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In Bordeaux, prestigious estates sell one or two different cuvées aside from their top wine. Second wines generally come from younger vines of the same vineyard than the estate’s premier cuvée, while benefitting from the same care and expertise from the winemaking team behind the classified grands crus. These second wines are usually enjoyable younger than their top label counterparts, altough this time around, the 2018 vintage delivers cuvées that are often just as seductive as the firsts.
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WA 94+ , V 94
"Deep garnet-purple in color, as impenetrable as this wine's big-brother grand vin wine is, this is the precocious, show-off younger sibling. It comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, stewed plums and Black Forest cake, giving way to suggestions of rose oil, dusty soil and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black and red berry layers, framed by beautifully ripe, finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Delicious right now, if money's no object, buy this and the grand vin. The 2018 Ausone is going to take a good few years to come around, but this second wine offers a true enough taste of that epic feast of a wine to come."
- www.robertparker.com
WA 93, WS 93, V 94, JS 95
"Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and blackcurrant pastilles with suggestions of bay leaves, pencil lead, tapenade and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a generous amount of black fruit at the core with loads of earthy and savory accents and a soft, approachable frame, finishing long with an herbal lift."
www.robertparker.com
WA 92+ , WS 94, V 93, JS 97
"The 2018 Le Clarence de Haut-Brion has really come out of its shell. Bold, juicy and super-expressive, Le Clarence is so polished and sophisticated. Dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, licorice and coffee lift out of the glass. Medium in body and wonderfully persistent, the Clarence is a real beauty."
www.vinous.com
WA 92, WS 91, V 90, JS 94
"Le Petit Cheval rocks up with open-knit notes of crushed black raspberries, plum preserves and mulberries, plus hints of wild mushrooms, pencil lead, mossy tree bark and cloves. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush, juicy and pretty much ready for business, featuring plenty of earth and black fruit layers, finishing long with a spicy kick."
www.robertparker.com
WA 93, WS 92, V 93, JS 97
"Real purity of fruit with currants, blackberries and flowers that show on both the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are polished and creamy. Delicious finish. So attractive now. Second wine of Mouton. Ethereal."
- www.jamessuckling.com
WA 92, WS 93, V 92, JS 94
"The 2018 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has really blossomed since I tasted it in barrel. The bouquet is very pure and perfumed, featuring shimmering red berry fruit, briar, undergrowth and a touch of peppermint dallying in the background. The palate is very well balanced with smooth tannins, very nicely pitched acidity and a subtle marine note toward the finish. This is just plain delicious."
- www.vinous.com
WA 95, W 92, V 92, JS 98
"A wonderful and rather exotic white with aromas of pears, lychees, lemons and some green apples that follow through to the palate and show layers of dreamy texture and a long, flavorful finish. The texture is more like a red that a white. Fermented and aged in slightly larger oak barrels. This is a special wine and the best release so far. Very intense."
www.jamessuckling.com
WA 95, W 92, V 92, JS 98
"A wonderful and rather exotic white with aromas of pears, lychees, lemons and some green apples that follow through to the palate and show layers of dreamy texture and a long, flavorful finish. The texture is more like a red that a white. Fermented and aged in slightly larger oak barrels. This is a special wine and the best release so far. Very intense."
www.jamessuckling.com
WA 91, V 92, JS 94
"The 2018 Petit-Figeac has a very pretty nose of Black Forest cake, mulberries and raspberry leaves, leading to suggestions of cinnamon stick, rose oil and tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate has all the class of its big brother, Figeac, if slightly less intensity and layers, offering soft, skillfully managed tannins and seamless freshness to support the earth-laced black fruit layers, finishing long and earthy. This is an impressive second wine that really does have the same compelling personality of the grand vin!"
www.robertparker.com
WA 89-91, WS 89, V 89, JS 93-94
"The 2018 Mondot, the Second Wine of Troplong Mondot, has an open, generous bouquet of red cherries and crushed strawberry aromas, well defined and full of joie-de-vivre. The palate is well balanced with gentle, almost caressing tannins, but there is fine structure here and an attractive chalkiness on the finish."
www.vinous.com
WA 90, WS 88, V 89, JS 94
"Deep garnet-purple colored, it has an exuberant nose of crushed black and red cherries, plums preserves and blueberry pie with hints of lavender, bouquet garni and tilled soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft, juicy and ready for business, featuring loads of blue and black fruit flavors and a lively skip in its step on the finish."
www.robertparker.com
WA 91, V 92
"The 2018 Haut-Bailly II is a bomb. All of the richness of the year comes through in a wine that is bursting at the seams with fruit. Dark red cherry, tobacco, cedar, mint and licorice race out of the glass. Ripeness is decidedly pushed, and yet the 2018 remains poised and impeccably balanced. Silky tannins wrap around the plush, sensual finish."
www.vinous.com
WA 88
"La Petite Marquise is deep garnet-purple in color. It springs from the glass with vibrant scents of redcurrant jelly, baked plums and Morello cherries with hints of wild sage, clove oil and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a refreshing line and chewy, approachable tannins supporting the crunchy, uncomplicated red and black fruit flavors, finishing with an herbal lift."
www.robertparker.com
WA 91, V 93, JS 95
"The 2018 Le Carillon d'Angélus is silky, pliant and wonderfully expressive. Dark red cherry fruit, mocha, cedar and dried flowers all flesh out. The Carillon benefits immensely from air, which really brings out its aromatic presence and layers. Silky tannins wrap around the finish. This is such a pretty wine."
www.vinous.com
JS 91
"A fresh and fine-tannined red with a slightly austere undertone. Yet, it shows freshness and linear drive at the end. Nice currant and cedar undertones. "
www.jamessuckling.com
WA 90, WS 92, V 91
"The 2018 La Clarté de Haut-Brion is absolutely gorgeous. Bright, aromatic and so expressive, the Clarté hits all the right notes. Lemon confit, sage, dried herbs, mint and flowers grace this taut, finely-knit dry white. The 2018 is both supple but nervy, a balance that works so well in this vintage. In a word: terrific."
www.vinous.com
