Primeurs 2022 : les pépites selon Antonio Galloni !

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2022

« The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has a bit more Cabernet Franc than most years, which comes through immediately in the wine's aromatic profile. Dark, rich and expressive., the 2022 is seriously impressive. Crushed flowers, herbs, mint, blood orange and red-toned fruit all build into a sumptuous, majestic finish that just explodes on the back end. The 2022 is one of the very finest editions of Beau-Séjour Bécot I can remember tasting. It is a great, great wine. Drinking window : 2032-2052 »

98-100/100

80,00 € TTC

 

Château la Gaffelière 2022

« The 2022 La Gaffelière is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Refined, sculpted and wonderfully precise, La Gaffelière simply has it all. Hints of lavender, mint, blood orange, spice and black cherry fruit all race across the glass. Clean mineral notes and fine tannins support the finish. The delineation here is simply breathtaking. La Gaffelière is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Élevage is expected to be 19 months in 50% new oak and 50% neutral barrels. The 2022 is another exceptional wine from the Malet Roquefort family. Drinking window : 2032-2062 »

98-100/100

79,20 € TTC

 

Château Montrose 2022

« The 2022 Montrose is a brooding, powerful wine, as it so often is. Huge tannins wrap around a core of dark black fruit, chocolate, leather, spice, menthol and licorice. The new oak (60%) is not yet fully integrated, but then again, the 2022 is a baby. A bit of time in the glass helps the elements come together nicely. Readers will have to be exceptionally patient, as the 2022 is not likely to start drinking well until it is at least 15-20 years old. Drinking window : 2032-2062 »

96-98/100

228,00 € TTC

 

Château Larcis Ducasse 2022

« The 2022 Larcis Ducasse is a huge, inky wine. A firm backbone of structure lies behind all of that opulence, yielding a wine that is both extravagantly rich and super-classic. That’s a pretty appealing combination in my book. Dark red-toned fruit, spice, leather, tobacco, incense and mocha emerge, but only with great reluctance. The 2022 is packed to the core. I don’t imagine it will be ready to drink anytime soon, but is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc, a bit more Franc than usual, aging in equal parts 225- and 500-liter barrels. Tasted four times. Drinking window : 2032-2062 »

96-98/100

100,80 € TTC

 

Château Pavie Macquin 2022

« 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. Drinking window : 2030-2052 »

95-97/100

94,00 € TTC

 

Château Brane Cantenac 2022

« The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is captivating. Aromatic, savory and layered, the 2022 is so alluring from the outset. The natural radiance of the year is very much on display, and yet there is nothing that is overdone about the 2022. Hints of blood orange, spice, rose petal and minerals open over time, offering stunning contrast to the sheer intensity of the fruit shaped by low yields and tiny berries. Brane-Cantenac is, in my view, one of the most under-the-radar wines on the Left Bank. The 2022 is a stunner. Drinking window : 2030-2052 »

95-97/100

91,20 € TTC

 

Château Giscours 2022

« The 2022 Giscours is a regal, sophisticated wine. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, spice, menthol and rose petal lend notable vibrancy and freshness throughout. Most surprisingly, the 2022 remains light on its feet, especially for a wine made from such low yields in a warm, dry year. Over the last few years Giscours has been one of the most improved properties in the Médoc. The 2022 is another step in that direction. Sublime. Drinking window : 2030-2052 »

95-97/100

69,70 € TTC

 

Château Pontet-Canet 2022

« The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a surprising wine. Usually much more opulent, especially in warm, dry years, the 2022 comes across as restrained and understated. It is a wine of linear intensity rather than size, marked by notable freshness and a feeling of tension and precision I don’t recall seeing in the past. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the precision and vibrancy here. Unforgettable. Drinking window : 2028-2042 »

95-97/100

126,00 € TTC

 

Domaine de Chevalier blanc 2022

« The 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc is stunning. It exudes textural depth, intensity and pedigree from the very first taste. I imagine it will still be stellar in another few years’ time. For now, it is a wine to think about cellaring. Time brings out dried lemon peel, sage, mint, chamomile, salt and crushed rock scents that lend both vibrancy and complexity. In most vintages, the Blanc is either incredibly steely or ample in feel. In 2022, it is both. Tasted four times. Drinking window : 2027-2047 »

95-97/100

114,00 € TTC

 

Château Lafon-Rochet 2022

« The 2022 Lafon-Rochet is fabulous. Once again, Lafon-Rochet is the most elegant wine in Saint-Estèphe. There's a bit more richness and mid-palate intensity than in the past, likely a combination of the year and the approach of the new team headed by Technical Director Christophe Congé, who was formerly at Lafite-Rothschild. The 2022 signals a new era for the château that is likely to see a greater focus on selection and a slightly richer style. Even so, the signatures of Lafon-Rochet are evident. It's an exciting time. Drinking window : 2030-2052 »

95-97/100

48,00 € TTC

 

Clos Puy Arnaud 2022

« The 2022 Clos Puy Arnaud is a real stunner, and one of the great under the radar gems on the Right Bank. The 2022 is an especially rich, heady wine. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, leather and gravel build in a heady, sumptuous wine that delivers the goods. Clos Puy Arnaud could easily challenge many more illustrious names on the Right Bank. Drinking window : 2027-2027 »

94-96/100

31,80 € TTC

 

Château Barde-Haut 2022

« The 2022 Barde-Haut is gorgeous. Rich and explosive, the 2022 offers up copious notes of blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, mint and licorice, with pretty jasmine overtones that add exotic beauty. The tannins here are often a bit burly, but in the 2022 much of that is softened. This is an impressive showing. Drinking window : 2027-2042 »

94-96/100

38,00 € TTC