Important Update From the Founder
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Bordeaux 2022 en Primeur and some recent vintages
Tasted May 14, 2023 by Collector1855 with 1,478 views
Introduction
A press review of the 2022 shows that we seem to have a great vintage at hand. The year was very hot and dry and yet it shall not have produced wines that were not overloaded. So no 2003s. That would be a nice surprise indeed. We know that the Bordeaux marketing machine always sets the narrative in such a way that the best vintage is always the one not yet sold. At the same time, one must admit that Bordeaux has worked continuously on its quality over the last 20 years and today produces wines in the price range 25-75 Fr. that are hard to beat. Burgundies have perhaps even more finesse, but certainly not for this price. Wines from Italy, Spain and overseas are perhaps more accessible in their youth but often too banal aromatically or too heavy. A good Bordeaux sits just in the "sweet spot" that advanced wine drinkers appreciate so much: A medium-weight wine with good structure, therefore an excellent food companion and after 10-15 years with wonderful aromatic depth.
After today's tasting, I join the positive press voices. These are great wines, rich but only occasionally with a heaviness that was seen in 2018 and 2020. Cooler nights than in 2003 are often mentioned to be the reason, combined with the general fact that Bordeaux has learned how to work in the vineyard after several hot years in a row (2015/18/19/20). 2022 reminds me of 2010, also a "more of everything" year. The precision of the tannins is even better today but one thing is clear to both vintages: drinking maturity of the big names is not to be expected before 15 years. That is the patience you will need with 2022.
At this walkabout tasting other recent vintages were shown as well. This is always welcome to benchmark the new vintage.
For more details see:
https://www.vinifera-mundi.ch/pdfs/frankreich/bordeaux/Bordeaux_Jhg_2022_Gazzar.pdf
Flight 1 - Pessac Leognan (11 notes)
Red
2014 Château Haut-Bailly
93 points
The wine is still youthful, quite structured, beautiful earthy aromas slowly emerge. Haut Bailly compared to Smith Haut Lafitte, for example, is a more structured wine, not for newcomers. It typically needs 15 years to maturity, but, then it shines with profound aromas and excellent balance. 93+
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Haut-Bailly
96 points
Very well done, lots of dark fruit and pine aromas. Fresh, excellent structure, the tannin quality is more polished than in the past.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
96 points
Probably the Bdx rising star of the last 10 years. Jean-Marc Quarin was the first to notice this. A new team is working here with whole cluster fermentation, something you usually see mostly in Burgundy. Whether this is the future in Bordeaux, I don't know. Who cares when it works and it works here. The wines have been very aromatic and elegant since 2014. The 2016 was closed today, but its greatness was recognizable. Do not open before 2030
6 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
97 points
Looks very similar to the 2016, even a touch more polished. It impresses with great freshness, blackberry and flinty notes. Really amazing how they resurrected this Chateau
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2019 Domaine de Chevalier
94 points
Elegant with red fruit and toasty aromas. More restrained than the other 2019s at this stage. Like Haut Bailly, this cru always needs to sleep in the cellar a bit longer.
11 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Domaine de Chevalier
94 points
Still dominated by primary aromas of raspberry, cherry and quite a bit of wood and cloves. A good wine, but the show was stolen here by the whites of this stable. 94+
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château de Fieuzal
94 points
If you want to drink great Bordeaux on a budget, the red Fieuzal is the place to go. I have the 2009 in the best memory. The 2022 EP and the 2016 shown alongside it were both top notch. TN2016: Very expressive aromatics with herbs de Provence, vanilla, tobacco, dark fruits, subtle palate. Difficult not to like this one, pleases a novice and connoisseur alike. Give it time until 2026 to round out some more.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château de Fieuzal
94 points
A contender for the best wine in this price range, the 2022 could be even better than the outstanding 2016 and 2009. Lots of aroma, excellent fruit buffered with appropriate structure. I really like the reds here. 94-95
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Château Pape Clément
92 points
1996, 2000 and even 2001 Pape Clement are among the finest Bordeaux experiences I have ever had. After that, this winery switched to excessive Parkerization. The 2010 shows this. Very dense, more Napa than Bordeaux. The balance is not right.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Pape Clément
94 points
Since 2016, Pape Clement went back in the direction of elegance after a decade of Parkerization. The 2022 shows this in comparison to the 2010. Full-bodied yes, there seems to be a lot of Merlot in it, but not excessive, good freshness. Aromatically still very restrained and therefore difficult to assess. 94+
Red
2015 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
93 points
Smith Haut Lafitte: Very much ripe fruit with plum and wood flavors in this wine. I have also had bottles that showed even more heat. Today, however, it was pleasant with dark fruit and toasty flavors, something for hedonists. However, one has to wonder if the extra 50 bucks for the black anniversary label is justified.
