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The 2018 Pibran is fabulous, just as it was en primeur. Juicy, rich and expansive in this vintage, Pibran offers terrific richness and verve. Dark cherry, spice, new leather and cedar build as this stylish Pauillac shows off its considerable charms. The 2018 is unquestionably extroverted. It is also shamelessly delicious.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe 2018 Château Pibran emerges from a cooler, gravelly terroir in Pauillac and is close to an even split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all raised in 50% new oak. Lots of red, black, and blue fruits as well as lead pencil, violets, camphor, and smoked tobacco emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of freshness, ripe yet firm, polished tannins, and a great finish. This is another classic Pauillac that’s going to benefit from 3-6 years of bottle age (it’s far from unapproachable today) and keep for 20-25 years in cold cellars. (Drink between 2024-2049)Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDBlackcurrant, blueberry, pencil-lead, clove and walnut-husk aromas. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Nice minerality. Try from 2024 and onwards.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 Pibran is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot, matured for 18 months in barriques, 50% new and 50% one year old. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheerful scents of Morello cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries, giving way to a core of cassis, dark chocolate and violets, with a waft of woodsmoke. Medium-bodied, the palate is delicately styled with fantastic freshness and fine-grained tannins supporting the crunchy black fruit layers, finishing long and lifted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPRich in both structure and fruit, this wine has ripe tannins and a full, generous texture that is given shape by full-bodied, black-fruit flavors. From the northern part of Pauillac, the wine is good for medium-term aging. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA very tasty, enjoyable Pibran that comes from a cooler site than the main Pichon Baron wine, from gravel soils over a bed of limestone, and always the last for the team to harvest as was the case again in 2018. You can certainly feel the freshness and juice through the dark fruits – a wine that will be limbered up after just four or five years in bottle. 50% new oak. A yield of 37hl/ha. (Drink between 2024-2038)Decanter | 90 DEC

Another killer Pomerol, the 2018 Château Montviel checks in as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc brought up in plenty of new oak. This deep purple/ruby-hued beauty offers a gorgeous bouquet of cassis and black cherry fruits intermixed with lots of floral, chocolate, graphite, and cedary aromas and flavors. It has a slightly modern style at first, given its classy oak veneer, yet it still has textbook Pomerol finesse and elegance, plenty of earthy, complex, almost white truffle-like nuances, and outstanding length. It’s a beautiful wine. If you’re oak averse, give bottles 2-4 years and it should keep for 15+ years. (Drink between 2023-2038)Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDark cherries, blackberries, herbs and some earthy notes. Some ash, too. It’s full-bodied with a savory, fleshy palate, firm tannins and rather long finish. Needs a few years of aging, to polish the tannins and bring more balance. A little tight now. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2018 Montviel is silky, expressive and impeccably balanced. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, mocha, new oak, leather and cedar are some of the nuances that flesh in the Montviel. Racy and yet understated, with silky tannins and lovely persistence, the 2018 has so much to recommend it. This is very nicely done.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThis is very attractive and rich with sweet fruit and gourmet touches but without going overboard. 100% integral vinification in new ok barrels. A yield of 35hl/ha with 5ha of a 10.5ha dedicated to this 1st wine. The harvest took place between 19 September and 3 October. (Drink between 2026-2034)Decanter | 90 DEC

This shows tons of well expressed brambly black fruits, fresh and full of juice, with the slatey minerality on the finish that I always love. This should be good value and there's no need to wait too long to get going. Small yields at 23hl/ha, and this isn't an organic property - the mildew impact was extremely widespread in 2018. 2% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Eric Boissenot consults. (Drink between 2026-2038)Decanter | 92 DECA chunky and powerful 2018 with lots of berry, chocolate and walnut character. Full body. Flavorful.James Suckling | 92-93 JSThis is a powerful wine, rich in tannins as well as blackberry fruits. With a good proportion of Malbec in the blend, the wine is dark in color and in tannin intensity. It needs plenty of aging and should not be drunk before 2023. Organic. ROGER VOSS Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2018 Château La Tour De Mons is another elegant, classy Margaux that's already showing nicely. Lots of red and black currants, cedar pencil, dried flowers, and earthy tobacco define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with nicely integrated tannins, no hard edges, and an outstanding finish. It's going to evolve gracefully for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDStylish, with a velvety texture to the mix of crushed plum and blackberry fruit, dried anise and singed alder. Perfumy through the finish, with the fruit showing good depth. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 6,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

