St Emilion
Angélus
£*** per 6 in bond
96-98 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
Ausone
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Ausone is dense, powerful and quite brooding in demeanor. Dark-toned fruit, spice, leather, licorice and dried herbs add to an impression of somber intensity. In so many vintages Ausone is immediately alluring, but the 2022 is a potent, backward wine that is going to require many years to be at its finest. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Harvest took place between September 5 and 9 for the Merlot and September 21 and 27 for the Cabernet Franc. The 2022 is a decidedly hedonistic Ausone.
Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97+ points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) promises to be the finest wine that this superb limestone terroir has produced in at least several decades. In recent years, the quality of the site always shone through, but it was sometimes obscured by an impactful vinification and élevage (plenty of creamy new oak and malolactic fermentation in barrel). Much of the estate's Cabernet Franc was frequently eliminated from the blend. Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse has changed that, incorporating fully 31% Cabernet Franc in the blend to deliver a complex and compelling wine evocative of wild berries, plums, rose petals and violets. Medium to full-bodied, pure and vibrant, it's supple and layered, with beautifully refined tannins, terrific depth at the core and a long, chalky finish.
Belair Monange
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Bélair-Monange is all class. Silky and sensual, Bélair-Monange is utterly captivating from the first taste. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, cinnamon, rose petal and lavender add gorgeous aromatic lift to play off a core of bright red-toned fruit. All the elements are beautifully balanced throughout.
Berliquet
£*** per 6 in bond
94-95 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Berliquet is brilliant, bursting with aromas of plums, wild berries and lilac, followed by a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant palate that's deep and mineral. It's likely to be another of the vintage's more attractive en primeur proportions. This estate just goes from strength to strength—and that's before its new winery has been constructed! One of the most significant changes has been opting to retain higher canopies, which means that the fruiting zone of rows planted along the slope are now shaded, preserving freshness.
Canon
£*** per 6 in bond
99-100 points- William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age.
Carillon d'Angelus
£*** per 6 in bond
91-93 points- William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
Unfurling in the glass with notions of raspberries, red plums, sweet soil tones and truffle, the 2022 Le Carillon d'Angélus is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vibrant, with powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. As readers will remember, this bottling is no longer a "second wine" per se, but rather draws on some 25 hectares of dedicated vineyards, emphasizing Merlot from the cool terroirs of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, complemented by holdings in the gravelly Figeac sector and on clay soils near Angélus itself—with anything that doesn't make the cut relegated to the No. 3 d'Angélus.
Cheval Blanc
£*** per 6 in bond
98-100 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Cheval Blanc is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Deep, seamless and striking in its beauty, the 2022 possesses pedigree to burn. Readers will find a sumptuous wine, but there’s plenty of tannin lurking beneath all of that intensity. In fact, the 2022 is the most tannic Cheval since 2010. The aromatics are surprisingly vibrant for a wine from a warm, dry year. The wine's energy is palpable. The 100% new oak is not all perceptible, which is another sign of top-notch balance. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of exotic Franc notes, followed by blood orange, red fruit, mind and dried herb touches. The 2022 includes 17% press wine (compared to the 11% or so that is typical), but as I have noted in my comments elsewhere in this report, the press lots were of high quality in 2022 because the winemaking was gentle. Once again, Cheval Blanc represents a pinnacle of excellence. Readers should note there is no Petit Cheval in 2022.
Clos Oratoire
£*** per 6 in bond
92-94 points- William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Clos de l'Oratoire includes fully 20% Cabernet Franc this year, which has brought more depth and structure to the blend. Offering up aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with vine smoke, petals and sweet soil tones, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vibrant, with a sweet core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish.
Dragon de Quintus
£*** per 6 in bond
90-92 points- William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Dragon de Quintus displays a perfumed yet elegant bouquet with aromas of spices, plums, cassis and dark berries, followed by a moderately weighted palate that is supple and juicy, with structured tannins but also a slight impression of alcohol on the finish. This is a blend of 81.6% Merlot, 12.1% Cabernet Franc and 6.3% Malbec.
Faugeres
£*** per 6 in bond
93-95 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Faugeres is one of the most vibrant, nuanced wines I have tasted from from the property. Expressive floral and savory top notes meld into a core of racy red-toned fruit.
Figeac
£*** per 6 in bond
98-100 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A blend of 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Figeac is a brilliant wine with which to celebrate this property's elevation to Premier Grand Cru Classé "A" status. Wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with notions of iris, forest floor, cigar wrapper and pencil lead, it's medium to full-bodied, pure and perfumed, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, bright acids and beautifully refined tannins. Serious yet civilized, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Congratulations are in order for the Manoncourt family, director Frédéric Faye, consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos and all their team.
