Pomerol Wines

wines

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

Breathtaking aromas of perfectly ripe fruit with blackberries, black olives, licorice, cedar and sweet tobacco. Full body, incredible depth and power, yet this is always in reserve and check. Everything is in the right place for this new legend from Trotanoy. Try it in 2026. Will age for decades in the future.James Suckling | 100 JSComposed of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Trotanoy reveals a medium to deep garnet-purple color and comes prancing out of the glass with the most striking black fruit preserves, plum pudding, red currant jelly and blueberry compote notions, followed up by nuances of rose petals, chocolate box, licorice and menthol plus a waft of wild mushrooms. Full-bodied, rich and decadent, it fills the palate with generous perfumed black and blue fruit layers with a seductive frame of velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and very minerally.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPExotic aromatics reflect a warm year but offer kick and pleasure. A little more evolved than you might expect from Trotanoy, particularly as other 2015s are pretty closed down at the moment, but a core of freshness and spice picks things up, along with touches of tar and smoke that show greater oak impact than their concentrated 2016. Drinking Window 2024 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECThis is laden with fig bread, ganache, smoldering tobacco, warm currant confiture and fig paste aromas and flavors that rumble through a charcoal-tinged finish. Dense, but the grip is thoroughly melded with the fruit, giving this a very composed feel through the lengthy finish. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,718 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis wine is rich with tannins and superb fruit. The blackberries and black plums are succulent and chewy, giving the wine an opulent, ripe character. This 18-acre vineyard, with 93% Merlot, has produced an impressive wine. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2015 Trotanoy has generous black cherry, blackberry, briary and white pepper aromas on the nose that seem to envelop the senses. There is just a hint of autumn bonfire in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, fresh and nicely poised. A dash of spice toward the peppery finish, hints of Chinese five-spice on the aftertaste. This is a serious and quite compelling Trotanoy for long-term aging, but hey, what’s new? Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMManaged by the talented Moueix team, the 2015 Château Trotanoy is a ripe, hedonistic, heady beauty that boasts awesome notes of ripe cherry fruit, toasted spices, fruit cake, and forest floor, with more floral and incense nuances coming through with time in the glass. A blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, this full-bodied, sexy, exotic, and beautifully textured 2015 has sweet tannin, moderate acidity, and a great finish. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age to round into form but will impressive for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JD

The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is pure class. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this sumptuous, spectacularly ripe Pomerol. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol all develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s textural richness and intensity that stand out most. As good as the 2015 is today, it is going to need at least 15-20 years to be at its very best. Is there anything more I can ask of the 2015? No, there is not. This is a tremendous showing.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGI was able to taste both the 2015 and 2016 grand vins, and these are heavenly, magical wines that could not be any better. Starting with the 2015 Vieux Château Certan, it shows the opulent, flamboyant style of the vintage to a T and reveals a saturated purple/ruby color, a monster bouquet of blackberries, tobacco, kirsch, dried spices, and loamy earth, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. A thrill a minute, wine doesn’t get any better, and I only wish every reader could taste this beauty. Drink it any time over the coming 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe blackberries, blueberries, oyster shell and violets are so mesmerizing. Full-bodied, focused and deep. It takes you to another space and plane. Dried flowers and dark fruit. The tannins are perfectly crafted. Keeps going as you taste it. Drink in 2023 but why wait?James Suckling | 100 JSBlended of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Vieux Chateau Certan opens with profound notes of blueberry compote, dried mulberries, black forest cake, licorice, violets and garrigue with wafts of black truffles, sandalwood and rose hips. Medium to full-bodied, very earthy/savory and beautifully layered with very plush yet present tannins, it offers lovely freshness and a very long minerally finish. So very Pomerol!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis is a beautifully fragrant wine that has power along with an elegant acidity. It has wonderful juiciness that cuts through any of the tannins to give great freshness, a silky texture and fruitiness at the end. Perfumed and stylish, this is a very fine wine.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEExpressive and alluring aromas of warm plum reduction and boysenberry puree lead off here, followed by fleshy, seamlessly layered notes of blackberry, black currant, melted black licorice and smoldering tobacco. Shows a lovely tug of dark earth through the finish without sacrificing a sense of polish or giving ground to the waves of fruit. Displays terrific latent energy through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSAromatics here are a little more evolved than with the 2016, showing tar notes, Liquorice Allsorts, anise, raspberry and blackberry fruits. This is a good quality wine with impact and character and the subtle complex shades of flavour that VCC does so well. Really does need time in the glass, suggesting it will hit full stride in another two or three years. (Drink between 2023-2042)Decanter | 95 DEC

One of the monumental wines in the vintage is the 2016 Château Eglise Clinet from proprietor Denis Durantou. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this utterly perfect wine boasts a saturated purple color as well as an essence of Pomerol bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackcurrant liqueur, smoked tobacco, camphor, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and layered, yet always with class and balance, it offers a remarkable marriage of power and finesse. It’s already sexy and seductive yet also a baby, and needs 7-8 years of cellaring. It should keep for 3-4 decades (probably longer), but why wait?Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDWe are now levitating somewhere above the rest of Denis Durantou’s excellent range. Typical of the incredibly deft and precise way of working that is his signature, this wine brings cinammon and clove then hugely deep, rich dark fruits. Utterly elegant, it completes a circuit around your mouth. This is a physical reaction to a wine that you only get in certain vintages and in very few wines. A great European wine. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in 80% new oak. 43hl/ha yield from 4.2ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThe depth and beauty in the aromas really draw you in with black truffles, blackberries, crushed stones, violets and other flowers. Black olives, too. Full-bodied, super refined and structured with perfectly manicured tannins and a very, very long finish. It’s full of soul and precision. Take a look after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 L’Eglise Clinet has a medium to deep garnet-purple color with aromas of warm black cherries, mulberries and Black Forest cake slipping seductively from the glass plus nuances of rose hip tea, baking spices, fragrant soil and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, it’s wonderfully elegant in the mouth with fantastically plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and very perfumed. Beautiful!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2016 L’Eglise-Clinet was matured in 80% new oak and bottled in mid-April 2018. Crystal clear in color, it has an equally crystal clear bouquet that is utterly seductive, featuring red cherries, wild strawberry, peony and iris flowers and a hint of bay leaf. You could sit and nose this all day. The balanced palate is medium-bodied and grippy in the mouth, displaying supple tannin and a perfect line of acidity. Again, there is a symmetry about this Pomerol that is utterly beguiling, and the persistence is up there with the very best. Simply put, this is one of the best L’Eglise-Clinet wines I have tasted in recent years. Stunning.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThis pulls it all together, with a gorgeous core of creamed plum, blackberry and boysenberry confiture notes, laced with singed anise and incense accents and backed by long echoes of anise and black tea. Delivers ample flesh from start to finish, and should easily finish soaking up its toast with some time in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

