Weine

Jeb Dunnuck: Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc all raised in 50% new French oak. Its deeper ruby hue is followed by a gorgeously classic Haut-Bailly nose of red and black currants, savory flowers, dried herbs, and chocolate. Reminding me of the 2009 (or maybe a mix of the 2009 and 2010) with its opulent, sexy, yet concentrated style, it still stays flawlessly balanced and light on its feet, with no sensation of weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for 5-7 years and will keep for 40+ years if well stored."

Decanter: Creamy, opulent scents on the nose - floral and dark fruit with vanilla and cinnamon. Smooth and friendly, this has a lovely weight and texture - crisp and chalky with bright acidity that's not too high or too low giving enough freshness and life to sustain the palate from start to finish. Ends cool and salty. Lovely to drink now."

Decanter: Glossy and shiny lemon fruit, feels really nice, a bit of honey and some bitterness but combines to be a really nice and refreshing mouthfeel with complexity. Very enjoyable."

Jeb Dunnuck: The 2022 Château La Clotte is another serious wine in the lineup. Mulled black cherries, liquid violets, spicy wood, and smoky, chocolaty nuances are just some of this wine’s nuances, and it's medium full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's one hell of a gorgeous Saint-Emilion that deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades."

Decanter: Juicy and really bright, the focus here is on the purity of the strawberry and blackcurrant fruit with slight hints of mint, dried herbs and toasted oak around the sides. Feels easy and effortless with purity and focus. Not so layered or plush as you might expect, this is fruit driven with high acidity and a long, lifted finish."

Jeb Dunnuck: As to the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is pure perfection, and it's as seamless, pure, and layered as they come, while still bringing incredible intensity and richness. Smoky red and black currants, leafy tobacco, scorched earth, as well as a hint of violets, all define this incredible wine, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, velvety sweet tannins, moderate acidity, and a gorgeous finish. I love this sexy, opulent, straight-up heavenly wine today, yet it can be drunk with incredible pleasure any time over the coming 50+ years. Reminding me of the 2009 and an undeniable candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2022 hit a solid 14% alcohol with a lofty pH of 3.95."

James Suckling: Lots of hazelnut chocolate and creamy vanilla character at the moment, but the fruit is not subdued, showing some rich but fresh blackberries and dark cherries throughout. Creamy, dusty tannins surround the palate with medium to full body and a really long, plush finish. Modern and truly well-made with very good length and acidity. Drink from 2027 when the wood spices round off."

James Suckling: A very tight yet energetic Lafleur showing brambleberries, black olives, leather, lavender and orange peel. It's very primary with perfectly ripe grape character, particularly cabernet franc. Medium- to full-bodied, this has solid density, powerful intensity and totally resolved tannins. Rather weightless. What a wine. The new 1950? This needs time, at least until after 2030, to reveal its true greatness."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Silky, fresh, supple, and creamy, the vibrancy in the fruits pairs perfectly with the sensuously textured, chocolate-tinted fruits in the mid-palate and long, medium-bodied finish. Drink from 2025-2045."

James Suckling: A crisp, crunchy white with guava, grapefruit, lemongrass and spice on the nose. Salty elements follow on a medium-bodied, textured palate that builds in flavor. Long, vibrant and wonderfully concentrated. Sauvignon and semillon. Drink or hold."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Lush, silky, fresh, and elegant, the beautiful floral character in the nose, with its cherry blossoms, truffle, chocolate, and plums leads the way to its refined, silky, mid-palate, and finish that is packed with sweet, ripe, refined, black cherries dipped in chocolate, with just a hint of licorice, and espresso for a long, plush, polished finish. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2050."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Heart-stopping in every sense of the term, the striking perfume sets the wine off with its showy display of flowers, cocoa, mint leaves, black cherry liqueur, and an array of plums. Texturally, this is all cashmere on the palate. The concentrated fruits are so pure, they taste as if they were just picked from the vineyard. The finish is seamless, looking at the 60-second mark before it builds, expands, and keeps on going. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2060."

James Suckling: This is very expressive, showing oranges, bread dough, dried flowers, red apples and cloves on the nose. It’s tight and dry yet balanced on the palate, with fine bubbles and bright acidity to complement the red and orange fruit character. Well structured. 100% pinot noir from Ambonnay. Disgorged February 2025. 1.5 g/L dosage. Better from 2027."

