Bordeaux

98–99 Points – James Suckling
“A tight and powerful wine with a precise and structured texture. Restrained, steely and racy. Goes on for minutes. So much intensity. A bright and shining white. Stunning balance.”

97–99 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc gets my vote for the white wine of the vintage. Rich and powerful in the glass, but also beautifully vibrant, the 2025 dazzles from start to finish. Lemon confit, pear, slate, mint, white flowers and tangerine peel are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop over time. The 2025 is quite simply stunning. Don’t miss it!”

97 Points – Decanter
“The cooler microclimate at this estate favours hot and dry weather, and this proved no exception in 2025. Always showing the exciting combination of freshness and white stone fruit fleshiness expressed in a suave palate texture with nuance and refinement, evoking Meursault-like depth and opulence. A great success.”

95–97 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The 2025 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc soars from the glass with vibrant notes of grapefruit essence, Granny Smith apples, and passion fruit, leading to a fragrant undercurrent of honeysuckle, lime blossoms, and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is intense with citrus and tropical fruit layers with a refreshing line and chalky texture, finishing with great length and energy.”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"This has the intensity and the structure of the vintage, matched by a ton of juice and black fruits, orange peel, black chocolate, slate, crayon. Great potential, if lacking a little in the real luscious tannic quality that you get in Pomerol in the best vintages. Vignobles K, JC Meyrou director. Harvest September 4 to 17. 27 hl/ha yield. 3.51 pH. 100% new oak."

92–94 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Enclos Tourmaline is a selection of the best plots the Kwok family owns in Pomerol. Dark and ample, with tremendous power, the 2025 captures all the natural richness of the year and also remains remarkably balanced. Dark-toned fruit, espresso, chocolate, new leather and licorice build nicely. Enclos Tourmaline is fermented in barrel, an approach that works quite well here."

93–94 Points – James Suckling
“Medium- to full-bodied with a broad expression. Focused, cohesive and well balanced, with precise tannins.”

93 Points – Falstaff
“Dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Ripe plums, blackberry confit, candied orange zest, fine herbal spice, inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant, red berry texture, fine tannins, good freshness, lingers, a multi-faceted food companion.”

95–97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Bellefont-Belcier is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that's being raised in 30% new barrels, 30% oval foudres, and the balance in once- and twice-used oak. Coming from a beautiful site just beyond Larcis Ducasse, it has fabulous aromatics of cassis and assorted red and blue fruits, along with spring flowers, graphite, tobacco, and smoke. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, remarkably elegant mouthfeel, polished tannins, and integrated tannins. It's an impressive Saint-Emilion that shows just how successful the Côte Pavie hillside can be in the vintage.”

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“The depth and intensity in the center palate makes you think. It’s medium- to full-bodied with very integrated, polished grape tannins. Creamy texture. A curated and transparent effort.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Sweet berry fruit, shows lovely grip and clear limestone signature without sacrificing flesh. Raspberry, blood orange, pomegranate, wet stones, grilled cumin, incense, oyster shell rise through the palate. Harvest September 5 to 23. 30% new oak. 3.48 pH. Yield 33 hl/ha, JC Meyrou director, Emmanuelle d'Aligny-Fulchi technical director.”

94–96 Points – Wine Advocate (Yohan Castaing)
“The 2025 Bellefont-Belcier stands out once again as one of the highlights in the Vignobles K range. It offers a lively bouquet of cassis, mulberries and cherries mingled with spices and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and seamless, it’s built around a concentrated core of fruit that's animated by bright acidity and framed by velvety tannins. The finish is long, ethereal and perfumed. It's a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured one-third in foudres, with a pH of 3.48. This is one of the most accomplished wines produced at this address to date.”

92–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Bellefont-Belcier is another step forward for this Saint-Émilion estate. Aromatic and silky but with plenty of power, the 2025 hits all the right notes. Crushed flowers, mint, tobacco, incense and anise present gorgeous layers of aromatic nuance. Silky tannins frame the close. Tasted two times.”

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“Medium- to full-bodied with delineated dark fruit and precise, delicate tannins, showing good freshness, a wonderful silky texture and a subtle saline note in the finish.”

94-96+ Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Tour Saint Christophe reveals darker red and blue berries, chocolaty herbs, graphite, and crushed stone, as well as a beautiful floral character. Coming from a picturesque, terraced hillside on the eastern side of Saint-Emilion, it's based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a concentrated, layered, pure mouthfeel, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it's a concentrated, opulent 2025 that ticks all the right boxes.”

93–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Tour Saint Christophe is a stunner. Rich and explosive, the 2025 possesses remarkable depth and pure power. All the elements are so well balanced. Tour Saint Christophe is always a big wine, but the 2025 has an unusual level of finesse. Dark-toned fruit, leather, gravel, chocolate and dried herbs caress the palate. Aging the Francs in 20HL cask seems very well judged in moderating oak impact, something that has also been a signature here in the past.”

