Proprietary Blend Wines

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Château Canon has been taking off over the past few years, and here you see why. Just so much complexity, depth, power, interest in the whole thing. This buzzes with life, rises above the palate, full of gunsmoke, truffle, raspberry, blueberry, so delicious. | 100 JAThe 2019 Canon is creamy and layered. A wine of immense charm and sensuality, the 2019 is immediately appealing today, but also clearly has the potential to age for many decades. The 2019 is not as exuberant as most recent vintages, and yet its balance is simply magnificent. Readers can expect an aristocratic Saint-Émilion that is holding so much in reserve. Patience is key. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2019 Château Canon is another brilliant wine from this talented team that delivers everything you could want from this incredible terroir located on the upper limestone plateau. Based on 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc, it has a pure, incredibly refined, yet still powerful profile that takes time to unwind. Offering up beautiful notes of black raspberries, wild strawberries, spring flowers, chalky minerality, and graphite, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that’s something to behold. This isn’t the massive style of the 2015 and reminds me slightly of the 2016. It’s perfectly balanced and, again, the purity and finesse are off the charts. It needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and enjoyed over the following 2-3 decades. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert for another sensational wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSleek, elegant and appealing even before you get your nose near the glass. Aromatically it is deep and rich, and then it revs up and takes off. Dense, compact and intense, zingy limestone vibrancy and grip. Winemakers say they are looking for balance all the time, but here you feel it, with tiny pulses of electricity that appear from beginning to end of the palate. Salinity on the finish with gunsmoke and extremely moreish blueberry and blackberry fruit, with a creamy texture as things open up. 50% new oak. Thomas Duclos consults. (Drink between 2028-2050)Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Canon has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of raspberries and red plums mingled with notions of raw cocoa, dark chocolate, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional, it’s one of the most refined, elegant right bank wines of the vintage, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This is a superb achievement for Nicolas Audebert and his team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPBlackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate with bark, mushrooms and chalk. Lavender, too. Full-bodied with firm tannins that are polished and velvety. White pepper, gesso and crushed stone. It’s full-bodied and layered with tightness and focus and a long finish. It’s solid and stalwart, as usual. Reminds me of the very special 1955. One for the cellar. Give this until 2026 to see what it really has.James Suckling | 97 JSViolet, cassis, plum purée and blackberry reduction notes are layered together without being compacted, giving each space to breath and unfurl while letting the fine lacy thread of chalky minerality to flow in between. This shows the heat and slight grain of this distinctive vintage, but manages those aspects better than most. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Lots of roses and dark fruit, such as blackberries and brambleberries on the nose. Full-bodied, yet tight and poised, with real focus and firmness and seamless tannins that run the length of the wine. Minerality and persistence in a cool way. This is very serious for the vintage and for the cellar. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Pavie Macquin has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with aromas of blackcurrants, cherries, burning embers, black truffle and licorice, framed by a deft framing of new oak that’s more discreet than was the case even a few vintages back. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s deep and layered, with a strikingly vibrant core of fruit, powdery, chalky tannins and a long, penetrating, youthfully firm finish. Tasted alongside older vintages, it’s clear that the Thienpont team have eased off extraction, which allows the quality of fruit that this fantastic vineyard produces to express itself all the more completely, delivering the finest Pavie Macquin since 1998.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Château Pavie Macquin comes from a beautiful, cooler terroir located just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. A wine that always demands bottle age, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a tight, reserved wine with notes of ripe cassis, mulberry, and blackberry fruits as well as notes of spring flowers, sandalwood, and flowers. The purity is truly something, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a rich, layered mid-palate, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This is a wonderfully complete, nuanced, flawlessly balanced Pavie Macquin that will round into form with just 5-6 years of bottle age yet keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDGorgeous ripe aromatic blackcurrants on the nose. Seriously expressive with sweet touches of milk chocolate - an element of Black Forest gateau to this. Direct and linear on the palate, focussed and precise but with excellent clarity and minerality. You get the blood iron, wet stone slate in both flavour and texture on the tongue against the high toned cherry and redcurrant fruit. Lots of energy here, it’s almost holding back from being fully expressive. Great potential and lovely finish with chocolate, minty freshness and liquorice spice. Drinking Window 2025 - 2043.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Pavie Macquin is exotic and beguiling right out of the gate. Succulent dark cherry, white truffle, leather, tobacco, blood orange, cedar and mint all meld together in the glass. As always, Pavie Macquin is defined by its sumptuous fruit, plush contours and total allure. Pavie Macquin is not exactly subtle, but it sure is delicious. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis unfurls as seductively as a cashmere scarf, offering black tea and incense notes amidst a lush wave of dark plum, fig and blackberry reduction flavors. The subtle inlay of charcoal, tobacco and sweet bay adds length and detail through the finish. Gorgeous. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2038. 5,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine. Try after 2028 and beyond.James Suckling | 99 JSReminding me a little of the 2009, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has a rich, powerful style in its cassis, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit as well as its chalky minerality, smoked earth, tobacco, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this rich, unctuously textured beauty has terrific concentration, sweet tannins, and the vintage’s hallmark elegance and finesse. One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age (or a healthy decant) and will evolve for 30+ years if stored properly. Not enough can be said about what proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, as well as winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe aromatics are highly seductive, the texture silky and round, tannins relatively soft as they were in 2018, but lots of them, layering up one on top of the next. Violet rim around the edge, all the signs of an excellent quality En Primeur sample are here. Not quite as lush as the 2018, a little more like the 2016 in structure at this stage, boding well for the future. Refined in style with cassis and blueberry - good focus and concentration. Tasted twice, three weeks apart, and both times seriously impressive. 