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The 2012 Haut Brion (65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc) is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage, with a dense purple color, classic nose of crushed rock, lead pencil shavings, black raspberry, blueberry and flowers. The wine shows subtle barbecue smoke notes in the background, but is full-bodied, stunningly concentrated and builds incrementally, yet finishes with luxurious, almost extravagant amounts of fruit and intensity. From only 46% of the production, this is an absolutely remarkable effort from the Dillon family and their winemaking team of the two Jean-Philippes. Drink it over the next 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPA big, powerful wine, the 2012 Haut-Brion possesses stunning richness and intensity, with all of the depth that is lacking in so many other wines in this vintage. Not here. The 2012 possesses remarkable depth and tons of raw, animal power that is going to require considerable time in bottle to soften. Readers should be in no rush; the 2012 Haut-Brion is a wine for the ages. Smoke, graphite, dried herbs and blue/purplish stone fruits grace the exotic, alluring finish.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGAmazing aromas of wet stones, earth, currants and berries. Subtle and complex. Full body and a beautiful core of ripe fruit on the palate and the finish. Round, light, chewy tannins. Needs at least four or five years to open. This is the most Merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc.James Suckling | 96 JSFirm and solid, this is one of the successes of 2012. It’s properly dark and tough at this stage, with that serious intent that’s a hallmark of Haut-Brion. Layers of firm tannins are interspersed with blackberry fruits and juicy acidity. The wine is dense and concentrated, with the wood aging still showing. This powerful wine will need many years. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis combines power and refinement, with a singed alder frame around a dense core of red and black currant, plum and blackberry fruit. Notes of bay, black tea and tar line the finish. Has a lovely, fine-grained feel that lets the dark, hefty fruit drape beautifully. The tobacco element hangs in the background. Sneakily long. Best from 2018 through 2030. 9,008 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDense velvety red, rich earthy black fruits on the nose, both lively and smooth, terrific class is there with the ripe Haut-Brion tannins that give a subtle grip to the very polished, Merlot-dominated fruit. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DEC

This wine is smooth, ripe with fine tannins and red plum and black-currant fruits that are soft and gentle. Acidity dominates at this stage, supported by the tannins. It brings out the fruit and freshness of the year while also keeping some structure from the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE(Château Margaux, Margaux, Red) Lovely fragrant nose; floral-sweet, the perfume of Margaux. A textbook Margaux with a hint of Musigny, all delicacy and purity with an undeniable sense of place. (Drink between 2018-2035)Decanter | 94 DECA firm and tight Margaux with structure and elegance. Full bodied and tight. Lovely silky tannins and layers of texture and flavor. Currant and chocolate undertones. 94% cabernet sauvignon, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. Drink in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JS(94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot): Full, deep red. Restrained but very deep aromas of blueberry, redcurrant and quinine; a real step up in concentration from the Pavillon Rouge. Sharply focused and gripping in the mouth, with enticingly sappy, creamy red and dark berry flavors complicated by minty tobacco and sweet spices. Finishes very broad and long, with suave tannins and a lingering impression of vibrancy.Vinous Media | 89-92 VMThe 2013 Château Margaux has an attractive bouquet that compared to fellow recent vintages appears earthy in style (as it appeared in barrel), offering a mixture of black and red fruit, bay leaf and cedar. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes through strongly - no surprise given that there is 97% of the final blend! The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a pleasing seam of acidity. It is not the greatest Château Margaux that the late Paul Pontallier ever made, but it is commendable for the vintage and there is a sense of harmony and composure towards the finish with hints of black pepper and mint lingering on the aftertaste. Enjoy this over the next 15 years, though I am not sure it has the substance to warrant maturation for a longer period.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 91 RP-NMThis is velvety and suave, with alluring fresh plum, sleek cassis and warmed raspberry coulis flavors that are nicely melded together, picking up rooibos tea, singed sandalwood and mineral accents through the lovely finish. Refined and approachable already, but has enough range and length for cellaring. A wine of style. Best from 2017 through 2025. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

This has dreamy aromas already, with notes of Lapsang souchong tea, smoldering cigar and cold charcoal wafting up from the core of dense yet supple currant, fig and blackberry preserves. A loamy edge thumps through the finish, giving this an addictive, head-bobbing bass line. Best from 2026 through 2040. 8,335 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA wine of exceptional finesse, the 2014 Cheval Blanc lifts from the glass with captivating aromatics and sculpted red-fleshed fruit, all with the extra kick of acidity and overall freshness that are such a signature of this vintage. The 2014 is bright, finessed and persistent. It will almost certainly put on weight in bottle. I have a feeling something special is developing here.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGWith its high proportion of Cabernet Franc (45%), this is a finely perfumed rich wine. It has great tannins, a smoky character that comes from the wood. The tannins are quite marked, giving a tight firm edge to the wine that otherwise has generous fruitiness. This is a complex wine, impressive, and likely to age over many years. Drink from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEMedium garnet colored, the 2014 Cheval Blanc is still looking very youthful and wearing a bit of puppy fat, sporting gregarious red and black cherries notes with hints of oolong tea, wilted roses and dusty soil. Medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the lively fruit, it finishes on a lingering perfumed note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAt 56% Cabernet Franc, this is a bright, floral Cheval Blanc, with white pepper, strawberry, mineral and oriental spice notes lingering nicely. Drinking Window 2015 - 2036.Decanter | 95 DECSupple, elegant, and seamless, the 2014 Chateau Cheval Blanc is about as classic as they come from this estate and shows the character of the vintage perfectly. Made from 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up all in new barrels (although you’d never know that from tasting it), its still-youthful ruby/purple color is followed by a complex bouquet of sweet kirsch, black raspberries, violets, menthol, and flowery incense. With terrific sweetness of fruit, medium body, an ethereal texture, polished tannins, and a great finish, it’s going to hit prime time in another 2-4 years and, I suspect, surprise with its longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSo much damson-plum and plum-cake richness, plus a substantial amount of fine tannin behind it, give this rich wine an impressively plush texture. Very long, supple finish that makes it hard not to reach for the glass once again. Drink or hold. Château Quintus vertical tasting. SP.James Suckling | 94 JS

