The 2022 Giscours has a very classy, sophisticated bouquet with mineral-laden black fruit, wilted violet and crushed stone, precise with seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is silky smooth, beautifully balanced...

This pure Merlot, unusual for Saint-Émilion, is powerful and one with great elegance and style. It has structure and a spicy aroma that shows the wine's richness. On the slopes of Saint-Emilion, this 26-acre estate makes...

This was bottled in September 2024, so at the time of tasting has only been in bottle three months. The blend is 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, with 70% whole-cluster vinification, and the...

The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, with a 2% dash of Petit Verdot. Lovely classicism and freshness on the nose here, dark and brooding, yet perfumed as well, with fragrant red cherry, blackberry, olive...

The grand vin from the Decosters is a blend of 76% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured mostly in new French oak barrels, with some use of older oak, foudre s and amphorae. A rather restrained...

Sleek and polished, with alluring notes of blackberry puree and warmed cassis that glide through, while fine-grained tannins, a buried chalky spine and a gilding of sweet tobacco add range and length. Shows a...

A deliciously inviting nose, with dark and perfumed fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry and damson, with smoky crushed chalk, rose petal and toast, as well as a touch of honeyed oak. The palate builds on this start with a...

A rich, lush, concentrated, forward, supple-styled wine that is open from the first sniff, and sip. The opulent wine is packed with espresso dark chocolate, and even darker, red pit fruits. The wine is deep and lush on...

In 2022 Les Tourelles is a blend of 65% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. Les Tourelles charms on the nose with scents of toasted fruits, cedar and crushed chalk, with a little touch of mint and...

Based on a blend of Right Bank Merlot and Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 16 months in barrel, the 2022 Arbalest reveals classic Bordeaux notes of ripe darker berries, subtle earthy nuances, and a polished...

Situated at the borders of the appellation Saint-Estèphe but within the appellation Médoc, the 2022 Larrivaux reveals a somber, dark bouquet of spices and dark berries mingled with elegant toasty notes. Medium to...

A very convincing nose of sweet blackcurrants, blackberries and dark chocolate, with an appealing edge of toasty oak. The palate follows with a wealth of dark fruits, dark chocolate, toast and coffee bean, set in a broad...

Supple, soft, and creamy, the floral-edged wine is loaded with elegant, polished, sweet, ripe, delicious fruits that flow across your palate with ease. This baby Brane is perfect to enjoy on release while waiting for the...

The blend is 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, at the upper end of the usual range of percentages for the Merlot, and the élevage was in one-third new oak for twelve months, the...

The 2022 from Lascombes is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the remaining 3% being Petit Verdot. A dark, opaque hue in the glass, and a highly scented nose laden with oaky dark chocolate, with notes of...

A Merlot-heavy blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc raised 21 months in equal parts foudre, stainless steel, and used barrels, the 2022 Chemin De La Reine is another mineral-driven effort from this estate. Ripe red...

Crisp cherries, mulberries, camphor, chalky earth, and graphite are just some of the nuances that emerge from the 2022 King's View, a 100% Merlot from pure limestone soils. Aged two-thirds in foudre and one-third in new...

92+ A serious, concentrated Castillon from 100% Merlot, the 2022 Rouncey was brought up 20 months in 70% foudre with the balance in one- to two-year-old barrels. Black cherries, mulberries, damp earth, graphite, and...

The blend here majors on Cabernet Franc, at 60% of the total, with 40% Merlot, and the élevage was in 100% new oak, gently toasted, for 20 months. A nose of confit blackcurrant and blackberry, with violet cream and white...

An interesting nose, distinctive, with toasted redcurrant and red cherry fruits layered with vanilla. A juicy style follows on the palate, the fruit floral and scented, with peony, blackcurrant leaf and rosemary, draped...

This is the last vintage to be vinified in the old facilities, there is a new building located clos to Léoville-Las-Cases which was used from 2023 onwards. The assemblage in 2022 is 45.5% Merlot, 44.5% Cabernet Sauvignon...

Sleek and well-built in feel, with a beam of violet, iris, red currant and dark cherry notes that have melded together nicely. Shows a singed apple wood frame on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and...

This is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, and the élevage was 18 months in 100% new oak. A surprisingly perfumed example of Ducru-Beaucaillou, forgoing the dark intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon I intended...

The 2022 Gracia has a nicely detailed bouquet with wilted rose petal, black cherry and wild strawberry tones. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and more mineralité than recent vintages, with a...

This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, matured in 40% new oak barrels, with 60% old barrels and vats, for 16 months. A very polished style on the nose, with a darker fruit profile on the nose here, with...

A 20-acre property has produced a ripe and structured wine. A spicy aroma and smoky flavors add an exotic edge to the wine. Drink from 2028. — Roger Voss