On Sale: $39.94 (was: $44.94)*
Truth be told, the only thing stopping us from popping a bottle of Pomerol every week is often the prohibitive pricing in what is the smallest, and arguably most elite area of Bordeaux's Right Bank. When we can find a sub-$40 example that demonstrates the layered complexity, incredible fruit purity and sublime texture that sets Pomerol apart, we jump on it fast, and we highly recommend you do, too!
The 2018 Vieux Maillet is a delicious and unpretentious bottle of Bordeaux that can be enjoyed without fuss, and it's clear they took advantage of vintage conditions that allowed the best to be both “mind-blowingly incredible” and “very long lived” (Wine Advocate). Accessible now with a long decant, this ought to really round into form with only a few years of age and then for a nice long stretch after, but that’s what we expect from Pomerol in the modern era. The real headline here is the fact Vieux Maillet can deliver this for under 40 bucks. Very little of this 2018 is available, but at this price, Vieux Maillet’s “gorgeous, outstanding Pomerol” (Dunnuck) is a must have for savvy Bordeaux fans. Cheers!
93 points, Vinous: "The 2018 Vieux Maillet is a potent, deep Pomerol endowed with notable textural richness. Inky dark fruit, graphite, lavender, mint, chocolate, new leather and spice lend striking depth. This is a decidedly extroverted wine. My sense is that it is still recovering from bottling, as there is some tightness that needs to resolve. Vieux Maillet is a pretty hedonistic wine, but it has plenty of energy, too." - Antonio Galloni
93 points, Jeb Dunnuck: "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 tannins, and a great finish. Another gorgeous, outstanding Pomerol in 2018, it has some up-front appeal yet will evolve for 15+ years. Drink 2021-2036"
93 points, James Suckling: "Plums and light stewed cherries with wet earth and lavender, following through to a full body with rich, velvety tannins that display roundness and firmness at the same time."
*Offer publication date August 17, 2021. Pricing and availability subject to change.