Vintage - 2018, Calvados, Cabe...

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. Tasted alongside the 2020 and while they’re obviously similar, there’s more acidity and leafy perfume in the 2021. Blackcurrant, raspberry and leaf, tobacco, and spicy perfume, pencil/cedar oak. Medium-bodied, tannin sits so nicely within the wine, fresh and long, with classic fragrance in with that. So ‘minerally’ and cool. Very long. Precision and definition mark it out as a wine of class and fine filigreed deliciousness. It’s just so good, energetic, stony and definitely worthy of cellaring. Superb. Tasted: Dec 2022; Alcohol: 13.5%; Price: $48; Drink: 2025-2038+; (95) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Deep-ish purple-red colour, glowing and bright; there are fresh mulberry, blackcurrant and raspberry aromas paired with a delicate sheen of barely perceptible nuttiness from oak (30% new). The wine is tautly focused, poised and long on the palate, refined and vibrant. It's just a babe and will reward cellaring big-time. (95) HUONE HOOKE, The Real Review

Offering harmony and structure within an opulent framed of rich fruit and silky tannins, this is a gratifying red offering awesome value. The enticing bouquet shows blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco and cedary oak characters with a delicate floral overtone. The palate displays amazing depth and persistency, wonderfully complemented by delectable fruit flavours with spicy nuances. Tannins are fine, mouth-coating and just right, making it structured and seamless at the same time. At its best: 2025 to 2038. (97) WINE ORBIT

The 2018 Lilian Ladouys is such a gorgeous wine. Black cherry, gravel, scorched earth, leather and dark spice give the 2018 a brooding aromatic profile that suggests a potent wine. On the palate, though, the Lilian Ladouys is quite a bit more restrained than the bouquet indicates, in a good way. The 2018 is wonderfully deep and fleshy, but not at all heavy, with a natural sense of radiance that complements the more rustic leanings of Saint-Estèphe. There is plenty of pleasure to be found here. In a word: terrific. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

…From the lieu-dit Blanquet and with a deep purple-black color, the 2018 Lilian Ladouys gives up wonderfully spicy black fruit preserves notions: plum preserves, crème de cassis and blueberry with hints of exotic spices, menthol and violets. Medium to full-bodied, firm and fine-grained in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of rich, spicy black fruits with a lift to the finish. LISA PEROTTI BROWN, wineadvocate.com

Definitely the best vintage of Lilian Ladouys to date. The wine is loaded with licorice, black fruits, smoke and wet earth. Medium/full-bodied with a round, juicy, lush-mouth feel, there is a nice spicy character in the finish due to the increase of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyard and the blend…JEFF LEVE, winecellarinsider

A year-in, year-out value, the 2018 Château Lilian Ladouys checks in as 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was brought up in 35% new oak. Jammy blueberries, ripe cherries, damp earth, tobacco, and spicy wood notes define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a plump, rounded texture, opulent aromas and flavors, and a great finish. JEB DUNNUCK

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12 bottles available at time of offer

A special parcel of old Merlot that is conveniently stuck between Petrus, Lafleur and Vieux Chateaux Certan. First produced in 1982 and with just 7,000 bottles produced it has unicorn status. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                             94-95
The gorgeous balance on the center palate makes this one of the best wines from here in years. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful yet subtle finish. Fine.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            89-91
Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 La Fleur de Gay delivers bold notions of baked plums, mulberries and blackberry preserves with touches of tar, bay leaves and truffles. Full-bodied and rich, with a plush texture, it has soft acid and a spicy finish.

Antonio Galloni            86-88
The 2018 La Fleur de Gay is a fruity, supple Pomerol that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Dark cherry, mocha, cedar, tobacco, licorice and menthol add lovely aromatic nuance as this pretty, silky Pomerol develops in the glass.

With south easterly neighbours of Lafleur and Petrus, Le Gay remains at an exceptional price considering the quality of its terroir. Galloni particularly taken by its quality this year (read below). The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with just 1,500 cases produced.  -Tom Portet

James Suckling                             97-98
A tight and dense red with depth of fruit and polished tannins that really impress at this stage. It's naturally refined and complex with so much dark-berry, chocolate, cedar and hazelnut character. Great wine.

Antonio Galloni                 94-97
One of the highlights of the vintage, the 2018 Le Gay is fabulous. Crème de cassis, new leather, tobacco, minty and dried flowers all race out of the glass, but what impresses most is the wine's combination of fruit richness and vertical explosiveness. Black cherry, coffee, dried flowers, mint and lavender all soar. Le Gay is rich and concentrated in feel, and yet all the elements are wonderfully fused together. Tasted two times.

