Château La Dominique 2018

Skillfully plays with the opulence and fire of the vintage, well balanced by the distinctive freshness of the tannins.

Ripe and succulent in feel, with a mix of blackberry, raspberry and plum fruit tossed with anise and applewood notes and backed by a subtle savory edge on the lively finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2032. 6,250 cases made.

This has plenty of coffee/mocha edging and generosity, alongside abundant tannins and an enjoyable lift that gives tension and definition. Everything in balance, with a juicy finish. An excellent 2018, showcasing the slightly more hands-off work in the cellar at La Dominique. New technical director Yann Monties (ex-Haut-Bailly) is making an impact alongside director Gwendeline Lucas.

Aromas of blueberry, mulberry, spiced plum, walnut, tobacco and cigar box on the nose. It’s full-bodied with firm, silky tannins that frame a core of ripe blue and purple fruit. Polished and rich with wonderful depth. Better from 2024.

85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon; 47% new oak. Barrel sample. Black-cherry colour, opaque core. Scented, intense black fruit with a delicate, counterbalancing floral note and lots of lovely pencil shavings. Sweet, intensely fruity but miraculously fresh too. Bouncy like a puppy but with depth. Fine tannins that take second place to the fruit. (JH)

Soft, silky and elegant, with no effort it is easy to get hooked on the fresh, sweet, ripe, refined red fruits with their beautiful purity. Medium-bodied, with a noticeable savory complexity on the nose and palate, this should age quite nicely. The wine is made from blending 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inky dark purple color. Lovely nose, ripe and elegant fruit, dark plum, cassis, blackberry, notes of new oak, butterscotch and tobacco. Good density and concentration with fine extract and grainy tannins, spicy notes of liquorice and roasted coffee, abundant dark fruit, and a long, muscular finish.

Tasting more like a great Pomerol than a Saint-Emilion (which makes sense given its location), the 2018 Château La Dominique is a knockout winner in this great vintage and should be snapped up by readers. A blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, it shows a dense purple hue as well as gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, ripe black cherries, spring flowers, damp earth, and truffle. These carry into a full-bodied, sweetly fruited, sexy 2018 with incredible purity, a solid spine of acidity (the pH is 3.65), ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s already impossible to resist, yet it should evolve for 15–20 years with no issues. Bravo!

Deep purple with a delicate ruby rim. Densely interwoven bouquet of wild cherry and elderberry jelly, backed by subtle resin notes, licorice, and perfumed pipe tobacco. On the generous palate, a soft texture and ripe, gently supportive tannins, with a beguiling wealth of extract. Elegant body. In the focused finish, a basket of blue and black berries, teakwood, and a delicate astringency. Bravo!

Kunz barrel sample 19: light, sweet bouquet, raspberries, strawberries, chocolate. Slender, delicate palate with sweet fruit, fine-grained structure, fine tannins, medium aromatics, bitter finish.

Light, sweet bouquet with raspberries, strawberries, chocolate. Slim, refined palate with sweet fruit, delicate structure, fine tannins, medium aromatics, bitter finish. 17/20 2024 - 2038

One of the few 2018s that is clearly better than the 2016, highlighting the step up in quality happening at La Dominique at this point. Supple blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, careful extraction that keeps the tannic grip caressing rather than drying, and nuanced smoked earth and cocoa bean dusting. pH 3.6, 50 hl/ha yield. Floral edge, black cherry, beautifully lilting acidities. Julien Viaud consultant (also Laboratoire Rolland), Gwendeline Lucas director.

La Dominique 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It offers up vibrant kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and boysenberry scents, with touches of dried sage and lilacs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers vivacious red and black fruit layers, with a fine-grained texture and a mineral-tinged finish.

Finesse and freshness come together in 2018, with, however, a slight lack of depth compared to the neighbors, but the wine excels with its silky tannins, saline finish, and tasty fruit marked by a touch of elegant, refreshing bitterness.

A classic nose of bramble, small black berries and tobacco. Straightforward on the palate with soft, jammy fruit that gives the wine a very pleasant cocoon of sweetness, easy to approach and balanced by a lovely bitterness on the finish.

This estate, backing on to Château Cheval Blanc, has produced an intensely structured wine also full of rich fruits. It has the weight and density typical of this warm vintage, giving a powerhouse of black fruit and structure. Drink from 2026.