3 people found this helpful
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Flight 2 - Margaux - Margaux showed particularly well today. This was often the most patchy appellation. A lot of Chateau have made progress here recently (17 notes)
Red
2022 Château Brane-Cantenac
97 points
Even slightly better than the 2016. The tannin quality here is to die for, pure silk in addition beautiful dark berry and earthy aromatics. A very grand wine. For a price below 100 bucks a no brainer.
9 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Brane-Cantenac
96 points
A chateau that currently has a lot of momentum. Buy this before it becomes too expensive. Jean-Marc Quarin was the first to draw attention to it in 2015. Wonderful aromas and polished tannins. Like the 2022, a super wine and under 100 bucks.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Cantenac Brown
93 points
Quite a bit better in than the 2010 next to it. Both the fruit and the tannins had a better balance.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Château Cantenac Brown
88 points
This wine felt very extracted, overripe plum notes.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Boyd-Cantenac
87 points
Somehow the most harmless 2022 I tasted today. Reminded me more of a simple table wine.
Red
2019 Château Boyd-Cantenac
89 points
Very many bread and yeast aromas, possibly a bit too much Brett? Dark fruit with earthy notes. A bit rustic but better than the 2022. 89-90
Red
2019 Château Kirwan
95 points
Sophie Schyler manages this chateau since 2016. Previously, aromatically somewhat boring, very modern wines were produced here. It is important to know that the Parker formula of "late harvest, strong extraction, lots of wood" is almost always at the expense of aromatics. What was shown today is qualitatively on a different level. Especially the aromas, the wine is much more interesting, with nice herbal and licorice notes. Attractively priced.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Kirwan
95 points
On par with the 2019, also very spicy, even a touch crisper. Great recent progress on this Chateau. Both come recommended, I would make my buying decision whether it will be the 2019 or 2022 dependent on the 2022 EP release price.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2019 Château Rauzan-Ségla
96 points
Like Canon owned by Channel. Both have seen a resurgence in the recent past. Very characterful wine with spicy Herbes de Provence.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla
96 points
Great aromatics here too with dark cherry and menthol. A top wine (96-97).
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2009 Château Lascombes
93 points
For the rather rich style of the house, the 2009 did well. Lots of fruit and nice farmyard aromas as you would expect from ripe Bordeaux. Has reached a first drinking window.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Lascombes
94 points
A wine since the private equity takeover of Colony Capital in 2001 has often been too extracted and wood-driven. However, the 2022 felt very nice today. A new label (the old one) signals a return to a more classic style after the recent change of ownership in the 2022. Still a bit fuller than the other Margaux but supple and aromatic. A positive surprise. 94+
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2019 Château du Tertre
92 points
A winery long run by the same team as Giscours. I remember it as a rather simple wine. Today, however, it showed surprisingly well, clearly some progress has been made. The 2019 is very charming. Lots of Bordeaux for little money.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château du Tertre
93 points
Another step forward to the already good 2019 is the 2022. The wine impresses with floral notes and a velvety palate. An well priced wine to drink early while waiting for the others. 93-94
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2019 Château Giscours
91 points
This wine is higher positioned than the du Tertre, managed by the same team. Today, it didn't feel that way today. The tannins were a bit rustic compared to the fruit.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Giscours
92 points
Better than the 2019, more harmonious overall, but looking at the progress of some of its neighbors, there is certainly more potential here than what you see in the glass today. 92-93
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château d'Issan
92 points
A light, elegant wine with subtle farmhouse aromatics. Balanced, but not grand.
3 people found this helpful
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Flight 3 - St.Julien (12 notes)
Red
2010 Château Gruaud Larose
95 points
A super wine, dense and fresh with good structure and the familiar horse stable and forest floor notes from the Medoc. You have to like those masculine Brett flavors though, of which Gruaud Larose is known to have a lot. Attractively priced and those looking for an example of classic Medoc wines should try this 2010. It is now at the beginning of the drinking window.
10 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Gruaud Larose
95 points
On par with the 2010, even a bit more polished. Medium bodied, good length. I like the balance here, aromatically always a very strong wine once mature and usually attractively priced.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2015 Château Léoville Poyferré
95 points
For many years my favorite of the three Leovilles because its tannins are not so strict. This 2015 shows nice ripe fruit with good structure. However, very closed today. Drinking window here is not expected before 2030.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Léoville Poyferré
96 points
Stylistically close to the 2015 but a bit more refined in structure. With lots of wood as always with young Leoville but after 15 years of bottle age it usually integrated very well. I am currently drinking the sublime 1996 and 2005. Patience always pays off in Medoc...
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
93 points
Tasted right next to Talbot and the wine is similar in style. Elegant, with blue and red fruits, still a bit more volume would be good. The tannic structure was very well judged.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Langoa Barton
93 points
Very nice and puristic. Light body without being thin. Tannins less massive than the Leoville but still, these wines need cellar time.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Léoville Barton
95 points
Lots of cassis in the nose, powerful and austere as we know Leo Barton. Great potential, but who buys this wine needs patience until at least 2037. Patience will be rewarded.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Talbot
92 points
Jean-Michel Laporte coming from La Conseillante is the new technical director here since 2020. Talbot is certainly not the most prestigious name in St.Julien, but the wines are attractively priced and consistent. I liked the 2022 very much here. An elegant and precise Cabernet wine, rather on the light side but not thin. 92-93
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2019 Château Beychevelle
92 points
The well-known Beychevelle estate has long been an under-performer. Not that the wines are bad, but looking at the potential of the site there is still a long way to go. Always elegant and light-footed, but also often a little thin, the Chateaux probably has too generous HL/HA yields. The 2019 is also marked by this. It seems a bit innocuous for the great year. However, the aromatics are good. 92-93
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Beychevelle
94 points
The 2022 is a step up from the 2019. The concentration is finally right. Lots of blackberry and nice toast notes.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2019 Château Branaire-Ducru
93 points
An elegant wine, very classic, for purists. Attractively priced.
6 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Branaire-Ducru
92 points
Hmm, this wine still seemed very primary and was difficult to assess, not much going on yet. From the first impression, similar style than the 2019. 92-93
2 people found this helpful
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Flight 4 - Pauillac / St.Estephe (13 notes)
Red
2016 Château Calon-Ségur
96 points
For many years, this chateau was in the shadow of Montrose and Cos d'Estournel. Since the sale in 2012, Calon Segur has gradually closed the gap. Very elegant wine, despite classic St.Estephe structure, but the tannins are Worlds better than in the past. Profound aromatics. Those who bought this in 2016, got a real bargain. But even today, it's still worth re-buying.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Calon-Ségur
96 points
Looks very similar to the 2016. Medium weight, nice forest floor aromatics, good structure without rusticity. This will be a great Calon, but please do not open before 2037. 96-97
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2018 Château Phélan Ségur
92 points
Riper than the 2022 but not quite as elegant with more dark fruit, surprizingly approachable today.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Phélan Ségur
93 points
A very successful wine with a better balance than the 2018. Nice aromas, sturdy St.Estephe structure. Will need cellar time. 93+
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Batailley
90 points
Better than the 2022, still a bit hot and oaky, but in line with what is acceptable. Still, a bit of a let down for the vintage. 90-91
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Batailley
88 points
This wine felt rather hot and overdone, had my struggles. To be revisited.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Pedesclaux
91 points
The extraction and tannins are harmonious, but aromatically the wine is a little harmless.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2020 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
97 points
Those who know the 1982 know what potential this wine has. For a long time however, Pichon Baron was more reliable. Since 2011, the Philippe Moreau is technical director and it has moved upwards steadily. The 2020 and 2022 were world class today. Aromatic depth paired with graceful elegance. Especially with the 2020 (97pt) I was amazed that it has no sign of heaviness. The 2022 (98pt) was even more refined, my WOTN.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
98 points
Those who know the 1982 know what potential this wine has. For a long time however, Pichon Baron was more reliable. Since 2011, the Philippe Moreau is technical director and it has moved upwards steadily. The 2020 and 2022 were world class today. Aromatic depth paired with graceful elegance. Especially with the 2020 (97pt) I was amazed that it has no sign of heaviness. The 2022 (98pt) was even more refined, my WOTN.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
96 points
Lighter and more elegant like the 2018 next to it. Excellent balance, darker than the Pichon Lalande but also great. It will be exciting from 2037 to drink the two Pichons side-by-side. 96-97pt
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2018 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
96 points
A very well made 2018. Dark fruit, forest floor, good freshness and massive structure but not with excessive heat. A great Pauillac. 96+
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Pontet-Canet
89 points
There is the emperor without clothes at almost every tasting. Today it was Pontet Canet. A wine with which I, except in 2010, always had my struggles. There is biodynamic farming for a long time, but when you taste the wine, you are still in the Parker era. Lots of extraction, alcohol and wood, little aroma. William Kelly and Neal Martin also questioned style and consistency here. William Kelley, probably the best taster of our time, has not even been invited back. The 2016 was particularly perplexing. This was supposed to be a moderate vintage. Still, the wine was too hot.
