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Bordeaux 2018: St Emilion

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

Many delicious wines have been made in St Emilion in 2018. This is a vintage with the most sumptuous, sublime fruit. While the wines do not have the magical balance of 2016 or 2015, with their fresher acidities, on the best terroirs there are a range of wines here that rival 2009 in character for sheer exotic ripeness and joy, but without the evident over-extraction that characterised the appellation a decade ago. Yes, these are wines with plenty of tannin, enviably ripe tannin, and in all but a few cases I would confidently expect the wines to settle by bottling. As in 2009 this will be a vintage that will drink well from the very beginning, but that has the evident structure to last.

I have already posted in detail about some of the appellation’s finest wines. Since my trip to Bordeaux earlier in the year I have also tasted samples of Château Canon, Château Canon-La-Gaffelière and La Mondotte in London. These properties have produced beautifully wines in 2018 and are alongside the very best that St Emilion offers in this vintage. Below this exceptional top tier [but not very far below] wonderful wines have also been made at Château Bellefont-Belcier, Clos de l’Oratoire, Château de Pressac, Château La Marzelle, Château Sansonnet and Château Fleur Cardinale.

The following notes also include those published earlier this year on the blog. I hope you find the following notes and scores useful. They are listed, more or less, in alphabetical order.

Château Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, Group ‘A’, 2018

Wonderfully deep and enticing looking; legs; purple at edge; tight to meniscus; cool purity; little reticent at first; black cherry; plum; very pure; seam of lovely fruit; this is very attractive indeed; cool palate; plum, cassis; very nicely layered; supple fruit but oceans of it here on the palate; the oak feels totally soaked up on the palate [a little more evident on the aromatics]. Great stuff! Up there almost with the ‘09 and ‘10. Bold tannins on the finish and some wood but evidently plenty of matter here. Will work extremely well. [65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2025-2045. 97-98+

Château Beauséjour [Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse], St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and saturated; really deep, wonderful fruit on the nose; really stylish; beautifully pure; terrific palate; has real delicacy with fabulous texture and depth; this is great stuff! The purity is the key here; such wonderful plummy fruit that goes on and on; marvelous texture to the tannins. A wonder. Overall fabulous length and freshness. Utterly fantastic. A potentially perfect Bordeaux in the making? [80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2025-2045. 98-100

Château Bellefont Belcier, St Emiion, Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Saturated colour; bright and clear; ripe plums; blue fruits; blueberry notes; nice and fresh; like this; deep and attractive; ripe entry; fruit has texture and freshness and matter; some density here; feels like there is acidity somewhere; certainly extract and matter which gives punctuation; like the purity and the supple ness of the ingredients. Should work very well. Nice finish. Might merit more than this. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2039. 91-93+

Château Bellevue, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Polished and glossy black red; legs; purple at edge; ripe fruit; unctuously styled; strawberry, some jam; some black chocolate hints; lush; bit chewy on the entry; some extraction here; meaty; lots of fruit but pushed at this stage; this will settle as the tannins are supple if evident. Lots of matter. Little chewy on the finish at present. First year organic. 100% Merlot. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2023-2035. 92-94+

Château La Brande, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated colour; tight to the rim; lush and nutty; black cherry; quite sublimated; chewy and extracted; too much; inky; needs to settle – very puckering….extracted. Needs to settle. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2029. 85-87

Chateau Canon, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe, 2018

Deeply coloured; legs; strong and powerful Canon; real density; layers of fruit on the aromatics but quite tightly packed together; pent up; obviously will unpack over the years; structure is fine with significant depth. Real density here. Excellent length and freshness too. [72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May 2019. Drink 2025-2045. 96-98+

Chateau Canon-la-Gaffelère, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe, 2018

Deep and saturated look; lush aromatics; plums, some spices and fruit cake notes; satin quality here; fresh entry on the palate; lots of matter and great structure from the Cabernets. Fresh finish. Has real life and vibrancy. Great stuff. [50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted May 2019. Drink 2023-2045. 96-98

