Dark, rich, serious, well-extracted fruit; firm but with just the right pressure on the pedal. One that will age very well, continuing a run of strong vintages here. Cinnamon and black pepper spice from 7% Petit Verdot – increasingly common in Pessac-Leognan. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, 80% new oak. 93 points

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc; 70% new oak. Black core, cherry rim. Ripe damsons and blackberries, rich in fruit. Ripeness showing in a touch of mint. Then the tannins really take over on the palate, dry and chalky, though there is some freshness here to suggest it will open to reveal more. 16 points

This is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, to be aged for 18-22 months in oak barriques, 70% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Malartic Lagraviere gives scents of baked red and black cherries, warm blackcurrants and balsamic with touches of underbrush, moss-covered bark and tobacco. Full-bodied, firm and chewy in the mouth, it packs in the berry preserves with some pepper and spice sparks coming through on the long finish. 92-94 points

The 2018 Malartic Lagraviere is powerful, rich and explosive, all while retaining a mid-weight sense of structure. Black cherry, plum, gravel, chocolate, leather, lavender spice and licorice all run through this driving, juicy Pessac Leognan. I very much admire the weight and substance here. The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, with the Cabernet very much front and center. Tasted three times. 92-95 points

The assemblage is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, picked at a yield of 33 hl/ha. The alcohol is 13%. This has a really plush and charming nose, with crushed black cherries, smoky with notes of rose petals, cocoa bean, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate. The palate has a modern feel to it in keeping with the character on the nose, bold and broad, somewhat sinewy at first, but carrying a richer substance through the middle, the smoky fruit here supported by a wealth of tightly grained tannins. A very broad and confident style, elegant and silky, with a very supple integration carrying a lot of admirably perfumed fruit. The overall effect here is delicious, right through to the long and gripped finish. The élevage will be in 70% new oak. 93-95 points