Fombrauge
£*** per 6 in bond
93-95 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Fombrauge is superb. Rich, heady and super-expressive, the 2022 offers up succulent black cherry, plum, violet mocha and licorice. As always, Fombrauge is on the richer side, but this is one of the best vintages I can remember tasting. Gorgeous.
Fonbel
£*** per 6 in bond
90-92 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 De Fonbel is gorgeous. Rich, plummy and super-expressive, Fonbel is an absolute delight in 2022. Succulent red cherry, plum, spice, rose petal and mocha are nicely pushed forward. The 2022 is a supple, charming Saint-Émilion that will drink well with minimal cellaring. In this tasting it is an absolute delight. The blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Carménère works so well here.
Gaffelière
£*** per 6 in bond
95-96 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 La Gaffelière derives exclusively from the prime hillside vineyards below Ausone that made this estate so compelling in the early and mid-twentieth century, and the 2022 is the finest wine produced at this address in many a year, surpassing the 2019 and 2020 in quality. Wafting from the glass with incipiently complex aromas of wild berries, violets, lilac, licorice, vine smoke and raw cocoa, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a deep, multidimensional and beautifully vibrant core of fruit and polished tannins, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish.
Larcis Ducasse
£*** per 6 in bond
94-95 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A fleshy, opulent wine, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse bursts with aromas of rich, creamy berry fruit mingled with aromas of licorice, bay leaf and spices. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's a textural, layered wine with a ripe core of fruit, supple tannins and an expansive finish. More dramatic and unabashed than the 2020, this will appeal to readers who place a premium on flamboyant extravagance; but samples tasted later during my visit to Bordeaux exhibited greater freshness and precision.
L'If
£*** per 6 in bond
93-95 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
Aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and bay leaf introduce the 2022 L'If, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine that's taut and vibrant, built around lively acids and fine, chalky tannins. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the decision to halve the volume of pump-overs have delivered a suave Saint-Émilion, even in this structured vintage.
Mondotte
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 La Mondotte is complex, vibrant and beautifully layered. Inky dark fruit, graphite, lavender, dried herbs and bittersweet chocolate abound in a Mondotte that impresses with its energy and vibrancy. A very early start to harvest and a pulled back approach in the cellar yielded a Mondotte that is wonderfully dynamic in its presence.
Pavie
£*** per 6 in bond
94-96 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Pavie is a unique wine that celebrates a number of milestones for the château. It marks the 20th anniversary of Pavie under the helm of Gerard and Chantal Perse, who have taken this once sleepy property to brilliant highs. Two thousand twenty-two is also the first vintage for Pavie since the incorporation of the Pavie Decesse and Bellevue Mondotte properties. From my perspective, it is always sad to see the loss of historical estates, even if they are relatively small because it is a loss of culture. In terms of the wine, it is superb. Black fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice and spice add to an impression of virile intensity. Many recent vintages of Pavie have hinted towards a more vibrant style, but the 2022 is very strongly marked by the heat and drought of the year, the yields that are lower than typical and the harvest that started late in relative terms. In my view, the 2022 is a bit pushed, at least today. Huge tannins and a strong torrefaction oak imprint need time to soften, and that may or may not happen with élevage.
Pavie-Macquin
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Pavie Macquin is a gorgeous wine, not quite as exotic as it can be, which will no doubt please those who find this wine on the richer side within the context of Saint-Émilion. Dark red fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and spice all race across the palate. Given the small size of the berries and the heat, the winemaking team led by Nicolas Thienpont opted for gentler vinification with fewer punchdowns than the past. The result is a decidedly linear, vibrant Pavie Macquin that bristles with the chalky, saline energy that is a signature of this part of Saint-Émilion, but that has not always been present in a wine that in the past has been more about textural opulence. The blend is 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted four times.
Peby Faugeres
£*** per 6 in bond
93-95 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Péby Faugères is a dark, sumptuous wine. Blackberry jam, licorice, spice and chocolate all race out of the glass. The 2022 is a bit tight today, but it shows promise.
