Wine Ratings

wines

You could easily mistake the 2022 Pavillon Rouge De Margaux for the Grand Vin here, and truth be told, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this actually evolve better than some of the Grand Vins from just over 10-15 years ago. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot (the second wine got all the Petit Verdot in 2022), it offers a deep, medium to full-bodied, seamless profile as well as solid framboise, darker raspberry, currants, sandalwood, and spice aromatics, silky tannins, and outstanding length. The purity and precision paired with this level of texture and richness far exceeds the vast majority of second wines out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDBeautiful vivid colour, bright and intense. Dark chocolate, cherries and subtle perfume on the nose. Bright and lively thought also lean and straight on the palate. A generous weight and intense grip to the tannins. It’s on the tense side, focussed with extreme precision to the fruit profile with racy acidity unpinning the tannins which are at the fore. Feels refined and elegant, more serious than some other second wines in its construction but is classy, juicy, sculpted and softly plush. The fruit has bite and tang, with liquorice and graphite edges and spiced accents giving angles but all enjoyable and really building to the whole. Great freshness and length. 7% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.61pH. 84 IPT - highest IPT, highest before was 2018 which was 82. 15% press wine. 31% production.Decanter | 94 DECRich and dense with lots of fruit and juiciness. Redcurrants, black berries, strawberries and orange peel on the nose. Full and layered with fine, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Big presence.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs quite a lot of swirling to bring out notes of blackcurrant pastilles, Morello cherries, and preserved plums, followed by hints of dusty soil, cumin seed, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers commendable grace and backbone, with firm grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing with a fragrant lift. pH 3.65, TPI 85, alcohol 14.8% - but you don’t feel it.The Wine Independent | 93-95+ TWIThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is deep and perfumed, wafting from the glass with notions of cherries, raspberry preserve, lilac, violets and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated palate that’s deep, rich and vibrant, with a tannic grain that resembles the grand vin this year. It represents just under a third of the estate’s production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is a rich, sumptuous wine. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender and blood orange makes a strong opening, followed by unexpectedly bright, saline notes that bring it all together on the mid-palate and finish. The Pavillon Rouge is an eye-opening wine that embodies the style of the year so eloquently. I especially admire the vibrancy here. The purity of the flavors and quality of the tannins really elevate the 2022.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Juicy and intensely ripe in terms of texture - tannins are fleshy but also really cool giving this a push-pull of bright acidity and actually quite serious mineral elements of flint and liquorice. Such an appealing weight in the mouth, layered and structured with expressive fruit and lively juiciness all combining to a stylish and inviting whole. So much going on but managed with finesse and elegance. A clear success in 2022. Harvest 8-30 September. Ageing 21 months in French oak, 60% new. Tasted twice.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2022 Lagrange (Saint-Julien) has a serious Saint-Julien bouquet: quite dense compared to previous vintages, with potent black fruit, cedar and freshly rolled tobacco that all dovetails into more estuarine-influenced aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe entry, quite bold in flavor yet there is also control and focus. This is a more muscular Lagrange, grippy with a tarry finish. To repeat, the 2022 is a "serious" Lagrange in a positive use of that word, one that will demand bottle age, ranking alongside the 2016 as the best Grand Vin from this estate.Vinous Media | 95 VMA polished and expressive St.-Julien that shows spot-on balance. Fresh blueberries, wet stones, currants and a touch of red berries. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins that are firm but dissolved. Quite precise, juicy and focused. Beautiful balance and length. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2022 Lagrange is brilliant, ranking alongside the 2020, 2019 and 2016 as one of this over-performing estate’s finest recent vintages. Revealing aromas of dark cherries, cassis, violets and pencil shavings, it’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined but youthfully assertive tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish. It’s a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot with a very healthy pH of 3.63.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2022 Lagrange is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts forth with bombastic notions of creme de cassis, blackberry preserves, and redcurrant jelly, leading to alluring nuances of cinnamon stick, clove oil, star anise, and violets. The medium-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit and baking spices layers, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and opulent. 40% of the year’s production went into the first wine and yields were 34 hl/ha. pH 3.53.The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWISilky and enticing, with gently mulled raspberry and boysenberry fruit that glides through, flecked with anise, red tea and sandalwood notes. Ready to go. Drink now through 2035. 2,300 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Château Lagrange is more mid-weight than I expected, yet it’s nicely balanced and certainly elegant. Based on 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot pulled from just 40% of the total production, it has a pretty nose of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as some floral and spicy nuances. Its oak is nicely integrated, it’s medium to full-bodied, and it has fine tannins. The barrel review will seem low if this puts on weight over the course of its élevage.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-94 JD

The 2022 Pape Clément is a classy, elegant wine. Soaring aromatics open first. On the palate, the 2022 is vibrant and explosive, with terrific depth and exceptional balance. Today’s wines here are simply striking because of their energy and verve. Those qualities help make Pape Clément one of the most changed wines in Bordeaux over the last decade or so. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and sage are some of the many notes that linger on the sustained finish. The 2022 is a superb Pape Clément. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 97 VMA very well-balanced Pape Clement showing a solid structure, concentration and length. Fresh and complex, with a fine streak of minerals and aromas of cassis, berries, white pepper and tapenade. Some wood spices, but they’re quite restrained. Full-bodied, tight and long. A transparent and complete wine for the cellar. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSA full-bodied, concentrated, awesome Pessac, the 2022 Château Pape Clément offers up loads of spiced red and black fruits, some leafy tobacco, gravelly earth, and graphite aromatics, building, ripe, polished tannins, and a stacked mid-palate. Beautifully done, with remarkable purity and a great finish, it’s going to rank with the crème de la crème of the vintage and is well worth seeking out.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98+ JDFocussed and charming, good weight and depth, the tannins come into play almost straight away coating the mouth in fine but plump, fleshy black fruit with cool blue fruit touches and high acidity giving a different, lighter nuance. Well made, with good definition. Not as lively as some, but has supreme complexity and shine, everything feels well worked with touches of oak, liquorice spice and clove that dot the palate. Strong and serious but confident and controlled. A thoroughbred. Tightly knitted but still showing glamour. Harvest 7-27 September. Bee friendly, HVE3 certified. Celebrating 770 vintages in 2022. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants.Decanter | 95 DECWhile Sauvignon Blanc is in the majority in this blend, there is an important place for Sémillon and Muscadelle. Wood aging will give the wine extra richness as it ages. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2022 Pape Clement is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon with a yield of 35 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little subdued to begin, soon unfurling to offer evocative notes of baked blackberries, boysenberry preserves, and plum pudding, followed by wafts of cassis, violets, cedar chest, and cumin seed. The full-bodied palate is rich and impactful, delivering layers of bright black cherries and baking spices with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing long and energetic. pH 3.70.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWIWell-packed with dark currant, raspberry, plum and cherry compote notes, all carried by gently singed apple wood and cedar. Sweet tobacco and a flash of incense fill in on the finish, which offers woodsy hints but stays polished and fine-grained overall. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2028 through 2040. 23,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRevealing aromas of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers and toasty new oak, the 2022 Pape Clément is full-bodied, broad and textural, with a rich, layered core of super-ripe fruit framed by liberally extracted tannins that assert themselves on the firm, lavishly oaky finish. This is a flamboyant, unabashedly modern-styled Pape Clément that will need several years in the cellar to blossom. It’s a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP