2025 Futures

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J-M Quarin : 98/100 “Delicate on the palate at first, incredibly aromatic on the mid-palate, with a refined richness that coats the palate, the wine develops into a juicy, noble and powerful wine, with some of the most nuanced tannins ever seen in this vintage. A powerful yet flavourful wine.”

Bettane+Desseauve : 97-98/100 “A dizzyingly deep bouquet, a creamy, silky attack, and deep, fresh tannins: it remains true to its hedonistic style whilst gaining in refinement.”

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 96-99/100 "The 2025 Valandraud is breathtaking. Itsthe first vintage made by Jean-Luc Thunevin and Marie Lefévère together. It therefore represents a changing of the guard, now that Lefévère and her husband, Christophe, have taken full ownership of the property after many years holding a minority stake. Vibrant and explosive in the glass, the 2025 Valandraud offers an exotic mélange of dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mocha. There's gorgeous precision here, much of that coming from more finesse in the tannins. The 2025 is utterly magnificent."

Vinous (N. Martin) : 94-96/100 "The 2025 Valandraud [...] has an intense nose with black cherry, cassis and violet scents, more bold than the Virginie de Valandraud but perhaps slightly less delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, very well balanced with good depth of fruit, spicier than the Virginie towards the finish. Good grip, more than the Virginie, this will require three to five years in bottle, but it has great potential."

La Revue du Vin de France : 93-95/100 "A slight shift in style, becoming more refined whilst retaining the smoothness on the mid-palate and velvety tannins. The overall impression is a real success, thanks to the increased brightness of the fruit."

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Bettane+Desseauve : 98/100 “A Figeac of remarkable precision, with notes of blueberry, peony and warm stone giving way to a concentrated, finely crafted and endlessly lingering palate. Magnificent!”

J-M Quarin: 98/100 “A deep, intense red colour with black highlights. A very aromatic and refined nose. Hints of blackberries, raspberries and violets. This floral character intensifies when the glass is swirled. Meticulous on the attack, particularly flavourful on the palate, with its classic grace on the palate, the wine melts away, flooding the palate with fruit. Very slowly, it builds towards a long, fragrant and succulent finish. It’s superb!”

Vinous (N. Martin): 96-98/100 “The Cabernet components shape the aromatics at the moment, with a mixture of blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, touches of tobacco and dark powdered chocolate, all very precise and, if anything, remarkably understated considering the warmth of that summer. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, slightly granular tannins. Darker fruit than normal, nicely structured, linear and correct, this is a Figeac that veers towards the more elegant side in Saint-Émilion. Just a touch of bitterness on the finish neatly counterbalances the contained opulence. If it ends up at the top of my banded score, I would not be surprised."

Vinous (A. Galloni): 96-98/100 “The 2025 Figeac is a powerful, deeply structured wine. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, incense, scorched earth, tobacco and grilled herbs soar across the palate in a towering Figeac of the highest level. All the elements are so well balanced. A season marked by very gradual ripening yielded an especially aromatic, perfumed Grand Vin.”

La Revue du Vin de France : 96-98/100 “Figeac 2025 is a quiet force. It surprises with its delicacy, harmony and class, reminding us that the Cabernets are outstanding this year (here, 62% of the blend). The modest 13% ABV highlights elements of rare integration.”

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J-M Quarin : 99/100 “Juicy on the palate, intensely aromatic in the mid-palate, with a slow yet powerful development; the wine melts on the palate. It has a long finish—firm, certainly, but very persistent.”

Terre de Vins : 98-99/100 Coup de ♥  "A perfect balance between Cabernet Franc and Merlot in the blend of this Angélus 2025, which harmoniously combines velvety smoothness and freshness, structure and depth. A masterclass in style: vibrancy, vigour, and perfectly balanced concentration; it is a textbook example of elegance, sensuality and energy, unfolding its juiciness with length and vitality. Creamy, tactile texture, silky-smooth tannins, and a finish with a hint of zest and powdery notes – it is a work of art. Angélus continues its superb evolution."

Bettane+Desseauve : 98/100 "Blended in equal parts from Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this Angélus is a true masterpiece. With brilliant tannins, peppery floral notes, pure fruit and an ethereal finish, it is a moving, great wine."

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 95-97+/100 "The 2025 Angélus is a superb contemporary Grand Vin. Aromatic, vibrant and wonderfully fresh, the 2025 dazzles from start to finish. Blood orange, mint, white pepper, rose petal and chalk weave through layers of vibrant red-toned fruit. Here, too, the Grand Vin impresses with its noble purity and understated grace. "

Vinous (N. Martin) : 95-97/100 "The bouquet opens with blackberry, raspberry, light cassis scents and a touch of iodine, well defined, the oak seated politely in the background. The palate is silky smooth with filigree tannins, very well judged acidity plus palpable underlying sapid notes that come through towards the finish. Fine tension, very focused with a very persistent aftertaste, this is an Angélus with great potential and it should give 25 to 30 years' drinking pleasure."

