Wine Varietals

wines

Plenty of red currant, cedar, iron and terra cotta aromas follow through to a medium to full body with graphite, sandalwood, red currants and fresh Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary. The tannins are chewy but polished in texture. This is a Sassicaia that needs three or four years of bottle age to come together and soften. A structured wine for the cellar. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2022 Sassicaia is simply brilliant in this vintage, showing a remarkable level of poise and freshness. It opens with a captivating bouquet of ripe blackberries, plum, florals and subtle herbs, underscored by a touch of spice, tobacco and minerals. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied and well-structured, with velvety tannins and a lively acidity that provides perfect balance. Rich flavors of red/dark fruits, tobacco and spices unfold beautifully, leading to a long, persistent finish that is both refined and elegant. A stunning example of Sassicaia’s pedigree and resilience to thrive year after year.International Wine Report | 98 IWRThe Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet. I tasted this wine several times over the course of a few months, and it has already shown a happy evolution coming into slow focus like the faint colors that emerge from a Polaroid photograph. Indeed, the bouquet appeared more closed just a short while ago. The wine’s strongest suit is its elegantly streamlined mouthfeel and its contained 13.5% alcohol content. These qualities add to the silky cleanness of the mouthfeel and the accessible freshness of this vintage. I am confident that this bottle will improve with time. It requires patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine’s verticality, as if it’s trying to burst out. Lovely mid-palate sapidity is allied to fresh acidity and fine but dense tannins, making for a dark horse of a Sassicaia that isn’t giving much away today but will greatly reward those who can cellar it for 12 years and more. ‘What is sure is that 2022 will need a lot of time, but will also have a long life,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A hot vintage, 2022 caused the team to work in the newly completed refrigerated warehouses in San Guido, even moving the sorting table inside. Shorter macerations and 23 rather than the more typical 24 or 25 months of ageing in wood helped to maximise the freshness.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECOpening with aromas of menthol, dark spice, blue flower and dark-skinned berry, the 2022 Sassicaia is impressive and defied my expectations. Hailing from what was a notoriously hot, dry year, the estate’s location, including its hillside vineyards, vicinity to the woods plus much-needed rain in August preserved freshness and aromas as did harvesting somewhat earlier than usual, shorter skin maceration and slightly less time in oak. Showing elegant restraint, it’s balanced and tense, delivering flavors of ripe blackberry, wild cherry, licorice and mint. It’s still quite tight and youthfully austere, with a backbone of firm, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Give it time to fully unwind. Drink 2030–2042. Abv: 13.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe 2022 Sassicaia is a very pretty, expressive wine. There’s a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon (and less Franc) in this year’s blend, and that really comes through in the wine’s flavor profile and slightly bruising tannins. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Yields were down about 20% because of intensely cold weather in spring, variable conditions during flowering and set, and then searing heat and drought throughout the summer.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Black cherry and dark currant fruit is lightly mulled in feel, while sweet tobacco, chestnut leaf and singed alder notes wrap around it. The earth-tinged finish shows focus and poise. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSJuicy red, blue, and black fruits, sappy herbs, violets, and chocolate notes all emerge from the 2022 Château De Pez, a ripe, full-bodied, opulent Pez that has a balanced, layered style that’s already hard to resist. I love how this has come together since En Primeur, and this is well worth a case purchase. It’s going to deliver the goods any time over the coming two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLively, fresh and open with lots of clear and clean red berry fruit and salty, stone-edged tannins. Sleek and svelte, nice energy and focus; not plush or overtly powerful. Has definitely lost its en primeur heft and become slightly lighter and more appealing, with energy and vibrancy, yet you still know it has muscles and will age well.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSerious depth and complexity on the nose, showing a refreshing touch of spearmint to the pure blue fruit, cassis and minerals plus a hint of incense and graphite. Powerful but polished and taut in tannins with a linear set of fruit on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Structured, fine-boned and well-dissolved with a fresh, lengthy finish. 38% cabernet sauvignon, 59% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Great for aging. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSPolished and charming, the 2022 de Pez bursts with aromas of blackberries, vanilla pod and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety palate that’s integrated and expressive. This will offer a broad drinking window. As readers may remember, this estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and director Nicolas Glumineau and his team have been working to bring more precision and purity to the wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2022 de Pez, a blend of 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notions of baked black plums, blueberry preserves, and fruitcake jump from the glass, followed by hints of Chinese five spice and potpourri. The full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit preserves layers, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. It will be aged for 18 months in 50% new oak. pH 3.8.The Wine Independent | 91-93+ TWI

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet’s ownership and Guillaume Pouthier’s direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPDeep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises, and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly across the palate. Vibrant red fruits - strawberry, cherry, raspberry - sit atop a mineral backbone of salty, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension. Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine, and vibrant, with no trace of heat - just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively, and utterly compelling. A true expression of place and a sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented. Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats and 10% amphora. 3.55pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot.Decanter Magazine | 100 DECThe purity and focus here is impressive with blackcurrants, crushed stones and floral undertones. The whole-bunch character comes through clearly with rose-stem and floral aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, this is always so delicious but has lots of integrated, open-grained tannins. 70% whole-cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot. Idiosyncratic. So attractive now but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You’d be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, 90% aging in oak (70% new barriques, 20% 18hl casks) and 10% in amphoras. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops out of the glass with lifted notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and lavender, leading to cerebral wafts of cast-iron pan, dark chocolate, and dusty soil with a hint of licorice. The red and black berry flavors do pirouettes on the medium-bodied palate, featuring incredibly fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension that gives a shimmer to the very long mineral-laced finish. As usual, the alcohol is 13.5% (the stem inclusion absorbs some of the alcohol during fermentation) and the pH is 3.64. This is a vibrant, showy, immediately impactful wine that flies in the face of traditional Bordeaux, carrying it off with bags of grace and style. A slight carbonic character from the whole bunch juxtaposed by a rock-solid structure thanks to the ripe stem tannins creates a unique signature. I personally love it, but if you’re a Bordeaux purest, this might not be your cup of tea.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIThe 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion contains the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) in recent years, with 40% Cabernet Franc and 26% Merlot. It aged for two years in 80% new barrels, 10% foudres and 10% sandstone amphora. This is the first year with 100% infusion during vinification. It includes 70% whole cluster. This is very complex on the nose, as it showed in barrel, displaying blackberry mixed with wild hedgerow, pencil box and hints of cracked black pepper in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with quite elegant tannins, although the IPT is 95. Extremely well balanced, it is quite saline in the mouth with white pepper developing with aeration. The 2022 is very persistent on the finish. This is an intellectual Les Carmes Haut-Brion that will drink young, but there is clearly the substance to mature over many years. 13.2% alcohol.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Looking at the 2022 Château Cos D’Estournel, this awesome Saint-Estèphe checks in as a normal blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 50% new oak. Remarkably concentrated yet with a graceful elegance, it has sensational cassis, graphite, spring flowers, and subtle tobacco-driven aromatics, full-bodied richness, a deeply layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a monumental finish. Hitting 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.79, it’s as good a Cos d’Estournel as has ever been made. It actually has ample upfront appeal yet won’t hit the early stages of its prime drinking window for another decade, and it will have 50-75 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDWow. So intense and spicy with nutmeg, cloves, ink and blackberries. Also asphalt, lead pencil and tobacco. Full-bodied, but at the same time, there’s a real balance giving incredible depth and length. The tannins are all there but are polished as well as firm. Superb structure. A neoclassical Cos, one for long-term aging. Perhaps the best ever. A blend of 61% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2030.James Suckling | 99 JSVivid and vibrant black berry fruit on the nose. Supple and lively, this has a brilliant texture and weight in the mouth, slightly grippy but with an iron-tang giving a mineral aspect to the fruit with hints of liquorice spice. Still a little compact in terms of the expressiveness of flavours but there’s no faulting the tannic finesse on offer. Acidity is perfect, really lifting the expression with blueberries, pencil lead and clove. This carries the strength of the vintage - the sunny fruit and headiness of the aromas are pure 2022 but it’s also incredibly refined with such class on show. I love it.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe qualities of the 2022 vintage have been good to Cos d’Estournel. Freshness and black fruits have lightened the tannins into a fine and juicy wine. The result is impressive—a superb, generous and structured wine that is one of the best from the estate for many years. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is deep, dark and a bit brooding in feel, with layers of warm and well-steeped dark currant, blackberry and fig fruit. Married to a structure that’s plush and nicely inlaid, while sweet tobacco, bay leaf, tar and chestnut notes add impressive range. The long finish pulls in a warm paving stone detail to seal the deal. Impressive indeed. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2045. 12,000 cases made, 3,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2022 Cos d’Estournel, composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs quite a lot of shaking and swirling to unlock fragrant notes of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, and black raspberries, leading to hints of rose oil, Indian spices, cedar chest, and sandalwood, plus a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is very classic, with a solid backbone of firm, ripe tannins and impressive tension to support the taut, muscular black and red fruit layers, finishing very long and with remarkable purity. pH 3.79, TPI 90.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWIThe 2022 Cos d’Estournel is one of the most reticent wines on the nose at the moment (bottled in July, it is most likely due to the timing). But the quality is still evident, with a beguiling mixture of red and black fruit, truffle and violet aromas mingling in the glass. There is a sense of finesse here that was forsaken for a period 15 to 25 years ago when this estate coveted power. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that frame the pretty black fruit, desiccated orange peel and graphite notes. I admire that it could only be a Saint-Estèphe with a relatively austere finish that suggests it will repay considerable cellaring. This is for the most patient amongst you.Vinous Media | 95 VMMuch as it was en primeur, the 2022 Cos d’Estournel is an inky, brooding wine. Offering up aromas of ripe berries, licorice, pencil shavings, iris and creamy new oak, it’s full-bodied, dense and heavily extracted, with a chunky, tannic profile that privileges raw power over sensuality.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Wonderful aromas of crushed violets and wisteria as well as black-truffle undertones and blueberries. Medium- to full-bodied, this has a beautiful center palate and an endless finish. It’s so polished and refined with breathtaking length that caresses every inch of the finish. A masterpiece for the vintage. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Try after 2030 and beyond.James Suckling | 100 JSNoemie Durantou remarked that this vintage is the best she had ever known with respect to the Merlot, and given that the 2022 L’Eglise-Clinet contains 90% Merlot, that pre-empted a fabulous Pomerol. Durantou also mentioned that her wines were a little more "shy" compared to the previous day, though the bouquet only needed four or five minutes’ coaxing before it unfolded with wonderfully delineated, focused scents of black cherries, peony, blood orange and crushed stone. Exquisitely balanced, the palate has a cashmere texture thanks to the pliant tannins, gaining density all the time. The finish is powerful and very sustained, disguising the 14.6% alcohol extremely well thanks to its countervailing acidic spine, though you feel a dab on the aftertaste. The 2022 is a L’Eglise-Clinet built for the long-term and continues the estate’s stunning run of form.Vinous Media | 99 VMLastly, the 2022 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from the 3rd to the 9th of September, with its elevage spanning just 12 months in 85% new French oak followed by roughly four months in tank before bottling. It’s another riveting 2022 in the vintage that brings remarkable depth and intensity while at the same time staying light on its feet, graceful, and balanced. Ripe black cherries, cassis, graphite, leafy tobacco, and damp earth and floral notes all shine here, and it’s full-bodied, has a concentrated, powerful mouthfeel, ripe and perfectly polished tannins, and a great finish. It deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will have 30-40 years of prime drinking. It will probably merit a perfect rating at maturity, and if this doesn’t put a smile on your face, nothing will.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDWild strawberries, dried herbs, blueberries, pencil lead and fragrant violets - the aromatics are stunning. You can feel the sculpting straight away - fine but firm and slightly grippy tannins set the frame from which the blackcurrant, salty liquorice and dark chocolate emerge as well as continued florality - the violet accents really making their mark. This is a serious wine, dark and almost heady if it weren’t so cool and fresh. There’s no hint of overt heat or spice on the palate, instead you get a layering of pure fruit, fleshiness and minerality. Juicy and alive too, this really packs a lot and changes to red berry fruits after a few minutes with tobacco and slate on the finish. Complex and characterful. A dark horse but a thoroughbred. A wine that as soon as you’ve tasted it you want to taste it again. 3.65pH. Higher than usual new oak at 85% compared to between 75-80% in a normal year.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECOffering up deep aromas of mulberries and cassis mingled with incense, licorice, rose petals, spices and hints of new oak, the 2022 L’Eglise Clinet is full-bodied, deep and layered, with an elegantly muscular core of ripe but vibrant fruit that’s framed by sweet, powdery tannins. Concentrated and multidimensional, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 3 and 9, this compelling Pomerol checks in at a largely concealed 14.6% alcohol.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPA blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.6, L’Eglise Clinet 2022 was picked between the 3rd and 9th September and is aging in 85% new oak. It has a deep garnet-purple color and after a swirl or two, vivacious notes of crushed black plums, boysenberry preserves, and lilacs soar from the glass, followed by hints of menthol, wood smoke, crushed rocks, and sandalwood. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is electric, delivering energetic black fruit and mineral layers, with a firm, fine-grained texture and lovely tension, finishing long and earthy. Very seductive!The Wine Independent | 96-98 TWIRipe, fleshy and dense in feel, with full-throated notes of boysenberry and blackberry preserves wrapped in licorice and bramble. The frankly toasted finish offers more than enough fruit to push through, with a late tug of earth to keep everything grounded. For the hedonist crowd. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2042. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

One of the few 2022 Tuscan wines where you can really see that this will benefit from a few years in bottle, right now it is, hovering on the edge of something delicious, vibrating over the tannic architecture, feathered, campfire smoke, fennel, blackberry, liquorice and crushed peonies, and the bitter fennel and slate scrape, dense, contrast of textures and flavours like only truly great wines can do, a reflection of skilful construction. A gorgeous wine, slowly stretching out in the palate, 65% new oak for ageing. Harvest began August 9 for the whites, and the reds began August 25 with Masseto, and then a few days later for Ornellaia, one of the earliest on record, with around 38hl/h yield.Jane Ansen | 99 JAA Mediterranean-style wine. Stunning elegance on the nose, with vibrant dried eucalyptus leaves, flowers, restrained brambleberries and hints of black cherries, dried bananas, milk chocolate, cloves and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with elegant tannins and a touch of dust. It’s savory and well packed, with integrated, brilliant freshness and a ripe, fruity finish with a toasty aftertaste of blond tobacco. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSTasted a few months after it was bottled, the Ornellaia 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be coming to market in March 2025. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine sees 18 months of aging with up to 70% new oak, but the trick, proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi tells me, is drawing from a large group of coopers with different toast levels and forests. "I don’t want to make a wine of any one tonnellerie," he says. The oak element is crucial to the identity of this wine that reveals dark fruit, blackberry, sweet spice and cinnamon. Most of the vines were planted in the 1980s, and the average age of the plants is over 20 years old. Fruit comes from many parcels, including Bellaria, Bellaria Nuova, Bellaria Alta, Pero, Fosso, Vigna Vecchia and Stallina. Indeed, some 80 wines are made before final blending. The 2022 vintage will be remembered for its full-bodied appeal, concentrated fruit and generous oak renderings. Petit Verdot plays a slightly larger role in this vintage and was one of the surprise hits of 2022. It serves to elongate the wine and adds to its length. The wine’s abundant fruit weight cedes to elegantly integrated tannins. This vintage will appeal to die-hard Ornellaia enthusiasts.