Château Marquis d'Alesme 2018

This is the third vintage using Marquis d'Alesme's handsome new cellar, which has contributed to a marked change in the wines since the 2015 vintage. The 2018 has expansive floral aromas and very pure, seductive raspberry fruit flavours and a creamy texture. All the fruit goes into the grand vin here, as the property is quite small, with only 15 hectares of vines. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% each Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, which come from very old vines planted on the appellation's limestone plateau.

Tasted blind. Heady nose. Mouth-filling with structure and a strange hint of grapefruit peel! An interesting wine… Real energy here. Luscious. Quite long. (JR)

The 2018 Marquis d’Alesme (the Becker is only noted on the back label!) has a beautiful and very pure bouquet of violet-tinged black fruit, crushed rock and India ink scents, all very seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, perfectly pitched acidity and a velvety-smooth texture that lingers. Plush and extraordinarily harmonious, and one of the purest 2018s you will find on the Left Bank.

Voluptuous, silky, fresh, concentrated, full-bodied, rich and packed with layers of perfectly ripe, sweet, silky textured, red and black fruits. The weight, depth of flavor, complexity, length and opulent finish is just great. This has a long future with at least 2-3 decades of positive evolution ahead. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Delicate noble wood savouriness, dark berries, a hint of liquorice, mineral touch and floral aromas in the background. Juicy palate with good complexity, freshly structured, red cherry fruit, well-integrated tannins with good length and discreet fruit sweetness on the finish. Certain ageing potential.

A rock star Margaux that should be snatched up by readers, the 2018 Château Marquis D'Alesme reveals a dense purple hue as well as ripe, sexy notes of blackcurrants, spicy oak, tobacco leaf, earth, and cedar. Deep, full-bodied, and gorgeously concentrated, it has velvety tannins, a layered, mouthcoating texture, and a great finish. It's a baby, but wow, what a wine. Hide bottle for 5-7 years if you can (you'll be forgiven for opening a bottle early) and it's going to evolve for 30-40 years.

Kunz Fassprobe 19: Mineral, fresh, powerful bouquet, cherries, redcurrants, slate. Dense, powerful, aromatic palate with velvety, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a dense, finely muscular structure, and a long, intense finish.

The vintage character comes through in the evident rosemary and black pepper spice. There are impressive layers of coffee bean, raspberry and black cherry fruits, and a swirl of smoked cedar, brioche and patisserie cream. Fermentation temperature was kept to 26°C to ensure gentle extraction after the hot summer, but the tannins feel just a little over-emphasied at this point, definitely needs more time in bottle. Marjolaine de Coninck technical director, owner Nathalie Perrodo. Harvest September 25 to October 12. 65% new oak.

The 2018 Marquis d’Alesme is deep garnet purple in color. It has a wonderfully pure nose of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and cassis, plus hints of cedar, lavender, and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm, grainy backbone, with bright acidity supporting the generous, taut fruit, finishing with great length.

The nose is still tight and very discreet. The palate is structured by slightly dry tannins, but the wine nevertheless has a very lovely finish that showcases its complexity. It needs a few years to slowly come around. Beautiful.

An elegant, inviting bouquet. The oak ageing is clearly present yet in harmony with the fruity expression. Alongside notes of chocolate and vanilla, I also pick up nuances of dark berries and a subtle chalky touch. On the palate, the wine is flavoursome and well supported by its acidic structure. This brings poise and backbone, ideally underpinning the aromatic expression, while the tannins provide overall balance and grip. A wine with character that can already be enjoyed in its youth, yet shows good ageing potential.