Wines

97 Points! Complex and subtle aromas of black cherries, chocolate and violets with hints of nutmeg and hazelnuts that open to a medium to full body, with fine and polished tannins that integrate nicely then grow beautifully at the end. 69% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. Better to be patient and taste after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with notions of licorice, black truffle, rose petal and iris, the 2021 L'Evangile is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a broad and textural attack that segues into a charming, succulent mid-palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. This saw only two rackings, and some 15% matured in amphora, with the rest in barriques that are less toasty than in the past; the result of these and other initiatives is a much more timeless expression of this property. Bottled in May 2023. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

96 Points! A seductive and sculpted wine, leaning into the vintage’s glamour and richness. The nose is deep and heady, filled with violets, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, and espresso. The palate is glossy and rich, with a juicy, shiny black fruit core, balanced by fine, slightly bloody tannins. There’s an undercurrent of freshness, with a minty lift and a touch of creaminess that enhances the plush texture. Toasted wood notes still need time to integrate, but this is smooth, seductive, and beautifully structured. A wine of depth, polish, and lasting finesse. Ageing 45% new oak, 10% foudre, 15% amphora. 3.88pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine

95 Points! The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. Beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! A classic Evangile from a hot and great vintage with black olives, cedar and brambleberries. Medium-bodied, it has balance and refinement, a solid core of fruit and a sophisticated and polished mouthfeel. The finish is very long, increasing with precision. A graceful and age-worthy wine. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The Grand Vin 2022 Château L'Evangile is more serious and concentrated, with beautiful red and black fruits interwoven with truffly earth, tobacco, and savory, floral, spicy nuances on the nose. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous, round, sexy L'Evangile that has soft, supple tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a mix of both richness and elegance. It's not massive and is already hard to resist, yet it should have 30 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2019 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou is matured for 12 months in 60% new oak. Interestingly, that Earl Grey tincture continues to define this very classically styled wine, enhancing the black fruit. Hints of ash emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and plenty of graphite-infused black fruit that render this quite Pauillac in style. Impressively persistent on the tobacco-tinged finish. Leave this for 4–5 years in bottle just to smooth its edges. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

96 Points! Fantastic aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, licorice and walnuts. So St.-Julien. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and chewy tannins that are really long and serious. Like the 1995 Ducru! One for the cellar. Needs at least until after 2028. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

95 Points! Where you can drink Le Petit Ducru relatively soon, with La Croix you need to wait a few years for the structure to soften. The tannins are silky, the black fruits drenched in espresso, liquorice root spice and smoked oak. An extremely successful La Croix, sexy and powerful while still elegant and sculpted. Give it five or six years from now, and expect a drinking window of at least 15 years. Almost entirely from specific plots within the Ducru vineyard, plus a few young vines of the Grand Vin. 60% new oak.- Jane Anson

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95 Points! Dried bitter herbs, tobacco ash and ripe plums, berries and roasted spices on the nose. A hint of chocolate too. On the palate, this is juicy and well crafted with precise, chalky tannins and a lengthy finish that lingers effortlessly. It lasts almost half a minute. Impeccable balance here. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Aromas of dark berries, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, licorice and new oak introduce the 2022 La Croix St Georges, a full-bodied, velvety and enveloping wine that's rich and seamless, with a sweet core of fruit and a long, creamy finish. This marks the beginning of a positive trajectory for this estate that's adjacent to Le Pin and one of La Fleur-Pétrus's parcels. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

94 Points! A pure Merlot-based Pomerol, the 2022 Château La Croix Saint Georges offers rocking notes of plums, black cherries, leafy herbs, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, round, and lush, it has a beautifully textured and polished profile that’s perfect for drinking over the coming decade or so. Count me impressed – this is a smoking good Pomerol I’d be thrilled to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95 Points! Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, pencil shavings and tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, this is creamy and crunchy with open, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine's sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! One of the smart purchases this year is the 2022 La Dame de Montrose, a second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths. Based on 71% Merlot, the Dame sees a more reductive élevage than the grand vin, which is perfectly adapted to this variety. Opening to reveal aromas of sweet cassis, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, spices and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a powerful but controlled profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #19 Wine of the Year 2023! Strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors are beautifully displayed in this charming version, with loam, tobacco and herbs adding detail while the aftertaste goes on and on. Shows balance and formidable length. Best from 2026 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

100 Points! One of the most powerful and significant La Fleur-Petrus I have ever tasted with incredible depth and power. It’s full and so layered with fine and intense tannins. It shows very dark fruits, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and milk chocolate with almonds. This will age for eternity. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

