Château La Garde 2018

Plenty of new oak, fresh, robust structure, fruity finish.

This shows a juicy, open-knit mix of sweet bay, savory, red currant and cherry reduction aromas and flavors, with a tarry streak holding down the back end. A little cellaring will tame its gutsy side. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2030. 13,650 cases made.

Dense nose of smoke, blackcurrant and soft spice. Gentle, with black cherry, olive stone, and coarse tannins. Warm alcohol, green tannins with a toasty finish.

Very beautiful aromas of blackberries and crushed stones with hints of dried flowers. It’s full-bodied with soft, creamy tannins that are softly knit. Round, creamy finish. Drink after 2023.

The 2018 La Garde has a tightly knit bouquet of brambly black fruit, briar and just a touch of boot polish in the background; good definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit that grips the mouth. Quite sapid compared to previous vintages. It just needs a little more finesse toward the finish. Not bad, though.

Round, fruity, soft and fresh, with a spicy, tobacco-laden core of rich, chewy red fruits and espresso from start to finish. Give it a few years in the cellar to gain more nuance and soften, and it should be an even better wine.

An outstanding Graves, the 2018 Château La Garde reveals a dense purple hue as well as impressive blueberry and black cherry fruits intermixed with tobacco, cedary spice, and dried herbs. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, with notable purity as well as building, ripe tannins, it's going to benefit from just a couple of years in the cellar and drink nicely for 10-12 years.

Purple with ruby highlights. A closed bouquet with hints of dark cherry, dried rosemary and Dominican tobacco. On the firm palate, a finely sandy texture and brittle extract; the oak dominates the wine, the body groans under the weight of tannins. In the encapsulated finish, black-berried contours, juniper and cloves. The wine is not in balance, so it rightly drops half a point and the drinking window is pushed back.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot) Fruity, dark, powerful bouquet, black blackberry, fine licorice, tobacco. Fruity, elegant, medium-bodied palate with fine, sweet fruit, fine tannins, fresh aromatics, long, delicate finish. Can still improve.

(63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot) Fruity, dark, powerful bouquet with black blackberries, fine licorice, tobacco. Fruity, elegant, medium-bodied palate with delicate sweet fruit, fine tannins, fresh aromatics, and a long, delicate finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2023 - 2036

La Garde 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It opens with tar and rubber scents, giving way to blackberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles, and licorice, with wafts of olives and wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is slightly thin, with soft tannins and an uncomplicated finish.

Remarkable vinosity, intense length, great purity: la-garde is at its best.

Aged for 14 months in barrels, 33% of which are new. An inviting bouquet with floral and fruity notes. Hints of graphite and chocolate. On the palate, the wine has powerful, tight tannins with fine grain. Lovely aromatic persistence on the finish. A convincing wine to follow as it evolves. Good potential.

The 2018 la Garde has a medium to deep garnet-purple color, delivering open-knit scents of baked plums, boysenberries and cassis with touches of dark chocolate, pencil lead and underbrush with a waft of tin pan. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a good amount of juicy black fruits with compelling freshness and soft, rounded tannins, finishing savory.