2018 Pauillac in bottle

2018 Pauillac

2018 Château d’Armailhac

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, spices, exotic, some vanilla, a new found depth and layers from Armailhac on the nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, lush and expressive yet wit structure. Since 2016 Armailhac has become more serious, and this is probably the most serious thus far. Baby Mouton in al, but the price. Long finish. 94

2018 Château Batailley

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, rich nose, vanilla, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, juicy, rich and dense, intense and detailed. Alcohol warmth. (14,5) Long. 93

2018 Château Clerc Milon

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, almost some faint mint notes, at least graphite minerals, detailed and lifted nose, already at this stage. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, blueberries, anise, juicy, elegant texture, nuanced, bright and lifted yet with a depth and sweetness unusual for Clerc Milon. Probably the greatest vintage ever from this estate. 95

2018 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon

Ruby. Blueberries, anise, some spices, blackberries nose, fruit driven. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, soft, fruit driven, rounded and smooth, velvet texture already, good length. 89

2018 Château Croizet-Bages

Ruby. Cassis, anise, some herbs, blueberries nose. Vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, darkfruits, anise, blackberries and spices, rich and big, good length. 89

2018 Château Duhart-Milon

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, scented, floral, nuanced nose, bright. Quite intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, dense and big, long. 92

2018 Château Fonbadet

Ruby. Cassis, scented, vanilla, rich nose, dark fruity with some blueberries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise and spices, liquorice, rich and long. 92

2018 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices and liquorice, jammy. 89

2018 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, some spices nose, liquorice. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, detailed and intense, long finish. Quite big GPL. 94

2018 Château Haut- Bages Libéral 

Ruby. Dark fruits, vanilla, spices, liquorice, blueberries nose, scented high notes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, incredible tannin structure, very fine grained, almost lifting the fruit forward, detailed and intense. About 14,3% alcohol, so on the richer side, and it opens up into a peacock finish. Long. Probably the greatest Haut-Bages Libéral made to date. 94

2018 Château Haut-Batailley

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, vanilla, rich and intense nose, layered and deep. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dense and big, rich and fruit driven, liquorice, long finish. 91

2018 Château Lafite Rothschild 

Ruby. Scented, blackberries and anise, fruit driven nose, nuanced, layered, floral and scented, stunning nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, cassis, spices, layered and detailed, stunning balance, incredible length. Such an incredible wine! 100

2018 Château Lynch Bages

Ruby. Rich nose, intense, spices, liquorice, big and dense nose, layered. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, intense and big, long finish. A huge Lynch-Bages. Touch of alcohol warmth. 96

2018 Château Lynch-Moussas

Ruby. Vanilla, blackberries and cassis nose, spices and smoky notes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, detailed, intense, high alcohol, long finish. 90

2018 Château Mouton Rothschild

Ruby. Scented, red fruits, cassis, blueberries, spices, exotic notes, Turkish bazar, mint, fine tobacco, truffles and fine black tea nose, layers, and even on the nose it already feels like walking through silk veils. Fresh acidity, energetic, ripe tannins, rich for Mouton, deep, layered, nuanced, incredible balance, 13,6 alcohol even if label states 14, subtle yet dense, yet intense, yet complex, yet layered, so many textures. Now retired Philippe Dhalluin is said to have mentioned this might be the next 1945. I don’t know, as I have yet to be in a place where the stars align for such an event. But even at this youthful stage you rarely taste a wine so complete. It gives me goosebumps! Even after several hours following its development. This surely must be wine of the vintage in 2018? I have never pondered upon scoring 101 points before now. I have followed this bottle for seven hours and it just keeps building. Incredible length. 100

2018 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild

Ruby. Sweet cassis, blueberries, fruit driven, some vanilla, spices, exotic fruits, nuanced and detailed. Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, nuanced, detailed, smooth yet with texture, nuanced. Normally the second labels are a, well, somewhat vague mirror of the main wine. This may be the first Petit Mouton that actually carries a proper Mouton fingerprint. Well done! 93

2018 Château Pauillac

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, some spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, lacks some lift, good length. Promises more on the nose than it delivers on the palate. 88

2018 Château Pédesclaux 

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, cassis, scented, detailed nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, blackberries and spices, lots of wood, long finish. 91

2018 Château Pibran

Ruby. Cassis, vanilla, blackberries and spices, nuanced with scented overtones nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, cassis, intense and a bold Pibran, rich, tobacco notes behind, a whiffof high alcohol in the finish, long. 91

2018 Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, spices, intense and almost dense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, intense, layered, rich, deep, probably the sweetest fruit of any Pichon Baron, even if the 1947 actually have some dark fruits sweetness as well, still. Borderline alcohol warmth as so many this vintage, very well put together. Superb length. 98

2018 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, rich nose, fruitdriven, vanilla and spices nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, blackberries, lush and rich, sweet, liquorice, some truffles and dark chocolate, high alcohol. Long. 92

2018 Les Tourelles de Longueville

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, rich and intense Tourelles pn the nose, ripe. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, sweet and a bit flat, lacks some lift, long. High alcohol. 90

2018 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, blueberries, vanilla and spices behind, faintly scented nose, another depth, or rather unusual richness somehow. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, lush, alcohol is on the high side but it hides it well, denser Comtesse, long finish. 97

2018 Reserve de la Comtesse

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, intense Reserve, fruit driven. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries and spices, blueberries, nuanced, long finish. 91

2018 Château Pontet-Canet

Ruby. Cassis, vanilla, spices, liquorice, intense and rich nose, big. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, rich and dense, layered and intense, big and sweet, liquorice, long finish. A massive wine! 96

2018 Château Tour Sieujean

Ruby. Coffee, chocolate, cassis nose, vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, blackberries and spices, hides high alcohol fairly well. 88