Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2013

Firm, fresh tannins of great quality and density, giving the wine precision and depth—true to style and Pauillac through and through.

This has good vibrancy, with red and black currant fruit carried by brambly tannins. Light charcoal and tobacco leaf notes on the finish give this an old-school edge. Should meld pleasantly with modest cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2023. 9,167 cases made.

90–92. Barrel Sample. Ripe black currant is sustained by solid tannins. The wine is richly fruity and structured allowing the freshness of the year to come through at the end.

Dense and silky with lots of flowers and black currant character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a long finish for the vintage. Drink now.

If you like cassis, you came to the right place, as that is the wines dominant character. The medium bodied, wine is fresh, bright and crisp, with a spicy, sharp, red fruit finish.

Sweet fruit, vanilla and fine oak notes on the nose. Rather dense palate with juicy fruit, red currant, plum and rather persistent finish.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Deep purple-garnet color, dense at the core, with a violet sheen at the rim. Delicate cassis and blackberry bouquet, straight and focused, with a gentle Cabernet drive. On the palate, juicy, showing a dreamlike sweetness in the tannins; the tannins are rounded, and overall the wine has solid substance for the vintage. It can stand alongside the best Pauillacs, making it outstanding value. Very close to 18/20 and should reach that level in about 8 years.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet hues at the rim. A delicate cassis and blackberry bouquet, straight and focused, with a gentle Cabernet drive. On the palate, juicy, showing a dreamlike sweetness in the tannins; the tannins are rounded, and the wine offers solid substance for the vintage overall. It can hold its own against the best Pauillac and is therefore excellent value. Very close to 18/20 and should reach it in about 8 years. (17/20). Clearly brightening. Semi-sweet redcurrants, phenolic notes, a floral scent. On the palate, slender, pleasant, straightforward.

(80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 31 hl/ha) Fresh, powerful bouquet of cassis, cedar, tobacco, a hint of liquorice and toasty notes. Balanced, elegant, multi-layered palate with a dense structure, bold fruit, dark aromatic profile, plenty of fine tannins, and a long, full finish with subtle lingering flavours. Can still improve. 17/20 2020 - 2036

Plenty of tannic grip and it is clear this delivers Pauillac character in the form and shape of the tannins. Not the compelling depths of the best years of GPL, but there is life here, with charcoal, campfire, smoked earth, brambled black fruits and edges of mint. 70% new oak.

Medium garnet colored with a touch of brick, the 2013 Grand-Puy-Lacoste offers a quiet intensity of iron ore, wild sage, tobacco, and dried cherry notes, leading to a core of cassis and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate delivers a bit more fruit than many 2013s, with rugged tannins and seamless freshness, finishing firm.

Bottling has left it tired and thinner, hopefully only temporarily: the nose remains true to its origin, with its racy nuances of tobacco and cedar.

We had already praised its opulence and density. The wine is perfectly on point, with a palate driven by brilliantly vibrant fruit and a finish that is flawlessly balanced.

Rather dark colour. Intense nose, nicely defined. The palate is balanced, with good length, a lovely mid-palate and a very fine spicy finish. Very Pauillac as usual, but more approachable.

Deep color, fairly intense for the vintage and slightly evolved. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity and lightly oaky, with an appealing hint of caramel. Swirling gives this wine an almost Mediterranean character. Soft, flavorful and round on the palate, with that nuance returning on the finish, probably due to the use of new oak. No tannins. Medium length. Best enjoyed young. Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot.

The 2013 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, wild strawberry and cedar notes, nicely composed and clearly delineated—not complex, but harmonious. As usual, there is a conservative element to the aromatics in keeping with this estate's style. The palate is medium-bodied with appreciable minerality on the entry. I like the edginess here, the structure, and in particular the finesse that is not always apparent at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, at least at this early stage. It might not be a long-term proposition, but it is certainly one of the finest Pauillac wines of the vintage courtesy of Xavier and Emeline Borie.