Shop Wine

wines

A well-constructed wine that is ripe with black fruits and integrated tannins, this is in a good place for aging. Black-currant fruitiness is balanced by a dry, smoky core that holds promise. Drink this wine from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WERich aromas of blackberries, dried currants, chocolate, walnuts and tile on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Polished and structured with a nice core of black fruit. Give it at least a couple of years of bottle age. Lovely balance to it. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 93 JSSome reduction on the first nose here. Really takes some time before the fruit starts to come out, showing nuanced layers of raspberry and chocolate, with a tiny touch of bitterness on the finish. There is clear power and depth here. Give it time in bottle. (Drink between 2026-2042)Decanter | 91 DEC

Beautiful blackberry and blueberry aromas with hints of spices and wild mushrooms. Full-bodied with tight, firm and silky tannins. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThis powerful, structured wine is packed with the ripest Merlot, with magnificent tannins and dark-plum flavors. Freshness shines through all this density, giving the wine considerable aging potential. Drink this rich wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAll Merlot from a tiny parcel on the upper plateau, the 2018 Château Latour A Pomerol is one of the more concentrated, structured wines in the Moueix stable. It offers a powerful, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style that has some oak to integrate, terrific black and blue fruits, notes of chocolate, saddle leather, and earthy tobacco, building tannins, and a great finish. It comes together beautifully with time in the glass and is a serious, age-worthy Pomerol that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDMade from 100% Merlot, the 2018 Latour à Pomerol has a deep garnet-purple color and a relatively understated nose of stewed plums, baked blackberries and redcurrant jelly, plus suggestions of unsmoked cigars, cloves and pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate has a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the earth and mineral-tinged red and black fruits, finishing long and savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPVery silky and alluring in feel, with lovely blackberry and boysenberry puree flavors gliding through, laced with subtle anise and black tea. Savory hints dot the finish while the fruit and spice play out languidly. Drink now through 2032. 2,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSPowerful and dense, majoring on black cherry with a touch of crushed mint. Velvet-textured, this is enjoyable with plenty of swagger. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2018 Latour à Pomerol is effusive and racy right out of the glass. Crushed raspberry, cherry jam, mocha, new leather, spice and cedar fill out the layers. Ripeness is decidedly pushed in the 2018. The tannins are a bit firm, so a few years in the cellar seems prudent. Latour à Pomerol walks on the wild side in 2018. I liked this quite a bit more in barrel.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

A youthful, unevolved 2018 with lots of up-front blue and black fruits as well as cedary herbs, violets, and scorched earth, the 2018 Château Gloria is medium to full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and both richness and freshness. The purity of fruit is spot on. It’s another brilliant wine from this estate that readers will love. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and cruise for two decades in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDA full-bodied red with a dense, juicy palate of blueberries and blackcurrants. Some black tea and tree bark, too. Tight yet long and linear finish. Very structured and polished. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThis wine has all the structured intensity and ripe fruitiness of a Saint-Julien. At the same time, it displays a light touch with the black fruits and open texture, promising an attractive wine. Drink the wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 Gloria has turned out beautifully. Medium in body, with terrific balance and tons of class, Gloria will especially appeal to readers in search of a wine that is not super-exuberant, as so many 2018s are. Bright floral notes, blood orange and red berry fruit all run through this wonderfully expressive Saint-Julien. Give the tannins at least a few years to soften.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGFresh and energetic, with violet, licorice and cassis aromas and flavors spilling forth while bramble and graphite run underneath. Applewood streak gives the finish some spine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGloria is fast becoming one of the most exciting insider wines of the entire Bordeaux region, and that rare species of a non-classified St-Julien. The fruit here is brambly, textured and autumnal, and again the alcohol seems generous but balanced, with plenty of St-Julien finesse. It has a feeling of not needing to go too far to convince anyone. This is some austerity here but there’s a bounce to the tannins through the mid-palate, while the alcohol is clearly there but not dominant, helped I would expect by relatively generous yields of 46hl/ha. Very good quality. 5% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2027 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Gloria is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged for approximately 14 months in oak barriques, 40% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of kirsch, black raspberries and cassis, plus hints of potpourri, unsmoked cigars and star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a good amount of juicy black and red fruit flavors, backed up by slightly chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

This wine shows how well Fronsac can do in 2018, and it’s a value pick of the vintage. There’s so much volume through the palate here, it’s extremely juicy with great concentration and an explosion of damson and black cherry fruit, given definition by slate on the finish that speaks of the limestone soils. Truly a brilliant testament to Patrick Leon, as this was his last vintage, but don’t think this score is sentimentality - the wine deserves it. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035Decanter | 94 DECDeep purple-black colored, the 2018 Les Trois Croix bursts from the glass with bold notions of stewed black cherries, prunes and blackberry preserves, plus hints of Chinese five spice, tree bark and black truffles with a waft of licorice. The rich, concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits with a velvety texture and just enough freshness, finishing with a spicy kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2018 Château Les Trois Croix is a ripe, sexy, powerful wine that has lots of blueberry and blackberry liqueur fruits, notes of graphite, spice, and roasted meats, full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a big finish. It’s a rich, heady, opulent beauty that holds everything together beautifully.Jeb Dunnuck | 90-92 JDThe 2018 Les Trois Croix has a nicely detailed, mineral-driven bouquet of lifted black cherries, wild strawberry and pencil lead aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, crisp acidity and a classically styled, graphite-tinged finish. This is another classy Fronsac from a property that has been on a strong run of form.Vinous Media | 91 VMBlack plums, blackcurrants, cloves, dried herbs and earth on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins. Structured with an austere finish. Will soften with a little bottle age. Better from 2024.James Suckling | 91 JSHigh-pitched, with chalk and lilac notes out front, followed by damson plum, bing cherry and red currant fruit flavors. Light singed-cedar accent peeks through on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2027. 5,166 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Black cherry, clove, cedar and dried earth on the nose. Some vanilla and licorice. It’s medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Some wet earth. Polished and layered, with wonderful freshness, too. Very tight now. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSBased on 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 18 months in 40% new French oak, the 2018 Château Petit Village performed even better from bottle than barrel and ranks with the finest vintages I’ve tasted from this estate. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as gorgeous damp earth, spice, and floral aromatics, it has sumptuous levels of black and blue fruits, nicely integrated oak, ripe, polished tannins, medium to full body, and outstanding length on the finish. This is classic Pomerol elegance and purity paired with plenty of richness and depth. It’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have two decades of overall longevity. Well worth seeking out, it’s a beautiful Pomerol.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Petit-Village is sumptuous and racy, but remains very much medium in body. Silky tannins add to the wine’s finesse. Dark-toned fruit, chocolate, spice, menthol, licorice and dried herbs all meld together in a Petit-Village of distinction and class. The 2018 is very nicely done.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis dense wine is richly structured by firm black-fruit flavors. It has a solid core that is concentrated yet balanced by a fine freshness that is typical of the vintageWine Enthusiast | 93 WEMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Petit Village, a blend of 72% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, strolls out of the glass with open-for-business scents of stewed black plums, blackberry pie and blueberry compote, plus hints of spice cake, Sichuan pepper and fallen leaves. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, the palate delivers lovely freshness and a soft texture, finishing satisfyingly savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPDark plum and blackberry compote flavors fill this out nicely, while licorice, sweet spice and black tea notes glide in on the back end. Warm stone hint through the finish gives it the slightly austere spine of the vintage. Solidly built. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2034. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAlways a little subdued when first poured, because it is made in a very reductive style during fermentation and ageing, but this opens to show excellent black fruits and plenty of uplift as it travels through the palate. This has a lovely perky feel, with blackberry, autumn berry fruits, some tobacco on the nose and a good, rich mouthfeel, with balance and a savoury edge. 3.7pH. 40% new oak.Decanter | 92 DEC

