Château La Garde -Subskription-

94/100 Decanter.com A step change for La Garde this year with a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Floral and fragrant, really alive on the nose, expressive and so energetic. Fruit forward and lively, I love the finesse and the construction, really well made, layered with lots of minerality, crunchy red fruits, great acidity and focus on the crushed stones, graphite and pencil led. It has a smooth body, with a grip to the tannins but lots of focus and definition to the elements. Quite a serious take but all harmonious, nothing sticking out with plenty of underlying power. Polished and accomplished. A top value pick and exciting project to follow. Axel Marchal consultant. No Petit Verdot in the blend this year. 4% press wine - more so than in previous vintages. 35% grand vin production reduced from 50%. - Georgina Hindle 93-94/100 Yvesbeck.wine Der sehr präzise La Garde offenbart sich auf subtile Weise durch einladende fruchtige Nuancen bzw. erfrischende Noten von roten Beeren und Süßholz. Der Wein hat Dichte, samtene Tannine, aber auch Temperament und Kraft. Ein strahlender, präziser und lebhafter Wein, der den Ambitionen und der akribischen Arbeit des Teams von La Garde immer mehr gerecht wird! - Yves Beck 92/100 Tastingbook.com Dark purple colour with violet hue and almost black core. Expressive nose reminiscent blackberries, plums and mild spices, vanilla and pencil shavings. On the palate well balanced with juicy fruit, ripe tannins, freshness and elegant spiciness, very good length. - Markus Del Monego 92-94/100 Alexandre Ma The precise terroir division, stricter grand vin selection, and purer Cabernet Sauvignon at Château La Garde manifest the true character of a Grand Cru. Pessac-Léognan faced frequent stormy weather in 2023, with many estates grappling with severe downy mildew pressure. However, Château La Garde, through persistence and focus, delivered a smooth texture, clear fruit aromas, and silky tannin structure. If the new cellar in 2022 signaled a fresh direction for Château La Garde, then the 2023 vintage marks its historic moment into the family of Grand Cru. - Alexandre Ma 92-93/100 My Bettane + Desseauve Ici aussi, le changement de style est encore plus radical qu’à Belgrave. Une vinification et une sélection parcellaire plus précises ont métamorphosé les arômes et le tannin. - Bettane & Desseauve 92/100 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Lots of vineyard restructing work going on here, following terroir studies. Delivers the confident Pessac Léognan swirl of smoky oak, well balalnced, enjoyable and easy drinking but high quality wine, lip smacking, excellent bright blueberry fruits with grilled oak. Dourthe Vignobles. Axel Marchal and Chrstophe Ollivier consultants as of the 2023 vintage (they began in 2022 but not across the reds) - half the usual production of 1st wine, as selelction becomes more drastic. Great value, a buy. - Jane Anson 92-93/100 Jamessuckling.com Solid and structured with good volume and length, showing notes of dark fruit and walnuts. Medium-bodied with compact, velvety tannins. The finish is firm and even. - James Suckling 91/100 Falstaff Garnet colour, purple reflections. Aromas of fine oak, dark berries, fresh cherries, a mineral touch, floral, some orange zest. Medium complexity, cherries, integrated tannins, lively, lingers long, a versatile wine for the table. - Peter Moser 91-93/100 Wine Advocate Owned by Maison Dourthe, this estate has strategically chosen to concentrate on cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on the central plateau, renowned for its gravelly soils. The 2023 La Garde reflects this focus, exhibiting a deep, complex bouquet of dark wild berries, mulberries, flowers and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, tense and layered palate with a structured but elegant mid-palate that segues into a long, mineral finish. This is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot. - Yohan Castaing 90-92/100 The Drink Business Svelte and soft on the attack, lithe and quite succulent but with good Pessac terroir-typicity. Saline, liquorice, a dark meatiness, a hint of oak smoke and a generous but never dominating spiciness. Plenty of white pepper too. Lovely and on a sustained upward trajectory now - Colin Hay 90-93/100 Vinous The 2023 La Garde is the first wine made in the new cellar, part of a strategy that includes a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon on blocks planted on gravel, and a reduction of the Grand Vin by 50%. Deep and imposing in feel, the 2023 offers up a mélange of dark-toned fruit, leather, incense, licorice and scorched earth. The tannins are a bit imposing at this stage. - Antonio Galloni 90-92/100 Vinous The 2023 La Garde has a lifted bouquet that is nicely defined, with plenty of blackberry and bilberry fruit and subtle loamy scents percolating through. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, good body and ample structure, but it delivers more fruit than some of its peers. La Garde has been an improving estate in recent years, and this is another fine wine to add to that roster. - Neal Martin 88-90/100 The Wine Independent The 2023 La Garde Rouge is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose features notes of stewed red and black plums and juicy raspberries followed by hints of garrigue and bay leaf. The medium-bodied palate is bright and refreshing, with appealing herbal accents and a light chewiness on the finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown