James Suckling (97)

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.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

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Wine Advocate (93-95)

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James Suckling (94-95)

This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It’s full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.

James Suckling (94-95)

This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It’s full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89)

The 2018 Chapelle de Potensac is bright, perfumed and very nicely lifted, with plenty of red berry, dried leaves and floral character. Silky and light on its feet, the Chapelle is a gorgeous, refined Left Bank red to drink over the next decade. There is lovely 2018 raciness to the fruit and impeccable balance to round things out.

Decanter (92)

Chasse Spleen continues as the modern, vibrant face of Moulis, with lovely violet edging to the colour. The oak seems higher here than in its peers, accompanied by strong aromatics of damson and vanilla bean. Some rosemary hints come in after a few minutes in the glass. It's good quality and made in the estate's signature, with the freshness helping to balance the oak flourish. Clear spicing runs through the finish.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 de Camensac has retained its attractive aromatics, needing just a little coaxing to reveal blackberry, bilberry, light marine scents and those iris petals that I remarked upon out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with good backbone and well-judged acidity. I admire the substance of this de Camensac, and there is wonderful salinity on the finish. This comes recommended and I can see it aging well.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 de Camensac has retained its attractive aromatics, needing just a little coaxing to reveal blackberry, bilberry, light marine scents and those iris petals that I remarked upon out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with good backbone and well-judged acidity. I admire the substance of this de Camensac, and there is wonderful salinity on the finish. This comes recommended and I can see it aging well.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 de Camensac has retained its attractive aromatics, needing just a little coaxing to reveal blackberry, bilberry, light marine scents and those iris petals that I remarked upon out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with good backbone and well-judged acidity. I admire the substance of this de Camensac, and there is wonderful salinity on the finish. This comes recommended and I can see it aging well.

Wine Advocate (87-89)

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Wine Advocate (87-89)

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Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)

A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Carménère, the 2018 Château De Fonbel is a juicy, medium to full-bodied, elegant Saint-Émilion that has seriously good notes of black cherries, black raspberries, violets, and spice. It shows the ripe, sexy style of the vintage, but its purity of fruit and polished tannins set it apart. This is a beautiful wine and my money is on it being a best to date.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 Château de France has an attractive bouquet of blackberry, wild hedgerow, crushed rock and light sea spray aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a crisp blackberry and seaweed-tinged entry, good acidity and a tightly knit and quite structured finish. It will require 3–4 years in bottle, but I think this is a fine Pessac-Léognan for the vintage.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 Château de France has an attractive bouquet of blackberry, wild hedgerow, crushed rock and light sea spray aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a crisp blackberry and seaweed-tinged entry, good acidity and a tightly knit and quite structured finish. It will require 3–4 years in bottle, but I think this is a fine Pessac-Léognan for the vintage.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The 2018 Château de France has an attractive bouquet of blackberry, wild hedgerow, crushed rock and light sea spray aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a crisp blackberry and seaweed-tinged entry, good acidity and a tightly knit and quite structured finish. It will require 3–4 years in bottle, but I think this is a fine Pessac-Léognan for the vintage.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2018 Château de la Dauphine was a knockout when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a very clean, precise bouquet of shimmering blackberry and wild strawberry aromas, underlying blood orange notes coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, plenty of graphite-tinged black fruit and a very elegant yet long finish. Superb!

Wine Advocate (88-90)

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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89)

The 2018 La Rivière is a bold, powerful wine with a lot of character. Inky red fruit, grilled herbs, rose petal, mint, iron, dried herbs and espresso build in a virile, earthy Fronsac that has a lot to offer. I would give the 2018 a year or two in bottle to soften a touch. There's a lot of wine here.

James Suckling (94)

A chewy, linear 2018 with very attractive blackberry, chocolate and wet-earth character. Some mushrooms, too. It’s full-bodied, very tight and tannic, yet polished and creamy-textured. Flavorful finish. Very typically Medoc. Needs three years to soften. Try after 2024.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2018 Millery is magnificent. Rich, layered and sumptuous, Millery dazzles from the very first taste. The warm vintage has given this typically reserved Saint-Émilion an extra kick of richness that works so well here. Inky red fruit, blood orange, mint, spice, cedar and new leather are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop in the glass. Silky, perfectly ripe tannins wrap it all together. This is such a sexy Saint-Émilion.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2018 Millery is magnificent. Rich, layered and sumptuous, Millery dazzles from the very first taste. The warm vintage has given this typically reserved Saint-Émilion an extra kick of richness that works so well here. Inky red fruit, blood orange, mint, spice, cedar and new leather are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop in the glass. Silky, perfectly ripe tannins wrap it all together. This is such a sexy Saint-Émilion.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2018 Château de Pez was shut when I tasted it from cask with winemaker Nicolas Glumineau, so much so that I felt it was inappropriate to score it because I felt there was a great wine lurking behind that door. And so it turned out. Now in bottle, this has a gorgeous bouquet of lifted blackberry, graphite and flinty aromas, razor-sharp in terms of delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins and a subtle marine influence that becomes more prominent with aeration. The oak is wonderfully integrated and the focus very finished. This is one of the best Château de Pez that I have tasted, but it clearly needed to wait until it was in bottle to show its potential.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2018 Château de Pez was shut when I tasted it from cask with winemaker Nicolas Glumineau, so much so that I felt it was inappropriate to score it because I felt there was a great wine lurking behind that door. And so it turned out. Now in bottle, this has a gorgeous bouquet of lifted blackberry, graphite and flinty aromas, razor-sharp in terms of delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins and a subtle marine influence that becomes more prominent with aeration. The oak is wonderfully integrated and the focus very finished. This is one of the best Château de Pez that I have tasted, but it clearly needed to wait until it was in bottle to show its potential.

Exuding elegance, the Chateau de Ricaud Bordeaux Superieur 2018 is a subtle yet complex expression of sophisticated wine making. Crafted in the esteemed Loupiac region of Bordeaux, known for its favourable clay-limestone terroir, the vineyards of Chateau de Ricaud have, for centuries, yielded wines of outstanding quality. This distinguished producer employs traditional wine making techniques, fostering the full expression of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in this blend.

Presenting a fine balance of ripe fruit and firm tannins, an extended 12-month maturation period in French oak barrels yields enchanting nuances of black fruit, spice and subtler hints of coffee. Supple and refined, this bottle shows off its ageing potential while remaining approachable in its youth.

When sipped, the Chateau de Ricaud Bordeaux Superieur 2018 offers a memorable journey, encapsulating the time-honoured tradition and excellence of Bordeaux wines - truly a testament to the terroir's celebrated character.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

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