Jeff Leve                 96-98
Chris Kissack                 97-99

Twelve bottles available at time of offer

Just two minutes' walk from the place d'eglise of Saint Emilion, Clos Fourtet sits atop the cotes overlooking Canon and Beau-Séjour Bécot. The focus here is on richness and sweet dark black fruits, an inspiring level from owner Philippe Cuvelier and oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt. -Tom Portet


Antonio Galloni                                98
The 2018 Clos Fourtet is one of the most elegant, refined wines of the vintage. Silky and aromatically expressive, Clos Fourtet is all grace. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and sage all lift from the glass. Even with all of the natural richness of the year, Clos Fourtet sizzles with tension and delineation. Then again, that is the magic of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Clos Fourtet is easy to look past in 2018. It is neither exuberant nor exotically ripe. Instead, everything is in reserve. The 2018 is a magical wine, that's all there is to it. Don't miss it.

Andrew Caillard, MW                       98
Deep crimson. Impressively focussed wine with fresh blackberry cassis plum aromas lovely graphite herb nuances and vanilla notes. Dense compact palate with deep sweet blackcurrant pastille fruits, blackberry notes and fine brambly textures, underlying vanilla roasted chestnut oak. Finishes firm and long. A very high calibre wine.

James Suckling                             96-97
This is one of the best wines I have had from here. Full-bodied yet focused and super dynamic. Tight and linear with fantastic length and energy at the end. Exciting.

Antonio Galloni            94-97
A wine of energy, persistence and total harmony. Sublime. One of the wines of the vintage, the 2018 Clos Fourtet is positively stunning. In the glass, the 2018 sizzles with tension and energy. A whole range of floral, mineral and red berry notes develop, but it is the wine's exceptional sense of harmony that leaves the deepest impression. Consulting winemakers Stéphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet turned out a glorious Clos Fourtet in 2018. Don't miss it.

Jeff Leve            96-98
Decanter                  97
Lisa Perrotti-Brown            95-97

10 bottles available at time of offer

An absolute highlight that is the current rising star thanks to both a fine position and the vast investment from the Mouiex family. Nestled high next to Canon and above Angelus, the predominance of Merlot (90%) underpins are rich plum and chocolate layered structure that has delivers a points per dollar value that's hard to beat. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni                               96
The 2018 Bélair-Monange races across the palate, showing its exuberant, flamboyant personality. Ripe plum, mocha, blood orange, star anise and cinnamon fill out the layers effortlessly. Sumptuous and generous, with striking balance, Bélair-Monange hits all the right notes. It can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring, but also has the pedigree to age effortlessly for decades.

James Suckling                                98-99
This is very linear and structured in a classical way for Bordeaux with a very focused and tight core of beautiful fruit that gives an agile and vivid palate of pretty fruit and bright acidity, not to mention the ultra fine tannins, which deliver a seamless and limitless finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                  97-99
2018 Belair Monange comes bounding out of the glass with all the energy and vigor of a pedigree puppy. Full-bodied, rich and decadently layered in the mouth, the densely packed layers are charged with energy, supported by firm, velvety tannins and a racy line of freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.

Jeff Leve                98-100
Decanter                        97

The highlight of the Bernard Magrez stable is also the most prestigious, and tellingly it has achieved consistent high scores. It's up 7% on the 2017 release, which is no surprise as it is perhaps the best releases to since 2010.  -Tom Portet
 
Lisa Perotti Brown 96-98
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pape Clement is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore and tobacco notions over a core of crushed red and black currants plus kirsch, red roses and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied and wonderfully vivacious, it offers a solid line of firm and fine-grained tannins and amazing freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.

James Suckling 97-98
This is a very driven Pape Clément with fantastic density and finesse at the same time. Linear and driven, the finish goes on for minutes with incredible tension and focus. More cabernet. Refinement with power.

12 bottles available at time of offer

Jean-Luc Thunevin was one of the original Garagiste winemakers of the right bank, and his home estate presents the success of Merlot in the vintage, at 90% of the blend (vineyard plantings at 75%). Produced in miniscule quantities, it's one of the most sought-after wines in Saint Emilion (and you don't need to sell your house). - Tom Portet

James Suckling               97-98
This is a fantastic young Bordeaux with superb depth of fruit and complex tannin structure. Hints of smoke, spice and toasted oak. Full body and firm, dusty tannins. Very long finish.
 
Antonio Galloni                     97+
The 2018 Valandraud is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel, maybe more. Power and vertical, with tons of explosive energy, the 2018 dazzles right out of the gate. Inky dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and chocolate all race across the palate. The 2018 is a wine of tremendous stature that distinguishes itself in a vintage peppered with stunning wines. I would allow for a few years in bottle to help the tannins soften. I loved it.

Andrew Caillard, MW 95
Deep crimson. Intense dark plum cedar spicy aromas with wood varnish notes. Immensely concentrated and oaky with attractive inky complexity and plentiful graphite textures. Elemental but impressive despite the oak right now. Should settle down into completeness.  

A minuscule production and allocation but a delightful second wine from the great Ausone stable of Vauther family. Its volume is just a third of the volume to Ausone itself, and almost always close to a 50:50 blend of Merlot and Cabernets. It has great poise, purity and no excess of weight that will reward to whoever asks for it first. -Tom Portet

Andrew Caillard, MW                       95
Deep colour. Intense dark plum mocha praline aromas with violet notes. Generous and deep set with ripe dark cherry, blackcurrant fruits, fine chocolaty tannins. Long fresh sweet fruit finish. Classic proportioned wine with energy and density.

James Suckling                 94-95
This is a very tight and structured second wine with blueberry, spice and light hazelnut character. It's full of volume, but shows underlying firmness and brightness. Lovely length.

Antonio Galloni                 91-94
The 2018 Chapelle d'Ausone is a drop-dead gorgeous second wine. Wonderfully finessed in every way, the 2018 conveys intensity allied to a sense of weightless elegance.

12 Bottles available at time of offer

A real star amongst the second wines this vintage, and always in very tight supply. It contains an unusually higher blend of Merlot this year (40%) with lower yields consistent with the vintage story. A little sheep in volume, but always rewards buyers for its Pauillac credentials of black fruit and graphite, and perfect for drinking in around 5 -10 years. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni     93
Just as it was from barrel, the 2018 Le Petit-Mouton is fleshy, radiant and very easy to enjoy. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its considerable allure. Because of low yields, the Petit-Mouton was aged entirely in new oak. Rich, sumptuous and bold to the core, the 2018 is a rock star wine.

James Suckling                 97-98
This is phenomenal with such dense and layered tannins that go on for minutes. It's full-bodied with blackberries, blueberries and chocolate. Sexy and so beautiful. Not sure what to say here. Maybe it should have gone into the first wine?

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                 92-94
Deep garnet-purple, it comes bounding out of the glass with sit-up-and-beg notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves and mulberries plus nuances of chocolate box, Chinese five spice, licorice and candied violets. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-hedonic, the palate is packed with juicy black fruit layers wrapped in a firm, velvety structure, with loads of fragrant spice layers on the very long finish.

Andrew Caillard, MW                       93
Medium deep colour. Lovely blackcurrant herb aromas. Sweet blackcurrant black cherry fruits, fine slinky textures and toasty oak notes. Still elemental with firm tannins. Pretty wine.

3 BOTTLES AVAIALABLE

Antonio Galloni                                  97
The 2018 Haut-Bailly soars out of the glass, showing magnificent poise that only grows with time. Sweet, perfumed aromatics, silky tannins and mid-weight structure add to its considerable allure. Ripe red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, licorice, cedar, tobacco and menthol are all woven together in an effortless, classy Haut-Bailly that delivers the goods. I suppose the 2018 doesn't quite have the explosive energy of the very best years, but it more than makes up for that with its sensual, seductive personality.

James Suckling                                   97-98
Incredible depth of fruit to this with a center palate that shows superb character and texture. I love the hazelnut and coffee-bean undertones to the beautiful fruit, which shows great finesse. Full-bodied yet compact and tight, giving a sense of agility and flight to the wine. Extremely tight and polished tannins.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown            96-98
Deep purple-black in color, it opens slowly with profound notions of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, roasted nuts and black olives, unfurling to reveal notions of menthol, crushed rocks, molten licorice and chargrilled meat plus a hint of lilacs. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layer upon layer of vibrant black fruits and mineral nuances, it has a solid backbone of firm, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with compelling restraint and exciting energy.

Andrew Caillard, MW                                     97
Deep colour. Perfect claret style with intense blackcurrant plum graphite aromas with some savoury notes, fine graphite grainy tannins and underlying vanilla oak. Tannins are plentiful but perfectly ripe with some al dente notes and plenty of thrust. Elemental but voluminous needing time to meld. Sine inky mineral notes at the finish.