Dom Perignon - es gibt eben Champagner, über die muss man eigentlich keine Worte mehr verlieren. Allein der Klang des Namens Moet et Chandon und Dom Perignon reichen aus, um Weinfreunde rund um den Globus in Verzückung zu versetzen. Moet et Chandon ist nebenbei bemerkt die größte Kellerei in der Champagne. Dank James Bond, der Dom Perignon gerne trinkt, kennt ihn auch die ganze Welt. Dom Perigno

The Wine Cellar Insider: Dried flowers, violets, black and blue fruits, Asian spices, truffle, smoke, and licorice permeate the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is seductive, sensuous, long, rich, and sexy. The purity of the fruit is striking, with its perfect balance of power and elegance. Once the fruit touches your palate, the wine unfolds in all four directions, with increasing warmth and intensity. The finish, which crosses the 60-second mark with ease, leaves you with layers of truffle-accented black cherries, plums, blueberries, and spice. The wine is perfectly balanced, seamless, and well, perfect. Drink from 2030-2070."

Jeb Dunnuck: Leading off the wines from this fabulous château, the 2022 Pensées De Lafleur is based on 57% Merlot and 43% Bouchet (an older Cabernet Franc selection) that's from a unique vein of more clay soils in the vineyard. It's a sensational wine in its own right, and readers shouldn't overlook this. Ripe black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, and foresty, winter savory and tobacco notes all define the aromatics, and it's a voluptuous, round, incredibly seamless, sexy Pensées that's better than the vast majority of chateaux’s Grand Vins."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Quite floral in nature, the wine quickly moves to its black cherries, plums, black raspberries, and hint of cocoa in the nose. The palate is packed with chocolate-covered, salty cherries and plums. Due to its limestone terroir, the fruits taste as if they were blended with crushed stones, giving you lift, complexity, and length. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Franc with 50% Merlot. Drink from 2028-2040."

James Suckling: A curious wine that offers lots of fruit character on the nose, beginning with blackberries and flowers that move to integrated tannins, proceeding to a firmness and a well-framed palate. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc. This needs four or five years but is lovely already."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Truffle, flowers, dark chocolate, black cherries, licorice, and chocolate-drenched plums create a rich aromatic profile. The wine is deep, concentrated, lush, and abundant. Opulent, plummy, and sapid, it requires a few years in the bottle to fill out, soften, and develop its velvety characteristics. The wine blends 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and .05% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2029 to 2055."

Die Entstehung einer Legende im Pomerol in Bordeaux Chateau Le Pin wurde in den späten 1970er Jahren von der Familie Thienpont, Besitzer des unweit gelegenen Vieux Chateau Certan, gegründet. Ursprünglich handelte es sich um eine kleine, lediglich zwei Hektar große Parzelle, die von der Familie erworben wurde, um einen neuen Wein zu kreieren, der sich durch eine außerordentliche Qualität und Individualität auszeichnet. Die Familie Thienpont und ihr Einfluss auf das Weingut Innerhalb weniger Jahrzehnte gelang es Chateau Le Pin, zu einer echten Legende in der Weinwelt aufzusteigen. Dank der Expertise und dem Innovationsgeist der Thienponts wurde das Weingut zu einer der prestigeträchtigsten Marken im Pomerol. Ihre Erfahrung und ihr Engagement für höchste Qualität waren maßgeblich für den Erfolg von Chateau Le Pin verantwortlich. Terroir und Weinberg Das Terroir von Chateau Le Pin zeichnet sich durch eine dicke Schicht aus Kies und Sand aus, während der Lehm deutlich tiefer liegt. Die Böden, bekannt als „Crasse de fer“, sind charakteristisch für Pomerol. Diese Mischung aus lehmigen und sandigen Kiesböden mit Eiseneinschlüssen schafft ideale Bedingungen und verleiht den Weinen eine beeindruckende Tiefe und Komplexität. Chateau Le Pin umfasst nur eine sehr kleine Anbaufläche, die zu 92% mit Merlot und 8% Cabernet Franc bestockt ist. Auf sieben Parzellen mit einer Gesamtfläche von nur zwei Hektar wachsen die Reben mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 40 Jahren. Die Familie Thienpont legt großen Wert auf nachhaltige Anbaumethoden, um die Qualität des Weins zu bewahren und die Umwelt zu schützen. Dies umfasst den Verzicht auf chemische Pestizide und den Einsatz natürlicher Techniken zur Bodenpflege. Der Weinherstellungsprozess Die Herstellung von Chateau Le Pin erfolgt nach traditionellen Methoden, die seit Generationen weitergegeben wurden. Die Trauben werden von Hand gelesen, um sicherzustellen, dass nur die besten Früchte verwendet werden. Nach der sorgfältigen Selektion werden die Trauben sanft gepresst und in kleinen Chargen vergoren, um die individuellen Aromen optimal zu erhalten. Neben den traditionellen Techniken nutzt Chateau Le Pin auch moderne Innovationen, um die Qualität des Weins weiter zu verbessern. Dazu gehört die Verwendung von temperaturkontrollierten Edelstahltanks, die eine präzise Kontrolle des Gärungsprozesses ermöglichen. Nach der Gärung wird der Wein in französischen Barriques ausgebaut, wo er bis zu 18 Monate reift. Der gesamte Fokus liegt auf der Schaffung einer Qualität, die ihresgleichen sucht. FAQs zu Chateau Le Pin Woher kommt eigentlich der Name? Das Weingut verdankt seinen Namen dem Kieferbaum, der neben dem Haus steht, in dem der Spitzenwein produziert wird. Warum gilt Le Pin als Ausnahmewein? Chateau Le Pin gilt als Ausnahmewein, weil er sowohl die charakteristischen Merkmale des Pomerol widerspiegelt als auch eine unverwechselbare Individualität besitzt. Die Kombination aus Terroir, traditioneller Handwerkskunst und dem Engagement der Familie Thienpont macht diesen Wein einzigartig. Warum sind die Weine so selten? Die geringe Anbaufläche und die limitierten Mengen der Produktion machen Chateau Le Pin zu einem äußerst seltenen Wein. Die jährliche Produktion beträgt nur wenige Tausend Flaschen, was den Wein zu einer begehrten Rarität macht.

Decanter: Hay, straw, lemon, green apple, and elderflower with a waxy, floral nuance. Incredibly zingy and electric on the palate, bursting with freshness and crystalline purity. Mouthwatering acidity, a touch of bitterness, and exhilarating intensity create a thrilling experience. Crisp green apple, pear, pineapple, and tropical fruit remain sharp, clean, and focused. The texture is flawless, keeping your attention from start to finish. So much verve, character, and precision - it’s simply captivating. A truly fabulous white with endless energy."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: The 2022 Lucia, 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. A little muted to start, it soon unfurls to offer a pretty perfume of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, and violets, plus hints of cardamom and clove oil. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of ripe, round tannins and compelling tension to support the generous fruit, finishing long and fragrant."

Weinwisser: 96 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc. Ungeheuer tiefgründiges, dicht verwobenes Bouquet, zarter Anflug von Wildkirsche, Graphit, Olivenpaste, Brasiltabak und rotem Johannisbeernektar. Am sehr komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst, balancierter Rasse und muskulösem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale eine Explosion schwarzbeeriger Konturen, dunkler Mineralik und königlicher Adstringenz. Ein Monument eines Weines, hier zücke ich ganz klar die Höchstnote."

Jeb Dunnuck: Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. Reminding me of a more elegant version of the 2010, it has a dense purple hue to go with a rich, powerful, full-bodied, sensationally complex nose of cassis and darker berries interwoven with woodsmoke, scorched earth, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Concentrated, deep, and layered on the palate with ripe, velvety tannins, it's a sensational, absolutely heavenly effort that will keep for 40-50 years. Along with the 2009, 2010, and 2020, this is one of the greatest wines to ever come from this address. Don't miss it."

Wine Enthusiast: A ripe, full wine with generous tannins and a black plum aroma. It is concentrated, its acidity and texture combined well with the fruit. Drink from 2026."

Jeb Dunnuck: Awesome levels of blackcurrants, darker cherries, roasted herbs, chocolate, and scorched earth all emerge from the 2022 Château Malartic-Lagravière, an incredibly concentrated, rich, layered beauty that has velvety tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. It's easily the finest I've tasted from this château and is a riveting 2022 that deserves 4-6 years in the cellar and will keep for two decades or more. The 2022 is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with the élevage spanning 20 months in 60% new French oak. There are a little over 8,000 cases of this brilliant wine."

Wine Enthusiast: The wine is dominated by fine Sauvignon Blanc. It has a marvelous poise between great freshness and richness, which is especially impressive given it's from a dry year. This is a powerful wine, a great success given the growing conditions."

