Wines

99 Points! The 2019 Figeac is without question one of the wines of the vintage. All the promise it showed as a young barrel sample, is all there in bottle, too. Estate Director Frédéric Faye crafted a towering, statuesque Figeac built on vertical energy and a feeling of vibrancy that never lets up. Deep layers of red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers are framed by a super-classic expression of structure that keeps things in balance. There is a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, and that definitely comes through. Readers who can find the 2019 should not hesitate, as it is truly majestic. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98 Points! The 2019 Château Figeac checks in as 36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Merlot, and it's another brilliant wine from Frédéric Faye. This deep purple-hued effort offers a beautiful Pauillac-like bouquet of ripe black cherries, cassis, damp earth, leafy herbs, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. It has classic Figeac herbal, earthy goodness (no doubt due to its high percentage of Cabernet) and is medium to full-bodied on the palate, has perfect tannins and flawless balance, all making for a brilliant Saint-Emilion that brings richness and power paired with finesse and elegance. Give bottles 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30+. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

100 Points! An absolute legend of a wine, the 2022 Château Figeac is based on 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw malolactic in barrel and 18 months in new barrels. This deep purple-hued beauty offers incredible cassis, spring flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and subtle tobacco notes to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, fine, seamless style on the palate. It's so rare to find a wine that can deliver this level of richness and intensity with no sensation of weight, as well as an incredible sense of finesse and elegance. It reminds me of a slightly more concentrated version of the 2016. Hide bottles for a decade if you can and enjoy over the following 40 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! This wowed during Primeurs and it has maintained its promise now it's been bottled. Gloriously alive with a beautifully expressive nose - dark fruit, liquorice and floral scents. The energy on the palate is incredible - this pulses with life given the high acidity and juicy red berry fruit but this also has a touch of creaminess alongside softly fleshy tannins that give the weight and structure. There's power and concentration but almost hidden underneath the cooling freshness and such charming texture. Effortless winemaking on show, taking the best of the vintage in terms of ripeness but delivering a seriously sophisticated expression that is just so moreish. I love it. A perfect wine. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

100 Points! The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949? - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend (as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and with plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé "A". - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

99 Points! Deep nose with graphite, gravel, dark hazelnut chocolate, blackberries, blueberries and truffles. Really taut and tense on the palate with fresh, vibrating tannins and a very long, chalky finish. Compact. 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Lots of vibrancy and muscled tension here from an extremely hot and dry year. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! The 2022 Red Wine Life And Death is Grenache-dominated yet includes 22% Syrah, 13% each of Mourvèdre and Graciano, and 8.5% Petite Sirah, all of which was fermented with 25% whole clusters and brought up in 70% new oak. It offers a sensational perfume of black raspberry and black cherry fruits intermixed with camphor, lavender, white flowers, and peppery, almost garrigue-like nuances. With full-bodied richness, remarkable purity, and a massive, yet somehow elegant, seamless mouthfeel as well as incredible length, it's a masterpiece of a Rhône-like blend from California's Central Coast that could come from nowhere else. The fruit sourcing here is a mix of Bien Nacido, Stolpman, Alta Mesa, Sanger, and Rancho Boa Vista, and the marriage of richness, purity, and finesse is something to behold. This beauty will evolve for 15-20 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! Another singular, as well as absolutely perfect, wine from this remarkable family team, the 2022 Syrah Life And Death is 100% Syrah from Bien Nacido and Stolpman vineyards, aged 21 months in 61% new oak. It has a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a classic Bien Nacido nose of blackberries, pepper, iodine, and iron notes, with perfectly integrated background spicy oak. Deep, pure, elegant, and beautifully balanced on the palate, it has full-bodied richness, integrated acidity, and a seamless profile. This is stunning stuff that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and can be enjoyed over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! An incredibly wide aromatic spectrum with all the stone and citrus fruits plus a slew of white flowers is married to an overwhelming freshness and vitality that sweep you away. Fabulous concentration, focus and finesse. The supercool, bright finish echoes almost endlessly. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

98-100 Points! The 2018 Cote Rotie La Mouline is immensely seductive, offering up enticing notes of floral potpourri and red berries on the nose. Those strawberries and raspberries persist onto the full-bodied palate and through the long, lush finish, buoyed by supple, creamy-textured tannins. This is the most complete, compelling vintage of La Mouline I've tasted. - Wine Advocate

99 Points! Just about pure perfection as well as a desert Island wine, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mouline comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Blonde lieu-dit and spent four years in new barrels. Incredible notes of black raspberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, smoked game, violets, and pepper all emerge on the nose. These carry to a full-bodied, round, supple, sexy Côte Rôtie offering ultra-fine tannins, an insane level of purity, no hard edges, and a monster of a finish. As with the other 2018s here, it leads with its fruit and has a supple, ethereal style on the palate... - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! The Grand Vin 2018 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. This is a beautiful, classic expression of this terroir, and its dense purple hue is followed by gorgeous black cherry and cassis fruits interwoven with ample tobacco leaf, cedary herbs, earth, truffle, and floral nuances. While 2018 was a hot, dry year (at the end of the season anyway), this shows a mix of cooler-climate, vibrant aromatics paired with a rich, concentrated, fresh style on the palate. It has plenty of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. A beautiful, elegant 2018, it's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for 3-4 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

99 Points!  Complex and expressive nose, offering red and dark fruit, spices and pepper with wood and mushroom undertones. Fresh mussel shell and a hint of ink, too. Full-bodied with a fine texture and great balance between the acidity and the controlled, tannic structure. Very long finish. Goes on and on. Tiny production, 21 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com Learn More

99 Points, Dunnuck's #19 Wine of the Year! Another wine I underrated on release, the 2020 Château Haut-Bailly is just about pure perfection, and whereas the 2018 is closer in style to the 2009, this plays things a little closer to its vest and is reminiscent of the 2010. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless cuts a focused, precise path across the palate and brings incredible purity in its darker fruits, smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, and Asian spice-driven aromas and flavors. The tannin quality here is off the charts, and this beauty has everything you could want from wine. It needs a solid 4-6 years (if not longer) to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window, and it's going to evolve for 50+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

99 Points! A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a bit of swirling to coax out notions of black cherry compote, blackcurrant pastilles, and blackberry preserves, giving way to fragrant wafts of violets, dark chocolate, cardamom, and sassafras, with a touch of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in poise, delivering tightly wrapped black fruit, exotic spice and floral layers, with a super-plush texture and seamless acidity, finishing very long with loads of mineral sparks and tons of energy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

100 Points! Stunning black fruit with plenty of forest berries in there, the whole picture cool and very delicate, also on the concentrated and highly structured palate. The tannins are very fine-grained, but decisively austere and, together with the vibrant acidity, they propel the finish out towards infinity and leave a breathtaking final impression. A blend of 56 per cent merlot, 37.5 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 6.5 per cent cabernet franc. Very long aging potential, but you could try it in 2023. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! Immensely tannic, this is a great Haut-Brion, one of the finest for many years. It shows the severe side of this estate, with a dense structure to match the powerful black fruits. Rich with berry flavors and lifted by enough acidity, the wine will age for many years. Drink from 2026. - Wine Enthusiast

100 Points! The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

100 Points! This has a little more reticence initially on the nose than La Mission, but after a few minutes the rich texture begins to reveal itself, with charcoal, tobacco, dark plum and damson fruits that are straining at the leash. It has hidden power and subtle oak toasting - this clearly feels no need to shout about its presence, but there will be plenty to discover over time. You can feel those tannins licking around your teeth, building up one layer at a time. A great wine En primeur that has settled into greatness. - Decanter Magazine

100 Points! I finished my trip through Bordeaux with the 2020 Château Haut-Brion, and it was certainly a fitting cap to the trip. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, the 2020 exhibits extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers. An absolute blockbuster on the palate, this structured, full-bodied, massively concentrated Pessac builds incrementally, with ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Richer and more concentrated than both the 2018 and 2019 (there are some similarities to 2010), this is a legend in the making. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all of which will spend 15-18 months in 77% new French oak. Hide bottles for a decade, and it should evolve for 50-75 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit that's girdled by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. Despite checking in at a similarly lofty alcoholic degree to the 2019, its more granular tannic profile tempers the vintage's sweetness of fruit and lends the wine a more classically proportioned, and more classically structured, profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

100 Points! The black cassis comes out of the glass, together with iodine, sandalwood and subtle moss and wet-bark undertones, then turning to violets. The palate is mind-blowing, with a cashmere texture that unravels on the palate and continues on for minutes. It’s full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouth-feel, One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is one for your deep cellar. Try in 2029. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

