Gareth Birchley, Arthur Coggill and Melody Wong tasted 66 wines, with 31 Highly recommended.
Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2018: Panel tasting scores
66 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 0
Highly recommended 31
Recommended 32
Commended 3
Fair 0
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their 2018 vintage of any Pessac-Léognan or Graves designated red wine, including cru classé
By late April 2018, London was already melting, and there was wall-to-wall sunshine well into October. Bordeaux had a different spring. Record March rainfall led to humidity in the vineyards and a real concern of rot before the buds had even burst.
Unusual as it was, it was July before our cousins in Aquitaine felt the benefits of any kind of heatwave. From then on, by contrast, the stage was set and Bordeaux experienced one of the hottest periods in half a century.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2018 panel tasting
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Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2018 panel tasting scores
Wines were tasted blind
{}
{"wineId":"29605","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29575","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29415","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29574","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29580","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84312","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29642","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84311","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84310","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29652","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84313","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29587","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29619","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29615","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29595","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29761","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29781","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84314","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29583","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29774","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84315","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84317","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84316","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29650","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29779","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29641","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84318","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29648","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29752","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84319","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"29598","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
The judges
Gareth Birchley is buying director at London-based Burns & German Vintners. After arriving in London in 2006, he worked in sales and senior buying roles at Bordeaux Index and Berry Bros & Rudd, before joining Burns & German in 2019.
Arthur Coggill is head of business development at London-based merchant Hatton & Edwards. Having joined Goedhuis & Co in a fine wine sales role in 2013, he ran its investment fund Vintage Capital for eight years before moving solely to buying in 2021, joining Hatton & Edwards in 2024.
Melody Wong is director of wine at The Peninsula, London. An experienced sommelier and wine buyer, she has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and top hotels across the UK. In 2022, she was nominated in the GQ Food & Drink Awards Best Sommelier category.
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