Chateau Lascombes 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of stone, black licorice, tar, blackberry and slightly burnt orange. Medium to full body with a solid core of tannins and tight but juicy fruit. More chiseled and tannic than in the past."

WEINWISSER: "60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 37 % Merlot, 3 % Petit Verdot und Cabernet Franc (von den historischen Terroirs des Château), 13.5 Vol.-%, 35 hl/ha. Vielschichtiges Bouquet, blaubeerige Konturen, edle Cassiswürze, Estragon und verführerisches Veilchenparfüm. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, perfekt balancierter Rasse, engmaschigem straffem Tanninkorsett. Im katapultartigen Finale Wildkirsche, schwarze Johannisbeere, dunkles Edelholz sowie tiefschürfende Mineralik gepaart mit edler Salznote. Ein geradliniger Margaux, der mit dem neuen Direktor Axel Heinz eine neue Richtung einschlägt."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Kräuterwürze, Nuancen von Cassis und schwarzen Kirschen, tabakig, ein Hauch von Edelholz. saftig, elegant, reife Kirschen und Pflaumen, feine Tannine, gute Frische, mineralisch und anhaftend, ein sehr balancierter Wein mit Länge und Reifepotenzial."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2023 Château Lascombes is terrific, and this brilliant Margaux is well worth seeking out. Ripe red and black fruits, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, seamless, graceful texture, beautiful tannins, and a great, great finish. It should benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age (although I suspect it will offer plenty of charm in its youth) and evolve gracefully for two decades."

DECANTER: "Now under the guidance of ex-Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heinz and an impressive debut vintage. Dark scents on the nose, blackcurrants and black cherries with some soft perfumed and liquorice accents. Smooth but with flesh, not chewy but this has a nice dollop of density as well as clear focus and drive from start to finish. Precise and juicy, a lovely generous feel about this. Charming but in a dark, ripe way. There’s clearly concentration and power but underpinned by a cool freshness. Very finessed and characterful, I love the elegance but this isn’t lacking in fruit, acidity, tannins or Margaux polish. Ends with graphite and liquorice, a touch of toast and wet stones. Clearly youthful but this has so much potential. 35hl/ha. 3.70pH. 78 IPT. Harvest September 7 - October 9. Ageing 60% new oak. Julien Viaud consultant."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2023 Lascombes is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of freshly crushed blackberries, cassis, and black raspberries leap from the glass, leading to touches of menthol, dark chocolate, licorice, and violets in the background. The medium-bodied palate delivers impressive intensity, with vibrant black and red berry layers and a fine-grained texture lifted by a racy backbone, finishing long and minerally. This represents a real change in style to a classic beauty! The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The first vintage with the new owners, with Axel Heinz calling the shots, comes through nicely with its nose of flowers, incense, spice, and black, with red, and blue fruits. On the palate, the wine is soft, supple, subtle, and fresh, There is energy here, as well as a relaxed, silky feeling on the palate. The freshness in the finish is capped with by mint leaves, spice, and vibrant, currants with cocoa on the backend. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and an even mix of Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV. This is an updated style for the chateau. Loads of big changes here starting with the amount of wine placed into the Grand Vin slashed by more than 30%. The aging program is 50% new French oak, with a lighter toast, used barrels, and foudres. Drink from 2028-2055."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A wine that begins a new era for this estate, the 2023 Lascombes (which I examined from separate components before tasting the prospective blend) offers up aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of crushed mint, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and velvety, with good depth and purity, it's a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. This estate, which was formerly one of the Médoc's poster children for over-ripeness and over-extraction, is assuredly coming in from the cold."

VINUM: "Was für ein Wechsel gegenüber dem Vorjahr; mehr Tiefgang, mehr Klarheit, strahlende Frucht, subtiles Holz, florale Noten; gradlinig, knackig, feinziseliertes Tannin, rassige Säure, mittelgewichtig, lebendig, frisch und rotfruchtig im Abgang. Deutlich vertikaler als bisher; hier geht was, seit Axel Heinz am Ruder ist."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Cask sample. Restrained nose but shows depth and precision. Lovely texture of tannin. Polished and without any excess. Long on the finish. Margaux elegance at last. Drink 2030 - 2045."