So ethereal and great on the nose with glorious fresh flowers, such as violets, together with black olives. Dark berries, too. But the archetypal Pomerol nose. Full-bodied yet, at the same time, so refined and structured. Glorious tannin tension and focus. Vibrant finish. Shows energy and focus. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 99 JSThe grand vin 2016 Château L’Evangile is more primordial than the second wine, sporting a deep purple color and a huge nose of blueberries, scrub brush, violets, graphite, and lead pencil shavings. Deep, massively textured, with building minerality, a brilliant mid-palate, I’d imagine this is a modern-day version of the 1982. A sexy, sexy, wine, it should drink well in 4-6 years but is capable of last for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFor me, this is going to be every bit as great as the 1989, and is a worthy follower to the 2015. It’s tight and reserved on the nose, with powerhouse Pomerol Merlot lurking behind. There’s a creamy side to the raspberry and blackberry fruits in the mouth, and the power and intensity tells you that this wine has an amazing future. The texture is silky-smooth, attesting to great freshness balanced by well-ripened fruits and seductive tannins. A serious wine. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2016 L’Evangile is made from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of plum preserves, Black Forest cake, red cherry compote and black raspberries with touches of menthol, chocolate box, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features fantastically ripe, velvety tannins and beautiful freshness, lifting the generous, brightly fruited mid-palate and giving bags of energy to the very long-lingering, minerally finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2016 L’Évangile is just as captivating from bottle as it was from barrel. Huge and explosive in the glass, the 2016 possesses stunning depth and textural resonance. At first a bit somber, the 2016 needs time in the glass to open up. Once that happens, all the elements fall into place in an effortless, gracious wine. Floral overtones add brightess to the dark cherry, chocolate, leather and spice flavors, while silky tannins round things out in style. Jean-Pascal Vazart describes 2016 as a late year. Harvest started on September 26, about ten days later than normal. The 2016 spent 16 months in French oak, 85% new.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGFeatures a wide swath of espresso, loam and smoldering tobacco flavors out front, followed by a tighter beam of black currant and blackberry paste. Dense and fleshy in feel, with echoes of warm earth and bittersweet cocoa scoring the finish. This wine flaunts its muscle. Best from 2024 through 2040. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSRipe black fruits and rich tannins mark out this wine, almost entirely made from Merlot. It is succulent, crisp and fresh while not losing sight of the essential richness and structure of the vintage. Drink this generous, full wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

I am spellbound by the aromas of crushed blackberries, licorice, black tea and violets. It’s full-bodied yet so intense and linear. Powerful tannins with superb polish and focus give an amazing texture. Complex and fascinating flavors of hazelnuts and dark fruit. The balance and strength is uncanny. Perfect wine. Very direct and superb. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2016 Le Pin is an extraordinarily beautiful vivid wine. Seamless, racy and voluptuous in the glass, the 2016 is a flat-out stunner. Nothing in particular stands out because all of the elements are in perfect balance. A wine of captivating, transcendental beauty, Le Pin has it all. Rose petal, red cherry, mint, blood orange and wild flowers all build in the glass, but it is the wine’s breathtaking finesse and elegance that stand out most. What a gorgeous, arrestingly beautiful wine this is.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGFrom Jacques Thienpont and a true superstar in the vintage, the 2016 Le Pin comes from a tiny vineyard of old vine Merlot and is raised all in new barrels. One of those magical wines that marries power with elegance perfectly, its saturated purple color is followed by a thrilling array of sweet kirsch, crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and Asian spices. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness and depth as well as an incredible mid-palate, it stays ethereal and elegant, with flawless tannins, awesome purity, and a blockbuster of a finish. The sexiest, kinkiest, most opulent wine in the vintage? I’d say yes. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-6 years, count yourself very lucky, and drink bottles over the following 3+ decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Le Pin is still very closed, revealing glimpses of preserved plums, blackberry pie and raspberry compote plus suggestions of potpourri, star anise, tobacco, fenugreek and stewed tea plus a waft of hoisin. The medium-bodied palate is opulent, rich and plush with layers of black and red fruit preserves and loads of exotic spice accents, finishing very long and very decadent.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPI tasted through a blend of five barrels, but they may not be the final ones. There is significant gravel in the Le Pin soils, so they suffered a little from the heat, but the Merlot still has incredible finesse and elegance. The astonishing thing is the grilled, smoked damson and ripe wild blackberry and hawthorn perfume that rises out of the glass effortlessly. This wine is deft, elegant, and rich. A naturally low yield of 28hl/ha due to the drought, with a pH of 3.72. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThis provides a pure, almost distilled note of raspberry ganache from start to finish, fleshy in feel, with a light brambly accent adding subtle, pulsating energy throughout. Black tea detail, a hint of warm gravel and mouthwatering black licorice nuances fill in through the finish, which has a beguiling feel. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

(Château Trotanoy, Pomerol, Red) An amazing wine packed full of concentrated, well-measured brambly hedgerow fruits, slate and bitter chocolate. It has a complexity at its centre that builds outwards through the palate, with a ball of dark cassis that gathers pace and stretches out its muscles. You don’t feel the slightest trace of heat here, despite the warmth of the summer, and it seems clear that maturity was reached slowly but surely. The texture is silky smooth, the overall feel confident and powerful and very Trotanoy. Every time I taste this wine it impresses me more.Decanter | 100 DECComposed of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Trotanoy is characteristically a little closed at this youthful stage, slowly unfurling to reveal compelling notions of chocolate-covered cherries, black raspberries and mulberries with touches of pencil lead, crushed rocks, underbrush and chargrill plus a fragrant waft of star anise. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and invigorating freshness supporting the densely packed, muscular fruits, finishing very long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA structured, powerful wine, the 2016 Château Trotanoy checks in as 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc from one of the great sites in Pomerol, a 7-hectare vineyard located on gravelly, black clay soils. This ruby/purple-hued effort gives up a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, blackberry and black raspberry fruits intermixed with loads of iron and crushed rock-like minerality, smoke tobacco, and graphite. It’s deep, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with sensational purity of fruit and balance as well as building tannins and structure. It’s built for the long haul and needs a solid 7-8 years of bottle age, but it will keep for 3 decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDTrotanoy is quite simply one of the wines of 2016. Outrageously beautiful, deep and resonant, Trotanoy captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Super-ripe dark red and purplish berry fruit races across the palate. The firm, broad Trotanoy tannins are there, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. The 2016 is an epic wine in the making. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThere’s decadence and complexity to this young wine, which offers spellbinding dark fruit. But there are also wild mushrooms, sandalwood, blackberries and violets on the nose, not to mention black olives. Full bodied, very deep and layered. Powerful finish. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSA brick house, this packs in warm fig, red and black currant paste and bitter cherry compote flavors along with smoldering tobacco, singed alder and graphite notes. The finish is quite dark, with an echo of Turkish coffee lingering after the fruit finally ebbs. Among the most backward wines of the vintage. Best from 2023 through 2040. 1,450 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis big, bold wine offers massive tannins and rich fruits. Dense and concentrated, it has power and ripe fruits that are balanced by acidity. It will develop impressively and be ready to drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