I am breathless with the dark-berry, lavender and burnt-orange aromas. Some salt. Just so formidable and deep. Stunningly sexy on the palate with a density and power, yet it leaves things so clean and bright. You want to drink it and enjoy it now, but it has the structure to last forever. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 100 JSBottled relatively late in mid-September 2017, the 2015 Palmer is a blend of 44% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with a small portion of Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it offers vibrant red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries, earth and mineral characteristics to begin, with slowly unfurling floral notes of violets and dried roses plus compelling baker’s chocolate and fragrant earth layers. Medium to full-bodied, generously fruited and possessing firm yet very, very fine-grained, mind-blowingly ripe tannins, the multifaceted palate features something of a skip in its step in terms of freshness, while it goes beguilingly earthy on the finish with some mineral hints. Very classy, elegant and sophisticated, this vintage is downright regal in its juxtaposition between poise and audaciousness. Think 2005 Palmer with a tick more fruit intensity, perfume and passion.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPOne of the gems in Margaux is unquestionably the 2015 Palmer. Possessing more elegance and purity, as well as concentration, than the Alter Ego, it offers up a gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, caramelized cherries, charcoal, and graphite, with just a hint of spring flowers in the background. A final blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 70% new oak, this full-bodied, ripe, incredibly polished 2015 is already hard to resist given its elegance and purity, yet should be at its best from 2023-2043. If you have more than one bottle, it’s sensational today as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDGenerous, rich and powerful, this is a sumptuous wine. With just a slight preponderance of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has structure as well as clean, clear black-currant flavors. Produced from biodynamically grown grapes, it delivers an explosion of fruit as well as serious tannins. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2015 Palmer has an outstanding bouquet featuring extraordinarily pure and intense scents of blackberry, cassis, cedar and pencil box, quite opulent but already irresistible. The supple, medium-bodied palate offers firm tannin, impressive weight and girth, and white pepper and sage toward the persistent finish. There is a lot of matter in this Margaux and it will require a decade to reach its drinking window. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 97 VMSix months from the last time I tasted this wine and it is a little more closed than it was, as the 2015s begin to retreat inwards for a few years. Still no mistaking the quality of this vintage, and it remains a brilliant Palmer, that is equal to the greatest years. Still extremely young, with rich, deep textured fruits, tons of blueberry and raspberry fruits, all expressed with clarity and purity. Grilled cedar, liquorice and crushed stone minerality. Harvest September 22 to October 7. At this point the estate was fully in conversion for certification, working 100% organically and biodynamically. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 97 DECThis is dark and muscular in style, brimming with bramble, warm tar and paving stone notes that are matched by the deep layers of fig, blackberry and cassis fruit. A gorgeous bittersweet chocolate detail adds spine to the finish while violet and iron elements lurk in reserve. Another large wave of fruit and dark earth courses through the finish. Best from 2025 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Fantastic aromas that are complex and complete with blackcurrants, blueberries and herbs, such as basil and bay leaf. But always subtle. Full-bodied yet linear and very refined with a very persistent finish. It shows drive and brightness. So refined at the end. Needs at least three to five years to come together.James Suckling | 99 JSLove the juiciness of this, right off the bat, rich deep black cherry rippling with menthol and eucalyptus notes, and these beautiful floral aromatics that Opus gets in the best years. A very classic style, touches of baked vanilla, rosemary and olive. Harvest 9th September to 12th October (starting off slowly then speeding up as the heat rose). 1% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot completes the blend, 17 days skin contact. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 98 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Opus One offers up bold, expressive black and blue fruits: warm black plums, black cherries, blackcurrants and wild blueberries with a beautiful undercurrent of lilacs, roses, fertile loam, underbrush and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly coiled spring ready to explode, with fantastic tension and wonderfully ripe, very fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with a mineral lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2016 Opus One is brilliant and shows yet again that 2016 was a magical vintage for Napa Valley. Based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon mixed with 8% each of Petit Verdot and Merlot, with 5% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Malbec, its deep purple hue is followed by a beautiful bouquet of black cherries, crème de cassis, and blueberry fruit intermixed with notions of cedary spice, toasty oak, graphite, and flowers. With an almost Bordeaux-like class and structure, this full-bodied beauty has no hard edges, plenty of ripe tannins, and is extraordinarily pure, elegant, and long. It can be drunk today (give it a healthy decant) or cellared for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2016 Opus One is a wine of real breadth and power. Black cherry, plum, leather and spice flesh out effortlessly, but what stands out most is the wine's textural intensity and sheer power. Readers will have to wait a number of years until the 2016 is at its best, but it is clearly another in a line of gorgeous recent Opus Ones from Michael Silacci and his team.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGA focused, restrained style, with a steady beam of fresh red and black currant preserve flavors, laced with bay leaf, cedar and tobacco notes. An iron edge pierces the finish, while the fruit keeps pace. A bit more classically backward than its Oakville peers, so tuck this away in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Best from 2020 through 2038. 21,900 cases made. — JMWine Spectator | 94 WS

Spectacular aromas of crushed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries. Fresh flowers with hints of sandalwood. Exotic. Saturated palate of so much fruit, yet remains agile and energetic. Great length and texture. Fills your mouth. This needs time, but a classic. Twin brother of the perfect 2015.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2016 Pavie a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it needs a little coaxing to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal a fragrant perfume of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, crushed blueberries and eucalyptus over a core of preserved plums, kirsch, black raspberries and crème de cassis plus hints of licorice and chargrilled meat. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has a solid foundation of firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness interknit with the black fruit preserves and minerally layers, finishing very long and very decadent. Superb!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPTurning the dial up considerably, the 2016 Château Pavie leaps out of the glass with a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, toasty oak, graphite, white truffle, crayons, and flowers. A blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 85% new French oak (the new oak has been dialed back in recent vintages), this full-bodied Pavie is made in a more elegant, seamless style compared to prior great vintages, yet it still has brilliant depth of fruit and concentration, ripe, present tannins, a seamless texture, and an awesome finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2016 Pavie is simply magnificent. Gracious, perfumed and exquisitely beautiful, the 2016 has it all. I can’t remember seeing a Pavie with this much translucent energy and nuance. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol all infuse this explosive, young wine with tremendous character. In the glass, the 2016 is vivid, aromatically deep and full of saline-infused energy. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. As it turns out Gerard Perse also opened the 2008. Although the two vintages (2016 and 2008) in question are quite different in style and quality, the trajectory Pavie has taken in recent years is evident. The 2016 is a thrilling wine. That’s all there is to it. The blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 98+ AGThis is a rather showy—and captivating—display of fruit, with waves of lush cassis, raspberry and plum reduction flavors flowing through with authority and grace while a swath of chalky minerality stays deeply buried throughout. Toasty, glistening with vanilla and apple wood notes, but the fruit has the oak bridle easily in hand. One of the Right Bank showstoppers of the vintage. Best from 2024 through 2040. 6,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis release underlines this estate’s change in style towards more elegant wines. While concentrated, the wine has stylish layers of black-plum fruit, beautiful acidity and freshness. Black-chocolate flavors are fully integrated into the rich tannins. This will develop into a great wine. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe nose is unsurprisingly reticent, with smoky black fruits lurking. Very rich and dense, but the 22% Cabernet Franc seems to have given greater lift and intensity than usual. Fresher than 2015, but shows similar concentration, with precision, drive and length. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 93 DEC

