2018 Margaux in bottle

 2018 Margaux 

2018 Château Boyd-Cantenac

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits and spices nose. Vanilla and coffee. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, vanilla, spices, liquorice, leaner finish, long. 89

2018 Château Brane-Cantenac

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, floral, exotic spices, detailed, vanilla, layered nose. Rich and deep with finesse albeit tight. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, layered, intense. Even following this over six hours, it never seems to fully open, yet you feel there is more behind there. This may get higher, as I indicated during primeur (96 high estimate), but I land at 95 now. 2019 besides it is just more open, but this may be the greater of the two. 95

2018 Baron de Brane

Ruby. Dark fruits, blackberries and blueberries, vanilla, floral, detailed and layered nose. Fresh acidity, smooth, rounded, elegant texture, long finish. 90

2018 Château Cantenac Brown

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, spices and liquorice. Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, juicy, detailed and layered, nuanced, intense, spices, long finish. 13,5% alcohol. Excellent Cantenac Brown! 94

2018 Château Confidence de Margaux

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, some spices, liquorice nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, sweet fruits, good length. 89

2018 Château Dauzac

Ruby. Blackberries and anise, fruit driven nose, lots of wood on the nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, blackberries and spices, rich, good length. 89

2018 Château Desmirail 

Ruby. Blackberries and anise, vanilla and spices, lots of wood. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, dark fruits and apices, leaner finish. 89

2018 Château Deyrem Valentin

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, some vanilla, blackberries and spices nose. Has lovely depth to it. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, nuanced, detailed, quite rich, some alcohol warmth, long finish. 90

2018 Château Ferriere

APR 21 Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, vanilla, floral, spices, deep, nuanced and layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, blackberries and cassis, rich and deep for Ferriere, vanilla, elegant freshness. About 14,1 in alcohol, this is amongst the somewhat brighter expressions this vintage. 93

2018 Château La Fortune

Ruby. Anise, blackberries, coffee and herbs nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, jammy, lacks lift. 87

2018 Château Giscours

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, some spices nose. Subdued scented notes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, soft and fruit driven feel to it, rich and big, long. 92

2018 Château Haut-Breton Larigaudiere

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, rich fruits, high alcohol nose. Medium acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, little bit flat and lacks lift, high alcohol. 87

2018 Château d’Issan

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, some spices, detailed and layered, quite intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, red berries, juicy, detailed and layered, lovely energy to its bold style for Issan. Long. 14% alcohol. 95

2018 Château Lascombes

55CF 40M 5PV Ruby. Cassis, blueberries and dark fruits, vanilla nose, spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, juicy, intense and rich, lots of wood but has concentration to back it, long. 93

2018 Château Malescot St. Exupery 

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, intense, cassis, rich and fruit driven nose.  Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, intense and long. Lacks a bit of lift and energy. 93

2018 Château Marojallia

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, fruit driven nose, vanilla and spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, fruit driven, long. Bit jammy. 91

2018 Le Benjamin de Marojallia

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, jammy, lacks lift. 87

2018 Clos Margalaine

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, scented nose, floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, juicy, spices, good length. High alcohol but carries it. 90

2018 Château Marquis d’Alesme

Ruby. Anise, blackberries, spices, fruit driven nose, scented and detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, blackberries and spices, rich and big, unusual style for Marquis d’Alesme. 91

2018 Château Marquis de Terme

Ruby. Scented, red fruits, cassis, blackberries and spices nose, some vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, juicy, elegant texture, some herbs, long. 91

2018 Château Palmer

Deep ruby. Rich, deep blackberries, cassis, ripe yet scented, floral high notes, nuanced, detailed, needs time in the glass to open fully. A very dense Palmer on the nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, lush dark fruits, sweetness, structured, lots of very ripe tannins, deep and layered. Just a touch of alcohol sweetness in the back, a bold, but not unrefined Palmer. Texture of this is fascinating. No Alter Ego made. 98

2018 Château Pouget

Ruby. Vanilla, spices, blackberries and cassis nose, fairly intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, leaner finish. 89

2018 Château Prieuré-Lichine

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, vanilla, blueberries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, long finish. Lacks some energy. 91

2018 Château Rauzan-Gassies

Ruby. Anise, herbs, blackberries and vanilla nose, spices. Fresh acidity l ripe tannins, high alcohol jammy and ungainly. 87

2018 Château du Tertre

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, spices, intense, rich of dark fruits. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, big and dense, high alcohol (14,5). Long. 91

2018 Château La Tour de Bessan

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, rich nose, high alcohol. Medium acidity, ripe tannins, jammy, dark fruits, high alcohol, lacks lift and energy. 87