Campaign
Prices:
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Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted.Inc. VAT£515.15 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Just love this wine, the lyricism and the generosity of it, and its always vivid depiction of fruits and stones. So juicy, so drawn out, works with the vintage, leans into its low yields, with greengages, raspberry, plum, gentle spices, lemongrass, minerality studded with mandarin peel and sage. Translucent and yet full of flavour, once again it begs you to draw up a chair, gather friends, and enjoy. What a brilliant wine and a brilliant winemaker in Bibi Graetz. From a 58ha estate, Colore comes from the oldest vineyards of Sangiovese that range up to 135 years old.Inc. VAT£366.78 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2021 Beaune Clos de la Mousse 1er Cru comes from vines on a flat, dense clay soil, that are among the last to be picked. The wine has plenty of dark berry, cold black tea and light sea spray scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, plush tannins that lend this rondeur, harmonious with a sweet, almost candied finish. This will be more approachable than the Les Teurons, though it does not possess the same complexity.Inc. VAT£461.89 -
Decanter (96)
Juicy and lively, cool and crisp with concentrated but cool tannins that give the structure and density. It's massy, full, upfront, but retains a charm in that nothing is harsh or austere or too spiced. It's full but there's something very captivating about this, has excitement and vibrancy and will be totally delicious and moreish when the time is right. Lovely acidity, beautiful red fruits, crisp and tense yet layered and ripe, mineral too. Gives you the emotion! Harvest 7-27 September. Ageing in French oak, 60% new, 40% one year old.Inc. VAT£239.15 -
The Wine Independent (96)
The 2021 CARO, 79% Malbec and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars from the glass with expressive notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and licorice with hints of candied violets and spice cake. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with perfumed black fruits, framed by super-ripe, super-plush tannins and tantalizing freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is an impressive showing for this joint venture between Lafite Rothschild and Nicolas Catena.Inc. VAT£329.38 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Always a pleasure to taste this wine, from 1.4ha of limestone soils at 1,390m elevation, and once again it delivers at the top of its category. It has a reticence at first, with an austere opening that punches through to fragrant dried and freshly cut sage and fennel herbs, rich with incense, black tea, crushed flowers, blackcurrant, cassis and raspberry fruits, spiced pear, chalk, graphite, white truffle. It's hard to stop when it comes to naming the flavours, so drawn out and precisely crafted is the construction. 475 cases from winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Fermentation in concrete with 50% whole cluster, followed by ageing in 75% French oak barrels, 25% in large oak casks.Inc. VAT£513.36 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.Inc. VAT£2,918.52 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.Inc. VAT£421.18 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The finest example of the château I've tasted, the 2022 Château Clerc Milon is deep purple-hued with a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and graphite. It's full-bodied, concentrated, has a weightless mouthfeel, and beautiful tannins, all making for a riveting Pauillac. It needs a decade of bottle age to hit prime time, but this is another truly special 2022 that readers should pounce on.Inc. VAT£455.52 -
James Suckling (99)
A really refined, expressive and layered Clos Apalta with fine olives, incense, cigar box, cocoa powder, Spanish chocolate, pencil shavings, graphite and fine spices. Juicy, bright and full-bodied palate with a fine saline, savory twist. Very long and juicy. 64% carmenere, 19% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 2% petit verdot. Real finesse from 2020. Drink from 2024.Inc. VAT£558.80 -
James Suckling (95-96)
Structured and fluffy with a blanket of fine tannins. Full-bodied yet agile and floating. Juicy at the end. Excellent finish. Lots of lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 45.5% merlot, 44.5% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.Inc. VAT£441.35 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.Inc. VAT£437.04 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Domaine De Chevalier is beautiful, with a 2009-like style in its spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Chevalier that has a supple, layered mouthfeel, beautifully polished tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's not massive or over the top in any way and excels on its balance and complexity. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, drink this seamless, sexy, already approachable 2022 over the coming 30-40 years.Inc. VAT£383.15 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years.Inc. VAT£389.52 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
The beautiful Fattoria La Massa 2019 Giorgio Primo is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Vintner Giampaolo Motta's inspiration is the great wines of Bordeaux, and his vision has never changed despite many passing trends. But perhaps his most important choice as a winemaker (born outside of Tuscany) is his firm commitment to Panzano in Chianti as the ideal home for the French grapes he cultivates. An exciting new Merlot is also in the works, so stay tuned. This is an etched and polished wine with dark fruit, spice, graphite and pencil shavings. The tannins are beautifully managed, and the wine is long and complex.Inc. VAT£419.38 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, 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. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949?Inc. VAT£1,401.49 -
James Suckling (98)
Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Best after 2029.Inc. VAT£363.12 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2022 Gloria has an engaging and complex nose: black fruit, touches of blueberry, welcome estuarine scents, almost seaweed-like. Well defined, and the oak here is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, well judged acidity, gains weight towards the finish but it maintains superb delineation and focus. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.Inc. VAT£235.09 -
James Suckling (97)
Licorice with tapenade, cassis, roasted spices and a touch of bergamot and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and structured, this has filigreed tannins in a very dusty, almost powdery form. Really youthful and long. Juicy and compact with spot-on balance. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot. Give it at least three years to unwind and develop complexity.Inc. VAT£344.75 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Gruaud Larose is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 95% new barrels. It's an inky-hued 2022 that has a killer nose of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, liquid violets, and a beautiful, crushed stone-like minerality. This powerful, full-bodied Gruaud La Rose has plenty of mid-palate depth, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's probably best hidden in the back of the cellar for a decade if possible, but it should be incredibly long-lived. I think it's as good as the 2018 and one of the absolute classics from this château.Inc. VAT£505.92 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
The latest Vin de Constance is a very good rather than truly great iteration of this famous sweet wine, but that still makes it pretty special. Made with 28 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan, picked over the space of only three weeks because of the hotter vintage, it has honey, barley sugar, guava and apricot flavours, scented oak spices and a finish that combines glycerol with bright acidity.Inc. VAT£374.28 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013.Inc. VAT£289.92 -
James Suckling (96)
Quite a classic wine for this hot and dry year. Excellent depth but also freshness, with convincing ripeness and a very long finish. Just medium to full body, with gritty tannins at the end. The fruit sweetness here is restrained. 60% new oak. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£632.50 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Generous and complex, with white blossoms, citrus confit, flaky pear pastry, honey, and almonds, with a refreshing, refined minerality and salinity at the finish. This is a stunning vintage, rich and expressive while showing great finesse. Still youthful. Produced from carefully tended, one-hectare plot on chalky hill in Reims. Vinified in barrels, no malolactic fermentation. Disgorged December 2022 with 4 grams per liter of dosage. 6768 bottles produced.Inc. VAT£679.93 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Laroque, it checks in as 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak with a mix in larger formats, as well as a portion in foudre. Gorgeous black raspberries, spring flowers, graphite, and truffly mineral and crushed stone-like nuances all shine in this stunningly complex, medium to full-bodied effort. With ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins, it's going to drink well for at least 30 years. The alcohol here is a healthy 14.7 with a pH of 3.4. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine! Buy a case for your cellar. You can thank me later.Inc. VAT£400.30 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion checks in as 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot that spent 16 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautifully perfumed, medium to full-bodied, elegant 2022 that has red, blue, and some black fruits, a lifted, floral perfume of incense, smoky tobacco, and blood orange, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done, and while it's already accessible, it should age beautifully for two decades.Inc. VAT£203.15 -
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
Up there with the top second wines in the vintage, the deep purple-hued 2022 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up textbook Pauillac (and Mouton) notes of ripe black fruits, spicy wood, crushed stone, and graphite, with a terrific floral character with air. It's medium to full-bodied, pure, layered, and flawlessly balanced. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.Inc. VAT£961.55 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak.Inc. VAT£610.55 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The 2022 Château Lynch-Bages is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its inky purple hue is followed by a sensational Pauillac that has a blockbuster (and classic Lynch-Bages) style in its darker currants, smoke tobacco, lead pencil, and crushed stone-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, powerful, massively concentrated 2022 that has a dense, layered mid-palate, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a rare mix of power and elegance. This is a château that’s clearly firing on all cylinders, and this magical beauty will need a decade (or more) to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window. Don't miss it!Inc. VAT£637.78 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with scents of licorice, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's suave, seamless and complete, with faultless precision, pristine integration of tannin, controlled sweetness and a long, expansive finish. The 2022 manages to unite the sensuality that's the estate's calling card and the ripeness of the vintage on the one hand, with a sense of Pauillac classicism on the other, threading the needle to deliver one of the finest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. It's a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in barriques (three months more than was formerly the case), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote en primeur, there's more than a hint of the 1982 about this wine, and like the 1982, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally wide drinking window.Inc. VAT£995.52
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Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Beychevelle comes from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by an absolutely stunning nose of crème de cassis and plum fruit intermixed with leafy herbs, spring flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. This full-bodied Beychevelle has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. This is brilliant stuff that already offers pleasure today yet will cruise over the following two to three decades. It's the finest Beychevelle I've tasted.In Bond£410.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Just love this wine, the lyricism and the generosity of it, and its always vivid depiction of fruits and stones. So juicy, so drawn out, works with the vintage, leans into its low yields, with greengages, raspberry, plum, gentle spices, lemongrass, minerality studded with mandarin peel and sage. Translucent and yet full of flavour, once again it begs you to draw up a chair, gather friends, and enjoy. What a brilliant wine and a brilliant winemaker in Bibi Graetz. From a 58ha estate, Colore comes from the oldest vineyards of Sangiovese that range up to 135 years old.In Bond£296.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2021 Beaune Clos de la Mousse 1er Cru comes from vines on a flat, dense clay soil, that are among the last to be picked. The wine has plenty of dark berry, cold black tea and light sea spray scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, plush tannins that lend this rondeur, harmonious with a sweet, almost candied finish. This will be more approachable than the Les Teurons, though it does not possess the same complexity.In Bond£367.00 -
