Rich and lush is texture. Jam is over ripe.
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Many people use “jammy” in the sense of viscous (“having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid”) which would be texture. Sort of like richly lush.
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I think it really depends on the audience. When I see that language from you, and I do not mean that in a negative way, it’s pretty clearly a wine for me to avoid. Or potentially avoid. There are definitely some wines Pomerol that push that hedonistic button for me without being OTT. The 1998s in particular do that, mostly recently, L’Evangile and Trotanoy. The 1989 Petrus for sure.
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No, this is not for you. At least not so far. But I’ll keep my eye out for you 
But I have steered you right in the past. 2016 Les Carmes and others… You’ll enjoy 2021.
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I am in the same boat as you, mid 30s started buying in 19 and grabbed 6, but went deep for 20 (wedding year) grabbing 12, and 1 for 21 (LCHB) everything else didn’t seem too interesting.
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Jane Anson has some good insights on the vintage more generally. I believe she has a 7-day free trial promo going on right now which may be of interest to some.
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In haste, as I’m off to tastings in a few minutes, but it’s clear that it is an heterogenous vintage. There are some truly great wines, and also some failures. Differences between terroirs, farming approaches and winemaking strategies are thrown into especially heightened relief. The traps to avoid were getting the picking date wrong and pushing things too hard in the winery. Anyone who tells you that this is a consistently great vintage everywhere is clearly not very sensitive to tannin quality or overripeness. But, as I say, there are some great wines too - and not just the most expensive cru classés. It’s a very interesting vintage to taste and I hope the hype machine doesn’t turn consumers off too much.
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Thanks William, this is refreshing, and great to hear about the failures as well as the problems that caused it.
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Given the current prices for Burgundy, it would not surprise me to see a hefty increase if it is a great vintage. If they do go up, then backfilling will become more costly.
Chateau Margaux comes in at 14.6%!! For reference, 2009 was at 13.25%, 2010 at 13.5%, 2015 at 13.5%, even 2018 was at 14.0%. We shouldn’t judge a wine just on the alcohol content but damn that‘s high (and already enough to turn me off).
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If I may - what is it about 2018 that you do not care for, William?
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Meanwhile Les Carmes Haut-Brion is 13.5%, pH 3.62…
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What don’t I like about the 2018 vintage? It’s jammy, alcoholic and fat, with a style that tends to blur differences between estates and terroirs. It’s great if you like big fruit bombs, but you can buy big fruit bombs for much less money from other regions. Of course, as ever, there are exceptions to the rule. But 2018 as a whole is not a vintage that will appeal to people with more classically inclined palates.
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Amen. Not my cup of tea at all. Glad I’m not crazy 
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Nothing causes a revolution in Bordeaux like stating the obvious…
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Ditto. I don’t think that I own a single 2018. And only a very small amount of 2015.
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2018 was a Birth year for my oldest so have a couple of cases, but certainly a bit nervous for how these will turn out
The descriptors remind me of 1982 with texture, weight and elegance all rolled in. The alcohol levels are a significant difference to that great vintage delivered in a much less enlightened time viticulturally. Time will tell but if the early descriptions hold up younger enthusiasts will be in for a treat.
On another note our local wine group has a vertical Palmer dinner lined up with the ‘legendary’ 2018 as the youngest vintage. Given Williams comments I’ll be fascinated ( and hopefully not disappointed) to try it. To calibrate my palate I regard the 2005 as the best recent vintage of Palmer but will be happy to be re- educated !
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I don‘t think that that will be an issue. They should age well. I don‘t see them drying out early as many 2003-2010s are. But they will always be ripe(r) and plush(er) than the 16s (or 19s or 20s). Correct me if I‘m totally wrong here @William_Kelley
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I hope as the en premier tastings are proceeding in Bordeaux this week, that a copy of William Kelleys’ 2023 State of the Art in Bordeaux article is being copied and handed out at the venues for mandatory reading. It should at least give everyone pause as they go about their prognostic duties this spring.
I recently had the pleasure of drinking a relatively young right banker while on vacation last month. I rarely do this as I generally don’t drink Bordeaux without a lot of age. However the 2016 Monbosquet drank with a ribeye steak was kind of a perfect steakhouse wine. Tons of blackberry juicy fruit, touch of tannic structure, gorgeous fruit wafting from the glass. Not a wine for contemplating the universe, but just good plump fun like a roll in the hay on a summer night (I was in Florida at the time). These are the wines that Napa used to produce in abundance, but now cost $150 a pop…this was worth the 65 bucks at Total Wine.
I think that there has been a very positive evolution in Bordeaux, it will be interesting to read.
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