Quinault L'Enclos
£*** per 6 in bond
92-94 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Quinault L’Enclos is wonderfully polished, but what impresses most is the wine’s balance. In most vintages, the components are evident for a young Quinault, but the 2022 inspires with a seamlessness I don’t recall seeing in the past. Perhaps that is a reflection of a blend that was done early, prior to the malolactic fermentation. Dark blue/purplish fruit, grilled herbs, lavender, spice and graphite are some of the many notes that come alive in the glass. The 2022 is a gorgeous wine and potentially one of the sleepers of this vintage.
Quintus
£*** per 12 in bond
92-94+ points - Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Quintus, one of the best wines produced at this estate, reveals aromas of dark berries, licorice, ripe plum, spices, and hints of graphite. It’s fleshy and concentrated, precise and crystalline, with a tensile, chalky profile, velvety tannins and a vibrant, penetratingly saline finish. The integration of fruit from Grand Pontet recently acquired by the Dillon group means that the blend now contains fully 41.5% Cabernet Franc, bringing more mid-palate structure and amplifying Quintus's limestone-influenced character.
Saintayme
£*** per 6 in bond
91-93 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Saintayme is bright, floral and vibrant in this vintage, almost surprisingly so. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, chalk, mint and white pepper all run through this taut, nervy Saint-Émilion. All the elements are so well balanced. I especially admire the wine's persistence and inner perfume. Terrific.
Tertre Roteboeuf
£*** per 6 in bond
91-93 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Tertre Rôteboeuf is surprisingly understated in this vintage, which is quite different from most years. In this warm, punishing dry vintage I expect to find a more opulent Tertre, but the wine instead remains light on its feet, with surprising minerality and tons of energy to play dark red (rather than black) fruit. The 2022 is pretty clenched today, but élevage should help soften some of the angularity in the contours. Tertre Rôteboeuf is once again one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion. There’s a feeling of raw, unbridled power that is impossible to miss. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare instead of the more typical 40-45 or so. As usual, there is no green harvest and the entire crop is bottled as the Grand Vin.
Tour Figeac
£*** per 6 in bond
92-94 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 La Tour Figeac is a super-classic wine from this sector within Saint-Émilion. Linear and precise, with striking aromatic presence La Tour Figeac bristles with tension from start to finish. White pepper, chalk, tobacco and dried herbs lend notable aromatic presence. La Tour Figeac could very well turn out to be one of the Sleepers of the year. Tasted two times.
Troplong Mondot
£*** per 6 in bond
98-100 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot's vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.
Trotte Vieille
£*** per 6 in bond
94-96 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The quality of the 2022 Trotte Vieille took me by surprise, but clearly more diligent viticulture, combined with a new winery equipped with fully 26 vats for the estate's 11 hectares of vineyards, is beginning to pay off, as this is the most complete, integrated young wine I have ever tasted at this address. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, rose petals, violets and incense, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a deep core of vibrant fruit, beautifully refined tannins and a long, saline finish. A blend of fully 50% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, it derives exclusively from Trotte Vieille's historic clay-limestone walled vineyard.
Pomerol
Bon Pasteur
£*** per 6 in bond
92-94 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Le Bon Pasteur is another impressive wine in a string of recent releases from the château. Bright, vibrant and beautifully perfumed, Le Bon Pasteur is very nicely done. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and cinnamon lend notable brilliance. This mid-weight, juicy Pomerol is a charmer. Moving away from the heavily extracted style of the past is paying off for Le Bon Pasteur. There's still plenty of richness but far more harmonious balance than in some vintages in the not-too-distant past. Tasted three times.
Clinet
£*** per 6 in bond
94-96+ points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that represents the earliest harvest in this estate's history (beginning on September 6), the 2022 Clinet is a success, offering up aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of spices and a discreet patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's impressively vibrant, with a rich core of fruit framed by powdery tannins from judicious extraction. This has more in common with the more refined 2018 and 2019 vintages at this address than with the powerhouse 2020, and that is no mean feat in an even more extreme vintage. Bravo to Ronan Laborde and his team.
Conseillante
£*** per 6 in bond
97-100 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 La Conseillante is a remarkable wine that has the potential to emerge as one of the wines of the vintage. A blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, it unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, orange zest and mint. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's velvety and enveloping, with a textural attack that segues into a multidimensional mid-palate that's framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Checking in at a very healthy pH of 3.65 and 14% alcohol, it is a beautifully supple, suave wine that retains all this estate's signature elegance but in a slightly deeper-pitched and broader-shouldered format than the profound 2020. Congratulations to winemaker Marielle Cazaux, consulting enologist Thomas Duclos, the Nicolas family led by Jean-Valmy, and all the team at La Conseillante who have firmly established this estate at the very top of Pomerol's qualitative hierarchy in recent vintages.
