Bordeaux 2022

The 2022 Lune d’Argent from the Bernard family of Domaine de Chevalier perfectly balances the natural opulence of the vintage with a zingy spine of acidity, fresh citrus, pineapple and subtle floral notes. Sourced from vineyards that neighbour those of Châteaux d’Yquem and Guiraud, this is always a lot of wine for your money. Yet again, the Lune d’Argent is an absolute bargain.

Tasted April 2023. 87% Semillon, 13% Sauvignon Blanc. The highest proportion of Semillon ever used in the blend. Full of fragrant, white peach aromas, lilac and white flowers on the. There's lots of concentration on the palate from the Semillon, with lemon peel giving a welcome bite on the palate, alongside more aromatic flavours. Well-balanced and fresh.

Tasted April 2023. 86% Sauvignon Blanc, 14% Sauvignon Gris. This is the tenth vintage of the white wine from Puygueraud, where their cool soils worked wonders in this warmer vintage, keeping a tension and freshness to the wine. They use clones from the Loire, and this vintage there's a sunny, peachy feel to the fruit, with intense mineral notes.

Tasted April 2023. 94% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon. There's a seam of limestone at La Garde which always gives their white wine a chalky bite, especially refreshing in this warmer year where there's a lot of ripe lemon, passionfruit, and peach fruit. It's fresh and mineral on the palate with some delicate floral notes and vibrant acidity.

Tasted April 2023. Attractive, fragrant nose with ginger, saffron, and honey on the nose. Lemon peel and juicy peach on the palate, with more ginger and honey adding to the viscous texture.

Tasted April 2023. Fresh, floral and elegant with bright lemon, clementine, peel, floral notes and richer peach fruit. This has some richness at its core but remains lifted and refreshing. Waxy and pithy in texture. There's salinity and stony notes on the finish. A very impressive white from the 2022 vintage.

Tasted April 2023. Lovely citrus peel, fresh pineapple and clementine flavours, this is very impressive. Only moderate botrytis influence on the nose, but plenty of richness in the style of the ripe fruit flavours. There are plenty of mineral notes, bringing some freshness to the wine and making it very clean and appetising on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. Sweet citrus and some apricot fruit. Sweet on the palate but not overly so, retains some fresh fruit character. Nice seam of acidity throughout unlike other Sauternes this vintage. Not a lot of botrytis character but some savoury hints and marmalade.

Tasted April 2023. Some warm, ripe lemon along with orange peel and a pithy note. Hints of botrytis but the opulence is more driven by fruit ripeness than noble rot this year. There's a beautiful long, fresh finish and lots of floral complexity.

Tasted April 2023. Some warm, ripe lemon along with orange peel and a pithy note. Hints of botrytis but the opulence is more driven by fruit ripeness than noble rot this year. There's a beautiful long, fresh finish and lots of floral complexity.

Tasted April 2023. Very ripe, with a viscous texture and opulent, exotic fruit flavours with pithy notes as the palate continues.

Tasted April 2023. 100% Semillon. Incredibly golden colour considering its youth. This has incredible concentration and purity, with masses of depth and richness. There are some mineral flavours and more bitter orange peel cutting through that, creating a balanced and beautifully long finish.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Complex and energetic with lots of layered aromatic blue fruit and raspberry. Red cherry, black cherry and plum make a juicy, concentrated mid-palate and there are cooler, saline notes towards the finish.

Tasted April 2023. 78% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc. Friends Christophe and Arnaud have two vineyard plots, totalling just over 1.5ha, and from this they make this intense and elegant St-Emilion. In 2022 there's plenty of rich dark plum and cherry fruit, some fruit cake, some creamy notes, and plenty of stony, mineral notes too.

Tasted April 2023. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot. A spectacular 2022 with a record 70% whole bunch used this year. Gentle extraction, lower fermentation temperatures and careful use of new oak (replaced with large old casks) has left this year’s Carmes Haut Brion silky, pure and very fresh. There’s a taut, chalky feel on the palate, with fresh pepper and mint adding complexity.

Tasted April 2023. Fragrant on the nose with blackcurrant, bramble and violet. Rich on the palate with structured, ripe tannins and smoky, earthy hints.

Tasted April 2023. 14% abv. This stunning, tiny St-Emilion property is still completely under the radar, and in 2022 it completely blew us away. It's floral, ripe and silky, and especially powerful in this vintage. It retains its characteristic chalky freshness and you can see the hints of intense truffle that emerge with a few years in bottle. You will not regret discovering this brilliant family estate.

Tasted April 2023. 100% Merlot. Anne-Laurence, who makes Chateau Marsau, has further increased the use of foudres this vintage to 80%. The remaining 20% is in old barrels, amphora and vats. There's an incredible amount of texture and savoury-tinged fruit on the palate as a result. Fragrant and lifted on the nose, and linear with lots of the chalky, refreshing salinity we love in Marsau. Ripe and focused tannins, present but fine and silky. Yields here were low but the wine really shows the benefits of their regenerative approach in the vineyard. This is a very expressive wine that sings of its people and place.

Tasted April 2023. 100% Merlot. Anne-Laurence, who makes Chateau Marsau, has further increased the use of foudres this vintage to 80%. The remaining 20% is in old barrels, amphora and vats. There's an incredible amount of texture and savoury-tinged fruit on the palate as a result. Fragrant and lifted on the nose, and linear with lots of the chalky, refreshing salinity we love in Marsau. Ripe and focused tannins, present but fine and silky. Yields here were low but the wine really shows the benefits of their regenerative approach in the vineyard. This is a very expressive wine that sings of its people and place.

Tasted April 2023. 100% Merlot. Anne-Laurence, who makes Château Marsau, has further increased the use of foudres this vintage to 80%. The remaining 20% is in old barrels, amphora and vats. There's an incredible amount of texture and savoury-tinged fruit on the palate as a result. Fragrant and lifted on the nose, and linear with lots of the chalky, refreshing salinity we love in Marsau. Ripe and focused tannins, present but fine and silky. Yields here were low but the wine really shows the benefits of their regenerative approach in the vineyard. This is a very expressive wine that sings of its people and place.

Tasted April 2023. 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Pure blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Ripe but grippy tannins. Lots of concentration and deep fruit flavours at the core with refreshment from the cool, chalky, saline freshness.

Tasted April 2023. 89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. Fresh and vibrant with a refreshing edge. Pure raspberry, blackcurrant and black cherry. Perfumed and elegant.

Tasted April 2023. One of the hidden gems of the vintage. This is full bodied, layered, plush with black berry fruit and licorice. There's a great, lifted rose petal aroma too and minerally freshness. Balanced and well-proportioned, punching well above its modest price point.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc from their two vineyard sites. Intense with limestone character with mineral notes mingling with all the other rich, black fruit flavours. Salty and full of crushed oyster shell sensations on the finish. Crunchy black fruit texture with some violets and aromatic blue fruit. Well integrated spice, with pepper, licorice and clove. A brilliant wine from Jacques Thienpont and his team, a more than worthy stablemate of Le Pin.

Tasted April 2023. Soft and generous with lots of bramble and woody herbs on the nose, smooth tannins and velvet texture on the palate. There's a subtle smoky note towards the finish.

Tasted April 2022. Very Cabernet-driven this year with cassis, smoke, graphite and firm, open and delineated tannins in a medium-bodied frame. There's plenty of juicy black fruit on the palate, then fresh saline notes and woody herbs on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. 14.5% 50% new oak. 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Picked from the 8th September. Round and ripe fruit along with some crunchier raspberry fruit on the palate. Aromatic and bright on the nose, restrained and tightly wound on the palate. Lots of structure with grippy Cabernet tannins and some subtle creamy, nutty notes coming across.

Tasted April 2023. 14.2%. Quite possibly the best Mauvesin Barton we've tasted, the 2022 has a lovely frangrant, juicy character, with expressive, ripe, black fruit, floral notes and spice. It's open and delicious now, but there's structure and complexity here to age.

Tasted April 2023. 14.2%. Quite possibly the best Mauvesin Barton we've tasted, the 2022 has a lovely frangrant, juicy character, with expressive, ripe, black fruit, floral notes and spice. It's open and delicious now, but there's structure and complexity here to age.

Tasted April 2023. 85% Merlot 15% Cabernet Franc. Lots of black, soft fruit with some brambly notes. Vanilla and cedar come through on the nose and palate which should integrate over time. There's good density and concentration here with the fresh fruit and an iron-y mineral note carrying it through to the long finish.

Tasted April 2023. 83% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% abv. This tiny 2.4ha Pomerol property is run by Guillaume Thienpont, of Le Pin and Vieux Chateau Certan. It's a delight to taste Guillot Clauzel every year but none more so than in 2022, where the wine is full of focused, black berry fruit, mingling with notes of silex, gravel, brine and savoury, woody herbs. Still firmly under the radar, this is an absolute delight in 2022.

One of the great bargains of Bordeaux, and still relatively under the radar. 75% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec. Chateau Marjosse is owned by Pierre Lurton, the man in charge of Cheval Blanc and d'Yquem. He brings a bit of this magic to this estate, where he lives, and the results in 2022 are particularly impressive. It's rich and rounded, with plum and cherry fruit. It's bright and vibrant on the palate, with a velvet texture to the tannins, and a long, spicy finish.

Tasted April 2023. 63% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the first year La Garde was made in their new cellar, allowing an extra level of precision. The result is they've been more selective and made less Grand Vin this year. And the results are great, a brilliant expression from an estate that is still something of an insider's tip. The 2022 is fragrant on the nose nose with floral-tinged blackberry and plum. There are lots of stony tannins and mineral freshness, framing a core of ripe dark fruit.

Tasted April 2023. 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Carmenere. Creamy mid palate of soft red plum and cherry, with brighter redcurrant towards the finish with some mineral freshness. Linear tannins provide plenty of structure, and aromatic spice flavours add complexity.

Tasted April 2023. 14.4% abv. 30% new oak. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Black berry fruit on the nose and palate with lovely savoury dimensions from the Franc. Appetising and saline as the palate goes on and beautifully balanced between that fresh salinity and the supple fruit. Tannins are there and coat the palate but supple and build to a fine finish. Volume produced down by 30% because the dry conditions meant the berries were very small this year.

Tasted April 2023. A lovely silky feel on the finish with more fresh mint notes on the finish keeping it lively and appetising. Ripe blackberry, plum and some red cherry flavours, with a bay leaf, sage herbal quality.

Tasted April 2023. Rich and pure with beautiful aromatic dark fruit on the nose. On the palate it's creamy and velvet in texture. There's a line of stony freshness running through the palate and some savoury, truffle notes already developing. The acidity is fresh and juicy, mixing with layers of exotic spice and building to a long, fine finish.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% ABV. 50% new oak. Picked from 1st September. Aromatic and floral on the nose with bright black berry fruit and some fresh cherries. Opulent style of fruit compared to Le Chenade this year, with plenty of ripe tannin and a seam of stony freshness. Layered with stony and dried petals.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% ABV. 50% new oak. Picked from 1st September. Aromatic and floral on the nose with bright black berry fruit and some fresh cherries. Opulent style of fruit compared to Le Chenade this year, with plenty of ripe tannin and a seam of stony freshness. Layered with stony and dried petals.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% ABV. 50% new oak. Picked from 1st September. Aromatic and floral on the nose with bright black berry fruit and some fresh cherries. Opulent style of fruit compared to Le Chenade this year, with plenty of ripe tannin and a seam of stony freshness. Layered with stone and dried petals.

Tasted April 2023. 14.4% abv. 100% Merlot. Ripe blackberry and damson fruit, with sunny, juicy style, not overly ripe, with some brighter red fruit too. Very supple, integrated tannins. Acidity is moderate but provides a refreshing finish. A very impressive showing for one of our favourite bargain St Emilion Grand Crus.

Tasted April 2023. 72% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. Moderate intensity of bright bramble fruit and some crunchier cranberry. Iron-y, gravelly elements with grippy tannins. Approachable and juicy but balanced by an appetising, mineral-driven element in this excellent year.

Tasted April 2023. Powerful, silky and layered with soft dark fruits, some raspberry and cherry, and lots of mint, mineral, crushed shell notes creating lift and poise. The tannins are chalky and long, bringing the wine to a complex, appetising crescendo.

Tasted April 2023. This is an ambitious project in Castillon, and Jan Thienpont has made a delicious wine in 2022. 14% abv. It's got fantastic balance with ripe black plum and bramble, plus some fresher red berry fruit. Tannins are ripe and fine, creating a rich mouthfeel. Savoury notes create a gourmand finish. A bargain of the right bank. All natural yeast and no filtration. Only old barrels are used, which come from Vieux Chateau Certan, and they help to build a beautiful frame around a core of fragrant fruit.

Tasted April 2023. This has the same bright red fruit character as La Gaffeliere, and has a lovely silky texture, with summer fruits on the palate and a chalky note to the finish. Balanced and pure, with a long finish and some taut, densely-packed tannin. Puyblanquet is a brilliant wine this year and a complete bargain.

Tasted April 2023. 4 hectare property. 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Plump, juicy black fruit. Lots of vanilla and sweet spice, clove and a subtle minty note. Mineral tension and chalky freshness on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. From the Bécot family of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, who sought out this prime clay-limestone spot in Castillon in 2001. Castillon is often the hunting ground for under-the-radar but impressive terroir, and in the hands of this great St-Emilion family the results are on another level. In 2022 this is particularly good, with expressive blackberry, black plum fruit and minty notes adding lift and complexity.

The 2022 Talbot is yet another impressive St-Julien in this vintage. Full of savoury-tinged black fruit, subtle spice, graphite and woody herbs. It's concentrated but refreshing and elegant at the same time, with stony notes and dried mint towards the finish.

The 2022 Talbot is yet another impressive St-Julien in this vintage. Full of savoury-tinged black fruit, subtle spice, graphite and woody herbs. It's concentrated but refreshing and elegant at the same time, with stony notes and dried mint towards the finish.

The 2022 Talbot is yet another impressive St-Julien in this vintage. Full of savoury-tinged black fruit, subtle spice, graphite and woody herbs. It's concentrated but refreshing and elegant at the same time, with stony notes and dried mint towards the finish.

Tasted April 2023. With a new team at Fourcas-Dupré, we were delighted with the quality tasting it en primeur. It's got wonderful balance and savoury-tinged bramble and cassis fruit. This is an estate on the up, and from the far less renowned appellation of Listrac, it provides excellent value.

Tasted April 2023. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Less Cabernet Sauvignon than in previous vintages. 15% abv. 60% new barrels. Pure blackberry, bramble and violet on the nose. Powerful on the palate with similar fruit, lots of ripe, grippy Cabernet tannins and some herbal freshness.

Tasted April 2023. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Less Cabernet Sauvignon than in previous vintages. 15% abv. 60% new barrels. Pure blackberry, bramble and violet on the nose. Powerful on the palate with similar fruit, lots of ripe, grippy Cabernet tannins and some herbal freshness.

Tasted April 2023. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 14.5% abv. Fragrant and pure, this has a lovely elegance and lots of complexity at this early stage. Inky black berry fruit, licorice, pepper, woody herbs and espresso. Focused and energetic, there's a stony freshness and firm tannins and breadth of flavour on the rich, mineral finish.

asted April 2023. 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. 14% abv. From the younger vines on gravel and sandy soils. Very impressive and expressive this year, highly recommended. Fresh fruit, black plum and very aromatic and floral on the nose. The palate is dense and silky, with lots of savoury character with olive brine, cracked pepper and peppermint.

Tasted April 2023. 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 23.5ha on limestone and blue clay. Soft dark fruit aromas of plum and damson, with a lifted floral note. On the palate there's some chalky freshness and salinity, as well as some creamier notes from oak maturation, with fresh plum and cherry fruit. Great concentration and freshness to the style of the fruit given the dry conditions of the vintage. This is one of the most impressive Belair-Monange vintages we've tasted.

Tasted April 2023. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Intensely aromatic and full of cassis and blackberry. There are more earthy tones too with cigar and graphite. On the palate it's smooth and silky with fine, ripe tannins. There's a nice balance between these complex, concentrated flavours and a fresh, stony feel.

Tasted April 2023. Complex and energetic with lots of aromatic and floral character. Dark berry fruit and blueberry, with lavendar, dried herbs and some more lifted fresh mint towards the finish with salty notes. Dark chocolate richness but vibrant and fresh on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. A brilliant buy this year. Fragrant and lively on the nose, with fresh red berries as well as some riper cherry fruit. Brambley and complex on the palate with herbal notes, subtle vanilla, and savoury rich tannic structure. Refreshing acidity and a long savoury finish. Lovely balance and purity in this vintage.

Tasted April 2023. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, which is the highest proportion of Franc ever, bringing a lovely savoury character to the wine. Delicate and pretty on the nose with fresh aromatic berries. Plusher on the mid-palate but still with plenty of savoury structure. Fruit much riper, jammier on the finish along with plenty of floral notes creating poise and freshness. Baked earth and hints of smoke. Supple tannins.

Tasted April 2023. Fragrant and fresh on the nose with some red cherry and plum as well as darker berries. Refreshing and pure, with plenty of perfume again. Silky style of fruit on the palate then a lifted mineral finish. A great buy this vintage.

Tasted April 2023. Fragrant and fresh on the nose with some red cherry and plum as well as darker berries. Refreshing and pure, with plenty of perfume again. Silky style of fruit on the palate then a lifted mineral finish. A great buy this vintage.

Tasted April 2023. 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. 14.5% ABV. This estate goes from strength to strength and is one of the strongest names in the appelation, with more than a resemblance to Margaux. Appealing nose with dark soft berries, full of perfume and floral notes. Succulent fruit on the palate with plenty of grip and a seam of phenolic and wet stone freshness. The diversity of soils here have really helped, where the Merlot planted on clay was especially good and adds a fleshy, smooth, sensual element to the palate. This is very likely to be the best vintage ever made at the property.

Tasted April 2023. 87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc. 14% abv. Extremely aromatic, brilliant, creamy wine underpinned by energy and elegant tannic structure. Brilliant, pure blackberry and damson. Cool, minty freshness, lots of mineral notes too. Very succulent fruit, and beautiful long length. Fruity and ripe but in perfect proportion.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% ABV. Long and robust, there's more peppery Cabernet Sauvignon character in the 2022 Clinet than one might expect from Pomerol. This is a powerhouse shaping up to be a long lived wine, but there's also an elegance to go with the structure here. With hints of mint leaf, liquorice, and fennel, the herbal lift makes this an intriguing prospect.

Tasted April 2023. This is a great showing for an ambitious estate in Pauillac, that's undergone significant investment, and is owned by the same proprietors of Château Meyney in St-Estèphe. This vintage at Grand-Puy-Ducasse is fresh on the nose, with spicy, savoury aromas around a core of pure, fresh blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Good concentration, but refreshing and gourmand in style. There's also good balance with the more savoury style of the tannins, mineral graphite quality and well proportioned freshness. The finish builds and is clean, long, with balanced black fruit freshness and mineral hints.

Tasted April 2023. Lots of power and density in this solar vintage, with soft plum and bramble fruit and plenty of structure that belies its humble price point. There's plenty of freshness amongst the ripe character of the fruit. Year in year out, Montaiguillon is amongst our best value buys from Bordeaux

Tasted April 2023. Lots of power and density in this solar vintage, with soft plum and bramble fruit and plenty of structure that belies its humble price point. There's plenty of freshness amongst the ripe character of the fruit. Year in year out, Montaiguillon is amongst our best value buys from Bordeaux

Tasted April 2023. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% abv. 85% new oak. Picked from the 3rd September. Fresh, juicy blackberry and currant, with a little red cherry. Savoury layers, with lots of floral character and spicy oak character. Saline on the finish with gravelly tannins that build on the palate. Brilliant, balanced, complex and long. Volumes produced are reduced by around a third this year because of the dry conditions, that left the grapes far smaller than usual.

Tasted April 2023. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% abv. 85% new oak. Picked from the 3rd September. Fresh, juicy blackberry and currant, with a little red cherry. Savoury layers, with lots of floral character and spicy oak character. Saline on the finish with gravelly tannins that build on the palate. Brilliant, balanced, complex and long. Volumes produced are reduced by around a third this year because of the dry conditions, that left the grapes far smaller than usual.

Tasted April 2023. Some Cabernet and Merlot is co-fermented because the berries of Cabernet were so small and concentrated. Rich but fresh, beautifully balance and savoury, graphite and stone quality.

Tasted April 2023. Fragrant nose with delicate black berries, spice and mint. Balanced and pure on the palate too with crushed dark berries, stony notes and some subtle earthy graphite. Supple, linear tannins.

Tasted April 2023. Potensac, owned and operated by the same team as Léoville-Las-Cases in St-Julien, often over delivers, and in 2022 this is definitely the case. The vineyards are in the north of the Médoc, and the result in 2022 is an expressive, powerful wine. Concentrated black plum, bramble and cherry, with spicy notes and lots of gravelly, stony quality. There's plenty of tannins, and they feel rustic and St-Estèphe in character at the moment, but this is setting this Potensac up for a long life in bottle, where the concentration and density will develop beautifully.

Tasted April 2023. Siran in 2022 is silky and polished on the palate with ripe mulberry and bramble. There are plenty of minty, aromatic, fragrant red berry elements keeping it light and fresh, and a chalkiness to the tannins. Very elegant and fine this year.

Tasted April 2023. 50% of the crop this year was lost due to a hail storm in June. Tightly-coiled but powerful with core of blackcurrant fruit and pure dark plum. Plenty of grippy tannin and savoury bite.

Tasted April 2023. Pure, fragrant nose with bramble and blackcurrant. Supple, ripe tannins and good concentration of savoury-tinged fruit. Balanced and appetising.

Tasted April 2023. 88% Merlot, 12 % Cabernet Franc. Black plum, cherry and bramble dominate on the nose, and on the palate there are some fresh berry flavours, and a mineral hint to the finish. Medium-weight, juicy and fragrant.

Tasted April 2023. 31% Cabernet Franc 69% Merlot. 14.5% abv. Explosive aromatics on the nose with violets and dried petals. Blackcurrant, plum and aromatic blue fruit on the nose and palate and a delicious, appetising chalky note. Very fine tannins, creating length. Creamy on the mid-palate, before a more saline, chalky finish.

Tasted April 2023. A brilliant vintage at Larcis Ducasse, an estate very much on the rose. Rich and opulent with blueberry fruit, as well as black cherry and blackberry. There's some soft vanilla, licorice and earthy notes too. There's also plenty of minty, chalky character that builds into a gourmand, mineral finish, and balances beautifully with the bold fruit. Exceptional.

Tasted April 2023. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot. Once again, Meyney is performing at the level of a classed growth, and remains brilliant value as a result. This estate, sandwiched between Montrose and Calon-Ségur, is in a great spot to manage the warm, dry conditions in 2022. The clay soils bring a welcome coolness, likewise their proximity to the river. There's a significant proportion of Petit Verdot, giving depth, concentration and spice. It's taut and structured, with ripe tannins, around a core of fleshy black fruit. We can't recommend it highly enough.

Tasted April 2023. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot. Once again, Meyney is performing at the level of a classed growth, and remains brilliant value as a result. This estate, sandwiched between Montrose and Calon-Ségur, is in a great spot to manage the warm, dry conditions in 2022. The clay soils bring a welcome coolness, likewise their proximity to the river. There's a significant proportion of Petit Verdot, giving depth, concentration and spice. It's taut and structured, with ripe tannins, around a core of fleshy black fruit. We can't recommend it highly enough.

Tasted April 2023. Bursting with aromatic fruit like black cherry, damson and bramble. Opulent and rounded on the palate, it nevertheless remains elegant and lifted with a saline finish.

Tasted April 2023. 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. 44% new oak and the remainder in amphora. 14.5% abv. Silky and gourmand. Full of ripe cassis and blackberry initially, then lots of stony, limestone freshness. Tannins very supple and ripe, and as the palate develops there are some licorice and anise hints, before a saline finish. Very well balanced and moreish.

Tasted April 2023. 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. 14.7% abv. 50% new oak, 35% amphora, 15% older oak. Very deep colour, soft fruit profile, fragrant floral aromas on the nose, with lots of salinity and stony mineral notes towards the finish on the palate. Plush and velvet texture, very concentrated, with Pauillac structure.

Tasted April 2023. Le Prieuré seems to get better and better each vintage. Aromatic, floral nose, lots of mature bramble fruit but also some crunchier red fruit. Chalky texture, with ripe tannin, and a long mineral finish.

Tasted April 2023. Full of black cherry, cassis, bramble and some lifted floral notes like lavender and violet. Full and rich on the palate, there's a breadth here in the form of rich, ripe fruit, cut through with a more peppery, mineral finish. Supple and velvet in texture.

Tasted April 2023. 13.5%. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. Fantastic this year, an excellent wine from the Rothschild team. Classical, yet opulent. Exuberant, aromatic nose with fragrant red berries and petals. Pure, blackberry, cherry and plum on the palate, with mouthwatering freshness, delineated stony tannins and hints of graphite. Delicious to drink, fresh and appetising with a core of pure fruit.

Tasted April 2023. 13.5%. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot. Fantastic this year, an excellent wine from the Rothschild team. Classical, yet opulent. Exuberant, aromatic nose with fragrant red berries and petals. Pure, blackberry, cherry and plum on the palate, with mouthwatering freshness, delineated stony tannins and hints of graphite. Delicious to drink, fresh and appetising with a core of pure fruit.

Tasted April 2023. 50% new oak, 50% older oak. 75% Merlot 25% Cabernet Franc.14.5% abv. Sophisticated and restrained with lots of character from the limestone soil here. Initially on the nose it is incredibly floral and aromatic. On the palate there are lots of mineral chalky notes surrounding very ripe, juicy cassis fruit and red cherry. Silky and sensational.

Tasted April 2023. 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% 100% new barrels. The second vintage in their new cellar, this is an estate brilliantly situated and firmly on the rise. Restrained black fruit with a herbal, savoury note on the nose and layers of spice. Fresh on the palate with a chalky bite and refreshing acidity. Long and complex mineral finish.

