2018 Château Gazin

For its weight, this wine is also elegant. Rich, lush Merlot fruit flavors have a sense of restraint, self-contained and already delicious. The ripe berry flavors promise a wine that will have opulent fruit as well as structure. Drink from 2026. Roger Voss

Plums, truffle, chocolate covered cherries and licorice hit all the right notes. Rich, silky, plush and concentrated with layers of suave cherries and plums. This is so good now, it is hard to resist. But wait another 7-8 years and it will be a markedly better wine. This could be one of the best vintages ever produced at Chateau Gazin. The wine is made from blending 93% Merlot with 7% Cabernet Franc . 95 Points

Rich aromas of blueberries, ripe black cherries, chocolate and sandalwood. It’s full-bodied with firm, well integrated and rounded tannins. Solid depth of fruit here. Creamy and polished. Better after 2024.