Emerging from the same team as Château Montrose and 51% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Tronquoy-Lalande is a spicy, chocolaty, medium to full-bodied, already complex beauty with ripe, velvety tannins, solid mid-palate depth and outstanding length on the finish. Loads of ripe black cherry and currant fruits as well as tobacco and spice define the bouquet, and it has the fruit to offer pleasure even today yet should keep for two decades or so. I overestimated this from barrel, but it’s still a beautiful wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThere’s great concentration here but it’s juicy at the same time, delicious in its liquorice and plummy black fruit notes. There are traces of heat from the higher than usual alcohol levels in the Cabernet Sauvignon (Montrose wine director Vincent Decup called it ’the ultra-concentration of the Cabernets’), but again it’s balanced by softly seductive tannins. There was a little less mildew here than at Montrose, so they managed a 45hl/ha yield, harvested between 18 September and 4 October. 3.65pH. 93IPT.Decanter | 93 DECWonderful aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries and flowers with some plums. It’s full-bodied with firm, silky tannins that are long and polished. Nice, linear ending that drives long and pretty. Give this three or four years to open. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSA rich, broad-shouldered wine, the 2018 Tronquoy-Lalande delivers aromas of jammy cherries and blackberries mingled with notions of asphalt and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and succulent, it’s broad and enveloping, with a layered core of fruit and sweet structuring tannins. Readers who gravitate to more powerful styles will especially appreciate this vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2018 Tronquoy-Lalande is powerful and also inviting, with layers of dark-toned fruit that envelop the palate. Blackberry, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, scorched earth and leather all flesh out in the glass. As it was from barrel, Tronquoy is a dark, somber wine. It has enough sheer richness to develop well for another 10-15 years, maybe more.Vinous Media | 92 VMUnder the same ownership as Château Montrose, this estate is performing right up to its potential. With its rich tannins, dark-chocolate flavors and smoky wood aging character, the wine is coming together well. It should be ready from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WERacy and vibrant, with a pure beam of violet, cassis and damson plum notes streaming through. A sleek finish keeps the elements nicely focused, while pebbly tannins linger. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Strong Cabernet inflections soar out of the glass, giving the wine a compelling aromatic profile laced with the essence of graphite, dried herbs, menthol and dark fruit. One of the most classic (for lack of a better word) wines in the Left Bank in 2018, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is super-impressive right out of the gate. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is ultimately a wine of tremendous class that remains restrained and aristocratic in breeding. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGJuicy and compact now, with dark currant, blackberry and fig notes at the core, surrounded by lots of warm earth, singed alder and tobacco leaf notes. Cast iron note helps extend the finish, with the fruit and earth notes keeping pace. Has a slight throwback feel, so if you like old school, ageworthy Pauillac, this is your wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 10,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 95 WSSweet black cherry fruits, bilberry and hedgerow. A little austere at this stage but confidently so, with a slice of bitter black chocolate. Big Pauillac tannins, no question - a little more prominent than they were en primeur. The wine has taken on weight over ageing so I am slightly extending the drinking window. Harvest 21 September and 5 October. 12% press wine. 75% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 95 DECCherries and walnuts with dried flowers on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins, creamy texture and a bright, vivid finish. Plenty of currant and tar. Such polish and beauty. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste displays a deep garnet-purple color and slowly emerging notes of ripe blackberries, blackcurrant pastilles and redcurrant jelly plus hints of cedar, underbrush, cinnamon stick and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate has well-managed, slightly chewy tannins and a refreshing line lifting the black and red berry layers, finishing earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThis is a relatively soft wine, its tannins already embracing the black-currant fruits. The structure is there, smoothly textured and ripe with fruitiness as well as good acidity. This wine is likely to develop relatively quickly, so drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

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

