2023 Lascombes
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Tasting Notes
The 2023 Château Lascombes is terrific, and this brilliant Margaux is well worth seeking out. Ripe red and black fruits, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, seamless, graceful texture, beautiful tannins, and a great, great finish. It should benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age (although I suspect it will offer plenty of charm in its youth) and evolve gracefully for two decades.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The first vintage with the new owners, with Axel Heinz calling the shots, comes through nicely with its nose of flowers, incense, spice, and black, with red, and blue fruits. On the palate, the wine is soft, supple, subtle, and fresh, There is energy here, as well as a relaxed, silky feeling on the palate. The freshness in the finish is capped with by mint leaves, spice, and vibrant, currants with cocoa on the backend. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and an even mix of Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV. This is an updated style for the chateau. Loads of big changes here starting with the amount of wine placed into the Grand Vin slashed by more than 30%. The aging program is 50% new French oak, with a lighter toast, used barrels, and foudres.
The 2023 Lascombes is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of freshly crushed blackberries, cassis, and black raspberries leap from the glass, leading to touches of menthol, dark chocolate, licorice, and violets in the background. The medium-bodied palate delivers impressive intensity, with vibrant black and red berry layers and a fine-grained texture lifted by a racy backbone, finishing long and minerally. This represents a real change in style to a classic beauty! The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot.
Aromas of stone, black licorice, tar, blackberry and slightly burnt orange. Medium to full body with a solid core of tannins and tight but juicy fruit. More chiseled and tannic than in the past.
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About the producer
With vines spread across 40 different parcels throughout the appellation, Ch. Lascombes is one of the most fragmented but also largest Médoc estates, with 120 hectares of vines, now owned by the MACSF insurance company.