Monbousquet - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018

Vinous

93

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 Monbousquet is a total turn-on. Rich, heady and voluptuous, the 2018 is flat-out delicious today. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather, new French oak and licorice are all dialed up in this unapologetically flamboyant Saint-Émilion. I don't expect the 2018 to be a long-term ager, but I doubt that is much of a concern for readers who buy it.

Wine Advocate

93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

The 2018 Monbousquet is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a pH of 3.78 and 14.38% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with energetic notes of baked blackberries, kirsch and Black Forest cake, following by suggestions of Chinese five spice, iodine, unsmoked cigars, eucalyptus and crushed rocks with a waft of lavender. The palate is full-on full-bodied, possessing tons of rich, spicy black fruits and a velvety texture, delivering impressive tension for this level of ripeness, finishing long with a lifted savoriness. Give it 3-4 more years in bottle and drink it over the next 20+ years. 93+

Jeb DUNNUCK

95

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

Another brilliant vintage for this estate, which has been going from strength to strength over the past decade, the 2018 Château Monbousquet reveals a dense purple, opaque color as well as a rich yet lively bouquet of cassis, chocolate covered currants, new leather, and graphite. With sumptuous levels of fruit, full -bodied richness, and ample mid-palate depth, it's the purity of fruit as well as the quality of the tannins that have brought this cuvée up another notch. Readers are going to love this cuvée, and it should keep for 15-20 years.

The Wine Cellar Insider

93

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

Round, full-bodied, ripe and fruity, the wine is fleshy, chewy, round and concentrated. Oaky at the moment, with coaxing you also find blackberries, plums, cherries, fennel and espresso on the nose, palate and finish. It will take time for the oak to become fully integrated into the wine even though the percentage of new oak has dropped to 50%, placing the fruit center stage.

Vinous

89

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

The 2018 Monbousquet has an attractive bouquet, quite upfront and showy, featuring blackberry, iodine and light rose petal aromas. Leaving it aside for an hour, attractive boysenberry jam scents develop. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins and sour cherry flavors mixed with dark chocolate and sage. I must say that I find this dry on the finish, and it doesn’t really flesh out with aeration. I will be cautious with my score based on this showing.

Jamessuckling.com

95

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2021

Really attractive aromas of crushed berries and black cherries with some violets and stones. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and ripe tannins that give it density and intensity. Classy, polished tannins. Try after 2026.

Wine Spectator

95

byJames Molesworththe2/1/2021

Espresso crema and melted black licorice aromas give way to a lush range of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry confiture flavors that roll through with authority. Long finish is carried by a buried graphite note and hint of smoldering earth. An amped in style but if you like muscle and panache, you'll dig this. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2038. –JM

Yvesbeck.wine

93

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Domaine de 32 ha aux terroirs multiples. Sols sableux et sablo-argileux avec crasse de fer ainsi que des sols sablo-graveleux. L'élevage est effectué en barrique, dont 50% de neuves et 50% d'un vin. En 2018 le rendement a atteint 39 hl/ha. Bouquet invitant aux notes de café et de myrtilles suivies de notes de réglisse. Attaque friande. Belle intensité aromatique en bouche accompagnée d'une subtile sucrosité qui confère un peu de charme. Bel équilibre grâce à une parfaite symbiose entre les tannins aux grains fins et une structure acide rafraîchissante.

Vinous

89-91

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Monbousquet is inky purple in colour. It has a much more delineated bouquet than its Deuxième Vin: black cherries, blueberry jam, iodine and crème de cassis. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, saturated tannin, notes of black cherries, soy and blackcurrants. There is firm grip on the finish with just a touch of aggressiveness that will hopefully be addressed by the time of bottling.

WeinWisser

17

byTjark Witzgallthe5/7/2019

Vinifera

89-91

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Intense en fruits noirs, grillé, sombre, prise de bois marquée, sucrosité du bois en attaque. Vin corsé, extraction poussée, grande masse de tanins, il a largement besoin de l'élévage.  

The Wine Cellar Insider

91-93

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Round, juicy, concentrated and loaded with licorice, smoke, espresso, black cherry and blackberries, the wine offers more volume than usual but there is more energy in this vintage so you'll find lift in the finish. The wine is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Advocate

93-95

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Monbousquet is composed of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested September 27 to October 9 with yields of 39 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has a pH of 3.78 and 14.38% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it sashays out of the glass with beautiful, flamboyant red roses, chocolate box and molten licorice scents over a core of crème de cassis, plum preserves and Morello cherries plus fragrant wafts of underbrush, lavender and cloves. Full-bodied, rich and wonderfully elegant, the palate delivers layers of black fruits and spices, wrapped in a cashmere shawl of tannins, finishing very long and incredibly perfumed.

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

Very refined and savory with a lovely core of dark fruit and round tannins. Silky and oozing with finesse and class.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

90

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Decanter.com

91

byJane Ansonthe4/1/2019

A successful Monbousquet, although still with the tell-tale wide tannins and expansive mid-palate that threaten to overtake the whole structure. It takes a heartbeat to kick in, which is enjoyable, and the tannins certainly have walls and flexibility to them, with juice running through the fruit. It retains the signature style, with a nod to softening things up. 39hl/ha yield in 2018.

Wine Spectator

94-97

byJames Molesworththe3/28/2019

Lushly fruited, with creamy boysenberry and plum preserve flavors gliding through, this is going to be for the hedonist crowd. Extra anise and spice notes fill in, revealing steady grip through the finish.