Wines

93 Points! Dark chocolate and floral notes on the nose. This has an appealing density on the palate, lovely weight, with a sculpted feel to the softly chewy tannins and dark fruit. Less immediately lively, bright and accessible than the 2018 but still stylish with a sense of character. Cool blue fruits meld with mint, liquorice, flint and touches of toast. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in ex-Lafite barrels as well as stainless steel and cement vats. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. - JamesSuckling.com 

92 Points! The second wine of Lafite Rothschild is the 2015 Carruades De Lafite and is a beautiful wine in its own right. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up mostly in used barrels, it has classy notes of cassis and lead pencil shavings as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It’s not a massive wine by any stretch, yet it exudes class and elegance, and is already a joy to drink. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Attractive, showing blackcurrants, lead pencil and flowers such as lavender and violets on the nose, as well as tobacco. Medium-bodied and juicy with firm and linear tannins that are rather endless. Impressive stones and chalkiness. Excellent length and crunchiness. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Drink in three or four years. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, notes of black cherries, juicy blackberries, and wild blueberries come bounding from the glass, chased by hints of licorice, mint tea, and lavender oil. The medium-bodied palate is so light on its feet and finely textured, delivering wonderful tension and loads of minerally sparks on the long berry-laced finish. Nice! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

94 Points! The 2022 Carruades De Lafite is beautifully balanced and has that classic Lafite elegance in its aromatics and overall mouthfeel. Sweet cassis, violets, spring flowers, and cedar notes all emerge on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, has a balanced, elegant texture, and beautifully integrated tannins. As with the Grand Vin, it brings ample richness and depth while holding onto a beautiful sense of freshness. Drink this brilliant second wine over the coming two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a dense, full-throttle Pauillac. Far from an easygoing second wine, the 2022 Carruades is going to need a number of years to be at its best. It’s an almost shockingly powerful wine endowed with serious balance and tons of class. Touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot lend hints of spice to round out the blend. The 2022 is stellar. I may very well be underrating it today. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Sultry nose with ripe red fruit and soft jasmine and fragrance – dried flowers, pot pourri. Juicy and filling with a lovely light hand in terms of tannins. Mouthwatering and lifted, nothing feels heavy and you're left with a smile on your face.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Closed on the nose, elegant with fine but plentiful tannins that layer up fast in the palate. Violet and peony floral notes, clear savoury edge of blue fruits. This is precise, well structured, with huge potential for ageing but also for pleasure.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Cigar wrappers, flowers, cedar, mint leaves, currants, blackberries and licorice scents blend together to create the nose. Elegant, soft, and polished, the layers of fruit with their refined character and lift make this a standout wine.”

100 Points, Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year 1993! This is one of my favorite wines ever. Full-bodied, with layers of silky fruit and masses of currant, mineral and berry character. Amazing. It's a wine with perfect structure, perfect strength. It's 1961 Latour in modern clothes. It's hard not to drink it now. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. - Wine Spectator, 2005

96 Points! The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

96 Points! One of the most pleasant surprises in this tasting, the 2002 Latour is just beginning to show the full breadth of its aromatic complexity, but it is also has more than enough depth to drink well for several decades. Tar, graphite, incense and smoke open up in the glass in a Latour that leans towards the more delicate, feminine side of things. Silky tannins add polish and creaminess through to the finish. The 2002 is surprisingly delicious today for a young Latour, but it also has the pedigree and density to age nicely for decades. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 2016

96 Points! I continue to love the 2008 Château Latour, unquestionably in the top handful of wines in the vintage. A rich, powerful blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, this ruby/purple-hued beauty boasts a classic Latour nose of blackcurrants, spice box, saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and cedar pencil. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and perfectly balanced, give it another 2-3 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck, 2019

95 Points! A little subdued, as with the Lafite right now, but this is built to last and is layered and structured. Liquorice, cassis and blueberry notes take the lead, with a punch of tannic power and a crushed mint leaf finish. A classic Latour, starting to be ready to drink but sure to age for decades from here. A seductive smoke note appears with time in the glass. Harvest September 29 to October 14. 40% of overall production. - Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine 2021

100 Points! The aromas of flowers such as roses, violets and lilacs jump from the glass then turn to dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries. It's full-bodied, with velvety tannins and dense and intense with a chocolate, berry and currant character. This is juicy and rich with wood still showing a bit, but it's all coming together wonderfully. Muscular yet toned. Another perfect wine like the 2010. Try in 2022. - James Suckling

100 Points! One of the perfect wines of the vintage, Frederic Engerer challenged me when I tasted the 2010 Latour at the estate, asking, “If you rate the 2009 one hundred, then how can this not be higher?” Well, the scoring system stops at 100, (and has for 34 years,) and will continue for as long as I continue to write about wine. Nevertheless, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and .5% Petit Verdot hit 14.4% natural alcohol and represents a tiny 36% of their entire production. The pH is about 3.6, which is normal compared to the 3.8 pH of the 2009, that wine being slightly lower in alcohol, hence the combination that makes it more flamboyant and accessible. The 2010 is a liquid skyscraper in the mouth, building layers upon layers of extravagant, if not over-the-top richness with its hints of subtle charcoal, truffle, blackberry, cassis, espresso and notes of toast and graphite. Full-bodied, with wonderfully sweet tannin, it is a mind-boggling, prodigious achievement that should hit its prime in about 15 years, and last for 50 to 100. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

