Bordeaux 2022 | Best of the Best

This is a small selection of several of the most sought-after wines of the campaign, outside of the always extraordinary First Growths. The selection represents the finest wines Bordeaux has to offer in the 2022 vintage. Looking for a case to put down for that special birthday in years to come, or to enjoy with your children on their 21st, these are the wines we would recommend. 

Vintage
 

2022 Ch Haut Bailly Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

£720.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £720.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Haut-Bailly was picked between 7 and 27 September and underwent a four-week cuvaison, taking longer to consume the sugar and was matured in 50% new oak. It has a bouquet that compels you just to sit and contemplate. It gradually unfolds with blackberry, raspberry, potpourri and iris flower scents, well-defined, not showy but suave. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Minerals, black pepper and clove off a gentle grip with an impressive crescendo. It will need a decade in bottle. This Haut-Bailly has a haunting beauty, the kind of wine that will bring people to tears! Drink 2033-2065

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 94-96

    The 2022 Haut-Bailly offers up aromas of dark berries complemented by accents of iris, lilac, rose petals, graphite and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, dense, it's layered and textural, with a deep core of fruit, powdery tannins and a penetrating, saline finish. Vinified along traditional lines, it is a structured wine that will take some time to hit its stride, but at this early stage it appears suppler and more seamless than its 2020 and 2019 predecessors. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc from grapes picked from September 7 to 27, it's maturing half in new barriques and half in one- or two-year-old barrels.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 93-96

    The 2022 Haut-Bailly is dark and quite brooding in bearing. The natural intensity of small grapes comes through in the wine’s dark fruit and firm, imposing tannins. Black cherry, gravel, cloves, cured meats, licorice, incense and charcoal embers add to an impression of virile thrust. I imagine the 2022 will take some time to come together, as the tannins are pretty forbidding at this stage. Drink 2030-2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The benefits and brilliance of the new Daniel Romeo designed winery are unashamedly on show in this superbly crafted 2022. Privileged to taste with both wine director Veronique Sanders and her skilled right-hand Gabriel Vialard, they describe it as a “sunny and prophetic vintage”. The combination of warm days and cool nights in their vineyards gives a cornucopia of sensations. Blackberry, liquorice, freshly shaved lead pencil, dark olive and cassis and much more… This has great substance and depth of weight. The tannins have an impressive powdery power to them and a silky texture. The richness is balanced by the mouth-watering salinity which gives a lovely refreshing finale to this superb wine.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    Incredible complexity of aromas here with ripe currants and blackberries, but also dried flowers like violets and roses. Then there’s forest flower character such as bark, mushroom and sandalwood. Black truffles. Full-bodied with tight and chewy tannins that are polished and pure, with a solid and tight finish. It builds on your palate and frames the wine beautifully. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc.

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 17

    Refined bouquet with cassis, mineral and liquorice notes to the fore. Velvety texture, the plentiful tannins rounded and smooth. Rich and moelleux on the mid palate. Crunchy tannins on the finish that lend a little freshness. Warm. A mix of gourmandise and power. (James Lawther MW) 14.5% Drink 2030 – 2042

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    The 2022 Château Haut-Bailly is going to be one of the legendary vintages at this château, and it should be a no-brainer purchase for readers. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it has an incredible perfume of cassis, ripe black cherries, crushed stone, smoke tobacco, and wood smoke. Earning more than a few expletives in my notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and ultra-fine, silky tannins. Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, this is an incredible wine in the making!

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5

    Véronique Sanders explained that despite the heatwaves, there was no blockage in the vines, and while the leaves occasionally looked a little droopy in the late afternoon, they were perky again in the morning. There were no yellow leaves in the vineyard, and yet in the forests surrounding this estate, the leaves on the trees were already turning brown. At the end of the harvest, and looking back on the conditions, the decent rainfall in June profoundly helped the vintage. From the 3rd of July until the 16th of August, there was no rain at Haut-Bailly. On the 16th of August, 16mm fell, and this kicked off ripening. By contrast to the most recent very hot vintage, 2003, at least the nights were cool in 2022, which is the reason for the tension in the wines. In 2003, the vines suffered blockage, shutting down because night-time temperatures were 27C. They have two huge cold rooms at the new Haut Bailly winery, so the grapes were in perfect condition after harvest, and the extraction of colour, flavour and tannins was extremely gentle with no punching down needed. There is an incredible fruit character here that is all-encompassing and beautifully complete. The nose is ripe but not as bounding and joyful as one discovers on Haut Bailly II. By contrast, the controlled opulence and measured delivery of the flavours mesmerises the palate. Every grape plays its part in stunning harmony, and the precise blend of each critical element makes this wine so triumphant. The silica-fine-tannins are also sensational, scattered liberally throughout the palate, bringing ravishing texture to the whole. The depth of flavour is too great to comprehend in just one sip, and multiple visits record different nuances and more complex florals and orientals every time. This is as exotic and nuanced as any wine in 2022, and while it is darker and more brooding than HBII, it is an extraordinary wine, and it has set a new apogee of excellence for Haut-Bailly.

2022 Ch Canon 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion

£720.00 In Bond
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Availability: En Primeur Status: Released Size: 6x75cl Qty: 6 £720.00 In Bond Status: Released Qty: - £883.24 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Canon was picked from 30 August to 22 September and is matured in 50% new oak for a planned 18 months. It has a beautifully-defined bouquet with plumes of blackberry, raspberry and subtle violet flower scents. The palate is very fresh on the entry, announcing a relatively linear Canon. The limestone terroir seeps into every pore of this Saint-Émilion. This is one of the more intellectual and saline Canon wines in recent years. A triumph in such a hot growing season, elevated by its limestone soils. Drink 2032-2075

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 99-100

    From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-99

    The 2022 Canon is elegant and sensual, with virtually no sensation of tannin. A wine with no beginning and end, Canon is totally seamless. All the Canon signatures are there, but woven together in an effortless, gracious expression of this site. It's the sort of wine that is about subtlety and nuance more than power. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice caress the palate, but ultimately, Canon is above all else a wine of exquisite detail. Haute couture. Tasted three times. Drink 2032-2072.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    One of the most exciting wines of the vintage, highlighting the poise and balance of the very finest wines not only in St Emilion, but the whole of Bordeaux. Ethereal and uplifting, it belies the heat of the year. With a magical fragrance of white peach, primrose, lavender and cherry blossom, it seduces with its charm and grace: the combination of fruit, tannins and freshness is in total harmony to create a wine of unbelievable refinement. The finish is juicy and succulent with its deep dark berry fruit flavours, a touch of mocha and roasted coffee bean and very very long. Hitting the road towards perfection!

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    Endless on the palate with plenty of umami character. So Canon in its nature with plenty of fruit and fine tannins, yet almost weightless. The structure is all there. Electric. Long, long, long. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc.

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 18

    This lovely wine really goes to the limit of unexpected freshness in 2022! Subtle and limpid and dangerously approachable. The lively calcaire note is very obvious. Clean and pure. Lots buried in there. Health juice/mouthwash. More lifted than the Rauzan-Ségla and less concentrated. Drink 2030 – 2050

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98

    The inky intensity of the colour might make you worry that the limestone signature will be swamped, but it is very much guiding proceedings on the palate here. Expect waves of red roses, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, salinity, but also real intensity, there is a depth and complexity that quite stunning as the wine expands through the palate, with creamy blue and black fruits, and a mouthwatering oyster shell finish. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, 50% new oak, with four larger-sized oak casks. A standout in the vintage, more proof of the exceptional level that Canon is playing at right now. 50% new oak.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99+

    Tasted on three separate occasions (and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine on one of those), the 2022 Château Canon is an incredible wine in the making, and it might be the finest in the series starting in 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc harvested between August 30 and September 22, it comes from yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare and hit 14.5% alcohol. The élevage will run 16-18 months in just 30% new French oak. As classy as they come, it has a beautiful perfume of red and blue fruits as well as notes of white flowers, truffly earth, woodsmoke, and forest floor. With incredible density, a multi-layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and integrated acidity, this incredible Canon will evolve for 30-40 years. I finished my rough note on this with "Pure class."