Decanter (96)
Juicy and lively, cool and crisp with concentrated but cool tannins that give the structure and density. It's massy, full, upfront, but retains a charm in that nothing is harsh or austere or too spiced. It's full but there's something very captivating about this, has excitement and vibrancy and will be totally delicious and moreish when the time is right. Lovely acidity, beautiful red fruits, crisp and tense yet layered and ripe, mineral too. Gives you the emotion! Harvest 7-27 September. Ageing in French oak, 60% new, 40% one year old.In Bond£180.00 -
The Wine Independent (96)
The 2021 CARO, 79% Malbec and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars from the glass with expressive notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and licorice with hints of candied violets and spice cake. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with perfumed black fruits, framed by super-ripe, super-plush tannins and tantalizing freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is an impressive showing for this joint venture between Lafite Rothschild and Nicolas Catena.In Bond£254.50 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Always a pleasure to taste this wine, from 1.4ha of limestone soils at 1,390m elevation, and once again it delivers at the top of its category. It has a reticence at first, with an austere opening that punches through to fragrant dried and freshly cut sage and fennel herbs, rich with incense, black tea, crushed flowers, blackcurrant, cassis and raspberry fruits, spiced pear, chalk, graphite, white truffle. It's hard to stop when it comes to naming the flavours, so drawn out and precisely crafted is the construction. 475 cases from winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Fermentation in concrete with 50% whole cluster, followed by ageing in 75% French oak barrels, 25% in large oak casks.In Bond£418.50 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2022 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up all in new oak, and this is the second year where no Petite Cheval was produced. (2015 was the last.) Its deep purple color is followed by a riveting Cheval Blanc that has fabulous aromatics of blackcurrants, spice, flowers, spicy wood, and white truffle. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, remarkably pure, elegant, seamless 2022 that has a layered, rounded mouthfeel, absolutely riveting purity, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It brings to mind a more refined, elegant version of the 2010 and is every bit its equal. Hitting 14% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.83, it warrants a solid decade of bottle age and will have 40-50+ years of overall prime drinking.In Bond£2,413.50 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded.In Bond£331.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The finest example of the château I've tasted, the 2022 Château Clerc Milon is deep purple-hued with a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and graphite. It's full-bodied, concentrated, has a weightless mouthfeel, and beautiful tannins, all making for a riveting Pauillac. It needs a decade of bottle age to hit prime time, but this is another truly special 2022 that readers should pounce on.In Bond£361.00 -
James Suckling (99)
A really refined, expressive and layered Clos Apalta with fine olives, incense, cigar box, cocoa powder, Spanish chocolate, pencil shavings, graphite and fine spices. Juicy, bright and full-bodied palate with a fine saline, savory twist. Very long and juicy. 64% carmenere, 19% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 2% petit verdot. Real finesse from 2020. Drink from 2024.In Bond£445.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
Structured and fluffy with a blanket of fine tannins. Full-bodied yet agile and floating. Juicy at the end. Excellent finish. Lots of lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 45.5% merlot, 44.5% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.In Bond£348.50 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2022 de Fieuzal meets all expectations, unfurling with a perfumed bouquet of violet, iris, dark wild berries and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it gains depth with the élevage, revealing a fleshy core of fruit and an enrobing mid-palate framed by velvety, sweet tannins. Finishing long, ethereal and fresh, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is one of my favorite wines in Pessac-Léognan. It will offer a broad drinking window and should improve with time in the cellar.In Bond£327.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Domaine De Chevalier is beautiful, with a 2009-like style in its spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Chevalier that has a supple, layered mouthfeel, beautifully polished tannins, and just about flawless balance. It's not massive or over the top in any way and excels on its balance and complexity. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, drink this seamless, sexy, already approachable 2022 over the coming 30-40 years.In Bond£300.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
The 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is all finesse and elegance, offering cassis, black raspberry, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied, it’s incredibly pure, layered, and seamless, with utter class from start to finish. You can safely drink bottles anytime over the coming 30 years.In Bond£306.00 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