60% new oak, 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (Drink between 2027-2042)Decanter | 97 DECIn a line of great white wines from this estate, here is a superb vintage. It has all the richness of ripe fruit, but that has been channeled into structure, density as well as intense acidity and freshness. All the signs are this wine will age for a long, long time.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with a complex bouquet of dark berries, cassis, forest floor, pencil shavings, licorice and spices. Full-bodied, broad and velvety, it’s layered and elegantly muscular, underpinned by rich structuring tannins and lively acids, and it concludes with a long, expansive finish. This is another estate where the viticultural and stylistic evolutions of the last decade have delivered a beautifully balanced, harmonious 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte is a dense, explosive wine. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and licorice all saturate the palate in a wine that balances unctuous texture and structure. The 2019 is an opulent Smith Haut Lafitte that is going to need a few years to shed some baby fat. It is a powerhouse to be sure. Dried herbs, leather, tobacco, incense and graphite lend striking savory nuance throughout.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA broad, rich and caressing wine, with a lovely display of cassis, plum puree and blackberry pâte de fruit notes. There’s form thanks to a buried alder note, along with sweet tobacco and iron accents on the finish. A strong showing. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2036. 10,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Has any Bordeaux château realized a more wholesale stylistic revolution in so short a time than Troplong Mondot? Since Aymeric de Gironde arrived at the estate in late 2017, the ultra powerful "shock and awe" style of the 2000s is out, and a new refinement is in. Of course, the deep clays that define the core vineyards around the château itself are never likely to produce light or ephemeral wines, but de Gironde has astutely understood that (to develop an analogy), when driving down hill, one can ease off on the accelerator. The 2019 Troplong Mondot is a ringing endorsement of the new direction, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of wild berries, violets, coniferous forest floor, licorice, raw cocoa and subtle spices, followed by a full-bodied, velvety and layered palate that’s seamless and perfumed, its enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, powdery tannins and lively acids. Harmonious and penetrating, I never thought I’d taste a wine like this from Troplong Mondot.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe purity of fruit is pretty phenomenal here with blackcurrants, cherries and crushed-stone undertones. Floral notes of roses and violets, too. Full-bodied, yet this is a linear style with super fine tannins and great length and beauty. You really want to drink it. It grows on the palate and shows real power, with breadth and depth. Remains fresh throughout. Really something. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Troplong Mondot is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2019 dazzles with its magnificent balance. Inky red/purplish fruit, cinnamon, chocolate, dried flowers and lavender open with a bit of time, but Troplong is not a wine for the here and now, but rather a wine for readers who can be patient. The 2019 is all class and refinement. Those qualities become increasingly apparent over time, once some of the initial power and density subsides with air. This is the first time the Grand Vin was blended before the malolactic fermentation. Antonio Galloni | 97 AG96–98. Barrel Sample. With its rich tannins and serious, concentrated structure, the wine is obviously set for a great future. The Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend offers structure as well as the fine line of blackberry flavors. Filled out with ripe Merlot, the wine shows richness with everything in balance.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it’s going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo…Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThis takes hold from the first moment and powers along, delivering a ton of black brambly fruit, liquorice, grilled cedar and Pauillac confidence. The tannins are pretty chewy, really closing in on the end of play, giving no doubt that this is going to age slowly and for many decades, but there is a creaminess to the overall structure that is already evident. (Drink between 2029-2046)Decanter | 97 DECFantastic blackberries, blackcurrants, lead pencil and violets. So Pauillac on the nose! Full-bodied with a dense, layered palate and tight yet plush tannins that give the wine layers and gravitas. Compact. Long finish. Silky. Reminds me of a modern, classic version of something like the wonderful 1985 Lynch. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe wine’s power is important and impressive. Behind this lies a solid structure along with powerful black fruits, allowing the succulent nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon to shine. The wine will develop slowly over many years. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA true classic from this estate, the 2019 Lynch-Bages has turned out brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and sweet blackberry fruit mingled with licorice, mint, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s a deep, multidimensional wine built around a chassis of rich, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids. The last vintage produced in Lynch-Bages old winery, it will be interesting to compare this benchmark wine with subsequent vintages over the coming years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPGorgeous from the start, with lush and caressing cassis, dark plum and blackberry compote flavors that are substantial in feel although they seem to glide through, carried by a very refined structure that lets in alluring black tea, worn alder, floral and savory details along the way. Features a vibrant, authoritative bolt of iron through the finish to keep it all grounded.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 96 JSExuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It’s medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha. To get this sort of pedigree for less than $100 is a rarity in Napa these days, making it a notable value.