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 17.5++

    Elegant and precise on the nose. Red fruit with a chalky freshness. Beautifully textured. Velvety tannins and lovely persistence. Clean, fresh and long on the finish. Harmonious. Spot-on for the vintage. (James Lawther MW). 14.5%. Drink 2030 – 2048

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 20++

    You can read about Canon’s second wine (Croix Canon) in this Report, and, of course, I tasted this wine first. I was shocked at just how rewarding and complex it was, and so when I eventually approached the Grand Vin, it was with a degree of trepidation. Could it soar above Croix Canon, as it should, or would it just taste like a darker and more backward creation? Before climbing into Canon, I also tasted two barrel samples of this wine in the cellar. One was taken from a new barrel, and the second from a 1-year-old barrel. The precise combination of these two exquisite flavours equals Canon. As I climbed the stairs from the cellar to the tasting room, I wondered if the potential shown in the cellar could be replicated in the blended wine. The answer is that Canon is nothing short of perfection in 2022. The flavours power on and then, without warning, unexpectedly grows even riper and richer, and this feeling of profound quality and nobility sensation lasts for an eternity. This is such a pleasing and engaging wine from the very first moment the flavour passes your lips. It then stays there, resplendent and proud. This is a standout wine for Canon, and the density, ripeness and long and keen-edged finish make it so thrilling. I cannot find even the slightest blemishes or imperfections in the whole Canon experience, and I think this will be one of the longest-lived wines in this property’s history.

2022 Ch Pichon Baron 2ème Cru Pauillac

£810.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £810.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Pichon Baron was picked 8 September to 3 October and matured in 70% new oak. It has wonderful precision on the nose, with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and graphite. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is tensile right from the start. Taut and linear, fresh, quite saline with a nuanced touch of black pepper toward the finish. Real pedigree and sophistication here, this is a magnificent Pichon-Baron that achieves a new level of precision thanks to the more piecemeal Sauternes-inspired harvest in tandem with their new winery. Drink 2030-2070

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    An unusually gourmand, sensual wine from this estate, the 2022 Pichon-Longueville Baron bursts with aromas of crème de cassis, sweet dark berries, licorice, lilac and pencil shavings. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety, with excellent concentration and a rather rich, supple profile. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, it's the result of sub-block by sub-block picking and cooler than usual fermentation temperatures.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 97

    Beautiful fragrance, lots of fresh and ripe black and red bramble fruit - so alive and expressive on the nose with liquorice, wet stones and cedar spicing. Smooth, ample and full in the mouth, but not overly textured or plush, there’s a real refinement to the tannic structure, clearly giving the frame to the wine but detailed and precise with edges of liquorice, slate, dark chocolate, cedar and tobacco. It balances richness, intensity and concentration with sleekness, bright acidity and a real charm to the juicy fruit. Rich and tense, just giving a hint of it’s potential, clearly powerful but totally seductive too. Ageing 18 months in French oak, 70% new, 600% one wine.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Pichon Baron is marvelous. It continues a series of vintages that have been absolutely compelling. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend considerable brightness throughout. More than anything else, the 2022 impresses with its precision and magnificent balance. Drink 2032-2052.

  • Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 95-97

    Ink black in appearance and glossy to boot, the 2022 is a more voluptuous Pichon Baron, with concentration and excellent intensity of flavours. A soft touch of ripe blackcurrant and cherry, with sawdust and sandalwood from the new French oak rise from the glass. That opulence is the defining factor on the palate, with a wonderfully suave mouthfeel backed by firmly crisp acidity, and fine tannins that sit beneath. There is a delicious generosity of fruit and the length is quite something: lingering sweet cherry that lasts for minutes.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97

    A very structured and racy PB with blackcurrant, stone and black cherry aromas and flavors. Medium to full body with racy and fine tannins that are precise and focused. Elegance with structure. 81% cabernet sauvignon and 19% merlot.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94

    You are firmly wading through intense, sculpted Pauillac tannins here, gripping from the first moments with their structure and intent. Blocks of intense chocolate, slate, liquorice and black chocolate, this feels vertical and concentrated, could let more light in at this stage but that should come over ageing. Petit Verdot vinified in amphora, and they did a cold soak for every plot this year for the first time. 70% new barrels and 30% from barrels of one vintage

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    I loved the Grand Vin 2022 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, which is based on 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot that will spend 18 months in 70% new oak. It's not the most showy or exuberant 2022, yet it shines for its incredible class and purity, as well as balance. It has a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated profile (no surprise) with its focused, precise, inward style that still brings gorgeous depth and richness. Cassis, graphite, espresso roast, crushed stone and spring flowers are just some of its nuances, and where many 2022s are broad and mouth-filling, this stays tight, compact, and focused, with a wonderful mix of elegance, concentration, and richness. The 2022 is pulled from 48% of the total production, and it's going to warrant 7-8 years of bottle age and have 50+ years of overall longevity.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19+

    Château Pichon Baron (2ème Cru Pauillac) 81 Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 Merlot 70% new oak and 30% one-year-old for 18 months 14.32% alc 3.63 pH 74 IPT This wine represents 48% of the production of the estate It is strange how two words can convey so much information on the style and character of a wine. Directeur Général Christian Seely is an understated gent, and his two-word description of this wine is that it is ‘Very Pichon’. ’22 Baron is inky black, impossibly plush, regally velvety and ever so noble on the nose and then it becomes incredibly strict, controlled and regimented on the palate, layering bright, delicate florals with profound old vine nuances, edgy green hints and brittle fractals of tannin. The flavour of this wine is akin to a beautiful mosaic – imposing, intricately detailed and far greater than the sum of the parts. This is a classic Pichon Baron with kaleidoscopic flavours flanked by rigid boundaries of tannin. While it is not as immediately appealing as the fruit-bomb, cuddly wines that flatter to deceive, this is an erudite Pauillac with astonishing potential. Oh, and Christian is correct - it is very Pichon!

2022 Ch Montrose 2ème Cru St Estèphe

£873.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £873.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The 2022 Montrose was picked 2 to 22 September comprising all four grape varieties and all the Cabernet Franc, with 13% pressed wine, matured in 60% new oak. There is 14.5% alcohol this year, which is less than 2018. It has an extremely pure nose with black cherries and blueberry. Quite floral in style with hints of blood orange percolating through with time. The palate is very precise with exceptional mineralité and tension. Very focused, superb concentration, with what is becoming Montrose's trademark sense of symmetry and sustained aftertaste, this could be the finest Saint-Estèphe in 2022. Drink 2027-2052

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 99-100

    The 2022 Montrose is such a compelling wine that assigning it a bracketed score seems a mere formality. A brilliant terroir, impeccable viticulture, perfectly timed harvest dates and judicious extraction have aligned to deliver a monument in the making, reminiscent of a far purer, more precise, modern-day version of the 1990 vintage at this address. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, violets, iris, pencil lead and cigar wrapper, it's full-bodied, deep and authoritative, its velvety attack segueing into a layered, elegantly muscular core that's framed by supple, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, this only confirms Montrose's status as a de facto first growth and unquestionably one of the contemporary Médoc's very greatest estates.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Montrose is a brooding, powerful wine, as it so often is. Huge tannins wrap around a core of dark black fruit, chocolate, leather, spice, menthol and licorice. The new oak (60%) is not yet fully integrated, but then again, the 2022 is a baby. A bit of time in the glass helps the elements come together nicely. Readers will have to be exceptionally patient, as the 2022 is not likely to start drinking well until it is at least 15-20 years old. Drink 2032-2062.

  • Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 97-99

    Wine Director Pierre Graffeuille explained to us that, despite the very limited rainfall throughout the summer months, Ch Montrose’s prized clay bedrock allowed the vines to remain fully hydrated, showing no signs having suffered from drought. This is a sensational wine for this fine Second Growth, absolutely standing out within the appellation. Striking dark opaque colour, it is compact and concentrated, with scents of violet, dark currant and oriental spice. The fine leathery tannic core gives the wine a distinctive identity and quality. But the overall impression is one of richness, great persistence of flavours, and immense satisfaction. This is superlative.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    A very powerful and structured Montrose with steely tannins that run the length of the wine. It's compacted and muscular with an extremely long finish. Graphite and spices in the aftertaste. This should be terrific after the elevage. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    The 2022 Château Montrose is a classic blend of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, all of which was brought up in 60% new oak from a variety of coopers. Another absolutely brilliant wine in the vintage, it offers a saturated purple hue as well as an essence of Montrose-like bouquet of currants, blueberries, damp earth, violets, graphite, and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless has a riveting sense of purity, precision, and finesse that's hard to believe. Given its balance and purity of fruit, as well as the quality of the tannins, it's going to offer incredible pleasure with just 4-6 years of bottle age (a decade would be best) yet be just about immortal if well stored.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5+

    Before I get into the meat of this note, I must mention that this is the finest Montrose I have ever tasted at this stage of its life. It possesses the perfect ratio of gracefulness and intensity, with glorious fruit layered in seemingly endless, tempting strata of flavour. There is thrilling depth here and a pulse to this wine that is so cool, calm and collected that it defies belief. According to CEO Pierre Graffeuille, the fruit came in early, and al dente and the team believes that while it makes up 3 only a quarter of the blend, Merlot plays a massive part in this wine because it sits on deep clay soils that did not suffer from the periods of drought. It is common knowledge that Saint-Estèphe enjoyed a superb vintage in 2022, and I believe this wine sits atop the pile. The nose is simply sensational, and the palate is so expressive and open that it is entirely counterintuitive, bearing in mind the usual reserve exhibited by this estate’s Grand Vin. After the fruit fanfare has subsided, the tannins swoop down from their eyries, and then the finish starts, and it rolls on and on. The finish is as exciting as the perfume, making this a noble, harmonious and stimulating wine that seems a distant relation to some of the belligerent and uncommunicative of years gone by. Do all you can to track 2022 Montrose down because this is a landmark vintage for Montrose.

2022 Ch Ducru Beaucaillou 2ème Cru St Julien

£1,122.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £1,122.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou contains less Cabernet than last year and is closer to the normal blend of the Grand Vin, picked between 7 September and 4 October - the longest harvest in their history. The IPT is 95. Matured in 100% new oak, the bouquet bides its time in the glass, almost reluctantly unfurling with scents of blackberry, briary, cigar humidor and sous-bois. At this nascent stage, it is more backward than its peers. The palate is undoubtedly one of the most dense and muscular that I have encountered over many years tasting at the estate, full-bodied with vice-like tannins. Continuing the theme of the estate's other cuvées, there is a lovely Pauillac-like presence throughout, with graphite/pencil lead infusing the black fruit. The finish exerts a considerable grip and feels saline, almost briny on the aftertaste. This Leviathan Ducru-Beaucaillou threatens to overwhelm the senses, uncompromising in many ways, and it will patently take many years for the tannins to soften. I feel that it is only once in bottle that one will be able to gauge its trajectory. Drink 2040-2075

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 94-96

    One of the Médoc's most powerful wines this year is the 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that opens in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with pencils shavings, vanilla pod and spices. Full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular, with a core of ripe but lively fruit underpinned by a chassis of powdery, liberally extracted tannin that asserts itself on the finish, it's a punchy, modern Saint-Julien reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2018 and 2020.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is elegant and nuanced. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, blood orange, mint and spice give the 2022 unusual brilliance. In most recent vintages, Ducru has been on the opulent side. The 2022, on the other hand, is strict and linear in construction, a wine that is more about persistence than size. Bright saline underpinnings extend the mid-palate into the striking, beaming finish. Harvest took place over four weeks, the longest ever, as opposed to the two weeks or so that is the norm. Yields were 30hL per hectare, down from the 35-37 typical in recent years. Drink 2032-2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    2022 marks Bruno Borie’s 20th vintage as proprietor of this estate, and he is most definitely celebrating this anniversary in style! Having tasted at a London Masterclass with Bruno and then at the Château two weeks later, this is a sensationally good showing from one of the Medoc’s most finely positioned vineyards. Deep cassis colour, it is floral and polished, with a perfume of violet and black cherry. Tremendously layered, rich in fruit texture, the tannins have a controlled tightness, giving the wine muscle and breadth, but there is also finesse, finishing with a warming opulence. Powerful and yet joyous.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    Some much creme de cassis and blackcurrant aromas and flavors here. Full-bodied with powerful tannins, yet fine and layered. Chewy. You can really feel the thick grape skins here. Excellent length. Tannins spread across the palate. Minerally and crushed stone.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98

    Deep damson colour, poised and intense, a serious wine with crushed mint, graphite and bitter black chocolate on the opening beats, setting the tone for a slow reveal of confident St Julien character. Powerful tannins convey purity and precision, set against creamy cassis and bilberry fruits, with softer smoked earth and baked spice, and a slate finish. The construction is careful and measured, extremely impressive, this is has decades ahead. 3.8ph, 95IPT. 100% new oak. 30hl/h yield.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    Moving to the Grand Vin, it's a slightly more Merlot-influenced blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, raised in new barrels. It brings the same level of concentration and structure as the La Croix but has another level of class, elegance, and purity, with sensational aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, sandalwood, and graphite. The purity here is truly remarkable, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, silky tannins, and a great finish. This beauty hit 14% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.8 and an IPT of 95. Given its balance as well as its texture, it's going to offer pleasure with just short-term cellaring yet also evolve for decades.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 20+

    Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (2ème Cru Saint-Julien) 82 Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 Merlot 100% new oak – matured for 18 months. 14% alc 11 3.8 pH 95 IPT Press wines was 8-10% Harvest was the longest ever – from 7 September – 4 October Despite the highly-documented difficulties in the summer, with heat spikes and drought concerns, rainfall appeared when the vineyards needed it most, and no fewer than 180 pickers were used at the height of the harvest, endeavouring to pick every berry at precisely the optimal time. In the end, there was no disease pressure whatsoever and the one-word description of the harvest at Ducru, according to Tracey Dobbin MW, was ‘serene’. The crew relied on input from the RD team to be as precise as possible, and despite Merlot coming fairly fast and the Cabernet berries being tiny, they were thrilled with the quality of the fruit. Tracey described the skins as ‘powerful’ and ‘melt in the mouth’, and the seeds were akin to ‘toasted hazelnuts’! They decided to kick off fermentation, without a cold soak, at 10C and then let it slowly rise, extracting the flavours as gently as possible. The new vats at Ducru are half the size of the old ones, allowing even more precision and selection during this critical period of winemaking. The resulting wine is utterly mind-blowing, with some of the most dynamic and expressive fruit I have ever seen at this august estate. The impact of the fruit is astounding, and yet this is not a heavyweight wine. Tracey mentioned showjumpers while trying to sum up the character of this wine – powerful, dextrous, explosive and beautiful animals, and this is a good analogy. My analogy is more regimental with perfectly turned-out columns of flavour, impeccably presented and immaculately well-drilled. There are volleys of fruit here, mounting stealthy waves of attacks on your system until you are swarmed with the glossiest, sexiest and most intrusive Cabernet assaults. This is another stellar wine that tastes solely of its property and nowhere else on earth, and this is an indelible hallmark of the very finest wines in 2022. The tannins are as polished and fine-grained as I have experienced in this vintage, and the overall package embraces the unique characters of the 2022 vintage while overlaying them perfectly on the glorious Ducru template.

