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 is gorgeous. In fact, the 2018 is one of the most polished and refined recent vintages I can remember tasting for a wine that up until recently was much darker and more extracted in style. The purity of the fruit is simply striking, while the explosive energy in the glass is a thing of beauty. It will be fascinating to see where the 2018 goes, but there is little question that this style towards more elegance driven by Technical Director Anne Le Naour and consulting oenologist Hubert de Bouärd is hugely appealing. The 2018 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot. Tasted two times.

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.

The 2018 Grand-Puy-Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color and initially shows quite a lot of cedar/oak on the nose, opening to a core of warm black and red currants, stewed plums and mulberries with touches of pencil shavings, fried herbs, lavender and tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a firm, grainy frame with some chew from the oak and fresh, crunchy red and black fruit, finishing savory.