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSolidly built and very direct, with a juicy, muscular core of cassis, plum and blackberry flavors lined with singed alder, menthol and sweet bay leaf. Maintains juicy energy through the toasty finish, with a late loamy echo keeping things grounded. A very well-proportioned wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 2,450 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Wonderfully floral cherry notes on the nose here - ripe, vibrant and appealing. Such great juicy impact, strawberries, cherries and redcurrants, really just hits the palate with brightness, energy and verve. An approachable style but with lots of layers, great acidity and a cooling menthol undertone. Really enjoyable with underlying power and precision. Excellent. (Drink between 2027-2044)Decanter | 95 DECThe exotic, incredibly perfumed 2019 Château Jean Faure comes from the upper plateau region, closer to Pomerol, and just behind Cheval Blanc. Based largely on Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it has loads of red and blue fruits, exotic flowers, sandalwood, and foresty, earthy nuances that develop nicely with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it’s pure, balanced, and elegant on the palate, with ripe yet polished tannins and a great finish. This singular beauty needs a good 4-5 years of bottle age but is going to impress over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Jean Faure is a quirky Saint-Émilion because of the high percentage of Franc in the blend, which lends soaring aromatic intensity. Sage, mint, tobacco, cedar, licorice and red berry fruit all build in the glass, with bright, saline notes that give energy and shape. Jean Faure is one of the most distinctive Saint-Émilions readers will come across. The 2019 turned out beautifully.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThis has the ripe and rich fruit of the vintage, but is a bit sleeker in feel than most of its brethren, offering a savory streak and a flash of iron. Nice, lingering juniper and black tea notes make this distinctive too. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Best from 2023 through 2035. 6,000 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBeautiful complexity and finesse with tile, incense, light chocolate, hazelnut and plum aromas and flavors. Hints of dried meat, too. It’s medium-bodied with creamy tannins and a soft, refined finish. Drink after 2023, but it’s surprisingly attractive now.James Suckling | 93 JSOffering up aromas of minty blackberries, licorice and sweet spices, the 2019 Jean Faure is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, melting tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long, similarly minty finish. From a certified-organic property located between Cheval Blanc and Grand-Corbin-Despagne, this is a charming, expressive wine. Cabernet Franc represents more than 60% of the blend.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Cassis, mulberries, tobacco, cedary oak, and violet notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Desmirail, another beautiful, medium to full-bodied, balanced, just seamless beauty. Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, it can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDBramble hedgerow on the nose, smooth texture but with tannins that grip and take hold but are filled with chewy, lively juice. They really do cover the entire mouth but they’re vibrant and succulent and just very playful expanding outwards, filling the mouth with no harshness. It’s on the extravagant opulent end of the spectrum but with energy at the same time. I really enjoy it. One to drink now and just enjoy for it’s boldness and brightness. Drinking Window 2023 - 2042.Decanter | 93 DECBlack fruit, chocolate, cedar, walnut, graphite and sweet spices on the nose. Medium body with fine, sleek tannins. Elegant and structured with a dark core of fruit on the center-palate and a flavorful finish. Drink from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Desmirail has improved on the nose of well-defined blackberry, raspberry and crushed rose petal scents, elegant and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp line of acidity. Taut and quite linear toward the persistent finish, which will need 3–5 years to fully assimilate the oak. This Desmirail should give up to 20 years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2019 Desmirail opens in the glass with aromas of blackberries, cassis, sweet soil tones and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, it’s a charming, polished wine, with a fleshy core of fruit, refined tannins and lively balancing acids. This elegant, beautifully made wine has turned out very well.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Pure white peach, tart pineapple, white flowers, and chalky mineral notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos Des Lunes Lune D’Argent Blanc, a Semillon-dominated, medium-bodied, concentrated, wonderfully textured white. This is well worth your time and money, and I suspect it will have a decade of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDSuch an aromatic nose, wow, the aromas just jump out the glass - lime, mandarin peel, candied lemon - smells more on the Sauvignon side. This is lovely on the palate, it has a great weight with definition and structure from the Semillon. There is acidity but it’s really well integrated giving a rounder, more wide and weighty wine than light and super fresh. I like the style, it’s gourmet and rich but still with a lovely lift and overall appeal. This also has a really delicate but wonderful florality to the fruit - perfumed lychee, pear and peach. Delicious. Just short of unctuous but on the good side. Crack open now and enjoy with food. (Drink between 2023-2035)Decanter | 93 DECBright and zesty nose of green pineapple, gooseberry, lime curd, passion fruit and crushed stone. Wax and nougat, too. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a fresh, creamy palate. Excellent length. 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Lune d’Argent, whose Sémillon is picked just short of botrytis, has a wonderful, sunny bouquet, traces of Sauternes DNA filtering through with aeration. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, taut, crisp and quite mineral-driven. The saline finish calls out for seafood. Maybe just a tad shorter than I recall, but I this Lune d’Argent still has a lot to offer.Vinous Media | 92+ VMA plump, friendly offering led by white peach and white nectarine notes, with acacia, honeysuckle and makrut lime hints along the way. Open-knit, easy finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2023. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe 2019 Lune d’Argent comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of lemon drops, key lime pie and fresh pink grapefruit with suggestions of mandarin peel, honeysuckle and wet pebbles. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with vibrant citrus flavors and a racy backbone of freshness, finishing with a pretty perfume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

Bernard Magrez’s 2019 Les Grands Chênes is seriously impressive. Deep, layered and complex, the 2019 is full of character. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, mint, new leather, licorice, cedar and iron all take shape in the glass. The long creamy finish. There is a lot of wine here, especially for the money. In a word: fabulous! Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA seductive nose, full of richly scented black fruits with some herbal elements. This has great texture, really coats the mouth but you get the rich blackcurrant with just a hint of sweetness coming through alongside quite a powerful menthol element that gives freshness. The two need a bit more time to integrate and soften but this has really good bright but cooling energy from the acidity so will be excellent in time. (Drink between 2024-2035)Decanter | 92 DECWild raspberries, blackberries, cloves, bark and tea leaves on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Earthy and a little austere with a tight finish. Better in 2024.James Suckling | 91 JSFalling under the Bernard Magrez lineup of wines and from a site in the Médoc, the 2019 Château Les Grands Chênes offers a beautiful, classic bouquet of red and black currants, cedar pencil, dried flowers, and a hint of tobacco. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it’s beautifully balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s certainly in the same league as the 2018.Jeb Dunnuck | 89-91 JD

Gorgeous aromas of currants, crushed stones, blackberries and flowers. Full-bodied with refined tannins that are long and very polished. Creamy texture. It goes on for minutes. Lovely energy and sophistication to this. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSComing in close to equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with just a splash of Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Château Beychevelle shows a classic Saint-Julien purity and finesse-driven style as well as notes of red and blue fruits, sappy flowers, tobacco, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, I love its overall balance and purity of fruit, it has silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This wine always has upfront appeal, but the 2019 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should have 30 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDDark nose, quite serious and seductive. This draws you in from the first smell with lovely florality and delicacy. On the palate it’s deep and the power is on show no doubt, there’s concentration but also such aromatics and purity of fruit with tannins that are gentle and svelte. Lifted the whole way through, good acidity and a subtle creaminess at the end. A well framed, pretty and powerful style. Great winemaking with precision. (Drink between 2027-2045)Decanter | 95 DEC94–96. Barrel Sample. Dense and concentrated, this wine is layered in dark tannins, rich chocolate and black fruits. The estate is producing richer wines than in the past without sacrificing the Saint-Julien style. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEAromas of raspberries, currants, pencil shavings and sweet spices introduce the 2019 Beychevelle, a medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping wine that’s fleshy and seamless, with a generous core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with an expansive finish. This is an open-knit, demonstrative Saint-Julien that will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2019 Beychevelle presents a perfumed nose of blackberry, wilted rose petals, incense and a touch of violet that ebbs with aeration. Elegant, poised and focused, this is a succinct and quite complex Saint-Julien. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and wonderful depth, still retaining the discreet marine influence but showing a little more depth and rondeur on the persistent finish. This is a delicious Beychevelle. 13.7° alcoholVinous Media | 94 VMDark, with plum, açaí and blackberry compote notes, this is juicy and expressive. Features racy wood spice, graphite and apple wood notes, which give this a structured feel through the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 2,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Showing beautifully, with the polished, pure, elegant style of the vintage, the 2019 Château Gloria sports a deeper ruby/purple color as well as great aromatics of cassis and assorted blue fruits to go with smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, damp earth, and floral notes. I love its purity, and it’s just a quintessential, medium to full-bodied, layered Saint-Julien that can be drunk today or cellared for a solid two decades. It should be a no-brainer purchase for the wine lovers out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Gloria personifies classic Saint-Julien, offering blackberry, wild hedgerow, cedar and tobacco scents, maybe a little conservative in style, but unashamed about that. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite firm tannins. Fresh and saline, this gets the saliva going with a precise, persistent finish and leaves hints of graphite on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94 VMRock-solid, with a mouthwatering roasted apple wood and mesquite frame around a well-layered core of black currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavors. The finish features dots of tobacco and tar that add range, but the real driver is a long bolt of iron, which gives this a throwback feel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSuch a deep, concentrated nose, full of ripe blackcurrants and black cherries. Great intensity and concentration on the palate, some dark spicy notes, liquorice, black pepper and cinnamon around the edges alongside layers of juicy and succulent ripe fruit. A full, bold wine no doubt, real power here but stylish and energetic. If you like the gourmet style, this one is great. (Drink between 2024-2039)Decanter | 94 DECSweet berry and cherry aromas with violets, following through to a medium to full body with creamy, linear tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Tight and curated, in a structured way. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Gloria has turned out very well, delivering aromas of blackcurrants, plums, burning embers and a deft framing of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and nicely concentrated, with a vibrant core of ripe and fleshy fruit, lively acids and powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish, this shows considerable promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

97–99. Barrel Sample. A very fine, rich and structured wine, this has all the hallmarks of one of the stars of this vintage. Packed with rounded tannins and rich black fruits, the wine is impressively concentrated in layers of blackberry flavors and lifted acidity. Expect this wine to age for many years. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WELike its stablemate Langoa Barton, the 2019 Léoville Barton is a timeless classic, made for patient connoisseurs. Offering up aromas of blackcurrants, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep core of fruit framed by a chassis of rich, powdery tannin that makes itself felt on the youthfully firm finish. While it’s clearly built for the long haul, its structural seamlessness and mid-palate plenitude mark it out as one of the finest wines from this château in recent times. Could it be a more concentrated modern-day version of Anthony Barton’s brilliant 1985?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe flagship 2019 Château Léoville Barton is brilliant, showing both the style of the estate as well as the vintage beautifully. It’s never the biggest or richest wine, yet it has a classic, vibrant, structured style that ages beautifully. Pure cassis, black currants, scorched earth, new leather, and graphite are just some of its nuances, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. This textbook Léoville Barton demands a decade of bottle age and will keep for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Léoville Barton is so impressive. Rich and heady in the glass, the 2019 offers up a beguiling mix of dark fruit intermingled with scents to tobacco, gravel, pencil shavings, leather, licorice, scorched earth and cloves. Today, Léoville Barton is decidedly virile, imposing and in need of cellaring. It is also hugely impressive. Léoville Barton is one of the first Bordeaux I tasted, many years ago. It remains a favorite for its combination of quality, personality and fair price, all values the late Anthony Barton championed during his long and distinguished career. Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA strapping young wine, offering notes of blackberry paste, plum preserves and black currant coulis that show energy throughout, with plentiful bramble, tar and licorice root accents. There’s a mouthwatering echo of apple wood at the very end, with a flash of violet adding a hint of purity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2042. 11,850 cases made. Wine Spectator | 96 WSA dark nose here, savoury with animal tones, bramble fruits and leather nuances. The palate is excellent, grippy with tannins that just take hold and coat the mouth but underneath you feel there is such well defined fruit - a core of ripe blackcurrants and liquorice tinges. There is an elegance to this despite the mouthful of creamy tannins that are doing all the talking at the moment. This will be excellent in time. Sumptuous and utterly enchanting. (Drink between 2024-2045)Decanter | 96 DECCurrants, sweet fruit and fresh flowers on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins that are chewy and powerful. Long and muscular, yet in a toned and polished way. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2019 Château Pavie is another beauty that offers more density and sexiness than just about every other wine in the vintage, yet it is still an unnecessarily restrained expression of this terroir, which is the fad in Bordeaux these days. Based on 50% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 80% new French oak, this deep purple-hued effort has a great bouquet of ripe black cherries, darker currants, tobacco leaf, violets, and graphite, with a beautiful sense of minerality and salinity on the palate. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it has plenty of background oak, a deep, layered mid-palate, terrific tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more understated, elegant style of the vintage yet is still pure Pavie. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following 30+.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLots of blackberry and grilled meat with earth and spice. Some smoky undertones, too. Blackcurrants. Complex. Full-bodied with round, juicy tannins, yet they turn extremely fine and very linear and go on for minutes. Great length. A blend of 50% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2027, but already a joy to drink.James Suckling | 98 JS97–99. Barrel Sample. This wine has an aristocratic air. The tannins and fruit flavors are rich but not showy, indicating how this estate has found its stride. With its firm structure and bold black fruit tones, it is going to be a wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2019 Pavie is incredibly elegant right out of the gate. Aromas of crushed rose petal, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are immediately alluring. The 2019 is sensual and inviting, with no excess weight and fabulous overall balance. Blood orange, red/purplish fruit, cinnamon and mint develop effortlessly. Time in the glass brings out Cabernet Franc aromatics and structure, leading to a feeling of vertical intensity that is hugely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGDreamy right from the start, with a seductive mouthfeel to its mix of raspberry puree, cassis and creamed plum flavors infused with rooibos tea, black licorice and alder accents. Long and extremely fine-grained through the finish, with subtle floral lift and a lingering hint of chalky minerality. Gorgeous. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040. 8,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 97 WSSuch an expressive nose, especially after five minutes, dark black bramble fruits with raisins and plums on the nose alongside touches of tobacco and coffee too. Quite refined on the palate, less upfront plump fruit and chewiness, more knitted and focussed with a juicy core yet still powerful, underlying and driving. It’s serious, muscular and strong, really a vein of direct fruit coated in wet stone minerality. I love the tension and acidity with the heady density of fruit and soft perfume around the edges. So much going on here. It’s a bold, confident style, but overall feels well made and purposeful. (Drink between 2026-2046)Decanter | 96 DECWhile the 2019 Pavie does display a touch more restraint that the wines produced here a decade ago, it remains one of the most powerful, extracted wines in all of Bordeaux, exhibiting a glass-staining, opaque purple-black color and a rich bouquet of cherries, blackberries and berry fruit liqueur mingled with sweet spices, loamy soil, licorice and rose petals. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular, it’s thick and textural, with a layered, multidimensional mid-palate laden with ripe fruit and rich, chewy tannins, concluding with a long, youthfully grippy finish. The evolution of the early Pese-era wines at age 20 leads me to suspect that time will be kind to this 2019, but couldn’t this great site—which naturally delivers elevated maturity combined with low pH—be rendered with more charm and sensuality?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

The 2019 Mouton Rothschild has come together beautifully since I tasted it from barrel. Today, it is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and statuesque in its beauty, Mouton is remarkable in every way. Layers of dark-toned fruit confer seriousness and intensity that builds with time. All of the finesse I saw in barrel is still present. Since then, the 2019 has gained flesh and vibrancy. Magnificent!Antonio Galloni. | 99 AGThis is incredibly complex, with all the cabernet descriptors, from mint and lead pencil to blackberry, blackcurrant and menthol. It changes all the time in the glass, just as in the nose. Yet, it remains cool and classy. Full-bodied with very fine, tight tannins that run the length of the wine, carrying on and on and on. Well-framed and compact wine. Never-ending procession of currant, berry and black cherry fruit, together with licorice, earth and just a hint of black truffle. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Give this until 2028 to show its true greatness.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Mouton Rothschild is the most dramatic of the Médoc first growths, soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries and violets mingled with rich aromas of cedar, cigar wrapper, licorice, loamy soil and spices. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s deep and powerful, with huge levels of concentration and an ineffably complete, seamless profile, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Plenty of ripe tannin is hidden by its ample core of fruit, and despite its youthful polish, this will require plenty of bottle age to realize all its potential. This blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot tastes in many respects like the 2016 Mouton’s more sun-kissed cousin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPPlows straight ahead, with a rather towering display of cassis as well as cherry and plum reduction notes that are pure, defined and deftly supported by a seamlessly embedded iron spine. Features light savory, floral and red tea notes that flash in the background, while the fruit glistens through the extremely lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2019 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and it hit a relatively normal alcohol level of 13.5%, which is higher than the 2009 and shows the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the vintage. It shows the new, modern style of Bordeaux in its purity, elegance, and finesse while still being an incredibly concentrated Pauillac, and where some vintages of Mouton can just about jump out of the glass, this is a more seamless, streamlined, elegant beauty that builds with time in the glass and is just about impossible to fault. Gorgeous crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, forest floor, licorice, damp earth, and graphite, as well as some espresso nuances, emerge on the nose, and it’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is pure haute couture in Bordeaux that unquestionably offers pleasure today (again, just about all modern Bordeaux from a great vintage offer pleasure in their youth) but will require a solid decade to hit maturity, and it should evolve for 20, 30, 40 years or more. This is not an unformed beast of wine that demands bottle age, and I suspect it will have a broad, forgiving drink window that consumers will love.