Extremely enticing aromas of blackberries, brambleberries, sweet tobacco, bark and mushrooms follow through to a medium to full body that grows on the palate and crescendoes to medium, round tannins, juicy fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Rolls along the palate. Excellent, persistent finish. Try after 2024, but already a joyous glass.James Suckling | 98 JSMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 L'Eglise Clinet begins a little closed and broody, soon unfurling to reveal powerful notes of baked black plums, chocolate-covered cherries and blueberry preserves with hints of chargrill, mocha and aniseed plus a touch of tar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a powerhouse of crunchy, vibrant black fruit, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and savory. Bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2017 L'Eglise-Clinet is dark, sensual and wonderfully rich. It opens with a silky, captivating bouquet laced with the essence of dried flowers, mocha, chocolate, spice and blackberry jam. While L'Eglise-Clinet is light on its feet for such a big, imposing wine, the 2017 is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Even in the early going, though, it is super-impressive. Revisiting it with a bit of air reveals a Pomerol of soaring intensity and explosive energy and vivid, striking beauty. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGFor me, this is one of the successes of the vintage in Pomerol, although not fully escaping the roadblocks of 2017. There is a real sense of precision and elegance here, with floral, violet aromatics and a note of liquorice, and it deals its power in a measured way, one hand at a time - it's a wine to sit with and enjoy. There was no frost at this estate. The Merlot was picked between 12-22 September, and the Cabernet Franc on 22 September. The 70% new oak is a touch present on the close of play, but those tannins are pliable and enjoyable, promising to cradle the fruit for the long haul. Drinking Window 2027 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DECVery lush, with warmed fig, plum and blackberry preserve flavors rolling through, laced with ganache, alder and espresso notes. A tarry edge frames the finish, where the fruit drips slowly. For the hedonist crowd. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2017 L’Évangile, 100% Merlot for this first time, is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Dark, sumptuous and wonderfully inviting, the 2017 has so much to offer. Dark fruit, spice, mocha, leather and licorice infuse the 2017 with notable depth. Time in the glass brings out lovely aromatic top notes that add freshness. A rapturously beautiful wine, L’Évangile is stellar. Frost wiped out half of the potential crop, including all of the Cabernet Franc, which means the Grand Vin is 100% Merlot. Technical Director Jean Pascal Vazart opted for gentle pumpovers and longer extractions than normal.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis is a breed apart, with a remarkably dense yet lithe core of braised fig, warmed plum sauce and steeped black currant fruit, coated with ganache and melted licorice details and infused with incense and black tea notes. Incredibly lush through the finish, but maintains cut and drive due to the well-embedded alder spine. Best from 2022 through 2040. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSProduction was down 40% at Chateau L’Evangile due to the frost. The 2017 Chateau L’Evangile is 100% Merlot, and 2017 is the first time this cuvee has not included some other variety. Aged 16 months in 75% new barrels, it’s a ripe, powerful L’Evangile loaded with chocolate-laced black fruits, mocha, toasted spice, and subtle oak. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has plenty of oomph and power, yet stays flawlessly balanced and even elegant. It’s a stunning example from the vintage that’s going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAll of the Cabernet Franc was frosted in 2017, so L’Evangile is composed of 100% Merlot for the first time. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 L’Evangile is a little closed to begin, offering glimpses at blueberry preserves, baked plums and black raspberries scents before revealing nuances of spice cake, cinnamon stick, dusty soil and garrigue plus a waft of incense. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a lot of richness and depth, with firm, ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis has a lovely silkiness to it, one of the real successes in the appellation in terms of the texture and the quality of the tannins. It’s a fairly powerful 100% Merlot with 100% new oak - an unusual combination because the old vine Cabernet Franc was lost to frost in 2017. This is one of the few wines that gets close to the quality of 2016, even if it’s not quite there in terms of its completeness. 30 days maceration at reasonable temperatures has brought out the heart of plump blackberry fruit, while delivering subtle tobacco and slate elegance. I like this a lot. 100% organic in the vineyard (2016 was 95% organic) but not certified. 60% grand vin this year, from 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DECThe generosity in this wine is essence-like with black cherries, black truffles and wet earth. Full-bodied and deep with rich, creamy tannins and a long, intense finish. It goes on for minutes. Silky and fantastic. Extremely well done. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSThis dense wine is packed with intense tannins. The secret to the wine, which is 100% Merlot, is not just the structure but the immensely ripe black-plum and -berry fruits that envelope the dry core, lending opulence and richness. The wine has a lift of freshness on the finish. It will age, and should not be opened before 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

I tasted many superb 2017s, but only a few that are viscerally thrilling and emotional. The 2017 Lafleur is one of a handful of wines that ascends into the stratosphere. Rich and exotically beautiful, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts intensity, tremendous aromatic depth and an impossibly long finish. A rush of dark plum, licorice, leather and mocha leaves the last impression in a wine I can only describe as: eternal. The 2017 spent about nine months in oak, 30% new. It is a towering achievement from the Guinaudeau family and their trusted associate, Omri Ram. If you can find it, buy it. And please invite me over sometime to share it with you!Antonio Galloni | 100 AGOMG. What a glorious wine on the nose with aromas of blackberries, black licorice, ink and blood-oranges. Full-bodied, tight and powerful with compact tannins that cascade across the palate, giving this incredible structure and length that makes it seem to go on for ever. Titanium and graphite flavors. Super length. Half merlot and half cabernet franc. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSComposed of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, the 2017 Lafleur displays a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal a profound nose of plum preserves, mulberries, boysenberries and licorice with nuances of grilled meats, black truffles, cast-iron pan and crushed rocks plus fragrant wafts of cinnamon stick and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with fantastically energetic black and blue fruits, framed by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. At this stage of the game, qualitatively the 2017 Lafleur is one to two ticks short of where the 2015 and 2016 vintages are. This said, I'm anticipating there are a lot of latent nuances here waiting to emerge, snuggly filling this substantial structure over the next decade. It should be quite delicious in 6-8 years, but I'd give it 10-15 at least for maximum impact.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPAfter working tirelessly protecting their vineyards during the spring frosts, the team at Chateau Lafleur was rewarded with a normal production of their 2017 Chateau Lafleur, as well as one of the wines of the vintage. Deep purple-hued with a stunning nose of blackcurrants, black raspberries, chocolate, tobacco, and ground herbs, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, and incredible length. It shows the more classic, straight style of the vintage yet has brilliant concentration, awesome tannins, and will last for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe more gravelly soils of Lafleur have responded beautifully this year, expressing a real creaminess and density to the black fruits. There's a clear Cabernet Franc edge to the nose and to the attack on the palate, with a corresponding austerity and tightness to the tannins and a slightly chewy finish. There's a sense of momentum as the acidity rises through the palate, and it certainly has some of the power and sense of confident elegance of the 2016 vintage here. They avoided most of the frost damage here, and so were able to harvest the Merlots before the rain, between 8-12 September, and waited until 28-29 September for the Cabernets. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DEC

