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Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSOne of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou’s 2018 Château L’Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won’t hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L’Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented by notions of wild mushrooms, mossy tree bark and crushed rocks, giving way to a core of black raspberries, plum preserves and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lavender and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering slow-releasing black fruit and earthy layers, framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic tension. It finishes with epic length and subtlety. It is already so evocative and beautifully expressed at this youthful stage that is tempting to broach straight away, but give it another 5-6 years to really fan its feathers, and drink it over the next 40 or more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2018 L’Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L’Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It’s a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy over the next several decades.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGLush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Score rangeWine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis is plush, with touches of chocolate shavings, olive paste, clove, rosemary and sage right from the opening beats. Blackberry and raspberry layer up flavours that lift out of the glass, then the aromatics take over with soft smoke and grilled almonds. Seductive, a reminder of Durantou’s ability to tease layers and nuances out of even warm vintages. Austere on the finish, with chalky tannins at this stage - this is knitted down and will reward patience. Low temperature fermentation at around 22C. A yield of 45hl/ha. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 97 DEC

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

From one of my favorite estates in Pomerol, the 2018 Château Le Gay knocks it out of the park and has that classic Pomerol mix of sexy opulence paired with an incredible sense of finesse. Offering an already complex bouquet of crème de cassis, black cherries, white truffle, camphor, tobacco, and acacia flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, expansive texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. I’d be thrilled with bottles in the cellar. It’s going to put a smile on any wine lover’s face over the coming 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAromas of plums, violets and mushrooms with earthy notes. Fleshy and succulent texture to the full body with round, firm tannins and a salivating, savory finish. Very persistent. Opulent and reserved at the same time. Contrastive wine. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSPlum, boysenberry and açaí berry flavors give this a slightly exotic character, with a polished texture and lingering anise notes. Shows latent grip on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.Wine Spectator | 93-96 WSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Le Gay has a beautifully perfumed nose of lavender essence, chocolate-covered cherries and preserved plums, leading to a fragrant undercurrent of kirsch, licorice and fertile loam. The concentrated, full-bodied palate (15% alcohol) delivers bold, black fruit flavors with compelling red berry sparks and a plush texture, finishing long with just enough freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2018 Le Gay is unusually reticent today. Lavender, rose petal, mint, blood orange and crushed red berry fruit emerge over time. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2018 packs serious punch. It is one of more sensual wines of the vintage in Pomerol, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2018 is in no mood to show its cards just yet.Antonio Galloni | 94+ AGThis is a modern wine, in keeping with the estate signature – gourmet and glamourous with good persistency. It has rich fruits and oak influence that comes through as cloves and smoked almonds with pencil lead and graphite joining the black cassis fruit as it opens up. It should age well but will be ready to enjoy relatively young as this style suits fruit that remains plump and rich. The harvest took place between 19 September and 3 October. 100% new oak, integral vinification, 7.5ha but 6ha in production. A yield of 35hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 92 DEC

The deep purple, inky-hued 2018 Château Gazin comes from the Pomerol plateau and is 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. A brilliant nose of blueberries, candied cherries, wildflowers, tobacco, chocolate, and spice gives way to a stunning Pomerol with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This plush, sexy, opulent Pomerol does everything right. It already offers pleasure yet will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age and will have two decades or so over overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDark plum and blackberry reduction flavors pick up light ganache and licorice snap notes along the way. Has the vintage’s grip on the back end, giving this a serious feel.Wine Spectator | 96 WSRich aromas of blueberries, ripe black cherries, chocolate and sandalwood. It’s full-bodied with firm, well integrated and rounded tannins. Solid depth of fruit here. Creamy and polished. Better after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSFor its weight, this wine is also elegant. Rich, lush Merlot fruit flavors have a sense of restraint, self-contained and already delicious. The ripe berry flavors promise a wine that will have opulent fruit as well as structure. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a good-quality, serious wine. It has some firm tannins and a ton of fruit, and underneath it all the luxurious feel of a quality Pomerol. 2018 marks 100 years under the de Bailliencourt family. 50% new oak. (Drink between 2026-2045)Decanter | 94 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Gazin (a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc) leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of warm plums, black raspberries and kirsch, plus suggestions of wild mushrooms, fragrant earth, Sichuan pepper and tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impressive energy with approachable, rounded tannins and a lively backbone framing the crunchy red and black fruits, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPThe 2018 Gazin is an attractive, understated Pomerol built more on persistence than on volume. Cedar, iron, dried flowers, spice, new leather and scorched earth accents add quite a bit of character. Bright saline notes punctuate the vibrant, salivating finish. A few years in bottle should help the tannins soften. Readers need to be patient, as the 2018 is not an especially open wine, as many Pomerols are in this vintage, but rather a wine built for the cellar.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG