Bordeaux

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."

96 Points – Decanter
"A beautifully crafted Saint-Estèphe with impressive depth, precision, and freshness. Dark fruits, graphite, cedar, and mineral notes are framed by fine tannins and excellent persistence."

96–97 Points – James Suckling
"A refined and focused Phélan Ségur with blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stones, and floral undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with polished tannins and a long, energetic finish."

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"Fresh, vibrant and classically styled, with cassis, cedar, tobacco leaf, and crushed rock minerality. Excellent balance and aging potential."

93–95 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Phélan Ségur offers lovely delineation with blackberry, cassis, graphite, and subtle floral aromas. The palate is structured and persistent with fine tannins and excellent precision."

92–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Black currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, and crushed rocks form the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, energetic, and loaded with classic Saint-Estèphe character, finishing with excellent length and minerality."

97-99 Points. Jeb Dunnuck
"A Merlot-heavy blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 Château Feytit-Clinet is just brilliant, with a full-bodied, deep, and layered profile packed with blue and black fruits, chocolate, and tobacco. Concentrated and powerful yet weightless and flawlessly balanced, with velvety tannins and a great finish. This is up with the crème de la crème of the Right Bank, as well as Bordeaux in general."

95-97 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Violets, licorice, truffle, smoke, black cherries, and chocolate create the perfume. Polished, plush, fresh, and creamy, the wine is packed with ripe, sweet, energetic fruits, chocolate, and espresso. This is among the best vintages of Feytit-Clinet ever produced."

94-96 Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Feytit-Clinet reveals enticing blackberry and bilberry fruit, hints of truffle oil and black pepper. Silky smooth tannins, perfectly judged acidity, and a long finish make this perhaps the insider's Pomerol of the vintage."

94-95 Points James Suckling
"Cohesive, with precise tannins and a beautiful expression of dark fruit. Velvety and elegant with a bright finish."

93-95 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Ripe blueberries and black plums leap from the glass alongside hints of camphor, anise, and fertile loam. The palate delivers energetic black fruit and fine-grained tannins with seamless freshness and a minty kick to the finish."

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“A serious Aile d'Argent with sliced green mangoes, pears and green apples. Full-bodied. Framed with phenolics and minerals. Complex and real. A touch of flint and cedar at the end. Super finish. A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle.”

94–96 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“The 2025 Aile d'Argent pops from the glass with vivacious notes of Bosc pears, white peaches, and pink grapefruit, giving way to hints of honeysuckle, orange peel, and beeswax with a touch of jasmine tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is satiny-textured and crisp with intense orchard fruit flavors and a long, fragrant finish. The blend is 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris, and 1% Muscadelle. It has a pH of 3.13 and the alcohol is 13.6%. It is due to age in French oak barrels for 9 months, 45% new. No malolactic was performed this year.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon Gris, and a splash of Muscadelle, the 2025 Château Mouton Rothschild Aile D'Argent Blanc offers bright green citrus, crushed stone, minty herb, and savory aromatics, with an incredibly mineral-driven character. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with bright, racy acidity and a clean finish. This exotic, complex, perfumed white is going to benefit from a few years in the cellar and I suspect have a long drinking window.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A beautifully structured and polished La Chapelle with layers of dark fruit, graphite, and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins, excellent balance, and a long, focused finish. A superb second wine.”

92–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A beautiful, layered second wine from this team, the 2025 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28.3% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. Ripe black cherries, graphite, red plums, smoke, and tobacco are just some of the nuances on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, fine and polished tannins, and a great finish.”

92–94 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion prances out with gregarious notes of fresh black cherries, juicy raspberries, and cassis, plus hints of lavender oil and pencil shavings with a waft of tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine-grained tannins and great tension to match the bright black and red berry flavors, finishing minerally. The blend is 28.3% Merlot, 52.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.1% Petit Verdot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.1%.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, tobacco leaves, black cherries, cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks create the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and energetic with a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit. The finish combines minerality, freshness, and length, making this one of the strongest vintages of La Chapelle in recent years.”

96–98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Arômes De Pavie has a gorgeous, Cabernet-like nose of red and black fruits, smoky tobacco, crushed stone, and chocolaty, truffly nuances. It's rich and powerful on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great finish. You'd be excused for mistaking this for the grand vin of a few years ago, and it's more in the style of the classic Pavie than the Grand Vin in 2025.”

95–97 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, smoke, espresso, and crushed rocks create the perfume. Rich, supple, and energetic, the wine combines depth, freshness, and minerality with layers of ripe fruit and a long, vibrant finish. This is one of the finest vintages ever produced for Les Arômes de Pavie.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“This shows density and beauty in the integration of tannins and fruit. Medium-bodied with attractive blue fruit and a dark, earthy finish. Lightly salty. 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc.”

93–95 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Arômes de Pavie features fragrant notes of blackberry preserves, fresh black plums, and aniseed, plus touches of garrigue, pencil lead, and lavender. The medium- to full-bodied palate is chock-full of bright black fruit flavors, framed by firm, grainy tannins and a crisp line of tension, finishing long and chalky. Impressive! The blend is 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14.25% and the pH is 3.5.”

97 Points! Dense ruby in colour, slight bricking around the edges. Beautifully supple tannins, hints of black truffle, cocoa dusting. Signature Figeac finesse. Bright and vivid, feels like the slow-moving 2000 is now beginning to rival the legendary 2001 Figeac, and reaching that point where you can't decide if you want to slow down and savour every sip or rev up and drink it down in a few gulps. From double magnum. 100% new oak. - Jane Anson, 2023

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Offers tension and grip, a slow unroll, reserved at first but as it opens you get luscious white peach and pear fruits, along with elderflower and apple blossom florals. Great stuff from this lovely structure-driven white wine.”

93 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Just bottled, the Blanc de Lynch-Bages is a gorgeous, refreshing dry white to drink now and over the next handful of years. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and chalky undertones are beautifully delineated.”

93 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Grapefruit, vanilla, green apples, and floral notes are all over the place. The palate is equally brisk, with its vibrant, crisp display of yellow citrus and crunchy green apples, with hints of white peach, juicy pineapple, and white pepper on the finish.”

95–97 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, mint, black cherries, forest leaves, and licorice are at play in the aromatic profile. The palate is vibrant, expressive, and mineral-driven. The wine has freshness, length, and complexity. The finish packs in herbs, pepper, cherries, plums, and chocolate with a refreshing, minty edge on the backend.”

94–96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued with a beautiful limestone character, the 2025 Château Poesia reveals plums, black raspberries, and liquid violet nuances on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, with a deep, layered, pure mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Another incredibly complete, balanced, satisfying Saint-Emilion.”

94–96 Points – The Wine Independent (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
“The 2025 Poesia springs from the glass with vibrant notes of blueberries, fresh blackberries, and ripe plums, followed by hints of lilacs, bergamot, and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate is light on its feet and refreshing with fine-grained tannins and intense blue and black fruit layers, finishing long and chalky.”

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Poesia is stellar. Limestone soils on a cooler terroir, along with a higher presence of Cabernet Franc, yield a Saint-Émilion that blends richness and saline-infused energy. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, crushed rocks, sage and mint race across the palate.”

94–96 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers and plums fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, juicy, fresh, long, and packed with ripe, sweet black cherries, chocolate, oceanic influences, mint, and licorice. The finish has great energy, with flesh and length. Clearly, this is one of the best vintages of Barde Haut ever produced.”

94–96 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The nose of the 2025 Barde Haut is a field of flowers—violets, roses, and lavender—leading to a core of black raspberries and black cherries, plus a hint of forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully graceful with very fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension framing the perfumed black and blue fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.”

93–95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Barde-Haut has beautiful notes of ripe black fruits, sappy flowers, tobacco, and chocolate on the nose. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. This is a seriously impressive Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé that's well worth your time and money.”

93–95 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Barde-Haut is powerful and resonant. Macerated dark cherry, spice, new leather, cedar and menthol confer tons of intensity. Broad and ample, with notable textural intensity.”

94+ Points! A blend of 56% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Chapelle d'Ausone sings of black raspberries, kirsch and plum preserves with hints of unsmoked cigars, pencil lead, lavender and chocolate box plus a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied and fantastically elegant in the mouth, the red and black fruit layers are beautifully framed by firm yet fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

93 Points! A new cellar at Annabelle Corbin's estate for the 2016 vintage allowed for greater precision in the delivery. There's a clear roundness to the cherry, loganberry and juicy cassis fruits here. The 50% new oak is present, offering charred and tarred flavours that aren't subtle but full of life. It's well constructed, supporting the fruit through the palate. A great life ahead. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! Brimming with blackberries, supple tannins and lively acidity, this is an immediately attractive St.-Emilion that’s easy to enjoy with food now, but has the structure to age for some years. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! Blended of 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc aged in 50% new and 33% one-year-old French oak for 18 months, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Corbin has quite a meaty nose with smoked meats and beef drippings over a core of black plum preserves with hints of bay leaves and garrigue. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a great core of muscular fruit and an earthy finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com

94–96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from vines just across from Ausone, the 2025 Château Moulin Saint-Georges is another pure, focused, elegant wine in the Vauthier lineup, offering cassis and black raspberry fruit alongside lots of graphite, crushed stone, and violet-driven nuances with beautifully integrated oak.”