Making the most of owning a total of 1.5ha divided between the upper and lower parts of this premier cru, the Seysses always seem to make a particularly well-balanced Malconsorts. This is typically floral and appealing, with spicy notes coming from 85% whole-bunch fruit, along with textured berry flavours and supporting minerality. Drinking Window 2023 - 2030.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2017 Dujac Malconsorts is a superb wine, offering up glorious complexity, intensity of flavor and soil signature in a medium-full format that will be the epitome of elegance when it is fully mature. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a blaze of raspberries, red plums, smoked duck, a complex base of soil tones, roses, cocoa powder and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and vibrant, with a sappy core of red fruit, beautiful transparency, seamless tannins, tangy acids and a very long, complex and dancing finish. There is a weightlessness to the palate impression here that is utterly charming. (Drink between 2027-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGBoth more concentrated and more introverted than the preceding Beaux Monts, Dujac's 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts opens in the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, plums, orange rind, smoked duck and peonies. On the palate, it's full-bodied, supple and elegantly muscular, with fine depth at the core, powdery tannins and mouthwatering acids, concluding with a perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru has a little more intensity on the nose compared to the Les Beaux Monts at the moment, while the fruit is a tad darker. The palate is compact on the entry, linear and strict, with blackberry, raspberry and touches of brine on the sturdy finish. This demonstrates the spine I look for in a Malconsorts. Give it three or four years once in bottle, because it punches at Grand Cru weight.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM(Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanée "Les Malconsorts" 1er Cru Red) There is a seductive sweetness to the intensely floral-scented nose of various red berry fruit that are trimmed in a beautiful array of spice elements. The intense and well-detailed middle weight plus flavors culminate in firm, muscular and very serious finish that is dusty, austere and compact. This too will need to flesh out though it appears to have the necessary stuffing to do so if given time. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 91 BH

(Chambertin- Domaine Trapet Père et Fils) Like the Latricières, the Trapets’ 2017 Chambertin was showing brilliantly at the time of my visit. This is a stunning example of this great terroir, offering up a pure and aristocratic aromatic constellation of red and black cherries, bitter chocolate, black plums, grilled meats, a very complex base of soil, mustard seed, a touch of anise and a fine base of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, structured and very, very complex, with a great core of fruit, stunning transparency, ripe, seamless tannins and great grip and focus on the very, very long, magical finish. One of the wines of the vintage! (Drink between 2030-2100)John Gilman | 97+ JGThe 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru wafts from the glass with a beautifully complex bouquet of sweet wild berries, cherries, grilled meats, raw cocoa and cedary new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and reserved, with a layered, multidimensional core, tangy acids and velvety tannins, concluding with a long, pure finish. This is a lovely Chambertin in the making that displays excellent focus and tension for the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru has an open, expressive, beautifully defined bouquet of brambly red fruit, rose petal and subtle sous-bois scents; a star anise/menthol scent emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins, dense and sappy. The finish does not convey the terroir as well as others in this flight, though it meliorates in the glass and develops more intellect with aeration. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMA background application of wood surrounds the cool and airy aromas of dark cherry, plum, earth and a whisper of the sauvage. There is terrific intensity to the beautifully delineated mineral-driven flavors that possess a refined mouthfeel before culminating in a saline, focused and strikingly persistent finish. This is almost a hypothetical combination of the Chapelle and the Latricières with the richness and volume of the former allied with the minerality, finesse and power of the latter. Patience advised.Burghound | 93 BH

