRipe black fruits shine through this balanced wine, showing strongly against a backdrop of rich, generous tannins. This estate is one to watch as it achieves the form the vineyard deserves. Expect this wine to be ready to drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShows a touch of dark earth out front, with a mix of smoldering tobacco, espresso crema and singed alder notes before the core of warmed plum and blackberry reduction flavors finally starts to unwind. Just a touch burly for a Margaux, but certainly lots to like here and ample range and length. Time will likely add that last bit of refinement. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis has a lot of elegance even though it is a powerful wine; there is a lovely lifting freshness through the palate along with ripples of blackberry and damson fruit. Just a touch of heat on the finish that dampens things down. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DECRich and polished aromas of blueberry, lavender, dark chocolate, hazelnut and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins. Creamy layers of ripe fruit and wood. Long and caressing. Lovely ripe fruit in the center palate. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2018 Cantenac Brown has a medium to deep garnet-purple color, wafting gently out of the glass with fragrant scents of redcurrant jelly, Morello cherries, plum preserves and fresh blackcurrants, plus suggestions of red roses, cedar chest and pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate (13.5% declared alcohol) has a sturdy frame of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the delicately styled red and black fruit flavors, finishing savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPA classic, elegant Margaux based on roughly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot (I don’t know the exact blend), the 2018 Château Cantenac Brown offers up a pretty perfume of red and black currants, sandalwood, dried flowers, and cedar pencil. It’s not the most powerful or concentrated wine in the vintage, yet it has fine tannins as well as a wonderfully balanced, classical style. I suspect it will benefit from just short-term cellaring and keep for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

The 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Strong Cabernet inflections soar out of the glass, giving the wine a compelling aromatic profile laced with the essence of graphite, dried herbs, menthol and dark fruit. One of the most classic (for lack of a better word) wines in the Left Bank in 2018, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is super-impressive right out of the gate. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is ultimately a wine of tremendous class that remains restrained and aristocratic in breeding. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGJuicy and compact now, with dark currant, blackberry and fig notes at the core, surrounded by lots of warm earth, singed alder and tobacco leaf notes. Cast iron note helps extend the finish, with the fruit and earth notes keeping pace. Has a slight throwback feel, so if you like old school, ageworthy Pauillac, this is your wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 95 WSSweet black cherry fruits, bilberry and hedgerow. A little austere at this stage but confidently so, with a slice of bitter black chocolate. Big Pauillac tannins, no question - a little more prominent than they were en primeur. The wine has taken on weight over ageing so I am slightly extending the drinking window. Harvest 21 September and 5 October. 12% press wine. 75% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 95 DECCherries and walnuts with dried flowers on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins, creamy texture and a bright, vivid finish. Plenty of currant and tar. Such polish and beauty. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste displays a deep garnet-purple color and slowly emerging notes of ripe blackberries, blackcurrant pastilles and redcurrant jelly plus hints of cedar, underbrush, cinnamon stick and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate has well-managed, slightly chewy tannins and a refreshing line lifting the black and red berry layers, finishing earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThis is a relatively soft wine, its tannins already embracing the black-currant fruits. The structure is there, smoothly textured and ripe with fruitiness as well as good acidity. This wine is likely to develop relatively quickly, so drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Complex and expressive nose, offering red and dark fruit, spices and pepper with wood and mushroom undertones. Fresh mussel shell and a hint of ink, too. Full-bodied with a fine texture and great balance between the acidity and the controlled, tannic structure. Very long finish. Goes on and on. Tiny production, 21 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSFirst vintage under Chris Wilmers, succeeding his father Bob. A brilliant Haut-Bailly, living up to its En Primeur promise, packed with ripe rippling black and red berry fruit and a wonderful velvety texture. Still extremely young, more closed than it was during En Primeur but packed with layers of brilliance, saline quality on the finish, with a tight slate grip slowing everything down. 5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend, co-fermented with Petit Verdot. A yield of 21hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThe Grand Vin 2018 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. This is a beautiful, classic expression of this terroir, and its dense purple hue is followed by gorgeous black cherry and cassis fruits interwoven with ample tobacco leaf, cedary herbs, earth, truffle, and floral nuances. While 2018 was a hot, dry year (at the end of the season anyway), this shows a mix of cooler-climate, vibrant aromatics paired with a rich, concentrated, fresh style on the palate. It has plenty of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. A beautiful, elegant 2018, it’s going to need 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for 3-4 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2018 Haut-Bailly soars out of the glass, showing magnificent poise that only grows with time. Sweet, perfumed aromatics, silky tannins and mid-weight structure add to its considerable allure. Ripe red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, licorice, cedar, tobacco and menthol are all woven together in an effortless, classy Haut-Bailly that delivers the goods. I suppose the 2018 doesn’t quite have the explosive energy of the very best years, but it more than makes up for that with its sensual, seductive personality.