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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

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

The 2018 Palmer is even more impressive from bottle than it was from barrel, and that is saying something. Rich, exotic and beautifully layered, Palmer is a real head-turner in 2018. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, espresso and sweet floral notes build over time, but it is the wine’s stunning depth and textural voluptuousness that elevate it into the realm of the truly sublime. As I wrote in my initial review, the 2018 Palmer is a freak of nature from yields of just 11 hectoliters per hectare harvested over an entire month. Mildew was especially punishing. There is no Alter Ego, just the Grand Vin. Kudos to CEO Thomas Duroux and his team for what I can only describe as a truly magical wine.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGBeautifully rich even on the nose, this makes you smile from the first moment. On the palate things are intense and concentrated, as you might expect with an 11hl/ha yield (mildew-related). Upfront flavours major on big bitter chocolate with touches of smoke and grilled cedar, lots of savoury fruits and touches of reduction. Extremely impressive how layered and textured it is, though it really needs decades to reveal itself. There is the seductive floral edge of Palmer as it opens in the glass, but this is a muscular wine that needs time. 79% new oak. No Alter Ego in 2018. Bottled July 2020 after one year in barrel and a second year in larger Stockinger barrels for 20% of the crop to soften the oak influence. It’s extremely hard for top estates to deliver consistency and innovation over decades; it really is like a sports team in that way, and this is a standout success in what was an extremely challenging year for Palmer. Drinking Window 2028 - 2050.Decanter | 100 DECWhile there’s not much to go around, the 2018 Château Palmer is unquestionably a stunning bottle of wine. I certainly can’t think of another Palmer coming close to this level of concentration (maybe the 2010 comes closest?). This blockbuster boasts a dense purple hue as well as a primordial bouquet of black cherries, mulberries, and blackberries intermixed with freshly crushed rocks, smoke tobacco, gravelly earth, lead pencil shavings, and burning embers. With full-bodied richness, a dense, stacked mid-palate, mouthcoating tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish, it’s going to need 10-15 years to hit maturity, and as I wrote last year, will live for just about forever.Jeb Dunnuck | 99+ JDThis dense wine is almost black in color. Offering tannins and luscious black fruits, it is ripe with both structure and richness. The concentration and thought-provoking intensity are impressive. Drink this wine from 2028. Organic and biodynamic.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2018 Palmer is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. The wine has a 3.83 pH and 14.3% alcohol. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it explodes from the glass with atomic scents of blackberry preserves, crème de cassis and blueberry pie, plus suggestions of red roses, clove oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest with hints of Chinese five spice and menthol. The full-bodied palate is decadently styled, offering layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and exotic spices, framed by exquisitely plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing wonderfully fragrant and with epic length. It’s an amazingly beautiful beast of a wine—one for the hedonists!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPRemarkably concentrated, this nearly oozes fruit, with waves of cassis, plum reduction and warmed cherry preserves all carried by a dense yet polished and seamlessly embedded structure. A backdrop of violet, lilac and pastis adds to the enveloping feel, and yet with all that depth and concentration, this is a vibrant, pure expression, thanks in part to a riveting iron spine through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2040. 5,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSComplex nose of black cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate and floral undertones with perfume-like character. It’s full-bodied with firm tannins. Elegant on the palate with structure. Savory and balanced, complex and layered. Long finish. Really lingers. This has really evolved into a beautiful white swan after a difficult debut from barrel! Tiny production. only 11 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JS

The 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, blueberries, camphor, scorched earth, chocolate, and tobacco. It’s young and unevolved, yet the purity is off the charts, and it slowly gives up more spice and floral notes with time in the glass. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, it’s an incredibly concentrated, powerful wine that has plenty of baby fat covering serious amounts of underlying structure and tannins. It has some up-front appeal from an educational standpoint, yet really needs a decade of bottle age and is going to keep for 30-40 years in cold cellars. It comes closest in my mind to a mix of the 2010 and 2016.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDPurity of fruit here with plum and cherry aromas, as well as wet earth and spice. Light stone. Very floral and vivid. Full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are balanced and polished. Savory finish. Incredibly polished and refined. Goes on for minutes. One of the finest Smith-Haut Lafittes I have tasted. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSReally settling in to the potential that it showed en primeur, this is tightly coiled right now but still full of plush, carefully placed tannins, with olive paste, cassis and dark chocolate. Powerful but also elegant and understated. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Harvested 18 September to 10 October. 60% new oak (tasted twice, see below).Straight from the moment you pour this you see, visually and on the aromatics, the density of the wine. This has really held the promise and power that it delivered during en primeur. Subtle and concentrated with dark chocolate, truffle and cassis that gathers weight as it expands outwards through the palate. Mineral pulses along the finish add finesse and balance, as does smoke and crushed stone as it opens further. Yields of just 21 hl/ha for the first wine. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECA blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new barriques, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte bursts onto the scene with showy scents of crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and cedar chest, followed by suggestions of baked plums, smoked meats, tar and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate brings sophistication to all that flamboyant fruit with a beautifully styled frame of finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing bright and fruity with loads of minerally sparks. This is a stunning, singular style that is sure to turn heads!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPRipe and seductive, with a caressing wave of cassis, plum puree and blackberry compote flavors that hold sway throughout, but not without support from enticing savory, licorice, warm loam and mineral accents along the way. Cashmere finish lets everything sail on and on. Gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis well-rounded wine offers flavors of ripe yellow fruit, apple and pear, with bright acidity to balance. The texture, concentration and intensity linger on the finish. The wine will age well. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte is a powerful wine. Huge, searing tannins dominate the balance. Readers will have to be exceedingly patient. With several hours of air the fruit finally starts to emerge. Blackberry, grilled herb, smoke, licorice and incense all take shape in the glass. The impression is of brooding, somber, unrestrained power. Sadly, mildew took with it 50% of the potential crop.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

