Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

Based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a stunner that does everything right, offering a monster bouquet of black and blue fruits as well as candied violets, incense, flowers, and toasty oak. A ripe, full-bodied, incredibly sexy wine in every sense, it has a great mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's one of the more up-front, exotic wines in the vintage and should be accessible with just short-term cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck (97+)

The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96+)

The 2023 Beychevelle is a dark, brooding wine. Blackberry, gravel, dried herbs, chocolate, menthol and incense stain the palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine's freshness and energy, along with a surprising amount of tension. In many recent vintages, Beychevelle has been quite racy and opulent. The 2023, on the other hand, displays elements of youthful classicism that will require a few years to mellow. I expect it will age gracefully for decades.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2016 Bibian has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands more coaxing than its peers, eventually revealing pure blackberries, raspberry, cedar and light mint aromas. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure and polished with some classy new oak assiduously blended. This is a classy offering and one of the best Cru Bourgeois that I have tasted this vintage. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.

James Suckling (95)

Really fresh and vivid with sliced grapefruit, lemon, green apple and white peach. Apricot, too. Medium to full body with phenolic texture and a long, vivid finish. 70% sauvignon, 20% semillon and 10% muscadelle. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

A bright and vivid white with sliced lemon, grapefruit and mineral character. Medium to full body. Crisp acidity and a minerally finish. Lots of energy this year despite the hot and dry growing season. 67% sauvignon blanc, 22% semillon and 11% muscadelle. Drinking beautifully already.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2023 Blanc de Lynch-Bages is a delight. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint, chalk, passion fruit and tangerine peel give the Blanc its exotic, layered feel. As always, a touch of Muscadelle lends an exotic flair.

James Suckling (92)

A juicy and chewy young Bordeaux with chocolate, berry and walnut character. Medium to full body and polished tannins. Needs three to four years to soften. Second wine of L’Evangile.

James Suckling (92)

A juicy and chewy young Bordeaux with chocolate, berry and walnut character. Medium to full body and polished tannins. Needs three to four years to soften. Second wine of L’Evangile.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2016 L'Evangile Blason de l'Evangile is another brilliant second wine that delivers the goods. Showing a more upfront, fruit-loaded, opulent style, it gives up tons of cassis fruits, tobacco, incense, dried herbs, and graphite. With no hard edges, a full-bodied, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish, it's a sexy, sexy Pomerol to drink over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2014 Bonalgue is ripe, racy and voluptuous, all of which make it pretty hard to resist. Dark red cherry, espresso, grilled herbs, French oak and menthol caress the palate. All the elements have come together beautifully in this overt, flamboyant yet midweight Pomerol. Silky tannins add to the wine’s early and medium-term appeal. Another year or two in bottle should help the oak integrate a bit further, but this will always be in a forward, giving style. Tasted two times.

Discover the Bordeaux Rive Droite Caisse Prestige No 2 2018, a meticulously crafted iteration from one of France's leading wine regions. Produced with precision on the sun-drenched, well-drained slopes of Bordeaux's right bank, this fine wine is an impressive mix of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Harvested manually, each grape contributes to a rich bouquet of flavours; blackberry, plum and spice from the Merlot, savoury elements imparted by the Cabernet Franc, and the structure and acidity provided by the Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaking process employs traditional fermentation techniques, followed by ageing in high-quality French oak barrels, resulting in a complex, robust wine.

Renowned globally, the Bordeaux Rive Droite Caisse Prestige No 2 2018 is a testament to the combined knack and passion of the Château's seasoned vintners. This harmonious blend offers a flavour profile that showcases the best of Bordeaux and is a must-try for any wine enthusiast.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

This family-owned estate has produced a structured and dark wine with great concentration balanced by acidity and pure, creamy fruit. It is a wine with a good future. The aftertaste leaves juicy acidity and firm tannins. Drink from 2025.

Wine Spectator (96)

The core of this red is loaded with pure plum, blueberry and black currant fruit flavors. The polished structure is integrated, with alluring ganache, anise and sweet tobacco notes throughout, all in a polished and balanced frame. A very classy red that isn't shy about its power but pushes its purity to the fore. Best from 2024 through 2039.

Wine Spectator (96)

The core of this red is loaded with pure plum, blueberry and black currant fruit flavors. The polished structure is integrated, with alluring ganache, anise and sweet tobacco notes throughout, all in a polished and balanced frame. A very classy red that isn't shy about its power but pushes its purity to the fore. Best from 2024 through 2039.

James Suckling (97)

Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made. Try after 2026.

James Suckling (95-96)

Dark-berry and blue-fruit character to the firm, chewy tannins that are polished and solid. Medium to full body. Wood and walnut undertones now. Impressive.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95+)

The 2020 Branaire-Ducru was so alluring en primeur, but is very shy today. That said, some of that youthful exuberance has given way to the characteristic Brainaire finesse. Dark red cherry, spice, grilled herbs, menthol and licorice emerge, but only with great reluctance. Sweet floral and spice notes lift the finish nicely. The 2020 is going to need the better part of a decade to come around.

James Suckling (94-95)

A very pretty wine, showing blackberry and blackcurrant aromas with crushed stone. Medium to full body with layers of fine-grained tannins. Bright and refined. Lots of dark fruit at the end. Solid weight.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

Darker currants, leafy herbs, graphite, tobacco, and subtle orange zest-like nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Branaire-Ducru, a ripe, concentrated, flawlessly balanced Saint-Julien. With medium to full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and plenty of tannins, it's another no-brainer of a 2022 that readers will love to have in their cellar. The 2022 is 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in oak.

James Suckling (95-96)

This has so much lead pencil, stone and blackcurrant character, as well as blackberry. It’s medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a polished finish. Very classy and structured.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)

Lush and intense, grip and expansion through the palate, this is expertly put together, great quality, gentle white pepper spice, fragrant smoked cumin, crushed raspberry and red cherry, peony and roses smoked earth and black tea. Owner Henri Lurton, technical director Christophe Capdeville.