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2018 Haut-Bailly is blended of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it has 14.4% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little coaxing to unlock a powerhouse of black fruit preserves, offering notes of blackberry pie, crème de cassis and black cherry compote, giving way to nuances of Chinese five spice, camphor, chocolate box and licorice with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with plush textured, rich black fruits, supported by a lively backbone and finishing long and spicy. It is decadently tempting to drink now, but give it 5 years in bottle to begin to see its full glory, while it should continue to transform for a further 20 years or more in cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis wine initially seems easy and just packed with fruit. As you delve behind the black fruits, the tannins come into play. The considerable structure shows concentration with a dense side that has power and a lighter side that has fresh fruit. The wine should age impressively.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPacked with steeped plum, blackberry and cassis flavors, this also sports licorice root, applewood and tar notes. Dense and shows a chewy edge, but it’s seriously long, energetic and vibrant, so just cellar to let it unfurl. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2038. 5,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The second wine from Calon Ségur, the 2018 Le Marquis De Calon Segur shows the ripe, sexy side to the vintage and has terrific blackcurrant and red plum-like fruits as well as lots of tobacco and cedary spice aromas and flavors. Close to an even split of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this full-bodied, gorgeously texture, balanced Saint-Estate should be snatched up by readers. It's in the running for the top second wine of the vintage!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDPlenty of blackcurrant and blackberry aromas with hints of black truffle and mushroom. It’s medium-bodied with an attractive core of cool fruit and a flavorful finish. Wet-earth undertone. Second wine of Calon Segur. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSThe second wine of Chäteau Calon Ségur, this is luscious and massively dense, with black-plum fruits backed by velvet tannins and acidity. It shows power along with good potential for aging. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2018 Le Marquis de Calon-Ségur is a blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Sauvignon (14.9% alcohol). It is anticipated to age for 17 months in barriques, 30% new. Deep purple-black in color, it gives up opulent scents of Indian spices, menthol and plum preserves with a core of crème de cassis, baked cherries and raspberry pie plus a hint of sandalwood. Big, rich, full-bodied and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it has bags of black fruit preserves and exotic spices with a firm, plush frame, finishing long with a minty lift. Definitely one for the hedonists!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPCinnamon, cloves and touches of reduction. The plump and powerful fruits of St-Estèphe are clear, along with some pretty knitted-down tannins. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038.Decanter | 91 DEC

Cassis, crushed plum and steeped blackberry fruit is all packed into this wine, along with tar, violet and roasted apple wood notes, plus a terrific tug of warm earth. Shows lots of energy in reserve, with a tightly knit finish pulling everything together. Cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040. 11,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis estate has been on fire in recent vintages, and the 2018 Château Léoville Barton is up there with the best of them. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak, this classic, flawlessly balanced, straight-up awesome Saint-Julien has loads of cassis and mulberry fruits as well as notes of freshly sharpened pencils, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and earth. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has building tannins and healthy acidity, yet the fruit is pure, perfectly ripe, and wonderfully integrated with all the wine’s components. As is normal with this cuvée, it closes down with extended air and is going to take a solid 8-10 years of bottle age to reach the early stages of maturity. It’s going to evolve for 30-40 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSweet berries, blackberries, raspberries and violets follow through to a full body with extremely creamy, polished tannins that caress the palate. It’s really long and polished. Gorgeous finish. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSIn this wine, fine and rich tannins partner with powerful black-plum and black-currant fruits. Densely textured while also having swathes of rich fruits, the wine shows both a firm side and one that offers total deliciousness. As it matures, both these aspects will come together. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2018 Léoville-Barton is a gorgeous, exotic wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, menthol, licorice and cloves race out of the glass. The 2018 marries the natural opulence of the year with a pretty classic sense of structure, making for one of the more compelling wines of the year. I would give this a good decade in the cellar. There is much to look forward to. I especially admire the energy and poise here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGWell-polished blackcurrant, cassis and bilberry, everything pretty silky and firm. Not fully showing its generosity at this point but no question that it is going to get there soon. Clear charcoal, graphite and woodsmoke as it opens up. A ton of life ahead, and an appealing sense of mint freshness. Lives up to its en primeur promise - this is Léoville Barton at its most confident. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Léoville Barton needs a little swirling to coax out delicate notions of fresh blackberries, mulberries and cassis, plus touches of pencil shavings, clove oil, charcoal and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a great intensity of earth and mineral-laced black fruit flavors, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Give it a good 4-5 years in bottle and drink it over the next 20 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP