This is 96% Merlot and just 4% Cabernet Franc, the Moueix family never having leaned into Cabernet Franc in the way much of the right bank has. Absolutely classic Trotanoy on the nose of the 2022 vintage, all dark gravel...

Warmed black cherry compote and melted licorice notes meld nicely with the singed bay and alder hints throughout. A savory, peppery edge emerges on the finish, lending some rusticity. Well-built for cellaring. Best from...

(98+ points) The 2022 Lafleur is a deeply impressive wine that is obviously in its primal stage. Very pure on the multi-faceted nose with layers of black fruit, graphite and truffle oil, it turns on its heel after 20...

The 2014 Clinet is rich and round but slightly more refined than the 2012, which is arguably its qualitative peer. Lots of black cherry fruit but with that beautiful elegant Pomerol charm. Plush and plump and will age...

Complex and subtle aromas of black cherries, chocolate and violets with hints of nutmeg and hazelnuts that open to a medium to full body, with fine and polished tannins that integrate nicely then grow beautifully at the...

The blue fruits and flowers with some dark chocolate come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins that are integrated and long. Savory finish. Needs three or four years to soften. Drink after 2026.

Composed of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Plince is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and rolls effortlessly out of the glass with scents of blackberry pie, plum preserves and kirsch plus suggestions of...

A rich, lush, concentrated, forward, supple-styled wine that is open from the first sniff, and sip. The opulent wine is packed with espresso dark chocolate, and even darker, red pit fruits. The wine is deep and lush on...

Beautiful black cherry and blueberry fruits as well as spice, cedary pencil, violets, and chocolaty earth emerge from the 2018 Château Vieux Maillet. Medium to full-bodied, it has a rounded, elegant texture, beautiful...

A frankly toasted style, with bittersweet cocoa notes draped over a core of black cherry and plum fruit. Reveals tobacco, licorice, roasted cedar and a tug of warm earth through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon...

This wine is graceful and delicate, with a clarity and beauty showing aromas of mushrooms, bark, forest floor and violets. Cherries and raspberries, too. Medium-bodied with silky, ultra-fine tannins, it runs long and...

Fine structure and dark Merlot flavors give this wine its richness. Despite the alcohol, it has style, the fruit not overwhelmed by the weight. It will take time, so drink from 2027. ROGER VOSS

The 2014 Plince opens in the glass with a seductive medley of concentrated red and blue fruit. This yields to undertones of dry violets, cedar and sweet tobacco before concluding with mineral and dry earth notes...

The blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage was 70% in new oak, with 3% in Tava amphorae and the rest in second-fill barrels. A beautiful sense of purity on the nose, showing defined black cherry...

(JD 95-97 points) From yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, the 2023 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 70% new French oak, with 3% in amphora. This...

Quite tight at the moment and rather unyielding, clearly there is good concentration of those ripe, juicy, fat, sweet plums and chocolate, but it is going to require at least another 5-7 years to open and flesh...

The 2014 Vray Croix de Gay has an almost timid bouquet at first, and it necessitates coaxing it out from the glass, because there are certainly some pretty red berry fruit here, laced with black truffle and smoky scents...

This has a seductive feel, with velvety plum and raspberry compote notes stretching from start to finish while light floral, anise and apple wood accents chime in and out. Nice integration through the finish. Best from...

One of my favorite châteaux, the 2021 Château Hosanna is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc from 4.5 hectares of blue clay soils in the heart of Pomerol. Harvest between September 24 and October 6, it has a vivid opaque...

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Le Bon Pasteur starts off with profound notions of plum pudding, baked blackberries, and black cherry compote, plus hints of star anise, dusty soil, and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, and...

The attention-seeking perfume, with its flowers, mocha, truffle, cherry and kirsch charms you right off the bat. Medium-bodied, vibrant, soft and juicy, with a core of melted cherries and chocolate, there is a firmness to...

The grand vin from Noëmie Durantou, this is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, as always. The élevage was in 85% new oak. There is a gloriously confident fragrance to the nose, with polished berry fruits, griottes and red...

A noteworthy development in the vineyard manifests here, as this includes 6% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend for the first time, along with 64% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It also makes use of larger 500-litre barrels...

(98-99 points) The fruit in this is superb, with an al-dente character to the grapes that were perfectly ripe when picked. Surprising openness on the nose, showing blackberries, violet, caramel and cedar with just a hint...

(TWI 94-96 points) A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc), the 2023 Pensees de Lafleur has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a swirl or two to spur it on to gallop out with powerful notes of juicy...

(JD 93-95+ points) The 2023 Château Clinet is flat-out gorgeous, and it's certainly going to be up near the top end of the pyramid in the vintage. Based on Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep...

(JD 92-94 points) Red, blue, and black fruits, chocolate, roasted herbs, and violet notes all emerge from the 2023 Clos L'Eglise, a broad, medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless beauty based on 70% Merlot and 30%...

A firmness and focus to this second wine with plum, chocolate and walnut character. Full to medium body, pretty tannins and a long and fresh finish. A beauty. Second wine from Nenin.

(JD 95-97 points) The Grand Vin 2023 Château L'Eglise Clinet checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that's resting in 82% new barrels. It brings another level of density as well as purity, with fabulous notes of...