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Composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 La Joie sports a deep garnet-purple color. It comes galloping out of the glass with energetic notes of fresh red and black currants, mulberries and candied violets, giving way to evocative wafts of cardamom, clove oil, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, delivering taut, muscular black fruit and very firm, finely grained tannins, plus a finely knit line of freshness, finishing long and energetic. It’s tightly wound and will require patience to allow the tertiary characters to blossom. Forget it for 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it over the following 30 years+.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIAlso inky black, the 2021 La Joie is packed with loads of licorice, blackcurrant, menthol, and polished leather. Full-bodied and plush, with a rocky texture, massive structure, and tremendous power, it will be a wine to cellar while you’re drinking the 2022s.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThe 2021 La Joie is composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, and the wine was matured for 16 months in 95% new French oak. It’s exceptionally pure and layered on the nose, its scents of blackcurrant and blueberry accented by tones of lavender and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is effortlessly seamless. It features Goldilocks ripeness, loads of powdery, suede-textured tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity. Though its flavors are youthfully coiled, it opens dramatically over several days, and it will be epically long lived in the cellar. 2,500 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RP

All Cabernet Sauvignon from specific hillside blocks on the estate, Shafer’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select spent 28 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a big, ripe wine, weighing in at 15.5% alcohol, but it remains harmonious from front to back. Deep, intense aromas of black cherries and cassis are accented by dried spices on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and textural, showing tremendous intensity and length on the finish. Based on how previous examples have aged, this vintage should drink well through 2050.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPAged 32 months in 100% new French oak. It is quintessentially Stags Leap, with grapes grown on Shafer’s famous Hillside estate vineyard, roughly 25ha, with very shallow volcanic tufa soils. It’s a barrel selection of the very best blocks. A total of 2,900 cases were produced. Such a beautifully balanced wine with tremendous staying power and expressive Stags Leap ironstone minerality with heady sagebrush and conifer notes with white pepper and walnut husk. The wine has an impressive depth of red-toned fruit on the mid-palate framed by tannins that practically dance across the palate, exuding length, tension, and power. Huckleberry and black cherry fruits, black truffle, dried violets, graphite, and salted dark chocolate are all framed by racy acidity, which keeps everything fresh and lifted. The 2021 releases mark Elias Fernandez’s 38th vintage as Shafer’s winemaker. He was hired by John Shafer in 1984, two weeks out of UC Davis.Decanter | 99 DECThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of shaking to bring out notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie, and kirsch, leading to nuances of dried roses, star anise and cardamom with a hint of cigar box. The full-bodied palate is decadently concentrated with firm grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks.The Wine Independent | 98As always, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend 28 months in new barrels. Its deep purple hue gives way to a behemoth of a wine that has incredible cassis, black raspberry, and even blue fruits to go with loads of camphor, minty herbs, graphite, and darker chocolate. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, yet pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Floral and vibrant, the 2021 sizzles with tension and a level of delineation I don’t remember seeing in the past. Like all the 2021s here, the Hillside Select possesses notable purity of fruit and exceptional balance. The tannins need to soften a touch, but time should take care of that. I don’t see the opulence or inner sweetness of most years, but that is not a negative at all.Vinous Media | 96-99 VMJuicy and direct, with a solidly built core of cassis and blackberry preserves lined with cocoa, singed tobacco and warm earth hints. Leans toward toasty on the finish, but there’s ample fruit. Best from 2025 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Without taking anything away from owner Alessandro Mori, it seems that since his son Iacopo joined him in the cellar in 2019, Il Marroneto’s wines have achieved even greater precision. Perhaps it is the result of having another equally meticulous pair of hands. Whatever the reason, this 2021 could be the estate’s best classic Brunello so far – definitely on a par with the Madonna delle Grazie bottling. Perfumes of rose, peony, lavender and lilac unfold from a sweet, earthy backdrop. It floats effortlessly yet with ample depth of dark red cherry and raspberry flavour. Juicy orange rings from the core. Exquisitely refined, suede-like tannins are long and silky, though denser than usual, while piercing minerality prolongs the finish. Drinkability that is delectably within reach.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECA dark and complex wine with aromas of black cherries, cherry pits, dried flowers, licorice and hints of leather and intoxicating violets. There is elegance as well as depth. Medium- to full-bodied with great density and concentration, sleek tannins of outstanding ripeness, graceful acidity and a super-polished finish. Licorice aftertaste. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino wafts up with an exotic blend of crushed sour cherries and dried violets complemented by cedar spice box and nuances of incense. It is seamless and silken in feel, displaying notable weight while also coming across as graceful and refined, with a remarkably pretty blend of wild strawberries and a crunch of minerality. A raspberry sauce concentration and sour citrus twang remain as edgy tannins linger, offset by a bump of riveting acidity. This is a fantastic vintage for Il Marroneto’s Brunello, here taking on a level of complexity and concentration I usually associate with the Madonna delle Grazie.Vinous Media | 97 VMIl Marroneto’s 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is immediately captivating, showing lift and verticality that sets it clearly apart, with bright cherry fruit, grenadine and grilled watermelon underscored by an energetic, punchy edge. There is an appealing sweetness to the aromatics alongside hints of white peppercorn and pressed violet, with lifted tones that flirt with volatility yet remain controlled, carried by remarkably soft and polymerized tannins. The 2021 is distinctly austere and complex, etched with mineral precision and built with multiple layers stacked one atop another, gaining depth rather than breadth. Before fermentation is complete, the cap is soft and malic acid is not yet developed, and the wine is racked with residual sugar (from six to 10 grams per liter). The skins are pressed at 350 atmospheres in a vertical press, and the free-run juice is combined with the must to complete fermentation very slowly, over many months, bubbling happily along. It ages in oak botti for 42 months. This is a release of 22,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSpicy and floral, with a mineral graphitic tinge, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino offers a youthful look ahead to what is likely to shape up to be another fantastic vintage for Montalcino. It is plush, yet is pinned together with lifted acidity, and while there is significant baby fat at this stage, it offers a lot of immediate pleasure.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JD

Remarkably pure and fresh. Pristine black cherry and blackberry, layered with beautiful violet aromas. Everything builds with precision and focus, supported by gorgeously firm, taut, mineral-rich tannins that bring energy and drive. The wine is compact and tightly wound at this youthful stage, its intensity truly emblematic of the vintage. Drink: 2026-2060.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECRipe, fresh and focused, with a lovely beam of red currant plum coulis that stretches out alongside hints of savory, violet, tobacco and singed cedar. Finishes with a late twang of iron. Nicely done. Drink now through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDark fruit aromas of blackberries, bitter chocolate, dried herbs, blackcurrants, black olives and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with a textural, rounded mouthfeel and finely integrated tannins, leading to a savory, fruit-driven finish. Delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSHeitz is on a later release schedule than most other Napa producers, so the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was the current release when I tasted with Lawrence Wine Estates CEO Carlton McCoy in August 2025. It’s a classically proportioned wine, with cedar, vanilla and black cherries all delivered via a medium- to full-bodied palate. It shows excellent structure for an entry-level wine, firm but approachable, with a lengthy finish. It should be a steakhouse staple, and while not inexpensive, it is a solid effort for the price.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is fabulous. Plump and vibrant, with good up-front fruit and bright acids, the 2021 captures the essence of modern classicism that is typical of the Heitz wines today. This is a superb entry-level offering from Heitz. Floral overtones brighten the finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A dark, inky wine, the 2022 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard is perfect in its bouquet of herbal, fruity, epic perfume alone. On the palate, there’s grip and tension, allowing just enough crisp, high-toned red fruit to surface and speak. The wine is fresh and buoyant beyond measure, finishing in a heartbreakingly beautiful array of white and black pepper that will stay with you for days. Though it will be hard to hold onto for long, the wine will age with ease another 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDBold and mineral-driven, this syrah shows a striking mix of cracked pepper, dried thyme and graphite, underpinned by ripe blackberries and smoked ham. The midpalate feels supple with layers of dark fruit yet is framed with firm, lightly chewy tannins. The structure leads to a deeply earthy, saline-tinged finish that lingers with hints of iodine and iron. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best after 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSAiry and highly aromatic, the 2022 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard bursts from the glass with a perfumed blend of dried violets, lavender, camphor, cedar shavings, dusty earth and exotic spice. It envelops the palate with a savory wave of red and black fruits, taking on a crunchy mineral character as nuances of rosemary and sage swirl throughout. The 2022 tapers off with medium length and a pleasantly chewy texture, leaving a savory tart blackberry tinge.Vinous Media | 95 VMBrooding and deeply structured but not ponderous, with expressive flavors of blueberry and raspberry highlighted by licorice, black olive and savory meat tones as this builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2035. 468 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This blended premier cru has always been the chouchou (special favourite) of Laurent Lignier. It is two-thirds of a hectare, blended from Faconnières and Les Cheneverey. The vines were planted beginning in 1936, the youngest—in 1962. It usually gives a wine that is a model of elegance and finesse, and 2022 is no exception, with pronounced aromas of mulberry and cassis touched with violets, liquorice, and cedar. The texture is ethereal and perfumed, yet the finish is astonishingly long. This wine should be accessible relatively early and should drink for 20 years at least.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECClear bright and lively ruby purple. Super perfume, this has an innate class over and above even the Chaffots, with a lovely tensile strength. More red fruit than black, perfectly poised, with a long stylish finish. All in finesse! Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru comes 60% from Les Faconnières and the rest from Chenevery. The very complex bouquet has a mixture of red and black fruit, detailed with crushed rock and graphite. The medium-bodied palate has fine-grain tannins with that graphite element hovering in the background. It is very detailed and precise toward the finish. This is one of Lignier’s finest cuvées, and the 2022 is no different. Superb.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with aromas of rich, smoky berry fruit mingled with notes of rose petals, spices and grilled squab. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, it concludes with a perfumed finish. As usual, it’s one of the high points of the range.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThis is also firmly reduced. By contrast, there is a lovely sense of freshness and verve suffusing the exceptionally rich and highly seductive medium-bodied flavors that brim with old vine sappy dry extract while exhibiting evident minerality on the superbly long, balanced and powerful finish. This is excellent and, along with the Combottes, almost always the domaine’s best 1er.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Bize owns 2.1 hectares here, including a half-hectare of Chardonnay. The red has an explosive blackberry and wild strawberry fruit aroma with hints of fresh and dried flowers, earth, and cigar leaf. The texture is tannic and firm but less tightly-wound than the 2020s. Fermentation is done as whole clusters; the wine is aged in cask, with just 5 – 10% new. When finished, this delicious wine should be approachable earlier than some vintages have been.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Vergelesses 1er Cru has a complex and perhaps cerebral nose: dark berry fruit, black pepper, green tea and light scents of damp moss/forest floor. This unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins framing gorgeous dark berry fruit, a little peppery in style, quintessentially Savigny with a very persistent finish. Everything you want from a Savigny Premier Cru (and more).Vinous Media | 93-95 VMHalf in a foudre, half in a barrel. Pale colour with a faint green streak. The reduction is keeping the wine tense, while the fruit on the palate is immediately engaging. Ripe limes, fresh apple, a certain sensuality behind, and an excellent long finish. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMCool, fresh and bright aromas of red currant, cherry, warm earth and a hint of spice are trimmed in a plethora of floral elements. The rich, velvety and solidly voluminous flavors possess the best concentration in the range while displaying focused power on the firm, serious, moderately austere and very much built to age finale. This is a buy and forget it wine for at least 7 to 8 years.Burghound | 90-93 BH

