France

97 Points! Made from 100% Grenache, this wine doesn't just walk the line between power and finesse—it carves it with intent. The nose hits with a tight, complex weave of red cherry, rhubarb, pomegranate, violet, and wild thyme—both inviting and serious. The palate is taut and fresh, where white pepper and crushed stone thread through the fruit like static, adding grit to the gloss. Fine tannins wrap around the red core, giving it a kind of poised tension, while that marl-soil edge brings a mineral clarity that keeps things lifted and connected to its terroir. It's grounded and built to hold through 2035+. Aerate now if you want a glimpse, but make sure to hold a few more in the cellar. - Wine Enthusiast

95 Points! A new bottling, the 2022 Clos des Hospices is crafted from Grenache Noir planted in the Derrière Vieille lieu-dit, where a double grafting program with white grape varieties was implemented. It reveals a slightly reductive yet elegant bouquet of dark cherries, violet, pepper and floral notes. The medium-bodied palate is both elegant and juicy, with impressive depth at the core, a tense mid-palate and fine-grained tannins that flow into a long, ethereal finish, enhanced by chalky dry extract in the aftertaste. As one of the tensest Gigondas in Benjamin Gras’s lineup, it shows remarkable aging potential. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! Quite pale in colour, with dried Provençal herbs on the nose. Bright and aromatic. Only medium-bodied, no huge concentration or ripeness. Good acidity, with slightly fibrous tannins. A very drinkable, lighter style of Gigondas with definition and energy. Aged for 18 months in Stockinger foudres and terracotta amphorae. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Offers a seductive perfume that is equal parts fruit -- cherry leather and raspberry tea -- and savory elements, with a pepper, incense smoke and herbal thread bringing energy. Rooibos tea and smoked meat notes linger on the long finish, stretched out with finely sculpted tannins. Shows nice restraint and energy. - Wine Spectator

97-99 Points! Tremblay's 2023 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru is one of the wines of the vintage, wafting from the glass with notes of dark berries, exotic spices, confit orange and incense. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's serious and elegantly muscular, its fleshy, layered core of fruit framed by a chassis of sweet, ultra-refined tannins and animated by lively acids, concluding with a long, saline finish. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

99 Points! Wonderful aromas of cooked apples, bread dough, meringue, honeysuckle, lilacs and some lavender. Medium-bodied with density and focus, a tight palate and a lovely texture. Creamy mouthfeel. Long and seamless finish. Pure chardonnay. Aged for five or six months on the lees in 228-liter barrels. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2014 Comtes de Champagne is pristine. In this tasting, it comes across as a mini-2008, similar in its linear personality, with just a touch more mid-palate creaminess. Readers will find a Comtes that plays in the realm of tension and energy. Citrus confit, white flowers, chalk, mint and chamomile are all finely sketched. Light tropical overtones grace the finish. What an absolute delight. The 2014 can be enjoyed now or cellared. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The 2022 Château Giscours may be the finest wine this historic Margaux Third Growth has ever produced, and the critics agree loudly: 98 points from James Suckling, 97+ from Jeb Dunnuck, 96s from the Wine Advocate, Vinous and Decanter, plus a #1 spot on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2025. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot with dashes of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it's deeply colored, glass-staining stuff, packed with cassis, black cherries, violets and graphite, concentrated and intense yet carrying the ripe, polished tannins and pure, graceful mouthfeel that define great Margaux. The remarkable 2022 vintage gave this estate everything it needed, and Giscours delivered a wine with the perfume and silk of the appellation backed by decades of aging power.

99 Points | James Suckling | January 2017
Suckling finds a striking aromatic combination of violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants, followed by fresh mushroom nuances. Full-bodied but tightly compressed, the wine shows tremendous tension, exceptionally fine-grained tannins and energy. He emphasizes the extraordinary length and recommends giving it time.

97+ Points | Wine Advocate | William Kelley | March 2022
Kelley calls the 2014 Latour one of the finest wines produced in a vintage particularly successful in the northern Médoc. Wild berries and cassis are joined by cigar wrapper, earth, black truffle and high-quality oak. The palate is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a deep, tightly wound center framed by chalky tannins and bright acidity. He sees enormous longevity here and compares its classical balance to a modern-day version of the 1996.