100 Points! The 2010 Latour can be summed up in two words: "The King." It convincingly asserts its superiority over other 2010s, including First Growths, in terms of its aromatic complexity, precision, balance, intensity, complexity and persistence. Simply a faultless Latour that ranks amoung its greatest achievements. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

ETA: Early Winter 2026

Jeb Dunnuck, 100 Points Deep purple in color, offering a powerful and complex array of pure Pauillac cassis-like fruit, lead pencil, graphite, chalky minerality, truffle, and espresso. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe, sweet tannins, classic Latour regalness, concentration, structure, and class, with just a hint of its normal youthful austerity. This flawless, balanced, structured, insanely good Latour will be drinkable in just 7 to 8 years but evolve for 40 to 50 years in cold cellars.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent, 100 Points Deep garnet-purple in color, coming barreling out of the glass with powerful notes of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, followed by suggestions of pencil shavings, cast-iron pan, and charcoal. The medium to full-bodied palate is exquisitely constructed with a myriad of very fine layers, supported by ripe, grainy tannins and beautiful tension, finishing epically long and mineral-laced. Still very tightly wound and will require at least 5 to 7 more years in cellar, then should age gracefully for 50-years+. Drink 2027-2077.

Georgina Hindle, Decanter, 100 Points Dark blackcurrants with smoky tobacco, liquorice and slate. Cool straight away, fresh but so perfectly mouthfilling. Blue fruit, black cherry, fleshy like fruit skin texture. This is how a great Pauillac can taste: serious, deep, classic Cabernet markers, lots of minerality in the flint and stony aspects, strong tannins and a powerful, muscular structure with minty sides. An amazing Pauillac. This will last forever.

96 Points! Earth, tobacco and floral aromas. Medium- to full-bodied and polished, showing dark fruit, a vibrant profile and lovely balance. Enjoyable now with aeration, but suitable for further aging. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective. - James Suckling, 2/4/26

96 Points! Aromas of crushed stone, blackcurrants and blackberries. Full-bodied with extremely well-crafted tannins that are chewy and layered, yet polished and fantastic. Love the finish. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 25% petit verdot, 22% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Drink after 2026. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

95 Points! The 2019 Clerc Milon is a real success. At more than 70%, this blend contains one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the property's recent history, and the result is a wine of real nobility. Offering up aromas of violets, wild berries, licorice, loamy soil and cigar wrapper, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with notable depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. From clay-limestone soils rather than the sandy gravels that characterize d'Armailhac, this is by some margin the more structured and serious of Mouton-Rothschild's two Pauillac stablemates. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Raspberries and red cherries on the nose with some rose petal aromas. Juicy and alive, great energy and brightness straight away, so generous, plump, a little darker on the palate with some dark chocolate, liquorice, blackcurrant and hints of cedar. Dynamic and vibrant, great tannic frame, lively and so compelling.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Captures the muscular leanness of the vintage, coupled with great intensity and depth, waves of cloves, red liquorice, dark autumnal fruits, huge sapidity, coffee bean and cappuccino, clear richness with creamy weight through the mid palate.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A juicy and structured Clerc that is very typical with a firmness and brightness. It's medium-bodied with a solid center palate and a linear and racy finish. Just a hint of flint in the end. Vivid and pretty.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Black cherries, flowers, blackberries, spice box, currants, and tobacco wrappers form the nose. The medium-bodied, elegantly textured palate continues along that line with its vivid display of red cherries, strawberry, licorice, blackberries, espresso, and leafy herbs.”

93–95 Points – Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
“The 2025 Clerc Milon has turned out beautifully, offering up notes of dark berries, petals and orange zest, framed by a deft touch of new oak. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with lively acids and a chalky finish.”

93–95 Points – Vinum
“Cool blackcurrant fruit, cold fireplace, subtle cedar, blackberries; focused and vertical on the palate, with polished tannins and incredibly crisp fruit, saline, like licking a stone, balanced, elegant and with very good length.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A balanced, graceful Pauillac, the 2025 Château Clerc Milon shows cassis and black cherries, graphite, and crushed stone minerality. Medium to full-bodied with a pretty, pure, almost understated profile that builds nicely with time in the glass.”

92–94 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The palate is very rounded and supple on the entry, a mixture of red and black fruit, white pepper and tobacco, gaining more weight towards the finish with a sustained aftertaste.”

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Clerc Milon is powerful and explosive in the glass. A rush of dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mocha, new leather and a kiss of new oak makes a strong first impression.”