14 people found this helpful
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Red
2020 Château Pontet-Canet
87 points
After the 2016, the hot 2020 vintage produced an even more unbalanced wine here. Definitely too much heat and alcohol, not harmonious, little aroma. The 2022 was unfortunately not presented today.
5 people found this helpful
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Flight 5 - Medoc / Moulis (6 notes)
Red
2019 Château Chasse-Spleen
91 points
Well done, a simpler wine but with lots of finesse, nice tobacco notes. The 2022 was even slightly better today.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Chasse-Spleen
92 points
Elegant body, very good balance. In the past, the tannins here were sometimes a bit rough, but not with the 2022. Good for the price.
Red
2022 Château Mauvesin Barton
92 points
A wine from the Moulis, which I did not know before. A lot of Bordeaux for its price. Very nice balance, elegant and certainly ready to drink much earlier than the other Barton wines, which always need a lot of cellar time.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Sociando-Mallet
90 points
Quite a bit of structure for the fruit. Still needs to find itself, a bit rustic, but this wine always needs a bit more time than others.
Red
2022 Château Cantemerle
90 points
Light wine, not over-extracted. Nice fruit, more in the red than blue spectrum. Good for the price.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château La Tour Carnet
94 points
This Pape-Clement owned estate showed a great 2016. Very charming, great Bordeaux aromatics with damp forest floor, animal tones, dark fruit, smooth tannins. Very much wine for the price and almost ready to drink.
Flight 6 - Right Bank (13 notes)
Red
2022 Château d'Aiguilhe
92 points
Like Canon la Gaffeliere, a wine from Stephan Neipperg. These are made in a modern way with a bit more extraction and a good amount of wood but still never over the top, well suited for Bordeaux novices who are still getting used to the tannin-rich Pauillacs. The 2022 Aiguile impresses with pleasant fullness and beautiful blue fruit notes. A lot of wine for little money.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
95 points
Blueberries and vanilla dominate the nose. Full-bodied with good structure and freshness. A great wine, always good value for money.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Canon
97 points
A very Burgundian wine. Wonderfully floral, deep with polished structure. If they keep this up it will be a candidate for a "1er GC Classée A" upgrade in 2032. 97-98
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2010 Château Canon
94 points
Very powerful and mature. The 15% alcohol is noticeable. Rather something for Napa drinkers. The 2022 tasted side by side today is in a different league.
4 people found this helpful
Comments (2)
Red
2016 Château Clinet
96 points
Plush palate, nice blue fruit with cake flavors, good freshness as we know it from the 2016. Pomerol is an expensive appellation as the Chateau are generally smaller than in the Medoc and also all benefit from the "Petrus bonus". Those looking for a top Pomerol at an attractive price should consider Clinet. The 2022 was unfortunately not presented today.
1 person found this helpful
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Red
2016 Clos Fourtet
94 points
Like Troplong Mondot, Clos Fourtet is often a bit too heavy for me personally. The moderate 2016 vintage therefore plays into the hands of this wine. Elegant palate, nice blue fruit, still quite a bit of wood. Mineral finish. Better than the 2020 and 2022.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Clos Fourtet
91 points
Had a bit more difficulty with this wine. A lot of of plums and cooked fruit aromas on the nose. Did this turn out a bit too ripe? A wine I would wait for the bottle arrivage on since the wine has a history of being overdone. 91+?
