Château Meyney Saint-Estèphe 2018 is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux with an impressive amount of personality for its price level: dark, dense, and structured, yet more polished than many young Saint-Estèphe wines. In the glass, it shows notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, and plum, along with hints of clove, dark chocolate, praline, gravel, tobacco, cigar box, and a lightly smoky edge. Critics have described it as concentrated, full-bodied, and built for ageing, with fresh acidity and a clearly defined tannic structure.
The production is ambitious. The 2018 vintage is made from 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 18% Petit Verdot. The grapes were hand-harvested, carefully sorted, and vinified parcel by parcel. Fermentation was preceded by a few days of cold maceration, part of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in new barrels, and the finished wine was aged in French oak, with 35% new oak. The estate covers around 51 hectares, with gravel soils over clay and limestone near the Gironde estuary, which plays an important role in the wine’s combination of power, freshness, and minerality.
In terms of style, this is a wine best suited to dishes with depth and protein. With its dark fruit, firm tannins, fresh acidity, and structured finish, it pairs very well with entrecôte, lamb, duck breast, game, slow-cooked dishes, mushroom dishes, and aged cheeses. It is also a wine that benefits from decanting if opened now. Several assessments suggest that it has the structure to develop for 15–20 years in the cellar.
International scores for Château Meyney 2018:
James Suckling: 95 points
Decanter: 94 points
Wine Enthusiast: 94 points
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: 91 points
