Pauillac

95 Points! This is surprisingly full-bodied and round, reflecting the warmth and sunny exposure of the vineyard around the chateau. Tangy and vivid with currants, fresh flowers and plenty of energy and length. Delicate yet ripe. 77% cabernet sauvignon, 19.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% petit verdot. Needs two or three years to come together completely. Drink after 2027. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The second wine of this great château, the 2021 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up a mini-Mouton-like nose of pure cassis, graphite, and spicy oak and hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, plenty of fruit and richness, and almost velvety tannins. Based on 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new barrels, this textured, focused, impressively concentrated 2021 will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age (which is rare for a second wine) and cruise for 10-15+ years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

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

98–100 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

“With a single swirl, the wine releases an intoxicating perfume of flowers, crème de cassis, blackberries, Cuban cigars, graphite, lead pencil, tobacco leaf, and violets. The palate is where the magic happens. Seamless, vibrant, and energetic, the wine combines purity, precision, and intensity with remarkable freshness.”

97–99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Pure cassis, leafy herbs, spring flowers, and graphite all emerge from the 2025 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. The balance, length, complexity, and pure class here are exceptional. It hit 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and an IPT of 73. Hats off to director Nicolas Glumineau for another absolutely sensational Comtesse!”

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“A bright and vivid red with so much perfume. Aromas of black currants and violets that follow through to a medium body with fine, linear tannins that are long and very refined. Tannin-driven but caressing. Racy and elegant, with structure. 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.”

96–98 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Pichon Comtesse is an elegant, beautifully layered Pauillac. Dark fruit, lavender, rose petal, graphite, and spice all meld together effortlessly. The wine possesses exceptional purity, finesse, and persistence, with the energy and balance that have become hallmarks of the estate.”

95–97 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2025 Pichon Comtesse has a wonderfully defined bouquet with cassis, blackberry, graphite, cedar, and floral aromas. The palate is poised and beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins, impressive freshness, and outstanding precision.”

95–97 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande strides confidently out of the glass with classic notes of cassis, ripe, fresh plums, and wild blueberries, followed by hints of lilacs, pencil shavings, and tilled soil with a touch of crushed rocks. The palate is wonderfully graceful with tight-knit black fruit and floral layers, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long and minerally.”

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.”

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.”