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château La Conseillante
97 points
This wine has always been close to the best Pomerols like Petrus, Trotanoy, Eglise Client and Vieux Certan in good years. With Marielle Cazaux, the quality has been raised further since 2015. The 2022 also impresses with deep blue fruit with violets, excellent balance. A great wine that allows a Pétrus-like experience for about 200$. 97-98
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2018 Château Figeac
92 points
I published a Figeac vertical on this site a few months back. If you want to know more about the recent history of this chateau, read this report. The 2018 was not a favorite at that tasting or today. It is just too ripe and heavy for a classic Figeac, almost Napaesque. The 2022 was much more balanced.
4 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Figeac
96 points
Much more my style than the 2018. As always, lighter than its neighbors due to the grape variety blend. Precise palate, good tannic structure but it will need time. Still closed in terms of aromas but you never have to worry about that with Figeac. Once mature, it is always has among the most complex bouquet. 96-97
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Fleur Cardinale
94 points
This wine immediately pleased. Beautiful floral notes with dark berries. Balanced and not overloaded. For the price to produce a Merlot blend like this, other wine regions will be struggling.
3 people found this helpful
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Red
2022 Château Fleur Cardinale
94 points
The 2022 looks very similar to the 2016, it was hard to pick out any real differences here, maybe a tad more volume in the 2022. I would observe the release price closely and keep an eye on the 2016 as an alternative.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Troplong Mondot
95 points
A wine that was very extracted and over rich for many years. In recent years, there has been some backpedaling. That and the fact that 2016 was a balanced year do this wine good. It is still on the ripe side with plum flavors but the balance is correct. If you like it a bit fuller, you'll like this wine. The 2022 was unfortunately not shown today.
1 person found this helpful
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Flight 7 - White Wines (7 notes)
White
2019 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
96 points
A very grand wine the 2019 (96pt), which is rare with a SauvBlanc at least for my palate. Great aromatic fireworks. Deep, with herbs, citrus and grassy notes. One of the best Sauvignon Blanc blends I've ever had and in a completely different league than the other whites today. Having had many oxidized Domaine de Chevalier white wines, I asked the estate whether this problem was finally addressed. I was proudly shown a Diam cork and explained that this was the result of a larger investigation. Inconsistent, unstable corks. Let's see. I would love for this great wine to stay in this shape for many more years. The 2022 (95pt) was also top, perhaps not quite as extravagant as the 2019 but in a similar league.
4 people found this helpful
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White
2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
95 points
A very grand wine the 2019 (96pt), which is rare with a SauvBlanc at least for my palate. Great aromatic fireworks. Deep, with herbs, citrus and grassy notes. One of the best Sauvignon Blanc blends I've ever had and in a completely different league than the other whites today. Having had many oxidized Domaine de Chevalier white wines, I asked the estate whether this problem was finally addressed. I was proudly shown a Diam cork and explained that this was the result of a larger investigation. Inconsistent, unstable corks. Let's see. I would love for this great wine to stay in this shape for many more years. The 2022 (95pt) was also top, perhaps not quite as extravagant as the 2019 but in a similar league.
1 person found this helpful
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White
2022 Château de Fieuzal Blanc
90 points
More volume like the 2021, fresh and crisp. Medium- complexity. I preferred the reds here by a mile.
1 person found this helpful
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White
2021 Château de Fieuzal Blanc
88 points
Expressive nose with gooseberries and limes. A bit simple and light though, but then again I am not a SauvBlanc fan.
1 person found this helpful
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White
2020 Château Carbonnieux Blanc
88 points
A relatively simple wine with lots of grassy notes like you see in New Zealand. For the aperitif.
2 people found this helpful
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White
2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc
92 points
A bit riper than the 2016, which makes it more charming at first, but not equally fresh and mineralic on the finish. I preferred the 2016 today.
1 person found this helpful
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White
2016 Château Pape Clément Blanc
93 points
Fresh and crisp, floral aromas mingle with grassy notes. Solid but not grand like the Domaine de Chevalier white today.
1 person found this helpful
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