Pre-Arrivals

98-100 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

"5 Spice, roses, irises, and white flowers are only part of the aromatic display. You also enjoy licorice, espresso, smoke, tobacco, blackberries, and black cherries. The palate owns the show with sensuous, silky, refined black and red fruits, Asian spices, chocolate, herbs, and mint leaf. The expansive finish combines power with elegance in a seamless endnote that lingers for over 60 seconds."

98 Points Decanter

"An extremely captivating Poyferré this year. Ripe and massy in the mouth, serious and sultry, with liquorice, clove spice, and remarkable intensity. Built like a racehorse, muscular and filling, yet chewy and soft at the same time. A wine with a long life ahead."

97-99 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"Deep purple-hued and completely opaque, the blockbuster 2025 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers pure crème de cassis, graphite, ripe black cherries, spicy wood, and pencil shavings. Full-bodied with a dense mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It reminds me slightly of the 2010, with perhaps a touch more finesse."

97-99 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown

"Freshly crushed black currants and blueberries open to violets, licorice, crushed rocks, cardamom, and iron ore. Fantastically elegant with firm yet exquisitely ripe tannins, amazing tension, epic length, and an incredible firework display of minerals and flowers."

97 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

"Stunning, nuanced, and full of joy. Fresh blueberries, raspberries, cassis, pomegranate, toasted cumin, and cappuccino unfold with freshness and lift. Very much Ducru, yet distinctly 2025 in its energy and elegance."

96-99 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"The 2025 Ducru-Beaucaillou is fabulous. Vibrant red and purple fruit, rose petal, lavender, mint, and blood orange are beautifully sculpted. The purity of fruit is remarkable. Superb and one of the highlights of the year."

96-97 Points James Suckling

"The intensity is very impressive with black currants, raspberries, and graphite. Medium- to full-bodied with polished, steely tannins and a long finish. Powerful, fluid, and finely detailed."

98-100 Points Wine Advocate
"A timeless classic in the making. Full-bodied, dense and elegantly muscular, with a prodigiously concentrated core of fruit, exceptional quality of tannin and a long, resonant finish."

98-100 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"This is a Montrose that will rank as one for the ages. The purity of fruit is exceptional, with graphite-infused black fruit, exquisite mineralité, freshness, vibrancy, and a remarkably precise finish."

97-100 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"A magical, utterly profound wine in the making. Pure cassis, graphite, liquid violets, and spicy wood define the aromatics. Sensationally pure on the palate with beautiful concentration, polished tannins, incredible class, and a great finish."

97-99 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate
"Freshly crushed black currants, blackberries, mulberries, crushed rocks, black olives, and violets. Firm, fine-grained texture with taut, muscular fruit and a long, earthy finish."

97 Points Decanter
"Amazing fragrance, so pure and crystalline. Silky and glossy, packed full of blackcurrant, cherry, and violet fruit. Serious, terroir-transparent, and beautifully structured."

97 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"An extremely classic Montrose. Cassis, cocoa bean, liquorice, crushed mint leaf, squid ink and crayon. Precision and beauty in equal measure."

99–100 Points – James Suckling
“A glamorous wine for the vintage, with mesmerizing perfumes of flowers, al dente fruit and citrus flowers. Black currants with some mineral and stone undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and an endless finish. The tannins lead you on a great trip. It is the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever used in the blend in recent memory. Balanced and structured. 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot.”

98–100 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, crème de cassis, blackberries, Cuban cigars, graphite, cedar, smoke, and espresso form the aromatic core. On the palate, the wine is deep, concentrated, and incredibly refined. There is a vibrancy and purity to the fruit that elevates the wine, while the tannins are remarkably polished. The finish lingers with waves of cassis, crushed stone, tobacco leaf, and floral notes. This is one of the great vintages of Mouton Rothschild and a clear contender for Wine of the Vintage.”

97–99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot that's resting in 100% new barrels. A blockbuster nose of crème de cassis, smoky tobacco, chocolate, and graphite gives way to a rich, powerful, yet focused and precise Mouton on the palate, with the signature texture this estate is known for, flawless balance, ripe, silky tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. It hit 13.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.76. It's unquestionably a beautiful Mouton in the making.”

