Red Wine from France

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: 96+ Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Fonplegade opens with a very savory nose of smoked meats, tapenade, sautéed herbs and beef drippings over a core of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 97 points: With its distinctive, earthy, animalistic, herb de Provence, pepper and red berry nose, the wine is full bodied, fresh, intense, concentrated, deep and long. The fruit shows its character with little effort required. The...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: (96-98+) Cassis, graphite, blackberries, scorched earth, and graphite notes all emerge from the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages, which is a rich, blockbuster style beauty up with the finest vintages to date from this historic...

Vinous, 100 points: (97-100) A regal, soaring Saint-Estèphe, the 2018 Cos d'Estournel is also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. On the palate, the 2018 is dark and sumptuous, with striking aromatic presence and silky tannins that wrap...

jamessuckling.com, 100 points: (99-100) Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 99 points: This is a strong candidate for the best wine yet produced by the Cathiard family at Smith Haut Lafitte. The inky color lets you know this is going to be packed and stacked with layers of ripe fruit. But there is more...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 98 points: (96-98) Just when I was sure the 2016 Beau-Sejour Becot was the best wine ever produced at the property, along comes the 2018! Deep in color, the wine shows a strong floral and mint accent with dark chocolate, black plums...

Decanter, 98 points: This is opulent with fleshy tannins and spiced dark fruit, again showing a restrained core of tannins that was so obvious at the Bordeaux 10 Years On tasting in London a few weeks ago. It’s just a brilliant wine, one that...

jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: (97-100) The grand vin of this terrific estate, the 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that will spend 18 months in new barrels. It’s as classy as they come, boasting a deep...

jamessuckling.com, 98 points: (97-98) A structured and muscular Malescot with blackberry and blackcurrant aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Big wine for this producer.

View From The Cellar, 96 points: Christian Moueix explained that 2011 was the first vintage where the harvesting was organized here to target old vines of a similar age to be picked together, as he went along with the harvesters pointing out which...

jebdunnuck.com, 100 points: (97-100) Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 100 points: ( 98-100) Full-bodied, rich, powerful, dense, opulent and frankly, incredibly sexy, as well as structured, stylistically it feels like a blend of 2009 and 2016 with the best attributes of each vintage. This wine is...

Vinous, 97 points: The 2016 Domaine de Chevalier is a thrilling wine. Dense and beautifully layered, the 2016 is also quite a bit richer than it usually is. Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and structure pulse through the wine. The red-toned...

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: (93–95) Barrel Sample. The wine, a majority of young Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, is structured and firm with solid tannins and layers of black currant. This will be ready to be drink after 2025.