For the last few years this estate has been hovering of the edge of really delivering the brilliant Pauillac wine it’s surely capable of. The 2018 is impressive with toasted smoky caramel notes and clear gourmet edging to it. The tannins get a little bulky through the mid-palate taking away some of the nuance but there is complexity here and ageing potential. Malolactic fermentation was partly carried out in barrel. Drinking Window 2027 - 2040. 92 points

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot; 35% new oak. Inky purple with black core. Fragrant black fruit. You can smell small, fresh, wild black berries over and above the sweet spice of the oak. On the palate the oak is much more dominant and seems to flatten the fruit. Tannins are layered, compact and dense. A bit flat on the finish but all to play for. 16.5 points

The 2018 Grand-Puy-Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color and has quite a lot of cedar/oak on the nose to begin, opening out to a core of warm black and red currants, stewed plums and mulberries with touches of pencil shavings, fried herbs, lavender and tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives a firm, grainy frame with some chew from the oak and fresh, crunchy red and black fruit, finishing savory. 91-93 points

The 2018 Grand Puy Ducasse is gorgeous. In fact, the 2018 is one of the most polished and refined recent vintages I can remember tasting for a wine that up until recently was much darker and more extracted in style. The purity of the fruit is simply striking, while the explosive energy in the glass is a thing of beauty. It will be fascinating to see where the 2018 goes, but there is little question that this style towards more elegance driven by Technical Director Anne Le Naour and consulting oenologist Hubert de Bouärd is hugely appealing. The 2018 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot. 92-95 points

In this vintage Grand-Puy-Ducasse is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot. There is a really charming start to this barrel sample, where the nose presents sweet black cherry fruit first, with notes of blackcurrant and dried currant, with a smoky, reductive and matchsticky note. The palate feels rather more reserved than many, with a delicate texture, a shell of fruit, albeit one with a fine grip. It feels peppery and energetic, with rather attractively composed tannins considering the sandy terroir, these tannins wrapped up in toasted praline oak. This shows well for this estate. 92-94 points