Château La Louvière 2022

Seductive bouquet of tobacco, herbs, cherries, tea over forest berries; soft entry on the palate, crisp, fruity, with fine, ripe tannins, very good harmony and solid length. A charming La Louvière!

Notes of iris, violet and cassis mingled with green bell pepper preface the 2022 La Louvière, a moderately weighted, round and supple wine, elegantly framed by structured tannins that bring the wine to a long, elegant finish.

Juicy and focused, with a nice beam of violet, iris, cassis and bitter plum purée driving through, laced with alder, savory and leather hints on the finish. Nicely done. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2036. 10,800 cases made, 700 cases imported.

Redcurrants, cherries, vanilla, cola and chocolate on the nose. This is nicely concentrated with filling tannins but a streamlined frame – tons of energy and focus. There's still some tension here; it's not super expansive, more sleek and straight, but there's nice detail to the clean blue fruit and bite on the finish with a lingering minerality and soft cedar spice. Feels quietly confident but needs more time to relax.

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Mid crimson. Lively, not that concentrated, easy, well-balanced wine for relatively early consumption but without the density or detail of the best 2022s. Bone-dry finish. (JR)

The 2022 La Louvière has much more fruit on the nose compared to the Olivier and La Tour-Martillac: blackberry and raspberry, with light cedar and loamy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, but at least there is decent black fruit here, with a touch of black pepper and balsamic on the finish. A little angular at the moment, but it will meld together. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

Deeply colored, the wine is loaded with flowers, cherries, herbs, and forest leaves. Medium-bodied, creamy, soft, and polished, the fruits are silky, fresh, and long, with layers of dark cherries, black plums, licorice, herbs, and chalk in the finish. Drink from 2025-2042. 92-94 Pts.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Ripe sweet dark cherries, nuances of plums, fresh orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fruity, pleasant acidity, mineral, salty finish, toasty aromas on the aftertaste, a versatile food wine.

Always solid, the 2022 Château La Louvière is no exception. Ripe black cherries, currants, chocolaty oak, and scorched earth notes all give way to a rich, medium- to full-bodied, concentrated Pessac-Léognan that has plenty of background oak, terrific mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. Based on 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, drink bottles over the coming two decades or so.

An attractive vintage at La Louvière, well structured with plenty of blackcurrant and bilberry fruit, perhaps a touch leafy, not as succulent as some in the vintage, but with enjoyable finesse and understated charms for such a hot year. 45% new oak for ageing, 61ha estate on gravel, sand and limestone soils.

This wine opens with disarming generosity, a rich, dense nose where tobacco notes mingle with bursts of chocolate. On the palate, it’s a spicy whirlwind, broad and consistent. The tannins are silky, almost fully integrated. It plays the indulgence card. The long finish leaves a memory of dark chocolate, echoing the nose.

Dark, intense color. Lovely, delicate nose with fruity notes and a smoky aromatic nuance reminiscent of Pessac. Pleasant, fruity, fragrant palate with medium body and length.

This is a dense wine, packed with both tannins and dark fruits. Its black cherry and game aromas and concentration promise some long-term aging. The wine comes from one of several estates belonging to the family of André Lurton, who was instrumental in creating the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Drink from 2028.