Wine Ratings

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Simply stunning and undeniably one of the whites of the vintage, the 2022 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc has a light gold hue as well as a brilliant perfume of honeyed grapefruit, crushed stone, and lemon zest. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and concentrated on the palate, it’s one of those rare whites that brings a red wine-like sense of structure and mouthfeel while staying vibrant, juicy, and incredibly precise. Give it 2-3 years and enjoy through 2042.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe sliced apples and pears with lemon blossoms and hints of dried pineapple and flint follow through to a medium body with brightness and energy. The finish is impressive with white pepper, crushed sea salt and spice. Really great finish here. All about energy. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon and 5% sauvignon gris. Better after 2028 but already a joy to taste.James Suckling | 98 JSThis shimmers with a salted butter note that adds a flattering edge to its panoply of shortbread, singed almond, honeysuckle, lemon curd and creamed white peach flavors. Feels regal, with a long finish that deftly toes the balance between the toasted and fresh, unadorned sides of the spectrum. A rare dry white that can handle all four seasons as anything from a solo aperitif to a main course partner. Beautiful. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2035. 2,000 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA beautifully alluring nose, with ripe pineapple, honeysuckle, and a subtle spiciness, alongside freshly picked pear. The Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon characters shine through, giving both aromatic intensity and depth. On the palate, there’s a purity of fruit - quince, mango, and pineapple - layered with crisp green apple, wet stones, and a delicate struck match note, complemented by a touch of toast. Despite the ripe fruit expression, the palate is taut, driven by acidity and subtle bitterness that accentuates every nuance. It finishes crystalline, cool, and mouthwatering, with an elegant balance of juiciness and tension. No flabbiness, no sharpness, just elongated precision. The unmistakable SHL signature is strong here, showcasing multifaceted complexity with peach juiciness, white chocolate richness, and a honeyed weight. This is impeccably crafted and will only grow in stature with time.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2022 Blanc from Smith Haut Lafitte is an impressive effort this year, evoking aromas of white fruits, pear, white peach, spices and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it’s rich and concentrated with ripe acids enhanced by beautiful, chalky dry extracts, culminating in a long, saline and lovely oaky finish. This white wine always rewards patience and marries tension and charm to pleasing effect.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc—which Fabien Teitgen told me was not picked too early like other châteaux—has a very fine bouquet of mainly yellow fruit, Anjou pear and beeswax scents, as a fennel tincture gradually surfaces in the glass. The palate is well balanced with lemon curd, white peach and a hint of mango. It shows fine delineation and a little more tension than its peers, representing one of the best examples in a vintage that did not really favor dry whites.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2022 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, with a yield of 24 hl/ha and aging in 50% new oak. It bursts from the glass with bold notions of Bosc pears, grapefruit oil, and white peaches, followed by wafts of coriander seed, sea spray, and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate is charged with a lively backbone, supporting the generous stone fruit and pear flavors, finishing long and chalky.The Wine Independent | 93-95 TWI

A hidden gem of a wine that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, the 2022 Château Couhins Blanc is 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sauvignon Gris brought up in 18% new barrels, with the balance in used oak and tank. Bright citrus, honeyed lime, mint, sappy flowers, and chalky minerality all define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with gorgeously clean acidity and a great finish. Savvy readers should snatch up this ripe, voluptuous, sensationally layered, textured, complex white. It’s always hard to predict how these concentrated dry whites will age, yet this should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it still drinking beautifully at age 20.