For a list of all our articles, see Bordeaux 2013 – a guide to our coverage.
As might be expected for a large-ish appellation in a difficult vintage, there is a lot of inconsistency among the 2013s of St-Émilion. Finding the gems therefore requires particular care, and fans of the right bank might find it easier to default to Pomerol, which was generally much more memorable than its neighbour.
The tasting notes are listed in alphabetical order.
Red
Sweet fruit but light and brief. Entirely balanced and easy to drink, just limited in scope. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
Red
Pretty nondescript – but this is the third wine in a difficult vintage, so no surprises there. Pretty tough going. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
Red
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc. Violet perfume and an understated but pleasant plummy fruit. Finishes slightly dilute. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2021
17.5
/20
Red
62% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc. Rich, fruitcake aromas. Plush and powerful. Tannins are rounded on the palate – drinkable but not quite ready. Impressive concentration and purity without being forceful. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
Red
Reductive on the nose, but sweet-fruited too. Finely feathered tannins, very pure fruit – super delicacy without dilution. Expertly done, and with great depth. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2033
17.5 +
/20
Red
Deep blackcurrant fruit, supple tannins on the palate that grip the finish. A smidgen more concentration than their Chapelle, but it doesn’t scale the heights that you might hope for. That’s not to say it isn’t good – it is very delicious – but the quality is constrained by the vintage. (RH)
Drink:
2019
–
2033
Red
Attractively indulgent and rich on the nose, really perfumed and floral. There’s a significant oak influence, but it sits nicely with the plump fruit and floral character. Very succulent and appealing – generous, balanced, and very typical. Certainly doesn’t show any symptoms of an ailing vintage. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2027
Red
Light palate with a vegetal underripeness beneath the fruit. Simple, light, not unattractive but not wholly expressive either. Seems a little warm on the finish too. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2023
Red
Cooked, overripe fruit. Light body, chewy tannins. Not the prettiest example. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
Red
Juicy black fruit, smoke and charred meat. Very tannic afterglow. Plenty of concentration, and nice initial hints at some floral, spicy perfume. Unassuming at first, but this might well be a sleeping beauty. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
16.5
/20
Red
100% Merlot. Plush, sweet character on the nose. Very modern and flashy, with loads of fruit concentration. Rounded, soft tannins. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2029
Red
Rather sweet oak, very tough tannins. Impenetrable, but without much fruit generosity to back up. (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2026
15.5
/20
Red
Tight fruit, clove and cedar, and rather punchy tannins that make the palate a bit skew-whiff. Light body, moderate finish. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2023
17 +
/20
Red
Cherry and plum, luxurious violet and pepper scent. Attractive layering of flavour and high tannins that don’t seem too ambitious given the good concentration on the mid palate. Good length too. Has a lovely sense of traditional structure with generous, sweet fruit and plenty of development to come. (RH)
Drink:
2019
–
2026
Red
Quite an attractive malty sort of character here, and milk chocolate too. Juicy black fruit, medium tannins, light body. Short finish and not hugely complex – but the fruit flavours are all ripe, and there is good balance. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
16.5
/20
Red
Black cherry, violet, a light herbal character. Quite dense and firm, but not austere. Very attractive perfume. No impression of a ‘bad’ vintage here, just a lighter style with less cellaring potential. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2023
Red
Rich and luxurious scent – lots of perfume and succulent fruit. But also a definite green tinge. Light on the palate, with a sour, bitter element. Tannins are under control, though certainly on the rough side. It’s a shame – the scent is charming, but the palate is seemingly suffering from lack of ripeness. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
Red
52% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot. Very compact nose – much less expressive than the Petit Cheval. Black fruit, no greenness, and a hint of bitter chocolate. Good persistence and balance – this has been well made. Rounded, soft, approachable and with a smoky character just emerging. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2023
16.5
/20
Red
Sweet, fruitcake aromas and vanilla oak in abundance. Firm tannins on the palate, a bit of floral perfume and pepper. Rather tough at present, and may not quite have the stuffing to outlast the structure. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
15.5
/20
Red
Really constrained nose, but better liveliness on the palate, with juicy red fruit and decent tannin. Ripe but understated and short. Most likely the best possible result given the conditions. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2019
15.5
/20
Red