93 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Charred cedar on the opening, balanced by lovely grippy tannins, slate and pumice stone, this has plenty of brambled dark fruits to balance out the salinity of the limestone fingerprint. Harvest September 11 to 24. 25% new oak. Yield 27 hl/ha. 3.35 pH.”

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Lynch-Moussas is so classy. Silky and refined, the 2025 is all charm. All the elements are so well balanced. Readers will find a Pauillac of undeniable appeal. This is so precise. The 2025 is going to need a few years to soften as the tannins are quite imposing, and yet there is so much wine. A major step forward.”

94 Points! Beautiful nose, blackcurrant, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, cherries, crushed stones, blue fruit and bramble fruits. Sleek and straight, nice acidity, but this is quite linear with the Cabernet really giving the backbone, length and overall structure. Feels a bit tense, but it does have texture too so it’s not austere or harsh, just strong. Really well built, delivering power no doubt, but keeping a soft juiciness underneath. Very medicinal - clove, liquorice, unmistakable Cabernet speaking here, but feels clean and well worked. Nothing sticking out too much with body, plushness and cool freshness. Good potential, really impressively constructed. 3.7p. Ageing 30% new oak. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! More Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated, the 2022 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot that spent 14 months in 20% new French oak. It's even better than the Les Hauts de Smith and has gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, currants, scorched earth, tobacco, and graphite. This textured, medium to full-bodied, seamless beauty has ripe tannins, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. This matches, if not exceeds, the 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Aromas of currants and blackberries with orange peel and rose petals follow through to a medium body with racy and polished tannins that go on for a long time. Vivid and energetic. Second wine of Smith Haut-Laffite. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Give it two to three years. -  JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2022 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is a rich, heady wine. A blast of dark cherry, plum, licorice, menthol, chocolate, tobacco and incense makes a strong opening impression. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend is all opulence. I would give it a few years to settle down. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

93 Points! This is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, with an élevage lasting 14 months in 20% new oak. A completely different nose to Les Hauts de Smith, which has all that lightly roasted Merlot fruit;this has the same intensity but now in a pure, perfumed, floral Cabernet style, touched with mint and white peach. This continues through into the palate, now joined by darker tones of liquorice, toast, tar and charcoal, with a very pure and finely knit together backbone of tannins. A remarkable wine bearing in mind it is a second label, with dark fruit, high-quality structure and great length. This is a delicious Pessac-Léognan with fine potential. Give it ten years at least. A long grip to this rather solidly built wine. - The Wine Independent

98-100 Points - Wine Advocate 

"A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that weighs in at 13.3% alcohol, the 2025 Pontet-Canet is one of the finest wines this estate has produced. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cassis, wild berries and plums mingled with notions of violet and burning embers, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a degree of structural polish and sensuality that is rare in the Médoc, ripe acids and a long, penetrating finish. Over the last handful of years, technical director Mathieu Bessonnet and his team have revitalized Pontet-Canet's vineyards with well-timed soil work and precise phytosanitary treatments; and since 2023, the careful use of "pieds de cuve" in the winery, along with early blending, more refined barrel choices and cooler temperatures in the chai—plus more precise bottling practices—have conspired to take this estate to new heights of quality and consistency. In 2025, the team formed lower-than-usual "ponts" (whereby the canopies of adjacent vines are braided together in an arch) to retain denser foliage to protect the fruiting zone from sunshine, and they waited to pick late in pursuit of full maturity in Cabernet Sauvignon, finishing on September 23. The result is one of the wines of the vintage.times."

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“A precise and beautiful wine with total integration of the fruit and polished tannins that give a caressing and seductive mouthfeel. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit, a gentle nature and an overall softness and gorgeousness. Yet structured.”

96–98+ Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Pontet Canet is a wine of exquisite class. Silky, aromatic, and vibrant, the 2025 is all finesse. Crushed red and purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, and a gentle hint of spice are all wonderfully put together. Pontet-Canet is one of the more refined, sublimely beautiful wines of the year. This could turn out even better than my notes suggest. Tasted two times.”

98 Points – Falstaff
“Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate notes of candied violets, black cherries, some nougat, inviting hint of precious wood, multi-faceted bouquet. Juicy, elegant, ripe heart cherries, fine extract sweetness, ripe, silky tannins, freshly structured, mineral, blackberry confit in the finish, finesse-rich, harmonious style.”

97 Points! Blackberries, dried hibiscus and earth. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, showing a narrative of exceptional delineated fruit integrated with fine-grained, compact tannins that shift from precise to ethereal. Very impressive. A blend of 70% merlot with 30% bouchet (cabernet franc). Already compelling but will evolve eternally. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2023 Pensées de Lafleur has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with notes of sweet dark berries mingled with violets, blood orange and hints of truffle. Full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's deep and complete, with a seamless core of fruit framed by sweet tannins and succulent acids. As I've written before, this cuvée, derived 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, still lives in the shadow of its grander sibling, but it's a must-purchase for me every year. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

95 Points! Based on 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc from deeper, clay soils, the ruby/plum-hued 2023 Château Grand Village spent a year in 30% new French oak before bottling. It tastes like a mini Pomerol with its ripe, juicy black cherries, damp earth, roasted herbs, and graphite. It's medium-bodied and has a pure, focused, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. Drink 2026-2038. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Crunchy red fruit and blackberries, dried flowers and an earthy touch. Chalky and vibrant with precise flavors on the medium- to full-bodied palate, leaning toward medium. Fine tannins add definition and structure in the finish. A blend of 91% merlot and 9% bouchet (cabernet franc).  - JamesSuckling.com

93-94 Points! This is a wild GV with so much sliced lemon, green apple and lime, as well as hints of flint. Mussel shells, too. Medium-bodied, tangy and vivid. A blend of 78% sauvignon and 22% semillon. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Slightly more high-toned, with layers of black cherries and cassis fruit. Iodine and pressed violets seep through with aeration. Very composed, the Merlot adds a soupçon of opulence. The palate is medium-bodied, again high-toned with mulberry and blueberry fruit and a dab of salted licorice. The finish seems to indicate some Petit Verdot wanting a say in matters. It's just delicious from start to finish. - Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2023

94 Points! Soft truffle and tobacco, this was a hot year that comes through in its exotic cinnamon spice flavours, and its freshly cut rosemary and sage herbs that sit against bilberry and black cherry fruits. There are still tannins here, now fully integrated, and a kick of fresh acidity that adds a mouthwatering feel from the mid palate. - Jane Anson, July 2021

97 Points! Awesome, richly textured, powerful still with its ripe yet now-savoury red fruits on display, the sweetness edged out by truffles and spice. A great wine that remains full of life. One of the best Pauillacs in the vintage. - Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine, 2018

95 Points! This bottle of 1983 Pichon-Lalande (I really can't be bothered to type out its full name) is the best of many encountered over the years. This offers gorgeous melted red fruit, woodbines, smoke and cigar humidor scents that could only come from Pauillac. Hints of black truffle and morels follow after about an hour in the glass. The palate displays lovely balance, poised and fresh, perhaps more vigor than I ever expected, with just a hint of dried blood on the finish. Impeccable provenance played a role here, but it is still a 1983 that should not be underestimated. -  Neal Martin, Vinous, 2023

93 Points! The 1999 Pavie is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It springs out with spritely notes of redcurrant jelly, Morello cherries, and blackberry preserves giving way to suggestions of red roses, tobacco leaf, and pencil lead with a touch of tapenade. The medium-bodied palate has bags of energy, with a fine-grained texture and lively line to lift the long, mineral-laced finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, December 2023

95 Points! The 2020 Distique 13 is the best wine I have tasted from Mangot in some time, perhaps ever. Vibrant and explosive, the 2020 offers up blueberry jam, graphite, crushed rocks, lavender, licorice and exotic spice. Distique 13 remains an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle wine, but in this vintage there is a good kick of energy that lends balance and proportion. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

93+ Points! Notes of minty blackberries, cherries and plums preface the 2020 Todeschini Distique 13, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine that's more concentrated and structured than the regular Château Mangot, featuring a more elevated percentage of Cabernet and seeing élevage in barrels, foudres and amphorae. It will require a bit more patience. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! A wild and exotic white with pineapple and cooked-pear character that turns to baked pears as well. Full-bodied, dense and layered. 70 per cent semillon and 30 per cent sauvignon. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A textbook example of excellent dry white in 2023: you get the sumptuousness of ripe Sémillon with nectarine juiciness and the verve and citrus punch, in this case kiwi, from the Sauvignon Blanc. No malolactic fermentation to maintain acidity, given the summer heatwaves, and voilà. This wine also has some classy pear on the finish, but above all a juicy mid palate. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! A timid nose of pears, grapefruit and nectarines with stony austerity. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows precise texture and a growing saline note that adds complexity, turning incisive yet textural. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2019 Couhins is rich and textured right out of the gate.  Plum, blood orange, spice, new leather and licorice infuse the 2019 with quite a bit of character. Firm tannins wrap it all together, finishing real depth and density. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

93 Points! Very pretty blueberry and chocolate with some walnut and bark undertones. Pretty, pure fruit here. Medium to full body with creamy, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. - JamesSuckling.com