Bordeaux 2022 | Where quality meets affordability
We’ve selected a range of our favourite Bordeaux estates, providing excellent typicity for their respective terroir. From the graphite notes and grainy tannins of St Estephe, to the hedonistic succulent fruit of St Emilion, these are wines you can comfortably lay down for many years to come. We’ve chosen these wines because of their brilliant performance in 2022, delivering far more than their price tags might suggest.
2022 Ch d'Issan 3ème Cru Margaux
£250 - £325 In Bond-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Château d'Issan was picked between 15 and 28 September and represents the first vintage vinified in the new vat room equipped with smaller 20-hectolitre vats. It has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry and blueberry fruit, crushed violet and a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. This is one of the more saline wines on the Left Bank, cohesive with a touch of Japanese nori on the moderate-length finish. This will need a decade in bottle. Drink 2032-2052
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 D'Issan is a lovely wine that will delight Médoc purists, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berries, burning embers, violets and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with velvety tannins and a deep core of vibrant fruit, it's a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The estate is now equipped with a battery of 20-hectoliter tanks, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting this year.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 96
Deep, heady, really quite seductive and aromatic on the nose, draws you in with bramble fruits, chocolate, exotic spices and perfumed floral nuances. Juicy and lively, pure and focussed, but such a vibrancy to this wine. Sweet and sour elements combine with really salty, chalky, powdery and quite filling tannins that give the nuance of flavour and texture. Bright yet serious, finessed yet layered. Lovely intensity of elements. On the more savoury side right now in terms of lingering flavour but there’s mouthwatering acidity giving the liveliness and sense of fun. I really like this, textured, upfront, forward, extremely drinkable and so approachable, but thrilling too. An exciting wine with great integration and finesse and still clear strength underneath. One of the most exciting wines this year. Stylish, potent and polished. I love it! A yield of 30hl/ha. Harvest 15 - 28 September. 1% PV planted in 1948, 12% press wine. 2% Malbet and 1% Petit Verdot complete the blend. Total acidity: 3.55. 50% new barrels. 3.67pH.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 d'Issan is shaping up to be terrific. Dark and pliant, the 2022 captures all the intensity of the year in its super-concentrated Issan that has a ton of fruit intensity, but also the tannic spine to support it. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, dried herbs and spice infuse the 2022 with tons of depth and pedigree. Drink 2032-2062.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 94-97
Emmanuel Cruse and his team at this historic chateau, the scene of a wedding reception for Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, have excelled this year. A medley of summer fruits, bramble blueberry and damson, with floral undertones. A sweet and generous style, combining flavours of cocoa and vanilla pod. The tannins are in perfect harmony with the depth of ripe fruit, giving additional substance to this superb wine.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97
This is one hell of an Issan with blackberry, blackcurrant, and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Cherries. Cedar. Full and intense with tannins that are long and bright. Goes tight at the end, indicating greatness. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 2% malbec and 1% petit verdot.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 95
Fragrant dried cumin and turmeric spices on the opening, along with floral waves of rose petals, this maintains the finesse of Issan, delivering estate signature alongside fleshy blackberry and baked damson fruits, with waves of liquorice, graphite and crushed rocks. The oldest vines are kept for the 1st wine, and almost 80% of the new plots of Pontac Lynch are included here in Issan, giving a darker spiced character than you find in other hot vintages at this estate such as 2009. They almost pulled up the Malbec when they bought Pontac Lynch but it has once again proved its worth. 30hl/h yield (compared to 38hl/h last year). 3.67ph. 72IPT. Eric Boissenot consultant. 50% new oak.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 95-97+
The 2022 Château D'Issan ratchets up the quality, offering more purity, precision, and length. Revealing notes of darker currants and blue fruits, graphite, and chalky minerality, this medium to full-bodied red has beautiful freshness, and is focused, straight, and elegant. Just a beautiful barrel sample, it’s very impressive.
2022 Ch Durfort-Vivens 2ème Cru Margaux
£260 - £310 In Bond-
Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 93-96
A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot, the 2022 Durfort Vivens is a lovely wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of minty dark berries, sweet plums, licorice and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep and lively core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Durfort-Vivens is a wild, exotic wine that very much shows the natural opulence of the year. Super-ripe dark red/purplish fruit, pomegranate and sweet spice are front and center. There’s a bit more Merlot in this year’s blend, and that seems to come through in the wine’s overall fruit intensity. The final blend is project to be 70% new oak and 30% amphora, but the sample I tasted was only taken from oak components, as the wine had only been racked into amphora shortly prior to this tasting. Drink 2030-2052.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 93-95
Gonzague Lurton inherited this Margaux Second Growth from his father, Bordeaux luminary Lucien Lurton. Since taking over the property in 1992, Gonzague has overseen its conversion to biodynamic practices, becoming Demeter certified in 2016. With a careful élevage, one third in terracotta amphora and two thirds in new oak, this is unsurprisingly a very fruit focused wine, full of dark olive, blackcurrant and fresh fig. A broad and voluminous wine with a rounded mouthfeel and a lift of light acidity on the finish. The 2022 vintage cements the revival of this historic property as a hugely respected Classified Growth.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96-97
The quality of the tannins are pure velvet yet so, so fine in texture. Medium to full body with a weightless presence and beautiful heart. Rose stem and other flowers. 84% cabernet sauvignon and 16% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 94-96
The 2022 Château Durfort-Vivens showed brilliantly and is a seriously good wine in the making. Vinified at Brane-Cantenac and aging in 60% new oak, with 40% in amphora, it has a pure, focused, medium to full-bodied style as well as both red and black fruits, some violet and floral nuances, nicely integrated oak, and a great finish. This is one of those wines that builds with time in the glass, and it should clearly be outstanding, if not truly exceptional.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18+
The Lurtons started biodynamics at Durfort in 2008, and the first 100% vintage was in 2012. They were then certified in 2016 by Demeter. It follows that this wine is as alive as any I have tasted on the Left Bank. They harvested in two distinct tries – from 1st to 15th September and then from 19th September to 12th October. You will note that this is one of the latest harvests on the Left Bank, and they waited because there was still freshness and tension in the berries. Gonzague Lurton reported that this was the best vintage he could remember for Merlot. There is pulsing minerality throughout this wine, framed by a haunting perfume and a super-dry finish. The midpalate is gravel-soaked, tense and wonderfully floral, demanding attention. There is a wildness and a faint smokiness here, which is alluring but strict. This is a fascinating wine with an incredibly bright outlook and a ramrod-straight palate.
2022 Ch Berliquet Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£274.00 In Bond £344.87 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Berliquet was picked from 29 August to 14 September and matured in 44% new oak. The wood is a little more prominent on the nose than the Canon, with black cherries, bilberry and light oyster shell scents. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins. This is a juicy Berliquet that probably belies the structure underneath. There's more red fruit toward the finish, with a touch of pepper on the aftertaste. Drink 2030-2055
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 94-95
The 2022 Berliquet is brilliant, bursting with aromas of plums, wild berries and lilac, followed by a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant palate that's deep and mineral. It's likely to be another of the vintage's more attractive en primeur proportions. This estate just goes from strength to strength—and that's before its new winery has been constructed! One of the most significant changes has been opting to retain higher canopies, which means that the fruiting zone of rows planted along the slope are now shaded, preserving freshness.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 91-93
The 2022 Berliquet is super-concentrated, dark and ripe, but also without the forbidding tannins of the past. Succulent plum fruit, mocha, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that grace this gorgeous Saint-Émilion. It will be interesting to see where the 2022 ends up post élevage. Today it is full-bodied and quite opulent. Tasted four times.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 17
Winemaker Nicolas Audebert has proved the perfect custodian of this diamond of a vineyard acquired by the Chanel group in 2017. It combines three different geological formations and has its own personality, so different to lauded neighbour, Canon. The 2022 represents a culmination of all his work, dark cherry and blueberry, with cedar and freshly picked herbs. A tighter and more tense style than the Canon, with a chalky, clay bite, this is bold without being ostentatious, with a fine, classy persistence.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 17
Lots of dark and crushed stones with blackberries and black olives. Dark earth. Full-bodied and more concentrated with very intense fruit and chewy tannins. Velvety and slightly rough, but all there.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 17
Very deep crimson. Rich, sweet and burly compared with the Canon but still with purity. Such polish! Clean and fresh. Sleekissimo. Drink 2030 – 2045
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94
Dark damson colour, beautiful sense of upliflt and freshness, with mint leaf, sage, wild rosemary, cassis fruits. Slate texture to the wine here, feels carved out and crafted, with edges of austerity that constrict the cassis and raspberry fruit. 44% new oak, 8 amphoras (around 10% of overall), the rest in one year old barrel, 45hl/h yield. Great stuff.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 17
Candied cherries, tapenade, violets, and floral notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Berliquet, a medium to full-bodied, seamless Saint-Emilion that brings plenty of ripeness while staying nicely balanced, light on its feet, and elegant. Based on 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, from yields of 31.2 hectoliter per hectare, it will spend 16 months in 44% new French oak, with a portion of the blend aged in amphora. This isn't the most powerful or opulent wine in the vintage, but it's as seamless and graceful as they come.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 17
Poised and elegant on the nose. Red fruit to the fore. Palate juicy but refined. Tannins finely honed. Length and persistence on the finish. Continues its upward curve. (James Lawther MW). 14.5%. Drink 2028 – 2040
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
While tasting this wine, it feels like there is a cube of limestone in my glass, akin to a cube of ice in a perfectly made G’n’T, and this makes it a white-knuckle experience. This is Berliquet’s finest moment of late, with admirable balance along a long, fine, even palate. Medium-weight, stylish and honed, this is a profoundly luxurious wine with epic tension and wonderful length. This is a level above anything I have previously tasted at this property, and it feels holistic, elegant and calm. The absence of any ostentatious fruit might not appeal to all comers, but terroir acolytes and those who seek meticulous detail will fall at Berliquet’s feet and soak up the incredible precision found here.
2022 Ch Brane-Cantenac 2ème Cru Margaux
£280 - £375 In Bond-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Brane-Cantenac, as usual, is a wine that you must sit and contemplate before words gush forth. It was picked from 7 September to 10 October (their tiny plot of Carmenère) at 31.5hL/ha and contains 16% vin de presse from the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is well-defined and fresh, a very subtle Margaux, precise with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and tobacco scents. As previous vintages have proven, there's a kind of "hidden depth" that will become apparent post-bottling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very elegant and unashamedly classic in style. This is blessed with haunting poise, composed and detailed on the finish. This Margaux is not a show stopper, which in any case, is not really Henri Lurton/Brane Cantenac’s signature style. Instead, it is a wine that 15 to 20 years down the road, you are going to treasure. Drink 2030-2065
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97
A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, crème de cassis, black truffles, loamy soil, burning embers and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit, terrific concentration and lively acids, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific 2022 that may rival or even surpass the 2019 if it realizes all its potential in bottle.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is captivating. Aromatic, savory and layered, the 2022 is so alluring from the outset. The natural radiance of the year is very much on display, and yet there is nothing that is overdone about the 2022. Hints of blood orange, spice, rose petal and minerals open over time, offering stunning contrast to the sheer intensity of the fruit shaped by low yields and tiny berries. Brane-Cantenac is, in my view, one of the most under-the-radar wines on the Left Bank. The 2022 is a stunner.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 96-98
Proprietor Henri Lurton is not one for hyperbole, so when he says that the 2022 is the greatest wine he has made in his 30 years at the property, and also to include it in the same hall of fame as 1961 and 1945 it is wise to take note! A truly memorable wine from our week of tastings, with smoky dark black fruits, warm chocolate fondant and a spice of oak aromatics. Silky and charming, with its velvet like texture, the palate is so graceful, full of refined excitement. Beautifully poised, with the perfect balance of sweetness of fruit and freshness. Quite lovely.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 98
A long and very linear red for Margaux with intense freshness and energy. The cabernet sauvignon shows real clarity with blackcurrants and flowers. Crushed stone. Firm and racy with lots of lemon rind and intensity. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 1% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot and 1% carmenere.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98
Easily one of the best wines of the appellation. Red rose petal fragrance, damp earth, rosemary, baking spice, sandalwood, incense, graphite and slate. Exceptional balance, deep chocolate and mint character, with lush damson and cassis fruits. Crushed violet flowers and salted cracker salinity, extremely impressive. Owner Henri Lurton has experience of making wine overseas, in Baja California, which may have given insights into viticultural techniques n the heat, but the real key here is the old vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the 1950s and 1960s by his late father Lucien Lurton. 100% new oak, from 8 coopers, and the meticulous approach to oak ageing care of technical director Christophe Capdeville is also important. 42% of production in the 1st wine. All the young vines, even when co-planted in the same rows were picked separately also this year.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 96-98
I was absolutely blown away by the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac, which looks to be a reference point vintage for this château. Based on 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and Petit Verdot, it sports a deep purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, lead pencil, sandalwood, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its purity of fruit, has ultra-fine tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. It hit 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.6, and like many estates today, they utilized quite a bit of press wine (15%) in the final blend. This is clearly up with the finest wines from the appellation and is well worth seeking out.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 95-97+
A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac has a pH of 3.61 and there is 15.8% press wine in the blend. It has a deep garnet-purple color and it is a little subdued to start with notes of cedar chest and redcurrant preserves leading the charge, soon giving way to a profound core of crème de cassis, juicy black plums, and candied violets, with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is simply electric, shimmering with bright, energetic black and red berry layers, supported by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. Stunning!
