Annual tasting
Amsterdam
Tasted Monday, March 3, 2025 by FransS with 212 views
Introduction
As Always a perfectly organized tasting, this year the recently bottled 2022 vintage; a hyped vintage.
Yes, it is a good to very good vintage, but, in my opinion, not a spectacular vintage. The wines are often smooth, but sometimes too smooth and misses than (the impression of) fresh fruit. Most wines have a good balance but some lack personality.
Flight 3 (49 Notes)
Flight 4 (7 Notes)
Closing
I have hardly tasted wines of St. Estèphe, but for me Pauillac and St. Julien and Margaux showed more consistent than the other appellations on the left bank. Besides the differences in style both St. Emilion and Pomerol showed often examples with a bite. Pessac maybe had more weather problems than the other appellations; the dry whites often lack sufficient citrus. The sauternes seemed often a bit dull.
I can't draw conclusions after this first encounter and don't forget it is a snapshot. There were two giants, La Comtesse and Canon and two close to this level, Rauzan-Segla and Haut-Bailly. Special attention I ask for de Pez, at GCC level and St, Pierre and Petit-Village for their personality.
However, I was most surprised by the super-Pauillac Batailley. Its P/Q seems unbeatable to me.
2022 Château Olivier 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
UGCB 2022: Smooth spices, modest and gentle wood, a firm and gentle midtaste, tasty bitters and tannins in a good finish.
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2022 Château Pape Clément 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
UGCB 2022: As usual more wood than the others, but that is Pape-Clement and in the '22 I like it, In the midtaste there is a nice balance and a juicy style, but towards the finish I miss some depth and complexity.
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2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
UGCB 2022: Not the decadent and bonbon-like style of the '20 (as I descrribed two years ago), more subdued, more refined too, smooth spices, vanilla, a whiff of butter, round and very good bitters and tannins in a balanced finish; 96 points as the '20.
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2022 Château Balestard La Tonnelle 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: A modest bouquet (at the moment), but in the midtaste a juicy style with fruit, well integrated wood, missing some excitement in the finish; 92+.
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2022 Château Canon 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: From the wines I have tasted in Amsterdam Canon and la Comtesse lead the peleton. This Canon has perfectly dosed wood and vanilla, red berries and pink pepper and this impression rolls into the midtaste were it meets a creamy and concentrated inner core. The finish is super long and super balanced, nearly endless, with excellent bitters and tannins; a very electrifying wine.
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2022 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: Firm fruit combined with recognizable, but well dosed wood; the firm inner core gives a creamy impression. The aftertaste shows a balance with very good bitters and edible tannins; quality here!
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2022 Château Cap de Mourlin 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: A spicy bouquet, and fruit too; to say it friendly and very positive 'a biter' with a good body and a whiff of mocha, maybe not so refined, but you have a lot of fun in your glass.
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2022 Château Dassault 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: This wine combines spices and fruit in a slightly rude way and that gives a certain excitement to this wine. The aftertaste is quite long and, as the Cap de Mourlin, you really have a lot to taste in your glass.
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2022 Clos Fourtet
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: This wine starts with elegant wood, vanilla and smooth spices, but then the wine misses, in my opinion, the inner core to continue at the starting level. I hope to retaste this wine.
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2022 Château Larcis Ducasse 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: Tasted immediately after Canon is a hard job. It is an elegant wine with a balanced impression from start to finish. There is a good concentration and the bitters and tannins are quite polished; I just miss some personality.
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2022 Château Larmande 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: A bouquet with fresh fruit, nice concentration, juicy, smooth bitters and nicely balanced, but not so pronounced.
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2022 Château Pavie Macquin
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022:Judgment reserved; smooth spices, gentle fruit, a round and juicy style, but in the finish I missed some conviction.