97 Points! Floral character such as orange blossoms and cassis with lead pencil aromas that follow through to a medium body and a lovely balance of fruit and freshness. It’s long and caressing with everything in place. Crisp. Best ever? 60% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Rocking levels of darker currants, chocolate, tobacco, and spicy notes all emerge from the 2022 Château D'Armailhac, a blockbuster from this château that has ripe, velvety tannins, a beautiful mid-palate, and outstanding length. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this is easily the finest Armailhac I’ve tasted. It already offers pleasure today yet deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve for 20-30 years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2022 Chateau d'Armailhac was picked from 8 to 27 September and matured in 50% new oak. This has a very pure and sensual bouquet with precocious black plum, cassis violet and espresso scents. The palate is medium-bodied with muscular tannins on the entry, though I find just a little more complexity compared to the Clerc Milon this year. There's a gently and discrete crecendo toward its delineated and minerally finish. Excellent. This is more like the d'Armailhac that I was familiar with, say, ten years ago. It will surely be irresistible once it reaches its peak. You've been warned. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

94 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it gallops out with powerful notes of black currant jelly and plum preserves, followed by hints of dusty soil, dried lavender, and tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers plenty of black fruit preserves flavors with seamless freshness and grainy tannins, finishing satisfyingly earthy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

96 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Aromatic intensity, wild flowers, some chocolate and blackcurrant notes. Grippy and filling but soft, chalky and saline, with ripe bramble berries, cool blue fruit and lots of cola, liquorice and wet stones. Very transparent and hands off. Juicy, fun, clean, pure. Balanced.”

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“Very polished, with fine tannins that caress your palate while the fruit is ripe but al dente, with red currants, plums and peach undertones. Refined and intense finish.”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“This delivers the classic character of a Left Bank wine with plenty of concentration and deep fruits. Rich plum on the nose, crayon and pumice stone, with sapid and supple blackcurrant and pomegranate fruits. Just the right level of austerity of a young Armailhac.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A classic, beautifully layered Pauillac that most likely ranks with some of the top vintages of this château. Loads of cassis, black raspberries, graphite, and spicy tobacco nuances define the wine. Full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins, outstanding length, and a fresh, focused style that's hard to resist.”

93–95 Points –  Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 d'Armailhac comes bounding out with exuberant notes of black raspberries, fresh black currants, and mint tea, giving way to hints of pencil shavings and dried roses. Bright and elegantly styled with fine-grained tannins and a refreshing line.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Spicy tobacco leaves, currants and floral aromas show well in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is soft and supple, with lift, energy, and crispness to the sweet red fruits and berries. The endnotes display a refreshing touch of mint and tobacco.”

97 Points! Suave, elegant and calmly confident. A masterclass in high-definition winemaking where all the elements are presented harmoniously with structure, freshness, complexity and a wide expansive finish. Tannins are well integrated giving support to the shining black Cabernet fruit that has strength, power and concentration but delivered underneath the savoury salinity, liquorice spice and minerality. There’s something very special about this. I love the sense of discretion, a wine that knows it has star quality but it’s not shouting about it. Pure and poised - incredibly inviting! A great buy. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points!  Classically styled, restrained yet muscular, very much showing the linear identity of Duhart, pure and to the point, with cassis, blackberry, graphite, liquorice and slate-scrape tannins, rounded out by raspberry leaf and salt-tang minerality on the finish. The first full year of new cellar, excellent stuff from the team at DBR Lafite, technical director Eric Kohler. Harvest September 9 to 29 - Jane Anson

96 Points! The tension here comes from chalky tannins and lovely tobacco, herbs, cedar and cigar-box character. Currants and blue fruits. It's medium-bodied with lovely fruit and light-citrus bitterness. Firm and intense with an excellent finish. One of the best Duharts I have tasted. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“A juicy and savory red with blackberry, chocolate, dried meat and earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with plenty of flavor and a forest floor aftertaste. Ripe tannins.”

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Fragrant blackcurrants and dried herbs on the nose. Really succulent and grippy straight away, immediately so charming and soft, almost creamy with a touch of powdery tannins, but such depth and concentration of fruit. There’s fleshy tannins, a round mouthfeel, but such elegance and refinement with a vein of bright, tangy acidity that carries the wine beautifully. Brilliant.”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Fragrant and floral on the opening, with chalky tannins and a gorgeous lift through the palate, showing crayon, raspberry, cassis and cherry pit. There is a delicacy and finesse evident in this Duhart, very pretty, with a less powerful structure than the 2022 vintage.”

93–95 Points – William Kelley, Wine Advocate
“A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, the 2025 Duhart-Milon is a lovely classic in the making, offering up notes of wild blueberries, cassis, rose petals and orange zest, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, pure and polished palate that's lively, harmonious and suave.”

93–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Duhart-Milon is a classy, polished Pauillac. Medium in body and impeccably balanced, with fine tannins and notable energy, the wine impresses with its purity and persistence.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Cigar wrappers, black currants, with tobacco leaf, licorice, and mint aromatics pop in the nose. The medium-bodied palate is lively, fresh, juicy, and most importantly pure. The fruits are soft, elegant, and refined from start to finish, where you enjoy its wealth of cassis, chocolate, and gentle touch of mint.”