The Le Pin of Saint-Emilion, the 2018 Château Tertre Roteboeuf is another exotic, sexy, singular wine from the Mitjavile family, whose vineyard is ideally situated on the eastern side of Saint Emilion. The 2018 isn’t far off the style of the 2016 yet is perhaps even more exotic and up-front, offering a wild nose of white chocolate, black cherries, green tobacco, bacon fat, exotic flowers, and vanilla bean. Brilliantly concentrated on the palate, it has silky, polished tannins, a rather muscular, structured style, thick aromas and flavors, and a great finish. This is another genius effort from François Mitjavile that’s in the same league as the 2005, 2010, and 2016. There’s nothing else out there that comes close to resembling the wines from this estate! It needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2018 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is a rich, heady Saint-Émilion. Ripe, flamboyant and creamy, the 2018 captures all of the opulence of the vintage. Black fruit, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather and tobacco gradually open in the glass, but the 2018 is a dense, plush wine that needs time to show all it has to offer. The bouquet displays a bit of reduction, so opening the wine in advance and possibly decanting, are advisable. As always, François Mitjavile crafts one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

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 Grand Vin 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc ratchets everything up a notch, offering a vividly fresh bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, caramelized grapefruit, acacia flowers, and toast. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and racy on the palate, with bright acidity, yet it still brings beautiful concentration of fruit as well as length on the finish. This is a brilliant white in every way. Give bottles another year or three and enjoy over the following 10-15. I suspect it will evolve well beyond that as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDried apple, apricot, grapefruit zest, flint and a hint of hay on the nose. It’s full-bodied with crisp acidity and tight, concentrated layers of fresh and dried fruit. Incredible depth and focus. Even better from 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSPowerful and rich, this dense wine offers intense fruits and a texture that promises considerable aging potential. White-fruit flavors come through strongly, combining with spice, structure and concentration. The wine will age for many years. Drink from 2025. Organic and biodynamic.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe Smith Haut Lafitte 2018 Blanc is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The nose hits the ground running with vibrant notions of fresh grapefruit, yuzu zest and lemon tart, plus touches of lime leaves, sea spray, green mango and wet pebbles. The medium to full-bodied palate quivers with energetic citrus and mineral-inspired flavors, charged with fantastic tension and delivering a gorgeous silkiness to the texture, finishing long and steely. A bedazzling Pessac-Leognan that cannot fail to impress, it should show best after a couple of years of cellaring and then drink for a good 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis has a broad mix of lemon peel, gooseberry, tarragon and star fruit flavors that are holding back a bit for now, while wet straw, macadamia nut and shortbread accents emerge through the finish. Quite rich in feel throughout, but has the underlying zip and cut for balance. Seriously long too. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Best from 2022 through 2030. 2,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is airy, gracious and impeccably balanced. Lemon peel, white orchard fruit, jasmine, mint and white pepper give the 2018 lovely freshness and brightness. There is plenty of vintage 2018 richness lurking beneath. The Blanc is going to need a few years in bottle to fully blossom. Time in the glass brings out lovely freshness along with an upper register of citrus and floral notes that is immensely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThere is plenty of white pear and white peach going on here along with a creaminess through the palate. As it opens it begins to show citrus and honeysuckle, with everything held together by a grip that builds and gathers momentum. Beautiful balance overall, with a prickle of bitterness on the finish giving focus and contrast. 50% new oak. Harvested 24 August to 17 September - the longest white harvest at SHL (three weeks in total, compared with one week normally, because they were harvesting early in some parts of the vineyard to keep acidity in half the grapes and other plots a little later for texture, so composing the blend from the start). Drinking Window 2021 - 2036.Decanter | 94 DEC

The 2018 Canon is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Maybe more so. Vertical and explosive in the glass, Canon sizzles with tension and vibrancy. Readers will find a majestic, soaring Grand Cru Classé that captures all the magic of Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau. Canon exudes mind-blowing precision and deliciousness. It is another magnificent effort from Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and his team.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe Grand Vin is the 2018 Château Canon, which is based on 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc brought up in 52% new French oak. Its incredible bouquet delivers richness paired with amazing freshness and precision, offering loads of crème de cassis and darker berry fruits intermixed with classic Saint-Emilion chalky minerality, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers. Gorgeous on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again, this wonderful sense of freshness paired with ample richness, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. The 2009 and 2015 are still my favorite vintages of this wine, but this is up there with the best of them.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA beautiful Canon that performs the 360-degree trick in your mouth of expanding up, down and out. Of course a little austere right now at this young age, but already walking the tightrope towards richness; the creaminess in the texture becomes clear after 20 minutes in the glass. This has salinity, purity, precision and grip, showing its distinct personality and its ability to draw juice and mouthwatering expression from the fruits. Drinking Window 2026 - 2048Decanter | 98 DECBlackberries and tar with wet-earth and dark-bark aromas. Dark-chocolate and brownie notes, too. It’s full-bodied with creamy tannins and a round, caressing finish. Lovely focus and intensity, though dense and layered. Extremely creamy and polished. Really precise and bespoke. It already opens beautifully on the palate. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Canon has a pH of 3.69 and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles effortlessly out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of candied violets, preserved plums, black cherry compote and Ceylon tea with hints of kirsch, powdered cinnamon, chocolate box and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with juicy black fruit layers, supported by plush, oh-so-soft tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThis estate owned by the Chanel luxury group continues its winning streak with this latest release. Dark and firm at this stage but with obviously powerful, rich black fruits, the wine is destined for a long aging. Tannins and structure pour through dense blackberry and damson flavors, leaving room for a succulent aftertaste. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WERipe and focused, with a core of plum, black cherry and raspberry compote notes that are still a bit coiled up, though inlaid with a racy chalky spine and notes of black tea and tobacco that should all meld as it stretches out in the cellar. A restrained, refined, lengthy wine that drips with class. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 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

Opulent and perfumed for this great white in 2018, with lemon curd, cooked apple, lilac, lime flower, stone, rock and hints of sandalwood. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and compressed with layers of fruit that are integrated and focused. Needs time to open and show its true greatness but stunning. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSA stunner from first sip, as lemon shortbread and verbena notes lead off followed by a torrent of white peach, yellow apple, lime pith, honeysuckle and acacia notes. Racy, almost piercing minerality knifes through the middle, adding a mouthwatering element, while the shortbread and verbena take a curtain on the finish, creating a beautiful balance of contrasts. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 98 WSA Sauvignon Blanc-dominated release that includes just under 20% Sémillon, the 2018 Château Haut-Brion Blanc reveals a vivid light gold hue as well as gorgeous notes of crushed limes, white flowers, white grapefruit, and obvious crushed rock-like minerality. These carry to a medium to full-bodied white with flawless balance in its fruit, acidity, and alcohol, beautiful mid-palate depth, and an undeniable elegance and purity that's something to behold. It's not a powerful house, but it has a chiseled, elegant, incredibly long style that's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis wine has opulence and concentration, with crisp flavors of ripe yellow fruits. There is so much going on in this impressive wine. It has benefited from the hot summer, yielding a ripe wine that still manages to remain crisp and tight on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2018 Haut-Brion Blanc has blossomed beautifully over the last two years. Rich and ample in feel, with superb richness, the Blanc is a knock-out. Everything is dialed up in the 2018 - the aromas, flavors and textures are all so wonderfully expressive. Lemon confit, pear, marzipan, chamomile and gently spiced notes build as the 2018 continues to open in the glass. The 2018 is compelling. That's all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGClear Sauvignon Blanc character, rounded and deepened by smoked oak notes, with white pear flesh and hints of pineapple. There is uplift through the finish and this has depth, holding interest and focus. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2034.Decanter | 95 DECThe Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 80.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 19.4% Sémillon—this is the highest level of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend ever. Unsurprisingly, it needs a lot of air at this youthful stage, eventually unfurling bit by bit to offer subtle scents of lemon peel, fresh grapefruit, green mango and yuzu, with emerging suggestions of wet pebbles, struck flint, orange blossom and lime leaves with a waft of oyster shells. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous satiny texture and lovely freshness offsetting the intense stone and citrusy flavors, finishing long and layered. Give this a good 3-4 years to come around and drink it over the next 15 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

The 2019 Hosanna is a Pomerol that demands, and deserves, attention. It sprints out of the blocks with intense blackberry, raspberry, incense and blood orange scents, lavish and luxuriant while retaining superb delineation. The palate is medium-bodied, multilayered and mouth-filling, delivering saturated tannins and pure black fruit; just a very faint suggestion of fresh prune and fig appears toward the finish. This Hosanna takes it to the brink of overripeness. A Pomerol blessed with what you might call "optimal hedonism."Vinous Media | 97 VMAnother beautiful Pomerol, the 2019 Château Hosanna comes from a small 11-acre vineyard composed of a mix of gravel and clay soils. Its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a terrific perfume of spiced red and black cherries, blueberries, leafy tobacco, damp earth, and chocolate. It gains richness and depth with time in the glass and is medium to full-bodied, has a plush, seamless texture, gorgeous tannins, and no hard edges. It epitomizes the elegance paired with opulence that only Pomerol seems capable of producing. This beauty is already impossible to resist (it needs a decant) yet will evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 DJ12 Jan, 2022 – Blackberry and blueberry aromas, together with green olives, stems and peaches. Full-bodied and very tailored, with a firm, linear finish. Gorgeous already. Wonderful length, depth and finish. Mushroom at the end. Really classic. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSBeautiful aromatics on the nose, richly scented, bright blackcurrant fruits and floral touches - so expressive. Round and voluptuous in the mouth, flavours and texture coat the tongue and cheeks but in the most satisfying way. Gorgeous texture - velvety and expansive with chalky wet stone elements giving a cleanliness to the tongue. Ripe and extremely chewy but it has incredible aromatics on the palate, the soft florality and delicate saltines that is so appealing with a touch of wood spice on the finish. Opulent and vivacious.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Hosanna has turned out well, exhibiting opulent aromas of sweet berry fruit, plums, spices and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it’s broad and enveloping, with supple tannins and an ample core of ripe, generously extracted fruit. Hosanna is the most dramatic wine in the Mouiex portfolio this year, as is often the case.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPCaptures the dark, lush and opulent fruit of the vintage, with boysenberry, fig and blackberry reduction notes in a much more refined frame than most, offering a remarkably silky and persistent structure that lets the fruit play out. Features enticing black tea, anise and apple wood details through the lengthy finish, with a nice mineral echo. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038. 800 cases made, 77 cases imported.Winespectator | 95 WSThis is a grand wine, beautifully balanced with rich black fruits and great concentration. From an estate belonging to the Moueix family it will age gracefully. It has power while also great style. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Extremely aromatic, with incredible wet-earth, bark, stone and graphite notes on the nose, then changing to violets, blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, yet so linear and fine, with titanium tannins that go on so long. Builds and builds then just rolls around the palate through the endless finish. Real Bordeaux here. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. Exceptional. Better after 2029.James Suckling | 99 JSA floral bouquet on the nose, soft but deep with such clarity and such a beautiful vivid pink red colour in the glass too. The texture here is striking, smooth and mouth filling with intensity but so well presented, precise, fine and amazingly detailed. The word for 2019 is energy and this has it in abundance, it’s vibrant and alive in the mouth with such brightness. Mouthwatering acidity is set against a chalky texture so you get a full mouthfeel without any heaviness. Great structure and balance. You could almost drink this now to enjoy the immediate enjoyment but a recent tasting of the 2009 suggests this has a very long life ahead. A wine you can fall in love with! (Drink between 2024-2047)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Haut-Bailly had just been bottled prior to my visit. This is better than the 2018 with brilliant delineation on the nose and newfound purity. The palate is silky smooth with enormous depth, wonderful concentration and outstanding precision towards the finish with layers of lightly spiced black fruit. This is Fabulous with a capital "F". Tasted at the Haut-Bailly vertical at the château.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2019 Haut-Bailly unwinds in the glass with complex aromas of dark berries, bay leaf, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, framed by a discreet patina of new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and elegantly muscular, it's powerful and concentrated, with lively acids and an abundance of ripe but youthfully assertive structuring tannin that will demand some patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA beautiful, elegant, and quintessential expression of this terroir, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2019 Château Haut-Bailly offers up a tight yet promising bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, darker cherries, iron, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, and cedar pencil. Possessing incredible minerality, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a classy, aristocratic, regal style, it opens up nicely with air and will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and have a lengthy prime drinking plateau of 20-30 years. It's another pure class release from this great estate, which is run by the talented Véronique Sanders.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD95–97. Barrel Sample. This is a very fine wine, showing layers of the densest structure as well as stylish black fruits. It is possible to taste the balance that will emerge as the wine ages, bringing out the sumptuous fruits and soft tannins. The wine is sure to age for a considerable time. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

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 2019 vintage of Château d’Yquem has the highest proportion (45%) of Sauvignon Blanc in any modern Yquem. The Sauvignon Blanc adds to the freshness, acting as a great balance to the succulent, sweet and voluptuous palate. Intense peach and apricot, combined with lemon and orange zest, make this highly appealing to drink right away – an ideal vintage with which to start Yquem’s ‘lighthouse’ project. However, it would be a shame not to give this 10+ years maturation to see how it develops. Very well, I suspect. The growing season was both warm and wet, with mildew a big threat. After a mostly dry September, 40mm rain came at the end of the month, leading to a very short harvest window. All of the Yquem grapes were picked in two tries within a one-week period. Residual Sugar: 138g/L. Drinking Window 2025 - 2060.Decanter | 97 DECDistinctive, with jasmine and elderflower notes leading off, followed by a racy set of white peach, white ginger and lemon shortbread notes. Feels pure and streamlined through the very long finish. A beautiful wine. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2028. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA juicy Yquem with tarte tartin, salted caramel and dried oranges on the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied and medium-sweet with a creamy and round texture. Bright and vivid. Lovely texture. Long. Evolves to caramel and burnt vanilla sugar. 55% semillon and 45% sauvignon. 138g/L residual. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

Another stunning vintage from this brilliant estate that is just delivering hit after hit. Concentration and intensity right from the initial aromatics, damson, cassis and blackberry fruits that you could almost drink now until the tannins build up across the palate and remind you that this is built to last. Velvety texture, black chocolate and crushed stone minerality on the finish. One of the wines of the vintage. Tasted twice, one week apart. 60% 1st wine. A yield of 45hl/ha. (Drink between 2027-2044)Decanter | 98 DECFrom one of my favorite châteaux on the Right Bank, the 2019 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) is 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. It's a tighter, more closed 2019, yet it offers beautiful purity and focus in its cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as notes of tobacco leaf, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and again, with this remarkable purity and precision, it has enough tannins to warrant 4-6 years in the cellar and will be incredibly long-lived. It's a beautiful Saint-Emilion. It’s worth pointing out that the 2019 is the vintage bottled by Nicolas Thienpont and starting in 2021, the estate is in the hands of Josephine Duffau-Lagarrosse.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThe 2019 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) has turned out beautifully in bottle. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries, raspberries, violets, rose petals and forest floor, framed by a deft application of creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, with a lively core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, precise, saline finish. It displays all the structural refinement and vibrancy of flavor that this sector of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau is capable of.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPBlackberries and black chocolate with licorice and berry highlights. Flowers and crushed stones, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. Plenty going on here. Very subtle and refined for this estate. Needs two or three years to come together. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse, matured in 60% new oak, has maintained wonderful purity on the nose of ebullient red cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, very elegant and poised and perhaps delivering less of the blue fruit element than I noticed from barrel. The cohesive palate conveys exquisite balance, fine, slightly granular tannins and a very subtle ferrous note toward the finish. This is an understated wine that is endowed with ample freshness, and I can see it aging beautifully for 30 or more years.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Based on a final blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Château Angélus is knockout stuff, and while I’m not sure it matches the perfect 2018, it’s not far off. Gorgeous notes of redcurrants, blueberries, sandalwood, dried flowers, vanilla, and forest floor are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with medium to full body, a perfectly balanced, seamless mouthfeel, beautifully ripe tannins, and a great, great finish. It doesn’t have the sheer weight or richness of, say, the 1998, 2000, 2005, or even the 2009, but it doesn’t lack for intensity or power, and it’s just a beautiful example of modern-day Saint-Emilion. It’s already approachable (this was best on day two) yet will keep for another 30+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD(Château Angélus, Merlot, St-Émilion, Bordeaux, France, Red) Beautifully expressive nose, really so welcoming with hints of sweet red cherries, raspberries, milk chocolate and touches of perfume too - soft but really defined. On the palate there is such charming grip from the tannins and flavour that just takes hold straight away but not in an overly dominating way. It’s smooth but precise, driven from start to finish. Softly chewy tannins coat the tongue with black fruit and some creaminess alongside excellent acidity that gives a mouthwateringly fresh and cooling aspect underneath the ripe red and black fruit flavours. This has real life and energy, bright with clear complexity and layers of fruit, oak and terroir that comes across as a spicy but also wet stone, mineral undertone. Seriously good. You almost want to drink this now and just capture all the elements going on but they’ll continue to soften and integrate over time and also let the beautiful Cabernet Franc elements integrate and come more into play over time. A success in 2019. (Drink between 2028-2050)Decanter | 98 DECRedcurrants, sweet tobacco and flowers with some sandalwood. Very perfumed and floral. So pure. Full-bodied, yet so refined and layered, with a soft, compact palate and a crushed-velvet mouth-feel. Poised fruit at the end, together with fresh, rare wood and a light chocolate undertone to the aftertaste. This is open, yet there’s so much in reserve. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Leave it in the cellar for at least eight years. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Angélus is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Silky, medium in body and wonderfully nuanced, the 2019 is pure class. All the elements come together so beautifully as the 2019 builds with a bit of air. Forty percent of the Franc was aged in cask, an approach that works so well here in coaxing all of the energy of Franc to complement the Merlot.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Angélus bursts from the glass with a rich, dramatic nose of cherries, licorice, sweet spices and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, layered and vibrant, its broad and velvety attack segues into a layered, concentrated mid-palate that’s underpinned by tangy acids and fine, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It’s a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Its seamless, pure profile reflects the subtle shift chez Angélus away from the rich, toasty style of the 1990s and 2000s toward greater elegance and precision.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2019 Montrose is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, inky and towering in concentration, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and tons of structure to back it up. Succulent black cherry, plum, tobacco, gravel and licorice infuse the 2019 with striking depth. The 2019 is not quite as opulent as some recent vintages, and that’s a good thing. Readers will find a regal wine that marries elegance with power. Unforgettable. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGA generous and abundant nose full of fruit and aromatic intensity followed by a gorgeous mouthfeel showcasing fruit density and concentration wrapped up in soft, velvety-smooth tannins. Just so much depth but also refinement here, it feels well made with just the right amount of fruit, toasty spice, tannins, freshness and acidity. The overall structure is gently framing all the elements - big and bold but quietly confident. The tannin impact is also enjoyable giving a feeling of approachability despite the long life ahead. Just superb - one of the best in 2019. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 12% press wine. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2029 - 2046.Decanter | 99 DECThe 2019 Montrose has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and warm spices, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it’s deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. Checking in at 14.4% alcohol (rather higher than, for example, the brilliant 2009’s 13.7% or the 2016’s 13.3%), this is an undeniably powerful, ripe Montrose, but for now everything appears to be kept in check.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe flagship 2019 Château Montrose is also brilliant, although it’s not going to match the all-time greats from this estate. Gorgeous cassis, graphite, damp earth, cedar pencil, and tobacco are just some of the nuances here, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It doesn’t have the overall density or mid-palate of the 2018 or 2016, but it’s flawlessly balanced and just incredibly impressive. Showing more and more tannins with time in the glass, it will need a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBlueberries, cracked white and black pepper with dried flowers. Some crushed stone and slate, too. Full-bodied with tannins that grow on the palate and continue on. It’s polished and very fine with lovely length. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSLush and lovely, showing a mix of creamed loganberry, plum, boysenberry and mulberry flavors that borders on exotic, but everything stays harnessed by sleek floral and iron notes through the finish. This has ample structure for balance that’s well-embedded in the fruit, making this seemingly approachable now but there’s absolutely no rush. A beauty. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2040. Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The aromas to this are really amazing, with a potpourri of spices and dried flowers, as well as redcurrants, sweet plums and even some peaches. Full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate in an encompassing yet always elegant and pure way. It’s succulent and unadulterated. Like crushed, perfectly ripened grapes. The length is rather endless. The tannins build. Fabulous young red. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2028, but an absolute joy to taste now.James Suckling | 99 JSSuch gorgeous aromatics of freshly picked violets, cherries and bramble fruits - pretty and quite delicate. The texture is smooth and succulent, mouth coating but full of soft tannins which have the most delicious black cherry, blackcurrant flesh and liquorice tinge to them - so satisfying. Extremely well balanced and well integrated, this has restrained power, it’s not rich or particularly round but straight, direct and layered rather than wide. Really long finish with great freshness and touches of cool blueberries. This is just such a great wine, everything you want and you know there’s power there promising a long life. Great winemaking on show. 35% aged in concrete, 50% new oak, 15% in barrels of one year, for 16-18 months. This year there’s a new label, the drawing of the house has remained but the font is more elegant and modern. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2027-2047)Decanter | 98 DEC97–99. Barrel Sample. This is a luscious, sumptuous wine, with layers of black fruits and wonderfully cushioned tannins. The structure of the wine is initially masked by the great fruits, but then finds balance from a dry edge of spice, smokiness and lifted acidity. It’s another great vintage from this biodynamic estate. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2019 Pontet-Canet was so effusive and generous en primeur. Today, though, it is quite reticent. That won’t be an issue for those who can be patient, but patience indeed will be the key here. Dark red fleshed fruit, tobacco, cedar, spice, kirsch, mint and blood orange gradually open with a bit of coaxing. Imposing tannins wrap it all together. The 2019 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty, but it needs time.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGVery lush out of the gate, with waves of gently mulled plum, blackberry and black currant fruit that roll through slowly, lined with alder, sweet tobacco, worn cedar and singed savory notes. Delivers a late tug of iron that’s well-buried on a finish marked by lingering perfume, resulting in an end impression of a rich wine that’s very light on its feet. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2019 Pontet-Canet offers up an expressive bouquet of plummy fruit, kirsch, dried herbs and peonies. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, ample and seamless, with melting tannins, succulent acids, and a long, liqueured finish. Tasted twice, it’s a wine I find somewhat perplexing: in a blind tasting, I might be more inclined to place it in Gigondas than Pauillac. I’m far from dogmatic when it comes to what the French call "typicité," and stylistic diversity surely enriches every appellation; but by the same token, I’m not convinced that this is the most compelling aesthetic that a Cabernet-based blend from this part of Bordeaux can realize. Checking in at 13.7% alcohol, some 35% of the production was matured in amphorae, which no doubt contributes to the wine’s idiosyncratic identity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Château Pontet Canet checks in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that was brought up in a mix of barrels and concrete tanks. It shows the new style of the estate with a more savory, exotic, medium to full-bodied style that’s a dramatically different beast than the benchmark 2009 and 2010 vintages, which to my mind, are the greatest vintages from this estate to date. The 2019 has a ruby/plum color as well as a perfumed nose of redcurrant and mulberry fruits as well as notes of brambly herbs, woodsmoke, peony, leather, and cedar pencil. It’s aromatic and complex, although certainly not classic Pauillac, and on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, with firm, savory, yet quality tannins, good balance, and outstanding length. It warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. While the style of the estate has been gradually shifting with the winemaking moving to hand destemming and aging in concrete and amphora, this is the first time where the winemaking seems to dominate the wine, and the quality is unquestionably not at the same level.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Wonderful aromas of fresh flowers, blackberries and cherries. Licorice and lilacs, too. Full-bodied, yet so tight and refined, translucent and weightless. Incredible purity and excellence. This is the heart and soul of the property in a glass. Really pinpointed at the end. Enchanting and thought-provoking. Needs time to open and soften. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe flagship 2019 Château Belair-Monange checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from 25-year-old vines and raised in 50% new French oak. It’s a magical wine in the vintage and offers more depth and richness than just about every other Saint-Emilion out there, all while holding onto a gorgeous sense of finesse and elegance, which would almost have me guessing Pomerol in a blind tasting. Deep red and black fruits, truffly earth, tobacco, and spring flower notes all emerge on the nose, and this puppy is full-bodied, has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and one heck of a great finish. It’s stunning, and while it offers incredible pleasure today given its purity and flawless balance, it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 Bélair-Monange shows wonderful delineation and focus on the nose, which presents a cornucopia of red fruit, crushed stone, wilted rose petal and light black truffle aromas. It seems to gain complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, fine delineation and a velvety texture. This builds toward a lavish finish, with dark chocolate and cocoa notes lingering on the aftertaste. It will need several years in bottle but should repay those with the wherewithal to cellar.Vinous Media | 97 VMAusterity is high as the limestone shines through, with controlled black and blue berry fruits rippling through the palate. There are extremely delicate redcurrant and violet floral edges that come through and cling on, just opening up after a good five minutes in the glass. A little less generous than the 2018, as is often the case in the 2019 vintage, but one with concentration and precision, and that will give pleasure for decades. Takes time to open and will take time to fully express its potential in the bottle. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DECPerfectly situated on the Saint-Émilion slope, this estate’s wine is performing with great panache. This vintage shows richness while also having plenty of freshness and structured tannins. It has immense potential for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WELike Trotanoy, though of course not to the same extent, the 2019 Belair Monange is another of the richer, more powerful wines in the Mouiex portfolio this year. Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, wild berries, vanilla pod, plum preserve, warm spices and cedary new oak, it’s full-bodied, broad and muscular, with a deep and layered core of ripe, sun-kissed fruit that’s framed by lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis captures the richness of the vintage wonderfully, with long, caressing waves of cassis, plum reduction and boysenberry compote flavors gliding through. Laced with subtle red tea, floral and mineral hints through the lengthy finish, this is really well done and augmented by a level of purity most don’t have in this vintage. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040. 3,200 cases made, 550 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WS

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 flagship 2019 Château Léoville Poyferré is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It’s one of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage and has a gorgeous, thrilling, full-bodied style as well as notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violets, and chocolate. While many estates seem to be playing it safe and focusing on so-called elegance and balance, I love that Poyferré continues to make a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured wine that always offers more opulence and sexiness than most in the vintage. Ranking with the crème de la crème of the vintage, this gorgeous Poyferré can be enjoyed any time over the coming 40-50 years. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSo aromatic with real complexity of notes on the nose, perfume and black fruits. Quite tannic on the palate, broad-shouldered with a core of liquorice-edged black fruit, dark chocolate and slate giving it quite a serious, gourmet and savoury feel right now. Lovely poise though, with mouthwatering freshness. Feels well made with energy and elegance. A standout wine with plenty on offer. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Léoville-Poyferré is creamy, racy and voluptuous to the core. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and menthol fill out the layers with effortless grace. In some tastings, the 2019 has come across as quite powerful, while in other moments it shows greater finesse. Either way, the 2019 is positively stunning. I very much admire its energy and persistence. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Léoville Poyferré is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis and wild berries mingled with notions of licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and smoke. Full-bodied, velvety and polished, it’s broad and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. Invariably the most sumptuous of the three Léovilles, featuring some 35% Merlot, the 2019 is a terrific effort that will offer a wide drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThrows off gorgeous warmed plum, blueberry reduction and açaí berry compote aromas and flavors, laced with ganache and sweet tobacco from start to finish. Delivers ample structure in the guise of a cold cast iron note buried underneath the showy fruit, with a flash of violet for treble in the background. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBlackcurrant, wet-earth with fresh black-mushroom aromas. Some chocolate, too. Full-bodied with layers of beautiful, ripe fruit and creamy tannins. It’s chewy and focused. Impressive balance. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

Detailed and delicate, this has a seductive charm to it, slowly displaying scented blueberries and raspberries, before layers of salty minerality, liquorice, and cooling blue fruits come into play as well as tobacco and liquorice adding a savoury touch. It’s not immediately upfront - more calm and collected, slowly growing in stature and presence. Tannins are fine but mouthcoating, giving the structure, this isn’t a light wine, but it’s supremely elegant and excellently textured. Impressive complexity and drama here, still very serious but it’s sublime too. A luminous wine I’d love to own.Decanter | 98 DECA lovely softness and texture to this wine with a medium to full body, plenty of fruit and fine velvety tannins. It’s lovely to taste now and will age beautifully. Really seductive. Hard not to drink now but one for the cellar. Best to try after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Gruaud-Larose is a powerful, dense wine. Super-ripe dark cherry, kirsch, menthol, licorice, rose petal and espresso infuse the palate with tons of intensity. Unctuous and flamboyant, the 2020 also offers a good bit of energy to keep things in balance. The 2020 is very much an extrovert, a gorgeous extrovert at that. Sweet floral and spice accents, along with a kick of sweet French oak, linger.Vinous Media | 95 VMRock-solid, with a core of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors held together with cedar, savory, tobacco and monkeyd apple wood notes that add texture and energy through the finish. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2040. 9,250 boxes made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A wine that’s going to flirt with perfection is the 2020 Château Larcis Ducasse. It’s a Saint-Emilion with an almost Pomerol-like depth and power paired with classic Saint-Emilion aromatics and minerality. Incredibly pure notes of black cherries, blackberries, white flowers, truffle, and leafy herb notes all emerge on the nose and it’s full-bodied, with a layered, multi-dimensional texture, thrilling tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. If you get a chance, buy it. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, aging in 55% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-99 JDThe 2020 Larcis Ducasse is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little reticent to begin, needing considerable swirling to unlock notes of preserved plums, blueberry compote, and black cherry pie, plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, and licorice with a waft of crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit and earthy layers, supported by firm yet velvety tannins and impressive tension, finishing with epic length.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2020 Larcis Ducasse has a deep purple-black color, leaping from the glass with bold notions of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, kirsch and red roses, followed by hints of licorice, fragrant earth and spice cake, with a touch of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with fragrant red berries and profound black fruit preserves, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and lovely tension, finishing very long and fantastically layered. Absolutely, stunningly singular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 Larcis Ducasse is a real showstopper. Bright and vertical in feel, the 2020 possesses tremendous energy to match its super-classic build. Beams of tannin and acid give the wine its shape. Dark cherry and pomegranate fruit are pushed forward, with a kick of blood orange acidity that lends freshness. Graphite, dried herbs, menthol, spice and cedar emerge with some coaxing, but the 2020 is very young and very primary. That of course bodes so well for its future. The 2020 is quite simply a thrilling Larcis and one of the very finest values in all of Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 98 VMPerfumed nose, heady and seductive, the aromas shining out of the glass. Full, rich and vibrant tones of blackcurrant and black cherry. Ripe and chewy, the tannins really are present and grippy but have a plushness and a bounce to them, they coat the entire mouth, seriously wide and expansive but are gentle even in their fillingness. A powdery blueberry juiciness with intense liquorice touches walks the line between freshness and power so well. Really a step up in quality, still tight, strong and not exactly charming at this point but there’s no faulting the winemaking here, this is direct, powerful and firm but so long with great acidity. Packed and charged, ripe and rich, yet round and balanced. I adore it.Decanter | 98 DECBlackberry and asphalt with cool minerals and a hint of mint. It’s full-bodied and chewy with intense flavors and a long, flavorful finish. Lots of chalk and an almost salty undertone.James Suckling | 97-98 JSRipe, polished and direct, with cassis and black cherry puree forming the core, while light black licorice, violet and sweet tobacco details fill in steadily through the finish. A poised, understated style. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 2,850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis wine is in a classic style. Tannins and structure are as important at this stage as the vibrant black fruits. It’s good for long-term aging. Drink from 2027. | 91 WE