The flagship 2018 Château Lagrange is a more dense, backward, serious wine, offering an unevolved yet incredibly promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. A big, rich, full-bodied Saint-Julien, it delivers thrilling purity of fruit, plenty of background oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a great mid-palate. This is serious stuff, but it’s going to require patience. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and baked red and black plums with suggestions of rose oil, cedar chest, pencil lead and hoisin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic vibrancy for the ripeness, packed with juicy black fruits and compelling tension with a finely grained texture to support, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Nicely done!Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2018 Lagrange is charming and gracious. Sweet, lifted aromatics and mid-weight structure give the 2018 tons of immediacy. Bright red berries, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and cedar build with time in the glass. Polished, silky tannins grace the beautifully persistent finish. Best of all, the 2018 will be ready to go with only minimal cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGBeautiful reflections through the body of this wine, with fresh acidity, and an attractive sense of uplift through the palate, although the actual fruit is a little subdued right now, which as it opens shows damson and bilberry. There is real tannic frame, and build-up on the finish as you see just how concentrated these dark fruits are. (Drink between 2026-2044)Decanter | 94 DECThis smoky wine still shows some wood aging flavors. Structure comes from this wood aging as well as the rich blackberry-fruit tannins and concentration. The succulent Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe and full. It needs time, so drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WERock solid Cab here, with mouthwatering black currant and blackberry fruit flavors laced with a graphite edge and innervated with bramble, tobacco, bay and violet notes through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2035. 20,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSExtremely perfumed with currant and blackberry aromas, as well as flowers. It medium-to full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins that frame some pretty, elegant fruit for the vintage. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JS

A gorgeous wine that shines on all account, the 2018 Château Fombrauge sports a dense purple hue to go with loads of blackcurrant and black cherry fruits as well as tobacco leaf, damp earth, chocolate, and cedary herbs. With full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, silky tannins, and outstanding length, this rock star Saint-Emilion can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years or more. It’s hands down the finest vintage I’ve tasted from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDRipe-plum, black-cherry, milk-chocolate, walnut and vanilla aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with plush, velvety tannins. Creamy and polished. Very tight now. From organically grown grapes. Try from 2023, when it will begin to open up.James Suckling | 94 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Fombrauge needs some swirling to unlock notions of preserved plums, blackberry compote and Black Forest cake, with wafts of tree bark, tar and licorice in the background. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impactful black fruits with a firm, grainy framed and soft acidity, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Give it a good 2-3 years in bottle to spread its wings and drink it over the next 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPA successful vintage for Fombrauge, showing good balance and rich texture. This will develop into a full-bodied, enjoyable wine majoring on berry fruit with a few more years in bottle, although there is a flash of heat through the finish. Michel Rolland is the consultant. There is Malbec in the vineyard here now, but not yet in this wine. Aged in 40% new oak. (Drink between 2024-2040)Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Fombrauge has an intense nose of black cherries, iodine and raspberry preserve, touches of tobacco following through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins matched by a keen thread of alcohol. I appreciate the balance of this Fombrauge; it tones everything down on the finish when it could have been more bombastic. Less turned out to be more. Vinous Media | 92 VMDark plum and blackberry fruit glides through nicely, laced with sweet spice, black tea and alder hints through the suave finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2026. 24,000 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of this wine is enhanced by the ripeness and concentration of the vintage, yet at the same time it keeps an amazing freshness. This will go down in the annals of this historic estate. It is not likely to approach drinkability before 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WEAromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, new leather and bark follow through to a full body with a dense, deep palate that goes on and on, but is still shy and reserved. Large amount of ultra fine, cashmere-like tannins that are silky, sleek and wonderfully integrated. Extremely long and focused. Needs at least four to five years to start opening. A beautiful wine for the cellar. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSThe Grand Vin 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was harvested at the end of September through October 10 and brought up all in new French oak. This is a gorgeous, incredibly complete, classic expression of this terroir, offering a heavenly nose of crème de cassis, cedarwood, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, spring flowers, chocolate, and a touch of chalky minerality. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it's one of the most concentrated, impressive wines of the vintage, and might also be one of the longest lived. It actually reminds me of an improved version of the 1996 or a hypothetical mix of the 2010 and 2016. For the tech geeks out there, the IPT checks in at a massive 95 and the pH is 3.7.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged 18 months in 100% new barriques. It has a pH of 3.7, 14.5% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 95. Deep purple-black colored, it has a powerful nose of baked black cherries, blackberry preserves and crème de cassis with nuances of menthol, pencil lead, cedar chest and Indian spices, plus fragrant wafts of violets and licorice emerging after a few minutes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with impactful black fruits and exotic spices layers, supported by firm, ripe grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. There is a brightness to the wine—surprising freshness—and yet it remains very rich and hedonic, presenting an extraordinary vinous paradox that will blow away fans of this great estate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPStunning concentration, power and finesse, with a ton of chocolate, charcoal, slate and liquorice, set against sweet blueberries, damson and cassis. This is silky and polished, with a ton of layers and complexity. With 18 months' ageing in 100% new oak, this has delivered on its en primeur potential, but still needs a good decade in bottle. Drinking Window 2028 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is surprisingly reticent at this stage, almost shockingly so. I imagine that won't be an issue in time. If anything, I am quite struck by the wine's energy and drive. Dark-fleshed fruit, spice, mint, lavender and new oak build in the glass. From barrel, the Ducru was opulent and sensual, but it appears to be going through a closed phase at the moment. Decanting helps, but I would not be in any rush to drink this. The 2018 is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGAnother rock 'em sock 'em St.-Julien here, brimming with nearly exotic blackberry, plum, blueberry and açaí berry reduction notes, bristling with brambly energy and racing through a graphite-edged finish. Shows gorgeous perfume throughout, despite the fairly obvious level of concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.Wine Spectator | 96-99 WS

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 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis throws off a stream of cassis, cherry preserves and raspberry fruit that is pure and bright, laced with a racy mineral edge through the finish. Stands apart from the pack for its purity and finesse. Really beautiful. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.Wine Spectator | 95-98 WSA beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It’s closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe essence of black fruit here, offering blackberry and brambleberry aromas with dried flowers and licorice. Crushed stones and some iodine, as well as nuts. Full-bodied palate that opens and delivers an encompassing mouth feel of fine, creamy tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation. A special wine with elegance and complexity. Try after 2026, but already so in tune.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThis wine has bold, ripe black fruits and fine acidity. Its structure shows well through the fruitiness of the wine. This will certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Pretty blackberries, blueberries and violets with some crushed-raspberry aromas follow through to a full body with wonderfully crafted and pure tannins that intertwine wonderfully with the blue fruit and blackberries. Long and endless. A triumph here. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2018 Haut-Bages Libéral is super-impressive right out of the gate. It shows all the depth and intensity I saw from barrel, with maybe a bit more tannic impact. Ripe red cherry, plum, orange peel, cedar and sweet spice all build in the glass. The 2018 is going to need a few years to come into its own, but it is a gorgeous Pauillac.Vinous Media | 94+ VMSome pretty fierce tannins on display; then as it opens the emphasis goes to pencil lead and cassis. There is plenty of Pauillac character here but you have to wait for it to unfurl. Partly aged in amphorae, alongside 40% new oak. A good yield of 45hl/ha despite current conversions to biodynamics.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2018 Haut-Bages Liberal is deep garnet-purple in color. It charges out of the gate with scents of crème de cassis, stewed black plums, and bay leaves, plus hints of wood smoke, pencil shavings, and olives. Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives just enough expressive black fruit, with a soft texture and a savory finish.The Wine Independent | 92 TWI