2022 Carruades de Lafite Pauillac

£1,128.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £1,128.00 In Bond
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  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 91-93

    Aromas of sweet cherries and berries mingled with hints of cedar box, loamy soil, warm spices, violets and orange zest introduce the 2022 Carruades de Lafite, a medium to full-bodied, bright and velvety blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 92-94

    The 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a real showstopper. I don’t remember tasting a Carruades quite like the 2022, a wine that combines the richness of the year with tons of supporting structure. Super-ripe red-fleshed fruit, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and rose petal all race across the palate, supported by bright citrus-driven acids that keep the flavors vibrant. I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Drink 2028-2042.

  • Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 96-98

    Described by the estate as their “precocious child”, this is a tempting combination of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Full of brightness and energy, with a lifting fresh currant and elderberry bouquet. An excellent balance between boldness and breadth, the fruit is rich, and the tannins have a powder like sensation. Very long with no shortage of appellational power and drive. So much more than a second wine, this has classified growth qualities in abundance.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97

    Extremely perfumed with sweet tobacco and blackcurrants as well as cedar and dark chocolate. Aromatic. Medium-bodied with an intense center palate of blackcurrant, orange peel and peaches. Nervy. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 93

    The vintage is marked by intense spice, with cassis, chocolate, mandarin, greengage, dense tannic architecture, with welome mint leaf and raspberry pip freshness on the finish. Need to sit with this, allow the floral aromatics to uncurl, bitter edge on the finish. A serious, almost sombre Carruades at this point, will reward ageing. 16% press wine, 38% Carruades of overall production. 3.75ph,

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 93-95

    The second wine of Lafite checks in as 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. This smoking good second wine has more than a little Lafite character and offers ample red and black fruits, notes of tobacco, graphite, and leafy herbs, medium to full-bodied richness, silky, polished tannins, and a great finish. As with the Grand Vin, it's concentrated, powerful, and flawlessly balanced.

  • LPB, April 2023, Score: 91-93

    The 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a swirl or two to reveal evocative notes of blackcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of iris bulb, tilled soil, and crushed cloves. The medium-bodied palate is typically elegant, minerally, and refreshing, with firm, fine-grained tannins to provide support, and a long, lifted finish.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18+

    This wine is a glorious game of two halves. The nose is open, bright and kindly, and the palate is firm, closed, mineral-soaked and refined. The flavour is long and cool against a background of stunning fruit integrity and gorgeous complexity, and the Merlot shines through the stern Cabernet, illuminating the mid-palate of this wine beautifully. Silky-smooth and then lifted with super-clean acidity, this is a highly sophisticated Carruades, and it will need a decade for the tannins to assimilate, leaving a thrilling red-fruit-focussed wine in their wake.

2022 Ch La Conseillante Pomerol

£1,326.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Released Size: 6x75cl Qty: 7 £1,326.00 In Bond Status: Released Qty: - £1,610.44 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The 2022 La Conseillante was picked at 33hL/ha between 5 and 20 September and raised in 70% new oak plus 30% in amphorae. There is 13.9% alcohol. This is quite discrete on the nose, just like L'Évangile, only really opening after several minutes. Blackberry, blueberry, hints of iris flower, perhaps more floral than L'Évangile and Cheval Blanc. The palate is medium-bodied with velvety tannins plus a fine bead of acidity. Fresh and focused, this is maybe less concentrated on the mid-palate than expected but that maintains an unerring sense of equilibrium. Tensile and very smooth with an underlying sense of strict like its aforementioned neighbors. A rough decant prizes this Pomerol open and reveals its inner core of mineralité. Anyone spending less than 15 minutes tasting this Pomerol is likely to have totally missed it. Saline both on the finish and aftertaste, Marielle Cazaux has crafted one of the most intellectual La Conseillante wines in recent years. Drink 2030-2065

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 97-100

    The 2022 La Conseillante is a remarkable wine that has the potential to emerge as one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, it unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, orange zest and mint. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's velvety and enveloping, with a textural attack that segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Checking in at a very healthy pH of 3.65 and 14% alcohol, it is a beautifully supple, suave wine that retains all this estate's signature elegance but in a slightly deeper-pitched and broader-shouldered format than the profound 2020. Congratulations to winemaker Marielle Cazaux, consulting enologist Thomas Duclos, the Nicolas family led by Jean-Valmy, and all the team at La Conseillante who have firmly established this estate at the very top of Pomerol's qualitative hierarchy in recent vintages.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    A sensational effort in 2022, utterly fabulous and one of my favourites. Smells ripe and potent, an air of opulence and richness, so perfumed and open with soft herbal and spiced elements. This wows on the palate, creamy tannins, rich but silky, so well integrated with cool, wet stone and blue fruit nuances and juicy acidity giving freshness. It manages to give with one hand and take away with the other, a supreme balancing act of providing the sumptuous power and concentration of the vintage but so delicately packaged with layers of energy, brightness and precision. Great movement and direction. Pure Pomerol power and pleasure on offer here, exciting and elegant and really feels like it’s not trying too hard. 5-6% press wine.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 La Conseillante is simply fabulous and also clearly one of the wines of the year. Rich, racy and enveloping to the core, the 2022 is super-impressive in this tasting. In fact, the 2022 is one of the best recent vintages I can remember tasting. All the elements are so well balanced for a young wine. Readers will find a Pomerol of stature and total class. That’s all there is to it. The blend is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare, about normal these days. For readers who appreciate technical data, the balance of 14% alcohol and 3.66pH is an example of what makes the best wines of 2022 so compelling. This is a superb showing from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team. Drink 2032 - 2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    Ch La Conseillante is the understated Holy Grail of Pomerol. This small 12-hectare vineyard an unassuming winery encapsulates all that is so very special about the appellation. Owned by the Nicolas family for over 150 years, La Conseillante is one of Pomerol’s most historic, romantic estates. Today, under the brilliance of wine director Marielle Cazaux, it sets the bar to a new high for both quality and style. Invigorating scents of violet, lavender field, plum and tayberry leap from the glass. With a plush velvet like texture, it is silky over the palate, with powder like tannins. The warming black cherry flavours intermingle with mocha, vanilla pod and agrodolce flavours. The subtlety and polish belie the overall power of this wine. Tremendous, with so much potential to be considered a great in the future.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    This is sensational with extra fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It’s medium-bodied with excellent length and so Conseillante in nature. Silky, silky, silky. Creamy texture. Flowers such as violets at the end. Love this. 87% merlot and 13% cabernet franc.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 97

    Deep inky colour, crushed rose petal and peony, such a beautiful wine, with waves of blueberry and cassis fruit, along with liqourice root, lemongrass, slate and saffran, and one of the clear standout successes of Pomerol. 95% 1st wine this year, with just 5% for Duo de La Conseillante. Slow progress through the palate, this has vintage character but leans into it. 70% new oak, 3.65ph. Harvest 5 to 20.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    A wine that has perfection written all over it is the 2022 Chateau La Conseillante, which is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that’s still resting in 70% new French oak, with a tiny amount in amphora as well. Revealing a vivid purple hue, it offers a perfumed yet incredibly classy, almost discreet bouquet of crème de cassis, spring flowers, red plums, incense, and spice. This terroir never seems to yield the biggest, richest wine in a vintage, yet it's almost unrivaled in its ability to deliver complexity and elegance. Full-bodied on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again, a purity of fruit that's just about off the charts, it's going to offer pleasure with just 4-6 years of bottle age (these usually enter their prime drinking window a decade after a vintage) and have 30-40 years of prime drinking. The 2022 hit 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.65.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 20+

    There is a spectacular perfume here, and while it is dominated by massively deep and indulgent black fruit notes, there is an underlying sense of minerality coupled with earth and skin notes that bring an anti-fruit fanfare that is sensational. Everything is perfectly balanced, not least the spectacular waves of ripe fruit. The Merlot berry sizes were not particularly small at La Conseillante, but the Cabernet Franc grapes were tiny, and this Franc element sings loudly and forcefully in this wine. And while this is a very concentrated creation, there is lift, balance, and depth of flavour that seems beguiling and monastically serene. It appears to be approachable already, but this must be an illusion. Either way, the robe of red fruit is both eye-catching and arresting. You cannot fail to notice just how glamorous this wine is, and yet beneath this exterior, there is a steely chassis and a brittle seriousness that will propel this wine forward for decades to come. The graphite notes are rigid (perhaps graphene is a better expression here), and the silky texture is luminous and mirror-like, reflecting all and shining nonetheless. A tiny amount of Duo was made, but I did not taste it, and it will inevitably be a superb effort given the extreme prowess of this Grand Vin. I went back to my glass for one last sip and found even more detail – a millefeuille of exotic spice, florals and cacao appeared atop the wells of dark fruit, and this uniqueness and multi-faceted crystalline structure ensure that this is one of the most spectacular and memorable wines of the vintage.

2022 Ch L'Evangile Pomerol

£1,338.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £1,338.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The 2022 L'Evangile was picked at 30hL/ha. It is aged in 50% new oak sourced from four coopers plus two recently introduced foudres. There are similarities with neighboring Cheval Blanc on the nose as if it's holding something back in a good way. Beautifully defined, dark berry fruit, crushed stone and bay leaf aromas are succinct and not showy. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, velvety entry. There's plenty of rondeur, nicely judged acidity, pliant tannins (more than Cheval Blanc?) and pure with a dab of white pepper and clove. Classic in style. A touch of desiccated orange rind appears on the aftertaste that was apparently there during the fermentation. Very harmonious on the finish. This is a lovely, discrete Pomerol from an estate moving in the right direction - fast. 14.3% alcohol. Drink 2030-2070

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    Given the young average age of this estate's vineyards, its well-draining soils and the extreme vintage, I was a little apprehensive; but the technical team evidently took the conditions in their stride, harvesting the east-facing side of the vines (which sees the hottest afternoon sun) four days earlier. The resulting 2022 L'Evangile is beautiful, offering up aromas of raspberries, vine smoke, black truffles, violets and gravely soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety, it's seamless and polished, with a bright core of fruit and powdery tannins that temper 2022's inherent sweetness of fruit to sophisticated effect. At this early stage, it appears that the estate's progress with regards to élevage continues too, as Evangile's creamy oak signature is much released, allowing the fruit—and this superb terroir—to take center stage. It's a blend of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 97

    Savoury notes on the nose, liquorice, cinnamon, spicy pepper with fragranced blackcurrant and black cherry and strawberry. Appealing juicines and fresh acidity, not at all sharp, but chalky balanced by a sleek frame, giving power and concentration but refreshing too with a crisp, wet stone bite that immediately offsets the acidity and fruit intensity. Doesn’t immediately shine out of the glass, this is more shy and calm. Definitely more straight and almost light in terms of expression (most of the power, opulence and oomph has gone into Blason), but this is extremely well made. So well constructed and delivered, just toned down, less shouty, more sophisticated, one to watch and will age wonderfully. 3.82pH. Ageing 10% foudre, 15% amphora, 50% new oak and the rest in one year barrels. A yield of 28hl/ha. Harvest 29 August - 14 September.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile. Drink 2032-2062

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    Juliette Couderc’s second vintage at this Rothschild family owned Pomerol estate expresses her careful representation of its very special terroir. Deep opaque in colour, it is cool yet opulent, with layered flavours of fresh tayberry and bilberry vibrantly structured with dark smoky characters on the palate. It balances a deep intensity with lively vigour and sweet black cherry and dark olive on the finish. Excellent.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97

    Fresh, wonderfully refined and gorgeously polished and long, with very fine tannins. Medium to full body. Crunchy fruit and chocolate, hazelnut and spice. Exciting to see how this tensioned beauty will evolve. Wonderful clarity.

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 16.5+

    Aromatically reticent but there’s lift and a bit of freshness. Ample fruit on the palate and tannins that are smooth and long. A crunchy note adds to the persistence. Still a little wayward but élevage should help. ((James Lawther MW) 14.5% Drink 2029 – 2040

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 95

    Density combined with elegance, this has the intensity and spice of the vintage, with an emphasis on tight black fruits, a clear reflection of the phenolic concentration of the year, slow and steady tannic construction that brings in graphite. Unusually for L'Evangile this feels almost Left Bank in character, with its 28hl/h yield (compared to 33hl/h in 2020 but with almost 20% more berries this year, but they were such small sizes). 3.8ph 2nd year of organic certification.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The Grand Vin checks in as 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new oak, 15% in amphora, 10% in foudre, and the rest in used barrels. It has another level of purity and class, with ripe red and black cherries, leafy herbs, truffle, and spice-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol offering beautiful tannins, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Hitting 14.2% alcohol, with a pH of 3.84 and an IPT of 75, this classy, balanced Pomerol shines for its purity and finesse, and it should blossom with just short-term cellaring.

  • LPB, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 L'Evangile is composed of 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling to coax out notes of juicy black plums, boysenberry preserves, and black raspberries, followed by hints of garrigue, clove oil, lilacs, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is chock full of rich, multi-layered black fruits with velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and minerally.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5+

    It was a pleasure to taste at L’Evangile with Saskia de Rothschild and winemaker Juliette Couderc, and it is clear that both of the Evangile wines are first-class in 2022. There is an overriding sense of calmness and control, and while this Grand Vin is as measured and refined as I have seen at this stage of its evolution, it does not mean it is closed or uncommunicative. However, I had to keep my wits about me because it only started conversing towards the end of my half-hour visit. Finely detailed and initially strict, there are fascinating layers of fruit here that one must navigate to uncover the tenderness and uniqueness of the Evangile character beneath. In this vintage, the tannins are more active, populating the entire flavour experience from start to finish. It is possible to swirl and coax out the fine details on the palate, 44 and when you do, you will find exquisite cherry, cranberry and rhubarb highlights under the dark fruit exterior. With much smaller berries harvested in 2022, the concentration of the fruit flavours is more pronounced and yet the full array of Evangile nuance is there, and you have to work through the darker tones to find the full peacock’s tail of red notes buried within. The tannins will arm this wine for the long run, and I don’t doubt it is set to be a superstar.

2022 Ch Léoville Las Cases 2ème Cru St Julien

£1,386.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Released Size: 6x75cl Qty: 3 £1,386.00 In Bond Status: Released Qty: - £1,682.44 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    The 2022 Léoville Las-Cases was picked 8-30 September with more infusion than extraction, matured in 84% new oak. Precocious, almost decadent blackberry and blueberry fruit on the nose, there is something lavish and audacious about this Saint-Julien. There is an underlying estuarine element, a whiff off the banks of the Gironde. The palate is medium-bodied with polished tannins, very detailed, extremely pure, what you might call a "vertical" Las-Cases with fabulous precision on the finish. This surpasses the 2018-2020 trio and to use that clichéd expression, is a "tour de force". Drink 2032-2080

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    One of the wines of the vintage this year is the 2022 Léoville Las Cases, a monument in the making that combines unerring classicism with unusual sensuality and charm by the standards of this estate's sometimes youthfully forbidding wines. Exhibiting deep aromas of dark berries, violets, pencil lead, rose petals and tobacco leaf, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, abundant but refined tannins and a long, vibrant finish. On the several occasions that I tasted it, the 2022 was surprisingly open for a young Las Cases, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were to shut down after a few years in bottle. It's a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    The 2022 Léoville Las Cases is stunning. Fine-grained and nuanced, the 2022 Las Cases is breathtaking. Red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender, spice and mocha open gradually but what impresses most about the 2022 is its sublime finesse. Silky, plush and exceptionally beautiful, the 2022 Las Cases is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Drink 2030-2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    The 2022 Léoville Las Cases is monumental in its concentration. The flavours leap from the glass: ripe cassis, blackcurrant leaf, smoky cedar, cherry stone, all with a slate mineral edge. The palate is a succession of layers, all building upon one another. It starts surprisingly supple and gentle, with an enlivening lift of acidity. Then, you notice the fine-grained tannins, fanning out delicately as they carry the fruit flavours, with those mineral notes giving a satisfyingly bitter counterpoise. All this leads to a lifted and giving finish that just goes on and on.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 99-100

