Bordeaux 2018 revisited: an early taste of 50 of Anson’s top-scoring reds
Wines are listed on the Left Bank by commune, north to south, then Right Bank; then in descending order by score, and then alphabetically by producer. The price guides shown are approximate at time of writing: wines are generally widely distributed, so there will be availability across the market – please consult your usual specialist merchants for the latest listings and prices
St-Estèphe
1 Château Montrose 2CC 98
£ 120 (ib)-£ 187
Rich and deep with beautifully nuanced dark chocolate, mocha, cocoa bean and liquorice. Just full of understated power and silky tannins. This is gorgeous and among my top wines of the Left Bank.
As it opens in the glass you get sweet black cherry and cassis flesh, and a sense of lilting sappiness. Great stuff from Montrose. Drink 2028-2045 Alcohol 14.5%
Château Cos d’Estournel 2CC 97
£ 140 (ib)-£ 207
A little closed on the nose, also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful, with ambition, and the wine carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin this year. 2% of Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot make up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the more usual 60%). Drink 2028-2045 Alc 14.5%
Château Calon Ségur 3CC 94
£96-£ 122.50 (ib)
Rose petal, cinnamon and cedar. An exotic feel overall held in by firm tannins that are welcome in the sense of the restraint they add. Chocolate and coffee abound along with cassis fruits. I get the same impression as I did during en primeur, that this is a slightly atypical Calon Ségur in its concentration and character, even though it has a seductive appeal. Drink 2026-2038 Alc 15%
2 Château Lafon- Rochet 4CC 94
£ 30 (ib)-£44
Smoke and grilled cedar on the nose. Clearly ambitious, this is good quality, with plenty of power and forward motion, depth of liquorice and a feel of mint and bitter chocolate Bendicks character.
Precision, depth and power, with years ahead of it, if closed and a little austere right now. Brilliant value among the classifieds. Drink 2026-2040 Alc 14.5%
Château Phélan Ségur 94
£ 31 (ib)-£46
Brilliant, succulent and luscious fruit. Blackberry, damson, chocolate and sage with a brilliant hold and muscular tannins. Drink 2024-2042 Alc 14%
Pauillac
Château Mouton Rothschild 1CC 100 £460-£ 520 (ib)
This has so much tannic power, with density and structure along with layers of blackberry, liquorice, baked earth, cigar box and the signature exotic spices of Mouton. A big, textured and complex wine that is taking it all in its stride. 100% new oak. There is the tiniest touch of Petit Verdot in the blend, but under 1%, so it’s not in the official figures. 62% of production went into the grand vin. The 2018 label (pictured, p25) features art by Xu Bing. Drink 2028-2050 Alc 13.8%
Château Lafite Rothschild 1CC 98 £609-£714 (ib)
This stood out during en primeur, not just for itself but also in comparison with so many estates around it. While several properties had an unusual vintage, where their personalities were subverted by the weather conditions, Lafite just continued being Lafite: a true mark of its character and its terroir. This is still, of course, extremely young, keeping its cards close to its chest; the power for now is hidden, waiting, and will slowly unveil. This is going to be a beautiful Lafite in the future, a brilliant wine with bilberry, slate and pencil lead character, and a eucalyptus mint wash. 40% of the production went into the grand vin. Drink 2028-2050 Alc 13.3%
3 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2CC 98
£ 130 (ib)-£ 195
There are lovely grilled and graphite notes right from the start here; this is big and muscular, and extremely Pauillac. There is grace too, showing raspberry purée, cassis, fig and blackberry fruits set against charcoal and fine tannins that quickly build up to suggest how well this will age. 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. 13% press wine, 60% new oak used. Drink 2026-2038 Alc 14%
Château Pichon Baron 2CC 97
£ 110-£ 167 (ib)
Grilled cedar and attractive aromatics, with well-handled extraction giving confident but unmistakable oak impact. This is good quality, showing gentle raspberry leaf aromatics on the opening, then savoury cassis and bilberry, with
pencil lead and crayon appearing along with the tannins as it stretches out through the palate. There was one week less of maceration than normal in 2018, so 21 days instead of the typical 28, and this will have helped to control extractions. Drink 2028-2045 Alc 14%
Château Clerc Milon 5CC 96
£ 57.50 (ib)-£94
An extremely successful Clerc Milon in a run of great vintages at the property. Lovely purity; clear, big tannins; and real poise and tension. Persistent, succulent, full of cassis, liquorice and crushed mint. Seriously impressive and will go the distance. Blend completed by 9% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenère. Drink 2026-2045 Alc 14.1%
4 Château Lynch- Bages 5CC 96
£87 (ib)-£ 130
Deep, rich black fruits on the nose followed by a powerful punch of spice alongside a ferocious tannic structure that will benefit from the extra polishing of bottle ageing. Combines tannic heft with cassis, bitter chocolate shavings, sage, cardamom and smoke. This is impressive, with a solidly confident, classic Pauillac character and a great example of the confidence of Lynch-Bages right now. 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot complete the blend. Drink 2028-2048 Alc 14%
Château Duhart- Milon 4CC 95
£ 54 (ib)-£96
One of the real successes of the Lafite stable in 2018. You get the rich, smooth texture straight off the nose, continued by a velvety texture and a full mouthfeel. Serious, with a long life ahead, this is one of the more voluptuous Duhart-Milons I’ve tasted, and will expand the audience for this wine, in my opinion. Plenty of black fruits, bitter chocolate, liquorice, slate and pencil lead. Ticks the boxes of both Pauillac and Cabernet Sauvignon character. Very good quality. Drink 2026-2044 Alc 14%
Château Grand- Puy- Lacoste 5CC 95
£ 50 (ib)-£80
Sweet black-cherry fruits, bilberry and hedgerow. A little austere at this stage but confidently so, with a slice of bitter black chocolate. Big Pauillac tannins, no question – a little more prominent than they were en primeur. The wine has taken on weight while ageing, so I’m slightly extending the drinking window. 12% press wine, 75% new oak. Drink 2026-2044 Alc 14.5%
5 Château Pontet- Canet 5CC 95
£81-£ 110 (ib)
A richly nuanced and aromatic Pontet: plum, gooseberry, cassis, rosemary, violet, tobacco leaf, sage, white pepper. Clear freshness, with beautiful floral aromatics through the palate – peony alongside the deeply textured fruit. A touch of bitterness on the finish and in the final moments the tannic grip of Pauillac takes hold. Has its own character and it feels very much of itself. Extremely small yields in this year, in which mildew meant they lost two-thirds of the crop, coming in at under 15hl/ha. 55% new oak, 45% in amphorae. Drink 2027-2042 Alc 14.5%
Château Batailley 5CC 94
£ 34 (ib)-£ 54
Tasted twice, this is intense and concentrated with beautifully smoked, grilled oak notes, clear, precise cassis, blackberry, liquorice and black chocolate and a slow slate finish. Great quality, welcoming and full of character. 60% new oak. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drink 2026-2044 Alc 14.5%
St-Julien
6 Château Léoville Las Cases 2CC 99 £ 180 (ib)-£ 308
This has such a textured, ripe, plump and poised black-fruit character that is clear from the aromatics alone. Mouthfilling, with huge texture and density, full of liquorice root, black chocolate shavings and cocoa pod with crème de cassis edging. This is delicious and has chewy tannins that you can pick up with a shovel. One of the wines of the vintage. Only 2% of press wine (unusually low, as it can go up to 15% in some years). It grips on tight to the finish: extremely impressive. 90% new oak. 9% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drink 2028-2050 Alc 14.5%
Château Ducru- Beaucaillou 2CC 97
£ 132 (ib)-£ 199
Stunning concentration, power and finesse, with ample chocolate, charcoal, slate and liquorice, set against sweet blueberries, damson and cassis. This is silky and polished, with multiple layers and complexity. With 18 months’ ageing in 100% new oak, this has delivered on its en primeur potential, but still needs a good decade in bottle. Drink 2028-2044 Alc 14.5%
Château Léoville Barton 2CC 96
£62 (ib)-£79
Well-polished blackcurrant, cassis and bilberry, everything pretty silky and firm. Not fully showing its generosity at this point, but no question that it is going to get there soon. Clear charcoal, graphite and woodsmoke as it opens up. A lengthy life ahead, and an appealing sense of mint freshness. Lives up to its en primeur promise: this is Léoville Barton at its most confident. Drink 2026-2040 Alc 14%
Château Léoville Poyferré 2CC 96
£65 (ib)-£99
One of the darkest in colour, with an inky ruby that stains the glass. Even on the nose you feel the texture of this wine. Clear damson and chocolate shavings, cocoa beans and liquorice. This is young and extremely good quality – straying into gold medal territory, and will age for ages. Still extremely young, the tannins are multiplying as it stays in the mouth, popping up from all over the place, with a slow slate finish that I love. I couldn’t