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2022 Ornellaia is a terrific wine for the year. Dark red-toned fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice all take shape in a mid-weight, pliant Ornellaia that is quite alluring, even in the early going. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot, unusual for the elevated presence of Petit Verdot, which did better than Franc in 2022. The higher percentage of Petit Verdot comes through in the wine’s dark-leaning personality and also in the quality of tannins. More than anything else, the 2022 is a reminder of how important a tool blending is, especially in challenging years. I can’t wait to see how this ages. The 2022 Ornellaia is clearly among the most successful wines of the vintage.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2022 Ornellaia is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A deep but bright purple/red color, it has a fantastic nose of blackberries, polished cedar, lavender, sweet herbs, and dark cocoa. Full-bodied, it has a rich structure, with warming concentration but a very balanced feel. The tannins are ripe and frame the underlying mineral notes very nicely, its fruity richness fleshing it out harmoniously. It is not a fruity vintage for this wine, though, and its structure leads here. Drink 2027-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDFeaturing a hefty 10% of Petit Verdot this year for an injection of freshness and structure, Ornellaia 2022 is rich, deep and tightly coiled, with some pretty red fruits and floral notes overlaying dark, juicy berries. It’s a dense style which reflects the vintage but looks towards harmony and poise: the woody frame and fine, structural tannins are countered by very good acidity and a bright fruit profile, with some breezy herbs helping to lift the long, fresh finish. Give this some more time in the bottle before enjoying.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECBroad and lush, this red reveals ripe flavors of black currant, black cherry and blackberry shaded with cedar, iron and sweet spices. Balanced, with a few youthful edges that still need polishing. Its fine core of saturated fruit persists on the aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2043. 2,165 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Chocolate, cherry and rose petal aromas on the nose. Very open and alive - this has a great energy from the aromatics alone with soft cedar shavings, vanilla bean and bramble fruit. Juicy and lively, this is full of fun - fruity and concentrated. The tannins are just wonderful, creamy and slightly grippy, extending the flavours vertically. Tons of juicy, succulent fruit - this feels quite modern but still with that flash of sunshine and ripeness. Long lasting with purity and delicacy that make it so enjoyable. A wonderful creation from Michael Silacci. This is not your typical blockbuster at all, this is a darling of a wine. 0.5% Malbec completes the blend. The Opus team chose to pick early and quickly given the heat spikes in 2022, starting with the Merlot on 24th August. Ageing 18 months in French oak.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECGenerous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSPicked before, during and after the year’s early September heat, the 2022 Opus One—a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 0.5% Malbec—admirably reflects the vintage, boasting a ripe, extroverted personality but also a slightly open-knit, coarser mouthfeel than either the 2021 or 2023. Rosemary and sandalwood notes accent cherries on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is expansive and plush, finishing with ample length and soft tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2022 Opus One was tasted as a barrel sample. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars with eager-to-go notes of blackcurrant pastilles, juicy blackberries, and plum preserves leading to hints of crushed rocks, tree bark, and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and impactful, with a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins and bags of black fruit preserves layers, finishing with loads of savory nuances and a compelling lift.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWIThe 2022 Opus One shows the sunny, perfumed style of the vintage. Black raspberries, smoked tobacco, incense, and spicy wood notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a supple, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. I’ve been lucky enough to do many retrospectives of this wine, so I have no doubt it will evolve gracefully for a solid two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2022 Opus One is a soft, relatively easygoing wine from an extremely challenging vintage in which the estate decided to pick straight through the heat. The 2022 offers terrific brightness throughout. Today, the tannins are a bit searing in their intensity, so it will be interesting to see how things ultimately shake out here. I find the 2022 is a bit edgy in its contours at this stage.Vinous Media | 92+ VM