    This shows no gravity. The tannins are totally melted in the wine and give it fantastic structure, but the texture is so fresh and vivid. Crushed stone. Cloves. Chinese spices. Great finish. Opening and flying away. Orange peel. Very special. Thought-provoking. Endless. 83.5% cabernet sauvignon, 10.5% cabernet franc and 6% merlot.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 97

    Heading to Léoville Las Cases in a super ripe year is always a good idea, as the musuclar tannins are balanced by a riper mouthfeel. As quietly confident as you would expect, this is packed with depth and intensity, taking the 2022 vintage and reshaping it in the character of this St Julien powerhouse. Graphite, crushed rocks, liquorice root, cassis, bluberry, slate, saffran, smoked earth, all held in by tannins with grip and length. 3.8ph, and high alcohols for this estate, giving a seductive mouthfeel that is unusual in young Las Cases. 84% new oak, 37hl/h yield. Harvest September 8 to 30.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Léoville Las Cases, it has an almost Pauillac-like style in its ripe, powerful aromatics of graphite, lead pencil shavings, cassis, and liquid rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, has just about off-the-charts purity, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This will clearly rank with the truly greats from this address and reminds me slightly of a mix of the 2016 and 2018. It is not, however, going to be for those looking for instant gratification.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 20+

    Château Léoville Las Cases (Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, 2ème Cru Saint-Julien) 83.5 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5 Cabernet Franc, 6 Merlot 84% new oak 14.25% alc 3.8 pH 85 IPT 37 hl/ha 8% press wine addition I didn’t know this was a thing, but the Las Cases crew recently won the individual and team pruning championships. This is a massive deal in viti-circles, and it must be noted that this wine is sensational, so hats off to the hard work done in this particular estate. They carried out several different picks in the same plots to ensure every single grape was perfect, and with perfect fruit, it is possible to make perfect wine. As there is ongoing work at Las Cases on their new chai, I tasted this wine, and the rest of the Left Bank portfolio, at Nénin in Pomerol. After having tasted a day of Merlot-dominant wines, it was remarkable just how impactful it was to taste an imperial Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was immediately clear to me that this is another unfathomably beautiful creation. This is a big wine. In fact, it is a monumental creation, but you cannot feel the true heft of its flavour because it is so complex and integrated. There is so much Cabernet class here that it defies belief, and the cassis-soaked invasion is tempered by crushed rock salinity, mineral freshness and herbal details. The power and density of flavour are offset by astounding brightness, making Las Cases a shockingly vivid and pervasive wine, and I cannot see how it could be improved.

2022 Ch Figeac 1er Grand Cru Classé A St Emilion

£1,518.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Released Size: 6x75cl Qty: 2 £1,518.00 In Bond Status: Released Qty: - £1,840.84 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend (as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and with plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé "A". Drink 2032-2070

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property's elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    An incredibly impressive wine in 2022 shaping up to be the wine of the vintage not only as it seems to defy the hot and dry conditions in every way but delivers such confidence and charm it makes it hard to resist. Gorgeous aromatic expression on the nose, open and alive, generous scents of bright bramble fruit and floral notes as well as graphite and cedar. Smooth, supple and generous on the palate, tannins are silky and perfectly weighted giving roundness but also structure with a red berry juiciness and saline bite that is so compelling. Vibrant, dynamic, balanced and precise, the energy is outstanding yet there’s still depth, weight and power underneath. There's not a single thing out of place - utterly seductive and totally moreish. A great effort from the estate now proudly displaying their upgrade to St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A for the first time as of the new classification. 3.7pH. 8% press wine. 82% grand vin production. Harvest 1 - 26 September, the earliest ever.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-99

    The 2022 Figeac is a magnificent, super-classic Figeac, as odd as that might sound in this freakish vintage. A wine of sublime delicacy and nuance, the 2022 possesses tremendous aromatic presence, finely sculpted fruit and phenomenal persistence. I especially admire the wine's freshness, energy and clean, mineral finish. The 2022 is a towering Figeac, a wine that brilliantly showcases the unique qualities of this site. Figeac is a rare Right Bank estate with gravel and blue clay soils that are not often found here, planted approximately with equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2032 - 2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    Fully deserving of its promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Figeac’s technical director Frédéric Faye has made a superlative 2022 wine. Comprised of almost equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it highlights the strength of the property’s soils to cope with both the drought and heat. Taking into consideration the exceptional quality of the fruit at harvest time, Frédéric took a more delicate line on his vinification in 2022, focusing on lighter extraction and cooler fermentation temperatures to preserve both aromatics and finesse. A herbal lift from the glass gives way to black cherry, cassis, tobacco leaf, graphite and cedarwood. With noticeably full fruit, the taut, well-defined structure is reminiscent of the Médoc, sitting comfortably alongside the abundance of black fruits and the fine yet powerful tannins. Extraordinary persistence. A classic in the making.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    This is the earliest ever harvest for Figeac and the fruit is something else. Flowers such as violets. Blackberries. Currants. Cherry blossom. Full-bodied with lovely freshness and depth. Crunchy and juicy. Perfect al dente fruit. 35% merlot , 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 18

    A signature Figeac, the Cabernet coming through on the nose and palate. Floral, cassis and graphite notes. Plenty of energy, the fruit juicy and rich but not excessive. Ripe, abundant tannins behind. Long, persistent finish. Just a hint of oak in the background. (James Lawther MW) 14% Drink 2032 – 2050

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98

    Vibrant damson in colour, edges of gunsmoke and red rose petals on the aromatics, as you so often find in Figeac, with dense cassis, black cherry, incense, graphite, slate, mint leaf, cocoa bean, cappucino and liquorice on the palate. This is creamy but airy, and full of joy. Close to the 2016 vintage in its construction and effortless confidence, no question of the ageing ability of this wine, and a fine vintage to mark the first year as Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Breaking down how they got here, you find inevitably careful winemaking with no pumping over, cool 26C for fermentation, making use of techniques learnt in the hot, dry summer of 2018, from cover crops to minimum green harvesting. Blend finished including 8% press in March, 3.7ph, harvest began September 1, earliest on record, until 26, second vintage in new winery. Frederic Faye director.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 96-98+

    A beautiful wine that, shockingly, reminds me of the 2016, the 2022 Château Figeac checks in as 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested from the 1st of September to the 25th. Director Frédéric Faye commented that verasion took longer than usual, and they had to do a slight green harvest to get uniform ripeness. The results are stunning. The wine has a vivid purple hue as well as remarkable freshness and purity in its black and blue fruits, which are followed by notes of wild herbs, chocolate, graphite, spring flowers, and a touch of classic Cabernet Sauvignon graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a silky, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This classic, ultra-precise Figeac is going to warrant a solid decade of bottle age and be very long-lived given its purity and balance.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5+

    2022 Figeac has all of the ingredients of a monumental wine. In common with other estates that have made incredible wines this year, the fruit was pristine when it arrived at the winery. Then the skills of the winemaking team were deployed in not extracting any more depth of flavour or perfume than was necessary. A gossamer-smooth extraction and a cool, long fermentation were all that was needed to create one of the silkiest and most enchanting wines on the Right Bank. The deep-rooted Cabernets hold firm here, with Merlot decking the powerful Cab structure in beautiful finery. It is easy to get lost in the flavour, but the tannins mount a stealthy attack twothirds of the way into the experience, warning that this is a gloriously serious wine with a very long life ahead. Powdery, laser-sighted, drenched in graphite, and with ultra-fine sootiness, this is a masterclass in how tannins can make a delicious wine into a genuinely exultant experience. This is my favourite young Figeac of all time. As I left the Château, I walked through the winery, explicitly designed to isolate individual parcels of fruit to increase the complexity and intricacy of the final blend. It is clear that this new facility has had a profound effect on 2022 Figeac, and I have a feeling that this is not the first time that I will go gaga for a new Figeac release. By all accounts, Petit Figeac is a wine worth tracking down, too, although I am sworn to secrecy as to why.

2022 Ch Margaux 1er Cru Margaux

£1,548.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Sold out Size: 3x75cl Qty: - £1,548.00 In Bond
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Château Margaux represents 40% of the crop this year, slightly higher than recent years, picked between 8 and 27 September. As usual, the Grand Vin demands more time to unfold on the nose compared to the Pavillon. It unveils enticing scents of macerated black cherries, blueberry, violet and hints of orange blossom all delivered with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sculpted tannins. A fine-boned and tensile Château Margaux that is quite a remarkable feat given the growing season. Silky smooth and almost creamy at first, toward the finish it reveals a slightly powdery texture, almost swaggering in style. Not a subtle or nuanced Château Margaux, rather, Philippe Bascaules has conjured a First Growth that is dressed to kill. 14.6% alcohol. Drink 2027-2060

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 96-97+

    A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 2022 Château Margaux is one of the most powerful wines ever produced at this estate, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, violets, burning embers, smoked tea and exotic spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich, velvety and seamless, with a bright core of fruit and a long, heady finish. With the highest analytical measure of tannins since 2010, and an alcohol level a touch above 14%, this is certainly a larger-scaled Château Margaux, yet at this early stage, everything appears to be kept in check.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 98

    A stunning Margaux in 2022 with a bright and vibrant core, deep and persistent, alive and bright with layers of silky but firm tannins that give a gentle grip, powerful and concentrated black fruit, with a clearly defined structure that supports and doesn't overwhelm. Despite the power this has a delicacy which I love, so pure and clearly charming. Opulent yet racy, really walking the line between heft and sleekness. The acidity really lifts the expression with spiced liquorice and wet stone nuances while staying cool and fresh. Generous, stylish, punchy and polished. An incredibly complex wine that really works. 3.6pH. 88IPT. 18% press wine. Ageing 18-20 months, 100% new oak. No Petit Verdot in the blend. Highest alcohol and tannin level for the grand vin.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The 2022 Château Margaux is a total stunner. Ripe, opulent and explosive, the 2022 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity from start to finish. There’s a purity to the fruit that is just striking. The 2022 is a dark, unusually opulent Margaux, with a dense core of fruit, but a good deal of vibrancy to balance things out. Black cherry, lavender, spice and a kiss of new French oak build in the glass, but it is the wine’s delineation and intensity that are most captivating. Vibrant saline notes linger on the seamless, supremely elegant finish. Unforgettable. Drink 2030-2062.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The volume of Grand Vin represents 40% of a very small crop at Château Margaux in 2022. The core of Cabernet Sauvignon, at 92% as always for this great First Growth, is the key element in their superb 2022, with no Petit Verdot this year, providing deep cassis and freshly ground herb scent. This shows huge degrees of concentration, with an intense powerful mid palate, enrobed with excitingly sweet dark fruits. The tannins have a granular quality true to this estate’s famed terroir, with an uplift of freshness and a long luxurious finish.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 95-96

    Very dark purple color with a ruby edge. So much crushed blackberry and blackcurrant with violets. Exuberant. Full-bodied and very tannic with incredible muscle. This is a thought-provoking wine. The biggest Margaux I have tasted in my career. Seems a little overdone for Margaux. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot and 2% petit verdot.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    Stunning in its density and construction, with a gorgeous balance that starts with red rose aromatics and slides into creamy and intense raspberry, damson, loganberry and cassis fruits. The intense structure of the vintage is on display, here with velvety tannins giving shape and contrast by a push and pull of slate, graphite, cloves, turmeric, cardamom and white pepper. Bitter dark chocolate ending, a character of the year but here delivered with a blast of cooling mint leaf. Philippe Bascaules director, harvest September 8 to 27, 25hl/h yield. 100% new oak, to be monitored carefully over ageing because this is the first time they have seen this level of alcohol in the Cabernet Sauvignon. 40% of the crop is into this 1st wine, one of the highest in years. Harvest September 8 to 27. They are slowly changing the row orientation in the vineyard at Margaux, begun last year but a 50 year project, and introducing more Cabernet Franc through field grafting (wanting to get up to maybe 15% of plantings, currently 5%).

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The Grand Vin 2022 Château Margaux checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc that's pulled from just 40% of the total production. It's a classic Château Margaux with its overriding sense of elegance and purity, yet it's certainly in the style of the vintage with its depth, richness, and concentration. Cassis, blueberries, acacia flowers, and spice all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a gorgeous finish. The alcohol hit 14.5, and I suspect the pH is relatively high (which is common in the vintage), yet this remains pure, balanced, and is absolutely show-stopping stuff.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 20+

    Château Margaux (1er Cru Margaux) 92 Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 Merlot, 2 Cabernet Franc 100% new oak 14.5% alc 15 40% of the harvest was used for this wine 88 IPT The nose is sublime with stunningly deep tones and like a handful of the other top wines in this vintage, it is not as initially expressive as its second wine. You have to get right into the centre of the flavour of Château Margaux and this requires work - swirling, sniffing and coaxing it out of its shell in order to discover its secrets. By contrast to last year’s elegant creation, this is a much richer wine and each layer needs its lock picked to appreciate the whole. This is an intricately assembled wine with tell-tale emery board tannins and heroic length. A forest of oak stands guard around the perimeter and the fruit is very happy to sit behind these sentries for the time being. Composed and concentrated, while it is hard to see the full picture there is certainly enough of a view to know this is a legendary Margaux vintage. Concentration is often viewed as the enemy of elegance, but here we have both, and they are in total harmony. MD Philippe Bascaules noted that the ‘vine memory’ or the intelligence of the vine outperformed the human efforts in 2022 and that we should trust these sentient plants to play their best card in adversity. How right he is. As a final note, Philippe said that he would love to show Paul Pontellier (RIP) this wine, to see what he thinks! I am pretty sure that we all know the answer to this question. As I drove out of Margaux, and onto the next appointment, the flavour volume was still turned to 10. This is as good as Margaux gets and it was such a joy to taste this wine with Philippe – as cool as a cucumber, he barely cracked a smile. I were in his position I would have been flik-flaking around the room.

2022 Ch Ausone St Emilion

£1,700.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Released Size: 3x75cl Qty: 3 £1,700.00 In Bond Status: Released Qty: - £2,049.61 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97.5

    The 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn't help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol. Drink 2030-2065

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 94-96+

    A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it's deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 96

    Quite intense nose, strongly perfumed and scented with purple flowers and a mix of red and black fruit. Fragrant with chocolate, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, crushed stones and liquorice. Aromatically very inviting. Plush and sapid, tannins are ripe but the acidity gives it real tension so you get some intensity of texture and sharpness of fruit on the palate making it a bit serious and tense right now though with lovely detail and lots of precision in terms of tannins and fruit. Mouthwatering acidity is at the fore, really giving some zing and electricity to this while the crushed stones, liquorice and clove spice give the accents around the edges. Clear strength and concentration, such power underneath - you do feel the heat from the alcohol (15.4%!) but the acidity and soft mineral elements help keep the balance and frame though it’s not as demonstrably mineral as some years. Acidity does settle and this expands slowly - keeping the linearity and sense of focus but also giving hints to its power and ageability. Sculpted and well delivered, characterful and confident with long ageing potential. Long finish with graphite, pencil lead and toasted spices on the finish. 3.57pH 85% grand vin, 20,000 bottles. Harvest 5 and 9 September for Merlot, 21 and 27 September for Cabernet Franc. A yield of 38hl/ha. Potential upscore in bottle.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    The 2022 Ausone is dense, powerful and quite brooding in demeanor. Dark-toned fruit, spice, leather, licorice and dried herbs add to an impression of somber intensity. In so many vintages Ausone is immediately alluring, but the 2022 is a potent, backward wine that is going to require many years to be at its finest. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Harvest took place between September 5 and 9 for the Merlot and September 21 and 27 for the Cabernet Franc. The 2022 is a decidedly hedonistic Ausone.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    Once again showing how great terroir, and a family winemaking heritage stretching back 12 generations, can make one of the best wines in the world. Walnut, cedar, sweet spice, ripe bilberry, blackcurrant and cool plum all rise from the glass. There’s such depth here. On the palate it’s supple, soft and sweet, so gentle on the approach, yet with high concentration and a counterpoint of tart black cherry juice towards the mid palate. The bracing acidity dovetails beautifully with the fine-grained tannins.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98

    This is really open with bright and flamboyant aromas of cassis and cherries. Blueberries. Some peaches as well. I don't remember a young Ausone like that. Full-bodied with flamboyant fruit and energy. Very fine tannins. They are there but you don't feel them. Supple but very fruity. And intensely fruity at the end.

  • Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 18

    Unusually aromatic at this early stage. Complex floral and red- and dark-fruit notes. Uncompromisingly dense with plentiful but fine tannins. Smooth texture. No hard edges but firm and persistent. Plenty of potential. (James Lawther MW). 15%. Drink 2032 – 2055

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98-100

    Intense and concentrated, with fennel, aniseed and liqourice root. Where Chapelle d'Ausone celebrates a wave of opulence in the vintage, this focuses more clearly on black tea, slate, intense black chocolate. Precise and well cut, this is creamy and exuberant without sacrificing elegance and balance. Amazing depths of flavour and grip. A true En Primeur sample where you know you are a long long way from this being ready to drink. The first year, incidentally, of not Premier Grand Cru Classé A, although the ranking has not been featured on the label since 2012. No irrigation at Ausone. 100% new oak. Harvest September 5 to 27. 7.25ha. Conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master, Pauline Vauthier owner and winemaker. Potential 100.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19+

    Bright, floral, plummy and perfumed, this is a stunningly pure Ausone with a buoyant front palate and a clean, long, grainy and subtle finish. It is perfectly proportioned, not as intense nor as concentrated as many, making up for this lack of grunt by showcasing precision and beauty. Plum and cherry-themed, this is a sensationally classy wine. The depth of aromatics, which is amazingly open and ready for inspection, is staggering. 2022 Ausone is all about the perfume right now, and I expect the palate to follow once its shackles are removed.

2022 Ch Palmer 3ème Cru Margaux

£1,788.00 In Bond
Availability: En Primeur
Availability: En Primeur Status: Limited Size: 6x75cl Qty: - £1,788.00 In Bond Status: Limited Qty: - £2,164.84 Inc VAT
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  • Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Palmer was cropped at just 22hL/ha due to the berries being 25-30% smaller than usual. It bursts forth on the nose with precocious black cherries, blueberry, violet and touches of marmalade and tobacco in the background. Complex and expressive. The palate is structured, with the tannic backbone, that winemaker Thomas Duroux talked about, lending this Palmer a sense of verticality. Hints of black pepper emerge with time, multi-layered, a powerful Margaux and yet the IPT is actually lower than elsewhere (76). Quite linear on the tobacco-infused finish, which is just quintessential Palmer. Do reserve a bin in your cellar for this and let it gather dust for at least a decade. 14.4% alcohol. Drink 2035-2080

  • Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97

    As is the case at neighbor Château Margaux, the 2022 Palmer is one of the most powerful wines this estate has ever produced. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it offers up aromas of blackberries, burning embers, violets, iris and sweet soil tones, followed by a full-bodied, broad and expansive palate, its velvety attack segueing into a rich and layered core. Supple, seamless and concentrated, it checks in at 14.4% alcohol and a rather high pH of 3.79.

  • Decanter, April 2023, Score: 97

    Sharp, energetic, racy and electric. The power and concentration is evident in the dark, rich, concentrated fruit with tannins that grip and take hold with a crushed stone texture, liquorice, graphite, tobacco and cool mint spice. The expression is exceptionally delineated with focus and push from start to finish. Quite bold and charged, but I love the succulence, the perfumed fruit, chalky sensation and overall sense of confidence. In high definition in terms of sharpness and tang to the fruit. A big wine but delivered with poise. 3.79pH. 13% press wine. Harvest took one month from 7 September to 5 October. 70% grand vin, 30% Alter Ego.

  • Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-98

    The 2022 Palmer is a wine of sublime beauty and refinement. Silky, caressing and super-expressive, the 2022 is also one of the most surprising wines of the year in that it does not show the drought or heat of the growing season at all either in its flavor profile or feel. Succulent black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, spice and dried herbs lend notable complexity throughout. The 2022 starts off rather slow, and then really explodes on the back end. It is a magnificent wine in every way. Drink 2030-2052.

  • Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    There is no doubt that 2022 Palmer is destined for the roll call of the Chateau’s great vintages. This is a cracker; quite frankly there is nothing not to love about this stunning wine. A perfume of blueberry, damson is underpinned by fresh summer red berries. A wine of sublime depth, the sense of power is hidden by the wine’s juicy succulence, like liquid heaven. The tannins are fine and lacelike, flowing through from start to finish. The epitome of what we expect Margaux to be: graceful and exuberant, and yet with refined power.

  • James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 98-99

    So much class in the nose with a sophisticated kaleidoscope of dark fruit such as blackcurrants, and spices such as salt and pepper, as well as cloves and nutmeg. Full-bodied. Compacted and dense yet weightless. It opens beautifully. The tannins go on and on with wonderful presence. Salty undertones.

  • Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 96

    Dark brooding fruits, this is intense and concentrated, ripe flavours with an exotic edge, cassis, roasted plum, damson and star fruit with a curl of woodsmoke and tobacco leaf, set against fresher edges of blueberry and iris. This is serious, structured, with everything turned up pretty high, giving the imprint of the vintage in its black pepper, rosemary, turmeric, mandarin peel and clove. 3.79ph, harvest September 7 right through to October 5. Blend done by December, yield 23hl/h. Ageing sees the first year in barrel, then second year in larger sized oak casks to minimise oak impact, something that will be particularly important in a year with these unusually high alcohols.

  • Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99

    The 2022 Château Palmer is utterly brilliant, so much so that I questioned in my notes if this would challenge the 2018. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare, its mammoth-sized personality offers layers of blue and black fruits, notes of melted chocolate, crushed stone, and spring flowers, building, velvety tannins, and a great, great finish. While many estates commented that they extracted less in the vintage, Palmer went in a different direction and extracted more during the vinifications to provide a solid backbone to match the concentration and power of the vintage. It appears to have worked brilliantly, and hats off to Thomas Duroux for having the confidence to go his own path. He has produced a truly Grand Vin in 2022. The alcohol here is a normal 14.4%, and the pH is a healthy 3.79.

  • LPB, April 2023, Score: 96-98+

    Composed of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Palmer is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of shaking and swirling to lure out a soft-spoken perfume of roses, lavender, star anise, and cloves, leading to a profound core of Morello cherries, fresh, juicy blackberries, and blackcurrant cordial. The full-bodied palate is stacked with layer upon layer of black, blue, and red fruits, supported by a skyscraper structure of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This is a monumental achievement. pH 3.79

  • Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19.5+

    Darker, stormier, more action-packed and thunderous than any Palmer I have tasted En Primeur, this wine relentlessly rolls across the palate in search of taste buds to surprise. This is such a beautiful Palmer with its elite fruit flavours, precision build and refinement, yet there is a restlessness here that signifies more to come. There is tension, controlled anger and taut musculature under the surface, yet it presents an overriding sense of serenity. I asked winemaker Thomas Duroux how this wine has come to pack in so much flavour and gravitas while at the same time being so refreshing and chiselled. His answer said it all, ‘I don’t know where it has come from’. Thomas trusts in his vines and his slavish viticulture practices, but there were no human interventions here that can account for the sheer scale of complexity and completeness exhibited by this wine.

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