A total of one hectare is planted in Fournaux. The vines from the top of the slope in stony soils are blended with those from the deeper clay at the base. All the grapes are fermented as whole clusters and are ageing in mainly used casks to create this wine with a bright mulberry and pomegranate fruit aroma underpinned by saline minerality and a hint of savoury game. The texture is firm with grippy tannins and good length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fournaux 1er Cru is more closed on the nose compared to the Grands Liards, yet it is still well-defined with black plum and bilberry fruit, intermingling with sous-bois and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It’s an elegant Savigny, not powerful, but armed with reassuring persistence on the white pepper-tinged finish. Lovely.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMAn even fresh purple. At first there is not much nose but a little fresh raspberry fruit begins to emerge. The Fournaux 2022 delivers a rounded raspberry and strawberry fruit across the palate with sterner tannins at the finish, and still a good acid balance. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMMore somber, even brooding, aromas of various dark berries, warm earth and a touch of the sauvage enjoy a floral top note. There is notably better punch, though not better density, to the powerful and serious medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate with firm tannins on the built-to-age finale.Burghound | 89-91 BH

This opulent style starts out supple before chalky tannins take hold of its cherry, blackberry, earth and mineral flavors. Muscular, solid and dry, this lingers, offering a fruit- and oak spice–filled finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 411 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis had just been bottled shortly before my visit and, unsurprisingly, was displaying some reduction. More interesting are the rich, caressing and delicious medium-bodied flavors that are noticeably finer while exhibiting excellent power, focus, balance and length on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. This is textbook Bressandes.Burghound | 93 BH

Here is another masterpiece from vintner Martino Manetti (and winemaker Paolo Salvi, following in the footsteps of long-time key figures Giulio Gambelli and Estate Manager Bruno Bini). The Montevertine 2022 Le Pergole Torte is 100% Sangiovese made in a similar winemaking style as the others, although both botte and barrique are used here. It opens to a dark garnet appearance that is velvety and rich yet shiny on the inside with a ruby brightness that is specific to this Tuscan grape. This is an amazing wine, so precise and balanced. I love the boldness of the vintage, and I am delighted by how elegantly it unfolds over the palate. The wine is contoured and pretty in terms of texture, and yet there are mineral notes that add freshness and vertical lift. This portfolio offers good scale with three wines, an entry-level, middle-level and top-end wine, each offering a distinct identity. Production is 30,000 bottles. This is one of my favorite wines from 2022, a vintage with highs and lows. This is definitely a high.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA spicy and deep wine with licorice and bergamot aromas. The fruit is bright and layered, with plums and red cherries. But it’s on the palate where you feel the quality of this wine. It’s full-bodied with ripe, velvety tannins and long, refreshing acidity. Polished aftertaste. Made for the long haul, but also very drinkable now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2022 Le Pergole Torte is every bit as magnificent as it was last year. Deep and expansive in the glass, with stunning depth, the 2022 stains the palate with layers of dark fruit, mocha, new leather and cedar. The 2022 starts to blossom with just a bit of time in the glass, leading to a finish that explodes on the back end. As has been the case for some time, the differences between Montevertine and Pergole Torte are increasingly mostly about style. The 2022 spent a year in Damy French oak barrels followed by a second year in cask. It will require a number of years to shed some baby fat to be at its most expressive.Vinous Media | 97+ VM

Just 4.8 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon are planted on this 18.21-hectare estate, situated on the steep, southeast-facing slopes of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. Purchased in 1999, the property is also home to Jayson Woodbridge’s striking underground Ring winery and caves. I awarded the 2021 vintage a perfect 100 points, and this 2022 Ark continues that legacy—it’s the most polished of Woodbridge’s single-vineyard Hundred Acre wines from the vintage. If Morgan’s Way is supreme elegance and Few and Far Between is deep, brooding, and muscular, then Ark sits perfectly in between—balanced and impressively saturated. The palate bursts with red-berry fruit, beautifully scented with brown baking spices, black tea, walnut, and a striking ironstone minerality. “This is superpower wine,” Woodbridge asserts as we taste. “This is a Corporate Hostile Takeover—you go in with this wine. If you’re working on the biggest buyout in history, you drink this just before you short the S&P 500… and then you go skiing in Switzerland. You drink this before and after.” (Drink between 2025 - 2040)Decanter Magazine | 100 DECBlack currant, hints of mint, lead pencil and black cherry aromas follow through to a full body with very fine tannins and an endless finish. The texture leaves me breathless and speechless. Incredible length and depth. Hard not to drink now.James Suckling | 100 JSRipe black cherries, cassis, black olive, salted meats, and smoky tobacco all shine in the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark, which is aged 32 months in 100% new French oak. It’s full-bodied, has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, shows classic Hundred Acre polished tannins, and delivers a great finish. It’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, and while it’s beautiful today, it will shine for at least two decades. It’s another gorgeous effort from Woodbridge that’s as good as anything in the vintage. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

A fabulous wine in the making. Perfumed aromatics on the nose, ripe black fruits and purple flowers. Clean and intense, grippy straight away, the tannins give the impact and hold the attention, ripe fruit, but lean cool mineral tannins that provide both the freshness and sense of structure. Focussed with bite and depth, stylish and sure, I love the liquorice tang, not spiced at all but giving an extra level of minerality, terroir and freshness. Still quite shy to an extent, it’s serious but so polished and pure. Refined and superbly well built. Juicy but controlled, not too sharp, or severe, quiet, calm, persistent and well balanced. Gorgeous terroir markers and a chalky texture on the finish that is so moreish. Potential upscore in bottle. Harvest 8-20 September. Decanter | 98 DECLoads of mocha, red fruits and hazenut. Nuts too. Wild strawberries and violets. Full-bodied and juicy with dusty and fine tannins that spread across the palate. Lovely soft texture. Elegant and long at the end. Rich and juicy at the end. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe 2022 Bél-Air Monange was picked from 8 to 20 September. It offers copious red fruit on the nose laced with graphite and sous-bois scents, gaining complexity in the glass. I love the detail and delineation of this wine. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins that frame the layered mineral-rich fruit. Supremely focused with a surfeit of tension on the finish, there’s an abiding sense of harmony and completeness to this Saint-Émilion that feels draped in limestone. A wine befitting their eye-catching new château building.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMAnother beautiful vintage for this cuvée, the 2022 Château Belair-Monange is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc coming from a mix of terroirs on the upper plateau and hillside vineyard just outside of Saint-Emilion. This dense plum-hued effort offers up an incredible bouquet of black raspberries, chalky minerality, spring flowers, and graphite. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has an incredibly sense of minerality, a great mid-palate, and enough structure to warrant a solid 7-8 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97+ JDAromas of blackberries, cherry preserve, black tea and licorice introduce the 2022 Belair Monange, a full-bodied, deep and powerful wine with a layered, somewhat liqueured core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, expansive and slightly heady finish. Perhaps because the vines are younger, this is the cuvée in the Mouiex portfolio that shows the ripeness of the vintage the most this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-95 RP

Floral and tensioned with precision that gives it incredible brightness. It’s dreamy and energetic with purity and serenity. Full-bodied yet structured and polished. Dynamic young wine. Merlot and cabernet franc blend.James Suckling | 99-100 JSA monumental wine from the Moueix stable this year giving remarkable power and intensity, and a certain headiness that only Pomerol can do, but with a stylish presentation that offers grip and bite. Bold and intense, plush in terms of texture, but the tannins have spiced edges which gives the definition and edges, making this quite a serious and also sharp and thrilling wine. The power is there no doubt, as well as excitement and tension. Compact though, not so linear, it’s more coiled and all at the fore but still focussed, detailed and well defined. It’s a baby, but an enormous one, this will need time to really expand but this has stunning potential. 7.2ha, gravel on clay. Harvest 1-19 September.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 Trotanoy was picked 1-19 September. Clean and precise on the nose, yet obdurate (no surprise) and demanding that you will have to wait at least a decade. This is a Trotanoy that has resolved to keep everything up its sleeve aromatically. The palate is more compelling with its cathedral-like structure, judicious sprinkling of black pepper and its uncompromising grippy yet detailed finish. Immense…in a good way.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMSmoked earth, leather, graphite, and tobacco, as well as a massive amount of ripe red and black fruits, emerge from the 2022 Château Trotanoy, a rich, structured, powerful Pomerol with a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s one of the few Pomerols that has the capacity to match what they achieved in 2018 and 2020.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2022 Trotanoy offers up rich aromas of blackberries, cherries, licorice and sweet spices, followed by a full-bodied, rich and tannic palate that’s broad shouldered, powerful and concentrated. As ever, this is the most muscular, structured, robust wine in the Mouiex portfolio, a shorter than usual maceration notwithstanding, and it will require patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-95 RP

Very elegant and restrained nose of sweet violets, watermelon, fruit salad, red cherries, strawberries and pomegranates. Dense on the palate with a medium body, chewy tannins, crisp acidity and a polished finish. Surprisingly delicious. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2022 Spanna Coste della Sesia La Crotta is a fine entry-level offering from Cantina Delsignore. Crushed flowers, sweet red cherry fruit, cedar and pipe tobacco give this mid-weight Spanna notable finesse and overall appeal. This is everything Spanna (Nebbiolo in these parts) should be.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2002 Clos de Vougeot le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru, which comes from vines born in 1904, is endowed with darker fruit than the Grands-Echézeaux. Well-defined, maybe a little opulent in style, yet still controlled. The palate is well-endowed with dark berry fruit, more black than red, pain d’épice and white pepper. There’s plenty of substance and grip towards the finish. But it is always elegant and deserves 10-12 years in bottle. Excellent.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe vines were planted in 1904. A richer deeper ruby purple. A flamboyant pure fruit on the nose, sort of unexpected for Clos Vougeot. Excellent tension on the palate, all the structure that a Clos Vougeot needs but nothing in excess. Seamless, sensual, yet with all the strictness it should have. Very fine. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JMThis is also quite spicy and even more aromatically restrained with its fresh nose of earthy red pinot fruit. The denser and even more powerful larger-bodied flavors deliver excellent length on the impressively long and very much built-to-age if decidedly austere finale that flirts with rusticity. This is a classic CV and one that should age accordingly.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Although this is slightly closed on the initial attack, there is a crisply refreshing high-toned fruit character (cranberry, raspberry, pomegranate), with notes of peony and spice. The texture is fresh, tannic and grippy, and the compact, expressive fruit has an admirably chiselled character. The wine is from 75-year-old vines planted at the top of the slope above Richebourg and Cros Parantoux — the ’baby Richebourg’ according to Anne Gros. This wine will drink well from three to five years after the vintage.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2022 Vosne-Romanée Les Barreaux, which Paul Gros said the family considers a Premier Cru close to Cros Parantoux and Richebourg, is based on poor shallow limestone soils. The nose takes time to open and evolves lovely raspberry and wild strawberry scents laced with oyster shells. The palate is medium-bodied with good substance on the entry. This is more structured than you might presuppose. It has a silver bead of acidity, and the finish feels pixelated for a Village Cru. Bon vin.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMA solid core of ruby purple. What a beautiful nose! Global warming says a friendly hello to cooler sites such as Les Barreaux. More oak this year because of the shortage of one year old barrels, and that shows a touch at the back at the moment but will all integrate. Very lively and extremely fine, with a greater depth of fruit than the Chambolle. The pinot fin plant selection is showing its class here. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMIn contrast to the expressiveness of the prior wines, here the nose is firmly reduced and reveals nothing. More interesting are the fresh, vibrant and beautifully textured medium-bodied flavors that already possess solid depth and very fine length on the balanced if firmly structured finale. Lovely.Burghound | 89-91 BH

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie, named after the lieu-dit close to the Château de Gevrey, has a fragrant bouquet with red cherries, wild strawberries and touches of quince, vivacious and beautifully focused. Saline in the mouth with plenty of energy, gradually building towards a well-proportioned, slightly peppery finish that might deceive you into thinking there were stems in the mix. A level up from the previous vintages.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie is ampler and fuller than the regular Gevrey, unfurling in the glass with notes of dark berries, cherries, warm spices and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a succulent core of fruit and powdery tannins, it’s built to age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThis is the one wine in the range that was reduced and it’s enough to push the underlying fruit to the background. More interesting are the bigger-bodied and more concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the sneaky long and well-balanced finale. This is presently very backward, indeed it’s a bit grumpy, yet the potential for extended cellaring is clearly present. If you have the patience, and can find it, don’t hesitate.Burghound | 90-92 BH

Aromas of wild raspberries cascade out of the glass with fresh rose, wild herbs and subtle earth notes. The lively palate pops with sour red cherries that are balanced by hints of anise and underbrush. Elegant tannins frame the wine perfectly. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WELanghe Nebbiolo is a terrific category of wine that is taking on enormous steam. You get the lovely character of the elegant grape but delivered here with more immediacy and ease of drinking. The Elvio Cogno 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is the type of bottle you hope to find at your neighborhood trattoria or pizzeria. The wine shows a brilliant ruby hue with fragrant rose, violet and sweet cherry. Production is 15,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPSourced from Nebbiolo grown just outside the Barolo zone on sandy soils, this Langhe Nebbiolo is primed and ready to be enjoyed now. Vinified in stainless steel with a portion of whole-bunch fruit and 30% undergoing carbonic maceration, it flaunts a beautiful perfume of wild strawberry and floral notes. In the mouth it has good intensity of juicy red fruits with a touch of herbs. Textural, sapid and vertical.Decanter | 92 DECNo written review provided. | 92 W&SThe 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is an homage to Valter’s grandfather and was fermented and aged only in stainless steel. The 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is a pale ruby, with notes of ripe wild strawberry, cinnamon, and white pepper. It is lifted, fresh, and medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and a good clean finish. Another fresh example to serve with salumi and as an aperitif, with a light chill, it is easy to drink and approachable. Drink over the next 5-6 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDDried herbs, dark chocolate and bark with red and dark berries on offer here. Medium-bodied, juicy and crunchy with a flavorful, citrusy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JSJust a touch earthy in aroma, giving way to succulent cherry, raspberry, floral and woodsy flavors. Balanced and firm, with a lingering, spicy finish. Decant. Drink now. 1,500 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This is really open with bright and flamboyant aromas of cassis and cherries. Blueberries. Some peaches as well. I don’t remember a young Ausone like that. Full-bodied with flamboyant fruit and energy. Very fine tannins. They are there but you don’t feel them. Supple but very fruity. And intensely fruity at the end.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe Ausone 2022 is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, with a yield of 38 hl/ha. The Merlot was harvested between 5th and 7th September and the Cabernet Franc between 21st and 27th September. It has a pH of 3.57, a TPI of 66, and it is opaque purple in color. The wine is completely closed on the first smell, requiring a lot of swirling to begin to release fragrant notes of dried roses, licorice, cast-iron pan, and cumin seed, giving way to a core of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and redcurrant preserves. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, featuring very fine-grained, very firm tannins and breathtaking tension to frame the tightly wound red and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length and mind-blowing complexity. Holding its cards close to its chest, it’s a hard wine to read at first glance, yet there’s a lot of nuanced sub-text bound within the rock-solid structure. I see this slowly unfolding over many years to become a wine for the ages.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWIThe Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDQuite intense nose, strongly perfumed and scented with purple flowers and a mix of red and black fruit. Fragrant with chocolate, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, crushed stones and liquorice. Aromatically very inviting. Plush and sapid, tannins are ripe but the acidity gives it real tension so you get some intensity of texture and sharpness of fruit on the palate making it a bit serious and tense right now though with lovely detail and lots of precision in terms of tannins and fruit. Mouthwatering acidity is at the fore, really giving some zing and electricity to this while the crushed stones, liquorice and clove spice give the accents around the edges. Clear strength and concentration, such power underneath - you do feel the heat from the alcohol (15.4%!) but the acidity and soft mineral elements help keep the balance and frame though it’s not as demonstrably mineral as some years. Acidity does settle and this expands slowly - keeping the linearity and sense of focus but also giving hints to its power and ageability. Sculpted and well delivered, characterful and confident with long ageing potential. Long finish with graphite, pencil lead and toasted spices on the finish. 3.57pH 85% grand vin, 20,000 bottles. Harvest 5 and 9 September for Merlot, 21 and 27 September for Cabernet Franc. A yield of 38hl/ha. Potential upscore in bottle.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn’t help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol.Vinous Media | 95-97+ VMA blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it’s deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

One of the clear standouts of the vintage! A sensual, fun, salivating and sublime wine from winemaker Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse that manages to give such generosity, power, terroir markers and overall drinkability. Aromatic, scented, open and expressive with cherries, blackcurrants, purple flowers and crushed stones. Sleek and supple, sharp, tangy acidity and concentrated ripe fruit - it’s forward and intense, direct but defined and detailed. Fine and supportive tannins have bite and a mineral tang putting you squarely in St-Emilion on limestone. Raw and wild in a way, but so expressive and open - honest and just such a captivating wine that belies the heat of the vintage with its cool menthol, blue fruits and lifted finish. Streamlined and focussed, sustained, determined and characterful - sleek in the best way, this is confident but not showy. Succulent, classy, polished. A brilliant wine. 3.5pH. A yield of 42hl/ha. Harvest 6 - 9 September for Merlot and 23 September for Cabernet Franc. Julien Viaud and Axel Marchal consultants. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECA beautiful and enticing red with blackberry, hazelnut, dried flower, spice and berry character. It’s full yet poised with finesse and richness while also being bright and energetic. Precise.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe 2022 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is made from 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc (the highest ever proportion) with a yield of 42 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it spills out of the glass with fantastically perfumed notes of lilacs, molten licorice, Indian spices, and cedar chest, giving way to a profound core of blueberry preserves, blackberry pie, and boysenberries with a waft of crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is rich and opulent, delivering layer upon layer of fragrant black and blue fruit notes, supported by amazing tension and very fine-grained tannins, finishing long and beautifully perfumed. Dazzingly electric, it’s pure energy in a glass! The pH, BTW, is just 3.50—gotta love limestone.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIThe 2022 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) looks to be another brilliant wine from this incredible terroir located just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. Based on 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc resting in 68% new oak, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a floral, intense bouquet of cassis, liquid violets, black cherries, truffly earth, and graphite. Hitting 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.5, it’s full-bodied and has a pure, layered, opulent mouthfeel and just about perfect tannins. There’s a little bit more clay in the soils at this estate (there’s still plenty of limestone) which gives the wines plenty of power and richness, and the 2022 holds onto a beautiful sense of elegance.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98+ JDThe 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.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2022 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse was picked on 6-9 September for the Merlot and 23 for the Cabernet Franc, representing the highest percentage to date. It was cropped at 42hL/ha with 14.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.5. Aged in 68% new oak, it has a delicate nose that completely disguises that summer’s warmth. Precise redcurrant and raspberry fruit aromas are laced with minerals. The limestone soils percolate and evince the estate’s style under Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse. It seems to deepen, to "stretch out" with aeration, manifesting more darker fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, mineral-driven and almost pastille-like in terms of purity with its mélange of red and blue fruit and granular texture. Background notes of tobacco and black truffle begin to surface with time. There’s just a trace of white pepper on the finish. Precise, focused and with plenty of substance, this is a characterful and intellectually satisfying Duffau. Most importantly, not only will it be flippin’ delicious, but you get the sense that Joséphine is only just getting started.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

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 DECThe fine and intense tannins are very impressive because they fold beautifully into the wine, with blackcurrants, black cherries, hints of chocolate and hazelnuts. It’s full-bodied with tight and focused fruit and a long and classy finish. Fantastic definition to this. Fresh. 60.5% cabernet sauvignon, 31.5% merlot, 5.5% cabernet franc, and 2.5% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96-97 JSA brilliant wine that’s the finest young vintage I’ve tasted at this Saint-Julien estate, the 2022 Branaire-Ducru wafts from the glass with aromas of violets, blackberries, sweet cassis, licorice and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional palate that’s succulent, sapid and perfumed, framed by supple tannins and concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. It’s a blend of 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot that checks in at a healthy pH of 3.65. Why is it so good this year? In addition to the quality of the vintage, the new gravity-flow winery means fruit can be handled more gently, and picked more precisely, sub-block by sub-block, as the team now have fully 63 vats at their disposal, almost double their capacity through 2020. Given the Maroteaux family’s sensible approach to pricing, this is likely to number among the must-purchase wines of the 2022 vintage, and it comes warmly recommended.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2022 Branaire Ducru was harvested from 12-24 September at 34.5hL/ha, the blend representative of their vineyard plantings. This feels refined and focused on the nose with plush red berry fruit, dried rose petals and orange rind scents. Classic Branaire. The palate is fresh on the entry with pliant tannins. It’s very well structured to the degree that it conveys a sense of symmetry. Lightly spiced toward the finish with notes of graphite lingering on the aftertaste, this represents an excellent Branaire Ducru that will age over many years and will surely appeal to those seeking more classical Saint-Julien. Tasted three times and was more impressive each time. Branaire-Ducru continues its upward trajectory under proprietor François-Xavier Maroteaux. 14.3% alcohol.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMAn absolute gem of a Saint-Julien, the 2022 Château Branaire-Ducru clocks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Pure cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, and dried flower notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant, beautifully balanced mouthfeel, and terrific tannins. In addition, it has a sense of freshness and purity that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s clearly the finest wine I’ve tasted from this château, which going forward merits serious attention.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2022 Branaire-Ducru is made from 60.5% CS, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot with a yield of 34.5 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it gallops out of the glass with energetic notes of crushed blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and juicy plums, plus suggestions of clove oil, fertile loam, and dried lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate has a lot of elegance and finesse for its density and hefty weight, featuring lively black fruit layers and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing on a mineral note. Nicely done! The pH is 3.65.The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI

A wine that’s going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26, from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2022 Calon-Ségur is another superb wine from this historic Saint-Estèphe third growth that began a comprehensive renaissance the better part of a decade ago. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with hints of fresh mint, burning embers, licorice and violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, saline finish. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Vincent Millet observed that "when you tasted the Merlot, you were under the impression that you were tasting Cabernet."Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPRich and vibrant on the nose, smells concentrated and alcoholic. Crisp and clean on the palate however with bite to the cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit alongside a hint of sweet strawberry and herbal raspberry on the mid palate that gives some instant energy before the clear concentration and heft of the wine shows through. Not so much in the texture but in the ripe flavours, cool minty and stone edged tannins and clear liquorice and clove spice. Still taught but detailed with elements of generosity. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. A yield of 26hl/ha. Ageing 17 months, 30% new oak.Decanter | 96 DECA very juicy red with redcurrant and creme de cassis as well as hints of nutmeg and cloves. It’s full and polished with very pretty tannins that show length and focus. Traditional and typical for Calon with the tannin structure. A little closed today. But serious structure.James Suckling | 95-96 JSThe 2022 Calon Segur is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it erupts from the glass with powerful scents of creme de cassis, blackberry preserves, and fruitcake, leading to touches of wild sage, smoked meats, Chinese five spice, and camphor with a waft of graphite. The full-bodied palate is super concentrated and hedonic, delivering impactful black and blue fruit preserves layers with a velvety texture and lively backbone, finishing with long lingering exotic spice notes. It’s big, sure, but it is also very bright and energetic. The alcohol is 15% and the pH 3.8.The Wine Independent | 95-97+ TWIThe 2022 Calon-Ségur was cropped at 26hL/ha compared to 36hL/ha last year. Matured for 20 months in new oak, it has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The 2022 is tight at first but opens with aeration (winemaker Vincent Millet remarked how the wine was much more expressive the week I tasted it in mid-April compared to the previous week). The palate is classically styled with impressive mid-palate depth. With strict tannins and multi-layered graphite-infused black fruit, this is reminiscent of some postwar Calon-Ségur’s I have tasted. I wonder if slightly less vin de presse would have been better? Uncompromising, perhaps that might be its virtue, but it means that patience will be required.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

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.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99-100 RPA superb Canon in 2022. Supple, shiny, oh so charming, gorgeously sleek and well textured like pure silk but with density to the tannins that grips and coats the mouth, plus you know there’s such power and concentration underneath in the waves of liquorice, stones, blackcurrant fruit. Extremely polished and charming. Vibrant, energetic, tense, and straight. It’s not plush, more direct, but this wine thrills. Seamless and effortless, bright and energetic but with such a calm control and confidence. A stunning wine more for what it doesn’t say than what it does in 2022. A yield of 45hl/ha. pH 3.5. 18 months ageing with 50% new oak. Harvest 30 August - 22 September.Decanter | 98 DECEndless on the palate with plenty of umami character. So Canon in its nature with plenty of fruit and fine tannins, yet almost weightless. The structure is all there. Electric. Long, long, long. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSTasted on three separate occasions (and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine on one of those), the 2022 Château Canon is an incredible wine in the making, and it might be the finest in the series starting in 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc harvested between August 30 and September 22, it comes from yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare and hit 14.5% alcohol. The élevage will run 16-18 months in just 30% new French oak. As classy as they come, it has a beautiful perfume of red and blue fruits as well as notes of white flowers, truffly earth, woodsmoke, and forest floor. With incredible density, a multi-layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and integrated acidity, this incredible Canon will evolve for 30-40 years. I finished my rough note on this with "Pure class."Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99+ JDThe 2022 Canon is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc with a yield of 45 hl/ha, planned to be aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it requires a lot of patient swirling to release scents of fresh blackberries, raspberry preserves, and Morello cherries, giving way to emerging scents of rose oil, cumin seed, crushed rocks, and underbrush, plus a fragrant waft of candied violets. The medium to full-bodied palate is lively and tightly wound with firm, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. pH 3.50.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWIThe 2022 Canon is elegant and sensual, with virtually no sensation of tannin. A wine with no beginning and end, Canon is totally seamless. All the Canon signatures are there, but woven together in an effortless, gracious expression of this site. It’s the sort of wine that is about subtlety and nuance more than power. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice caress the palate, but ultimately, Canon is above all else a wine of exquisite detail. Haute couture. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 96-99 VM

Moving to the Grand Vin, it’s a slightly more Merlot-influenced blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, raised in new barrels. It brings the same level of concentration and structure as the La Croix but has another level of class, elegance, and purity, with sensational aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, sandalwood, and graphite. The purity here is truly remarkable, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, silky tannins, and a great finish. This beauty hit 14% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.8 and an IPT of 95. Given its balance as well as its texture, it’s going to offer pleasure with just short-term cellaring yet also evolve for decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDBeautiful and beguiling nose, perfumed blackcurrants and dark fruits; damsons, plums, raspberries and rose petals. Lovely crunchy fruit, real bite and presence in the mouth. Excellent precision, tannins are succulent and ripe they fill the mouth with a juicy, intense granular texture. There is such depth to this - perfume, tobacco, earth, violets and concentrated fruits that have a verticality to them with an unprecedented 98% of Cabernet Sauvignon providing the support and the backbone. There is a crystalline purity to the fruit giving tension to the overall frame, it’s focused and driven all with excellent definition. This is not a wallflower of a wine - it’s charming and confident, strutting its stuff right now and giving you absolut St-Julien terroir and vintage markers in the glass with slate, graphite and liquorice salinity on show. Skilled winemaking on show.Decanter | 97 DECSome much creme de cassis and blackcurrant aromas and flavors here. Full-bodied with powerful tannins, yet fine and layered. Chewy. You can really feel the thick grape skins here. Excellent length. Tannins spread across the palate. Minerally and crushed stone.James Suckling | 97-98 JSMade from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, the 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes barreling out with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, boysenberry preserves, and licorice with hints of mocha, graphite, and cedar. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and super firm with ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length and purity.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIThe 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou contains less Cabernet than last year and is closer to the normal blend of the Grand Vin, picked between 7 September and 4 October - the longest harvest in their history. The IPT is 95. Matured in 100% new oak, the bouquet bides its time in the glass, almost reluctantly unfurling with scents of blackberry, briary, cigar humidor and sous-bois. At this nascent stage, it is more backward than its peers. The palate is undoubtedly one of the most dense and muscular that I have encountered over many years tasting at the estate, full-bodied with vice-like tannins. Continuing the theme of the estate’s other cuvées, there is a lovely Pauillac-like presence throughout, with graphite/pencil lead infusing the black fruit. The finish exerts a considerable grip and feels saline, almost briny on the aftertaste. This Leviathan Ducru-Beaucaillou threatens to overwhelm the senses, uncompromising in many ways, and it will patently take many years for the tannins to soften. I feel that it is only once in bottle that one will be able to gauge its trajectory.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMOne of the Médoc’s most powerful wines this year is the 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that opens in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with pencils shavings, vanilla pod and spices. Full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular, with a core of ripe but lively fruit underpinned by a chassis of powdery, liberally extracted tannin that asserts itself on the finish, it’s a punchy, modern Saint-Julien reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2018 and 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Very Pauillac in its blackcurrant, dark chocolate and walnut husk character. Full-bodied yet compacted. Wet earth, mushroom, earth, black tobacco. Fine and intense tannins. Fresh and complex. 78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% merlot.James Suckling | 95-96 JSThe Grand Vin 2022 Château Duhart-Milon is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. It brings more richness as well as classic Pauillac character in its lead pencil, graphite, tobacco, and red and black fruit-driven aromatics. With gorgeous richness, a medium to full bodied mouthfeel, and a great finish, this utterly classic, seamless, balanced Pauillac should be snatched up by readers. It’s going to give the 2009 a run for its money.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDRipe fruit on the nose, cherries, blackcurrants and plums, fresh, open and inviting. Sleek and smooth, this is intense but juicy giving tannic strength, just shy of chewy but appealingly chalky and fleshy giving a mouthfilling texture while the stony, saline, spiced edge to the tannins and cool blueberry and mint give the freshness. The tannins stand out here, present and at the fore, but well textured, crushed velvet but juicy with high acidity and a sharpness that counters the clear power underneath. Ageing will incorporate 40% of new oak plus up to 15% of amphora based on current trials. Harvest 31 August to 28 September.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2022 Duhart-Milon underwent a short 15- to 18-day maceration and is raised in 50% new oak and the rest one-year-old barrels. It has a very graphite/mint-scented nose that is Pauillac through and through. The palate is fresh and vibrant with fine tannins. This is beautifully sculpted with a vibrant pencil lead-tinged finish reminiscent of Grand Puy Lacoste. The 2022 is a fabulous Duhart-Milon that should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. It’s a Pauillac a bit like the late Steven Spurrier insofar that it’s a Pauillac always conservatively dressed in a pin-striped suit, but that’s the essence of Duhart.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThe 2022 Duhart-Milon unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cedar box, loamy soil, herbs and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety palate with a broad attack that segues into a lively, nicely concentrated core of fruit, concluding with a youthfully firm finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPMade from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot, the 2022 Duhart-Milon is deep garnet-purple in color. It rocks up with ready-to-impress notes of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and menthol, followed by hints of cinnamon stick, rose oil, and fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of lively black berry and minty flavors, framed by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted.The Wine Independent | 90-92 TWI