94–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Plums, black cherries, purple flowers, cocoa, and licorice form the fragrant aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with lift and energy showing on the sweet, fresh, juicy palate. Bright red berries in the finish come along with accents of citrus, cocoa, and black raspberries, with a touch of salt on the backend.”

94 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Really fruit forward on the nose with so much red and blue berry aromas. Supple and succulent, juicy and lively with really fine tannins. Finessed, balanced, and compelling.”

93-95 Points -  Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Palate "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Moulin Saint-Georges prances out of the glass with gregarious notes of black raspberries and wild blueberries, giving way to hints of anise, garrigue, and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate is silky, intense, and defined by an exhilaratingly crisp backbone, finishing long and minerally. The blend is 85% Merlot and

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“So much energy in this wine, with freshness, vivid cherry and raspberry character, fine tannins and bright acidity. Medium-bodied. How a 2025 should be.”

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Ripe black fruit with liquorice, tobacco and cedar aromas. Sleek and polished, this has both brightness and subtle power to it. The tannins are beautifully positioned and integrated. Polished!”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Estate signature, showing inky depths and character, damson, blueberry, espresso, a good quality wine with character and impact. Real potential over ageing.”

96–97 Points – James Suckling
“So much energy in this wine, with freshness, vivid cherry and raspberry character, fine tannins and bright acidity. Medium-bodied. How a 2025 should be.”

95 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Ripe black fruit with liquorice, tobacco and cedar aromas. Sleek and polished, this has both brightness and subtle power to it. The tannins are beautifully positioned and integrated. Polished!”

94 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Estate signature, showing inky depths and character, damson, blueberry, espresso, a good quality wine with character and impact. Real potential over ageing.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Red, blue, and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and tons of violet nuances all define the rock-solid 2025 Château Faugères, a beautifully polished, layered Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé.”

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.”

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Lafon-Rochet is classy and polished, as it so often is. Readers will find a Saint-Estèphe of nuance, delineation and understated class. Vibrant blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage and menthol are some of the many nuances that begin to open with some coaxing. This is classic Lafon-Rochet all the way.”

94 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Wonderful fragrance emitting out of the glass. Fruity and juicy straight away, clean, crisp, bright and fresh with a really cool, wet stone undercurrent. There’s firmness but also finesse with lovely structure and focus. Super long, with that cool fresh grip really extending on the finish. Joyous.”

93–94 Points – James Suckling
“A dense, chocolaty and focused red showing generous fruit and bark on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, chewy tannins. Textural, with nice concentration and a long, vivid, flavorful finish.”

92–94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“A serious, focused wine from this Saint-Estèphe château, the 2025 Château Lafon-Rochet offers darker, juicy blue fruits, leafy herbs, graphite, and liquid violets and spring flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's structured and concentrated, with integrated acidity and outstanding length.”

93–95 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black currants, licorice, spice, mint and cedar aromatics emerge easily in the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, and energetic, with chewy currants, a touch of cocoa, and classic Saint-Estèphe character on the finish.”

95–96 Points – James Suckling
“Focused and curated, with very long, fine tannins that take the wine on a journey. Nicely ripe fruit with berry and light hazelnut undertones. Medium-bodied with a linear and long finish. Plenty of dark berry and dark cherry with lead pencil and flint. This is going to be an excellent wine in the bottle.”

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 La Dominique is terrific. This is one of the best vintages of La Dominique I can remember tasting. Aromatic, silky and exceptionally polished, La Dominique impresses right out of the gate. Bracing saline notes extend the clean, reverberating finish. A sleeper.”

96 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Another excellent vintage from this trusty estate. A cool crystalline nose, cola, liquorice, tar and blueberries. So clean and pure. Crisp and focused from the off, a cooling menthol and blackcurrant element, soft grippy tannins and the most beautiful juicy mid palate that just makes you smile. A happy wine. Powerful yet restrained, vibrant and energetic with exceptional fruit purity.”

93-95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château La Dominique is a reserved yet clearly promising Saint-Emilion based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, raised in 50% new barrels, 35% once-used barrels, and 15% amphora. Ripe black fruits, smoky tobacco, gravelly earth, and graphite all define the nose, and on the palate, it's rich and medium to full-bodied, with ample mid-palate volume, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It checks in at 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.68 and is very much on the focused, dense, concentrated side of the vintage.”

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."