This is incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins. It goes on and one. Real Las Cases here. Solid as a rock. Progresses to violet, graphite and licorice at the end.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2020 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot, aging in 80% new French oak barriques, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.68%, a pH of 3.8 and an IPT (tannins index) of 79. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 21st to the 27th of September, the Merlot from the 12th to the 15th of September and the Cabernet Franc on the 18th and 19th of September. With an opaque purple-black color, it slowly unfurls to reveal beguiling notes of fresh blackcurrants, Morello cherries, candied violets and dark chocolate, giving way to an undercurrent of crushed rocks, unsmoked cigars, clove oil and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is a powerhouse of energy, delivering tightly wound red and black fruits, mineral and floral layers, supported by fantastic tension and incredibly ripe, silt-like tannins. The finish has jaw-dropping fragrance and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 Léoville Las Cases has developed into a powerhouse. Then again, that is Las Cases. En primeur, I thought the 2020 was a bit shy, but its true personality has to emerge. Blackberry jam, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, espresso and plum all saturate the palate. Vivid and explosive, the 2020 is dizzyingly rich, with plenty of Las Cases tannins that will require patience. I am not sure when the 2020 will be ready to drink, but it won’t be anytime soon. Las Cases is one of the wines of the vintage in 2020, that much is pretty clear.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThe flagship 2020 Château Léoville Las Cases checks in as 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Merlot, raised in 80% new French oak. Hitting 13.68% in alcohol with a Ph of 3.8 and an IPT of 79, it shows the dense, concentrated, focused style of the vintage and it’s going to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Deep purple-hued, with an incredible sense of minerality in its blackcurrant and black cherry fruits, it’s full-bodied, has a rich, layered mid-palate, lots of tannins, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful wine and holds onto the more inward, concentrated style of the vintage while still showing serious depth of fruit. It’s going to take a decade (or more) of bottle age to get anywhere close to the early stages of maturity but will keep for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97+ JDPerfumed touches on the nose, quite high toned, blackcurrant but almost liqueur with rose petal and candy floss nuances. On the point of ripeness, still tense, not hugely expansive in the mouth or particularly weighty but juicy with a really confident energy to it - vibrant and compelling. Tannins are perfectly integrated, so fine, this has a silky overall texture with a hint of grip coming towards the mid palate. Driven and straight, not deviating from the core. Almost unfriendly, but you know this has been well made - it’s sleek, with sinewy muscles, just caged right now needing time to come around. I love the precision to the elements, there’s such a sharp attention to detail with a liquorice, slate and pencil lead tang. The flavours need coaxing a little; this is a sleeping beauty waiting to awaken, but when it does it will be delicious because of the precision. A wonderful wine that makes you really think about how it’s going to evolve.Decanter | 97 DECThe wine’s richness comes both from the dark tannins and the pure, classic black currant flavors. Acidity, yes, but surrounded by dense fruits and tannins that give the wine considerable structure and the potential to age for many years. An impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WESleek and slightly austere in feel, with a cold cast iron note framing a core of tightly compressed cassis, plum and blackberry fruit flavors. Shows subtle flashes of tobacco and smoldering charcoal, as the finish lingers with verve. A stoic red. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

An estate that has been on fire of late, the 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine in a succession of brilliant wines. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of blac currants, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and violets, it hits the palate with an expansive, rich, yet pure, precise texture that carries fabulous tannins, perfect balance, and a stacked mid-palate. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, it’s an incredible wine that’s going to flirt with perfection and is unquestionably one of the finest, if not the finest, Left Banks in the vintage. Bravo. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThis is extremely structured, but with a level of polish and refinement that highlights the excellence of the terroir. Very long and expansive on the palate, showing class and beauty. Powerful, yet comes across refined and curated at the end. Lovely texture.James Suckling | 97-98 JSDeep purple-black in color, the 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande begins on a single, well-defined, wonderfully pure note of ripe blackcurrants, opening out to a melody of redcurrant jelly, kirsch, ripe blackberries and tar, with emerging suggestions of dark chocolate, cardamom, ground cloves and violets, with a waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and with loads of fantastically nuanced black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid frame of finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend this year is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is holding so much in reserve. Tightly wound and not fully expressive, the 2020 is going to need at least a few years to come out of its shell. Bright acids and persistent tannins give the 2020 a super classic, mid-weight feel. I very much like the wine’s persistence. Readers will have to be patient with the 2020. The exuberance of some recent vintages is not present today. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which means a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon than in recent years, and quite a bit more than in the past. Harvest ran from September 7 to October 1, which is about ten days earlier than normal. In the cellar, Estate Manager Nicolas Glumineau opted for light extractions, with minimal pumpovers of just one volume of wine per day, at no more than 25 degrees Celsius. Time on the skins was 21 days, pretty much the norm these days. Tasted two times. (Drink between 2032-2060)Antonio Galloni | 95-97 AGSofter and silkier than many Pauillacs in the vintage, this is a clear success. Hugely silky and seductive, with grip, power and finesse. One of the best of the appellation, with finessed tobacco, heather and plump blueberry and cassis fruit, expertly managing the low 30hl/ha yield. 60% new oak. Tasted twice. (Drink between 2030-2048)Decanter | 96 DEC