Pretty ripe fruit with berry, walnut and chocolate character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body, round tannins and a savory finish. Drinkable now, but better in 2022.James Suckling | 92 JS

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pitray features bright, expressive wild blueberries, black raspberries and warm plums scents with hints of spice cake and potpourri. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy blue and black fruits, framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with beautiful purity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPWell textured, velvety fruits sit on a firm and fresh palate. This is good quality, stretching out in the mouth with tannins that are fully supportive of the project, not getting in the way but cheerleading as the fruit takes its first steps. There is so much to enjoy in the smaller appellations this year. Drinking Window 2022 - 2031.Decanter | 91 DECThis grand chateau on its hillside surveys a 150-acre vineyard. The top wine from the estate, this is mainly wood aged, giving polish as well as perfumed black-currant fruitiness. With its ripe tannins, the wine will easily age. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEA juicy, flavorful red that is delicious now, offering plum, chocolate and berry aromas and flavors. Medium body, firm tannins and a savory finish. Nice acidity, too. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 90 JS

Every bit as good as the 2009, and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible, full-bodied monster of a wine that, despite massive amounts of fruit, tannins, and extract, still stays weightless and ethereal, with incredible purity. Loaded with notions of crème de cassis, spring flowers, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and cedar pencil, it’s extraordinarily concentrated, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won’t quit. This is a legendary wine in the making. Give bottles 7-8 years, a decade would be even better, and it will keep for 40-50 years. Hats off to the Cuvelier family for another extraordinary wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak barriques, the 2018 Léoville Poyferré comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, plum preserves and blackberry pie, giving way to nuances of cedar chest, unsmoked cigars, vanilla pod and sassafras, plus a waft of crushed rocks. The palate is full-bodied, rich and decadent, delivering hedonic black fruits and lots of spicy accents with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and satisfyingly savory. This is a very impressive showing that is delicious out of the gate but has the backbone to give a good 30 years or more of pleasure.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPLéoville-Poyferré is sensational in 2018. There’s not much more to say than that. A wine of explosive power and intensity, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. To be sure, the 2018 is racy and opulent, but all the elements come together so effortlessly. Bright red-toned fruit, mocha, pine and wild flowers all open with a bit of coaxing. The new oak is a bit prominent at this stage, but that will be less of an issue over time.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGWaves of warmed cassis, mocha and warm tar aromas lead the way, while the core of macerated plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit waits its turn, showing admirable breadth and depth when it arrives, with roasted apple wood, bramble and cast iron buried deeply through the finish. This is a powerfully rendered wine with a cashmere scarf as accent. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSDark cherry, plum, spice and cacao with earthy notes and wood undertones. Cloves, too. Full-bodied, yet in control and poised. Balanced, complex and flavorful. Firm tannins and a long, precise finish. It goes on and on. Structured is the word. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSRichly dense and impressively concentrated, this is a powerful wine. Swathes of black fruits show off the Cabernet structure and dark, ageworthy character of this wine. Drink the wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEOne of the darkest in colour, with an inky ruby that stains the glass. Even on the nose you feel the texture of this wine. Clear damson and chocolate shavings, cocoa beans and liquorice. This is young and extremely good-quality - straying into gold territory, and will age for ages. Still extremely young, the tannins are multiplying as it stays in the mouth, popping up from all over the place, with a slow slate finish that I love. I couldn’t wait to find out what this was. It is one that should be left for 10 to 15 years but has ageing potential. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 96 DEC