97–99 Points – Wine Advocate
“A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, the 2025 Mouton Rothschild is a dense, powerful wine, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, blueberries, espresso roast, cigar wrapper and violet. Full-bodied, deep and dense, it's rich, layered and concentrated, with prodigious mid-palate presence and a long, youthfully structured finish. Small berries in Cabernet Sauvignon, below one gram even in the older vines, explain this Mouton's remarkable intensity of flavor. The grand vin represents 52% of the production and checks in at 13.1% alcohol.”

98 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
Jane Anson highlights the wine's exceptional balance, floral complexity, and precision, noting that despite its immense concentration, the 2025 remains remarkably poised and refined. The combination of Cabernet Sauvignon purity, freshness, and Pauillac minerality places it among the elite wines of the vintage.

98 Points – Decanter
Decanter praises the wine's remarkable finesse and aromatic detail, emphasizing layers of cassis, graphite, violets, cigar box, and crushed stone. The review notes the wine's seamless texture, refined tannins, and extraordinary persistence, calling it one of the standout First Growths of 2025.

96–98 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Mouton Rothschild is a wine of striking purity and elegance. Dark red fruit, lavender, graphite, espresso, and crushed stone build beautifully in the glass. Less overtly powerful than some recent vintages, it impresses with its harmony, balance, and exceptional persistence. The finish is long, refined, and classically Pauillac.”

95–98 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Mouton Rothschild slowly reveals notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, and fresh blueberries, leading to nuances of violets, cigar wrapper, graphite, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with vibrant black fruit and mineral layers, framed by beautifully ripe tannins and impressive tension, finishing very long and perfumed.”

98-100 Points Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate

"The 2025 Haut-Brion is, as usual, more reserved and austere at this stage than La Mission, unwinding in the glass to reveal notions of dark wild berries mingled with spices, pencil lead and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it's built around a multidimensional core of fruit framed by structuring yet well-integrated tannins, delivering a notably controlled expression of power and concluding with a long, perfumed, subtly ethereal finish. While still tightly knit at this stage, it possesses considerable depth and will require extended cellaring. It stands as one of the more impressive renditions of Haut-Brion in recent years."

98-100 Points Neal Martin, Vinous

"The 2025 Haut-Brion has a very pure and elegant bouquet with ebullient brambly red fruit, crushed stone, potpourri and touches of Earl Grey. Wonderful delineation and a little more refined than the 2020 or 2022. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, greater complexity than La Mission, more depth and minerality, finishing with a fresh, marine-tinged character that makes you want to come back. This year, the First Growth has put a bit of distance between itself and La Mission."

98-99 Points James Suckling

"Haut-Brion delivers a red with great structure and length and superb intensity and power. It is a full-bodied red with character and depth, giving it endless length. Muscular yet polished and agile. Juicy at the end."

97-100 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"A Merlot-forward blend of 62% Merlot, 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.8% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new French oak, the 2025 Château Haut-Brion is slightly more dense and structured compared to its sibling, La Mission. Gorgeous black cherries, graphite, scorched earth, and smoke all define the bouquet, and on the palate it's remarkably pure, with polished, serious tannins, and incredible length. Its purity, concentration, and overall sense of class are riveting."

97 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

"Such a taut, slate-strewn journey through the palate here, slow burn. An exceptional Haut-Brion, with beautiful toasted cumin and sandalwood notes, cloves, cassis, pomegranate and cocoa beans. Muscular, structured and brooding, this is going to run and run."

96-98 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"The 2025 Haut-Brion is quite the powerhouse. Black fruit, cloves, new leather, tobacco, chocolate and menthol open before a wave of huge tannins and incisive acids take over. Haut-Brion can be rather dark and somber. That is very much the case with the 2025, a wine that speaks with sepia-toned, baritone inflections. It also conveys more obvious ripeness than La Mission Haut-Brion at this stage."

98 Points Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"One of the wines of the vintage. Remarkably detailed and precise, combining floral elegance, energy, and depth with the signature refinement that defines Château Margaux."

98-100 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"An absolutely brilliant Margaux offering incredible purity, seamless balance, refined tannins, and remarkable concentration. A wine that effortlessly combines power with grace."

98-100 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate
"Perfumed and captivating with layers of vibrant fruit, flowers, and mineral complexity. The palate is structured, energetic, and extraordinarily long, displaying both precision and finesse."

98-100 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"A stunning expression of Château Margaux, delivering incredible purity, lift, elegance, and depth. The finish lingers for nearly a minute with layers of perfectly ripe fruit and floral notes."

98-99 Points James Suckling
"Extremely refined and polished with exceptional length and finesse. A beautifully crafted Château Margaux showing both precision and power."

98 Points Decanter
"A wine of breathtaking elegance and complexity, offering remarkable purity of fruit, silky tannins, and extraordinary persistence. One of the stars of the vintage."

97-100 Points William Kelley, Wine Advocate
"A compelling Château Margaux with exceptional depth, concentration, and energy. Layered and multidimensional, it possesses all the attributes required for a profound future."

96-98 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Pure and focused with wonderful delineation. The palate displays remarkable precision, fine tannins, and a long, mineral-driven finish. A sophisticated and age-worthy Château Margaux."

99–100 Points – James Suckling
“Intense aromas of sweet tobacco, dark cedar, cigar humidor, mushroom, roses, and wet earth follow through to a medium to full body with firm, velvety tannins and a driven, intense finish. Very structured with bones. Reminds me of Lafite from the 1980s.”

98–100 Points – The Wine Independent (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Lafite Rothschild waltzes out of the glass with flamboyant notes of warm cassis, fresh black plums, and iris, giving way to nuances of star anise, fertile loam, and underbrush, with a touch of black truffles. The light-bodied palate offers an exhilarating texture of silky yet firm tannins with incredible tension and mineral persistence.”

98–100 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2025 Lafite-Rothschild possesses a deliriously intoxicating nose with nuanced blackberry, bilberry and estuarine scents, all beautifully defined and seamlessly integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins and extraordinary harmony. A very succinct and refined Lafite-Rothschild.”

97 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Gorgeous and sculpted, showcasing the ability to remain Lafite through so many differing vintage conditions. Slate and rosebud notes with a sappy and highly drinkable character. One of the smallest yields on record at 27hl/ha.”

96–98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2025 Château Lafite Rothschild sports a classic, deep ruby hue as well as a complex and classic nose of cassis, spicy wood, tobacco, violets, and graphite. Quintessential Lafite on the palate with class, ripe yet polished tannins, and beautifully integrated acidity.”

95–97 Points – Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
“The 2025 Lafite Rothschild unwinds with a deep and brooding bouquet of dark berries, violets, rose petals and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, supple and layered, with suave tannins, bright acidity and excellent concentration.”

97–99 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black currants, cedar, tobacco leaf, graphite, cigar wrappers, and crushed stones define the perfume. The palate is refined, elegant, fresh, and vibrant, with layers of silky fruits, polished tannins, and remarkable purity. One of the wines of the vintage.”

100 Points! Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! A mind-blowing Leoville Poyferre, probably one of the best for a long time. Huge depth and structure, showing a deep matrix of fruit full of fresh blackberries and a dash of ink and lead pencil. Such verticality on the full-bodied palate with beautiful balance and a clear finish that goes on and on for more than a minute. Great potential ahead. This was tasted at the UCGB tasting and was one of the best wines of the day. - JamesSuckling.com

96+ Points! The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is super-exotic. Dense and pliant, with striking mid-palate depth and exquisite balance, this is pure sensuality. Red cherry, apricot, blood orange, wildflowers and spices all meld together as the 2022 opens in the glass. Seamless, refined tannins extend the mid-palate and finish. The purity of the fruit is remarkable. I also find the new wood imprint—long a signature here—much less evident than in the past. Earlier picking in the Merlot today yields a wine with more red fruit tones than in the past, when Léoville-Poyferré was a darker wine. It will be interesting to see if these are long-term trends. Tasted three times. Stellar. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! Another excellent showcasse for this estate run by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. Supple, lively, fresh and round, a nice controlled core of red and black fruit - blackcurrants, cherries and violets with juicy acidity and lean tannins that are fine and well integrated. This feels powerful and concentrated no doubt but the strength comes underneath the fruit and acidity, like a creeping tiger waiting to pounce. Lovely frame and execution, feels on the more opulent and potent side but the acidity and tannin definition is brilliant and this has a really drinkable and moreish quality. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.87pH. 9% press wine. A yield of 33.4hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted three times and was impressed each time. Ageing 18-20 months in French oak barrels, 80% new, 20% second fill. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com