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDGorgeous nose with a soft sweetness to the fruit aromas - a quality of the cooler year with freshness and vibrancy to the fruit profile. A great core of black fruits - blackcurrant, plums and cherries, balancing power but also succulence in the best way. Muscular but refined and finessed, feels so well constructed with harmonious tannins. The texture is smooth, deep and coursing but with such elegance to the overall frame. Deep and concentrated, but I love the touches of sour cherry and then smoky, liquorice aspects with a mineral freshness. It feels as if when it’s ready it will expand and just give and give. I love it. Drinking Window 2028 - 2050.Decanter | 98 DECMade from 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a sumptuous and powerful wine that is built by considerable tannins and immensely rich fruit. At the same time, there is a perfumed charm that balances all that power. The wine’s structure and richness are harbingers of enormous aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

Extremely aromatic with ripe cherry and berry aromas, as well as flowers and citrus. Medium to full body with fine, polished tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is really well done and one of the most balanced L’Aventures I have encountered. Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 Optimus should be snatched up by savvy readers. Based on 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, it just about jumps out of the glass with gorgeous cassis, floral, pepper, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. As seamless as they come, this full-bodied, elegant, pleasure-bent 2019 is going to evolve for a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLovely aromatic intensity, spicy and nuanced on the nose but incredibly well defined on the palate which is crisp and precise with flavours that glide across, so linear and straight. There’s a coolness to the fruit profile and a refreshing juiciness. Concentration and structure with good tannic grip - lots on offer here. A blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 14 months in 89% new French oak and 11% one-year-old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining or filtering. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DECOpaque violet. Spice-tinged dark berry preserves, fruitcake, incense, toasty oak and vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sappy black and blue fruit, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors, while a smoky mineral nuance adds firm back-end lift. Fleshy and deep but energetic as well, thanks to the core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a gently tannic note, displaying sharp focus and superb, dark-fruit-driven persistence. 89% new French oak.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Optimus is a blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. It has a medium ruby-purple color and pure aromas of red and black berries with earthy, autumnal accents and a streak of spice. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with pretty floral perfume on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Cabernet franc makes up 60 per- cent of Magari, bolstering the blend’s structure and freshness (it no longer includes merlot). The wine’s flavors of blackcurrant and plum show a pleasant tangy edge, its earthy tannins firmly guiding the fruit tones without overwhelming them. Hints of licorice and graphite emerge with air, and the dark fruit mingles with iodine notes on the long, seamless finish.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe Ca’ Marcanda 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Magari offers a surprisingly subtle side to the three very powerful grapes that make up the blend. These are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The bouquet is generous and full, with an intricate embroidery of lavender flower, garden herb, black fruit, spice and tobacco. You might even detect a hint of black olive. Magari is structured and solid but never heavy, and it offers a good sense of fresh acidity that makes for a lively and bright finish. That more acidic vein is neatly folded into ample fruity sweetness and flavor.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a firm yet velvety-textured red with blackberry, sage, pine-needle and dried-flower aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a lovely mouth feel and a long finish. Drink after 2023, when everything will have come more together.James Suckling | 93 JSStarts out rich, yet underscored by vibrant acidity and a line of refined tannins, which provide the support for this red’s black currant, black cherry, wild herb and iron flavors. Finishes lean and firm. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard features leafy, minty nuances and hints of tobacco set against a backdrop of redcurrants. Full-bodied and ripe but remarkably elegant, it finishes supple and long, with a delectable silky texture. It’s undeniably sexy, but I have to admit I didn’t pick up on the "hot chick-just-done-with-Pilates pheromone quality" that Bevan described.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Red Wine EE Tench Vineyard is compelling. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc works so well here. A whole range of floral and savory notes give the 2019 its striking presence. Raspberry jam, blood orange, kirsch and spice add inner perfume and polish. The 2019 EE is such an alluring wine.Antonio Galloni | 94-97 AG

Like a bouquet of fresh flowers on the nose, as well as blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. Sandalwood as well. Full-bodied with incredibly polished tannins that have the texture of the finest velvet. The palate is very fine, oriented with fabulously pure fruit and minerally and stone undertones at the finish. It’s so classical in nature. Essence of Ausone. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot. From organically grown grapes. Best after 2027.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2019 Ausone was picked September 20-27 for the Merlot and October 3, 5 and 7 for the Cabernet Franc, then matured for 20 months in new French oak with light toasting. This is very refined and focused on the nose, less opulent compared to recent vintages, and very sophisticated, with hints of Montecristo cigar interwoven through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine but quite firm tannins that frame the lightly spiced black fruit. Touches of pencil lead and white pepper appear toward the prolonged finish. This very composed Ausone might actually drink earlier than other vintages but unequivocally has the substance to age with grace in bottle. There is an abiding sense of completeness here.Vinous Media | 99 VMUnwinding in the glass with deep aromas of wild berries, vine smoke, orange rind, exotic spices and violets, framed by a deft application of classy new oak, the 2019 Ausone is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with beautiful purity of fruit, lively acids and ripe but abundant structuring tannins. Deep, layered and vibrant, it’s full of potential and will likely emerge as one of the most long-lived 2019s. This is another magical wine from what many consider to be Saint-Émilion’s greatest terroir, and it will demand and richly reward patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe en primeur sample of the 2019 vintage, as I did not taste in the spring. Full of vivacity and austerity, dominated by the Cabernet Franc, showing roundness and depth to the black fruits as they open, with clear bilberry, cassis and blueberry, a ton of gentle charred smoke notes and graphite. Strong opulence and huge tannins. A wine that is going to age for decades.Drinking Window 2029 - 2050Decanter | 97 DEC

