This rich, densely textured wine is impressively ripe. Its tannins are still young and will sustain further development. With plenty of red cherry fruitiness to balance the structure, it will age further. Drink from 2022.... Read More
Saturated ruby-red. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe, spice-tinged red and dark berry, garrigue, potpourri and incense qualities and a smoky mineral topnote. Stains the palate with concentrated Chambord, cherry-cola, candied lavender... Read More
The 2018 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has closed down a touch on the nose, eventually revealing red fruit, violet petals and a light oyster shell note. Fine delineation and superb focus. The palate is detailed and precise, just a faint... Read More
Blended of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot aging in 60% new barriques, the 2018 Haut Batailley is very deep purple-black in color and takes some coaxing to reveal profound notes of dark chocolate, crème de cassis,... Read More
The vineyards surrounding the 12th-century castle have produced this rich and densely structured wine. Powerful tannins give a smoky character to the ripe, black-plum fruits. It definitely needs aging, so drink from 2026.... Read More
Dried lemon-zest, pineapple, lychee, lemon-grass and spice aromas. Lots of dried pear. It’s full-bodied with bright acidity. Dense, layered and flavorful. Fresh ginger undertones. Needs a year or two to come together. 400... Read More
This wine shows the generous richness of the vintage while restraining it with fine tannins and pure black-currant acidity. The structure and fruits promise long-term aging. Drink this wine from 2027
Deeply colored, the 2018 Château Puy-Blanquet checks in as 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from a 20-hectare parcel of clay and limestone soils. Beautifully ripe and sexy, with a massive bouquet... Read More
The 2018 le Dragon de Quintus is composed of 75.2% Merlot and 24.8% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it delivers expressive scents of plum preserves, blueberry compote and kirsch, plus suggestions of spice... Read More
Intense aromas of dried mushrooms, dried apricots, hazelnuts and citrus skin. Medium to full body with density and beauty. Flows across the palate with beauty and interest. I like the salted caramel and dried fruit at the finish.... Read More
From one of the rare Saint-Julien estates that is not classified, the wine is spicy and stylish with finely wrought tannins. Black currant fruits from the Cabernet Sauvignon dominate the wine, giving further potential. Drink from... Read More
Almost pure Merlot, this wine balanced contrasts black fruits with generous, unforced tannins. Blackberry flavors shine through the dry core that is just beginning to soften. Drink from 2022. — Roger Voss
With 56% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, this wine, produced by the winemaking team of Margaux Château Dauzac, is finely poised between structure and generous black fruits. The tannins are still young and it needs to age.... Read More
Vines from La Brûlade, the highest point in Bandol at 1,200 feet, make this rich and dense wine. Perfumed and still packed with dark tannins to nourish the juicy black fruits, it is structured and concentrated. Drink from... Read More
Including slightly more Mourvèdre and from a cooler, higher elevation terroir, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux has more cassis, game, peppery herbs, and olive notes, as well as the classic violets and... Read More
A spicy and sauvage-suffused nose is comprised by notes of notably ripe red and dark raspberry, underbrush and a whiff of newly turned earth. The suave and minerally medium-bodied flavors retain reasonably good detail despite... Read More
