[91-93 pts] ... A wonderful bouquet with pure brambly red fruit, light graphite scents and just a touch of the estuary. The palate is beautifully proportioned with fine tannins, quite structured and saline, very mineral-driven and as fresh as a daisy towards the finish. Excellent. -N.M.
[96-98 pts] ...Very focused bouquet with dark berry fruit, crushed rock, iris flower and just a touch of blue fruit. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. Beautifully-balanced, conveying palpable energy, this is cool, calm and collected on the finish, brushing off the hurdles of the growing season like water off a duck's back. Baptiste and Julie Guinaudeau have conjured not just one of the finest Pomerols of 2021, but one of the finest Bordeaux wines. -N.M.
[95-97 pts] The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild, which was aged in 90% new oak, has a deep, almost opaque hue. This has quite an arresting bouquet with dense blackberry, sous-bois and pencil box scents, quintessential Lafite aromas with nuanced floral scents surfacing with time. The palate is medium-bodied... The Cabernet Sauvignon imparts graphite and almost briny elements into the aromatic profile.... Classic in style, head winemaker Eric Kohler suggests that it is a return to the style of Lafite-Rothschild of the nineties in terms of freshness.... –N.M.
[91-93 pts] The 2021 Carruades de Lafite is a dark, brooding wine. Dense and plush, with quite a bit of tannin presence, Carruades is quite distinctive in 2021. Blue/purplish fruit and floral notes show tremendous primary intensity. Bright acids on the finish add an attractive sense of freshness that is quite appealing. The 2021 is a serious Carruades. -A.G.
The 2019 Caremenere Cromas Gran Reserva is the first vintage for this wine from Peralillo, Colchagua, which was 50% aged in French barrels. Intense purple in the glass. The wood floats over blackberry and raspberry aromas accompanied by roasted red pepper and fruit jam. Ample and creamy on the palate, it delivers a satisfying, flavorful flow.... J.H
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cromas Gran Reserva is the first vintage for a wine that is also 10% Syrah and 5% Carmemere from Peralillo, Colchagua, and half aged in French barrels. Garnet red with violet flecks. The nose begins with black pepper and black current, followed by ripe cherry and plum notes, along with a hint of bay leaf. Creamy in the mouth with accomplished, ample and polished tannins that retain their grip, this is a potent red with long-lasting flavor. J.H.
[98-99 pts] Woooow! This really rolls off the palate and goes on and on, Full-bodied and so long. Sweet and sour. Cherries, currants. Orange peel. Thought-provokingly energetic. Defines youthful sophistication. - J.S.
Cedary wood with cigars, sandalwood, cassis, blackberries, chili chocolate and a fine twist of balsamic note. Medium to full body with a smooth but tight frame, imbedded with creamy, melted tannins. Flavorful, polished and long... -J.S.
A medium-to full-bodied carmenere with lots of dark, grilled cumin, black beans, olives and smoked meat. Dry and tannic with a juicy core of fruit, without being sweet.... -J.S.
Some baked cherries, black pepper and dark spices. A full-bodied and rich cabernet with lots of cassis on the palate. Ripe, tannic and slightly chewy... -J.S.
Peach, apricot, melon and lemon curd on the nose. Medium-bodied, fruity and creamy. Straightforward, with a clean, fresh and juicy finish. Drink now... – J.S.
[89-91 pts] The 2021 Blason de L'Evangile is marked by bold, racy fruit and terrific energy. Crushed red berry and lively floral notes abound in a classy, refined Blason. All the elements are impeccably balanced. Pretty floral accents grace the lifted, perfumed finish. The 2021 is a gorgeous Blason. -A.G.
[94-96 pts] The 2021 L'Evangile is a heady, sensual wine. Silky and plaint, with fabulous balance, L'Evangile is a stand-out. The blend includes 30% Cabernet Franc, high for the chateau, but what really stands out is the wine's balance. Red/purpleish fruit, blood orance, rose petal and spice are all wrapper together by silky, pliant tannins. France aromatics and saline underpinnings extend the finish... a super-classic Evangile that has tons of potential... -A.G.
[94-96 pts] Aromas of rose petals, raspberries, plums and musk introduce the 2021 Pensées de Lafleur, a medium to full-bodied, seamless and enveloping wine that's deep and sensual, it's ripe tannins entirely concealed in an ample core of succulent, pungently perfumed fruit.... This cuvée derives from vines growing in the part of Lafleur's vineyard through which a water course once flowed and where the soils are richer in clay and better hydrated. It's a blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc... – W.K.
[94-95+ pts] A wine that's liable to rival and indeed surpass the 2019 and 2018, the 2021 Les Perrières de Lafleur offers up a beautifully pure bouquet of raspberries, violets, rose petals, tobacco smoke and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's concentrated and chiseled, with a bright spine of acidity, ultra-refined tannins and a long, intensely saline finish... -W.K.
[96-98 pts] The Guinaudeau family's mantra is to "never submit to the vintage," and in 2021 that meant 10 sleepless nights of frost protection and a growing season that required quick reactions to perform the necessary treatments without neglecting the other important viticultural tasks of the year. The reward is the profound 2021 Lafleur, a brilliant blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot that wafts from the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, rose petals, vine smoke and black truffle. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and penetrating, with superb concentration and beautifully refined structuring tannins, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A monument in the making... -W.K.