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A local showcase. Since the 2023 vintage, Cheval-Blanc has adopted an eco-designed case produced locally in Aquitaine, making the most of the region’s resources: the case is made from maritime pine sourced from the Landes forest, and each bottle is protected by a woven wool sleeve that shields the wine from knocks and temperature fluctuations during transport.

J-M Quarin : 100/100 "Deep red in color, with vivid purple and black highlights. Intense, refined, fruity, and subtle on the nose. Extremely delicate on the initial palate, with a refined richness that coats the palate and a slow, gradual, melting evolution where the structure builds up gradually, delivering a wealth of flavors; the wine soars into a complex and noble finish that is magical and impossible to spit out. I am impressed by such aromatic power for such a low alcohol content: 12.7%, the lowest since 2009. [...] Truly exceptional!”

Terre de Vins : 98-99/100 Coup de ♥  "This is a Cheval Blanc at its most serious, almost reserved at first glance, with its usual ethereal bouquet appearing slightly more ‘grounded’ than usual. The structure is remarkably cohesive, framed by very well-defined tannins of great elegance. There are many successive layers in this wine, which unfolds with subtlety; its structured body is not overly sweet (only 12.7% alcohol) but stretches with finesse over this tannic framework of great pedigree: it enhances the vigour, the muscular and invigorating aspect of the wine. It will be fascinating to follow over time.”

La Revue du Vin de France : 98-99/100 "Perhaps the bottle of the vintage. The 2025 highlights the exceptional quality of the tannins found at the estate, thanks in particular to its concentration on the mid-palate and the purity of its texture, brought to the fore by its moderate alcohol content (12.7%). With an almost charismatic presence, this athletic and refined expression of the vintage offers the quintessence of Cheval Blanc, making it perhaps one of its finest interpretations of the decade.”

Bettane+Desseauve : 97-98/100 "Water stress has reduced the volume but built up the body. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon bring concentration and vibrancy, whilst Merlot adds silkiness. Blackberry, dried flowers, peony and iris linger on the palate with unflagging grace."

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 96-99/100 "A wine of mystery and seduction, the 2025 dazzles. Time in the glass brings out the wine's tension and energy. Sage, mint, lavender, cloves and cool, blue-toned fruit all build in the glass. [...] In many vintages Cheval Blanc can be exuberant, but the 2025 is rather closed, more of an intellectual wine that will require years in bottle to truly show everything it has to offer."

Vinous (N.Martin) : 95-97/100 "A more reserved and structured Cheval Blanc than usual, vertical in style, the Cabernet Franc driving the finish. Not what I would call a sensual Cheval Blanc, but it has a distinctive character. Not everyone is going to fall head over heels for this Cheval Blanc because it is uncompromising, and I like that. Just be patient. This will need time."

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Bettane+Desseauve : 99/100 "With its unique blend, this Ausone marks a turning point. Peony, wild strawberry, Kampot pepper and mineral notes combine to create a fine wine that is delicate, chalky and silky, and built to age for many years."

J-M Quarin : 98/100 “Delicate on the palate from the very first sip, with a subtle richness that coats the palate, the wine is smooth, juicy, meticulous and sophisticated. After the mid-palate, it rises to a finish with a touch of positive austerity. Excellent length.”

La Revue du Vin de France : 96-98/100 "Ausone makes the most of its limestone terroir, delivering a depth and a level of finesse that are rare. With 65% Cabernet Franc, the tannins are perfectly delicate, with a remarkable length reminiscent of elderflower. As the 2025 vintage has yielded a single label, the second wine, Chapelle d’Ausone, will not be produced this year.”

Vinous (N. Martin) : 96-98/100 "The 2025 Ausone represents the entirety of the vineyard this year after trial blends convinced the Vauthiers not to make a Chapelle d’Ausone. There is also 5% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend for the first time. Almost immediately, I noticed how that soupçon of Cabernet Sauvignon tilts the style of the Grand Vin in a different and, to my mind, positive direction. Beautifully defined, a little more sapid, perhaps just a tad less precocious than usual, there is a sense of classicism in this Ausone that I admire, terroir over growing season perhaps? The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, real depth, silky smooth, with layers of blackberry and raspberry fruit and hints of white pepper and clove. Very long, with a peacock's tail on the finish, this is a fascinating and alluring Ausone that will age with style."

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 95-97/100 "The 2025 Ausone is powerful, dense and packed to the core. Readers will have to be patient with the 2025, as it is quite reticent. Time in the glass brings out hints of blood orange, rose petal, mint and raspberry jam. It will be fascinating to see how the 2025 ages."