Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2018

Very alluring, with a dark, winey core of cassis, steeped plum and blackberry preserve waiting to fully unfold, while fine-grained alder, black tea, warm cast iron and licorice root notes form a prodigious frame. Long, dark, smoldering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.

The 2018 Grand-Puy Ducasse has a deep, almost impenetrable colour, with plenty of intensity on the nose. Soft, ripe fruit on the palate – the Merlot element really shines. A success, although one could argue this is not hugely Pauillac-like. But, at least, it does have a bit of lead-pencil character to finish. Appealing weight, fleshiness, concentration and freshness.

Dried currants, stewed blackberries, praline, dried herbs and pencil lead on the nose. Raw cocoa, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, ultra-fine tannins. Structured with excellent intensity and focus. Very polished. Try from 2025.

Dark in color, the wine is paced with ripe black currants, espresso, smoke, tobacco, vanilla and blackberry. On the palate the wine is sweet, fresh, juicy, crisp and chewy, with a blast of black and red fruits, herbs and cocoa in the finish. This is a wine to lay down for at least 7-8 years to insure an even better experience. The wine is made from blending 52% Cabernet Sauvignon with 48% Merlot.

Deep ruby-garnet, purple glints, faintly lighter at the rim. Delicate savoury herbaceousness, hardwood followed by nuances of cassis and fresh cherries, a hint of orange zest. Juicy, medium complexity, ripe sweetheart cherries, some plums, elegance, integrated tannins, marked by a delicate leafy touch. Mineral reverberations. (2020-2035)

Kunz barrel sample 19: (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot) Sweet, plush, fruity bouquet, blackberries, cherries, a hint of rubber, cold smoke. Medium-bodied, balanced palate with good tannin, dark fruit, classic structure, spicy aromatics, and a bitter finish. Has room to improve.

Floral, sweet, fruity bouquet, blackcurrants, tobacco, fine herbs, cherries, slate. Balanced, silky, fresh palate with delicate fruit, good tannins, an elegant, finely knit structure, fragrant aromatics, and a long, gently bitter finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2025 - 2048

The 2018 Grand-Puy Ducasse has a deep garnet-purple color. It leaps from the glass with redcurrants, blackberry pie, and clove oil, plus wafts of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, and wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate is a little austere, with chewy tannins and an herbal finish.

Slightly tight tannin that still grips the texture and the flavor of great ripe grapes. For now, it’s firmed up by its wood influence. Beautiful substance that will refine in barrel.

Right on the nose, it feels as though the fruit has shifted into a candied register. The palate is very opulent, chocolaty, and warm on the finish.

The classic nose of a Pauillac Bordeaux, with dark-fruit aromas that gain in opulence as it opens in the glass. The palate builds in intensity around succulent notes of fresh fruit, leading to a delicious, textured finish with a lovely chew.

In the case of the 2018, it’s above all the fruity notes that define this wine! The terroir can wait… but rest assured, it’s there too! There’s a certain gap between the bouquet and the palate; while the former is inviting, the latter clearly indicates it should be left alone. The power is there, and so is the breadth. Time needs to smooth out the edges a little, but that only works if the substance is there. That’s the case here, so you just need to wait—and it’s reassuring to know that time itself is immutable. Waiting is a luxury these days, and that’s just fine!

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège)

From a 19th-century winery that's a prominent landmark on the Pauillac riverfront, this wine is dense with tannins and vivid with black fruits. The estate's three parcels have given a rich wine, concentrated and dense while also having layers of dark fruits. Drink this promising wine from 2026.