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
Château Brane-Cantenac (2ème Cru Margaux) This is a beautifully silky and luxurious wine with smooth flanks and masses of fruit. The texture is sheer heaven, and the oak is perfectly integrated while the finish is long, classy and enticingly mouth-watering. The overall package is superb and incredibly confident, with dark plum and cherry notes bringing detail to the black core of velvety fruit. Brance Cantenac continues its run of beautiful wines in 2022 and this is a vintage for the long run despite its apparent precocity.
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
£280 - £340 In Bond-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier was picked from 5-30 September and represents the 40th vintage under the irrepressible Olivier Bernard, who celebrates with a one-off label. It soars from the glass with take-no-prisoner aromatics: perfumed mineral-rich red berry fruit, incense and black truffle. Pessac-like earthiness with an opposing airiness defines many a great wine from this estate. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. Slightly powdery in texture and saline in the mouth, this gets the saliva flowing. However, the arching structure on the finish suggests it will require considerable bottle age. Cellar this for a couple of decades, and you'll be repaid handsomely. 14% alcohol. Drink 2034-2075
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 94-96
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier delivers aromas of minty dark berries, cherries and ripe plums mingled with hints of licorice, coniferous forest and spices. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and layered, textured and elegant, framed by powdery tannins and concluding with a long, penetrating, long finish. Olivier Bernard and his team have crafted an outstanding wine that will bear a special label commemorating his 40th vinification at this Péssac-Léognan reference point.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 93-96
The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier is a powerhouse. I don’t remember tasting anything like it. Black cherry, plum, graphite, licorice and spic add to an impression of virile intensity. Readers should expect to play the long game, as the tannins are pretty imposing at this stage. That has been the case each of the four times I have tasted the 2022 so far. Drink 2030-2052.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 18
Having tasted each of the individual parcels that make up the finished blend (over 20) and then the final assemblage on 4 separate occasions, this comes with confidence as “Highly recommended!” Celebrating the Bernard family’s 40th year at the property, Olivier and his children have made a wine that is pure pleasure. This has a succulence and opulence that is beguiling but not to excess, with dark cherry fruit, cocoa powder and oriental spice. It coats the mouth with a generous texture and flavours of vanilla oak give a very appealing sweetness on the finish, whilst always remaining fresh.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 18
Wow. This is incredibly structured and powerful with ultra-fine tannins that are tight and layered. It’s full and powerful with carved muscles of tannins. This will need so much time.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 18
Deep crimson. Intensely mineral, highly distinctive, nose. Very different from the sweet fruit-bombs elsewhere. Racy and likely to age well in the Dom de Chevalier tradition. Sinewy but by no means meagre. Very much its own style. Cool and fresh but with fruit that is quite ripe enough and massively mineral. Intense with lots tucked in there for future development. Clean, fresh, appetising finish. 14%. Drink 2030 – 2050
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 96
Showing how it's done in 2022, Domaine de Chevalier comes in strong with a deep ruby red colour, a vibrant rim, smoked oak on the nose, edges of tar, red roses, liquorice root, and a confident delivery of full-on tannic architecture that frames the cassis and bilberry fruit. Delivers vintage signature in a carefully controlled way, with enough slate, pummice stone, mint and eucalyptus to balance things out and slow down delivery. The fruits are fully ripe, heading towards baked plum and fig, but met step by step with a corresponding cooling flavour. 40th harvest of Olivier Bernard (meaning a special label).
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 96-98
As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.
