98+ Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.

93 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Deep and concentrated nose and palate full of blackberries and dark cherries. Fleshy, flavorful and full-bodied on the palate with lots of fruit. Firm tannins but nothing chewy here. Sleek and voluminous. A co-fermentation of malbec, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Drink from 2025."

100 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"An absolutely amazing wine, from grapes harvested between the end of September and October 17, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot has close to 15% natural alcohol. It comes from one of the few biodynamic vineyards in Bordeaux, but you are likely to see many more, given the success that Tesseron seems to be having at all levels, both in his vineyards and in his fermentation/winemaking.

An astounding, compelling wine with the classic Pauillac nose more often associated with its cross-street neighbor, Mouton-Rothschild, creme de cassis, there are also some violets and other assorted floral notes. The wine has off-the-charts massiveness and intensity but never comes across as heavy, overbearing or astringent. The freshness, laser-like precision, and full-bodied, massive richness and extract are simply remarkable to behold and experience. It is very easy, to become jaded tasting such great wines from a great vintage, but it is really a privilege to taste something as amazing as this.

Unfortunately, it needs a good decade of cellaring, and that’s assuming it doesn’t close down over the next few years. This is a 50- to 75-year wine from one of the half-dozen or so most compulsive and obsessive proprietors in all of Bordeaux. Is there anything that proprietor Alfred Tesseron is not doing right? Talk about an estate that is on top of its game! Pontet-Canet’s 2010 is a more structured, tannic and restrained version of their most recent perfect wine, the 2009. Kudos to Pontet-Canet!"

100 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

The aromas to this are incredible with blueberry, minerals, dried flowers, and stones. It goes to dried meat and spices. Full body and incredibly integrated with blackberry, licorice, and minerals. There's a wonderful purity to this. It goes on for minutes. The quality of tannins is amazing. Seamless. There's an amazing transparency that shows you all the elements of the wine's unique terrior. Try after 2018.

100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2010 Pontet-Canet offers a very deep garnet color. Whoa—the nose explodes with a vast array of black fruit preserves and savory nuances: plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, black cherry coulis and licorice with wafts of dried lavender, melted chocolate, charcuterie, black olives, truffles and camphor plus a hint of sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is completely filled with black fruits, exotic spices and earthy nuances with a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. So much more expressive and seductive than a lot of 2010s at this stage, and yet it is still incredibly youthful!

100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Independent

The 2010 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-black in color, it sashays out of the glass with opulent scents of Chinese five spice, smoked meats, and cigar box, over a core of prunes, redcurrant jelly, and fruitcake with a waft of espresso. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a firm, grainy structure with tons of freshness supporting the decadent spice and fruit preserves layers, finishing with great length. It is delicious to drink now!

100 Peter Moser - Falstaff

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Blackberry with a hint of mint, tobacco, nuances of cassis and liquorice, fine minerality, a hint of tea tree oil, fascinating aromatic depth. Juicy and elegant on the palate, blackberries and blackcurrants, vivid tannins, pleasant fruitiness in the finish, salty and mineral in the aftertaste. A great wine with personality and length. Certain ageing potential for years; not yet fully developed but already accessible. (2025 -2060).