Tasted April 2023. 96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit-Verdot. Densely packed layers of dark, savoury-tinged fruit, sweet spice, creamy oak notes and crushed shell minerality. The tannins are supple and rounded, coating the mouth, building to a long, refreshing finish.

Tasted April 2023. 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc. From a 4.5 hectare property. Pure and restrained black plum and cherry fruit, elegant and poised, with more spicy elements as the palate continues. Very fine, ripe, smooth tannins and a fresh, mineral-laden finish.

Tasted April 2023. Exotic and rich, with some raspberry, pomegranate as well as dark berry fruit and black plum. Opulent and rounded, intensely fruity. This year they plan to use 70% new oak and 30% amphora.

Tasted April 2023. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Beautiful, aromatic, pure blackcurrant and cherry fruit, with a silky, velvet texture on the palate and long, fine, ripe tannins. A very impressive wine this vintage.

Tasted April 2023. This vintage Chateau Batailley has produced a special label commemorating the late Queen. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. 14.2% abv. 55% new barrels. This is classic Batailley, with powerful, dark, brooding fruit, bramble plum and blackcurrant. Vanilla, pencil box and clove on the nose too, then fresh and vibrant on the palate with savoury notes, spice and fresh cassis. Fresh and mineral on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. This vintage Chateau Batailley has produced a special label commemorating the late Queen. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. 14.2% abv. 55% new barrels. This is classic Batailley, with powerful, dark, brooding fruit, bramble plum and blackcurrant. Vanilla, pencil box and clove on the nose too, then fresh and vibrant on the palate with savoury notes, spice and fresh cassis. Fresh and mineral on the finish.

Tasted April 2023. Rich, pure, ripe blackcurrant on the nose, with woody herbs and spice. Powerful and ripe on the palate too, with a juicy fresh finish.

Tasted April 2023. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Full, rich and dense, with red and black cherry, bramble and black plum. Plenty of lifted complexity with mint, clove, and savoury, leathery notes, as well as some bold vanilla from oak. Powerful and fruit-driven, framed by some savoury, fine-grained tannins, and lifted on the finish by a minerally, appetising note.

Tasted April 2023. 64% Cabernet 24% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Very powerful and concentrated, but bright and exuberant with fresh blackcurrant and blackberry. Leafy, savoury notes, rose petals. Crushed velvet texture, with creamy notes and a long, savoury finish. Tannins are incredibly fine and densely packed, ripe and mouth-coating.

Tasted April 2023. Released to serious critical acclaim, this is likely the best Las-Cases we’ve ever tasted. Layers of ripe, soft, decadent black fruit with plum, blackberry and cassis. Creamy and velvet in texture with polished tannins that coat the mouth. This manages to be incredibly dense and concentrated in flavour, but retains balance and a classic left bank structure, with mineral, saline notes and graphite emerging, making it a St-Julien for the ages.

Tasted April 2023. 2022 feels like the culmination of what the new team at Troplong, led by Aymeric de Gironde, have been working towards. The inate power of the vintage has been tamed by their methods throughout the growing season, and the result is a spectacular representation of Troplong Mondot. Juicy fruit, but not extreme or overly ripe. Rich, but impeccably balanced. There are fresh herbal flavours, lifted violet notes and salinity on the finish. There is plenty of tannin but the texture is silky, and slightly powdery. Brilliant.

Tasted April 2023. 2022 feels like the culmination of what the new team at Troplong, led by Aymeric de Gironde, have been working towards. The inate power of the vintage has been tamed by their methods throughout the growing season, and the result is a spectacular representation of Troplong Mondot. Juicy fruit, but not extreme or overly ripe. Rich, but impeccably balanced. There are fresh herbal flavours, lifted violet notes and salinity on the finish. There is plenty of tannin but the texture is silky, and slightly powdery. Brilliant.

Tasted April 2023. 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% abv. Rich and aromatic, this remains fresh and lively, and is one degree lower in alcohol than in the 2010 vintage. The fruit is aromatic, with blackberry and mulberry, but remains restrained and elegant, with subtle mineral notes. There's lots of energy in the bright fruit, grippy tannin and creamy oak flavours. This year half of the Cabernet Franc, of which they are particularly proud, was aged in larger casks, the remainder in new barrels.

A brilliant vintage for Haut Bailly, made in their beautiful state of the art cellar. There’s so much aromatic complexity with tons of floral notes and fragrant berry fruit. The blackberry, currant and raspberry carries onto the palate with incense, violet, pepper, woody herbs and mineral tones. Smooth as silk on the palate with just a little minerally grip on the finish. Powerful and concentrated but in a lithe, vibrant, refreshing frame.

A brilliant vintage for Haut Bailly, made in their beautiful state of the art cellar. There’s so much aromatic complexity with tons of floral notes and fragrant berry fruit. The blackberry, currant and raspberry carries onto the palate with incense, violet, pepper, woody herbs and mineral tones. Smooth as silk on the palate with just a little minerally grip on the finish. Powerful and concentrated but in a lithe, vibrant, refreshing frame.

A brilliant vintage for Haut Bailly, made in their beautiful state of the art cellar. There’s so much aromatic complexity with tons of floral notes and fragrant berry fruit. The blackberry, currant and raspberry carries onto the palate with incense, violet, pepper, woody herbs and mineral tones. Smooth as silk on the palate with just a little minerally grip on the finish. Powerful and concentrated but in a lithe, vibrant, refreshing frame.

A brilliant vintage for Haut Bailly, made in their beautiful state of the art cellar. There’s so much aromatic complexity with tons of floral notes and fragrant berry fruit. The blackberry, currant and raspberry carries onto the palate with incense, violet, pepper, woody herbs and mineral tones. Smooth as silk on the palate with just a little minerally grip on the finish. Powerful and concentrated but in a lithe, vibrant, refreshing frame.

Tasted April 2023. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. 14.4%. Minty, eucalypt notes, fresh and lifted on the nose. Pure blackcurrant, bold and powerful on the nose and palate, soft and fresh in style. Round and opulent on the palate with a velvety texture but some minerally, appetising elements from the fine, densely packed tannins and minty freshness. The finish is seriously long and fine.

Tasted April 2023. 82% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5%. Precise and savoury-tinged black berry fruit, some softer black plum. Lots of tight structure now, ripe, gravelly tannins. Ripe and full bodied, but not overly opulent or creamy. Sapid, mineral with a slight appetising bitterness on the finish. Stony freshness and subtle peppermint notes. 15% amphora, 10% foudre, the remainder in barrique.

Tasted April 2023. Very floral nose with soft fruit and delicate oak notes. Tannins supple, cooling freshness. Lots of savoury character, lightly smoky and with dry spice. Appetising and delicious, with dark fruit character.

Tasted April 2023. Very floral nose with soft fruit and delicate oak notes. Tannins supple, cooling freshness. Lots of savoury character, lightly smoky and with dry spice. Appetising and delicious, with dark fruit character.

Tasted April 2023. Very floral nose with soft fruit and delicate oak notes. Tannins supple, cooling freshness. Lots of savoury character, lightly smoky and with dry spice. Appetising and delicious, with dark fruit character.

Tasted April 2023. 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% abv. Restrained red and black fruit, with lots of fresh stony acidity. Succulent raspberry fruit adds to the fresh, appetising style. This is expressive but still tightly wound with densely packed, grainy tannins that melt away after a while on the palate. Peppermint and savoury herbal flavours linger on the long finish. A very fine Figeac.

Tasted April 2023. 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% abv. Restrained red and black fruit, with lots of fresh stony acidity. Succulent raspberry fruit adds to the fresh, appetising style. This is expressive but still tightly wound with densely packed, grainy tannins that melt away after a while on the palate. Peppermint and savoury herbal flavours linger on the long finish. A very fine Figeac.

Tasted April 2023. 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. 14.5% abv. Incredible dense black fruit, some crunchy berries and very cool, chalky freshness. Balanced, pure and full of finesse.

Tasted April 2023. 75% Merlot. 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.4% abv. This is a seriously impressive VCC, a property we love at Lay & Wheeler. There's lots of concentration but stony freshness sings through. . Rounded and plump fruit character and velvety texture but plenty of restraint and elegance, all in good proportion and in an appetising style. Gravelly freshness, truffle, floral and aromatic, saline on the finish from the Cabernet Franc and young Cabernet Sauvignon vines.

Tasted April 2023. 75% Merlot. 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.4% abv. This is a seriously impressive VCC, a property we love at Lay & Wheeler. There's lots of concentration but stony freshness sings through. . Rounded and plump fruit character and velvety texture but plenty of restraint and elegance, all in good proportion and in an appetising style. Gravelly freshness, truffle, floral and aromatic, saline on the finish from the Cabernet Franc and young Cabernet Sauvignon vines.