2022 Ch Talbot 4ème Cru St Julien
£289.00 In Bond £362.87 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Talbot was picked September 9-28 at 40hL/ha, slightly higher than other estates, matured in 60% new oak. Jean-Michel Laporte told me that he did a slightly longer maceration than in 2019 and 2020 during its 3.5 weeks cuvaison. It has a fragrant bouquet, well-defined with black cherries, cassis, iris and touches of brown spice. The palate is well balanced with fine weight and depth, the 13% vin de presse landing backbone. Detailed and focused, it has the same mineral spine as Gruaud Larose nearby. Quite long and lively with a tingle of white and black pepper on the finish. This is a delicious Talbot, but it is the one Saint-Julien that needs a little more depth in the middle. Nevertheless, it should age for many, many years and appeal to those seeking classicism in this vintage. Drink 2027-2060
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Talbot is especially impressive, and if it fulfills all its promise, it is likely to emerge as this large Saint-Julien property's most exciting wine since the 1980s. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit, rich structuring tannins and a long, lively finish. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that's being matured in 60% new oak.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Talbot is another impressive effort from the château. Savory and nuanced, the 2022 its wonderfully energetic in the glass. Dried herbs, incense, tobacco, menthol and licorice all build in a potent, virile Saint-Julien that checks all the right boxes. Drink 2028-2052.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 94-96
Unlike many in St Julien, Ch Talbot produced a relatively large crop of 40hl/ha, nearly 15% more than the appellation average in 2022. It is a triumph; ex-Conseillante director Jean-Michel Laporte has made a wine that harks back to the great 1982 and 1986. Unfolding from the glass with a delicate perfume of Morello cherries and blackberries, all wrapped in sandalwood. It is hugely inviting. The palate has all the components of what makes a great 2022, with a gentle start and soft supple mouthfeel. A silky body, with smooth, true-to-the-nose flavours that mingle with concentrated, ripe redcurrants and loganberry. All backed by fine-grained powdery tannins. Just plain delicious.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 94-95
The tannins really are integrated and fill out across the palate. The texture is so beautiful and refined. Medium- to full-bodied and crunchy, with lovely texture and refinement.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94.0
Ruby colour with violet reflections, vivid and intense, well sculpted, this is delicious, with texture and heart. There are clear depths to the nuanced blackberry and cassis fruits, great quality, with St Julien balance. One to follow over ageing, this is an impressive Talbot. 60% new oak for ageing.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 93-95+
Readers will love the 2022 Château Talbot, one of the finest vintages from this château that I can recall. Possessing a gorgeous nose of pure cassis, blackberries, tobacco, and iron, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and perfectly integrated tannins. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that’s resting in 60% new French oak, this utterly classic, pure, lengthy Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and have a broad drink window. Bravo.
2022 Ch Beau-Séjour Bécot 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion New Released 09/06/2023
£354.00 In Bond £440.87 Inc VAT-
Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 96-98
With the 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot, this estate has taken another step up the ranks in Saint-Émilion, producing a wine of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, lilac, raw cocoa and forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with an ample and enveloping core of weightless fruit, beautifully powdery tannins and a long, saline, resonant finish. Recently planted massale selection Cabernet Franc is now producing meaningful yields at this address, so this cépage now represents 22% of the blend, complemented by 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot. The team harvested only in the mornings, picking Merlot from 5-18 September and Cabernet from 13-23 September, sub-block by sub-block.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 96
Floral notes on the nose. Tangy and sharp, lively and bright straight away, sweet and sour, so energetic and lively with a mineral grip from the fine, firm, grippy tannins. Lovely precision and almost delicate presentation of fruit. You really feel the mineral, salty, tangy aspect of the fruit, nothing feels overworked, all in balance, really quite thrilling and electric. Great purity and focus. Scintillating yet still with a lovely volume and roundness accented by tobacco, clove, liquorice and cinnamon touches. Really well worked and fresh - this feels very modern with such control to the fruit, tannins, acidity giving overall depth and complexity. Elegant but confident, taking the best density from clay density and freshness from limestone. A very singular charm with this wine. 3.55pH. 10% press wine.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 98-100
The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has a bit more Cabernet Franc than most years, which comes through immediately in the wine's aromatic profile. Dark, rich and expressive., the 2022 is seriously impressive. Crushed flowers, herbs, mint, blood orange and red-toned fruit all build into a sumptuous, majestic finish that just explodes on the back end. The 2022 is one of the very finest editions of Beau-Séjour Bécot I can remember tasting. It is a great, great wine. Drink 2032 - 2052.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 94-96
It is so exciting to see this prestigious estate now under the guidance of second-generation winemakers Gérard and Dominique Bécot, with a real focus on the qualities of its terroir. They have the confidence to show the vineyard’s great class and the individual characteristics of the vintage. An array of fresh red fruits flow from the glass, with cranberry, spring blossom and rose petal. The attack of vivid, bright fruits is followed by broader, plump flavours of sloe and plum. It has a chalky lift on the finish, controlled and persistent. Lovely.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 96
The change to a more refined style clearly marked. Juicy, fresh and floral with a feather-light touch to the palate. Substance and structure, though, the tannins plentiful and long. Clean, refreshing finish, the limestone terroir apparent. (James Lawther MW). 14.5%. Drink 2030 – 2042
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 96
This has double the amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend as of this year after vineyard restructuring, and the chalkiness of the limestone helps underline the curling peony and violet floral character on the opening beats, balancing the intensity of the vintage. Plenty of blueberry and damson fruit, with bitter cocoa bean and coffee, saffran and smoked dried herbs. Highly successful. No irrigation, instead used cover crops, and reduced the height of the canopy by 15cm to limit the transevaporation. Cold maceration for 10-15 days, 55% new oak, 30% oak casks, and amphoras. Jean de Cournuaud technical director. 33hl/h yield after frost impact, harvest September 5 to 23. The new cellar will be ready for the end of August for the 2023 vintage.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 95-97+
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot aways impressed, and I think it's clearly one of the finest vintages for this château. Including more Cabernet Franc than usual and a blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, its ruby/purple hue is followed by a pure, ultra-fine, seamless Saint-Emilion with a wonderful core of black raspberry fruits supported by beautifully complex notes of chalky minerality, flowery incense, tobacco, and graphite. Medium to full bodied, with beautiful tannins and a great finish, this is never the most massive or concentrated wine in a vintage, yet it shines for its incredible sense of elegance, finesse, and complexity. The élevage here will span 18 months in 55% new French oak, and this hit 14.5% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.55. It will drink well for 30+ years.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 95-97
A blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Beau-Sejour Becot has more Cabernet Franc than any previous vintage. The pH is 3.55 pH and it has a deep purple-black color. Notions of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and warm plums jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of cedar chest, Sichuan pepper, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of juicy black fruit flavors, with bright acidity and ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and earthy.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
This is a stunning wine that rightly sits atop the Saint-Emilion GCC pile. There is so much class here and so much going on, from the riveting fragrance powered by Cab Franc to the indulgent, multi-layered palate and the bold oak notes that slash through the fruit with confidence. But the minerality and freshness woven into the tapestry of flavour here are breathtaking, bringing a truly impressive stance to the whole experience.