This is a dense and lively La Mission white with lemon, lime and cream character and a light mineral and salty undertone. White pepper and salt at the finish.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe La Mission Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 57.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 42.6% Sémillon. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pears and pineapple with nuances of lime blossoms, crushed rocks and sea spray, plus a waft of beeswax. The racy, medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy, delivering vibrant citrus and tropical fruit layers with a satiny texture and fantastic length. Completely exceeding my barrel tasting expectations, this promises to be an earlier drinking style, albeit multilayered, dripping with class and, yes, it’s downright sexy. Give it just a few more months in bottle and then it should offer decadent drinking for the next 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSeriously dark and winey, showing a deep core of black currant preserve, warmed fig paste and plum reduction flavors inlaid with racy graphite, mouthwatering tobacco and enticing singed alder, bay leaf and freshly plowed humus. Delivers density, grip and definition on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 2,880 cases made, 262 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA richer, more textured wine than the Haut-Brion Blanc, no doubt due to its larger Sémillon content, the 2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc reveals a medium gold hue as well as beautiful pineapple, honeyed lime, star fruit, and floral aromas and flavors. Nicely concentrated on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and offers beautiful acidity, plenty of depth and richness, and a great finish. A slightly softer wine, it doesn’t have the precision of its counter mate yet brings more texture and opulence. It’s another brilliant white that will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 15+ years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe white 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion explodes with notes of guava, pineapple, and ripe peaches, plus touches of honeyed toast and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and layered, with lovely zesty sparks and a long, spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA serious wine that is just beginning to show its white flower and honeysuckle notes. A vintage that shows its warmth in a slightly lower acidity, but it is still an impressive textured white. 3.27pHDecanter | 94 DECThere is a light herbal touch to this wine that comes from the Sauvignon Blanc. However, it also has concentration and weight, offering a texture that brings freshness to balance the ripe fruits. The wine will age well. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has really come together nicely since I last tasted it. Bright and finely cut, with terrific creaminess, the 2018 is already very easy to taste, and, I imagine, drink. Lime, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and jasmine give the 2018 striking effusiveness.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This wine comes from an estate that is performing with distinction. It is rich, the tannins cushioned by ripe blackberry fruits and good acidity. Showing both structure and fruitiness, the wine will develop well, everything in balance. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2018 Lafon-Rochet is such a classy wine. Power and finesse meld together in this Saint-Estèphe that is gorgeous, right from the very first taste. Black cherry, herbs, leather, licorice and dried flowers all build in the glass. In 2018, Lafon-Rochet is richer and bolder than it usually is, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. I would give it a few years in the cellar to allow some of the baby fat to melt away.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe upper Médoc did brilliantly in 2018, and that’s certainly apparent when tasting the 2018 Château Lafon-Rochet. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as a gorgeous bouquet of ripe black and blue fruits, lead pencil, forest floor, chocolate, and leafy herbs, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, mouth-filling texture, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It doesn’t quite have the precision of the top wines in the appellation, but it’s loaded with charm and character, and I’d certainly be thrilled to drink a bottle. This rich, textured, flavorful Saint-Estèphe will benefit from 4-6 years in the cellar and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSmoke and grilled cedar on the nose. Clearly ambitious, this is good-quality, with plenty of power and forward motion, depth of liquorice and a Bendicks Mint feel of bitter chocolate and mint. Precision, depth and power, with years ahead of it, if closed and a little austere right now. Brilliant value among the classifieds. A 46hl/ha yield also, so generous.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2018 Lafon-Rochet is such a classy wine. Power and finesse meld together in this Saint-Estèphe that is gorgeous, right from the very first taste. Black cherry, herbs, leather, licorice and dried flowers all build in the glass. In 2018, Lafon-Rochet is richer and bolder than it usually is, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. I would give it a few years in the cellar to allow some of the baby fat to melt away.James Suckling | 94 JSSeductive, with a gush of dark plum and blackberry preserve notes leading off, while light bay, dark tobacco and charcoal notes peek through. Has a racy edge through the finish, even with the warm fruit keeping the upper hand. Nicely done. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lafon-Rochet delivers impactful scents of baked blackberries, warm cassis and black cherry compote, with suggestions of chargrill, tar and tobacco leaf, plus a waft of wild mushrooms. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit preserves and earthy accents, supported by firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with great length, if a little chewy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPLafon-Rochet 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It starts out a little rubbery and reduced, leading to a core of warm cassis, blackberry pie, and chargrill, plus touches of garrigue, dried herbs, and tobacco. The medium to full-bodied palate has a good concentration of savory flavors with chewy tannins and soft acidity, finishing a little firm.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The 2018 Chateau Petrus is a brilliant wine that has perfection written all over it, and it’s unquestionably one of the most powerful, opulent wines in the vintage. As always, it’s 100% Merlot and offers a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke, earth, graphite, and beautiful liquid violets. Full-bodied, deep, and opulent on the palate, I must have written “huge wine!” three or four times in my notes, and despite all its power and richness, it’s seamless, light on its feet, and already hard to resist. Possessing terrific mid-palate depth, sweet tannins, and a finish that ranks with the greatest wines out there, Merlot or any wine for that matter, doesn’t get better. If you’re lucky enough to have a few bottles of this elixir, do your best to give bottles 7-8 years in the cellar, and I suspect it will keep for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThe 2018 Petrus has retained its opaque purple-black color after bottling, foreshadowing the seemingly frozen-in-time glacial pace at which this wine is proceeding. It opens very reluctantly, requiring considerable air with vigorous swirling and doggedly demands a few hours before it offers glimpses at this slumbering giant of a wine. As it eventually unfurls, it slowly morphs into a powerful, fantastically pure nose of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote, followed by nuances of molten licorice, dark chocolate, black truffles, iron ore and, still later, floral notions of lilacs and rose oil come through. The full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and oh-so-tightly wound at this stage, revealing peeks at many, many layers of perfectly ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices and earthy notions for which words simply fail. The texture is at once rock solid and fantastically plush, with impeccably knit freshness, finishing so long you really can’t taste or think of anything else for the rest of the day. Here is a heart-stopping titan that puts paid to all those naysayers who contest that perfection in wine cannot exist. It will require a good 8-10 years to hit its stride, then it is very likely to outlive us all, but you will want to make certain you drink this one before you go.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2018 Petrus is every bit as grand as I thought it could be. A wine with no start and no end, the 2018 envelops all the senses from the very first taste. It is at times intellectual, while in other moments more hedonistic, but it is always a total turn-on. Silky and layered, with exquisite finesse and depth to burn, the 2018 Petrus is unquestionably the wine of the vintage on the Right Bank and one of the handful of truly unforgettable wines of the vintage. As I wrote when I tasted the 2018 from barrel, I have never tasted a young Petrus with this much sheer class. It’s an absolutely brilliant effort Petrus and Technical Director Olivier Berrouet.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGAn extremely exotic red wine with crushed berries and a bouquet of flowers. So aromatic and perfumed. Full bodied and layered with lots of pretty oak, enticing fruit and tannins. Velvety. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is a dark, serious wine, concentrated with richness and freshness at the same time. The ripe tannins are impeccably balanced by fine acidity and a ripe blackberry flavor. It shows the supreme quality of Pomerol’s Merlots in this vintage. Of course, it will age for nearly forever.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE(Petrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Clear flesh to the plump damson fruits, alongside grilled caramel, graphite, cassis bud and cocoa bean. The tannins are plentiful, but they are plush, ripe and flexible, and as such are full of Pomerol signature. As it opens through the palate, you realise just how much grip and persistency there is, and the more serious side asserts itself, with bitter cocoa shavings and fresh acidities. A more approachable Petrus at this early stage than in many years, but the kick is there and this is getting set for the long term. 50% new oak, 3.6 pH. A yield of 37hl/ha. Bottled in July after two months in vat following end of barrel ageing. (Drink between 2026-2048)Decanter | 97 DECPlush and inviting, with steeped red and black currant and fig flavors that meld nicely with fruitcake, Christmas pudding and anise notes through the finish. Subtle dark earth hint at the end keeps it grounded. The vintage’s slightly austere edge is here, but is minimized by the fruit, helping this stand apart from the pack. Best from 2023 through 2034.Wine Spectator | 96 WS