Château Labégorce 2018

Powerful, full-bodied and crisp, with polished tannins and freshness, a juicy finish and a well-integrated complex sweetness.

The 2018 Labégorce is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It has 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with a beautiful perfume of kirsch, black cherry compote and cassis, plus hints of licorice, lilacs and baking spices. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly played with soft tannins and compelling freshness supporting the fragrant red and black fruits, finishing on a spicy note.

Silky and refined in feel, with perfumy black currant paste, plum reduction and blackberry compote notes forming the core while sandalwood, black tea and cedar accents drape the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2034. 9,000 cases made.

93–95. Barrel Sample. There are notions of some serious wood aging here, which are happily sustained by the black currant flavor and lively acidity. It will be a firm wine for many years before it opens up.

This is a high-energy wine with bright floral aromas, super-vibrant cranberry-cassis flavors, and a plump richness. The Perrodo family united two neighboring properties that had once been part of the Château Labegorce estate—L'Abbé de Gorse and Labegorce Zede—bringing the total to 65 hectares, with mostly gravelly sandy soil. Now the average age of the vines is nearly 30 years. Unlike the equally impressive 2016, this blend is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant at 50%, with Merlot at 44% and Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc each at 3%. The summer, says winemaker Marjolaine de Coninck, was amazing for ripeness.

The 2018 Labegorce has a very seductive bouquet of pure black cherries, blueberry and crushed floral scents. This is one of the more precocious 2018 Margaux, revealing an increasing floral element with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit laced with tar and licorice. Very cohesive, tightening up toward the finish, which retains fine nuance and mineralité.

The gorgeous perfume, with its wet earth, spice, smoke, flowers, red berries and espresso is a knockout! The wine is plush, rich and plump, with a long finish loaded with polished, sweet red fruits and silky textures. This should age for at least 2 decades easily. The wine blends 50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Delicate mint and nougat, black forest berries layer, fine fine wood savouriness, a hint of vanilla. Juicy, elegant, fresh structure, fine tannins, fruit extract on the finish, salty aftertaste, shows class, certain ageing potential.

The 2018 Château Labegorce is a perfumed, already complex Margaux based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its medium ruby hue gives way to lovely notes of blueberries, raspberries, flowers, sandalwood, and assorted baking spice cabinet-like nuances. Medium to full-bodied, with beautifully pure fruit and silky tannins, it's a wine that grows on you with time in the glass. It's not a blockbuster, but it exudes elegance and class as well as balance. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 20-25 years or more.

Dense purple-red color. Rich, spicy black-berry bouquet with plenty of cassis, Brazilian tobacco and dark chocolate truffles, followed by Tasmanian mountain pepper, cardamom and wild cherry. Firm on the palate with a finely sandy texture and fleshy extract, a massive body; the tannins really grip, and this Margaux hints at serious ageing potential. In the concentrated finish, the powerhouse becomes more streamlined, with a delicate touch of sloe juice, dark terroir spice and ripe astringency—potential rating!

Kunz Fassprobe 19: Silky, finely mineral, elegant bouquet with blueberries, redcurrant blackcurrant notes, raspberries and slate. A densely knit, elegant, classic palate with concentrated, refined fruit, a powerful, sweetly scented aromatic profile, a finely muscular structure, and a long, fresh finish with delicate lingering notes.

Silky, finely mineral and elegant bouquet: blueberries, red cassis, raspberries, slate. A tightly knit, elegant, classic palate with dense, refined fruit, a powerful, sweet aromatic profile, a finely muscular structure, and a long, fresh finish with subtle lingering flavors. 18/20 2026 - 2045

Rich blackberry and fig fruits, well structured dominant tannins that remain fairly tight at this point, exuberant turmeric, black pepper and dried herbs, with a flash of heat on the finish. Atypical in the lineup, reflecting the heat of the vintage, but a ton of pleasure to be found here. 33% new oak. Harvest September 20 to October 15, technical director Marjolaine de Coninck.

The 2018 Labegorce is deep garnet purple in color. It has an evolving nose of raisin cake and stewed plums, with hints of leather and tobacco, plus a medicinal waft. Medium to full-bodied, firm and chewy, it coats the mouth with ripe, spicy fruit, going a little rustic on the finish.

Dark, intense colour. Very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle fruit. A touch of complexity. Delicate on entry, then very flavoursome and very fruity; the wine caresses the palate and carries through to a long finish. The texture is a little firm, but the tannins remain fine, with lingering aromatics.