2022 Ch Grand Puy Lacoste 5ème Cru Pauillac
£358.00 In Bond £445.67 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from 7 to 23 September and contains more Merlot due to the high quality of the fruit, matured in 75% new oak. There is 14.2% alcohol. Therefore, this lends this GPL a little more precocity and sensuality compared to other vintages, not cut from the same "classical" cloth as, say, the 2019 or 2020. Underlying this velvety veneer are enticing traits of freshly-rolled tobacco and undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins. Silky smooth in texture, so much so that it belies that backbone underneath. There is a peacock's tail of mineral-rich, quite peppery black fruit on the finish, completing a Pauillac endowed with huge potential. Drink 2030-2065
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 95-97
A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, the 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a brilliant classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that exhibits beautiful structural refinement and purity of fruit. Classy and integrated, it is somewhat reminiscent of a modern-day and less forbiddingly structured version of this estate's brilliant 1982.
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Decanter, April 2023, Score: 96
Gorgeous vibrant purple colour in the glass, deep and darkly scented, black bramble fruits, flowers, cinnamon, dark chocolate and liquorice. Firm and forward, this is generous but sleek, so you get power and concentration but also juicy liveliness, great tension and energy. I really do like the ease of this, it's not trying too hard but delivered with poise, punch and purity. An excellent wine that really over delivers - so well presented, detailed, finessed and refined but still with the strength coming at the end in the wave of liquorice, dark chocolate and wet stone terroir markers. A brilliant wine with potential to deliver such excellent drinking pleasure. I love it. 3.57pH. A yield of 38hl/ha. 60% grand vin, 40% second wine. Eric Boissenot consultant. Harvest 7-23 September. Yield of 38hl/ha. Ageing in French oak, 75% new.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 92-94+
The 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a very pretty wine. Forward and quite showy, the 2022 comes across as a wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Succulent dark cherry, plum, leather, incense and dried herbs are nicely delineated. There’s good complexity and depth, but it is the radiance of the year that is front and center. Hints of blood orange, pomegranate, spice and a pretty rose petal/violet note linger. Drink 2030-2052.
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Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 96
François-Xavier Borie and his children have continued their fine run of vintages by yet again producing a must-have wine in 2022. This is delectable! The prominence of high-class Cabernet Sauvignon (79%) shows off the estate’s Pauillac verve and vigour. Pure cassis, dark olive and Morello cherry. The flavours of mocha and spice give joy and pleasure. Free flowing, with finely integrated powdery tannins, this has an easy relaxed nature to it showing no signs of vine stress in the drier summer period. Everything we seek from this great estate and appellation.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 95-96
A very structured and rich red with black berry and chocolate. Full-bodied with a solid core of fine tannins and a fresh and muscular finish. Dusty texture. Yet it remains bright and vivid. 3.55 pH. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 96
Inky depths to the colour. Violet edging, bitter black chocolate and graphite, can feel the grain of the tannins, and the beautiful balance and juice to damson, cassis and plum puree fruits. Captures just the right amount of drama without sacrificing Pauillac character, this is a wine that is clearly going to age extremely well, with depth of flavour and rich tannic frame that shows how 2022 can succeed in the right hands. 75% new oak, 3.57ph. Harvest earliest ever, beginning on September 7 (2003 was September 15), 60% of production in the 1st wine, Eric Boissenot consultant. 38hl/h yield, a little over the Pauillac average.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Warm cassis, black cherry preserves, and kirsch aromas leap from the glass, followed by touches of chocolate mint, cedar, and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate features fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the tight-knit red and black berry layers, finishing long and lifted. This is wonderfully energetic! pH 3.57.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
This is a classically dimensioned GPL with fine bone structure and lovely grace. The vintage conditions seem not to have affected this property like they did others, and there is a lovely, mouthwatering, saline hint under the luxurious blackcurrant fruit that brings freshness and lift on the finish. The shape and delivery of the beautiful flavours found here are also classical, linear and honed, and there is none of the excess showiness or exuberance that I have seen on both sides of the Gironde. Knowing that GPL remains honed, direct and dependable is life-affirming, and fans can indeed breathe a sigh of relief. This will be a long-lived vintage, not least because the calibre of the tannins here is tremendous. The density/delicacy ratio is captivating, and there is no need to rush to open and bottle because this unhurried wine is confident, lip-smacking and cut from imperial Pauillac cloth.
2022 Ch Lafaurie-Peyraguey 1er Cru Sauternes
£360.00 In Bond £448.07 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a very fragrant, floral bouquet with pure botrytised fruit, wonderful delineation and sense of mineralité. The palate is smooth and sensual, dried honey and quince, lightly spiced with a gentle crescendo on its polished and long finish. This is a very strong follow-up to the 2021. Drink 2028-2052
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 94-96
Golden yellow in colour, ripe, pure botrytised Semillon (95%) jumps out with aromas of honeysuckle, barley sugar and mango. Deeply concentrated, plush and energetic in style, with a mouth coating opulence. Candied fruit flavours are laced with crème brulée and mandarin. All linger beautifully on the finish, making this a high class, fulfilling Sauternes.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 99-100
Another mind-blowing Sauternes with dense and concentrated fruit, and incredible depth and power. Spices galore. Very sweet. 260 grams residual sugar. Twice the normal year. French TBA? 95% semillon and 5% sauvignon blanc.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18+
Immediately appealing, gloriously fruit-driven and reasonably honeyed, I had hoped for a little more tension on the finish given the vitality on the front of the palate, but this is definitely a ‘High Silver Medal’ wine that just stops short of ‘Gold Medal’ status because just needs a little more length.