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

98 Points! This is one of the deepest Haut-Brions I have encountered in a long time. The muscular structure takes you down, delivering a long and rather endless finish. Full-bodied with lots of flavor, particularly fruits such as currants as well as black truffles, cedar, walnuts and dark mushrooms. Some dried thyme and crushed stones also. Better give this eight to 10 years. This will improve for decades. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion is powerful and explosive. At the same time, it is incredibly reticent. None of that should be of concern for readers who can wait. Black-toned fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth and licorice all stain the palate, framed by impenetrable, imposing tannins. A vertical, explosive wine, the 2022 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. I suspect it will be magnificent in many years' time. The Haut-Brion softens with a bit of time in the glass, but it remains very much a blockbuster. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98+ Points! A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion, which was bottled in May 2024, lives up to the high expectations I had set for it and then some. Revealing a dense, complex and precise bouquet of dark berries, pencil lead, cedar box, rose and spices intertwined with discreet notes of oak, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a muscular chassis of tannins and an enveloping core of fruit that retains energy and purity, concluding with youthful grip. Given the inherent quality of the terroir, time is likely to be very kind to this vintage, allowing it to integrate and mature gracefully. - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97-99+ Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

100 Points! Very aromatic, with a real airy quality of jasmine, lilacs, crushed stone, pear skin and apple, as well as some citrus. Full-bodied and dense with a creamy, phenolic texture that lasts for minutes at the end. Structured like a red wine. Reserved, compact and intense, and holding back for the future. Drink after 2028 and onwards. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! Remarkably pure and fresh. Pristine black cherry and blackberry, layered with beautiful violet aromas. Everything builds with precision and focus, supported by gorgeously firm, taut, mineral-rich tannins that bring energy and drive. The wine is compact and tightly wound at this youthful stage, its intensity truly emblematic of the vintage. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Ripe, fresh and focused, with a lovely beam of red currant plum coulis that stretches out alongside hints of savory, violet, tobacco and singed cedar. Finishes with a late twang of iron. Nicely done. - Wine Spectator

99 Points! A superb and harmonious Hill of Grace with wonderful complexity on the nose that keeps bringing you back to the glass. Minty blueberries, red berries and some blackberries. Heather and violets with beautifully integrated spices of peppercorn and five spice. Graphite, salt chocolate and cigar box, too. Intense, lush and concentrated. This is barely full-bodied but the concentration is simply effortless and the flavors grow on the palate. Super silky and svelte tannins glide through the even and cohesive palate. Persistent finish, lasting for more than two minutes. Let it breathe if you decide to open it now, but it will sleep well in your cellar, too. - JamesSuckling.com

98 Points! The Hill of Grace vineyard, in Eden Valley, comprises 13 separate blocks, six of which feed into the Hill of Grace Shiraz. The oldest block (0.56 hectares), known as "Grandfathers," was planted around 1860. The other blocks were planted in 1910 (0.33 hectares), 1951 (1.08 hectares), 1952 (0.7 hectares), 1956 (0.88 hectares) and 1965 (0.57 hectares). The 2018 Hill of Grace Shiraz was matured in a combination of new (20%) and seasoned (80%) oak hogsheads (83% French, 17% American) for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, the 2018 vintage assists this wine in speaking clearly of its regional location: raspberry and licorice, coal dust, black tea and tobacco leaf. There are inflections of black truffle and bone broth, which always seem to emerge, however the wine is brighter and more focused than I have seen. It offers a beautiful, svelte display of fruit and tannin, with all things in harmony in the mouth. This is very long, as we would expect from the pedigree of this wine and the vineyard. It is concentrated and intense, sinewy, elegant and powerful—a wine for the future generation. - Erin Larkin, robertparker.com

100 Points! The 2021 Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon includes 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes barreling out of the glass with notes of blueberry compote, juicy black plums, and warm cassis, giving way to hints of candied violets, cinnamon stick, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is decadently rich yet with remarkable energy, framed by velvety tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long and opulent. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent

99 Points! This wine is truly excellent, showing a mineral-edged nose with pure energy and tension. Aromas of struck match, citrus blossoms, crushed stones and salted nuts. The palate is taut, with no hard edges and driving acidity that keeps you salivating for minutes. Closing in on perfection. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! 2018 saw the introduction of ceramic vessels in the winery, along with the addition of another large cask. The 16 micro-vinifications this year took place completely in stainless steel using wild yeasts, then matured for 22 months in tonneaux (80% new) and 15hl barrels. It then spent eight months in ceramic (rather than the cement used in previous vintages) before bottling. This 2018 brilliantly combines the darker fruit of 2016 with the mega-freshness of 2015, finishing it off with super-fine tannins. Creamy, earthy and chocolatey notes are lifted by a balsamic waft, overlaid with ripe, sapid red and black cherries, a touch of black tea and a long, sweet, pure cherry and wild strawberry finish. Superb. - Decanter Magazine

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com