Depth, complexity and graceful power characterise this wine, which reveals all its qualities after long ageing in the bottle. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, it represents the Médoc’s winemaking tradition and embodies the great classicism of Margaux. 2010 Wine Advocate 92: Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Lascombes gives up notes of dried herbs, tilled soil and black olives over a blackcurrant cordial and plums preserves core plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers chewy tannins and bold freshness to support the savory flavors, finishing with an herbal lift. James Suckling 94: Pinpoint but rich fruit in the form of blackcurrants, licorice, fresh herbs, blackberry leaf and cedar. Full body, structured tannins, vibrant acidity and a long finish. Wonderful combination of freshness and fruit. Delicious now but this will hold for many more years. Decanter 92: Expressive nose of sweet cherries, cedar, vanilla and liquorice. Juicy and upfront at first, then becomes tight and severe as the promised fruity fun closes down. Tannins are nicely supportive, but the fruit doesn't have enough density or vibrancy to really sustain the palate, which becomes a little diluted. Dry, powdery liquorice and cola elements on the finish. Wine Enthusiast 92: Wood-driven tannins dominate at this stage, creating a wine that is structured and dense. The tannins are layered with the weight of the black currant and plum fruits. Lascombes is still finding its style, but is definitely on the upward slope. 2015 Wine Advocate 94: Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Lascombes has a beautiful nose of black forest cake, violets, cassis and tilled soil with wafts of garrigue and potpourri. Medium-bodied, very fine and elegant with great intensity of restrained, earthy flavors, it has a long, savory finish. James Suckling 95: Immediate depth to the aromas of dark cherries, plums and blackberries with subtly spicy and cedary oak amid stony, minerally accents. The palate has immense depth and presence without relying on brute force. This is all about charm and fluidity. Superb wine. Try from 2023. Wine Enthusiast 96: This is a powerful wine, with wood aging that adds richness to the dense tannins. Some tough extraction has not detracted from the ripe fruit or structure and will go as the wine matures. It should be ready to drink from 2026. 2016 Wine Advocate 94+: Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lascombes features beautiful candied violets, Black Forest cake, cassis and menthol with hints of underbrush, cloves, pencil lead and tar. Medium-bodied with good intensity and firm, grainy tannins, it finishes long and perfumed. James Suckling 95: Tobacco, meat and a touch of rust on the nose. The palate is tensile and pretty, with focused and grainy tannins. Beautiful, with a long, harmonious finish. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective. Decanter 94: In many cases these Margaux are showing better than they did at en primeur, the ageing process helping to fatten them up. Here, full-on aromatics spiral out of the glass, an appealingly seductive nose. The palate is austere, yes, but the tannins are tight and present rather than raw, building up in the mouth. There's a clear precision to the fruit, very carefully delineated and with good persistency, leading to a finish of cold ash, tobacco and pencil-lead. It's a wine to think about, to hold on to, to enjoy, and this gives full rein to the classy image of Margaux as the centre of delicacy and precision in the Médoc. Michel Rolland consults. Wine Enthusiast 93: While there are serious layers of wood in this young wine, it scores with its rich black-currant fruits and fine ripe tannins. It has structure and concentration, a wine that has great potential. Drink from 2025. 2025 Wine Advocate 92-94: A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet France and Petit Verdot, the 2025 Lascombes unwinds in the glass with notes of inky berries, pencil shavings and a subtle hint of violet. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a layered, muscular profile and ripe tannins that assert themselves on the finish, its broad shoulders are derived from low yields (25 hectoliters per hectare) rather than extraction, as Heinz and his team capped fermentation temperatures at 25 degrees Celsius and handled the wines gently after alcoholic fermentation was complete. James Suckling 96-97: Extremely sophisticated and refined, with fine tannins and a long finish. Medium-bodied, polished and pretty. Currant, blackberry and cherry undertones. Seriously crafted. One of the best ever. Vinous 93-95: The 2025 Lascombes was cropped at 25 hl/ha between 8 and 25 September. This has a focused and quite opulent bouquet, but everything is very well controlled, as if there is a tight leash on the aromatics of black plum, iodine and violets. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins on the entry that counter the density of black fruit. Really impressive minéralité in this Margaux with a pleasing strictness towards the almost Pauillac- like finish. This certainly bears the signature of winemaker Axel Heinz, much more precise and tensile compared with vintages a decade ago.