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Petrus comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notions of Black Forest cake, blueberry preserves and Christmas pudding with nuances of molten chocolate, Chinese five spice, candied violets, licorice and kirsch plus wafts of roses and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and fantastically concentrated, the palate has compelling freshness and a solid base of wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins, finishing very long and opulent. The aromatics at this youthful stage are atypical for Petrus and quite stunning—this 2017 is a bombshell! Furthermore, it is a unique style for this estate and one avid collectors should seek out!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis delivers a torrent of pure, unadulterated raspberry fruit that extends effortlessly through the finish, while hints of incense, mineral and rooibos tea glisten tantalizingly throughout. Shows terrific cut and precision, with eye-catching detail. Drink now through 2040.Wine Spectator | 98 WSI love the aromatics to this with crushed berries, violets and black olives. Hints of vanilla and some caramel. Decadent. Full-bodied and round with very creamy tannins that melt into the wine. It starts off slowly and and then kicks off a few seconds later. The tannins are extremely polished and refined. Hard not to drink now, but wait. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSJammy ripe fruit aromas lead to a wine that is powerfully structured and solid. With rich berry flavors and density, the wine is concentrated while also exuberant. The flavors are just developing, with great ripe fruits showing strongly. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDeceptively alluring a few months after bottling, the 2017 Petrus is attractive and nuanced, and yet I get the impression it is going through a rather awkward stage. Floral and blood orange overtones add freshness and inner perfume to a Petrus that will age more on finesse than power. Olivier Berrouet opted for longer skin contact than normal, about 30 days, with pumpovers of one volume of wine per day at the beginning of fermentation. Malolactic fermentation took place in steel. The 2017 spent about 14 months in oak and then four months in tank prior to being bottled in July 2019.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGThe 2017 Chateau Petrus is, as always, 100% Merlot that’s from the top of the Pomerol plateau. The 2017 is an incredibly elegant, perfumed example from this estate that has terrific cassis, raspberry, and red currants fruits as well as lots of floral and violet hints, medium to full body, a beautiful spine of acidity, and building tannins. It’s not a blockbuster like the 2015 and 2016, yet it’s flawlessly balanced, with stunning purity of fruit and a great, great finish. Give bottles a solid 7-8 years, and it should keep for 20-25+.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSOne of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou’s 2018 Château L’Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won’t hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L’Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented by notions of wild mushrooms, mossy tree bark and crushed rocks, giving way to a core of black raspberries, plum preserves and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lavender and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering slow-releasing black fruit and earthy layers, framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic tension. It finishes with epic length and subtlety. It is already so evocative and beautifully expressed at this youthful stage that is tempting to broach straight away, but give it another 5-6 years to really fan its feathers, and drink it over the next 40 or more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 L’Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L’Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It’s a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy over the next several decades.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGLush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Score rangeWine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis is plush, with touches of chocolate shavings, olive paste, clove, rosemary and sage right from the opening beats. Blackberry and raspberry layer up flavours that lift out of the glass, then the aromatics take over with soft smoke and grilled almonds. Seductive, a reminder of Durantou’s ability to tease layers and nuances out of even warm vintages. Austere on the finish, with chalky tannins at this stage - this is knitted down and will reward patience. Low temperature fermentation at around 22C. A yield of 45hl/ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DEC

So attractive on the nose with blackberry, black olive and a hint of brown sugar. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that flow across the palate. Rich, intense and flavorful finish with flavors similar to the aromas. Fleshy and toned at the end. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JS(Château L’Évangile, Pomerol, Red) You feel the density and power straight off the nose here - this is really silky, sexy and smoky wine with a ton of complex flavours combining berry fruits with spices swirling through, and finishing up with liquorice bean and coffee grounds on the finish. There’s less lift perhaps than the 2016, but you feel the concentration, the depth to the flavour, and the balance. It has a beautiful texture and feels very classically Pomerol but with elegance and persistency. A small production in 2018 but a very beautiful one. 75% new oak used. (Drink between 2027-2044)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 L’Evangile is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes barreling out of the glass with explosive scents of boysenberries, stewed plums and baked blackberries with hints of lilacs, candied violets, Indian spices and garrigue, plus a touch of black truffles. Full-bodied, rich and powerful in the mouth, this blockbuster coats the palate with layers of black fruit preserves and exotic spices, framed by plush tannins and wonderful energy, finishing long and savory. Decadently approachable now, give it 4-5 years in bottle for maximum impact and drink it over the next 20+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPMade in the more lively, elegant style that seems to be favored these days, the 2018 Château L’Evangile is based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with the Cabernet Franc playing a much more lead role than normal. Beautiful blue fruits, green tobacco, violets, white truffle, camphor, and damp earth notes all flow to a gorgeously layered, full-bodied Pomerol with sweet, silky tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. While I prefer the more opulent renditions of this cuvée, this is nevertheless a brilliant wine that has wonderful concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, and the class to evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2018 L’Évangile is flamboyant, spectacularly beautiful. Mildew in June took out fully 50% of the potential crop, resulting in a dense, opulent wine that is going to need many years to shed some of that baby fat. The 20% Cabernet Franc is the highest on record. The 2018 is an epic, modern-day Évangile. Raspberry jam, mocha, licorice, spice and chocolate come together as the 2018 blossoms with time in the glass. Made with 80% new oak. Both hedonistic and intellectual, the 2018 is a total pleasure bomb. Don’t miss it. A real wow wine - huge!Antonio Galloni | 96 AGOwned by the Rothschild family of Lafite-Rothschild, this estate has produced a richly delicious wine. The power of Merlot is tempered and perfumed by ripe Cabernet Franc. Tannins and acidity both point to aging potential. The wine’s weight, cut with black fruits, is just right and well in balance. This wine needs time, so drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDark and winey, with a burly tobacco edge framing a core of steeped black currant, blackberry and fig paste flavors. Strong tug of warm earth through the finish, where bay, leather and chestnut notes also chime in. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2018 La Conseillante is composed of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with a 3.65 pH and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to lure out the youthfully shy, incredible perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries, ripe plums and cinnamon toast, leading to notions of lilacs, clove oil and forest floor, plus a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is a jaw-dropping exercise in finesse, slowly unfurling in the mouth to reveal layer upon layer of bright, crunchy red and black fruits, supported by a rock-solid frame of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and with an impressive mineral and exotic spice firework display. It’s an incredible expression of Pomerol that cannot fail to inspire a resounding "WOW" from whoever is fortunate to drink it. Tempting to broach now (albeit with a lot of air), try to keep your hands off it for a good 5 years and then drink it over the next 30 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 La Conseillante is a regal and utterly exquisite Pomerol from the very first taste. Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team turned out a jewel of a wine. Silky tannins and lifted, precise aromatics make a strong first impression. Inky dark fruit, pain grillé, lavender, spice, menthol and a kiss of new French oak all flesh out over time. More than anything else, what comes through is the new emphasis at La Conseillante on freshness and verve. The 2018 is a Pomerol of tremendous precision. It is, in a word: dynamite!Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA dense, layered Pomerol with lots of chocolate, walnut, and plum character. Some coffee undertones. It’s full-bodied with chewy, polished tannins and a structured, muscular finish. Solid. Elegance with power. 2018. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSA beautiful expression of this terroir, which always seems to yield a more elegant, complex style of wine, the 2018 Château La Conseillante is based on 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. A brilliant perfume of blueberries, currants, spring flowers, violets, and graphite gives way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol with flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It closes down rather quickly with time in the glass (I followed the bottle for multiple days), and it isn’t for the instant gratification crowd, but it’s unquestionably a gorgeous Pomerol. Give bottles a solid 8-10 years of bottle age, and it’s going to evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThis is beautiful and powers through the palate showing depth and concentration to the brambled fruit. It has an excellent mid palate, the truffle of Pomerol comes through at this young stage in a way that was not evident in the 2015 even, but here has a lovely seductive kick. Spicy vanilla bean and black pepper alongside touches of cinnamon, this is very good quality. A yield of 32hl/ha. 70% new oak, 3% in amphora for the first time. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThe elegant structure that backs up this wine is impressive in its restraint. While the wine has plenty of black fruits and dark tannins, it conveys a calm character that sees long-term aging as its goal.The wine will take its time. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENicely packed, with a mix of dark plum and black currant preserve flavors wrapped with licorice root and warm earth notes. Tobacco and bay fill in on the finish, adding energy and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 3,299 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Another magical wine from this hallowed appellation, the 2018 Château La Violette reminds me of a great vintage of Le Pin with its sexy, exotic style. Gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, mulled black cherries, graphite, cedar pencil, leafy herbs, and hints of truffle give way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol that has silky tannins, a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. Offering that rare mix of opulence and finesse, this beauty needs 4-6 years of bottle age and is going to evolve for 25+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe nose is floral at first, showing violets and notes of graphite, spice and smoke. Complex and deep. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a gorgeous, velvety texture, elegant tannins and a clean, savory and very long finish. Needs at least three or four years to come around.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2018 La Violette is every bit as full-throttle as it was en primeur. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice, chocolate and sweet toasted oak abound. A wine of richness and textural intensity, La Violette shows the more opulent side of Pomerol off to great effect. When I first tasted the 2018, I wrote that my hope was that time would help soften the oak. Instead, time has only accented the oak imprint. Even so, the 2018 is an undeniably beautiful wine, but I can’t help feeling, it is also a bit anonymous.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGLush in feel, with alluring crushed raspberry and plum fruit flavors, inlaid with a black tea hint. The fruit is quite showy, but this remains a bit shy on drive.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WSThis is full of savour with a gourmet edge that’s imprinted in its DNA; it has seductive fruit and flower aromatics with a silky texture alongside powerful tannins and the generous richness of the vintage. You don’t just pass by this wine, it makes you pay attention – it’s Pomerol seduction straight up and signature Péré Vergé style, reminding me again that one of the brilliant things about 2018 is that estates were able to really pick their harvest dates giving them choices and the ability for people to deliver on signatures. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Violette slowly emerges from the glass with wafts of dried flowers, Chinese five spice and cedar chest before erupting into vivacious notes of plum preserves, baked blackberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of licorice and iodine. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves with a spicy undercurrent and grainy tannins, finishing with the freshness in the background and a dogged suggestion of unmarried oak. In something of an ugly-duckling stage, there’s enough going on here to warrant forgetting it in the cellar for 5-7 years, after which it should all come together beautifully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

The 2018 Le Pin is made of 100% Merlot, picked the last week of September with yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has a pH of 3.7, an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 70 and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it is a little reserved to begin, offering glimpses of tar, fertile loam and truffles with slowly emerging notes of baked black cherries, stewed plums, mulberries and underbrush plus hints of black pepper, hoisin and chargrill with a waft of garrigue. Full-bodied, the palate is loaded with taut, muscular fruit and heaps of earthy accents, with a firm frame of ripe, rounded tannins and just enough seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPAbout as sexy as wine gets, the 2018 Le Pin comes from a tiny vineyard located just across from Vieux Château Certan and is always 100% Merlot brought up in new barrels. It reveals a deep purple color as well as a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, roasted coffee, vanilla, and toasted spice. Deep, full-bodied, seamless, and incredibly layered on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, it’s already approachable, with the flamboyant style of the vintage, yet should evolve for decades. It’s a brilliant Pomerol in the making.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe density and texture to this Le Pin is very surprising. It’s tannic and intense with an angular and stony-mineral undertone. Full-bodied yet energetic and edgy. Great structure. Reminds me of the great 1986.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThis is extremely good, expansive and luxurious with a stunning texture – vibrant and powerful, and a floral side that becomes clear as it opens in the glass, lifting the whole thing not through acidity but through aromatics. The real difference with Le Pin and other 100% Merlot wines is the sumptuousness through the mid palate, it’s so wide and rich, you can’t just walk over it but lie down on it, feather pillow style. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2018 Le Pin, tasted directly from barrel as usual, albeit six months later than primeur, ergo this represents the final blend. This has an intriguing bouquet - much more reserved and almost Left Bank in character with tightly wound black fruit laced with oyster shell and hints of seaweed. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more muscular than usual with touches of charcoal and graphite towards the beautifully defined finish. This is an intellectual Le Pin that will be fascinating to taste once in bottle.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

The 2019 Château Clinet is brilliant stuff and another classic Pomerol from the talented Ronan Laborde. Deep purple-hued, with awesome notes of crème de cassis, mulberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and damp earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, seamless mouthfeel, and gorgeous tannins. It delivers that rare mix of elegance and sexiness that only Pomerol can. It needed plenty of air to show at its best and needs a good 4-6 years of bottle age, but it’s going to evolve for 20-25 years or more. I love everything about this wine, and it’s certainly in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018. And it remains incredibly well-priced given the quality. Don’t miss it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA full-bodied Pomerol with dark-fruit, coconut, chocolate and hazelnut character on both the nose and palate. Fine-tannined with an intensely tight and chewy texture. Spice at the end. Very flavorful and muscular, yet it’s balanced and precise with well-toned form. Needs five or six years to resolve. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Clinet is showing beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, licorice, subtle spices and smoke. Full-bodied, sensual and velvety, it’s seamless and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, resonant finish. This precise, concentrated wine is the finest young Clinet I’ve ever tasted, and it exemplifies the tremendous progress that Ronan Laborde has made at this estate over the last decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSo seductive and heady on the nose, depth and layers of aroma, really quite captivating, luring you in. Excellent tension and clarity on the palate while also having a plump and fruity core and a softly voluptuous mouthfeel. There is an undercurrent of fresh minerality giving a sense of linearity and precision with juicy, ripe, fragranced fruit filling the palate giving body and weight so you get this push pull interplay of cool, wet stone grip and playful yet dark and seductive fruit. Tannins are ripe and supportive again giving structure but not too much weight. Such Pomerol glamour on show in the best way. It’s a dark style, one where you feel the ripeness and the alcohol a touch on the finish but well packaged and presented. I really love it. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2046Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Clinet is fabulous, just as it was in barrel. A wine of substance and depth, the 2019 has a sense of poise that is so appealing. Crushed flowers, spice, menthol and dried herbs add pretty savory top notes. The 2019 is impeccable from start to finish.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGOffers the lush, dark, warm fruit profile of the vintage, with crushed plum, blackberry puree and black cherry reduction flavors, all without the toothy, baked hints that mark many of its AOC peers. Glides through with refinement and grace on the finish, which is laced with black tea and incense. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2036. 4,125 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A rocking bouquet of blue fruits, dark chocolate, damp earth, and violet emerges from the 2019 Château L’Evangile, a slightly fresher yet still deep, concentrated expression of this château. Full-bodied, with beautiful tannins, a great mid-palate, and certainly no shortage of length on the finish, it has the silky, seamless style of the vintage, yet I’d still give bottles a solid 7-8 years in a cold cellar. It’s a slightly changed style but still gorgeous.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDA well-articulated wine with elegance and serious expression of place. The 16% Cabernet Franc (alongside 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the first year in the blend) gives such an enticing nose, so perfumed - you really get a nose full of flowers here which I love. There’s depth on the palate straight away - it’s concentrated but comes across in layers as opposed to overt volume or voluptuousness. Tannins are sleek and well integrated and there’s spice-edged blackcurrant, red and black cherries, plums, liquorice, cedar and cinnamon nuances. There’s succulence to the acidity, which is fresh and cooling, and clear opulence throughout, but it’s still quite shy, just showing signs of life. A sophisticated wine with a long future. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050Decanter | 97 DECRich, with an exotic tilt to the loganberry, mulberry and fig preserve flavors. Really packed, delivering anise, black tea, singed mesquite, sweet tobacco and ganache accents that all play a part, while a racy cast iron spine holds it all together. Shows more power than seduction in terms of style, but this is clearly in the elite class of Pomerols this vintage. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. Wine Spectator | 96 WSFruit-tea, blackberry, tile and ripe-fruit aromas follow through to a full body with density and richness. Chocolate and walnut. Dense and seamless with super fruit and length. Lots of fruit. Very polished. Stylized. All the cabernet franc on the estate is in the wine. From organic grapes. Give it at least five to seven years to open. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 L’Evangile is very good, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, warm spices, violets and loamy soil, framed by a nicely integrated patina of new oak that reflects a concerted effort to refine cooperage choices at this address in recent years. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it’s a broad, textural wine with a richly layered core of fruit, succulent acids and ripe, supple tannins that reflects the warm, dry vintage. As usual, it’s a Merlot-dominant blend, complemented by some 16% Cabernet Franc and now 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPI was quite critical of the 2019 L’Évangile when I tasted it as a barrel sample, and of course the winemaking team has changed since this was made. The 2019 has a very floral bouquet of ripe dark berry fruit infused with violet and peony notes. The 15.3° alcohol has slightly blurred the edges since bottling. The palate is medium-bodied and rounded, with fleshy, ripe tannins and no hard edges. And that’s the problem. This just lacks tension and feels static; there’s no "movement" in this Pomerol compared to, say, its neighbor Vieux-Château-Certan, which I tasted immediately before. The succeeding vintage is definitely superior.Vinous Media | 91 VM

An utterly brilliant Pomerol and the finest wine from this estate to date, surpassing even the 2016, the 2019 Château La Conseillante checks in as 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was raised in 70% new French oak. A wine of incredible finesse, purity, and precision, its deep purple hue is following by an incredible array of blueberries, crème de cassis, spring flowers, damp earth, and violets. Flawlessly balanced, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has a beautiful mid-palate, ultra-fine, utterly seamless tannins, and a heavenly finish. It doesn’t have the sheer density or outright power of some of the other top Pomerols, but as I wrote in the barrel sample review, no one marries elegance with opulence as well as Conseillante. This magical Pomerol will take a decade to hit full maturity and will evolve for 30 years or more. This is haute couture at its absolute pinnacle, and as I wrote in the barrel review, hats off to Marielle Cazaux for producing one of the top wines of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 La Conseillante is performing brilliantly and rivals the 2016 as Marielle Cazaux’s finest vintage at this leading Pomerol estate to date. Wafting from the glass with striking aromas of raspberries, plums, violets, raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and licorice, framed by a deftly integrated touch of classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, ample and enveloping, its broad attack segueing into a seamless, layered mid-palate that’s vibrant and concentrated, framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, before concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe transparency and vibrancy here is impressive. From the very start it’s so aromatic, showing crushed-berry, dark-chocolate, coffee and cedar character. Full-bodied, yet tight and wonderfully tailored, with tannins that are fine-textured, but intense and so long, giving this wine great length. A joy to taste, but needs many years to soften and come together. Wonderful development here. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 La Conseillante is elegant and nuanced, just as it was from barrel. All of the freshness and energy that was present en primeur comes through in the bottle. There is an element of sophistication, of reserve, that needs time to be fully expressive. The 2019 is a wine of linear precision more than volume or density. It should age exquisitely for many years to come.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGVivid red pink in the glass with an expressive nose filled with softly fragrant red cherries, raspberries and purple flowers. This has a lovely texture and appeal straight away - it’s juicy and lively all the way through from start to finish but with a rich, mineral, wet stone core balanced by silky tannins. Detailed and graceful with presence and a satisfying weight on the tongue edged with lashings of black liquorice and slate. Star quality and such Pomerol glamour here with such a long finish. Lots of life ahead. A gorgeous wine. (Drink between 2030-2050)Decanter | 97 DEC95–97. Barrel Sample. While the wine is dense, there is a gentle richness here. It shows ripe tannins and soft black plum flavors. At the same time, the wine’s potential is obvious and powerful. It has balance, ripeness, structure and a fine future.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