Carillon de Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep red; earthy red purple at edge; ripe black fruits; perfume lift from the interwoven oak; black cherry; kirsch; really a voluptuous Carillon; a beauty; pure entry; like this; pure plum; blackcurrant; cassis and some black cherry; very polished in the mouth and refined; lovely texture to the tannins. Works really well. Best young Carillon I can remember tasting. Good finish. Fine tannins. [85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2023-2035. 94-95

Clos Badon, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated look; earthy red purple at edge; strong and powerful; rich; lashings of fruit on the nose; sweet entry; soft and supple to begin with; easy almost but not that it lacks middle; nicely balanced and harmonious; has texture and matter on the finish. Great effort. Chewy finish – due to the volume of matter! Wow. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2025-2035. 92-94+

Clos Gardiere, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; stalky and thick; plenty of extract on the nose; has some density; fresh; some Bordeaux qualities; layered and lush; works; lush entry; plenty of extract and stalky cherry fruit; quite fresh and attractive. This will work in a fresh and attractive style; nice and fresh fruit with sap. Like this. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2033. 90-92+

Clos de l’Oratoire, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep; glossy as ever; lovely lush, plummy aromatics; seductive; spices too; very attractive; lively palate with lots going on – plenty of sweet ripe fruit but with freshness too. Remains nimble on its feet on the finish. Fruit here seductive and adorable. [85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May 2019. Drink 2022-2035. 93-95+

Clos Romanile, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; ripe and full; clean merlot; full and compact; solid and attractive; fleshy; not as rustic as some of the other vintages of Clos Romanile I’ve tried; works; feels purer and cleaner; nicely done. Chew and extract but well done. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2030. 90-91+

Clos St Julien, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; ripe and sweet; unctuously styled; ripe cherry and sweet black fruit; sweet and ripe fruit on the palate; full; extract is sweet and full; supple and full; well done. 88-90+

Château Le Conte Marquey, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Mid depth but red purple at edge; stalky; fresh Merlot; quite Bordeaux; sweet entry; lush to start with; satin; supple palate; with some plum tones; lacks some depth and feels a little stretched at the end. Little dry in the finish. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2029. 85-87

Château Corbin, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Mid depth; tight to the rim; earthy; sweet and lush; seductive; with some sweet oak to accompany; some forest floor notes; perfumed and seductive; ripe and sweet; lacks complexity but has plenty of supple fruit. Sweet with lots of extract. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2022-2030. 89-91+

Château Croix Cardinale, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Saturated looking; tight to the edge; earthy purple; lush plum and ripe black cherry; very black fruit dominated; layered; full; soft entry; sweet and ripe; has plenty of middle; easy and supple tannins. Works. Chew and extract at the back. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2030. 90-92+

Château Daugay, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; earthy red purple at rim; lovely black cherry perfume; sings from the glass; seductive; some meaty black fruits beneath; sweet ripe entry; lovely purity continues on the palate; really nice flesh tones; has delicacy; seductive; open; quite gorgeous vintage here evidently. Lovely decadent stuff. [63% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2022-2032. 92-94+

Château Fleur Cardinale, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and tight to the rim; saturated colour; tight to the edge; little cooler in profile; more clean ripe plum; lots of depth; feels really full; some perfume too; focused and precise but with lots of flesh evident; ripe mouthful; creamy fruit to begin with has lots of extract; works well; nicely extracted and fine. Brilliant work here. Lovely length. Wonderful extract. Modern styled but works for me. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2040. 94-96+

Château Fombrauge, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deeply coloured; sweet and attractive; ripe black fruits; sexy and unctuous; ripe entry; satin fruit; lots of depth; not tannic; sweet and satin fruit; nicely judged actually; this works. Nice textured on the finish. Length and matter. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2035. 91-93+

