Château Lascombes 2018

A bright juniper note leads off, followed quickly by a mix of warmed cassis, steeped plum and blackberry compote flavors. Silky and fine-grained from start to finish, with a late flurry of singed wood, savory and dark tea details on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. 29,000 cases made.

Lovely grilled fruit here; super enjoyable, suave and good quality, with depth and interest through the palate. Fully ripe fruit notes of figs and damson are backed up by liquorice and chocolate, but this has a sense of being propelled forward through the palate, and has a crushed mint finish - giving a slight upscore since en primeur. A yield of 45hl/ha. 40% new oak.

Complex nose, blending notes of elderberries, black cherries, spices, cedar, and violets. It’s full-bodied and structured with elegant tannins and a fleshy texture. Flavorful, savory finish. Try after 2024.

The 2018 Lascombes sports an attractive nose of well-defined black fruit mingling with freshly rolled tobacco and earthy aromas. As I wrote last year, this is more refined and controlled than other vintages of Lascombes. The palate is cohesive and focused, and gentle in terms of grip, with fine salinity toward the finish. There is a Pauillac-like personality here and thankfully it no longer shows any of that baked character on the finish. This is decent Lascombes.

With a smoke-filled nose of plum, espresso, licorice, cigar box and roasted dark red fruits, the wine is round, lush and full-bodied, with espresso and dark chocolate rising alongside all the ripe, dark red berries on the finish. It will take time for the oak to integrate; therefore, you will need to be either oak-tolerant or very patient with this one.

Very dark ruby, opaque core with purple reflections and a delicate brightening on the rim. Hints of roasted aromas and nougat caramel, black forest berry confit in the background along with subtle liquorice and candied orange zest. Complex, juicy, black cherries, ripe tannins with a chocolaty touch on the finish and underlying mineral notes; a powerful, tasty food wine which will be drinking perfectly 2025-2045.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (40% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 45 hl/ha, 13.8% alc.) Velvety, sweet, finely mineral and powerful bouquet, red and blue berries, blueberry cream, slate, red licorice. Balanced, creamy, multi-layered palate with powerful, precise fruit, diverse sweet aromatics, fine tannins, creamy texture, and a long, fresh finish. Still has room to improve.

(40% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 45 hl/ha, 13.8% vol. alcohol) Velvety, sweet, finely mineral and powerful bouquet, red and blue berries, blueberry cream, slate, red licorice. Balanced, creamy, multi-layered palate with powerful, fine fruit, diverse, sweet aromatics, fine tannin, creamy structure, long, fresh finish. Can improve further. 18/20 2025 - 2050

An exuberant vintage all around, and this is in the zeitgeist of the year, if not the appellation. Trace of heat, and the extraction is pretty charged, which makes things abrupt on the finish but the tannins are chewy and supple, and there are enticing layers of violet, blackberry, cassis, cocoa bean, pomegranate, turmeric, ink, cloves and crayon. Harvest September 21 to October 16, 45hl/ha yield, 60% new oak. Delphine Barboux technical director.

The 2018 Lascombes has a deep garnet-purple color. The nose is slightly evolved and leathery, delivering notes of prunes and crème de cassis, plus smoked meats, cedar, and a medicinal waft. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and chewy, with a rustic finish.

It doesn’t lack charm, with ripe but not jammy fruit, a rounded palate, and abundant, silky tannins. An exuberant Margaux that will age well.

A touch of reduction on the nose at first, before it opens up to notes of curry and dark chocolate alongside berry aromas. The palate is broad, concentrated and indulgent, with ripe tannins.

Deep garnet red. As usual, Lascombes doesn’t try to hide and stands out for its charm and precision. It successfully reconciles élevage, fruit and terroir, but the nose clearly signals that patience will be required. This is confirmed on the palate, where the wine is tasty, juicy, silky and fresh! Paradoxes abound… and so does Lascombes’ ability to craft great wines!

This large estate to the north of Margaux village is performing well. There is still a tendency to overuse wood aging, but powerful black fruits will provide balance as the wine ages. With its structure and dark tannins, this wine has a long-term perspective. Drink from 2027.