A rock star Margaux that should be snatched up by readers, the 2018 Château Marquis D'Alesme reveals a dense purple hue as well as ripe, sexy notes of blackcurrants, spicy oak, tobacco leaf, earth, and cedar. Deep, full-bodied, and gorgeously concentrated, it has velvety tannins, a layered, mouthcoating texture, and a great finish. It's a baby, but wow, what a wine. Hide bottle for 5-7 years if you can (you'll be forgiven for opening a bottle early) and it's going to evolve for 30-40 years.

Voluptuous, silky, fresh, concentrated, full-bodied, rich and packed with layers of perfectly ripe, sweet, silky textured, red and black fruits. The weight, depth of flavor, complexity, length and opulent finish is just great. This has a long future with at least 2-3 decades of positive evolution ahead. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2018&wine=Chateau%20Marquis%20d%27Alesme

(95+ points) The 2018 Marquis d'Alesme Becker is from the lieu-dit Les Terrasses de Margaux. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it has 14.5% alcohol. It was aged for 18 months in 65% new and 35% two-year-old barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of ripe blackcurrants, wild blueberries and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of violets, star anise, underbrush and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy, featuring loads of red and black fruit preserves layers and a finely grained texture, finishing long and mineral tinged. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Gorgeous mouthfeel right from the first sip, with a velvety, fine-grained texture that lets the range of dark plum, black currant and blackberry fruit flavors splay out without losing focus, while mouthwatering black tea, alder and mineral notes wait gracefully in reserve, showing just a hint, for now, of what they can do on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. — J.M.

This is the third vintage using Marquis d'Alesme's handsome new cellar, which has contributed to a marked change in the wines since the 2015 vintage. The 2018 has expansive floral aromas and very pure, seductive raspberry fruit flavours and a creamy texture. All the fruit goes into the grand vin here, as the property is quite small, with only 15 hectares of vines. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% each Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, which come from very old vines planted on the appellation's limestone plateau. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045

The vintage character comes through in the evident rosemary and black pepper spice. There are impressive layers of coffee bean, raspberry and black cherry fruits, and a swirl of smoked cedar, brioche and patisserie cream. Fermentation temperature was kept to 26°C to ensure gentle extraction after the hot summer, but the tannins feel just a little over-emphasied at this point, definitely needs more time in bottle. Marjolaine de Coninck technical director, owner Nathalie Perrodo. Harvest September 25 to October 12. 65% new oak.