The Wine Cellar Insider: If you liked 2018 Palmer, you are going to love the 2022! Produced in a similar style, the wine is ostentatious, flamboyant, and incredibly concentrated, yet it is also elegant, upbeat, and complex. The perfume is on the floral side with spices, and sweet, dark, with red berries. Also, like all the best vintages here, it is the texture that steals owns the show. The palate is pure silk, and velvet, making the perfect backdrop for its non-stop waves of sensuous fruit that start and keep on going, long after the wine has left the glass. The wine blends 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2029-2065."

Jeb Dunnuck: A smoking Margaux with tons of character, the 2022 Château Marojallia showed beautifully. Ripe cherries, blueberries, spring flowers, and tobacco all make an appearance in the bouquet, and it hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, structured style that has everything in the right place. I don't see it being for the instant gratification crowd, but if you're able to hide these in the cellar for 4-6 years or so, you'll be a happy camper. I wouldn't be surprised to see this rival the 2009 when all is said and done."

Falstaff: Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Würze, Brombeerkonfit, tabakige Nuancen, feines Cassis ist unterlegt, Komplex, engmaschig, feine Kirschfrucht, gute Frische, reife, tragende Tannine, etwas Nougat, anhaltend, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial, würde in jeder Blindverkostung glatt als Pauillac durchgehen, erst im Finish tauchen die Gewürznuancen von St. Julien auf."

The Wine Cellar Insider: The nose steals your focus with its showy display of truffles, cigar boxes, spices, black and blue fruits, and dried flowers. However, it is the palate that steals the show with its ostentatious, flamboyant, velvet, and cashmere-textured display of red and black fruits. The wine continues to build in intensity as it expands in every direction on your palate. The seamless finish lasts beyond the 60-second mark, inspiring you to take another sniff and sip to enjoy the pleasure you find again and again. This is a future legendary wine from Mouton Rothschild. The wine blends 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, with an ABV of 14%. Drink from 2030-2070."

Wine Enthusiast: From one of the many estates on the Pez plateau in the heart of Saint-Estèphe, this wine has a fine, dense structure, supported by tannins. It has a dark coffee aroma, layered black currant fruits and ripe acidity. Drink from at least 2028."

James Suckling: This is really perfumed with rose petals and citrus fruit. It's medium-bodied with brightness and fine tannins that caress the palate. Focused. Vivid. The second wine of Domaine de Chevalier. Drink after 2027."

James Suckling: Opulent and delicious with lots of green mango and pineapple aromas and flavors. Smoked cream and green apples. Showing salty, briny character, it’s dense but not heavy, flavorful and very long. Pear-drop candy at the end. Pure sauvignon blanc, as always. Rich yet lively and wonderful. Feels like a great Montrachet. One for the cellar. 8,000 bottles made. You just want to drink it. Drink or hold."

James Suckling: A rich, dark-fruited nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, vanilla and cedar. Some earthy notes, too. Medium- to full-bodied, this shows firm tannins with impressive depth and length. Firm, minerally finish. Drink from 2028."

Jeb Dunnuck: Deeper ruby-hued, the 2022 Château Rol Valentin checks in as 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec, all of which spent 19 months in 40% new barrels. It's rock-solid stuff offering terrific notes of darker cherries, plums, spicy wood, and candied violet notes in a richer, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style. Made in a slightly more modern, well-oaked style, it's still pure Saint-Emilion goodness with notable minerality and ample character. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and enjoy over the following 10-15 years."

The Wine Cellar Insider: There is no hotter wine from Pomerol than VCC today! And 2022 is a perfect example of why. Opaque in color, the nose explodes with its array of black, red, and blue fruits, dark chocolate, flowers, and truffles. There is so much intensity and concentration that it is hard to understand how everything remains perfectly balanced, as well as fresh. The sensuous, supple, and silky finish ends with a vibrancy to the fruits, a mild touch of salt, and a refreshing hint of mint on the back end. This future legend and candidate for wine of the vintage can age and evolve for decades. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2065."

Jane Anson: Skilful construction here, slate and pumice stone texture, with a clutch of wild roses, sage, bitter orange zest. Brambled autumnal fruits with a kiss of cloves, turmeric and baking spice reflecting the ripeness achieved within the vintage, harnessed to a sense of reserve and a foot on the break in the opulence of the vintage. Impressive, delivers on En Primeur promise. 32hl/h yield, 7.5ha. Axel Marchal consultant. 3.5ph. Harvest September 8 to 26. Peter Sisseck winemaker, co-owner with Silvio Denz. 35% new oak barrels for ageing, biodynamic certified."

Jeb Dunnuck: Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Pavie is 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 75% new barrels for 20 months. It brings a more focused, precise style in its darker berries, graphite, crushed stone, and floral aromatics and flavors. These carry to a full-bodied Pavie with flawless overall balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This pure, powerful, yet aristocratic Pavie will benefit from 7-8 years (you can drink it even today) and have 3-4 decades of longevity."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Flowers, black raspberries, smoke, licorice, spice, mint, cocoa, and plums open the gorgeous perfume. On the palate, the wine is opulent, sensuous, rich, deep, and full. Flamboyant and intense, the wine coats your palate, lingers, and expands seamlessly for nearly 60 seconds. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% ABV. Harvesting took place from October 5 - October 15. Drink from 2028-2050."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: I have long admired the wines of Nairac so it was disappointing when in some recent vintages there was to wine produced. Now managed by Grand Chais de France there is better consistency here, and the latest result is this rather fine 2022. I find the nose to be layered with honey-drizzled pear and quince, with a bright minerally edge which feels typical of Nairac. This is matched by a delightfully energetic and poised palate, with layers of citrus and orchard fruits, swirled in a sweet and waxy richness, with vibrant acid freshness. A top result with fine cellaring potential."

James Suckling: A linear and racy young Cotes de Bordeaux with blueberry, mineral and crushed-stone character. Violets as well. Medium-bodied, refined yet structured. Plenty of energy here. Persistent finish. 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028."

James Suckling: The nose is fragrant and inviting, offering subtle black and blue fruit, dried violets, sandalwood and stones. The medium-bodied palate shows a juicy core of fruit wrapped in dusty tannins, with a textural, lightly earthy finish. Better from 2027."

Falstaff: Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, tintig, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zartte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholzwürze, vollreife Herzkirschen, Schokolade, tabakig, zarte Kräuterwürze. Kraftvoll, elegant, rotbeerige Nuancen, präsente, eingebundene Tannine, salzig-mineralisch im Abgang, Nugat im Nachhall, zeigt Länge und Entwicklungspotenzial, eine Kombination aus Power und Finesse."

Jeb Dunnuck: From clay and limestone soils, the 2022 Château Puyblanquet (80/20 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) is a powerful wine, offering darker cherries, earth, chocolate, and violets. Beautifully integrated oak, chalky minerality, and fine tannins all give it plenty of structure, and it should evolve nicely for 15+ years. Total production: 3,333 cases."

James Suckling: A nicely structured, savory and textured Pomerol. The nose exhibits blueberries, mulberries, dark plums, dried violets, wet floor and mild spices. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Plenty of graphite character on the palate with a seductive frame of berries and spices mingling harmoniously. Well-driven with a long, focused finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2027."

Jeb Dunnuck: The flagship 2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla checks in as 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, all aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. It's much more focused and precise compared to the second wine and has brilliant aromatics of crème de cassis, crushed violets, graphite, and smoky oak. Gorgeously concentrated and full-bodied, with riveting purity and precision, this stunning Margaux has ripe yet building tannins, a terrific mid-palate, and flawless overall balance. I love it today yet 7-8 years of cellar are warranted and it will cruise over the following 3-4 decades in cold cellars. It's another sensational wine from this estate."

James Suckling: Very complex aromas of pears, persimmons, honey and cooked apples. Mineral undertones. Always subtle and multidimensional. Full-bodied with a tight and dense middle palate that gives a superb mouthfeel. It's lively and flavorful at the end but in a reserved way. Just a hint of bitter lemon and lilac. I really want to drink this, but give it three or four years to reach the right place."

James Suckling: An attractive Pomerol with fresh plums, spiced cherries and a touch of white pepper. Ripe, fresh and layered, with fine tannins and a very lengthy, fragrant finish. 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc. Pure and already enjoyable. Drink or hold."

Jeb Dunnuck: Blackcurrants, graphite, crushed stone, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien), another deeply colored, powerful, full-bodied Saint-Julien. Coming from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it has a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's going to stand with the truly greats from not only this terroir but the entire Médoc."