Chateau Petit Gravet Aine 2018

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2018 Petit Gravet Aîné dazzles right out of the bottle. Franc signatures are front and center in Saint-Émilion that boasts magnificent aromatic presence as well as depth. Rose petal, mocha, kirsch, menthol and sage are some of the many notes that open with some coaxing. A few years in bottle will do wonders for the tannins. Aside from the wine's striking beauty, Petit Gravet Aîné is one of the most unique, distinctive wines in Bordeaux, the sort of wine that remains seared on your memory. In a word: magnificent!"

WINEADVOCATE: "The 2018 Petit Gravet Aîné is a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, weighing in with 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with vibrant notes of kirsch, black raspberries and stewed plum, plus hints of lavender, tobacco leaf and pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate is juicy and plush, featuring loads of fragrant earth nuances to back up the ripe red and black berry layers and bags of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is an effortlessly beautiful Saint-Émilion! This is a tiny 2.5-hectare vineyard in the Saint-Émilion foothills, situated west of Château Canon-La-Gaffelière in deep, sandy-clay soils."

DUNNUCK: "The Cabernet Franc-dominated 2018 Château Petit Gravet Aîné (there's 20% Merlot) comes from the upper plateau in Saint-Emilion and was raised in new French oak. It's handled its élevage nicely and has just subtle vanilla and spicy oak notes as well as impressive red, black, and blue fruits intermixed with notes of acacia flowers, spice box, forest floor, and tobacco. Tighter and more backward from bottle than barrel, it's medium to full-bodied and has a balanced, elegant texture, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should have two decades of overall longevity."

WEINWISSER: "Undurchsichtiges Purpurrot mit violettem Rand. Duftiges Cassisbouquet, dahinter viel Würze mit Rosmarin, Kräuter und Wacholder. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur und engmaschigem Körper, stützende Rasse und viel Mineralik. Im gebündelten Finale explodiert der Wein: Wildkirschen, schwarze Johannisbeere und Fliedernoten. Perfektion Pur – Chapeau Catherine."

WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Espresso, spice, smoke, flowers, plums and cherry aromatics pop from the glass. The palate shows off its silky, fresh, elegant, juicy, sweet, stony core of fruits with little effort. The stony edge gives a fabulous sense of minerality to the wine on the nose, palate and finish. The wine was made from 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot."

JAMES SUCKLING: "A tight, lightly chewy red with dark-berry, chocolate and walnut character and a hint of bark. It’s medium-bodied with nice tannins and a flavorful finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2023."