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2022 Château Soutard 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: A friendly bouquet with red fruit. This wine started shy,, but showed more complexity towards the smooth aftertaste with good bitters and tannins
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2022 Château Valandraud 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
The wood is more subdued than in the '20. The wine is slightly fumé with lots of smooth fruit and has a good concentration in the midtaste; ripe tannins and bitters, so really tasty, but the aftertaste is missing a bit the length and the complexity of the '20.
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2022 Château Villemaurine 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB 2022: This wine is different from the others and I cannot really say why; the wood? the spices? a bit yeasty (positive), anyway it is juicy wine with a nice personality, a good concentration and a balanced 'easy' finish.
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2022 Château Batailley 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: So really Pauillac, graphite/pencil, cedar, black currants and a modest sweetness showing the ripeness of the grapes. The wine is super concentrated and has Pauillac bitters and ripe tannins. The very, very long and balanced aftertaste is round and juicy; a classic in the making; 96+.
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2022 Château Clerc Milon 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGGCB 2022: Smooth spices, vanilla, dark fruit, a juicy midtaste followed by very good bitters and tannins in a balanced finish; 94+.
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2022 Château Croizet-Bages 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: Firm wood (to the limit), nice midttaste, kind of fleshy, but the aftertaste is a bit flat.
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2022 Château d'Armailhac 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: A bit closed bouquet, but the fruit is present, some sweetness from ripe grapes, laurel, juicy, nice balance, although I had wished a bit more power in the finish.
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2022 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: A nice start with a mix of flowers and fruit, a juicy midtaste with some cocoa, lovely bitters and ripening tannins ( you don't have to wait long) in a balanced finish.
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2022 Château Haut-Batailley 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: lots of flowers and soft spices, tasty and a biit lean, good bitters and firm, but edible tannins; I had wished a bit more concentration. I hope that, with more time in bottle, the body will grow.
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2022 Château Lynch-Bages 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: A kind of similarity with Batailley, cassis, graphite, a hint sweetness, juicy, the firmness of ripe CS, but for sure not severe.
The bitters are firm, as I like in a Pauillac and the tannins are very present and not dry; a very precise and concentrated classic Pauillac.
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2022 Château Lynch-Moussas 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: A bit shy bouquet with some sweetish fruit, a gentle midtaste without edges and a friendly finish. I had wished a bit more complexity; maybe time will help this wine, 92+.
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2022 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB 2022: in the same major league as Canon, an extremely refined and perfumed bouquet, as if it had some exotic fruit too, delicate wood and vanilla. The wine is silky and concentrated; I do not say smooth. The personality of this wine is too expressive for that characterisation; very ripe bitters and already very ripe tannins too. The wine finishes with a faultless and endless aftertaste.
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2022 Château Clinet 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB 2022: A nice but not so expressive bouquet with smooth fruit, spices and gentle vanilla, roundness combined with power from the inner core and a very good and long aftertaste with integrated bitters; 95+.
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2022 Château La Conseillante 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB 2002: A whiff of attractive menthol/mint, fresh fruit and a bit lifted acidity, elegant, subtle and with a good body to support a refined and blanced aftertaste.
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2022 Château Le Gay Pomerol 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB 2022: Some menthol, present and acceptible acidity, a medium body, juicyy and a friendly aftertaste.
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2022 Château Gazin Pomerol 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB 2022: Nice fruit mixed with some vanilla/wood, medium body, but missing some intensiity and depth in the aftertaste.
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2022 Château Petit Village 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB 2022: Lovely vanilla/wood in a creamy bouquet combined with ripe fruit, restrained strength underneath a satin midtaste. Perfectly balanced and very refined in the aftertaste.
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2022 Château Fourcas Hosten 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Listrac-Médoc
UGCB 2022: Lovely color, fresh fruit, a kind of 'cool' impression, quite concentrated, juicy towards the finish with elegant bitters and tannins.
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2022 Château Beaumont 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
UGCB 2022: A hint of sweetness, pink peppers and other smooth spices, medium+ body, juicy and nicely balanced.
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2022 Château Brane-Cantenac 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: A certain refinement, however missing the Margaux subtility in the bouquet, smooth, tasty, a good concentration and balanced. I was only hoping for a bit more tension.
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2022 Château Cantenac Brown 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: Perhaps more elegance than I expected, well dosed wood and vanilla, ripe fruit, a firm impression towards the aftertaste; not as subtle as a margaux can be.
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2022 Château Giscours 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: A subtle flowery margaux-bouquet, a medium concentration, but the wine is missing some expression and the tannins are ffirm.
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2022 Château Lascombes 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: The violets are in the bouquet, fresh pepper on the tongue, juicy and tasty, good concentration and stylish bitters, medium length aftertaste; the tannins need more time to soften. 94+
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2022 Château Rauzan-Gassies 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: A bit airy bouquet, medium+ body combined with gentle fruit in the taste and firm tannins needing time to soften; a good wine, but I had wished a bit more elegance.
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2022 Château Rauzan-Ségla 97 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 20222: Violets, cherries, margaux subtility, juicy and with a delicious and elegant taste, concentrated, very good citrus and at the end of the midtaste a whiff of mocha and cocoa, fantastic bitters and good tannins in the refined aftertaste.
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2022 Château du Tertre 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB 2022: Slightly sweet fruit in the bouquet and this fruit continues in the quite concentrated midtaste. The wine is balanced from start to finish with a good citrus backbone, and good bitters and tannins too; not super refined but absolutely very tasty.
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2022 Château Beychevelle 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: A refined bouquet with very fresh fruit and small flowers; a juicy impression , maybe a whiff of yeast (not bad). After the bouquet the wine is less refined, somewhat robust with lovely bitters and firm tannins (give them some time) in a good balance; 94+.
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2022 Château Branaire-Ducru 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2002: An interesting bouquet, flowery, higher acidity than most onthers, perfumed and a whiff of mint. In the midtaste the wine is juicy and has a medium body, but in the finish there is more persistence with elegant bitters and round tannins.
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2022 Château Gloria 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: A nicely perfumed bouquet, somewhat severe in the midtaste, but the aftertaste shows a bit more of its future wuth good bitters and tannins and an overall impression of ripeness.
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2022 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: flowers in the bouquet,also a juicy and fruity impression, bit higher acidity (positive). The aftertaste misses some length; overall: a tasty wine.
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2022 Château Langoa Barton 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: Fresh fruit, a tad higher acidity, nice midtaste and the finish is a bit light, but with good bitters and tannins.
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2022 Château Léoville Barton 96 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: Very refined wood, smooth fruit and a whiff of sweetness/ripeness in the taste, good concentration; very elegant bitters and ripe tannins combined with delicate vanilla in the balanced aftertaste.
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2022 Château Léoville Poyferré 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: The bouquet is a bit closed, but shows spices and ripe fruit; it is all elegance in the mdtaste and in the aftertaste I noticed lovely bitters and good tannins accompanied by some cocoa. From start to finish very good, but, at the moment, a tad less convincing than the Léoville-Barton; 95+.
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2022 Château Saint-Pierre 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: Lots of fresh fruit and a hint of flowers, elegant and concentrated, very good citrus, smooth bitters and young, but very eddible tannins; that all combined by very refined vanilla in the long aftertaste.
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2022 Château Talbot 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
UGCB 2022: A fresh bouquet, flowers and red fruit, some vanilla, good concentration, juicy, firm, but good tannins and a nice finish.
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2022 Château Ormes de Pez 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
UGCB 2022: A bit light color, ripeness in the bouquet, tea leaves, a balanced midtaste, gentle spices in the aftertaste.
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2022 Château de Pez 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe
UGCB 2022: Wow, at GCC-level, the bouquet is a bit closed, but shows already black fruit, and a modest and nice mix of wood and vanilla, a deep, complex and concentrated midtaste; very good bitters and firm, but good tannins. This wine has a good future.
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