The Wine Cellar Insider (98-100)

Deeply colored, the wine is all about its elegance in the texture. The fruits offer a level of purity and refinement that was not present in older vintages. Perfectly balanced, vibrant, long and intense, the wine is incredibly sensuous, velvety, and silky. The level of concentration remains, but the sensation here is now one of sensuality, balance, and sophistication. The silky, pure, red and black pit fruits with a cool touch of orange rind remain with you for close to 60 seconds. Fermentation at cooler temperatures and no sulfur during the fermentations helped maintain the wines elegance and purity. The wine blends 60% Merlot, and 40% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV, 3.65 pH. Harvesting took place, September 6 - September 28.

Decanter (97)

Vibrant and intense colour in the glass, richly scented, floral and perfumed, open and inviting. Intense and concentrated, the fruit is dark and ripe but there’s no hint of over ripeness here and instead you get cool blue fruits, chalky tannins and minty freshness with accents of liquorice, coffee, tobacco, cedar spice and clove. Tannins are clearly at the fore, giving the structure and the frame while the juicy acidity gives the energy and life. Still on the serious side, not tense so much as there’s good persistence, it’s lean and streamlined, but refined in a spiced and mineral way. Gorgeous terroir markers, lovely detail and precision, you can feel they haven't worked too much or tried too hard. It carries the signature of the estate in the serious structure, it’s a big wine, there’s such power here but so well controlled and delivered. Razor sharp, focussed and persistent. A gorgeous 2022, well executed and will be a clear success.

Decanter (97)

Vibrant and intense colour in the glass, richly scented, floral and perfumed, open and inviting. Intense and concentrated, the fruit is dark and ripe but there’s no hint of over ripeness here and instead you get cool blue fruits, chalky tannins and minty freshness with accents of liquorice, coffee, tobacco, cedar spice and clove. Tannins are clearly at the fore, giving the structure and the frame while the juicy acidity gives the energy and life. Still on the serious side, not tense so much as there’s good persistence, it’s lean and streamlined, but refined in a spiced and mineral way. Gorgeous terroir markers, lovely detail and precision, you can feel they haven't worked too much or tried too hard. It carries the signature of the estate in the serious structure, it’s a big wine, there’s such power here but so well controlled and delivered. Razor sharp, focussed and persistent. A gorgeous 2022, well executed and will be a clear success.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (92)

Layers of sinewy tannins and eucalyptus spice. Opens to show baked earth, tobacco leaf and liquorice, cassis fruits laced with espresso, edges of campfire, a good quality wine that has concentration without strangling. Anthony Yaigre director. A value pick. 28hl/h yield. Harvest September 19 to October 5.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

Candied cherries, tapenade, violets, and floral notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Berliquet, a medium to full-bodied, seamless Saint-Emilion that brings plenty of ripeness while staying nicely balanced, light on its feet, and elegant. Based on 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, from yields of 31.2 hectoliter per hectare, it will spend 16 months in 44% new French oak, with a portion of the blend aged in amphora. This isn't the most powerful or opulent wine in the vintage, but it's as seamless and graceful as they come.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)

I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.

James Suckling (95)

A bright and vivid white with sliced lemon, grapefruit and mineral character. Medium to full body. Crisp acidity and a minerally finish. Lots of energy this year despite the hot and dry growing season. 67% sauvignon blanc, 22% semillon and 11% muscadelle. Drinking beautifully already.

Decanter (97)

One of the standouts of the vintage that impressed equally on three different occasions. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, lovely scents and dark fruits. Smooth and crisp, silky but concentrated, such precision and detail straight away with succulent and juicy acidity. There’s concentration no doubt, it’s ripe and intense, the dark perfumed blackcurrants and black cherries give a serious backbone and tension to the wine, while the minty, stony freshness carries the flavour and gives the energy and definition. Excellently weighted on the palate, with structure and a mouthwatering sensation that comes in once the weight settles. So well constructed with a beautiful texture and overall integration of all the elements. Exceptional quality and drinkability on offer with a delicious salty, graphite and flint finish that puts you at the estate. Overlook this at your peril. 2.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. Harvest 12 - 24 September. 60% grand vin production. A yield of 34hl/ha. Tasted three times. This vintage was the first to be made 100% in the new cellar with double the number of vats than were available in 2020 for more precise fermentations. HVE3 certified. Harvest 12 September - 24 September.

Decanter (97)

One of the standouts of the vintage that impressed equally on three different occasions. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, lovely scents and dark fruits. Smooth and crisp, silky but concentrated, such precision and detail straight away with succulent and juicy acidity. There’s concentration no doubt, it’s ripe and intense, the dark perfumed blackcurrants and black cherries give a serious backbone and tension to the wine, while the minty, stony freshness carries the flavour and gives the energy and definition. Excellently weighted on the palate, with structure and a mouthwatering sensation that comes in once the weight settles. So well constructed with a beautiful texture and overall integration of all the elements. Exceptional quality and drinkability on offer with a delicious salty, graphite and flint finish that puts you at the estate. Overlook this at your peril. 2.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. Harvest 12 - 24 September. 60% grand vin production. A yield of 34hl/ha. Tasted three times. This vintage was the first to be made 100% in the new cellar with double the number of vats than were available in 2020 for more precise fermentations. HVE3 certified. Harvest 12 September - 24 September.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

Easily one of the best wines of the appellation. Red rose petal fragrance, damp earth, rosemary, baking spice, sandalwood, incense, graphite and slate. Exceptional balance, deep chocolate and mint character, with lush damson and cassis fruits. Crushed violet flowers and salted cracker salinity, extremely impressive. Owner Henri Lurton has experience of making wine overseas, in Baja California, which may have given insights into viticultural techniques n the heat, but the real key here is the old vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the 1950s and 1960s by his late father Lucien Lurton. 100% new oak, from 8 coopers, and the meticulous approach to oak ageing care of technical director Christophe Capdeville is also important. 42% of production in the 1st wine. All the young vines, even when co-planted in the same rows were picked separately also this year.

James Suckling (96-97)

Extremely perfumed with sweet tobacco and blackcurrants as well as cedar and dark chocolate. Aromatic. Medium-bodied with an intense center palate of blackcurrant, orange peel and peaches. Nervy. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

James Suckling (96-97)

Extremely perfumed with sweet tobacco and blackcurrants as well as cedar and dark chocolate. Aromatic. Medium-bodied with an intense center palate of blackcurrant, orange peel and peaches. Nervy. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

James Suckling (99-100)

This is a wine that soars to new heights with its brightness and weightlessness. The balance of serene fruit that’s perfectly ripe. Full-bodied yet tight and polished where it seems delicate and compressed, with berry, chocolate and walnut character. The finish is endless and poised. Wine of the vintage? 53% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.

From the prestigious cellars of Château Climens, France, arrives the masterfully crafted Climens Lilium 2022. An embodiment of the resounding excellence of Bordeaux dessert wines, its unique genesis is in the soil rich vineyards of Barsac, famed for their signature Noble Rot. The vineyard, known for organic viticulture, ensures the highest quality of the Semillon grapes used, cultivated under biodynamic practices.

The winemaking process of this exquisite wine exemplifies meticulous selection and slow fermentation in oak barrels, culminating in an aromatic palette featuring hints of honey, tropical fruit, toasted almonds and delicate undercurrents of spices.

Renowned for its graceful balance of sweetness and acidity, the Climens Lilium 2022 displays profound complexity, making it a highly collectible and appreciative investment. Boasting the emblematic sophistication and opulence of its producer, it stands as a refined testament to the art of French winemaking. Embrace the opportunity to relish the intoxicating allure of Climens Lilium 2022.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

Mathieu Cuvelier marks 20 years of the Cuvelier family at Clos Fourtet with this vintage, and it's a wonderful attestation to the potential of limestone plateau location for coping with a changing climate in Bordeaux. Visually arresting in its deep plum and violet colour, with a luscious texture, and plenty of subtle red roses and peony floral aromatics. Creamy black and blue fruits, and sublimely well measured tannic extraction, with crunchy salinity on the finish, oyster shell and salt-flecked chocolate notes. Super smooth finish. First year with the addition of Les Grandes Murailles vineyard. StŽphane Derenoncourt and Jean-Claude Berrouet consultants (working together since 2009). Not too interventionist, no cold soaks here, natural yeasts, with whole bunch ferments for the young vines. Harvest September 9 to 27. 3.54ph. 40% new oak, 58% second-fill barrels, 2% amphoras.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (94)

No secret that I am a fan of this small production, high quality estate in the Médoc region, owned by Françoise and Stéphane Dief. Once again here it shows you why. This is absolutely staying in the lines of 2022 in terms of its full-on inky colour, but there are vibrant violet edges, and this feels sleek but restrained. A real standout, leaning into the vintage with its clearly ripe dark fruits and plush chocolate and liquorice lacing, but never feeling over the top. A buy.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)

The 2022 Clos Saint-Martin comes from a tiny 1.3-hectare vineyard of clay and limestone soils and is based on 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Glass-staining purple-hued, with powerful aromatics of pure cassis, blackberries, spicy oak, graphite, and chalky minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, concentrated mid-palate, remarkable purity, and one hell of a great finish. This is another absolutely brilliant Saint-Emilion that readers will love to have in their cellar. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel is a monument in the making. Based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this saturated ruby/purple-hued Saint-Estèphe offers a full-bodied, massive, opulent style as well as perfumed red, blue, and black fruits, ample spice, chocolate, graphite, and lead pencil-like aromatics, a stacked mid-palate, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. An improved version of the 2009 (if that's possible), this is a legendary wine in the making. Hats off to Michel Reybier and technical director Dominique Arangoïts.

Couhins 2022 is a highly remarkable representation of fine Bordeaux wine, a jewel in the crown of Chateau Couhins. It is embellished with the esteemed Graves classification and promises a luxurious tasting experience. Origating in Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, it is a product of deft winemaking expertise, combining classic vineyard treatment of hand-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.

Confidently matured in French oak barrels, this lavish wine exhibits a marriage of luscious dark fruit flavours, refined tannins, and complex nuances of smoked cedar and spice. Integral to Couhins 2022's enigmatic character is the estate's commitment to sustainable agriculture—upholding a respect for terroir that leaves an inimitable footprint in this exceptional blend.

Couhins 2022: a definitive choice for those seeking a sophisticated libation, reflecting the exemplary traditions embedded in French winemaking. Allow this red wine to facilitate unforgettable conversations and precious shared moments.

James Suckling (94-95)

Wonderful freshness and brightness to this with currants and red berries, as well as chocolate and hints of coffee. Full and layered with round tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Lemon rind underneath it all. It has lots of length for being mostly merlot. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot, and 1% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes.