Château Belgrave 2022

Slightly reductive, needs air, has depth, clear fruit, mineral undertones; powerful and forceful on the palate, lots of structure, the tannins are demanding and carry the wine into a long finish. Needs to age.

The 2022 Belgrave offers a delicate, complex bouquet of cassis, mulberries, licorice and spices mingled with menthol notes. Medium to full-bodied, harmonious and round, it has a fleshy core of fruit, velvety tannins and a long, delicate finish. This is a real success at this address.

Ripe and sleek, with delicious boysenberry and black cherry purée notes gilded with ink and iris accents. There’s a nice tug of tarry earth at the tail end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2031. 16,666 cases made, 450 cases imported.

Strongly scented with florals and dark purple fruit. Glossy and ripe, its fruit pulsing with energy. Juicy acidity and stony minerality add depth and tension. Nuanced, vibrant and expressive, extending vertically with precision and finesse. A really delicious wine that's fresh and full of personality while still having a powerful backbone.

Very perfumed with blackberry, violet and ink character following through to a medium body and extremely integrated tannins that are lightly chewy and really long. I am impressed with its cool nature and quality phenolics. A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Some of the cabernet and merlot are co-fermented. Needs three to five years of bottle age to begin.

The 2022 Belgrave just feels a little green around the edges when compared to its peers, with pretty red fruit in the middle but just a touch of celery around the outside. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry. Modest weight, furry tannins and there is a very subtle vegetal element on the finish. Maybe that will be subsumed with time? Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

There is a lot to like here, starting with an espresso, black currants, chocolate, and cedar-packed perfume. The energetic, fruit-packed palate is loaded with delicious blackberries and cassis that linger. This is the best vintage of Belgrave I have ever tasted! Drink from 2026-2045.

The 2022 Château Belgrave is juicy and upfront, with bright cherry and plum fruit as well as some sappy, floral nuances. Playing in the medium-bodied range of the spectrum, it's balanced, has nicely integrated acidity, fine tannins, and a great finish. I was able to taste multiple bottles, and it was always an outstanding Haut-Médoc. The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, raised in 25% new oak.

Focus on powerful black fruits, delivers both length and grip, clear Cabernet Sauvignon dominance, mint leaf and cocoa bean. This is great quality, enjoyable, with a touch of austerity on the finish that suggests it could do with a few years of bottle ageing. Plenty of Pauillac character despite being on the edge of the appellation in AOC Haut-Médoc. Jean-Philippe Fort consultant, 33% new oak for ageing. Owned by Vignobles Dourthe since 1979, and they have completed a big replanting programme; vineyard age averages 40 years, so things are really in their stride, and this now delivers consistently excellent quality wine. One to look out for.

A reassuring nose, marked by ripe, tender, and savory fruit, with lovely freshness. On the palate, it is harmonious, silky, and incredibly easy to drink. The density caresses the palate, with a subtle balance between fruit, earth, and flowers.

Belgrave immediately shows depth and complexity, with notes of blueberries, eucalyptus, licorice sticks, and blackcurrant. On the palate, the wine convinces above all with its power. It has finely grained, perfectly integrated tannins, offering precision and excellent backbone. The structure provides both juiciness and character. An exceptional wine that deserves some cellaring.

Purple color with dark highlights. Intense nose with ripe fruit. A touch of cocoa. Precise on the attack, aromatic mid-palate; the wine develops juicy, flavorful, and long, without the tannin standing out on the finish. It’s very good. Blend: 57% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 4% petit verdot. Alcohol: 13.5%.

For the first time, a co-vinification of Merlots and Cabernets at Belgrave. The nose is restrained yet indulgent, sinewy, with real aromatic depth and plenty of freshness. The palate is straight, chiselled and tense, set on fine tannins and a sapid suppleness, with fresh, flavorful blackcurrant.

Rich black coffee aromas comes from this ripe, sophisticated wine. It has a fine balance of tannins, black fruits and acidity coming together in harmony. The wine, from a large estate just next to the Saint-Julien appellation, is classified as a classed growth. Drink from 2027.