One of the finest vintages I’ve ever tasted from this address, the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages has everything you look for in a great wine: incredible aromatics, richness without weight, perfect balance, and a purity of fruit that’s just about off the charts. Dense purple, it reveals a glorious perfume of blackcurrants and blackberry fruits, a deep, unctuous mouthfeel, building tannins, and a complex array of cedar pencil, tobacco, wood smoke, and chocolate. A true blockbuster in every sense, with masses of fruit and tannins as well as moderate acidity, it will probably merit a triple-digit score in a decade and is a 50+-year wine from this team.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDAromas of blackberries, cloves, licorice, dried leaves, graphite and black olives. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Structured and tannic with beautiful austerity and a long, mineral and layered finish. The tannins grow on the palate. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSVibrant, with a violet and cassis lead-in that then expands to include steeped black cherry and plum fruit as well as extra savory, iron and licorice root notes. Nice latent grip too, with a mouthwatering tug of earth at the very end. The fruit is so vibrant, it’s a tease now, but there’s structure here for the long haul, so be patient. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 97 WSDeep, rich black fruits on the nose followed by a powerful punch of spice alongside a ferocious tannic structure that will benefit from the extra polishing of bottle ageing. Combines tannic heft with cassis, bitter chocolate shavings, sage, cardamom and smoke. This is impressive, with a solidly confident, classic Pauillac character and a great example of the confidence of Lynch-Bages right now. A yield of 38hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028 - 2048.Decanter | 96 DECComposed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Lynch-Bages was aged in 75% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with a magnificently expressive nose of blueberry compote, black cherry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, licorice, tar and violets with a waft of hoisin. The medium to full-bodied palate is just as impactful as the nose, coating the mouth with juicy black berry and spicy layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a refreshing earthiness coming through at the end.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAn utterly fabulous wine, the 2018 Lynch-Bages captures all of the richness and generosity that make the year so appealing, and yet doesn’t stray too far from its classic feel. Rose petal, lavender, spice, sweet red berry fruit and mint are all beautifully lifted in the glass. Racy and silky to the core, the 2018 is a real head-turner from the very first taste. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe Lynch-Bages style is unmistakeable in this wine’s richness and the density of its structure and tannins. In addition it conveys a great sense of style, restrained power and opulence. Drink this wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

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

Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is well-packed, with blueberry, açaí and blackberry fruit flavors and licorice snap and fruitcake notes. Long and refined despite the copious fruit, showing polish and poise through the finish.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2018 Branaire-Ducru is every bit as captivating as it was en primeur. Ripe, silky tannins give the 2018 a striking air of sensuality that only grows as the wine sits in the glass. Succulent red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint, spice and gravel inflections all open more over time. Even with all of its natural radiance, Branaire remains a model of grace. It is unquestionably one of the under the radar wines of the year.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA deceptively smooth texture and black fruits hide a wine that has great density and richness. Firm tannins lie beneath the ripeness. They will allow this wine to age, giving future concentration and depth. Drink the wine from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2018 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a deep purple color as well as ample, earthy cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with sous bois, earth, lead pencil, and cedar. With that classic Saint-Julien pure fruit, sumptuous aromas and flavors, sweet yet present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity, it's going to need 5-7 years to hit maturity yet should keep for 20-25 years or more. I don't think it's going to match the blockbuster 2009 (it's more in the pretty, elegant style of the 2016), but it's a gorgeous, elegant wine you will love to have in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an upfront, expressive nose of baked black plums, boysenberries and Morello cherries with an undercurrent of dried mint, spice box and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a very pleasant fruit wallop, featuring juicy black fruits and a firm, grainy frame, finishing long with lovely purity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA little subdued, this has firm tannic hold, clear raspberry, blackberry and cassis fruits, along with hawthorn, brambles and touches of black pepper. Young and will go the distance, though lacks a little magic. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DEC

Exquisitely fine tannins to the currant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. The palate is full, yet very refined and linear with a long, lingering finish. Such polish and tension. The tannins are intense, yet so fine, giving almost a powdery texture. So Lafite-like. Best Carruades ever? 56% cabernet sauvignon and 38% merlot, the rest cabernet franc. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSWhile a lot of estates’ second wines can have a distinctly different style than their Grand Vins, that’s not the case with Lafite. Their 2018 Carraudes De Lafite has a beautiful Lafite-like elegance and sense of nuance that’s always present in the Grand Vin. Based on 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple-tinged hue is followed by a beautiful nose of cassis, lead pencil, black cherries, tobacco leaf, and forest floor. With medium to full-bodied richness, it has a layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe yet present tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This juicy, textured, balanced 2018 can be drunk today or cellared for 15-20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of redcurrant jelly, blackcurrant pastilles and Morello cherries with hints of candied violets, pencil shavings, menthol and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied and elegantly styled, with layers of crunchy red and black fruits, it has a beautifully ripe, fine-grained texture and loads of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a ripe, juicy wine that’s rich and generous in texture, with light touches of spice and fine tannins. It has both weight and freshness, giving a wine that is elegant and ripe.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESeductive, with mulled plum and black cherry fruit that is infused with dark tea, singed cedar and bay notes. Iron note nicely imbedded through the finish, which has a subtle tug of earth. Very restrained in feel, but with some seriously sneaky length. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAn understated and enjoyable Carruades, which has that sense of Lafite effortlessness, with a mouthwatering finish. Dark spice and great balance, where you see the beginnings of acidity, tannin and fruits but you don’t see their end as they meld into each other. Savoury Cabernet fruits abound. This is hugely elegant, with smoky notes that come out more obviously as the wine opens up. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Carruades de Lafite is delicate, sensual and elegant, with a striking interplay of finesse and power. A wine of total allure and translucence, the 2018 Carruades is so silky, so finessed, so classy. Sweet red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice are all finely knit in a Pauillac of tremendous class. Harvest started on September 17 and wrapped up on October 5 for the Cabernets.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Love the floral character to the aromas of dark fruit, such as blueberries and black cherries. Red and black licorice, too. The full-bodied palate starts slowly and then expands with super polished, searing tannins that lead you up the palate into a place of grandeur. Lightly chewy at the end. Such great purity and presence here. 6% cabernet sauvignon in the blend with franc and merlot. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2018 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a 3.75 pH and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling and air to releases fragrant notes of stewed plums, juicy black cherries and ripe blackberries with underlying suggestions of damp soil, black truffles, rose oil and cardamom with wafts of underbrush and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with rich black fruits and loads of earthy accents, framed by super firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to balance, finishing with amazing length and a beautiful array of floral and mineral sparks. Thirty-three plots contributed to this wine, out of the forty-three in production. Of the rest, five went into Petit Cheval and five into bulk. It will need a good 6-7 years at least to really start to strut its stuff and should cellar for a further 30 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2018 Cheval Blanc is magnificent. In a vintage in which so many wines are opulent and dense, Cheval Blanc maintains striking translucence while conveying the natural radiance of the year. Silky, perfumed and exceptionally vivid, the 2018 pulses with energy from start to finish. Sage, mint, lavender and mocha all meld together on the sumptuous finish. Cabernet Franc, such a Cheval signature, has probably never been so ripe. In a word: dazzling.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGShowing beautifully from barrel and now from bottle, the 2018 Château Cheval Blanc is a final blend of 54% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a pure, classic Cheval Blanc in that it relies more on complexity and elegance than power, offering a beautiful perfume of red and blackcurrants, spring flowers, spice, forest floor, incense, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Cheval Blanc offering wonderful purity of fruit, a seamless, layered texture, incredible tannins, and a lengthy, focused finish. It shows less of the sunny style of the vintage now than it did from barrel, and it’s a wonderfully complete wine that delivers awesome freshness in its aromatics, plenty of ripe, sweet fruit, and the tannins and structure that seem to come from a long, cooler season. Reminding me slightly of the 2016, with a touch of the 2001, give this gorgeous wine 5-7 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe first thing that strikes about this wine is its massive density. The second is the richness of the structured Cabernet Franc that is such an important element in the blend. Weight is balanced by the intense fruits and amazing freshness of a wine that has such concentration. This wine will age for years. Don’t touch it before 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis has the vintage’s profile, with a sleek and slightly austere frame holding a core of cassis, bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes tightly together while flashes of bay, dried anise and savory add range and detail. Has a late tug of warm earth along with a very perfumy echo through the finish. A beauty. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,208 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLovely ripeness on the nose, full of dense Morello cherries and milk chocolate notes, this feels round and just very complete. It has a density on the palate immediately, voluminous with chalky, gentle gripping tannins, almost chewy on the second taste, that fill the mouth. Generous and expansive. Voluptuous fruit with a capitvating and satisfying texture, it’s really the mouthfeel that’s in focus, big and wide - coating the mouth. Flavours are concentrated around blackcurrant and black cherry with some sweet strawberry and soft chalkiness as well as a touch of sweet liquorice too. Clear depth and power though still youthful and somewhat shy. An excellent Cheval. (Drink between 2028-2055)Decanter | 96 DEC

Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won’t hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPClosed and coiled right now, with ripped layers of fruit. A ton of graphite, bitter dark chocolate and finessed berry fruits. Definitely need to give this time and respect its muscular from. A seriously impressive Clinet that has held its form over ageing. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBlackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is a powerful, densely structured wine. Rich in tannins, full of dark black fruits and ripe acidity, the wine is impressively complete. It has considerable promise. Drink this wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSAn incredible wine from this estate that’s as good as anything in the vintage, the 2018 Château Cos D’Estournel checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 50% new French oak. While some 2018s are going to offer pleasure right out of the gate, this isn’t one of them, but rather it’s a backward, tannic powerhouse of a wine that has flawless balance as well as a level of purity that’s off the charts. Thrilling crème de cassis fruit, notes of lead pencil, damp earth, cedarwood, violets, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, masses of ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish all make for a legendary Saint-Estèphe that will need a good decade of bottle age yet evolve for 50 years or more. If you are tempted to try a bottle in its youth, it needs lots of air.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). Drinking Window 2028 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECBig, rich and smoky in nature, with powerful fruits and dense tannins, this is a wine that is straining at the limits but still within balance. Rich, smoky flavors shine along with the black plum fruit and bright acidity. It will age for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis is a bird of a different feather, with a ripe, sleek, and very polished feel as creamed loganberry, plum and boysenberry flavors spill forth, flanked for support by singed alder and incense notes, while black tea and savory threads curl around the finish. Long, showy and lovely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 16,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Gruaud Larose sports a dense purple hue as well as a stunning nose of pure crème de cassis, cedar pencil shavings, blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality. This dense, almost broodingly backward, concentrated Saint-Julien has flawless balance, a remarkable sense of purity, masses of tannins, and one hell of a great finish. Seemingly almost from a more austere year (say 2000 or 2010), it’s not going to hit maturity for at least a decade and should cruise in cold cellars for 20-30 years. It’s a brilliant wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAromas of currants, blackberries, dried flowers, dark chocolate and tobacco leaves. Citrus zest, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, ultra fine tannins. Complex and layered with a juicy core of ripe fruit. Silky and delicious. Very creamy and fine-tannined. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSA densely textured and rich wine, this has power and concentration. Smoky tannins show strongly as well as juicy black-currant fruits that are still young. The wine, with its structure, is just starting on a journey to aging. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis has a bit of polish to its mix of cassis, crushed plum and blackberry fruit flavors before a wave of bittersweet cocoa, tobacco, and iron score the finish. But while muscular and grippy in the end, there’s ample freshness here throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 12,133 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSHere the tannins are pretty hefty, matched by deep brambly black cherry notes. Good-quality with slate, cigar, chocolate, earth and black pepper spice through the mid-palate. Not as elegant at this stage as some St-Julien in the vintage but this has a long life ahead and is full of promise. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECComposed of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Gruaud Larose has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It comes barreling out of the glass with powerful scents of blackberry preserves, baked plums and crème de cassis plus hints of fruitcake, Indian spices and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate offers bags of baked berries flavors and a chewy texture with just enough freshness, finishing spicy. Judging by the slightly rustic tannins and suggestions of dried berry characters, I’m guessing the heat and drought had an impact this year. This said, the wine is very well crafted and delicious right now, although a good 3-4 years in bottle should soften the tannins and bring out further nuances.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPI was delighted to taste the 2018 Gruaud Larose, as I missed it en primeur. Ripe and sweet on attack, Gruaud Larose is an especially dense, flamboyant Saint-Julien. Inky red fruit, mocha, wild flowers and spice abound. I find the new oak a bit overpowering, but the 2018 is an undeniably gorgeous and enticing wine.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

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

The 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

Although it emerges from a similar terroir and the same winemaking team, the 2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a dramatically different wine than the Haut-Brion and has a more concentrated, dense, powerful style that is all potential at this point. Dense purple-hued, with lots of crème de cassis, black cherries, smoked meats, lead pencil, graphite, and crushed stone aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a concentrated mid-palate, masses of ripe tannins, integrated acidity, and one hell of a finish. This blockbuster, backward, monster of a La Mission Haut-Brion needs to be forgotten for a good decade (or more) but is going to be just about immortal.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emerges from the glass with a first wave of stewed black and red plums, mulberries and black raspberries scents, followed by pronounced notions of warm cassis, clove oil, violets and chocolate box, with hints of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and forest floor coming through after a few minutes. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energy, delivering layers of red and black fruits with earthy and mineral sparks and a texture so satiny you need to remember to look for it, finishing with amazing vibrancy. This is so wonderfully evocative and singular, and yet it feels like its holding something back. It makes for an impressive glass right now, but give it a good 5 years in bottle to allow further nuances to emerge and expect it to seriously reward those who can wait a good 12-15 years, when it should really hit its stride.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPEnticing aromas of currant, crushed stone, blueberry, lead pencil, iodine and graphite follow through to a full body with round, chewy tannins that are polished and powerful, yet balanced and beautiful. In the end, the tannins are compact and tight at the finish. But you want to drink it. Try after 2027, when it will open.James Suckling | 98 JSWell-structured and shot through with a savoury black fruit and charcoal character alongside fine tannins that slowly but surely build through the palate. Needs time to settle; no need to approach for another decade as these are big shoulders with liquorice root and olive paste. A yield of 43.5hl/ha, 53.1% grand vin. Harvested 10 September to 2 October. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. IPT 75.8. The 3.76pH is the highest since 1989. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion was double decanted and assessed after two hours, and the over the following 24 hours compared directly with – what else? – Haut-Brion. They were initially poured blind. This has retained a very perfumed and hedonistic bouquet of black fruit and pressed violets, and less of the graphite that I picked up out of barrel; touches of ash/fireside hearth develop with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, and quite structured, more so than the Haut-Brion. There is a brightness here that I really like. Vivid, animated and brimming with energy and still incredibly persistent on the finish. A fabulous La Mission Haut-Brion that deserves several years in bottle, and though I would not rank it alongside, say, the 1955 or 1989, it is a magnificent Pessac-Léognan.Vinous Media | 97 VMWhile the wine is certainly structured, it has all the finesse and elegance that is associated with this estate. Beautiful berry flavors are packed with acidity but supported by generous tannins. This is impressive and obviously will age well.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETightly packed, with its core of steeped blackberry, black currant preserve and plum paste notes bristling to emerge fully but held in check for now by a swath of tar, warmed licorice and sweet tobacco. There’s a great tug of earth through the finish but the fruit keeps the upper hand, even while closed, thanks to its finishing kick. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Beautifully textured and rich in black-currant flavors and tannins, this is a generous wine. The fruits and the dusty tannins partner each other well giving structure, concentration, a sense of poise and final freshness. Drink this wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WECurrants, cloves, graphite and cigar box on the nose. Some pine and citrus zest, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured and vivid with plenty of tension. Lovely sweet fruit at the finish. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSRuby red in colour, with clove aromatics. Firm tannic structure, without having the 360-degree reach of the 2016s, but this is an enjoyable, well-balanced and well-judged St-Julien with power but careful extraction. Bright berry fruits, a little austere - at least right now - but plenty of potential. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 94 DECRipe and focused, with a lovely core of steeped plum, fig and cassis notes laced liberally with graphite and applewood. A violet note chimes bright on the finish. Absolutely rock solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 7,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSMade by the stellar team at Léoville Barton and a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Langoa Barton sports a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a charming, medium to full-bodied, velvety-textured 2018 with terrific notes of red, blue, and black fruits as well as spice box, dried flowers, and a touch lead pencil. It has surprising up-front appeal, with ripe, velvety tannins and nicely integrated acidity, and it’s going to shine with just 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThe 2018 Langoa Barton has a deep garnet-purple color and notions of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries and kirsch with touches of bouquet garni, cedar chest and pencil lead plus a hint of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing with bright, red fruit and herbal sparks lifting the black fruit and an approachable, chewy texture, finishing savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2018 Langoa Barton is succulent and racy right out of the gate. Inky red fruit, sweet floral notes, cedar and spice all mesh together effortlessly. This mid-weight, pliant Saint-Julien is every bit as seductive as it was from barrel.