A tight, full-bodied Lascombes that shows nice extraction and concentration. A haze of oak spices and espresso on top of the black currants, blackberries, dark olives, graphite and black bean puree. Pretty broad, vertical and structured for the vintage and it needs a few years to unwind. Better from 2026. - Zekun Shuai

The 2021 Château Lascombes is deep ruby/plum-hued and reveals beautiful aromatics of red and black currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, and integrated oak, with a kiss of violet and flowers emerging with air. It's medium-bodied and has a focused, elegant mouthfeel, rock-solid mid-palate depth, and ripe tannins, with its oak and acidity both beautifully integrated. This is one classy, seamless, yet relatively serious Margaux that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly over the following decade. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in French oak. Tasted multiple times with consistent notes.

Sandalwood and campfire smoke, bright acidity, blueberry and raspberry fruit, this has some appellation typicity in its soft rose aromatics, dips through the mid palate but a clear step up from the Chevalier, as you would doubly expect in the vintage. 41hl/h yield, 60% new oak. Last full year with Dominique Befve as director before the new team came in. Tasted three times, one point upscore.

Chocolate, espresso, licorice, black cherries and mint chip ice cream aromas comes through in the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is creamy, supple, rich, ripe and fruity, with dark chocolate and espresso notes that finish with the finish. Drink from 2025-2040.

Dark chocolate covered black cherries on the nose, so appealing. This is scrumptious; the combination of cool, crunchy fruit with ripe, plush tannins and generous acidity. I love the lifted nature, the sweet fruit aspects and the chalky, wet stone element to the tannins which coats the mouth. Feels precise and well worked. Lovely stuff. Tasted twice.

The 2021 Lascombes was bottled in June 2023. It has an attractive nose, not amazingly complex but demonstrating purity of fruit: black cherries, a touch of cassis and that inkwell trait I commented upon from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite tensile but there is a slight tapering-off toward the finish. Nonetheless, I appreciate the linearity of this Margaux, and it should drink well for 15-20 years. -- Neal Martin