One of my favorite wines (although it’s hard to find), La Violette makes a rich, sexy, yet always elegant and seamless style of Pomerol. Their 2019 Château La Violette is deep purple-hued and offers an incredible perfume of blue fruits, iron, tobacco, spice box, flowers, and loamy earth. Full-bodied on the palate, it shows the pure, elegant style of the vintage, has beautiful tannins, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. There’s lots of creamy background oak that needs time to integrate, but this is another remarkable release from this team. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following 20-25.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 La Violette is gorgeous. Rich and flamboyant to the core, the 2019 is one of the most extroverted wines of the year, but all the elements are nicely put together. Inky black fruit, chocolate, mocha, spice and espresso abound.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGScented and aromatic with ample appeal on the nose. Vibrant and plush on the palate, this is slick with charm and character. Deep and rich no doubt but with carefully placed tannins that carry the fruit and acidity through to the lifted, super fresh finish. A seductive style that gets the right balance between power and poise. One for the cellar. (Drink between 2026-2040)Decanter | 95 DECAn opulent red with blackberry, licorice, cola and vanilla undertones. It’s full-bodied with polished tannins that are very fine-textured. It’s long and linear with energy. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom a site with soils richer in clay that’s planted with more Merlot, the 2019 La Violette is even more powerful than its stablemate Le Gay. Offering up aromas of plum preserve, strawberry liqueur, loamy soil, burning embers, spices and dark chocolate, it’s full-bodied, thick and textural, with a rich, muscular profile and a broad, heady finish. This is a ripe, powerful wine that privileges impact over finesse, but it will give plenty of pleasure for admirers of the style.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSeductive, with warm plum sauce and blackberry compote notes rolling through, carried by a velvety structure and infused liberally with anise and dark tea through the toasted finish. Drink now through 2033. 416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2019 Château Pétrus is a behemoth, and I can’t imagine a better marriage of sexy, opulent fruit with purity, precision, and length. Always all Merlot from a single parcel of clay soils, it takes time to unwind in the glass (I followed this bottle for multiple days) and offers a powerful, primordial style in its black cherries, mulberries, smoked tobacco, damp earth, and chocolate, as well as a beautiful floral component that emerges with air. Dense, concentrated, and incredibly rich on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional mouthfeel and sweet yet substantial tannins. Despite plenty of glycerin and opulence on the palate, which certainly makes it fun to taste today, it has a very straight, classic feel that will demand bottle age. It probably needs to be forgotten for 8-10 years and will deliver the goods over the following 50 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDOlivier Berrouet turned out a fabulous Petrus in 2019. A gorgeous, expansive wine, the 2019 opens beautifully over time. There is a feeling of radiance in the 2019 that is impossible to miss. Hints of rose petal, lavender, mint and cinnamon meld effortlessly into a core of red/purplish fruit. At 14.8%, the alcohol is high, but not intrusive. "We worked very hard to extract as gently as possible," Berrouet explained. Readers lucky enough to own the 2019 should plan on cellaring it for a decade or more.Vinous Media | 98 VMA seductive and sensual nose full of ripe and sweetly-perfumed cherry and blackcurrant notes - which are even more expressive and abundant after an hour in the glass. This is such a beguiling wine, changing in texture and fruit profile several times from a first sip of smooth and streamlined, chalky tannins to one filled with bright acidity and succulent juiciness then shifting another gear delivering a palate full of concentrated dark fruits edged with liquorice and black pepper. The tannins are abundant and clearly present, Olivier Berrout director of Petrus says he’s never produced a vintage with such high tannins, but they are wonderfully consistent and well integrated with a lovely powdery element to them. You really feel the structure develop in the mouth, building in complexity and layers with a beautiful perfume and wet stone minerality lingering on the long finish. You have to wait for the reticence and reservation of Petrus in its youth to subside before you see the power and energy here but it’s giving a tantalising glimpse of what its long life holds in store.Decanter | 98 DECGorgeous, offering a pure, concentrated beam of raspberry and boysenberry puree that drives through, with mouthwatering anise, black tea and apple wood accents and a perfectly embedded graphite spine. Features fruit that just won’t quit, picking up extra energy from a savory thread as it moves through. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2019 Pétrus is a powerful, heady wine, bursting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, cassis, violets, spices, licorice and kirsch. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with an ample core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the liqueured finish, it’s a ripe, high-octane Petrus that reflects the influence of a dry, warm growing season on what is essentially a single cépage (Merlot) and a single soil type (clay).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2020 L’Eglise Clinet is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was picked between the 11th and the 14th of September, and the Cabernet Franc was picked on the 16th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.4% and is aging in French oak barrels, 80% new. Displaying and opaque purple-black color, it needs a bit of swirling to reveal a fascinating array of earthy notes—black truffles, charcoal, mossy tree bark and fallen leaves—over a profound core of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and violets, with a waft of tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate has exquisitely ripe tannins and bold freshness supporting the seductively ripe, black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPWonderfully bright, floral aromas with so much violet character. Such purity and focus. Ethereal on the nose already. Full-bodied, but very polished and deep with finesse and beauty. Incredible structure that fills the mouth.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2020 L’Eglise-Clinet is a towering wine. I am not sure what else to say. After having tasted hundreds of 2020s, L’Eglise-Clinet very clearly claims a stake for itself among the wines of the vintage. L’Eglise-Clinet can be a brute in its youth, but the 2020 is all finesse. Sweet red/purplish fruit, rose petal, blood orange and pomegranate are some of the nuances that emerge over time. Perhaps keeping the temperatures a bit cooler in fermentation explains the extraordinary finesse here. The 2020 simply can’t be denied.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMAlways up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, the 2020 Château L’Eglise Clinet is no exception. It boasts a rich, powerful, opulent style that packs loads of ripe black cherries as well as notes of chocolate, earth, tobacco, and graphite. Possessing the pure, elegant, more focused style of the vintage, it still has plenty of mid-palate depth, gorgeous tannins, and one heck of a great finish. This beauty is a thrill a minute and will not hit maturity for another 7-8 years, but it will be a 20-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JD(Château L’Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Noémie Durantou has taken over from her late father Denis with this vintage, and has produced a L’Eglise Clinet that is dark ruby in colour, and needs time in the glass as it is built and muscular. You need a little patience for the cassis, bilberry and raspberry fruits to arrange, enjoy instead the silky, velvety texture that stops the tannins being too restrictive and allows the palate to slowly expand. Not as expressive as in some vintages, but still exudes quiet confidence. A yield of 42hl/ha. Harvest from September 8. (Drink between 2029-2050)Decanter | 96 DEC

This is so floral and pure, showing crushed-grape character with some walnut and crunchy seeds. It’s full-bodied, juicy and fresh. Purity of fruit. Juicy and long. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 L’Evangile rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of mulberries, black raspberries and stewed red and black plums, plus suggestions of Indian spices, dusty soil and violets with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses compelling freshness and a fine-grained texture to support the muscular black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (96-98)+ RP(Château L’Évangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) The sculpting of L’Evangile that began over the past few vintages continues, and the 2020 is a gorgeous wine. Pristine fruit, silky with a whoosh of menthol. It elevates over the palate, both dense and light, with blueberry and raspberry fruits, and pulses of bitter almond and honeysuckle on the finish that gives focus and spice. Juliette Couderc joined L’Evangile (from DBR Lafite’s Long Dai winery) in September 2020 so for the harvest of this wine, working alongside technical director Olivier Tregoat. 50% first wine, with no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year because it was so over-concentrated that it made too much impact. Increased selective harvesting meant going through vineyard plots six times to bring in the grapes as they ripened. A yield of 32hl/ha. In the final year of organic conversion, so this next vintage 2021 will be certified. (Drink between 2028-2050)Decanter | 98 DECThe 2020 L’Évangile is fabulous. Aromatic, deep and fleshy, with magnificent purity of fruit, L’Évangile dazzles right out of the gate. Bright Franc aromatics add striking lift as well as vibrancy that carries through to the long, delineated finish. There is an energy to the 2020 that is palpable. Harvest for the Merlot began on September 3, ahead of a heat wave that was forecast, and wrapped up on the 14th for the Merlot and the 21st for the Franc. That approach worked so well here. In the past, L’Évangile and Lafite-Rothschild were very different stylistically, but that seems to be changing now that Saskia de Rothschild is spending a great deal of her time in Pomerol with the new winemaking team. The estate, certified biodynamic as of 2021, has been pursuing a more refined approach for a few years, but 2020 is the first recent vintage where the personality of the year seems to have aligned especially well with the current thinking here. The 2020 L’Évangile is easily the most Lafite-like L’Évangile I have ever tasted. Don’t miss it!Vinous Media | 95-97 VMDescribed as a new age for l’Evangile by the estate, their 2020 Château L’Evangile showed beautifully, with the pure, elegant yet still ripe, beautifully concentrated style of the estate these days. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, black cherries, blueberries, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of purity, present, ripe yet firm tannins, and a great finish. It’s a promising, elegant yet at the same time powerful 2020 that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years or more. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | (95-97)+ JDA smoky, structured wine with a fine velvet mouthfeel. This is rich and generous while showing restraint in its bold fruits. It will age well with early pleasure and then lasting for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The 2020 La Conseillante is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. Seventy percent of the wine is being aged in new French oak barriques, 27% in second-fill barrels and 3% in amphorae. The alcohol came in at 14% and the pH is 3.64. Deep purple-black colored, it sails gracefully out of the glass with vivacious notes of black raspberries, kirsch and redcurrant jelly, leading to suggestions of ripe, juicy blackberries, violets, star anise and iron ore with a faint waft of dried mint. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, delivering a quiet intensity of pure, energetic red and black berry layers with gorgeous floral and mineral sparks, framed by perfectly ripe, finely pixilated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and the most breathtaking perfume. Simply mind-blowing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPThe balance and energy to this is very impressive with blackberry, black-olive, tar and walnut character. It’s full, but very compact with superb tannin quality that is intense, yet so fine-grained, building layers on the palate. A subtle and structured young wine. It really goes on and on.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2020 Château La Conseillante is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that saw the Merlot brought in between September 4 and 17 and the Cabernet Franc from the 21st to the 30th of September. Still resting in 70% new barrels, it’s a juicy, vibrant Pomerol in every sense and has a vivid purple color to go with a great nose of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, and violets. Showing the vintage’s rich, concentrated, yet also pure and straight style, this beauty is full-bodied, has flawless balance, and terrific tannins. It’s another gorgeous wine from Marielle Cazaux that will require a solid decade of bottle age, but it will see its 30th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2020 La Conseillante is a supremely elegant, restrained wine that shows the continued move toward finesse here. Silky and gracious, it’s wonderfully classy from start to finish. Lavender, mint, spice and mocha complement the purplish berry fruit nicely, all framed by bright saline and mineral notes that lend energy. Today, the 2020 is quite reserved, with less opulence than some previous vintages. It’s the sort of wine that is shy in its youth and then explodes with years in bottle. Yields were just under 40 hectoliters per hectare, very much in line with years like 2016, for example. Harvest took place September 4–19 for the Merlot and 21–30 for the Franc, more or less in line with what has become the norm of late. As usual, the malos were done in steel. Aging is 70% new oak, 27% once-used barrels and 3% amphora. It’s a brilliant effort from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team.Vinous Media | 94-97 VM(Château La Conseillante, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) There are some beautifully fragrant floral aromatics here with concentration through the mid palate and effortless balance. A little more width and opulence in the 2019 perhaps, but here you get precision and purity, and a feeling of 2010 levels of concentration. An elegant 2020, bright, confident, bursting with life. 70% new oak. A yield of 39hl/ha. 3.67pH. Gravel and clay soils, and to keep freshness they left crop cover on the old vines but on the young ploughed it into the soil so as not to have too much competition for the water. Lowered canopy also but kept shade and leaves around the bunches to protect from the sun. Picked early morning from 7am to noon, harvest of Merlot September 4 to 17, and the Cabernet Franc on September 21 and 30. (Drink between 2027-2043)Decanter | 96 DECThe wine is dense but the tannins are velvety. The combination gives a wine with obvious power and concentration wrapped in fruit that is perfumed, ripe and shot through with terrific acidity. In the end, those tannins will give the essential structure for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94-96 WE