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The 2018 Château Larcis Ducasse checks in as 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc that comes from a gorgeous hillside terroir on the Côte Pavie, located between Château Pavie and Château Bellefont-Belcier. Aged 18 months in 60% new barrels, it offers a truly sensational bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, espresso roast, scorched earth, bloody meat, chocolate, iron, and bouquet garni. A massive, super-rich Saint-Emilion with a dense, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, it has building yet sweet tannins and incredible purity of fruit. Reminding me of the 2005 shortly after release, this heavenly juice offers astonishing richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced and elegant. Sadly, there are less than 3,000 cases produced, but this monumental, legendary wine won’t hit maturity for a good 8-10 years and will have 40-50 years of longevity if well stored. Hats off to Nicolas Thienpont and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt for producing one of the wines of the vintage as well as one of the greatest young Bordeaux I’ve ever tasted.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDPolished aromas of lavender, plum, dried blueberry, clove, sandalwood and dark chocolate. Hints of praline. It’s full-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Supple, seamless layers with great length and precision. Still reserved and tight. A toned and textured red with great structure. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2018 Larcis Ducasse is one of the real overachievers of the vintage. Richness and classicism meld together in a Saint-Émilion that dazzles from the very first taste. Rich dark fruit, mocha, licorice, espresso and leather all open in the glass. Time brings out bright acids and that firm spice of Larcis tannin. More than that, though, Larcis impresses with its exquisite balance and class. It is easily one of the most undervalued wines on the Right Bank. Don’t let its modest price fool you. Larcis is one the most compelling wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Larcis Ducasse needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of crushed blackberries, plum preserves and boysenberries with suggestions of black truffles, tapenade and crushed rocks coming through, building to a subtle underlying perfume of roses and cloves. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits and loads of savory sparks, framed by firm, slightly chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPPowerful but with a sense of restraint, this is extremely well handled in 2018. The difference between this and a more massive St-Emilion is subtle for sure - it’s unquestionably on the dark fruit register - but you notice it in the way that the tannins respond and bounce rather than stiffen up in the mouth. You can enjoy them as they close in around you rather than beg for air. The palate has lots of dark chocolate, liquorice and slate notes, with cassis and blackberry fruits. This is from south-facing slopes, so there’s plenty of ripeness in the grapes, but the limestone helps to temper it, along with the natural water sources that are found at this spot. Owned by Famille Gratiot-Attmane, but with the Nicolas Thienpont team overseeing winemaking. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA concentrated wine with big tannins and a smoky character, this is rich, darkly textured and full of blackberry fruit. The wine is powerful, spicy and fresh on the end.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEWarm cherry, raspberry and plum preserve flavors form the core here, with nicely polished structure supporting it through the finish where anise, black tea, singed alder and savory details steadily emerge. A touch austere in feel, but the breed and length is there. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 2,416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Complex nose, blending notes of elderberries, black cherries, spices, cedar,and violets. It’s full-bodied and structured with elegant tannins and a fleshy texture. Flavorful, savory finish. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Château Lascombes performed brilliantly in my tastings. It’s a rich, medium to full-bodied, impressively textured Margaux with loads to love. Lots of jammy currants, blueberries, vanilla bean, flowers, and camphor emerge from the glass, and it has ripe yet present tannins, no hard edges, and just a balanced, classy style. It needs 3-4 years to integrate its oak and will keep for 25 years or more. The blend is 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 60% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDThis is a smoky, powerful wine that shows plenty of signs of wood aging. However, it is restrained by the fine berry fruit flavors and the intensity of the tannins. It will age well.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELovely grilled fruit here; super enjoyable, suave and good quality, with depth and interest through the palate. Fully ripe fruit notes of figs and damson are backed up by liquorice and chocolate, but this has a sense of being propelled forward through the palate, and has a crushed mint finish - giving a slight upscore since en primeur. A yield of 45hl/ha. 40% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Lascombes is deep garnet-purple in color, slowly unfurling in the glass to reveal evocative cassis, black cherries and blackberry pie scents, followed by hints of pencil lead, menthol, lavender and cedar chest with a touch of damp soil. The medium to full-bodied palate gives a great core of muscular black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPThe 2018 Lascombes is plush and racy in the glass. Soft contours enmeshed with silky tannins give this juicy Margaux so much immediacy. Inky dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, chocolate and new oak abound. This is an especially flamboyant, forward style, but it all works quite well. Best of all, the 2018 will drink well with just a few years in bottle.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThis shows lovely aromas of currant, fresh herbs and light mint, with just a hint of cedar. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a warm chocolate and meat character. Not a big wine but holding on nicely. This bottle is a little musty but blows off. Gets better in the glass.--Non-blind Château Montrose vertical. Drink now. — JSWine Spectator | 93 WS

