2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Rouge, Pessac-Léognan

Deep plum colour, velvety in texture, this is gorgeously measured while still being sleek and polished. Gives you clear promise of future enjoyment, with its chocolate-dipped cherry notes that are full and welcoming but not overly sweet, balanced by blueberry and bilberry fruits that give a mix of ripe and just-ripe-enough fruit with sufficient juice to carry them home. It's marked by the vintage, with clear tannins that give some drying notes on the finish, but isn't overpowered by phenolics, and is a deft handling of the year. 50% new oak, 35% one year barrels, 15% terracotta amphorae for part of the Merlot, along with a small amount of whole bunch fermentation. Bruno Lemoine managing director.

I loved the 2022 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this check in near the 2020, although it's in a riper, more sexy style. Cassis, plums, chocolate, and earthy notes all emerge from this full-bodied Graves that has an expansive, layered mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and solid mid-palate density. It's going to benefit from just a few years of bottle age. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot, resting in 50% new oak, with a small amount in amphora.

The 2022 Larrivet Haut-Brion offers up aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, raspberry, violet, orange zest, iris and ripe plums, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate that's supple, seamless and elegant, its succulent core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a floral finish. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc—the most significant portion of this grape variety ever used at this estate run by Bruno Lemoine—this is one of the most interesting wines that this estate has produced in recent years. It matured in 15% amphorae, 50% new barrels and the balance in tanks.

Broad and structured, but supple and sleek, with fine-grained tannins. Medium- to full-bodied. Hints of coffee beans and cedar. Solid finish. Bright.

The 2022 Larrivet Haut-Brion is bold, punchy and also quite exotic, because of the presence of Cabernet Franc. Succulent red cherry fruit, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and rose petal lend notable complexity with plenty of Franc perfume built into the layered, wonderfully expressive finish.