The beautiful Fattoria La Massa 2019 Giorgio Primo is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Vintner Giampaolo Motta's inspiration is the great wines of Bordeaux, and his vision has never changed despite many passing trends. But perhaps his most important choice as a winemaker (born outside of Tuscany) is his firm commitment to Panzano in Chianti as the ideal home for the French grapes he cultivates. An exciting new Merlot is also in the works, so stay tuned. This is an etched and polished wine with dark fruit, spice, graphite and pencil shavings. The tannins are beautifully managed, and the wine is long and complex.In Bond£329.50 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, 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. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949?In Bond£1,150.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Best after 2029.In Bond£284.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2022 Gloria has an engaging and complex nose: black fruit, touches of blueberry, welcome estuarine scents, almost seaweed-like. Well defined, and the oak here is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, well judged acidity, gains weight towards the finish but it maintains superb delineation and focus. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.In Bond£178.00 -
James Suckling (97)
Licorice with tapenade, cassis, roasted spices and a touch of bergamot and pencil shavings. Full-bodied and structured, this has filigreed tannins in a very dusty, almost powdery form. Really youthful and long. Juicy and compact with spot-on balance. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot. Give it at least three years to unwind and develop complexity.In Bond£268.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The 2022 Château Gruaud Larose is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 95% new barrels. It's an inky-hued 2022 that has a killer nose of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, liquid violets, and a beautiful, crushed stone-like minerality. This powerful, full-bodied Gruaud La Rose has plenty of mid-palate depth, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's probably best hidden in the back of the cellar for a decade if possible, but it should be incredibly long-lived. I think it's as good as the 2018 and one of the absolute classics from this château.In Bond£403.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
The latest Vin de Constance is a very good rather than truly great iteration of this famous sweet wine, but that still makes it pretty special. Made with 28 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan, picked over the space of only three weeks because of the hotter vintage, it has honey, barley sugar, guava and apricot flavours, scented oak spices and a finish that combines glycerol with bright acidity.In Bond£299.50 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013.In Bond£223.00 -
James Suckling (96)
Quite a classic wine for this hot and dry year. Excellent depth but also freshness, with convincing ripeness and a very long finish. Just medium to full body, with gritty tannins at the end. The fruit sweetness here is restrained. 60% new oak. Drink or hold.In Bond£488.50 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Generous and complex, with white blossoms, citrus confit, flaky pear pastry, honey, and almonds, with a refreshing, refined minerality and salinity at the finish. This is a stunning vintage, rich and expressive while showing great finesse. Still youthful. Produced from carefully tended, one-hectare plot on chalky hill in Reims. Vinified in barrels, no malolactic fermentation. Disgorged December 2022 with 4 grams per liter of dosage. 6768 bottles produced.In Bond£558.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Laroque, it checks in as 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak with a mix in larger formats, as well as a portion in foudre. Gorgeous black raspberries, spring flowers, graphite, and truffly mineral and crushed stone-like nuances all shine in this stunningly complex, medium to full-bodied effort. With ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins, it's going to drink well for at least 30 years. The alcohol here is a healthy 14.7 with a pH of 3.4. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine! Buy a case for your cellar. You can thank me later.In Bond£295.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion checks in as 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Merlot that spent 16 months in barrel. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a beautifully perfumed, medium to full-bodied, elegant 2022 that has red, blue, and some black fruits, a lifted, floral perfume of incense, smoky tobacco, and blood orange, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully done, and while it's already accessible, it should age beautifully for two decades.In Bond£150.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
Up there with the top second wines in the vintage, the deep purple-hued 2022 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton Rothschild offers up textbook Pauillac (and Mouton) notes of ripe black fruits, spicy wood, crushed stone, and graphite, with a terrific floral character with air. It's medium to full-bodied, pure, layered, and flawlessly balanced. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.In Bond£782.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak.In Bond£489.50 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
The 2022 Château Lynch-Bages is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its inky purple hue is followed by a sensational Pauillac that has a blockbuster (and classic Lynch-Bages) style in its darker currants, smoke tobacco, lead pencil, and crushed stone-driven aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, powerful, massively concentrated 2022 that has a dense, layered mid-palate, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a rare mix of power and elegance. This is a château that’s clearly firing on all cylinders, and this magical beauty will need a decade (or more) to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window. Don't miss it!In Bond£511.50 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with scents of licorice, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's suave, seamless and complete, with faultless precision, pristine integration of tannin, controlled sweetness and a long, expansive finish. The 2022 manages to unite the sensuality that's the estate's calling card and the ripeness of the vintage on the one hand, with a sense of Pauillac classicism on the other, threading the needle to deliver one of the finest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. It's a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in barriques (three months more than was formerly the case), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote en primeur, there's more than a hint of the 1982 about this wine, and like the 1982, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally wide drinking window.In Bond£811.00