97 Points | Wine Spectator | James Molesworth | February 2017
A driven, energetic Latour with mouthwatering acidity and a pronounced graphite character surrounding pure cassis and blackberry. Licorice and sweet tobacco emerge on the finish before the graphite returns and carries through the exceptionally long close. Molesworth gave a drinking window of 2022–2040.

97 Points | Wine Enthusiast | Roger Voss
Voss emphasizes the enormous tannic structure surrounding the blackcurrant fruit, along with spice and a pure, cool character. This is very much a traditionally structured Latour, with the fruit and tannins suggesting a long evolution ahead. His recommendation was to drink from 2027.

97 Points | Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider | July 2024
This is particularly useful for our offer because it's a much more recent tasting. Leve finds truffle, cedar, tobacco leaf, pencil, cigar wrapper, currant, cassis, blackberry and forest-floor aromas. The palate brings sweet red fruit together with spice and herbs, finishing with freshness and finesse. Importantly, he notes that this is one of the relatively rare Latours that can show real character without requiring decades in the cellar, although additional bottle age will bring greater complexity. Drink 2028–2060.

96+ Points | Jeb Dunnuck
Dunnuck finds the wine still youthful and relatively closed, showing dark, meaty black fruit, tobacco, truffle-like earth and graphite. He considers it denser and more structured than he expected from the vintage, with full-bodied richness, an impressive mid-palate, excellent balance and plenty of tannin on the finish.

96 Points | Antonio Galloni, Vinous | January 2022
Galloni describes the 2014 as a more understated Latour, emphasizing finesse rather than sheer power. Red cherry and plum, spice, mint and sweet tobacco develop with air. He views it as a particularly classic expression of Pauillac and an excellent reflection of the cooler, late-ripening 2014 growing season. Drink 2026–2064.

97 Points! Coming from the heart of this terroir and mostly from sandy soils with a small part of pebbly soils and even a touch of limestone, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources delivers gorgeous aromatics of black raspberries, spring flowers, framboise, white pepper, and a beautiful salinity and minerality. It's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel with the juicy, pure style of the 2023s here, fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. This is pure Grenache heaven with classic Châteauneuf du Pape power and richness yet paired with remarkable finesse and elegance. It should cruise for two decades in cool cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! A well-tailored Champagne, with density, length and a firm spine of vivid acidity. Though this is firmly structured, there’s a sense of finesse. The crisp, delicate mousse is a swathe of lacy texture enmeshing the fine frame as this carries flavors of black currant, lemon curd, chalky mineral and biscuit. The finish is long and fragrant, echoing fruit, toast, mineral and spices. Harmonious and enjoyable today, but this will cellar nicely—potentially longer than some of its peers from the vintage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2048. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

99 Points, Jeb's #5 Wine of the Year 2025! Awesome levels of blackcurrants, darker cherries, roasted herbs, chocolate, and scorched earth all emerge from the 2022 Château Malartic-Lagravière, an incredibly concentrated, rich, layered beauty that has velvety tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. It's easily the finest I've tasted from this château and is a riveting 2022 that deserves 4-6 years in the cellar and will keep for two decades or more. The 2022 is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with the élevage spanning 20 months in 60% new French oak.  - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! A fascinating Malartic-Lagraviere from this hot vintage, but the wine is surprisingly fresh, showing depth, innate balance and complexity. The mineral-etched fruit turns glossy, with fine aromas of cassis, berries, plums, spices and a hint of violets. Almost full-bodied, with a complete package of fruit and chalky tannins. Long, juicy and posh. One of the best ever. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Round, concentrated, vibrant and dynamic, a lovely burst of intense red and black fruits before quite serious tannins take hold in the mouth. Fine but full, they give the frame and the structure, setting the tone for a serious wine while the fruit and freshnes softly expand giving an aerial element to the finish. A lovely wine with intensity and detail, not the most demonstrative or juicy and appealing right now, but really well made and delivered. Supple, bright, chalky, chewy, this wine has intensity and precision. A little bit serious towards the end, the fruit just losing some focus, where it becomes more about the tannins and freshness but lots to like here with good potential. 1.5% Cabernet Franc. A yield 27hl/ha. HVE3 certified. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

95 Points! The 2022 Malartic Lagravière exudes class. Bright, layered and wonderfully vibrant, the 2022 is so alive. Rose petals, lavender, crushed rocks, mint and red/purplish fruit race across the palate. All the elements are so well balanced. Malartic Lagravière has all the potential to be one of the great wines of the year. This is a fabulous showing. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

97 Points! The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97 Points! This is beautifully crafted and very perfumed, with ultra-fine tannins and vivid dark fruit such as blackcurrants, as well as dark chocolate, hazelnuts and hints of forest floor, mushrooms, tar, matchstick and oyster shells. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! One of my absolute favourite wines in 2021 with Figeac's star power clearly on show. Amazing aromatic complexity on the nose; dark chocolate with perfume from the Cabernet Franc - pink flowers, red cherry touches vanilla and cinnamon - such a seductive smell. Pure and focused - so smooth and sleek with a clear tang to the palate. Quite taut, so defined and pure. The minerality comes through the sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit giving that chalky, salty flavour and texture on the palate. Everything is precise and in the right place. You can tell this is ripe, the concentration is there in the fruit, alongside such bright freshness but also these fun and playful red fruit flavours with lively acidity. Classic Bordeaux style with vibrancy, clarity and harmony - you feel the St-Emilion terroir and the understated glamour. This is an epic wine, a brilliant Figeac and contender for wine of the Right Bank. - Decanter Magazine

97 Points! Lovely aromatics right off the bat, good spice, white peppers, touches of savoury cassis. This 71% mix of the two Cabernets is the highest ever at Figeac, and you feel it in this savoury, rosebud, leafy character to the palate, brilliantly handled and one of the wines of the vintage. This delivers careful balance, sculpted fruits, with a juicy finish. 100% new oak. Romain Jean-Pierre technical director. 38hl/h yield, harvest September 21 to October 19 (with a three week gap between Merlot and Cabernet). 3.65ph. First vintage with the new cellar. 70% production into Figeac, 8% press wine. Tasted twice, excellent quality. - Jane Anson

96+ Points! A wine that transcends the vintage's challenges, the 2021 Figeac is performing brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with striking top notes of violet, rose petal, iris and mint. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and suave, it's pure and vibrant, its enveloping core of fruit framed by ultra-refined tannins, concluding with a long, floral finish. Readers in the habit of drinking top grand cru Burgundy are liable to find themselves seduced by this immensely elegant, perfumed Saint-Émilion, a wine I'll definitely be adding to my own cellar. It's the result of gamble that paid off, as Figeac's team chose to wait to pick their Cabernet Sauvignon despite the menace of forecast rain—a menace that, in fact, scarcely transpired. The 2021 saw a somewhat shorter-than-usual élevage of 16 months in barrel without fining. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

98 Points! The standout wine of the tasting (as expected). Opulent, concentrated with intense cassis notes on both the nose and palate, with a deep-purple hue in the glass (although not quite as deep as the 1995). Mint, cool, menthol on the nose with restrained oak hovering in the background. The palate is ultra-elegant with a freshness from the acidity and perfectly-ripe tannins, combined with subtle oak and intriguing spicy, cedary notes. - Decanter Magazine, 2021

97+ Points! The last time I tasted the 1996 Mouton Rothschild (maybe a couple of years ago?), I recall it was a bit broody and closed. This showing was anything but! Deep garnet in color, it sashays out of the glass with lavishly dressed, gregarious crème de cassis, baked blackberries and plum pudding scents plus touches of menthol, fenugreek, star anise and sandalwood with fleeting glimpses at dried rose petals and oolong tea. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited, opulent and oh-so seductive, with bags of youthful black fruit and lovely finely grained tannins, finishing with fantastic freshness and length. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com 2019