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2022 Couhins Blanc is superb, especially in the way it balances its brisk, saline character with notable mid-palate depth. White flowers, citrus peel, white pepper, sage and mint are all beautifully delineated. Intensely saline, mineral undertones support the persistent finish. This is commendable.Vinous Media | 94 VMClear, pure and mineral with sour cream, white fruit and a touch of gooseberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, this has fresh medium acidity. Dissolved yet grainy in texture with a lengthy finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2022 Couhins Blanc, a blend of 93% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Sauvignon Gris, is showing well today, evoking aromas of white fruits, lemon, lemon peel, spring flowers and fennel. Medium to full-bodied, juicy and enrobing, it’s fresh and lively with a perfumed mid-palate that segues into a long, mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPTense and vibrant on the palate, zingy and fresh, this is lively and delivers a straight line of acidity with lemon, lime and pineapple. Not the longest finish, a little restricted but this has a clean and crisp body. A lovely mineral, almost salty line from start to finish and a real feeling of cool freshness. I like this a lot. It delivers complexity and freshness. A great 2022.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

Crystal clear, but with quite impressive concentration. Limes, minerals, creamy fruit, sliced apples and touches of golden kiwis and ripe gooseberries. Pretty full-bodied and weighty, with creamy flavors and fresh, balanced acidity throughout. Long and attractive, with fine phenolics at the end adding interest and complexity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis drapes an alluring cape of bitter almond and warmed brioche over a core of lemon curd, white peach and shortbread. Subtle notes of jasmine oil, elderflower and honeysuckle add range through the finish, where there’s a long, subtle twinge of quinine buried deeply. The hedonist’s white Bordeaux. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2026 through 2032. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2022 Pape Clément Blanc is rich, layered and so inviting. Tangerine peel, pineapple, tropical fruit, mint and exotic floral notes fill out the layers. Light tropical inflections suggest a certain amount of richness, but in the end, the 2022 is airy and very nicely lifted. All the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc is another beauty from this team, and if it puts on some weight over the course of its élevage, it will merit an even higher score. Honeyed lychee, minty herbs, melon, and stone fruits define the bulk of the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions with consistent notes.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDCitrus kick straight away, great direction and focus - there’s purity to the lemon, peach, green apple, pear and apricot fruit. Sharp and straight but stylish. Fruity and juicy, precise and detailed, a touch tense still but there’s excellent sculpting here and lots of life. Quite bold, some toasted nuances putting the wood at the fore and narrowing some of the expression but there’s so much to like with a long, spiced finish. Harvest 28 August to 2 September. Yield of 30hl/ha. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants. HVE3 and Bee friendly certified. Rolland & Associés consultants.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe grand vin in white from this property is a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon and 2% Muscadelle (it’s good to see one or two estates still working with this variety), and it begins with a rather Sauvignon-dominant nose, with grassy pine needle, green apple and stark citrus fruits, with a little blotting paper note too, although it is subtle compared to many others. It holds up well on the palate though, showing a polished and coherent texture with lively citrus fruits, wrapped in a fine ribbon of acidity, and this cohesion persists through to the finish. Pithy and long, with phenolic grip and fresh acidity, this has nice potential. Give it four or five years to shake down those phenolic elements. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIA blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle, the 2022 Pape Clément Blanc exhibits aromas of spices, spring flowers, lemon, peach and hints of jasmine and grapefruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, with an oaky frame. The finish is long, persistent and elegantly spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

Very complex aromas of pears, persimmons, honey and cooked apples. Mineral undertones. Always subtle and multidimensional. Full-bodied with a tight and dense middle palate that gives a superb mouthfeel. It’s lively and flavorful at the end but in a reserved way. Just a hint of bitter lemon and lilac. I really want to drink this, but give it three or four years to reach the right place.James Suckling | 99 JSBased on 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon that spent nine months in barrel, the 2022 Domaine De Chevalier Blanc is a brilliant white revealing a vivid gold hue as well as bright citrus, crushed stone, mint, and honeysuckle-driven nuances. Pure, focused, and elegant, it has remarkable balance, integrated acidity, medium to full body, and a beautifully layered texture. It should evolve beautifully for 20+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThis is a magnificent white wine, balancing the herbal element of Sauvignon Blanc with the rich Sémillon in a melange that promises considerable aging. Produced in small quantities on the Domaine de Chevalier vineyard it is one of the legendary white wines of Bordeaux. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, jasmine, white flowers, spring blossoms and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it’s charming and sappy with a dense structure, bright acids, gastronomic bitterness and a long, saline and mouthwatering finish. Confirming my expectations, this blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon is one of the best white wines of the vintage. It should gain harmony with age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis is lovely from the get-go, delivering a sensation of shimmering, wet pebbles, plus fresh thyme, oyster shell, quinine and Key lime zest notes that streak and glide at the same time. The long, unadorned finish hums like a tuning fork. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2035. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSPineapple, honey, lemon, peach, lime - a lovely expression on the nose, fresh and fragrant, open and alive. Great depth of flavour and purity. Gorgeous depth and body, really fills the mouth with some bitterness that gives a nice counter to the acidity. This widens and expands and then elongates and makes your mouth water in just the right places. This is fantastic, moreish and really complete. Feels retrained and just the right amount of each aspect. Great to drink now and age.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc offers more complexity on the nose than the L’Esprit, with scents of yellow fruit, melon and lime. The palate is well balanced with texture, notes of peach skin, pear and a dash of stem ginger, leading to a brisk harmonious finish. Although it does not rank among the best recent vintages due to the limitations of the growing season, this is still a capable Domaine de Chevalier Blanc.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, and the élevage was in close to 40% new oak, for between 16 and 18 months. I like the powdery substance and intensity evident on the nose here, with crushed gravel and citrus fruits, lemon peel, white chocolate and waxy smoke, all delivered with a sense of phenolic maturity. This latter element pervades the palate, which presents lemon meringue and pastry notes, wrapped up with touches of tobacco oak, with a firm central spindle of oak and rather confident acidity which integrates with this delicately bitter grip. Great energy on the finish, with a delineated finish too, the length bitter and acid-washed. This is a very stylish interpretation of the vintage, with maturity and vivacity, and it will develop well. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.The Wine Independent | 92 TWI

Smoky black cherries, savory herbs, crushed stone, and graphite nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Fombrauge, a wonderfully textured, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has ripe, integrated tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSoft herbal and menthol accents on the nose join ripe bramble berries and touches of cedar spice. Juicy and fleshy, this has a nice overall expression combining strength and heft with focus and push. Lovely bitter orange, cocoa and coffee touches join the fruit with fine tannins giving a touch of bite to the palate. Feels finessed and well worked.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECAromas of white pepper, iron, fresh blackberries and currants. Juicy and firm, with a medium to full body and firm, dusty tannins that tightened at the end. Very good length. Drink from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA juicy blend of Merlot (along with a good proportion of Cabernet Franc), the wine is rich and structured. Juicy black fruits will develop well, as the wood aging adds a fine polish. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe blend in 2022 is 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc, the focus clearly on the Cabernet which only accounts for 9% of the vineyard. A dark, smoky and toasted nose, laden with vanilla pod, toasted cranberry, rose-petal tobacco and dark chocolate, very typical of the style for Fombrauge. This is followed by a svelte, dark and polished palate, with a rich core of peppery tannins, leading into a finish framed by the structure. This is old-school Magrez in terms of colour, flavour and extract, but it has a fresher, more vivacious, more peppery edge than it used to. Nicely done. It needs cellar time of course. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2022 Fombrauge has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and floral scents. Very aromatic anis and orange pith touches develop in the glass with time. The palate is well balanced with grippy tannins, yet there is satisfying freshness and salinity. The finish is nicely detailed and persistent. Afford this Saint-Émilion a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMA polished, direct style, with a mix of blackberry and cherry compote notes leading the way, along with light red licorice, sweet toast and black tea hints. A subtle tug of earth keeps this just honest enough on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 26,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Fombrauge displays a deep and complex yet oaky bouquet with aromas of cassis, spices, graphite and fresh tobacco. Firm and dense, concentrated and fleshy, the palate is medium to full-bodied, chunky and heavily extracted. This demonstrative, modern-styled wine is a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

The 2022 from Chasse-Spleen is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. An elegantly framed aromatic profile here, smoky, dark, delicately peppery, with a rather elegantly defined and crystalline core of fruit encased within, the combination nothing short of enticing. The palate follows up with a highly polished and coherent composition, with elegantly polished substance, plenty of fresh energy, with a firm and grippy backbone of tannin providing some grip, but it is the upper layers of currant, liquorice and damson fruits which remain dominant. The tannins give great support though, firm but appropriate, and they linger long into the finish. An impressive Chasse-Spleen, combining floral and perfumed individuality with density and structure;it will need a long time to come around. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.4%.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIAn excellent Chasse-Spleen that shows fine sweet spices and creamy yet vibrant plums and cassis. Lovely precision, with minerals and berries on the palate. Bright and refined, with dense, chalky tannins and a lengthy finish. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSJuicy and fleshy, this has a soft bouncy core of ripe blackcurrant fruit with menthol, spiced herb and clove accents. Tannins are grippy in just the right places and this has a wide and open mouthfeel. It’s on the plush side in terms of texture but maintains a cool and fresh core. Enjoyable. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2022 Chasse-Spleen presents a promising, quite burly bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and hints of marmalade unfolding in the glass. The palate is fresh on the entry with grippy tannins. It feels a little stricter than it did in barrel, showing more austerity on the finish, but I appreciate the tension and ample length. Give this time to prove itself.Vinous Media | 92+ VMThe 2022 Chasse-Spleen offers up aromas of sweet plums, berries and licorice, framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with lively acids and powdery tannins, it’s taut and youthfully structured, exhibiting a touch less immediate charm than I anticipated en primeur.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RPRipe currants, spicy oak, graphite, and leather notes all define the 2022 Château Chasse-Spleen, another Moulis that has beautiful richness and depth. It’s medium-bodied, nicely balanced, has fine tannins, and outstanding length. This outstanding Moulis is based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 40% new barrels. It should have 20 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Lascombes pulls from 40% of the total production and was aged 18 months mostly in barrels (60% new) with a small portion in foudre. This inky hued beauty boasts a rich, concentrated, full-bodied, well-oaked style as well as pure cassis and darker berry fruits, some graphite, scorched earth, and licorice nuances, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. This more modern styled, pure, seamless beauty will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThis large estate is now settled well into its elegant stye. This new release is lifted with a licorice aroma and dense texture. It is juicy, packed with chocolate flavors and ripe tannins. The wine has a fine future. Drink from 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is a full-bodied Bordeaux with lots of velvety tannins and intensity. It’s a bit old-school now with so much fruit and texture, but it’s impressive, to say the least. Plenty of blackcurrant and blueberry character. Shows the richness of the vintage. Best after 2030.James Suckling | 94 JSDried flowers, exotic spices and some herbal notes join black fruit on the nose. Compact and filling on the palate, tannins are massy and firm and although there is clear juiciness, the tannins are doing all the talking right now. Not as easy as some, there’s tension and some restriction from cedar and liquorice spice but there’s also purity of fruit and a long mentholated, salty stone finish. A touch rustic but that should soften and even out in a few years.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2022 from Lascombes is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the remaining 3% being Petit Verdot. A dark, opaque hue in the glass, and a highly scented nose laden with oaky dark chocolate, with notes of rose petal, black cherry, currant and black pepper. It has a dark and brooding intensity, but there is an undeniable sense of breadth and maturity here, and this shows on the palate which is finely polished and laden with bitter dark chocolate, tar, currant and damson, all resting on a firm tannic backbone. A huge and self-confident style here, with delicious grip, which holds together well through to the finish of rich and peppered fruit. This is impressive although it perhaps lacks typicity, although whether the terroir would come to the fore after twenty years in bottle – a possibility – is something we will only answer by coming back to this in 2042. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing what future vintages, under Axel Heinz, who joined Lascombes, in 2023, are like.The Wine Independent | 92 TWIWarm and caressing up front, with a velvety edge to its cassis and black cherry compote flavors, backed by singed black tea, wood spice and walnut husk notes that then leave a subtle, burly edge as they finish. A bit ambitious in style for this warm vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Lascombes was difficult to pin down in barrel. Now in bottle, it seems to have settled down a little, although I find a little warmth commingling with the black cherry, iodine and cassis aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a bold, ripe entry and peppery finish. This is a powerful Margaux, leaning more toward the exotic side than its peers. It’s not bad, though my preference lies with the ensuing vintage.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2022 Phélan Ségur comes from a growing season that was not straightforward due to the hail in June that cost 30% of production. This obliged the team to reconfigure the blend, as the first trials were found to be too rich and tannic. But the depleted yields produced an outstanding wine that will vie with the 2020 as a benchmark for the estate. The 2022 is actually quite understated on the nose with fine delineation of blackberry, bilberry, pencil lead and light forest floor scents. The palate is very well balanced with pliant tannins and a keen line of acidity, gently spiced with black truffle and subtle peppery notes toward the well-knit finish. This is an outstanding Saint-Estèphe that you would assume comes from a cooler growing season. Given market prices, this comes recommended.Vinous Media | 95 VMPlush and warm in feel, this offers plum and blackberry compote notes flecked with chestnut and bay and underscored by warm stone and leather through the finish. Broad and slow-moving, but with clear definition, plus a nice muscular edge that hints at its buried power. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2040. 12,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLooking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Phelan Segur checks in as 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that comes from a slightly different mix of their estate parcels and saw a shorter maceration followed by 18 months in 55% new French oak. Rocking aromatics of crème de cassis, spring flowers, spicy oak, and hints of smoky tobacco define the bouquet. It’s full-bodied, pure, and elegant on the palate, with a seamless, layered mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. This remarkably textured, balanced 2022 will keep for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDA delicious and well-constructed wine from the Phélan team in 2022. Polished, balanced and just so drinkable - proximity to the river and clay soil helping keep freshness in the hot and dry conditions. A gorgeous texture straight away, clean and clear, juicy, vibrant and grippy with a chalky, flint and graphite element to the fine tannins. You really feel they’ve taken the best the vintage had to offer with precise definition to all the elements; ripe bramble and cherry fruit, high acidity with a wonderful spiced and mineral signature from the St-Estephe terroir. A combination of power and charm that builds in structure and intensity while keeping a mouthwatering energy from start to finish. A top buy - and could be upscored in bottle! Tasted four times throughout April and loved it every time. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.8pH. 96IPT. Harvest took 13 days in total, from 14 - 26 September whereas the last three years picking has started on the 24th September. A yield of 28hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. The team have also been working for the past few years on different yeasts for fermentation in order to get more precision and a stronger link to the vineyards. 50% of production in 2022 was vinified using natural yeasts - five strains taken from five plots and used to vinify grapes from each of their respective parcels. Julien Viaud consultant. HVE/Terra Vitis.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECAnother St Estèphe which was blighted by hail in the vintage, reducing yields by 30%. dark and smoky nose, with sweet black cherry, coffee bean and toast draped over black cherry. There follows a sweetly poised palate of dark fruit and pithy grip, with dried berry and smoke, with layers of chocolate, toast and coffee bean here. This has a great tannic grip which runs into the finish, dark and brooding, all appropriate for the 2022 vintage. Potentially great value, and one for the cellar. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14%.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIUnwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, crème de cassis, sweet berries and spices, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Phélan Ségur is medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with plenty of sweet fruit and chewy structuring tannin. It’s a persuasive Saint-Estèphe in a more modern, extracted style.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP