Château Capbern 2018 | 750 ml.

RP91+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 23rd Apr 2019

"The 2018 Capbern is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and comes in at 14.6% alcohol. It’s anticipated to age for 16 months in barriques, 60% new. Deep purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant scents of black raspberries, kirsch and fresh blackcurrants with nuances of cedar chest, pencil lead and forest floor plus a waft of lavender. Full-bodied, rich and packed with juicy fruit, it has a firm line of grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing with an herbal lift." (91–93 pts.)

VN90+ Vinous Apr 2019

"The 2018 Capbern is expressive, nuanced and inviting, with lovely upfront fruit. In 2018, Capbern is a bit compact and tightly wound, but it also has a good deal of persistence. The Cabernet is quite marked in the 2018, which is not a bad thing, it just means the wine is going to need time to be at its best. What really stands out, though, is the push and pull between the bright aromatics that this cool, clay-rich soil helped give in 2018, and the ripe, radiant fruit of the warm summer. That interplay makes for an absolutely compelling wine. Red cherry fruit, mint, dried flowers, cedar and tobacco add aromatic nuance to this highly expressive, vibrant Saint-Estèphe. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Tasted two times." (90–92 pts.)

JD94 Jeb Dunnuck 3/11/2021

"The 2018 Château Capbern checks in as a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new barrels. It has a deep, dark, earthy, classic Saint-Estèphe bouquet that gives up lots of cassis and almost blue fruits as well as ample chocolate, damp earth, and leafy herb-like aromas and flavors. With a full-bodied, rich, opulent mouthfeel, loads of sumptuous dark fruits, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this brilliant 2018 brings lots of fruit and opulence, yet stays weightless and balanced, with solid underlying structure. A hidden gem in the vintage, this is every bit as good as the 2016, and it’s going to shine for two decades or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)" (94 pts.)

VN88 Vinous Mar 2021

"The 2018 Capbern was a wine where I expressed reservations in terms of a soupçon of sur-maturité and the alcohol level when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, well, I still have those reservations. That is not to imply that it is a bad wine — far from it. There is a generous lift on the nose of blackberry, touches of blueberry and light violet aromas, and the palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins and plenty of graphite-infused black fruit. Yet I find the finish a bit wearing and rather monolithic vis-à-vis other vintages tasted. It feels like a bit of a blunt instrument and I much prefer the Marquis de Calon this year." (88 pts.)