The 2018 Les Gravieres Bordeaux Blend is a distinguished red wine hailing from the renowned Saint Emilion sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This wine is produced exclusively from Merlot grapes and is bottled with a traditional cork closure. With an alcohol content of 14.5%, it promises a robust and flavorful experience.
James Suckling of jamessuckling.com awarded this wine a score of 92, noting its "aromas and flavors of berries, dark chocolate, spice, and thyme." He describes it as "full-bodied, rather chewy and slightly austere," but acknowledges its "structured and beautiful" nature. Suckling suggests that the wine will improve with time, recommending it be enjoyed after 2023.
Jeb Dunnuck, contributing to jebdunnuck.com, also scored the wine 92 points and described it as a "well oaked, rich, concentrated Saint-Emilion." He praises its "dense purple/plum color" and "powerful notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, graphite, chalky minerality, and earth." Dunnuck highlights the wine's full-bodied richness and building tannins, asserting that it has "no hard edges, and a great finish." He believes the wine will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and will "shine for over a decade."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this vintage an impressive score range of 94-96. The review by LPB describes it as "deep garnet-purple" and loaded with "gregarious blueberry pie, chocolate-covered cherries, and plum preserves scents." The wine is characterized as "big, full, and decadently fruited" with a "firm frame of super ripe, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness," concluding with a "very long and layered" finish.
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com rated the wine 94 points, highlighting its "rich, fruity, opulent and sensuous" profile. He mentions notes of "espresso, dark fruits, chocolate, licorice, and smoke," and describes the texture as "supple" and "velvety." Leve suggests that the wine, which is already impressive, will become even better with an additional five years of aging.
In summary, the 2018 Les Gravieres Bordeaux Blend is a full-bodied, complex, and well-structured wine with high praise from multiple reviewers. Its rich flavors and potential for aging make it a standout choice for enthusiasts of Saint Emilion wines.