Domaine L'Eglise
£*** per 6 in bond
90 points - Jane Anson
Chocolate brownie, baked damsons, blackcurrant, violet curls. Frost early in the season meant a low yield here, along with the heat of the summer. Has impact. 60% new oak.
Eglise Clinet
£*** per 6 in bond
96-98 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet is fabulous. Rich, deep and layered, with tremendous purity, the 2022 is already exceptionally well balanced. Dark fruit, gravel, licorice, dried herbs and lavender emerge, but only with great reluctance. Even so, there is something incredibly complete about the 2022 that is a bit hard to describe with words, but it is most definitely there! L'Eglise-Clinet is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank.
Evangile
£*** per 6 in bond
95-97 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 L'Évangile is seriously impressive right out of the gate, dark, rich and enveloping. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, spice, leather and a kiss of new oak race across the palate. Texturally, the 2022 is gorgeous. One of the recent changes here (since the 2021 vintage) has been a reduction of wine that undergoes malolactic in barrel, from 100% down to 60-70%. More than anything, the 2022 impresses with its gorgeous inner sweetness and exceptional balance. In short, the 2022 is a classic Évangile.
Feytit Clinet
£*** per 6 in bond
95 points - Jane Anson
Excellent appellation signature, great balance, real depth of flavour, and while there are a ton of tannins here, they are smooth and integrated, concentrated but this is a serious wine, with serious ageing potential, and it's absolutely one to look out, damson and black cherry fruit abound, with cocoa bean and incense notes, a buy. 70% new oak.
La Fleur Petrus
£*** per 6 in bond
94-96 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 La Fleur-Pétrus is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Sweet floral and spice notes lift a core of ripe red-toned fruit. The 2022 offers a gorgeous combination of finesse and opulence, but still in the mid-weight style that is such a signature here.
Gazin
£*** per 6 in bond
92-94+ points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, licorice, cherries and spices, the 2022 Gazin is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with excellent depth at the core, sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. Despite the drought, the vineyards performed better in 2022 than in 2020 at this address, and the result is one of the better vintages for Gazin in recent years.
Guillot Clauzel
£*** per 6 in bond
93-95 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The best wine that Guillaume Thinepont has produced to date at this small estate is the 2022 Guillot Clauzel, an attractive blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that exhibits aromas of blackberries, violets, iris and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, with supple tannins and a suave, seamless, perfumed profile, Thienpont's decision to reduce the amount of new oak used to only 30% makes for even greater purity and expressiveness.
Lafleur
£*** per 6 in bond
97-99 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
A deep, gourmand vintage for this singular estate, the 2022 Lafleur unfurls in the glass with aromas of mulberries and cherries mingled with hints of rose petal, iris, orange zest and vine smoke. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's pure and seamless, with supple tannins, huge depth at the core and a long, resonant finish. One of the most characterful as well as most consistent wines produced in contemporary Bordeaux, it will surely emerge as one of the vintage's high points.
Lafleur Gazin
£*** per 6 in bond
91-93 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Lafleur-Gazin unwinds in the glass with aromas of minty blackberries, cherries, petroleum jelly and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, supple and gourmand, its satiny attack segues into a rich but vibrant core of fleshy, perfumed fruit. Owned by the firm of J-P Mouiex since 2020, this is an estate in the ascendant.
Lagrange Pomerol
£*** per 6 in bond
90-92 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
Aromas of rich berries, cherries, spices and truffles introduce the 2022 Lagrange (Pomerol), a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's deep and layered, its sweet core of fruit framed by powdery tannins.
Latour Pomerol
£*** per 6 in bond
91-94 points - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
The 2022 Latour à Pomerol wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, red berries, licorice and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a sweet core of fruit, polished tannins and a ripe but lively profile, this is a fine effort.
Vieux Chateau Certan
£*** per 6 in bond
98-100 points - Antonio Galloni (Vinous.com)
The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of tremendous sophistication and polish. I expected to see a more opulent VCC, but the 2022 is surprisingly delicate and nuanced. The blend is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, which means all the Cabernets at the château were used in Grand Vin. Perhaps that explains the wine’s construction, favoring length, persistence and aromatics more than size. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice and licorice hints linger on the super-expressive finish. There’s really not much more to say except that the 2022 is magical. “Real heat started in June," explained Alexandre Thienpont. “We had 15mm of rain over two days in mid-August that really helped. Even so, yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, so lower than 2020. Berries weighed less athan a gram and juice yields were low.”