Château Lilian Ladouys 2023

Candid and open, with blackberry, cherry, and black bread on the nose; the palate is fleshy, shows power yet remains elegant, with well-judged tannins and a fresh finish. Built for mid-term aging.

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. 50 hl/ha. Cask sample. Dark-berry fruits on the nose but more red fruit on the palate. Slightly sweet and sour with a certain sweetness on the mid palate but also lively acidity. Dry and chalky on the finish, expressive of the limestone terroir. (JL)

The 2023 Lilian Ladouys was a wine that never quite clicked for me out of barrel. Now in bottle, it has a relatively light, tertiary bouquet with mainly black fruit, with a touch of sea spray. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, moderate depth, a little loose-knit toward the finish. Early drinking.

Chocolate, flowers, spice, and blackberries crowd into the perfume. The palate is even better with its medium-bodied, fresh, soft, juicy layers of fruit that taste and feel great. Give it a bit of time in the bottle, and enjoy it for 15 years after that. This is one of the best deals in Left Bank Bordeaux today! The wine blends 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2042.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening at the edge. Fresh red cherries, a floral touch, hints of blackberries, a hint of orange zest. Juicy, fine fruit expression, round tannins, freshly structured, an elegant, animating food wine.

Give it three or four years after bottling to fully soften. Delivers on En Primeur promise, but this is really edging towards austere at this point and needs the few extra years in bottle that I suggested when tasting the young wine. There are plenty of raspberry puree fruits, fennel and liquorice, bright and well structured. 400l barrels for ageing, 30% new oak. Previously a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, but they have now stepped back from the ranking. Last year of organic conversion, with an impressive 50hl/h yield. Now certified as of 2024.

Score: 91–93. Sweet and bright, the nose evokes small red berries and the powdery scent of an old rose bouquet. Absolutely delicious, the palate offers superb freshness, supported by round, chalky tannins before a saline finish.

Well shaped by oak ageing, the bouquet of Lilian Ladouys reveals aromas of dark berries and sweet spices, followed by a floral touch. Dense on the attack, the wine is supported by compact tannins that deliver appreciable power. Both powerful and fresh, it needs to soften on the finish. It therefore still has to come together, but it can already boast fine potential and persistence.

A lovely fresh nose, cocoa-fresh, with a textured edge. It expresses notes of cornflower, bright raspberry and, more subtly, small blue fruits, combined with touches of crushed strawberry, as well as hints of cornflower, cardamom and a subtle hint of infusion. The palate is nicely fresh, mineral and balanced, offering a tangy, mineral backbone, fine bitters/cocoa, silkiness, indulgence and smoothness. It shows notes of juicy/fresh blackberry, pulpy/fresh blue plum and, more lightly, bright raspberry, combined with touches of crushed red berries, racy/gravelly minerality, as well as hints of toasty notes, cocoa, infusion and vanilla. Fine work on the good bitters. Sapidity. Lovely elegance and indulgence. Persistence. A stretched finish.

Fragrant and scented on the nose, bright red fruits and some red floral notes with cool herbal markers too. Fresh and forward with crunchy and bright cranberries and creamy raspberries. A little lean and straight at this point but lots of mineral markers on the palate – wet stone, graphite, liquorice. Very saline, this ends clean and precise, balanced and all in one line. I like the easy approachability with some classicism and terroir touches. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 55hl/ha yield. Ageing 33% new oak. 3.81pH.

This sports a generous fruit profile, with fresh blackberry and loganberry compote notes rolling over polished, fan-friendly, red-licorice threads. Light tobacco leaf hint on the finish but the upfront fruit holds sway easily. Ready to go. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 29,450 cases made.

This impressive wine is at the top of its form. Balancing tannins, black currant fruits and a firm texture, the wine is ripe and concentrated. The dark chocolate just emphasizes the wine's potential. Drink from 2028.

Deep red colour with good intensity. Very aromatic nose, with ripe, subtle fruit, developing a slightly saline note when the glass is swirled. The palate is juicy and generous. The wine unfolds richly over a melting texture, with plenty of flavour and fine tannins. It’s superb.