Weine

The Wine Cellar Insider: This still under the radar Pomerol pops with its nose of chocolate, black cherries, and flowers. Elegant, lifted, and silky on the palate, the creamy-textured finish is rich, fresh, and supple, with length, purity, and refinement. The wine blends 83% Merlot with 17% Cabernet Franc. Guillaume Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certan is in charge of the estate. Drink from 2026-2052."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Already showcasing its stunning display of flowers, truffles, wild cherries, licorice, chocolate, and plums in the nose, it’s clear this will be a showstopper. Texturally, the sensuous palate, with its waves of velvet-covered fruits, steals the spotlight. The perfectly ripe, deep fruits offer length, lift, and complexity, with a lingering finish that keeps you wanting more. The wine blends 96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and .05 Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2055."

The Wine Cellar Insider: Everything you could want in La Conseillante and Pomerol is here. The initial sniff is all it takes to hook you with its dark chocolate, violet, black cherry, truffle, licorice, and spearmint profile. The show-stopping, sensual display of perfectly ripe fruits with their silk and velvet textures, coupled with a racy edge, is off the hook! The finish looks at the 60-second mark and keeps on going. This is hedonism at its best. 2022 is at the level of the perfect 2016, if not even better. La Conseillante lovers should be all over this wine! The wine blends 87% Merlot with 13% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2060."

Jeb Dunnuck: The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. Just sensational in its power while remaining weightless, it offers utterly classic Lafite aromatics of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened lead pencils, spring flowers, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, off-the-charts purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s shockingly accessible, yet there’s no shortage of structure, depth, or concentration. Aged in new French oak barrels, this is a monumental Lafite that should evolve for 50-75+ years. If this doesn’t do it for you, I can’t imagine what would."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 La Rose Figeac prances out with showy notes of baked blueberries, kirsch, and plum preserves, plus suggestions of spice cake and star anise. The full-bodied palate is chock full of bright black fruits, framed by firm, ripe, rounded tannins, and plenty of freshness, finishing long."

James Suckling: A unique white, like old Sauternes from the 1920s, showing grape skin, orange peel, apricots and pie crust on the nose and palate. Tarte tatin. It's full-bodied and very sweet but gives a dry impression from the tannins at the end. A masterpiece with a mind-bending finish. OMG. Speechless. 230 grams residual sugar. Drink or hold."

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."

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."