2018 Chateau Le Boscq Saint-Estephe Bordeaux 750 ml

The 95-point 2018 represents a bit of an apotheosis moment for Château Le Boscq. Although the well-situated estate has been around since the 18th century—it was originally built for Thomas Barton of Second Growth Léoville-Barton fame—its ascent into Saint-Estèphe’s elite didn’t begin until 1995.

That's when Maison Dourthe took over. They replaced the old, dirty wood fermenters with temperature-controlled stainless steel, and poured money into the vineyards and cellar. After all, they saw massive amounts of untapped potential, since Le Boscq sits next to Third Growth Calon-Ségur and not far from Meyney and Montrose.

Each year, the bottles got a little better, thanks to improvements like plot-by-plot vinification, more new wood to handle the increased concentration, and the help of legendary consultant Michel Rolland. In fact, the château was promoted to one of just 14 Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels in all of Bordeaux, an honor that coincided neatly with the release of this triumphant 2018, whose “brilliant purity” Decanter praised their 95-point review.

2018 was one of the hottest vintages ever recorded in Bordeaux, with a dry summer and warm start to fall—so the ability of Le Boscq to harvest and vinify each section of their vineyard separately helped them avoid excessive hydric stress. Rolland and the team made use of their high-tech optical and densimetric sorting machines to select only the prime berries, and ended up with a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot after a strict barrel-by-barrel selection.

The result is stunning—a true liftoff moment for an estate on the rise.