2022 Ch Duhart-Milon 4ème Cru Pauillac
£378.00 In Bond £469.67 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Duhart-Milon underwent a short 15- to 18-day maceration and is raised in 50% new oak and the rest one-year-old barrels. It has a very graphite/mint-scented nose that is Pauillac through and through. The palate is fresh and vibrant with fine tannins. This is beautifully sculpted with a vibrant pencil lead-tinged finish reminiscent of Grand Puy Lacoste. The 2022 is a fabulous Duhart-Milon that should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. It's a Pauillac a bit like the late Steven Spurrier insofar that it's a Pauillac always conservatively dressed in a pin-striped suit, but that's the essence of Duhart. Drink 2030-2060
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 91-93
The 2022 Duhart-Milon unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cedar box, loamy soil, herbs and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety palate with a broad attack that segues into a lively, nicely concentrated core of fruit, concluding with a youthfully firm finish.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 92-94
The 2022 Duhart-Milon is racy and explosive right out of the gate. Ripe dark cherry, plum, cloves, licorice, menthol and mocha fill out the layers in a deep, wonderfully expressive Duhart. Firm tannins extend the finish nicely. I imagine the 2022 will require at least a few years in bottle to be at its best, but it is pretty showy today. The blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. Drink 2027-2042.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 94-96
A very strong, Cabernet focused wine with 78% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Saskia de Rothschild said that at blending they were all taken aback by the variety’s quality, in both richness and fruit flavour. Direct dark cassis, fig and Pauillac graphite fragrance. The depth of fruit completely fills the mouth, full and rich, with an intense central tannic core. Very long with quite some attitude, it was appropriately named as the “Rebellious Uncle” by the Lafite team!
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 94
Very Pauillac in its blackcurrant, dark chocolate and walnut husk character. Full-bodied yet compacted. Wet earth, mushroom, earth, black tobacco. Fine and intense tannins. Fresh and complex. 78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% merlot.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 94
Intense, stately, with ripe and spicy dark brambled fruit flavours, blackberry and cassis, balanced by grippy tannins, crushed rocks, slate and cigar, which add texture and moderation. The serious face of Duhart does well in the vintage, keeping an upright tannic backbone. New cellar at Duhart since 2020. Harvest August 31 to September 28, 3.8ph. Olivier Bonnau technical director. Duhart Milon vineyard is looking at lowering density of planting to guard against future hot vintages of this type.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 94-96+
The Grand Vin 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. It brings more richness as well as classic Pauillac character in its lead pencil, graphite, tobacco, and red and black fruit-driven aromatics. With gorgeous richness, a medium to full bodied mouthfeel, and a great finish, this utterly classic, seamless, balanced Pauillac should be snatched up by readers. It's going to give the 2009 a run for its money.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 90-92
Made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, the 2022 Duhart-Milon is deep garnet-purple in color. It rocks up with ready-to-impress notes of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and menthol, followed by hints of cinnamon stick, rose oil, and fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of lively black berry and minty flavors, framed by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 17.5+
Château Duhart-Milon (4ème Cru Pauillac) 78 Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 Merlot 50% new oak and some amphorae, too 13.7% alc Harvest dates were 31 August – 28 September 15% press wine Dryer and more closed than Carruades de Lafite, from the same portfolio, intense cassis fruit here is delivered as a square and somewhat abrupt package, foreshortening the finish. Once the initial burst of Cabernet subsides (I cannot sense any Merlot here, because the Cabernet fruit is so dominant), a halo of tannin and acidity rolls on quietly, vital to this Duhart’s future. This will be a long-lived vintage given the quality of the tannins, which are beautifully refined, and there is more than enough intensity of fruit in the tank to go a long way.
2022 Ch Léoville Barton 2ème Cru St Julien
£390.00 In Bond £484.07 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Léoville Barton was picked between 8 and 23 September at 30hL/ha and matured in 60% new oak. This represents the first vintage that has been vinified using gravity and cuvons (basically vats on wheels!) in their newly-built winery. The nose makes an instant impact with intense black cherry, bilberry and violet aromas. A nuanced estuarine/oyster shell scent emerges with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-chiseled tannins, fabulous precision, a killer line of acidity and more mineralité on the finish, that it knows what to do with. This is a precision-tooled Léoville Barton with the sharpness of a samurai sword. The 2022 marks the start of a new and glorious chapter for the Saint-Julien estate, which passes in the slipstream of the 22019 and 2022. It constitutes the finest Léoville Barton that I have tasted out of barrel. Tasted three times. Drink 2030-2070
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 96-97+
One of the stars of the Médoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that's vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it's the first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Léoville Barton is a total model of classicism, even in this warm, dry year. All of the Léoville Barton signatures are present, even if the wine is still coming together. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, gravel and dried herbs open nicely in the glass, but it is the wine’s energy and overall tension that I find most surprising. This is classic as classic gets. Not interested in making the richest or showiest wines, nor interested in jacking up prices as high as they can be. Readers will find a straightforward (in the best sense of the term) Saint-Julien that captures the best of what Bordeaux can be. Just enough of everything, but not too much of any one thing.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 96-98
Lilian Barton and her two children Damien and Mélanie quite simply cannot put a foot wrong at this fine Second Growth, which has belonged to the family since the 1826. This is as classical an example of St Julien as it gets. The 83% Cabernet Sauvignon shows its varietal character in spades, with blackberry, pencil shavings, fresh tobacco and eucalyptus. First impressions show a wine which concentrates on charm and rounded sweet fruit, but swiftly develops to show boldness, structure and statesman-like complexity. Focused and with enormous potential.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 96
Very polished and poised with blackberry and blueberry character. Medium body with tight and focused tannin tension. Lively finish. Harmonious for the vintage.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 96
Balanced, elegant, built to last, with campfire smoke, turmeric, cloves, blackberry, cassis, cherry pit, graphite and mint leaf. As with the Langoa, this has more exuberance and spice than usual, but the tannins kick in pretty quickly, providing intensity, and balance. The concentration of the vintage almost seems to take it from St Julien into Pauillac, and this has the frame and density to age for decades. Highly impressive from Lilian, Melanie and Damien Barton. 60% new.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 94-96+
The 2022 Château Léoville Barton is another pretty, elegant wine from this talented team. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5 % Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of ripe red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, graphite, and violets. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has fine tannins, a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's surprisingly approachable yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up over the course of its élevage.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
Château Léoville Barton (2ème Cru Saint-Julien) 83 Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5 Merlot, 5.5 Cabernet Franc 60% new oak 13 14.1% alc Every piece of the jigsaw is in place here with classy, deep cassis-soaked fruit and a long, soothing, fine-grained finish. What I most admire about 2022 Léoville Barton is that there is no excess whatsoever. A model of balance and composure, as is often the case at the exemplary estate, unlike other Saint-Juliens, this saunters up to the palate and graciously introduces itself instead of rushing at you headlong and winding you with its highly-strung personality and frantic flavours. There is much more to come here as the intricately assembled array of tannins dissolves and profound minerality steps into its place. Patience is required; in time, this will be regarded as a thoroughly regal vintage.
2022 Ch Clerc Milon 5ème Cru Pauillac
£396.00 In Bond £491.27 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 91-93
The 2022 Clerc Milon, matured in 55% new oak with 14.6% alcohol, has a very tightly-wound nose at the moment. There's good fruit concentration, but it is missing a bit of personality, unlike its stablemate d'Armailhac. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and good grip. It's pretty dense and grainy in texture. With graphite on the aftertaste, this Pauillac conveys fine tension but will require several years of aging in bottle. I feel this is hiding its virtues at the moment. Drink 2030-2055
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Clerc Milon is beautiful, offering up aromas of cherries, raspberries and plums mingled with hints of pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's taut and lively, with a vibrant core of fruit framed by fine, chalky tannins. Its clay-limestone terroir lends it a distinctive signature that sets it apart from the rest of the portfolio.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 91-93
The 2022 Clerc Milon is plump, juicy and vibrant, with terrific energy and tons of class. Sumptuous black cherry, gravel, licorice, menthol and spice are beautifully dialed up in this decidedly flamboyant edition of Clerc Milon. A sample tasted in a group setting outside the château was far fresher than the wine I tasted at the estate, evidence that much of en primeur tasting is ridiculous. A sample presented at Mouton-Rothschild was five days old and oxidized. I rated it (86-88). Drink 2028-2042.
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Goedhuis, May 2023, Score: 94-96
The Mouton Rothschild winemaking team had great confidence in the quality of fruit in 2022. This is reflected in the proportion of press wine used in the final blend of their Clerc Milon: 13% rather than the usual 9%, with exceptionally fine and pure tannins. Brilliant purple colour, wafts of dark cherry and blackberry jump out of the glass. With an appetising density, this is deep and concentrated. A warm, comforting richness is aided by muscle and depth on the finish. Classy.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 95
Focused and bright with plenty of fruit but oranges and minerals in the mid-palate. Really fresh with a fresh bitterness.
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 95
The depths are evident in the velvety texture and colour, and it stretches out through the palate with slow confidence. Plenty of grip and supple tannins that cradle the cassis and bilberry fruit, studded with olive, cocoa bean, white pepper, slate, clear spice, intense phenolics and this is excellent quality. Caroline Artaud technical director. Old vine Carmanère no doubt helps add the spice and eucalyptus edge. 63% of production in this wine, 55% new oak, 3.83ph. 37hl/h yield.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 94-96
As to the Grand Vin 2022 Château Clerc Milon, it reminds me of the 2018 with its full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant style. Cassis, graphite, espresso roast, and lead pencil notes define the aromatics, and it has a beautiful spine of acidity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It shows the ripe, exuberant yet structured style of the vintage beautifully. The blend is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenère, harvested between the 9th and 26th of September, with an alcohol content of 14.5%, a pH of 3.83, and an IPT of 74. The élevage here is 55% new French oak. Tasted multiple times with consistent notes.
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LPB, April 2023, Score: 93-95
The 2022 Clerc Milon is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere. Deep garnet-purple in color, it races out with vivacious notes of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and boysenberries, leading to touches of bay leaves, Indian spices, and garrigue. The full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit and savory layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with an herbal lift. pH 3.83, TPI 74.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 18.5+
This is an outstanding Clerc Milon, not least because the precision of the tannins is truly breathtaking, and they form the platform on which all of the glorious fruit and impeccable oak perform. This is the most accurate wine I have tasted from this Château, and the volume of flavour is nothing short of arresting. It seems to expand on the palate, and it never lets go. This is as terroirdriven a wine as I have ever tasted from Clerc Milon, and it is the model of vibrancy and definition. This must be the richest and most layered wine made at Clerc Milon in the modern era, but it is immaculately bright on the finish. In short, this is a unique vintage, and Rothschild Estate Manager, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, mentioned the 1949 vintage by way of comparison. I have never tasted ‘49 Clerc Milon, but if one has to go back 78 years for a reference point, it is safe to say that this is every bit a spectacular creation.
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
£435 - £520 In Bond2022 Ch Troplong Mondot Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£450 - £575 In Bond-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Troplong-Mondot was picked from 29 August when it was 31° Celsius, which according to estate director Aymeric de Gironde, felt cool compared to the rest of summer. The alcohol is 14.9% with the pH of 3.48. It sees no SO2 until it is transferred into barrel. The nose is very attractive and certainly very expressive of its limestone terroir: blackberry, briary, crushed iris petal and light marine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, quite chalky in texture, that acidic spine governing its overall mouthfeel. Sapid on the finish, this Troplong Mondot builds in the mouth and coats it on the finish. De Gironde and I discussed my previous scores. I always said that he would get better and better during his tenure and this is clearly the case in 2022, the best Troplong Mondot...so far. Drink 2032-2068
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 98-100
A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot's vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 96-98
The 2022 Troplong Mondot is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted here. Seamless and layered, the 2022 caresses the palate with layers of dark-fleshed fruit, spice, leather and mocha. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. The typical Troplong stature is present, but the tannins are nearly imperceptible. Clean saline notes extend the long, precise finish. In 2022, the estate was quite selective and only bottled about 70% of the production as Grand Vin, as opposed to the more typical 90% or so. Drink 2032-2062.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 17.5
For Aymeric de Gironde “the quality of the roots defined the vintage”. From his enviable position at the edge of the limestone plateau, his vines’ roots performed extremely well in 2022. There’s a real energy and tension to this. The aromatics are stunning: scented ripe and bright red fruit cascade from the glass, with cherry stone and spiced plum all sheathed in hints of French oak. The first impression in the mouth is of ripe, crisp fruit, their juice flowing effortlessly. Like many great wines of this vintage, the fine powdery tannins build underneath, but never dominate, as that vibrant freshness carries the wine all the way to the long, moreish finish.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 17.5
Very attractive aromas of plums and chocolate with hints of raspberry bush and hazelnut. So fresh and even savory with medium to full body. Such a wide tannin structure building up on the palate. Shows depth and length with lots of minerality. Floral. Beautiful already. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc.