100 Points! The finest vintage from this address I've ever tasted, as well as a perfect wine, the 2020 Château La Fleur-Petrus reveals a dense purple hue to go with a deep, layered, full-bodied, yet flawlessly balanced style carrying a smorgasbord-like array of red and black fruits, chocolate, dried flowers, spicy oak, and damp earth. It's not a powerhouse in the style of Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certain, or say, Clinet, but is all about finesse, elegance, and complexity. This magical Pomerol will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 20-30 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points! The 2020 La Gaffelière is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, the 2020 is an infant, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This vivid, statuesque Saint-Émilion is nothing short of thrilling. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, TWI

100 Points! One of the great wines of the vintage, and the last produced under the ownership of the Woltner family, the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion remains remarkably youthful, exhibiting a saturated ruby-black hue. Unfurling in the glass with rich aromas of black fruits, cigar smoke, loamy soil, black truffle, peat and pencil shavings, it's full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. Over the last decade, the wine has become increasingly seamless and elegant, without losing any of its vitality, and it is now clear, if it were ever in doubt, that this wine can stand alongside vintages such as 1961 and 1955 as one of the great La Mission Haut-Brions of the 20th century. Readers should note that the La Tour Haut-Brion of the same vintage performs at a very similar level of quality. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

100 Points! Off the charts in every way (if I had to pick a desert island wine, this would be in the top handful), the 2000 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is deep, rich, layered, multi-dimensional, and full-bodied, with a sensational perfume of currants, tobacco, roasted herbs, graphite, and some iron nuances. Powerful and concentrated on the palate, it's nevertheless weightless, with silky, pure, graceful tannins and not a hard edge to be found. Just absolutely sensational, and if this doesn't do it for you, nothing will. Count yourself lucky if you have bottles in the cellar, as it's going to continue drinking amazingly well for another 30, 40, 50+ years. Drink 2026-2076. - Jeb Dunnuck, April 2026

100 Points! One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2012

100 Points! Rose petals, sandalwood and currants with some plums and fruit tea. Full-bodied, tight and focused. Incredibly straight and minerally. Toned muscles here. Tannic. Traditional and unwavering. Try in 2024. - James Suckling

95 Points! The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion unfurls in the glass with a complex, detailed bouquet of plums, cassis, flowers, spices, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its fleshy, layered core of fruit is framed by beautifully velvety tannins. In bottle, much as en primeur, this blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc is a charming, sensual rendition of La Mission. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision - this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, a weightless touch almost but there are still tannins that give a soft support around the palate. Elegant and charming, not demonstrative really, but confident nonetheless. Quite high acidity keeps the freshness and zing and this also has a graphite undertone giving the minerality. Well worked and a characterful wine. Delicate but very enjoyable. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Blackcurrants and graphite aromas follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a savory finish. Fluid, with a subtle and open character. Stone and dust at the end. So drinkable now but will improve with age. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! Although it emerges from a similar terroir and the same winemaking team, the 2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is a dramatically different wine than the Haut-Brion and has a more concentrated, dense, powerful style that is all potential at this point. Dense purple-hued, with lots of crème de cassis, black cherries, smoked meats, lead pencil, graphite, and crushed stone aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a concentrated mid-palate, masses of ripe tannins, integrated acidity, and one hell of a finish. This blockbuster, backward, monster of a La Mission Haut-Brion needs to be forgotten for a good decade (or more) but is going to be just about immortal. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

99 Points! The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emerges from the glass with a first wave of stewed black and red plums, mulberries and black raspberries scents, followed by pronounced notions of warm cassis, clove oil, violets and chocolate box, with hints of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and forest floor coming through after a few minutes. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energy, delivering layers of red and black fruits with earthy and mineral sparks and a texture so satiny you need to remember to look for it, finishing with amazing vibrancy. This is so wonderfully evocative and singular, and yet it feels like its holding something back. It makes for an impressive glass right now, but give it a good 5 years in bottle to allow further nuances to emerge and expect it to seriously reward those who can wait a good 12-15 years, when it should really hit its stride. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

100 Points! The 2019 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is Merlot-dominated, checking in as 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's a more opulent wine compared to Haut-Brion, and the Merlot is front and center here, with ripe, sexy black cherry and redcurrant fruits as well as licorice, scorched earth, cedar pencil, and graphite aromas and flavors. Rich, exuberant, and straight up sexy on the palate, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a heavenly finish. Just a prodigious, powerful, off-the-charts expression of this terroir, it actually reminds me slightly of the 2005 (or 1998?) with its mix of sexiness and opulence. This is one of the few 2019s that will make your eyes roll back in your head. It will need 10-15 years of cellaring, but it’s a sensational wine on every level and will have 40+ years of prime drinking. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! Blackcurrants and crushed stones with violets and roses. Earthy and black truffle notes, too. Medium to full body with firm, silky tannins that are layered and attractive, in a muscular and toned fashion. Iodine, ink, earth and bark with wet-vine undertones to the fruit at the end. Reserved and impressive. Best after 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

99 Points! The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.- William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

100 Points! The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a brilliant effort that exhibits a level of balance and integration that are impressive in such a powerful young Bordeaux. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with burning embers, pencil shavings, violets and smoked black tea, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, elegantly muscular profile, its brooding core of fruit framed by a generous endowment of powdery tannin that tempers the ripeness of the vintage. Checking in at 14.7% alcohol, it's nonetheless more classically styled than the more flamboyant 2019 vintage or even the slowly maturing 2010 which I re-tasted alongside for context. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

99 Points!  Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8.2% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.85. After a swirl or two, the nose blossoms with an alluring array of black cherries, kirsch, and blackcurrant jelly scents, followed by hints of rose oil, sandalwood, tree bark, and Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with muscular black fruits, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. - Lisa Perroti-Brown, The Wine Independent

95 Points! The 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion unfurls in the glass with a complex, detailed bouquet of plums, cassis, flowers, spices, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its fleshy, layered core of fruit is framed by beautifully velvety tannins. In bottle, much as en primeur, this blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc is a charming, sensual rendition of La Mission. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision - this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, a weightless touch almost but there are still tannins that give a soft support around the palate. Elegant and charming, not demonstrative really, but confident nonetheless. Quite high acidity keeps the freshness and zing and this also has a graphite undertone giving the minerality. Well worked and a characterful wine. Delicate but very enjoyable. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Blackcurrants and graphite aromas follow through to a medium body with very fine tannins and a savory finish. Fluid, with a subtle and open character. Stone and dust at the end. So drinkable now but will improve with age. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! As to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is pure perfection, and it's as seamless, pure, and layered as they come, while still bringing incredible intensity and richness. Smoky red and black currants, leafy tobacco, scorched earth, as well as a hint of violets, all define this incredible wine, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, velvety sweet tannins, moderate acidity, and a gorgeous finish. I love this sexy, opulent, straight-up heavenly wine today, yet it can be drunk with incredible pleasure any time over the coming 50+ years. Reminding me of the 2009 and an undeniable candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2022 hit a solid 14% alcohol with a lofty pH of 3.95. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is a total stunner, just as it was en primeur. An archetype of finesse. Dark and explosive, with no hard edges, the 2022 is captivating right out of the gate. Vibrant red fruit, blood orange, new leather and exotic spice notes are all beautifully alive in the glass. The 2022 is seamless and resonant, with magnificent balance and tons of pure class. I would be thrilled to own it. In a word: dazzling. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! Showing blackcurrants, crushed stones and flint undertones, this is full-bodied and very tight with great length and precision, both refined and rather timid at this stage. The strong tannins come out at the end, muscular and beautifully formed, giving tension and power. This needs lots of time to soften. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! Less muscular and more approachable than it appeared en primeur, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion has turned out beautifully in bottle. Unfurling with aromas of spices, smoke, dark berries, pencil lead and licorice mingled with delicate floral top-notes, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a velvety attack that segues into an elegantly structured and energetic mid-palate that's nicely framed by sweet but abundant tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating and perfumed finish. It's a blend of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc. - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97 Points! Gorgeous intensity on the nose, really fragrant and perfumed, richly scented with black fruits and bramble berries. Round, full, persistent and thrilling on the palate, a perfect balance between rich, concentrated and intense fruit and lively acidity. There is density and crispness while remaining quite pure and focused, no overt over ripeness or heaviness. Precise and elegant, juicy and alive. This has supreme charm. 4pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

97+ Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Mondotte strolls nonchalantly out of the glass with expressive scents of plum preserves, blueberry compote and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by suggestions of candied violets, licorice, hoisin and black truffles with a waft of ground cloves. It's medium to full-bodied with seriously impressive tension and wonderfully ripe, velvety tannins supporting the generous black fruit preserves layers, finishing with amazing length and loads of panache. It will require a good 4-5 years to unlock some of its finer nuances, then drink this powerhouse over the next 25+ years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

98 Points! Blackberry, plum, mushroom and wood undertones. It’s full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Savory and fleshy texture on the palate. Well balanced. Flavorful finish with length. Such polish and composure for a young wine. So classy! Try after 2026. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com