The juicy and chewy unoaked red 2019 Señorío de P. Peciña Cosecha Tinto has bright ripe fruit and an earthy touch, a medium body and soft tannins that give it a supple texture. It’s a blend of Tempranillo with 3% Garnacha and 2% Graciano fermented with indigenous yeasts and kept in tank until bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP(Rioja “Cosecha”- Bodegas Señorío Pedro Peciña (Rioja Alta)) The 2019 Rioja “Cosecha” from Bodegas Peciña is a lovely wine, with plenty of black fruit informing both the nose and the palate. The bouquet is bright and jumps from the glass in a mix of black cherries, dark berries, cigar smoke, just a touch of Rioja spice tones and a good base of soil. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and tangy, with a fine core of ripe fruit, good focus and grip, moderate tannins and a long, well-balanced finish. This is still a young wine, but it is eminently drinkable already and will only get better with a bit of bottle age. This augurs extremely well for the Crianzas, Reservas and Gran Reservas we will see down the road from the 2019 vintage, as this wine is really excellent for its level! (Drink between 2021-2040)John Gilman | 90 JG

Dark brambles on the nose. Great intensity and sculpted fruit here, this has some dark fruits and definite liquorice aspects to the palate but feels really precise and controlled. It’s smooth with soft tannins and good presence until the end. Also has great freshness and cooling mint cordial tang on the finish. I love it. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035.Decanter | 92 DECThis is full and plush for an Haut-Medoc with medium to full body. Lots of blackberries and fresh herbs with redcurrants, too. Chewy, but polished. Give it two or three years to soften. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2019 Beaumont, cropped at 50hL/ha, has a lovely, delineated bouquet of blackberry, briary and light tobacco notes. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, and not quite as supple as before, though I appreciate the tangy seaweed note toward the finish. Just what you want from a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur.Vinous Media | 91 VMThis estate has produced a fine, elegant wine. Black fruits and a hint of chocolate do not detract from the firm structure that is a fine passport for the future. Dense, dry but never excessive, this is a wine for medium-term.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2019 Beaumont has turned out very well, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berry fruit, pencil shavings and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and melting tannins, it’s charming and nicely balanced. It’s the finest wine from this large château that I can remember tasting.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPBlack cherries, plums, Asian spices, and sandalwood notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Beaumont, a nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied Haut-Médoc with good depth of fruit and juicy acidity. This château always makes a solid wine, and the 2019 is no exception.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

The 2019 Château Nenin is truly fantastic, and my money is on it being the finest vintage to date for this estate. Based on 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc brought up in just 45% new French oak, it offers a pure, medium-bodied, ethereal style carrying gorgeous red and black fruits, spring flowers, damp earth, and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s not a blockbuster and is all about purity, finesse, and elegance, yet it still brings beautiful richness and length. This gorgeous, seamless 2019 will drink well for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDPerfumed nose of crushed stones, blackberries and violets. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins and fresh, minerally undertones. So long, showing bitter chocolate that turns to hazelnut and cocoa bean. Tight and precise at the end. 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSThe layers of fruit come through strongly on the nose. Plum and raspberry richness wrapped up with raspberry leaf and sage, this just gently tiptoes through the palate. Extraction is careful and delicate and yet there is a lot of power. This is always a Left Bank style of Pomerol giving a restrained savoury feel with freshness and classicism. Opens slowly in the glass and needs time over ageing. In the cellar, they cut the extraction time down by half compared to 2018, because the skins were so thick. 40% new oak. (Drink between 2026-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 Nénin has turned out very well. A burst of red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, sweet spice and floral accents gives Nénin its effusive, charming personality. Best of all, the 2019 will be easy to drink pretty much upon release. All the elements are impeccably balanced throughout.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA Merlot-dominant blend complemented by 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Nenin offers up notes of sweet berries and plums framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it’s rich and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit and supple structuring tannins. Four hectares on gravel soils adjacent to Trotanoy lend structure, but the 2019 is so polished out of the gates that it might be easy to miss it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP91–93. Barrel Sample. This Pomerol estate, owned by Domaines Delon, has produced a structured, dense wine, dominated by 70% Merlot. Rich tannins and black currant fruits are knit together by the wood aging that shows in the spiciness. The wine’s core of tannins is sure to give it aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDelivers warm plum sauce and blackberry reduction flavors that cruise through, with a velvety structure and a finish marked by licorice root and anise accents. A solid, forthright Pomerol. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. — JMWine Spectator | 91 WS

The fortified chateau dating to the 12th century is now the home of the Bethmann family. This latest release indicates the high quality the estate now produces. Rich in tannins and with a dense structure, the wine is full of juicy acidity. The texture and dry core promise aging. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WETobacco, blackcurrant and crushed stone. Ash, too. Full-bodied with very polished and juicy tannins that are firm, yet polished and long. Wonderful finish. Give it three or four years to come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSExpressive nose of bright red cherries and strawberries. Good juiciness here, this has life for sure but the fruit is still a little in high definition right now and edged with spicy oak elements that are quite dominant. Definitely lots going on and this has power, precision, good fruit and acidity but needs more time to soften and integrate. A peppery, quite savoury finish. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2039Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Olivier is a powerful, brooding wine. Dark cherry, tobacco, iron, game, menthol and dried herbs lend quite a bit of complexity and nuance to this hearty, earthy Pessac-Léognan. From bottle, the 2019 comes across as a bit burly, while the fruit is not quite as forward as it was en primeur.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGBlackcurrants, darker cherries, earth, and spicy oak notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Olivier, a young, unevolved, promising 2019 with medium to full body, ripe, nicely polished tannins, the vintage’s elegant style, and a great finish. Give it 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 10-15.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDAromas of red berries and plums, framed by hints of burning embers and a deft framing of new oak, introduce the 2019 Olivier, a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming wine that’s elegantly fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a discreetly heady finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

This is so aromatic with blackcurrants, black berries and raspberries. Pure fruit, together with coffee and nutmeg. Really fresh and clean with bright spices. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with fantastic structure. So long. This is a great Cos for the cellar. A real benchmark for the true character. Needs at least five or six years to open and come around. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Cos d’Estournel is a deep, powerful wine. That has been true on both times I have tasted it recently. Readers will have to be patient. Those who can afford it will be rewarded with a towering, statuesque Saint-Estèphe. With a bit of air the fruit starts to emerge, but this is a very reticent Cos that does not show the opulence that it often does in its youth. Gravel, smoke, incense, tobacco and dried flowers gradually unfurl over time, hinting at a very bright future. The 2019 is impressive. That’s all there is to it. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGVivid red-purple rim to the glass; blue fruits, plums and black cherries presented with pleasant floral aspects alongside a wonderful freshly brewed coffee aroma, soft and delicate but just noticeable. This is absolutely delicious, round and plump on the palate but not heavy, well defined with a fruit precision marrying blackcurrants and cherries with some cocoa and liquorice nuance. The velvety texture and overall clarity stands out, driven and precise with layers of pretty chewy, perfumed fruit underpinned by generous acidity. Sophisticated and enjoyable. Wonderful styling at Cos in 2019. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cos d’Estournel has turned out brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of minty cassis, sweet wild berries and wild plums mingled with hints of spices, loamy soil and potpourri. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it’s polished and seamless, its ample chassis of fine, velvety tannin entirely concealed in its deep core of succulent, crunchy fruit. Beautifully integrated at this early stage, the last decade has witnessed a number of changes at this address, including a trend toward less aggressively late picking, cooler fermentations and élevage with fewer rackings and more moderate percentages of less heavily toasted new oak: in 2019, the results speak for themselves.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe beautiful perfume of this stylish wine are the first impression. They set the scene for the wonderful black currant fruits and dark tannins that meld together on the palate. Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, this structured wine shows long-term aging potential.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDark and winey, featuring black currant, fig and blackberry preserve flavors laced with a smoldering hint of cast iron, plus notes of anise, apple wood, sweet bay leaf and warm earth. The finish offers a long sanguine thread that stitches it all up. Gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 15,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe Grand Vin 2019 Château Cos D’Estournel checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot coming from 43 hectoliters per hectare and hitting a healthy 14% alcohol. Brought up in just 55% new French oak, it’s a pretty, elegant, seamless Saint-Estèphe that has plenty of redcurrant and cassis-like fruit as well as lead pencil, graphite, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, it has supple, fine tannins, wonderful purity, and a classy, regal profile that will be loved by staunch traditionalists out there. Exceedingly elegant and finesse-driven, with a touch of Château Lafite-like character, I compared this wine to a more elegant version of the 2016 from barrel, but now from bottle, I think 2014 is a better comparison in its weight, balance, and just overall style. It has a silky, charming style that already offers pleasure but won’t hit maturity for a good 7-8 years and will have 25+ years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

The 2019 Carlmagnus has a perfumed nose of ample black fruit, spicebox and light cedar aromas; the oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied and quite fleshy, with supple tannins and plush red cherries and wild strawberry mixed with desiccated orange peel toward the finish. This has matured nicely in barrel.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromatic and herbal on the nose, sweetly fruited with strawberries and cherries but with this edge of dried herbs - rosemary and thyme. Gorgeous clarity - precise, clean, bountiful, generous and bright. Great acidity and just clarity of fruit - feels polished and sleek with excellent juice on the mid palate and a lovely chared smokiness that gives a striking detail to the overall profile. Well-textured tannins are grippy but also softly chewy giving a dense and plentiful mouthful but with charm - nothing too much. Drink now and enjoy the youthful vibrancy but this will be good over time too. Just a touch of liquorice spice on the finish giving texture and nuance. The best grapes from the 40ha under vine go into this wine. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035Decanter | 92 DECThe deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Carlmagnus bursts from the glass with ripe black and blue fruit notions of plums preserves, blueberry compote and blackberry pie with hints of hoisin, licorice and clove oil plus a touch of dark chocolate. The full-bodied, rich, seductive palate is laden with spicy black fruits and a beautifully velvety texture, finishing with a peppery lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPDark cherries, mulberries, licorice, olives and mushrooms on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins. Soft and fruity with a supple finish. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 90 JS