Malescot St-Exupéry Margaux 2018

97 points James Suckling: "A seductive Margaux with an intense nose of black fruit and red plums. Some herb and wood notes, too. It’s full-bodied with pretty, pure-berry flavors with some crushed stones and cement. The texture is silky and fine-grained and the tannins melt into the wine. Precise, flavorful finish with length. Try after 2024. (1/8/21)"

95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Malescot St. Exupery leaps from the glass with expressive scents of baked blackberries, Morello cherries and boysenberries with hints of blackcurrant cordial, dark chocolate, licorice and tilled soil. The medium to full-bodied palate has impressive intensity without heaviness, delivering mouth-coating black fruits and a firm, grainy texture, finishing with a refreshing earthy lift. Drink: 2023-2045. (3/31/21)"

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "I loved the 2018 Château Malescot Saint Exupéry from barrel two years ago, and it certainly doesn't disappoint from bottle today. Based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this deeply hued beauty boasts smoking good notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and spice. Full-bodied and impressively concentrated, it has a stacked mid-palate, ripe, sweet yet certainly present tannins, a terrific sense of freshness, and a great finish. It's going to fun comparing this and the 2016 over the coming two decades! While there's some up-front accessibility and charm here, it really needs 4-6 years of bottle age and is going to have 20-25 years of overall longevity. This is gem of a wine that's well worth seeking out. Drink: 2025-2050. (3/11/21)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Lovely, with gently mulled plum, blackberry and black currant fruit sailing through atop a velvety structure while mouthwatering bay, black tea and iron notes flow underneath. Seductive, detailed finish lets a sanguine note echo longest. Gorgeous wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. (3/31/21)"

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2018 Malescot Saint Exupéry is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. Powerful and incisive, the 2018 is a driving, potent Margaux that dazzles from the first taste. Iron, smoke, new leather, licorice, pressed rose petal and cedar all open in the glass, conveying tremendous nuance and a ton of character. Drink: 2028-2048.

95 points La Revue du Vin de France: "The decadent quality of the 2018 vintage is also present. Ripe fruit, fine tannins, skilful ageing management and, in the end, a wine that is both digestible and endowed with a personality all its own. (2022)"

95 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Almost opaque in color, this full-bodied, lusciously textured, round, rich gem provides layers of ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, licorice, espresso, plums and cherries . The combination of velvety tannins, intensity and a plush finish hits the spot. If you can keep your hands off it for a decade or so, this is going to be an outstanding wine to enjoy for the following 2 decades after that. (Mar 2021)"

94 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Deep ruby-garnet, purple glints, faintly lighter at the rim. Dark berry fruit, black cherries, spices underpin noble wood nuances, fine tobacco note. Juicy, elegant texture, fresh sweetheart cherries, delicate nougat, ripeness, supportive tannins, expressive finish, persistent, followed by a savoury aftertaste. Still needs time. 2025-2045. (2/14/21)"

94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "Malescot St. Exupery 2018 has a deep garnet purple color. It delivers open-knit scents of warm cassis, black cherry compote, and mulberries, with touches of dried herbs, pencil shavings, and damp soil. Medium to full-bodied, with elegantly styled fruit and plush tannins, it has a long and refreshing finish. Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2023-2043. (2/9/23)"

94 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2018 Malescot St. Exupery has a very attractive bouquet of detailed scents of red currant, wild strawberry, wilted rose petals and crushed stone, all gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. It feels a little more compact than its Margaux peers and exerts an insistent grip on the finish. But I admire its focus and precision. A Margaux that should age with style over the next 20–30 years. Drink: 2024-2048. (Mar 2021)"

94 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Cabernet leads here, just, with 50% of the blend, 60% if you include Cabernet Franc. It kicks off with a rather savoury style on the nose, of dark and succulent red cherry fruits peppered with elements of smoky praline, high-quality dark chocolate and pencil lead, all presented in a forward and eager style. The palate follows up with a similarly dark but confidently presented character, the grilled dark-red fruits sitting within a medium body and frame of polished and tightly grained tannins. It feels poised, elegant as Margaux should be, but there is substance and breadth here;this is no lightly perfumed shrinking violet. A super effort for this estate which often punches above its weight and yet which seems overlooked in favour of others in the appellation. It could be one for my cellar, alongside the 1995, 2000 and 2005 vintages. (Feb 2021)"