Winemaker Notes
Purple color, aromatic bouquet of black and red fruit (blackcurrant, cherry, blackberry, and mulberry as well as bilberry and blueberry) with tones of spice and undergrowth. A subtle nose. On the palate, fine tannins appear, which are both elegant and silky.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Château De Pressac showed beautifully, with a rich, medium to full-bodied, incredibly elegant style that carries lots of darker berry fruits as well as chocolate, earth, bouquet garni, and tobacco. I love its texture, the purity of fruit is spot on, it has integrated tannins, and a great finish. I suspect this will go down as one of the all-time greats from this estate. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15-20 years. The blend is 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, all brought up in 50% new French oak.
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James Suckling
Dried currants, blueberries, lavender, walnuts and sweet tobacco on the nose. It’s medium-to-full bodied with firm, silky tannins. Crushed stone, too. Elegant and flavorful. Try from 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 de Pressac prances out of the glass with cheery scents of Morello cherries, black raspberries and plum preserves, plus suggestions of chocolate mint, licorice and unsmoked cigars. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers loads of energetic black, blue and red fruit layers, framed by grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. It's approachable now yet has the stuffing to cellar for 15 years or more.
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Decanter
A good vintage for Pressac, in a cooler corner of St-Emilion that has held its own in this hot vintage. Some lovely dried rosemary and sage herbs, along with white pepper, raspberry and black cherry fruits, set against well-brushed tannins. 2% Malbec and 1% Carmenère complete the blend, with ageing in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.