Eight bottles available at the time of offer

An easy argument for the Médoc's fifth 1st growth, year after year it presents as an exceptionally poised wine that evokes total class. I love it. It comes from the oldest vines of the property that average around 50-years old, this year the blend is structured with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot. -Tom Portet

James Suckling                           99-100
OMG. This shows amazing depth of fruit and density. Full-bodied and so layered with incredible fruit and power. Blackberries. Blueberries. Violets. Hints of dried flowers. Fantastic fruit and tannins, yet agile and energetic. The château says 2016 plus, plus.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown                                             98-100
The finished blend for the 2018 Léoville Las Cases is yet another triumph for this great estate. Very deep purple-black in color, it is a little closed to begin, slowly emerging from the glass to reveal subtle woodsmoke, violets, tilled soil and underbrush scents over a core of warm cassis, wild blueberries and redcurrant jelly plus hints of rare beef and iron ore. Full-bodied, rich, super concentrated and bursting with latent energy, this is an atomic bomb waiting to go off in your mouth. It has a rock-solid foundation of firm, very ripe, very finely grained tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular fruit through the epically long, amazingly nuanced finish. Simply breathtaking.

Antonio Galloni                 95-98
Sumptuous and spectacularly rich, the 2018 Las Cases is atypical but gorgeous in its singularity. The 2018 Léoville Las Cases is a rich, sumptuous, exotic wine in 2018. Plush fruit and suave, silky tannins give the 2018 a level of textural richness that is unusual for a young Léoville Las Cases. Crème de cassis, lavender, mint and sweet spice all build in this extraordinarily beautiful wine. I can't recall tasting a young Las Cases with this much immediacy and sheer allure. The 2018 Las Cases has a very bright future. It is also one of the unquestioned stars of the vintage. In 2018, the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot.

Jeff Leve               98-100
Chris Kissack               98-100
Decanter                       98

EP Order minimum 3 bottles

One of the most talked about estates, due to tiny yields of just 11 hl/ ha, and considering no 2nd wine (Alter ego) was made this year. Despite the difficulties working biodynamically, the ultimate wine is hugely successful and the price is a record. It's a mantel piece wine for the unicorn hunters….so what does that make a Magnum?  -Tom Portet
 
Andrew Caillard, MW 100
Deep colour intense dark cherry, black currant fruits with mocha espresso notes. Amazingly powerful and expressive wine with deep set blackcurrant pastille fruits, richly concentrated graphite tannins. Incredible balance and mineral length. Superb density and complexity. The wine of the vintage?

Antonio Galloni 95-98
A freakish, super-concentrated Palmer that recalls some of the most legendary vintages made here. The 2018 Palmer is a freak of nature from yields of just 11 hectoliters per hectare harvested over an entire month by CEO Thomas Duroux and his team. Rich, unctuous and flamboyant in its ripeness, the 2018 possesses off the charts intensity from start to finish. Blackberry jam, espresso, crème de cassis, licorice, menthol, lavender and cloves develop in a palate-staining, hedonistic Palmer that oozes with personality. This extravagantly ripe Margaux won't be for everyone, but it is a stunning, head-spinning wine that may, in time, very well join the ranks of the truly epic Palmers. A wine of pure and total pleasure, the 2018 is nearly impossible to resist. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. In 2018, Palmer bottled just their Grand Vin and no Alter Ego.

James Suckling 94-95
It is the essence of cabernet fruit with density that is so thick that it has the texture of grape puree. Full body and melted tannins that give the wine a sense of velvet. Very soft and juicy. With air, it goes to bright, crushed black currants. Tar. Fresh tannins give it energy. I have never tasted anything like this in all my 38 years as a wine critic in Bordeaux. From tiny berries of cabernet sauvignon (53 per cent), 40 per cent merlot and seven per cent petit verdot.

1 Bottle at the time of the offer

This really is a creation of true refinement and class, that lends itself to the harmonious, graceful style that is so typical of great St. Emilion. Suckling, Perotti-Brown and Galloni all awarded it perfection, with Jeff Leve noting that there are few wines at this level of quality produced from any vineyard in the world. If you can afford just one of 20,000 bottles produced annually, it will be a trophy for any cellar designed to last 50-100 years. -Tom Portet

Antonio Galloni  99
The 2018 Ausone is mind-blowing. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. I don't know what more to say. Cabernet Franc is so expressive, so vibrant so nuanced. Rose petal, cinnamon, star anise and sage meld into a core of red fleshed fruit. The 2018 doesn't impress with opulence or richness, rather it is a Saint-Émilion that is all about persistence and energy. I won't be at all surprised if it merits a higher score in the future. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The 2018 is a viscerally thrilling wine of the highest level.
 
James Suckling 99-100
This is really exotic with wild-fruit character that I have seldom encountered in Ausone. Full-bodied yet reserved and very tight. Amazing depth and purity of fruit. Incredible beauty. Sexy.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 98-100
Full-bodied, rich, decadent and tightly knit, it offers layer upon layer of fruit, spice and mineral nuances with a firm frame of exquisitely fine tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and heart-stopping beauty.