Château Grand Barrail St André, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Mid depth; red at edge; ripe and soft merlot; quite simple but nicely done; some freshness; little earth and chocolate; stalky note; quite like this quality; little puckering on the palate; with a chewy, pushed finish. Should come round but currently feels over extracted relative to the fruit. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2029. 85-87

Château Haut-Brisson, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Saturated colour; tight to edge; ripe, sweet lush plum aromatics; full and attractive; works nicely; little liquorice; intense; ripe and full – lovely entry; sweet and ripe fruit; extract here with matter and some chew but not too much. Chewy but tannins supple and harmonious. Works well again. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2035. 90-92+

Château Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep; bright in the glass; colour tight to rim; fruit little pent up to start with; some perfume; quite solid almost but then unfolds; beautiful plum tones emerge; this wine is a little deceptive on the nose as the palate is laden with fruit; lovely purity; beautiful tones; has grace and depth; velvet and satin quality to the palate; great texture; lovely length; real persistence. Length. Delicacy. Lots of depth and a great finish. [89% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2040. 95-97

Château Laroque, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Lovely deep and healthy colour; tight to the rim; beautifully pure fruit; really enticing perfumed aromatics; lovely and not at all jammy; fresh fruit on the palate with a savoury finish; black cherry; red fruits – very well-mannered overall; lovely texture to the tannins throughout. This is potentially beautiful wine with impressive length. [97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% alc, pH 3.48]. Tasted April 2019. Drink from 2022-2035. 93-95+

Château Magrez-Fombrauge, St Emilion Grand Cru 2018

Very dark looking; ripe and sublimated; sweet entry; satin fruit but my palate is beginning to tire; ripe entry; satin fruit; really soft tannin; woks well; good on the finish. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2035. 91-93+

Château Mangot, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated looking; colour right up to edge; jam and confiture; late picked; raisin note; heavy and a little extracted on the palate; really dry and chewy on the palate; tannic; extracted. This needs to settle. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2030. 85-87?

Château Mangot, Cuvée Todenschini, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Dark and saturated look; right up to the rim; little raisin and jam note; feels sublimated but perhaps a little too lack picked? Creamy tones; chewy entry on the palate; needs to settle; lots of fruit matter and chew rim the tannins; loads of wood tannins; dry on the finish. Like to see this down the track. Both versions of Chateau Mangot have lots of elements but need to settle. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2035. 85-87?

Château La Marzelle, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and saturated; ripe and lifted; lovely perfumed fruit; lovely creamy plum tones; really like this; voluptuous; ripe entry; lush plums and black fruits with some spice; this works very well. Layers and lashings of fruit. Ripe but not overdone. Low acidity bit will really work. Lots of chew and extract on the finish but really promising. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2040. 94-96+

La Mondotte, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and saturated; glossy in the glass; lovely lush fruit; deep and layered; plums and satin fruit; has delicacy as well as depth; the fruit tones here are simply wonderful. Freshness here too on the finish – this wine has a real salty tingle on the finish. Great stuff. [75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May 2019. Drink 2025-2045. 98-100

Château Moulin de Cadet, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated colour; ripe; creamy; plummy notes; lush; plenty of depth and layers; little nutty note at the edge; lush entry; creamy fruit; layered and supple; real harmony but plenty here; satin quality; inky; textured; plenty of black fruit extract. Needs to settle, feels a little dry on the finish but should round out with élevage. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2032. 90-92+

No 3 de Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated look; legs; stalky blackcurrant and black cherry notes; quite deep; cool perfumed fruit; lovely purity on the palate; nice texture and polish; really caressing and elegant. This works well. Perhaps a fraction compact on the finish. Second label of Carillon. [70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2022-2028. 90-92+

Château Pavie-Macquin, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and dark; opaque at central; fully laden with fruit on the aromatics; that strength from the Cabernets influences the nose but the Merlot is strong – it’s the terrior as much as the variety that speaks; great entry; full; polished; suave; still glossy however; tannins nicely handled; really caressing; great length; and finish. Very sturdy and powerful. This works very well. Great length with fantastic length and grip. Best young Pavie-Macquin I’ve had? Will be long-lived but with a wide window of drinkability. [78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2026-2048. 96-98

