2018 Dassault
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Dassault intimated a little overripeness from barrel, but pleasingly, it has gained more composure now in bottle, offering exuberant black cherries and blueberry fruit and nicely integrated oak; touches of crushed violet emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins and quite toasty in style. Black pepper and notes of sage appear toward the very spicy finish. Quite a bold and assertive Saint-Émilion, but I would like to see how it ages over 5–10 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Lots of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as dried flowers, spicy oak, and obvious minerality emerge from the 2018 Château Dassault, a brilliantly balanced, medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion with loads of character. Offering brilliant tannins, flawless balance, and one heck of a great finish, this magical Saint-Emilion deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 2 decades or more. It's easily the finest vintage I've tasted from this estate.
The 2018 Dassault offers an inviting mix of blueberry jam, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice. Racy and opulent to the core, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. This is a terrific showing.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dassault sings of stewed plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake, followed by hints of lilacs, star anise, fragrant earth and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and a lively backbone cutting through the densely packed, black fruit layers, finishing with a floral lift.