A deliciously inviting nose, with dark and perfumed fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry and damson, with smoky crushed chalk, rose petal and toast, as well as a touch of honeyed oak. The palate builds on this start with a...

This flagship Moueix wine is 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, and it suggests wonderful density and purity combined on the nose, with blackcurrant, juniper, garden mint and tobacco. The palate is fresh and elegantly...

Another St Estèphe which was blighted by hail in the vintage, reducing yields by 30%. dark and smoky nose, with sweet black cherry, coffee bean and toast draped over black cherry. There follows a sweetly poised palate of...

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...

In this vintage Siran is a blend of 53% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, and the label carries an artwork depicting Queen Elizabeth II by Damien Elwes. A very classically styled nose...

The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of sweet wild berries mingled with rose petals, orange zest, violets, gentian and espresso roast, it's...

This was bottled in September 2024, so at the time of tasting has only been in bottle three months. The blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, with 70% whole-cluster vinification, and the...

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...

93+ Lively, gourmand and pure, the 2022 Blanc from de Fieuzal evokes aromas of verbena, white fruits, flowers and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and charming, it's seamless with a fleshy, gourmand core of fruit...

Sweet, juicy pineapples, mango, and honeysuckle aromatics pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. The palate, is fruity, sweet, and creamy, with more of those pure, pineapple notes in the honey-touched finish. Drink from...

The grand vin from the Decosters is a blend of 76% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured mostly in new French oak barrels, with some use of older oak, foudre s and amphorae. A rather restrained...

(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...

(90+ points) The 2022 Le Petit Lion has turned out nicely, offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with hints of mint, violets and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's dense and...

A nose rich in toasted oak here, as well as very dark fruits, griddled blackcurrant and damson, liquorice and tar, along with elegant and perfumed notes of white flowers, crushed chalk, mint, white peach and white pepper...

The grand vin from Mathieu Cuvelier is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage was in 40% new oak, 58% second-fill oak barrels and 2% Tava amphorae. I find a nose of sweet...

A very convincing nose of sweet blackcurrants, blackberries and dark chocolate, with an appealing edge of toasty oak. The palate follows with a wealth of dark fruits, dark chocolate, toast and coffee bean, set in a broad...

This is a blend of just 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, a low figure for the appellation although quite typical for Beychevelle, with 42% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It is dark, smoky, focused, sweet and concentrated on the nose...

An interesting nose, distinctive, with toasted redcurrant and red cherry fruits layered with vanilla. A juicy style follows on the palate, the fruit floral and scented, with peony, blackcurrant leaf and rosemary, draped...

This throws off a lovely stream of violet and iris that settles gently over the top of a beam of pure cassis and bright plum flavors. A pure iron note supports the fresh finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet...

An enticing red, with loganberry and black cherry fruit that shows a slightly mulled/smoldering edge, while black tea, warm earth and singed bay leaf notes skirt underneath. Approachable now. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon...

Readers shouldn't overlook the 2022 Resèrve de la Comtesse, a lovely wine that's one of the most accomplished second wines of Bordeaux. Offering up aromas of sweet minty berries, burning embers, pencil shavings and...

The blend here is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The aromatics feel appropriately sweet and primary, with a nose of sugared blackcurrant, black pepper, sweet liquorice and fragrant currant. This...

This wine from Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, and the élevage was in 65% new barrels, a figure which matches (more or less) the percentage...

This grand vin from Jean-Michel Laporte is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It has a nose which is dense, dark, smoky and brooding, laden with dark chocolate, dried red fruits, toast, crushed...

Aromas of sweet dark berries, bay leaf, violets and cigar ash introduce the 2022 Haut-Bages-Libéral, a medium to full-bodied, lively and layered wine that's fresh and vibrant, with powdery tannins that assert themselves...

Cloves, grilled spice, incense, cappuccino, creamy depths to the black cherry and damson spice. The muscularity of the tannins is in full evidence, a great sign of ageing ability, intense and concentrated. Less signature...

This is a powerful wine with rich tannins and a solid structure. The black coffee aroma and the wine's dense black fruits are impressive. This is a memorable wine with a long life. Drink from 2028. Organic and...

A grandiose, beautifully perfumed wine with a textured richness, this is the first vintage from this producer to show the top Saint-Emilion appellation. The fruit of many years of meticulous work at the estate, the wine...

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...

The second wine of Lafite is just dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, at 53% of the total, with 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It is sourced from various parcels across the Lafite vineyard, including some...