Château Petit Gravet Aîné, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; little tighter to edge; plums and black cherry; fresher than some; full; has extract but also freshness; like this – works well. Has live and vivacious quality. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2030. 89-91+

Château de Pressac, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and saturated look; colour up to edge; very lush and sublimated; creamy; plums; black fruits; some lift from the oak; but this works; layered and lush; chocolate; black fruits; sweetness; ripe works; especially in this vintage. There is some chew to the tannins but these are ripe. Plenty of density on the finish – and matter. Should come together well. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2040. 91-93+

Château Le Prieuré, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Mid depth; attractive; ripe and full; sweet entry; supple fruit; easy texture; then comes some chewy notes at the end; these will doubtles meld; quality of the fruit is good; just a little over extracted. Hopefully this will settle. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2035. 89-91

Château Roc de Boisseau, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated; earthy purple at edge; legs; black tar; liqourice; some meat; fuller; oak influenced; meatier overall style; ball of fruit; ripe; thick; rich palate; little oak evident; some chew and wood tannin needs to meld but evidently plenty of fruit to cover the bones. [80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April ’18. Drink 2022-2030. 90-92

Château Sansonnet, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and saturated colours; ripe and lush; sweet and ripe; attractive; very loaded aromatics but focused; almost meaty and full; sweet and ripe entry; lashings of fruit; lovely entry; this could make really lush St Emilion; chocolate; on the finish; lacks acidity but has lots of textured matter on the palate. Will come good young. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2024-2038. 93-95+

Château Soutet-Cadet, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and saturated look; ripe black fruits with liquorice notes from the oak; seductive; creamy; layered and focused; full and sweet; nice entry; this has lots of lush, seductige sweet ripe fruit with liqourice overlay; this should develop really well. Lots of matter and extract here. Real mouthful. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-3035. 92-94+

Château Trimoulet, St Emilon Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and dark; has life; tight to the rim; clearer and pure; lovely creamy ripe plums and blue fruits; I’d mark this up for the cooler profile – just as lush but more bluer fruits; a wonder for me. Palate is creamy with real texture; satiny fruit; ripe. There is some bite to the tannins but this works very well indeed. Nice texture to the fruit. Lovely extract. This works! Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2032. 91-93+

Château Tour St Christophe, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and dark; full; rich; velvety; black chocolate; black cherry; lush layers again; not over the top; quite bold; plenty of fruit; some of this will soften; the tannins are round and this remains a mouthful; has chew and density on the finish; little chew to the tannins at the end. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2023-2029. 88-90

Château Valandraud, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2018

Deep and typically saturated; legs; tight to the rim; creamy black fruits; very focused; pent up; very full but this wine has lots of gloss and polish; really focused; tightly packed fruit; interwoven with fine oak; sweet entry; lovely silky fruit and yet super concentrated; plenty of matter but tannins [lots of them] but supple and overall feeling is harmonious. Plums, black fruits; but also a mineral note. Great length. Really great in fact. Up there with the best Valandraud’s I’d say. Terrific. Later returing to the wine the overall impression was one of silkiness. A really polished wine with lovely tannins. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2026-2045. 97-98+

Virginie de Valandraud, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2018

Deep and arterial colour tight to the rim; legs; black cherry, plum, chocolate and some eau de vie; almost a meaty/savoury note too; possibly the volume of fruit here in 2018; little liquorice note from the oak; full entry; lots of extract and matter; real volume that needs to settle a bit; little furry around the edges at present but the fruit itself is very Bordeaux again; lots of structure; fruit tannins and also oak. This feels quite long term Virginie to me. Love the fruit – which is so Bordeaux. Has texture, matter but also some freshness. Little chewy on the finish perhaps. Great length. Lots of extract and needs to settle. 5-7 years minimum. Tasted April 2019. Drink 2025-2035. 92-94

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