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

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

Aromas of blackberries, currants, violets and black licorice follow through to a full body with chewy, polished tannins that have a tile and dust character and texture. It’s very long and persistent with beauty and intensity. It shows reserve and finesse. This needs at least five years to come around. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the nose of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard starts off with soft-spoken scents of ripe red and black plums, cassis, black raspberries and mulberries, followed by gentle wafts of cedar and pencil lead and finally bursting out with Sichuan pepper and hoisin notes. The medium to full-bodied palate is opulent, plushly textured and brimming with spicy red and blackberry layers, going beautifully perfumed on the long finish. Paul Hobbs mentioned that he backed off on the new oak this year, aging the wine in 85% new French oak (as opposed to 100%). I love this more elegant, nuanced expression a lot. 688 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is fabulous. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2018 possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit. All the elements are kicked up: fruit, acid and tannin. Readers need to be patient, as the 2018 will require at least a handful of years in bottle to be at its best. The heady, explosive finish points to a very bright future.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGVivid, detailed flavors of cassis, kirsch and fig paste pump along, laced with alder, cocoa and tobacco notes. The fruit melds nicely with a serious tug of warm loam through the finish, giving this a smoldering edge at the very end. Shows nice character. Best from 2022 through 2038. 688 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Notes of ripe wild berries, loamy soil, exotic spices, smoked duck and rose petals introduce the 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, a full-bodied, rich and muscular wine with an ample core of fruit, powdery tannins and lively acids. This is shaping up very well indeed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP(Domaine Follin-Arbelet Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru Red) Once again the wood treatment is perceptible though it remains sufficiently subtle to not interfere with the appreciation of the very ripe aromas of roasted plum, cassis, violet and lovely array of exotic spice elements. The surprisingly full-bodied flavors are bigger than what is typical for RSV yet though the extra size and weight does not significantly compromise the refinement of the serious, mouthcoating and lingering finish where the only nit is noticeable warmth. While not quite as structured as the Bressandes, this too is going to need extended cellaring to arrive at its peak. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 91-94 BH

Notes of rose petals, orange rind, cassis, rich soil tones and raw cocoa preface Trapet’s 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, elegantly sumptuous and enveloping wine that’s deep and complete, with lively acids, velvety tannins and a long, saline finish. As I’ve observed before, this derives exclusively from holdings located in lieu-dit En la Chapelle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA lovely, accessible wine with bright cherry and blackberry fruit, scented with spice and smoke. The texture is voluptuously rich, almost decadent, and lingers enticingly on the finish. From the oldest vines in Trapet’s 0.6ha parcel of Chapelle-Chambertin, planted in 1945. Jean-Louis notes that the vines ripen early because of the thin soils here.Drinking Window 2026 - 2060Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, which includes 100% whole bunch, has a complex bouquet of black fruit, espresso and crushed stone aromas, displaying very good intensity. The focused palate is medium-bodied with very good structure and fine grip. At the moment, the whole bunch influences this Grand Cru, which is slightly bitter on the finish and leaves a strong saline aftertaste. I would like to see just a tad more elegance, à la Domaine Dugat, as it matures.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMJean-Louis Trapet’s 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin is one of the great wines of the vintage, coming in at 13.5 percent octane and offering classic aromatic and flavor profiles, superb depth, impeccable balance and lovely structure for long term aging. The utterly refined bouquet hops from the glass in a mix of cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, a gorgeous base of soil, pigeon, mustard seed, a touch of sweet stem tones and a suave foundation of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and structured, with a great core of fruit, superb transparency and grip, firm, ripe tannins and a long, complex and very classy finish. This is a proper example of Chapelle and will need plenty of bottle age to start to drink with generosity, but it is one of the stars of 2019. (Drink between 2035-2100)John Gilman | 95 JGThe whole cluster vinification is discernible on the ripe and elegant aromas of herbal tea, plum liqueur, violet and a pretty range of spice and soft wood elements. The mouthfeel of the medium weight plus flavors is also quite suave and seductive but with more volume and a bit more density as well before tightening up on the lingering if slightly warm finish. This is firm but not especially austere and a wine that should age gracefully while being accessible after only a few years. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 92 BH

The 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, which contains around 60% whole bunch, has a well-defined bouquet of ebullient dark berry fruit laced with light woodland and earthy scents. So much vigor and coiled-up energy! The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful balance, supple tannins, perfectly judged acidity and a crescendo of flavors toward the splendid, mineral-driven finish. The cooler microclimate really benefited this cuvée in 2019, and it is one of the Trapet’s finest contributions to the vintage.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is the finest rendition of this cuvée I’ve ever tasted from Trapet. Unfurling in the glass with an incipiently complex bouquet that mingles dark berry fruit with nuances of coniferous forest floor, peonies, bergamot and exotic spices, it’s full-bodied, layered and velvety, with terrific depth and concentration, framed by powdery tannins and animated by a lively spine of acidity that carries through the mouthwateringly mineral finish. I wrote that Trapet’s 2018 Latricières was worth a special effort to seek out—I’m happy to have some in my cellar—and that applies a fortiori to this brilliant 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe cooler terroir has produced an exotic wine with ripe black fruit, a floral note, and a savoury, salty hint of earth. The texture is silky and the tannins are firm. There is enough substance here to age for decades. The Trapet family has owned this parcel of Latricières since 1904 when it purchased 1.5ha from the Savot family. Jean-Louis now works 74 acres, as do his cousins Nicolas and David Rossignol. Drinking Window 2026 - 2060.Decanter | 97 DEC(Latricières-Chambertin- Domaine Trapet Père et Fils) The 2019 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Trapet is a stunning young wine in the making, with a purity and freshness of fruit that are really quite rare in this warm vintage. The bouquet is deep and complex, wafting from the glass in a refined mix of sweet dark berries, black cherries, coffee bean, grilled meats, a beautifully complex base of dark minerality, just a touch of spice from whole clusters, mustard seed, black tea, woodsmoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, young and full, with impeccable focus and balance, a lovely core of fruit, ripe, buried tannins and a very long, complex and utterly superb finish. This wine will have a very velvety texture when it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2035-2100)John Gilman | 95 JGAn interesting nose combines notes of coffee grounds and herbal tea with those of cool red currant, raspberry, spice and suggestions of the sauvage. There is fine volume to the earth and mineral-infused middle weight flavors that flash almost painful intensity on the youthfully austere, linear, focused chiseled finish that also exhibits a touch of warmth. This is a classic Latricières that needs to add depth but appears to have the stuffing to do so in time. Lovely. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 92 BH

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru, matured in 80% new oak, has a very detailed, focused bouquet of blackberry, briar, raspberry jam and light orange peel aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly tarry opening, a smear of dark chocolate combining nicely with the dark berry fruit, but it is unapologetically backward and surly on the finish compared with the Echézeaux or the Vosne Les Chaumes, so give it some serious cellaring.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM(Domaine Georges Noëllat Vosne-Romanée "Les Beaux Monts" 1er Cru Red) A ripe but cool and even spicier nose offers up notes of anise and hoisin on the pretty aromas of black pinot fruit and violet nuances. The sleek, refined and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors are not especially dense though there is enough sap to buffer the moderately firm supporting tannins on the balanced finish. This isn’t quite as vibrant as the Petits Monts but it’s attractive in a riper fashion. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 89-92 BH

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to show brilliantly. (I rated it 97-100 from barrel last year.) It has a quintessential Cabernet nose of pure crème de cassis, crushed stone, lead pencil, graphite, and tobacco that gains depth and richness with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, rich, and incredibly textured, yet still fresh, light on its feet, and beautifully balanced, this gorgeous Cabernet shows what’s possible with the variety from Paso Robles.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignon which showcases the strength and tenacity of this revered grape. On the nose, a juxtaposition of expressive, bright fruit plus a grounded earthiness. The delicacy yet force of this wine creates a most pleasant tension that you seek to reconcile with each sip. Flavours of blackberry, bramble and dark chocolate sit side by side with floral and sweet cedar notes. Tannins display laser-sharp integration. A wine with thoughtful, intentional power.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony lifts from the glass with a classic bouquet of black currant, lifting hints of rosemary, graphite and dusty sage. It’s silky, nearly creamy in feel, with depths of ripe dark red fruit and sweet spice that swirl throughout. A web of fine-grained tannins engulfs the palate. While powerful and structured, the impact is well-measured, leaving the senses clenched in youthful poise as pretty inner florals slowly fade. What a beauty, and with such an amazingly bright future.Vinous Media | 97 VMOpaque in color, the wine opens with intense yet elegant aromas of cassis, toasted espresso and roasted walnut paste. Polished tannins frame the rich sip, loaded with scorched earth, dark cassis and purple-flower flavors, proving very dry yet luxurious, with a lingering finish.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDeep, rich and plush on the nose showing cassis, blackberries with hints of dark olives, fennel, dark chocolate, cigar box and elderberry characters. Full-bodied and fleshy on the palate with an abundance of tannins, which are extremely fine-grained. Restrainedly opulent, deep, structured and long. Still a hint of white sesame character from the barrels, but will integrate in a year or two. Drinkable but better after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