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

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2018 Château Pavie, and Gérard Perse continues to produce one of the greatest wines in the world, in just about every vintage. Based on 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 shows the slightly more restrained style of the estate today yet still brings classic Pavie richness, depth, and grandeur. Revealing a deep purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco, chalk, and lead pencil shavings, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, incredible purity, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and a liqueur of rocks-like sense of minerality on the blockbuster finish. There’s a backward, inward style here that actually reminds me of the 2000. This is another magical, probably immortal wine from this terroir that marries power with elegance perfectly. Don’t miss it!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDImpressive aromas of pure, crushed blackberries and brambleberries with red and black licorice and black olives, as well as incense, following through to a full body with round, creamy tannins and lots of fruit. Yet, it’s tight and reserved at the finish. Needs three or four years to open and start showing its true character. Powerful and linear. Cellar-bound. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2018 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a 3.58 pH and 14.48% alcohol. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with a fabulously expressive nose of crème de cassis, baked plums and blueberry preserves, leading to an impressive array of nuances, featuring notions of dark chocolate, camphor, licorice, rose petals and fertile loam, plus hints of crushed rocks and iron ore. The rich, full-bodied palate offers layer upon layer of opulent black and blue fruits with loads of exotic spice sparks and pretty floral and mineral accents, supported by firm, super plush tannins and remarkable tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This could only be Pavie. It makes for a seductively stylish glass now, but patience will be rewarded if it is afforded 5-7 years in bottle, at least, then drink it over the next 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis is packed with raspberry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors that sail through thanks to the unencumbered feel provided by the polished structure. Fine chalky threads curl throughout as this opens in the glass, with flamboyant flashes of apple wood, anise and violet emerging through the finish. Youthfully dense, but everything is in proportion. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 98 WSPavie is positively striking in 2018. Rich and sumptuous to the core, the 2017 possesses stunning depth and impeccable overall balance. Dark cherry, mocha, plum, spice, new leather and licorice all build as the 2018 shows its allure. Silky, polished tannins round out the finish. This is a stellar showing from the Perse family. The 2018 is absolutely gorgeous.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGNot so long ago, Pavie would have rejoiced in the massive tannic and alcohol potential of this vintage, but they really have done a great job practicing restraint. It doesn’t sacrifice Pavie’s power but of all the wines in this particular lineup it’s the one that carries the weight of the vintage the best, building power by stealth rather than grabbing it from you. This is great quality, with inky depths to the black fruits, accompanied by liquorice and chocolate, and the beautiful salty lick on the finish really completes the picture - your tongue just licks the wall and it’s highly enjoyable! Harvest began on 26 September, later than some in the appellation, with a 38hl/ha yield. Although extraction was kept gentle, with the grapes given a week-long cold soak before fermentation at no more than 28°C, then a five-week maceration (longer than some, but these guys used to do eight weeks or more!), they have achieved a high tannin count of 97IPT and 3.58pH. Drinking Window 2028 - 2042.Decanter | 96 DEC

This is just so good. Not overly big, it has nuance, sapidity and grace, with space between the lines. It’s not sacrificing its concentration but it gives you a chance to get onboard and accompany it along the way. I love the quality of the brambled blackberry and loganberry fruit here, and the touch of austerity that gives a welcome note of bitter chocolate to the finish. It has great tannic grip and there’s no question that this will age well, but it’s also extremely drinkable now. Tasted several times, and each occasion blew me away. My favourite vintage to date from this property.47hl/ha yields, as in 2016.Drinking Window 2027 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECViolets, blackcurrants, cloves, tobacco, orange zest and dark chocolate on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and fresh acidity. Sleek and refined with elegant floral and spice notes on a long finish. Interesting hint of bitterness at the end. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSOne of my favorite wines, the 2018 Château Pavie Macquin is 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from a cooler terroir above Pavie. This Cuvée is always hard to judge in its youth, since it’s often closed and reserved, but it builds beautifully with bottle age and offers an incredibly classic, complex, powerful, and elegant profile at maturity. Brought up in 70% new French oak, the 2018 reveals a dense purple hue as well as classic Saint-Emilion notes of cassis, black cherries, white truffle, chalky minerality, violets, and tobacco. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has polished tannins, a wonderfully pure, elegant texture, and the balance and class to benefit from a decade of bottle age and keep for three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2018 Pavie Macquin is a blend of 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly, sensuously unfurls to reveal a gorgeous perfume of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, baked plums and violets, with nuances of licorice, Indian spices and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has achingly plush tannins and fantastic freshness framing the spicy black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long and so, so fragrant. Wow—just stunning!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2018 Pavie Macquin was impressive out of barrel. It has retained its opulent bouquet, perhaps becoming even more luxuriant and plush, offering copious black cherries, cassis and violet aromas and hints of vanilla pod and iodine in the background. The palate is where this really impresses, because its opulence is effortlessly counterbalanced by a bead of acidity that imparts freshness and tension. This is a multilayered Pavie-Macquin endowed with tremendous length on the aftertaste. Even after 60 seconds I can still feel this Saint-Émilion lapping upon my senses. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMSleek, pure, aromatic and streamlined version, with lovely cassis, cherry puree, violet and mesquite notes tightly wound together, while anise and savory hints peek in. Long finish is carried by chalky minerality. A wine of poise. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2037. 5,500 cases made. Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe pure black currant fruits of this exemplary wine are matched with bright acidity and ripe, solid tannins. It is impressively rich and will certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE