Château Lilian Ladouys 2023

Candid and open, with blackberry, cherry, and black bread on the nose; the palate is fleshy, shows power yet remains elegant, with well-judged tannins and a fresh finish. Built for mid-term aging.

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. 50 hl/ha. Cask sample. Dark-berry fruits on the nose but more red fruit on the palate. Slightly sweet and sour with a certain sweetness on the mid palate but also lively acidity. Dry and chalky on the finish, expressive of the limestone terroir. (JL)

The 2023 Lilian Ladouys was a wine that never quite clicked for me out of barrel. Now in bottle, it has a relatively light, tertiary bouquet with mainly black fruit, with a touch of sea spray. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, moderate depth, a little loose-knit toward the finish. Early drinking.

Herbs, cherries, spice, tobacco, and red currants show on the nose, and also on the medium-bodied, fresh, soft, brisk, spicy, chewy red-berry palate. The wine blends 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. 12.9% ABV, 3.81 pH. Drink from 2028-2042. 91-93 pts.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening at the edge. Fresh red cherries, a floral touch, hints of blackberries, a hint of orange zest. Juicy, fine fruit expression, round tannins, freshly structured, an elegant, animating food wine.

Juicy black fruits, concentrated without being overdone, well-judged in its balance and drinkability, with plenty of firm St Estèphe tannic architecture and a liquorice root signoff. 400L barrels for ageing, 30% new oak. Previously a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, but they have now stepped back from the ranking. Last year of organic conversion, to be certified in 2024, with an impressive 50 hl/ha yield. Give it three or four years after bottling to fully soften.

Score: 91–93. Sweet and bright, the nose evokes small red berries and the powdery scent of an old rose bouquet. Absolutely delicious, the palate offers superb freshness, supported by round, chalky tannins before a saline finish.

Fragrant and scented on the nose, bright red fruits and some red floral notes with cool herbal markers too. Fresh and forward with crunchy and bright cranberries and creamy raspberries. A little lean and straight at this point but lots of mineral markers on the palate – wet stone, graphite, liquorice. Very saline, this ends clean and precise, balanced and all in one line. I like the easy approachability with some classicism and terroir touches. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 55hl/ha yield. Ageing 33% new oak. 3.81pH.

This sports a generous fruit profile, with fresh blackberry and loganberry compote notes rolling over polished, fan-friendly, red-licorice threads. Light tobacco leaf hint on the finish but the upfront fruit holds sway easily. Ready to go. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 29,450 cases made.