Château Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estèphe 2018 - Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Full-bodied, generous, and distinctive—undoubtedly the most compelling expression of its terroir since the vintage’s sensational debut in 1989.

About the estate:

After passing Cos d’Estournel, and facing Lafon-Rochet, the two towers of Lilian-Ladouys rise from a sea of vines. This 47-hectare estate was purchased by Jacky Lorenzetti in September 2008. As at Pédesclaux, Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen oversees the winemaking. Dense and colorful, the wines are instantly captivating. The archetype of a super Bordeaux.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

In the 14th century, La Doys was a farmstead belonging to Lafite. After enjoying its heyday at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries under the name Château Ladouys, this estate had virtually disappeared. It was revived (and renamed after his wife) by Christian Thiéblot in the 1980s, then by Natexis starting in 1989. In 2008, there was another change of ownership with Jacky and Françoise Lorenzetti (Pédesclaux in Pauillac), who sold their network of real estate agencies to invest in the vineyard. They undertook a vast restructuring program for the 45 hectares of vines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

With a deep purple-black color, Château Lilian Ladouys 2018 offers wonderfully spicy notes of black fruit jam: plum jam, crème de cassis, and blueberry, with hints of exotic spices, menthol, and violet. Medium-bodied, firm, and fine-grained on the palate, it reveals layer upon layer of rich, spicy black fruit with a rising finish.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

Lilian 2018 is robust, fresh, and elegant in a very sunny vintage. The wine is well-balanced with silky tannins. Let it age for two or three years.

About the estate:

After passing through the hands of several owners who did not always know how to realize its potential, the unassuming Château Lilian Ladouys was purchased by businessman Jacky Lorenzetti in 2008. Lorenzetti, who subsequently acquired Château Pédesclaux in Pauillac and Château Lafon Rochet in Saint-Estèphe, has grand ambitions for his wines. Lilian Ladouys, which has undergone extensive renovations in recent years, has found a very respectable rhythm over the past few vintages. The wine deserves the attention of wine lovers.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Extensive renovation work is beginning to pay off in the quality of this estate’s latest vintage. The wine offers depth and concentration, with notes of dark chocolate, rich tannins, and equally rich blackberry fruit. With its high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is built for aging and won’t be ready until 2025.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aromas of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, dried lavender, and graphite. It is full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Taut and mineral at the moment. Truly well-made.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

The nose is highly complex, with an excellent balance between fruit and aging. It has a subtle, deep character, with hints of cherries and blackberries, as well as a touch of spice. On the palate, the wine is dense and slightly creamy. It has good body and features tight, refined tannins. These are perfectly integrated and provide ideal structure for the wine as a whole. A Lilian Ladouys full of finesse that seeks to impress through its subtlety rather than its power.

Jean-Marc Quarin

Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing

About the wine:

Both floral and spicy, the 2018 Lilian Ladouys is fresh and rich, with a particularly charming character. On the palate, it is dense and well-structured, with firm, lingering tannins and a light yet dense finish.