97 Points! Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-brick in color with lovely crème de cassis, dried roses, hoisin and baking spice notes with underlying notions of dried cherries and mulberries plus touches of wood smoke, incense and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and packed with rich fruit framed by firm, chewy tannins, it is stacked with complex, evolving flavors and finishes with incredibly long-lasting perfumed notes. According to winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, this needs about three hours of decanting at this stage. I simply love the place this wine is in right now, possessing plenty of mature, tertiary characters yet still sporting bags of fruit. It won’t be fading anytime soon either and should cellar nicely for 20-25+ more years. Drink: 2018-2043. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com 2018

97 Points! The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine du Banneret is superb, wafting from the glass with a perfumed bouquet of peonies, wildflowers, dark cherries, red berries and garrigue. Medium- to full-bodied, suave and seamless, it’s layered and textural, with a delicate, juicy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins and concluding with an expansive, lingering finish. This is arguably one of the finest wines ever produced at this address—and without contest, one of the wines of the vintage. It’s a blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and the remainder made up of small percentages of the other permitted varieties. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

97 Points! At the time it was shown as a barrel sample in early 2007, this was the best wine of 2006. That accolade remains. It has all the power of the Cabernet Sauvignon in Pauillac, which was the greatest success of the vintage. That power comes from the dense tannins as well as the black plum and spice flavors and minerality. The texture becomes velvet, giving a final richness, but never losing its long aging potential. In a year that is good, but not at the top, Mouton has made a great wine. - Wine Enthusiast

96 Points! I loved the 2006 Château Mouton Rothschild, a complex, nuanced, flawlessly balanced Mouton based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot. Tobacco, cedarwood, lead pencil shavings, and both red and black fruits define the bouquet, and this is clearly in its prime drink window, with a terrific mix of ripe fruit and just developing secondary aromas. Full-bodied and concentrated, with sweet tannins, this elegant, layered, silky 2006 has another 20 years of prime drinking. The label comes from the famed English portrait painter Lucien Freud (1922-2011). - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Still tight, with an energetic core of white peach, creamed pineapple, persimmon and white ginger flavors. The backdrop of orange blossom and singed almond notes adds extra dimension on the finish. This will go a long way in the cellar. - Wine Spectator

97 Points Decanter
"Crushed tobacco, violets, and a seamless interplay of red and black fruit. Remarkable energy and vivacity with depth and lift. A fabulous expression of site and vine age, and a standout in Saint-Émilion."

96-98 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Intense, deep, concentrated, and vibrant. Rich, creamy, and powerful, yet balanced and harmonious. The finish delivers waves of sweet, supple fruit and expanding mineral complexity."

95-97 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"Powerful yet understated, with black cherry, lavender, sage, menthol, licorice, and espresso. Limestone-driven energy and broad, chocolatey tannins support a long, explosive finish."

94-96 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"A limestone-driven beauty offering red and black fruits, liquid violets, chalk, and graphite. Medium-bodied and focused with fine tannins, beautiful balance, and outstanding length."

94-96 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate
"Juicy black plums, boysenberries, sandalwood, Indian spices, and crushed rocks. Supported by velvety tannins and lively freshness, finishing long and opulent."

93-95 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Mineral-rich black fruit, graphite, and tobacco define this more classical interpretation of La Mondotte. Lovely texture, tensile energy, and a brisk, peppery finish suggest excellent aging potential."

Jeb Dunnuck – 95-97 Points

Cassis, blueberries, smoky tobacco, and the classic Margaux spice and complexity all define the 2025 Pavillon Rouge Du Château Margaux, which has more than a passing resemblance to the Grand Vin. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc that's being raised in 60% new barrels, it's rich and medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, layered mouthfeel, remarkable ripeness and purity, and a great finish. Checking in at 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.68, it's incredibly textured and is really a great wine in its own right.