More expressive and open-knit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sports a similar ruby/purple to go with an incredible array of black raspberry, cassis, flowery incense, orange blossom, smoked tobacco, and exotic spice. As are all To Kolans, it’s incredibly perfumed and complex aromatically, and it’s one of those wines that changes every time you come back to the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it offers beautiful richness and depth, a light, graceful mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a heavenly finish. It’s another magical wine from this talented winemaker that readers will absolutely love.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDBlackcurrants, black cherries, ripe raspberries and tar. Some graphite, too. It’s full-bodied and very plush with crushed tannins and an airy mouth-feel. Just floats across the palate. So fine. It has a second finish at the end, where the tannins emerge at the front of the palate. Quite unique. Drinkable now, but better after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSA glowing representation of Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet with a classic nose of blackcurrant, graphite and new cedar oak. Full-bodied and richly layered with immensely concentrated black fruit flavours that are pure silk on the palate. Satiny, ultra-fine tannins make this almost too easy to drink, while decadent melted chocolate notes merge with baking spices to complete this scrumptious wine. As it opens, the wine begins to reveal a mineral elegance that is iron-like, along with pretty red florals and finishing with crème de cassis and herbs. A real collector wine. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is fabulous. Deep and vertical, the 2019 possesses tremendous richness and pure power. A seamless, layered wine, the To Kalon is seriously impressive today, but it also needs time to be at its most expressive. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice and cloves build as the 2019 gradually shows off its pedigree and potential.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGHobbs’s first vintage of this wine was in 1999, so it has a relatively long track record. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard features aromas of mint, cassis and plum on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and opulent yet densely packed. Where this wine really shines is the finish, which is long and softly dusty in feel, while adding complex notes of licorice, mocha and baking spices. 494 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPShows menthol, sweet bay leaf, violet and tobacco notes, which set the stage for a core of winey cassis and crushed plum fruit. Ample structure courses underneath, with a tilt to loamy in feel through the deep, broad finish. Reveals a late flash of iron, too. A serious version. Best from 2023 through 2040. 494 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

This is a winemaker’s master class in blending and understanding of a long-standing site. Dried herb, cedar and pencil shavings accent lifted red fruit and brilliant acidity on the palate, with a supple yet still youthfully grippy texture that is framed by structured, graceful tannins. Enjoy from 2029–2039.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WESo much earth and spice with walnut and wet earth. Like fog laying over the valley in the morning. Black fruit. Medium-to full-bodied with super-fine tannins that are long and persistent, with graceful progression and length on the palate. So long, with real definition. September 2022 release. From biodynamically grown grapes. Hard not to drink now, but will age wonderfully.James Suckling | 99 JSI was blown away by the 2019 Red Blend from Quintessa, which is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère, this full-bodied beauty has a perfectly balanced, seamless, yet expansive and classic 2019 style as well as gorgeous aromatics of cassis, flowers, chalky minerality, and integrated oak. It’s hard to resist already, but I have no doubt this will evolve for 20 years if stored properly.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDark chocolate, violets and blackcurrants on the nose. Sticky, sweet, full, plush and ripe, fruit is dark - blackcurrant, black cherry and plum with lots of sweet liquorice and some earthy notes that give it a savoury touch. A bold and powerful style, you can feel the alcohol a bit and the wood still but there is good vibrancy and energy with a chiselled frame and generous freshness. Still extremely youthful with the structure fully on show, still settling and finding its refinement. 2% Carménère completes the blend. Ageing 22 months in French oak (60% new). Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Proprietary Red Wine is more open and effusive than the 2018 version, with gentle floral nuances set against a backdrop of black cherries and cassis, joined by subtle notes of tobacco, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied, streamlined, silky and lush, nicely balanced and elegant, with a long, softly dusty finish tinged with licorice and caramel. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Quintessa is one of the best wines I have tasted here in some time. Broad swaths of tannin wrap around a core intense dark plum, mocha, licorice and spice. The 2019 clearly needs a few years in bottle to come together. Quintessa is a large, sprawling property with many different exposures. My feeling is that it may not ultimately be suited to making a single large production flagship wine, but that perhaps a series of smaller production wines might showcase the site better.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGSports a very forward set of cassis and creamed plum notes before giving way to a firmer, more authoritative iron, warm earth and singed alder profile. Grippy and dense through the finish, but there’s cut and drive, with a savory edge adding good energy. This just needs some time for the mineral side to settle in with the fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2024 through 2034. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Barolo Lazzarito continues a trend seen in recent years in which the focus has been more about finesse than raw power. Intense red fruit, iron, dried herbs, chalk, dried rose petal and white pepper all run through this deep, virile Barolo. The power and intensity of Serralunga really come alive on the heady, explosive finish. Bright saline notes linger on the deep, resonant finish. A Barolo of raw, unbridled power, the Lazzarito demands patience.Vinous Media | 97 VM