Ripe, modern and succulent on the nose – generous, fully formed black fruit. Very tannic on the palate, and with that inescapable lightness of the vintage. The tannins aren't harsh, however – they are firm but rounded. Modest length. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2020
Red
Understated black fruit. A slight herbal hint, with firm but clay-textured tannins. There's a good amount of concentration on the mid palate, although the body is (understandably) light. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
Red
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Earthy nose, dry fruit. Pretty light and tart on the palate. Skinny. Lacks the lusciousness that Pomerol tended to achieve in this vintage. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2016
–
2020
16
/20
Red
Subtle but insistent floral perfume. Clove and oak spice on the palate. Chewy tannins – this is one of the few right bank 2013s that really needs age to soften the structure. Slightly mousy finish. I’m not convinced this is destined for greatness. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2023
Red
Bucket loads of black fruit and a smoky reductive hint that is entirely en vogue for Burgundy but most unusual for Bordeaux. I like it! It lends a fresh, sparky complexity. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2027
16.5
/20
Red
Floral and expressive. Sweet milk chocolate, generous oak, a bit of coffee. Squishy tannins, good balance – a successful St-Émilion. The perfume really helps give it some complexity. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2024
16.5
/20
Red
Rich, slightly medicinal nose with very ripe, almost jammy fruit. Plenty of oak on top. Incongruously potent for the 2013 par. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2022
16
/20
Red
Lots of flashy new oak giving a sweet spiciness on the nose. Pretty light black-fruit character – this could do with a bit more oomph. Too reliant on wood flavours, for me. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2024
15
/20
Red
65% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Milk chocolate, light tannins, bitter finish. Doesn’t quite bring it all together – shows the cracks of the vintage. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
17 +
/20
Red
80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. Juicy and fresh – a little burnt-meat character and pencil shavings on the finish. Pretty compact and austere – good stuff, worth ageing. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
16.5
/20
Red
Very fruitcake-style nose – baked, jammy. Not overdone though – just very modern and sweet. The finish is dry and balanced, though there is not much substance on the palate. A little bit of smoky character adds interest. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2024
16
/20
Red
Well-formed blackcurrant fruit, slight spiciness – there’s some nice oak here. The tannins protrude from the structure though, in a way that interferes with the drinkability. (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2026
15.5
/20
Red
Juicy black cherry, a nice bit of liquorice, and then very furry tannins that don’t really belong in this structure. Peppery spice to finish. Will these tannins ever fully resolve? (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2026
16.5
/20
Red
Quite reductive on the nose, but there is very pure red fruit underneath. Quite light and lithe – very drinkable tannins. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2026
17 +
/20
Red
Gorgeous fruit character here – surprisingly developed , fleshy and pure. Lovely coffee scent too. Fine tannic dusting on the finish and a long, impressive finish. Again, it has the signature lightness of 2013, but that needn’t always be a bad thing. The balance is good here, and the flavours are very charming. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2028
16.5 +
/20
Red
Tight nose. Syrupy black fruit on the palate. Dry, fine tannins. Bright acid. Good claret structure, and the fruit is impressive too. Should age pretty well. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2024
Red
Sweet black fruit – ripe, convincing. Well made and fragrant. Another good example of the right bank doing well in 2013. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2026
15.5
/20
Red
Blackcurrant fruit but not a whole lot else. Quite firm and furry on the palate. Good fruit definition – no greenness. Basic, enjoyable, simple. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2022
16 +
/20
Red
92% Merlot. 8% Cabernet Franc. Sweet oak character, dark black fruit and quite bit of chewy extraction. Finishes with an almost sour blackcurrant character. Rather tart – has the fruit power to mature and soften though, so worth keeping a little. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
Red
A slightly cooked, currant edge to the nose here. Very high tannic grip. Lots of that damp sawdust character that plagues ‘natural’ wines on the finish. I’d be suspicious of this one. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2020
16.5 +
/20
Red
Pure red fruit that is almost more like New World Pinot Noir than right bank Bordeaux! Lovely ripeness, even though there is a herbal character too. Higher tannins that anticipated on the finish. Finishes very chewy, in fact. Has the fruit purity to last, though, so would be worth ageing. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
15.5
/20
Red
Herbal notes, but good blackcurrant fruit too. Dark chocolate, sweet oak and firm tannins. Leaves a slightly confected impression with a lot of clove oil on the finish. Perfectly respectable, though basic. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
15.5
/20
Red
Blackcurrant and spice. Dominant oak. Furry tannins – not exactly aggressive, but prominent. Bitter, juniper character on the length. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2022
17
/20
Red
Plump, bright and floral. Lots packed in here, surrounded by pleasant grainy tannin. Moderate length but super purity and good ageing potential for the medium term. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
17 +
/20
Red
Bright black fruit, lots of concentration on the palate. Intense but not overbearing. Really tame tannins. Attractive liquorice-and-granite sort of character. Intriguing – has promise. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
16.5
/20
Red
Succulent cherry fruit. Very high tannic grip, though the texture is very fine. Classic Cabernet structure, with quite a bit of warmth on the finish. Very austere, and it seems that the tannins will outlive the fruit. (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2025
16
/20
Red
Very closed nose, and the palate is domineered by tannic fuzz. Doesn’t seem to have the fruit concentration of the Cheval Blanc. You wonder whether the structure will ever fully resolve. Bitter and pinched. (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2026
Red
Rich, concentrated fruit. Spicy pork character on the palate, which doesn’t quite seem right in this context. Something a bit like blue cheese as well. Bitter notes to finish, and a fair whack of tannin. Rather too esoteric. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2022
Red
56.5% Merlot, 30.5% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very ripe blueberry sort of flavour. Light palate, very soft tannins. Pure and well formed, without any greenness. Brief finish. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
17 +
/20
Red
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Swish smoky oak on the nose, bright fruit and convincing structure – firm tannins, medium body and persistent length. This has sufficient body, which is so often missing from 2013. Modern, ripe, satisfying. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
16
/20
Red
100% Merlot. Black cherry and sweet spices. Very ripe and easygoing. Good, user-friendly St-Émilion. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
16
/20
Red
Plump, sweet oak on the nose. Attractive, modern but not at all heavy or over-extracted. Good persistence too, though there is a very slightly mousy character on the finish that doesn’t seem in keeping with the rest of the style. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2022
15.5
/20
Red
Plush, fragrant and bright. Quite primary, doesn’t seem to follow up with much flavour beyond fruit. Accessible, easy-drinking structure. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
15.5
/20
Red
Raspberry, red cherry. Light body, medium tannins. Tame, simple – very 2013. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2022
17.5
/20
Red
Sweet oak, juicy black fruit, peppery and rich. Has the restraint of 2013, which I think is flattering for this style. Generous without being forceful. Lovely delicate perfume. Ever so fine tannins – stippled texture. (RH)
Drink:
2019
–
2033
Red
83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc. Blackcurrant, very bitter and hard-edged. Lacking flesh. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2026
Red
A one-hectare single vineyard. 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. 300 cases per year. Sweet, fruity nose. Much softer and juicier than their Ch Laforge. Quite firm on the palate, but nicely balanced. Furry finish. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2027
16.5
/20
Red
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. Svelte blackcurrant, violet and chocolate character, very plump and plush. Slight bitterness to finish, but not in an underripe way. Quite warm on the finish. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2023
16.5
/20
Red
Lots of sweet spice scent – clearly expensive oak. Dry, savoury palate with a fine-grained tannic texture. Persistent length. Rich without being overwrought. The fruit stands up to the oak and the structure too. Nicely done. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2024
Red
Lovely fruit ripeness and purity. High, fine tannins on the palate which really stick on the finish. A bit of smoky character adding complexity to the length. Stylish. (RH)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
Red
Creamy, plush oak spice. Drying tannins – very astringent. Good persistence and punchy oak, but the whole is rather cumbersome to drink. Too much extraction? (RH)
Drink:
2020
–
2028
Red
Opulent black fruit, impressive oak. Super-fine but super-high tannins. Good acid to refresh, though – and better breadth and depth than the Virginie cuvée. Even so, lacking the complexity of better vintages – understandably. (RH)
Drink:
2023
–
2028
Red
65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. Fleshy and generous, plenty of smoky oak character too. Gets the combination of generosity and savoury smokiness too. Well oaked – gives just enough without intruding. (RH)
Drink:
2017
–
2027
16.5
/20
Red
Lots of pure berry fruit, a little sappiness and a rather light body. Good easy-drinking stuff with lovely melting tannins. A little liquorice and leather adds authentic Bordeaux character. (RH)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
16.5
/20
Red
Juicy and bright fruit profile. Plum, black cherry – really nicely crafted. Good persistence too. The missing link is profound complexity, but there is plenty of easy-drinking enjoyability on offer here anyway. (RH)
Drink:
2016
–
2022