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Jancis Robinson, April 2023, Score: 98
Fragrant and fine with red-fruit and liquorice notes. An impressive amount of juicy fruit on the palate, the tannins plentiful but silky and smooth. Builds on the palate providing a long, fresh, chalky finish. Elegant and harmonious. (James Lawther MW) 14.5% Drink 2029 – 2048
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 98
Violet edged with an inky core. Expertly delivers the sense of energy that is so key to the best wines in 2022. As powerful as you would expect from these clay-limestone soils, the vintage character shows in dried rosemary and white pepper spice, lacing the fresher blueberry and loganberry fruits. These are big tannins that take a long time to uncurl during tasting and will take a long time in bottle to come around. Contained power, with chocolate block, liqourice, dried roses, delicate but underpinned by menacingly powerful tannins, and a saline twist. Expert construction from director Aymeric de Gironde, carefully containing both the natural power of the soils of Troplong and the natural concentration of the vintage.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99
Clearly the finest wine to date under the new team and direction here, the 2022 Château Troplong Mondot reveals a vivid purple hue as well as sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and graphite, with a beautiful underpinning of chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. The purity, precision, and just sheer class are something to behold.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19+
This is a stunningly complex Troplong, and the nose and flavour are like opening an encyclopaedia of perfume and leafing through its pages. Whole bunches are employed here to add amazing detail and freshness, and the fruit itself is hedonistic, gastronomic and infinitely layered. Earth, chypre, stem, leaf and, importantly, gloriously ripe fruit sing on the nose and palate, and the tannins are as silky and refined as ever. Gentle fruit handling and meticulous blending have resulted in a mouth-watering, limestone-pricked wine with great traction and finesse. The 2022 vintage is a paean to the incredible small berries and flavour-packed skins harvested at Troplong, and there appears to be more vitality and energy in this wine than I have seen before, and this will equip it for the long run.
2022 Ch Rauzan Ségla 2ème Cru Margaux New Released 09/06/2023
£505.00 In Bond £622.07 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla was picked 2 to 28 September at 30hL/ha and matured for 18 months in 50% new oak. Nicolas Audebert told me that it contains 17% vin de presse which is slightly higher than normal, a combination of 150 separate vinifications. This has a very opulent bouquet with layers of black cherries, créme de cassis and violets. Perhaps just a little too decadent? The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance, grainy tannins, very pure and focused with quite a minerally finish. Long in the mouth. It's just missing that knockout blow at the moment, yet it's still a supremely well-crafted Margaux. Drink 2030-2065
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Wine Advocate, April 2023, Score: 96-97
The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is a beautifully sensual, charming wine, bursting with aromas of cherries, dark berries and plums mingled with hints of violets, sweet loamy soil and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of vibrant fruit, supple tannins and a long, succulent finish. The 2022 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot; and in 2022, the east-facing sides of the vines, which see the afternoon sun, were picked separately, along with anything that showed signs of stress.
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Antonio Galloni, April 2023, Score: 95-97
The 2022 Rauzan-Ségla is a rich, opulent wine that very much reflects the nature of this radiant, dry year. Super-ripe dark plum, cassis, chocolate, gravel, cloves and new leather build as the 2022 shows off its unabashedly opulent personality. Even with all of its intensity, the 2022 retains tons of persistence and energy. It's a fabulous wine in this tricky vintage. Tasted three times. Drink 2032-2062.
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Goedhuis, April 2023, Score: 96-98
Nicolas Audebert, the Chanel estates’ wine director, has not missed a beat in this vintage. This Rauzan Segla expresses the warmth of the vintage whilst also achieving a terroir identity justifying its Second Growth classification. Deep dark damson colour. Summer pudding, elderberry and creamy bouquet. Rich and rewarding, black fruits, cocoa bean, hints of graphite and tobacco leaf. A firmness of power and weight of fruit, with suppleness and length on the finish.
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James Suckling, April 2023, Score: 97-98
The freshness and clarity of the fruit is really something with black currants and cherries. Brilliant. Full-bodied, layered and round with polished tannins. I like the intensity and focus with such precision and gorgeousness. Is this the 2016 plus more?
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Jane Anson, April 2023, Score: 97
Supple texture, thoroughly impressive in its depth and grip, blackcurrant, blackberry, crayon, liquorice, mint, slate, fennel, ink, has confidence and character and just so much class. Brings precision to the exuberance of the vintage, barely puts a step wrong, so concentated and yet delivering slate and lift. Excellent. Tasted twice. 50% new barrels, Nicolas Auderbert director, 50% of production in the first wine.
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Jeb Dunnuck, April 2023, Score: 97-99
This château has been firing on all cylinders of late, no doubt due to the talents of technical director Nicolas Audebert, and a wine that's going to flirt with perfection is their 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla. Powerful notes of black cherries, currants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and leafy herbs all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated texture, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This is a legit great wine that's going to rival the 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2023, Score: 19+
Château Rauzan-Ségla (2ème Cru Margaux) 72 Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 Merlot, 2 Petit Verdot 50% new oak for 18 months 14.5% alc 3.7 pH 30 hl/ha With considerable power and concentration, this is a closed wine with a midnight black fruit core and the deepest foundations. It appears to be commandingly oaky, but as it is so well integrated, it is hard to see this carpentry, aside from on the finish, where it brings crisp sappiness and mouthwatering traction. Introverted, grand, layered and exotic, this will be a sleeper, and it is clearly made of stunning raw materials, so do not dive in for at least a decade. Interestingly, they harvested the eastern sides of the vines and the western sides of the vines separately, ensuring that the fruit 16 was all in perfect condition as it entered the winery. This extra level of effort has certainly paid off, as this is my highest-ever scoring vintage of Rauzan-Ségla.
