Weine

Weinwisser: Weil der Hagel den Merlot drastisch dezimierte, besitzt der 09er einen aussergewöhnlich hohen Cabernet-Franc-Anteil von fast 30 %. Weil Mitjaville keinen Zweitwein erzeugt, bleiben hier nur etwa 14 000 Flaschen vom Grand Vin, das ist, neben 1991, eine der kleinsten Ernten überhaupt. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und schwarzen Reflexen. Frisch gerösteter Kaffee, kandierte Mokkabohnen, Dörrpflaumen, Lakritze, kalter Teekrug, Rauchnoten und getrocknete Vanillestängel. Voller Gaumen, wunderschöne Malz- und auch Kräuternoten von sehr reifem Traubengut, cremige Textur, im Finale Nusslikör, Ratafianoten, warm und lange ausklingend. Ein legendärer Tertre-Rôteboeuf mit nicht viel weniger als 15,7 Vol.-% natürlichem Alkohol."

Jeb Dunnuck: The flagship 2022 Château Calon Ségur checks in as 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It's a massive wine from this château that brings a fabulous nose of darker currants, smoked tobacco, chocolaty oak, graphite, and loamy earth. This full-bodied, deep, unctuous Saint-Estèphe has a round, layered mouthfeel, remarkably pure tannins, and flawless overall balance. It's going to take a decade to shed its baby fat, but this is legit sensational juice! Don’t miss it."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: The 2022 from Brown, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, has seen 12 months of élevage in 40% new oak and 60% second-fill barrels. A glorious combination of dark and sweet fruits on the nose here, all black cherry, damson and currant, with some savoury notes of salted olive, coffee bean and toast. The palate steps it up a notch with a luscious start and midpalate filled with savoury black fruits, grained with saline energy, alongside the toast and coffee bean. A deliciously constructed palate follows, with all the dark and brooding substance of the vintage, but with freshness too. Long and charged with shimmering energy in the finish, this has a great future;surely one of the best Brown reds ever, and certainly well above where I had it when I tasted the primeurs sample. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%."

Decanter: Smooth and sappy, this has great energy and liveliness from the first sip with tangy red fruit, verging on high toned, but with lovely chalky tannins that give this a wide frame. Clean and clear as well as fresh with mint, liquorice and clove spice on the finish. Cool and crunchy with crystalline fruit and bright acidity. Ends lean and salty with generous minerality."

Wine Spectator: Best Camensac ever. Rich aromas of blackberries and chocolate. Full-bodied, with sweet, ripe fruit flavors, loads of velvety tannins and a long finish. An absolutely delicious wine for now, for later."

Jane Anson: Violet plum colour, intense dark fruits, edges of charcoal and grilled oak, with blackberry and loganberry fruit. Concentrated, this has character and impact, with a flash of heat. Jean-Francois Janeouix owner."

Jane Anson: Extremely successful, has grip and character and depth, white peach and pear, tons of slate, this is delicious, one of the white wines of the vintage (one of the few where there feels no need to excuse the heat), everything is so well integrated. Great stuff from Jacques Lurton and the team."

Jeb Dunnuck: Another beautifully textured, ripe, sexy wine from the Gracin family, the 2022 Clos L'Eglise comes from deeper clay soils on the upper plateau in Pomerol. Blue fruits, ripe black raspberries, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and truffly earth notes all shine here, and this beauty is full-bodied and has a layered, plush, sexy style that's already hard to resist. Nevertheless, it will evolve for 25+ years if well stored."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Mind-bowing in every sense of the word, this has everything you could ask for in a wine, and more! The perfume is striking with its display of flowers, black cherries, saffron, black raspberries, plums, smoke, licorice, and a background note of citrus. The sensuous palate is even better, building in intensity as the wine lingers. Silky, sexy, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, the wine is seamless. The extraordinary sense of purity in the fruit makes you take another sip just to taste it all over again. The finish sees the 60-second mark and, without a care in the world, leaving you with continuous waves of opulent fruits that linger long after the wine has left the glass. The wine is made from 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a future legendary wine that if you can afford it, is a wine you don't want to miss. Drink from 2028-2065."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Cherries, flowers, licorice, spice, and cocoa pop in the nose. The palate is even better with its wealth of ripe, round fruits, soft, silky, textures, and creamy, mineral-tinted finish. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2037."

Jeb Dunnuck: A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Clos Saint-Martin is massive and deeply layered, with dense black fruits, truffle, chocolate, crushed stone, and floral notes. Full-bodied and powerful, it has great freshness, fine tannins, and remarkable purity. Aged for 20 months in 60% new oak barrels and 40% amphorae, this structured and mineral-driven wine will need time but should evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Total production: 416 cases."

Decanter: Ripe fruit and toasted notes on the nose. Rich and fleshy, this has an initial bounce and lift with juicy acidity and chalky red berry fruit but also quite compact tannins that bring the power to the fore and stop the finish a little short. I love the precision and cool freshness on show but feels a bit tense and lean still. A touch sombre towards the finish, the opulence of the vintage shining through, with the dark fruit emerging alongside notes of bitter chocolate, tobacco, liquorice and aniseed. Full and glamourous but will be nice once the elements harmonise a little more."

Falstaff: Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feine Kräuternote, Edelholzwürze, schwarze Kirschen, Waldbeeren und zart nach Cassis, ein Hauch von Nougatkaramell. Saftig, engmaschig, frische Struktur, sehr finessenreich und balanciert, präsente, reife Tannine, lebendig und animierend, rote Kirschen im Abgang, salziger Nachhall, ein großes Zukunftsversprechen."

The Wine Cellar Insider: The striking, black-purple color lets you know this is going be good. The nose, with its array of black, blue and red fruits, smoke, flowers, and Cuban cigars definitely grabs your attention. But, make no mistake, it is the multi-layered palate, with its opulence, and density that somehow also manages to be equally diaphanous that steals the show. The seamless finish effortlessly glides across your palate for more than 60 seconds! Give this beauty some time in the cellar before popping a cork. With tannins this soft, it is going to be effortless in their youth. Yet, it will age for 3 or more decades with ease. The wine blends 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 19% Merlot. Tasted twice, this competes with the 100 Pt. 2016. Drink from 2028-2065."

Jeb Dunnuck: The 2022 Château Fleur Cardinale is a blend of 78% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified with a cold pre-fermentation maceration and raised for 12-14 months in 72% new French oak, 18% one-year-old barrels, 7% large foudres, and 3% amphora. It's a full-bodied, layered Saint-Émilion exhibiting dark berries, graphite, crushed stone, and truffly earth-like nuances on the nose. This ripe, yet flawlessly balanced Saint-Emilion has moderate acidity, silky tannins, and a seamless, polished texture. A slightly modern-styled expression, it’s nevertheless lush, opulent, and utterly compelling, showing both depth and finesse."

Jeb Dunnuck: Based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2022 Château Fonbadet reveals classic Pauillac notes of currants, cassis, graphite, and freshly sharpened pencil, with a kiss of leather in the background. Medium to full-bodied, it’s round, pure, and focused on the palate, with ripe tannins and an elegant, fine-grained texture. Vinified in concrete tanks, it was aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak, with the rest in once-used barrels. 2,083 cases produced."

Falstaff: Helles Goldgelb, silberfarbene Reflexe. Frische Mandarinen und Grapefruitzesten, weiße Tropenfrucht, mineralisches Bukett. Saftig, elegante Süße, etwas Stachelbeeren, weiße Frucht, feiner Säurebogen, stoffig und elegant im Abgang, zeigt Länge und gutes Entwicklungspotenzial."

Jeb Dunnuck: 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."

James Suckling: This is a solid and structured red with a full body and a compact tannin structure. It shows ripe blackberries, blackcurrants and black olives, with spice and earth undertones. The finish is meaty and long. Try after 2028."

Jeb Dunnuck: A brilliant white Fronsac, the 2022 Grand Village Blanc is bright, juicy, and beautifully textured, with crushed stone, mint, lime, and chalky minerality all defining its aromatics. Medium-bodied and fresh on the palate, it shows remarkable purity and elegance, with a clean, focused finish. Its oak (one-third new) is perfectly integrated. You could drink this today or in a decade."