Decanter – 96 Points (Georgina Hindle)

Fresh prune, some balsamic notes, fresh rose petals. Fragrant and dark notes, a touch of spice, some soft minerality. Juicy and succulent – there's acidity for sure but what stands out is the texture, so soft and creamy on the palate with bright but cool blueberry acidity, some liquorice spice, violet touches and a lot of graphite and pencil lead salinity on the finish. Clearly structured but so generous in terms of fruit purity. Quite a serious Pavillon. Started harvesting young vines on September 8, Merlots on September 11 and Cabernets on September 19, finishing on September 29. A yield of 22hl/ha. pH 3.68. IPT 78. 28% second wine production, usually 30%. 12% press wine. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

Jane Anson – 96 Points

Flavoursome, this is luscious and juicy, with the concentration and ripeness that I was expecting in more of the wines this year. Rose petals, damson, slate, crayon, cocoa bean, mint, DNA of the Margaux appellation on display. Just 2018 and 2022 were higher numbers in terms of phenolic compounds, and the 3.68 pH is still low, but the perception is far less intense than in many properties. 22hl/ha yield across the vineyard, harvest September 8 for young Merlot, then Cabernet Sauvignon began September 19 and finished September 29. IPT 78. 28% of the overall production.

The Wine Palate – 94-96 Points (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux sings of bright black currants and fresh blackberries, leading to suggestions of dried mint, dark chocolate, and vanilla with a touch of cardamom. The medium- to full-bodied palate delivers taut, muscular black fruit with firm, grainy tannins and a refreshing line, finishing long with a compelling floral lift. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. It has a pH of 3.68 and the alcohol is 13.9%. This is 28% of production—it is usually around 30%.

The Wine Cellar Insider – 93-95 Points (Jeff Leve)

Boysenberries, flowers, cocoa, espresso, and black cherries create the aromatic profile. The elegant, medium-bodied, and fresh palate delivers layers of sweet, zesty fruits, with character. Lift is the name of the game here, along with length and volume, providing a long, sweet, fruit-filled, vibrant, refined finish. The wine was made from blending 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13.9% ABV. Drink from 2029-2045.

98-99 Points James Suckling
"Bright, vibrant aromas of sliced apples, pears and lemons with acacia and flint. Dense and tight on the palate with so much chalk and oyster shell character. Extremely long and pure, with vivid energy and precision. Sharp and driven by acidity."

96-98 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"Honeyed citrus, orange blossom, mint, crushed stone and brioche define the bouquet. Medium to full-bodied with rich, layered fruit and a lengthy, seamless finish. One of the whites of the 

96 Points Jane Anson
"Bright citrus, mint leaf, liquorice, sea spray, oyster shell, wet stones and white tea. The most structured and reserved of the estate's white wines, with impressive aging potential."

96 Points Decanter
"Vanilla, honey, flint, white peach and apple aromas. Gorgeously clear and sophisticated with more tension, drive and energy than recent vintages. Beautifully delineated and balanced."

96 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"White peaches, orange rind, pineapple, pears and flowers lead to a palate filled with sweet ripe fruit, creamy textures and vibrant freshness. Rich, expressive and beautifully balanced."

94-96 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"White peach, Mirabelle plum, jasmine and pressed flowers. Rounded and textured with excellent density and freshness. A great success in the context of a warm vintage."

94-96 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"Rich, creamy and expansive with fabulous balance. Dried pear, acacia, chamomile and white pepper notes build beautifully through the palate. Impeccable."

97-99 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Flowers, black raspberries, mint, cherries, and crushed rocks form the perfume. The palate is creamy, rich, lush, and fruity. The fruits stand out for their textural profile, energy, freshness, and elegance. The wine finishes with chocolate-covered cherries, plums, mineral influences, and a touch of spice."

97-99 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 L'If is a total stunner. It's like no other vintage I have tasted thus far, perhaps because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc. Chalk, mint, white pepper, blood orange, and jasmine gradually open in the glass. A saline edge shapes the brisk mid-palate and brilliant, chiseled finish. Magnificent. The best L'If to date."

97-98 Points James Suckling
"Medium- to full-bodied and chalky but charming, with definition and clarity. 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Best ever."