The 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Strong Cabernet inflections soar out of the glass, giving the wine a compelling aromatic profile laced with the essence of graphite, dried herbs, menthol and dark fruit. One of the most classic (for lack of a better word) wines in the Left Bank in 2018, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is super-impressive right out of the gate. Grand-Puy-Lacoste is ultimately a wine of tremendous class that remains restrained and aristocratic in breeding. Don't miss it. March 2021

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 over ageing so I am slightly extending the drinking window. Harvest 21 September and 5 October. 12% press wine. 75% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044
Tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Part of Top Pauillac 2018 wines: Re-tasted in bottle

The 2018 Grand Puy Lacoste has a quintessential Pauillac nose of intense black fruit infused with graphite scents, pencil shavings and a very discreet marine influence. It is beautifully defined, less opulent than the 2018 Lynch Bages tasted alongside, yet maybe more complex. The palate is medium-bodied and taut, offering sappy black fruit, gritty tannins and a lot of crushed stone. The focused, graphite-driven finish could only come from this appellation. Superb. A wine to correct those bemoaning that Bordeaux no longer makes "proper Claret." March 2021

Cherries and walnuts with dried flowers on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins, creamy texture and a bright, vivid finish. Plenty of currant and tar. Such polish and beauty. Drink after 2023.

A beautiful Pauillac, the 2018 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a classic nose of ripe blackcurrants, scorched earth, cedarwood, and tobacco. This carries to a medium to full-bodied 2018 offering wonderful balance, ripe, polished tannins, and gorgeous purity of fruit. A wine that grows on you with time in the glass, it has building mid-palate depth and tannins, again, terrific balance, remarkable purity of fruit, and outstanding length on the finish. It should round into form in 4-5 years and keep for 20+.

Showing a beautiful depth in the color, the array of flowers, tobacco leaf, cedar, spice, cigar box and crème de cassis hits the right spot. Full-bodied, dense, tannic, and piquant, this is a perfect amount of crunch and firmness complimenting the juicy Cabernet from start to finish. This is quite classic and firm in style, so be prepared to allow this gem at least 10-12 years or more before opening. The wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot and the harvest took place September 21 to October 5. Tasted EP April 2019

Tight and dark, not giving up much on the nose. Great freshness and life in the glass, with bright raspberry and red cherry fruit lifted by a citrus zip. Fine, sweet edged tannins and a precise, lithe finish. - April 2019

The 2018 Grand-Puy-Lacoste displays a deep garnet-purple color and slowly emerging notes of ripe blackberries, blackcurrant pastilles and redcurrant jelly plus hints of cedar, underbrush, cinnamon stick and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate has well-managed, slightly chewy tannins and a refreshing line lifting the black and red berry layers, finishing earthy. LPB

Black core with wide purple rim. Great purity of intense, ripe but fresh black fruit. The fruit flavours are ripe not overripe and scented with cassis and blueberry yet overall there is a freshness to balance the fruit and that rocky/pencil quality that was also on the Lacoste-Borie. Darker and more mineral on the palate, then really bright on the finish with refined tannins. There's a real elegance here thanks to the purity of the fruit and the finesse in the tannins. Harmony and finesse right to the end. A very good year for Grand-Puy-Lacoste.Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019