I had tasted the 2020 Pie Franco during its upbringing in barrel and couldn’t wait to taste the bottled version. The wine comes from the ungrafted Monastrell vines planted in 1942 by the current generation’s grandfather on a south-facing slope rich in limestone and gravels. In this dream vintage, they achieved a wine with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.47 and almost five grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine. The wine matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 16 months. There is precision; it’s like laser cut, with symmetry and nuance, and it feels ethereal with lots of inner strength. It has the aromatic herbal notes but they are a lot subtler, and the wine is a lot more elegant and floral. The 2020s are wines of texture, silky, fine and elegant. This is the essence of the Mediterranean. Truly outstanding, world class, the best wine produced in the Mediterranean and the best wine from Casa Castillo ever. I was trying to find reminiscences with previous vintages, and it’s different from 2017 and 2018, maybe a mixture of the two, but overall the 2020s are unique and have a combination of Mediterranean character and freshness more intense than any other previous vintage. José María Vicente told me the only vintage that could be compared a little with the 2020 could be 2010. I’ve seen this wine evolve every year since the initial vintage of 1998 to reach world class. Bravo! 7,800 bottles were filled in February 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP

(Maison Henri Boillot Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) A cool, pretty and quite floral-suffused nose speaks mostly of red currant, plum, earth and a hint of just sliced fennel. The sleek, tautly muscular and enveloping big-bodied flavors exude a lovely tension that is also present on the dusty, serious, very compact and clearly built-to-age finale. This excellent effort should amply repay extended cellaring. (Drink starting 2035)Burghound | 95 BHAs with all the reds at Boillot, the Bonnes-Mares is fermented in small casks (fermentation integrale). Here the technique seems to dominate the fruit, giving it a ripe fig character, with notes of smoke, earth and chocolate, and a slightly soupy feel. Produced with grapes sourced from the Chambolle side of Bonnes-Mares, Drinking Window 2025 - 2040Decanter | 93 DEC

Deep rich and inky purple. An explosion of heady very dark cherry fruit, not an ethereal style of Chambertin at this stage in its life. All the body is there, a sumptuous wave of fruit and then, bless me, the elegance of this great vineyard does start to come out behind. Perfectly judged ripeness, really very fine indeed. | 95-97 JMThe nose shows lush blueberry and cassis fruit, without excessive influence from the small cask fermentation. There is a lovely tension on the palate and a silky tannic line that leads to a pleasantly lingering finish. Although the fruit is purchased (from Damoy), the team at Boillot is able to pick the grapes themselves. The grapes are completely destemmed and fermented in small 228-litre casks. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 95 DEC(Maison Henri Boillot Chambertin Grand Cru Red) Cool but very ripe aromas include notes of mocha, dark berry liqueur, earth and a hint of the sauvage. The sleek, intense and mineral-driven broad-shouldered flavors manage to display both good richness and delineation on the more overtly austere, compact and sneaky long finale. This is definitely not a candidate for early drinking. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 94 BH