‘It’s a very good vintage – maybe even great – albeit a little atypical for some appellations,’ said Jane Anson in her in-depth Bordeaux 2018 vintage overview.
She also called it a ‘vintage of two distinct halves’, referring to wet and humid conditions early in the season and the subsequent dry, warm and sunny weather that ran from July right through until October in many areas.
Both halves produced their challenges, with battles against mildew – and some hail – in the first half of the year, followed by concerns around heavily concentrated fruit in the autumn.
Overall, the good weather and wide harvest window have enabled several châteaux to produce excellent wines, said Anson.
‘However, it’s not consistent enough to be a true five-star year, so you still have to exercise some caution over buying choices,’ she said.
Below are her top scoring wines of the vintage. Look out for more tasting notes and reports on individual appellations throughout the week.
Introduction by Eleanor Douglas
Best Bordeaux 2018 wines: Top scores
Jane Anson does not give out 100-point scores at en primeur stage, but top wines all scored 98-100 (shown as 99 points), and will be assessed again when bottled, towards the end of 2020.
Search all Bordeaux 2018 ratings published so far
Read Jane Anson’s full report on Bordeaux 2018 wines
Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page
