Château Le Prieuré 2022

Ripe and caressing in feel, with boysenberry and blackberry fruit that's vivid and enticing. There's a frankly toasted apple wood note, but violet and anise provide range, and the fruit has the drive to soak it all up through the savory-edged finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2036. 2,416 cases made.

High-toned and serious on the nose, concentrated, intense, ripe and perfumed, with a touch of alcohol as well. Focused and taut, yet with a really super juicy and appealing initial burst of flavour: herbal raspberries, creamy strawberries and some stalky bramble blackcurrant bringing sweetness, spice and tension. Clean, balanced and slick, this is stylish, generous and likeable, but still with a serious core. The texture is wonderful, the tannins are perfectly weighted and integrated. A success. pH 3.75. Ageing 18 months, 30% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.

Rich on the nose, showing baked cherries, plums, dark chocolate, sweet licorice and bark. Dense and broad on a full-bodied palate with chewy tannins and ripe dark fruit underneath. Drink in 2027.

The 2022 Le Prieuré is a classy wine with undeniable finesse. There is a bit more mid-palate richness than is the norm here. Dark cherry, mocha, new leather and licorice build in the glass. As always, Le Prieuré is one of the more elegant, mid-weight wines from Saint-Émilion. Beams of tannin and brisk acids lift the finish.

Flowers, red fruits, licorice, and black cherry aromatics take a single swirl before popping from your glass. On the palate, the wine is long, intense, and sexy. The fruits coat your palate, tasting as good as they feel. The finish with its chocolate, pit fruits, and salty edge lingers, expands, and remains balanced while poised on your palate. The wine blends 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. 15% ABV, 3.75 pH. Drink from 2026-2045.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, discreet brightening on the rim. Ripe plums, hints of fig, dark cherries, candied orange zest. Complex, juicy, ripe cherry fruit, subtle fruit expression, fresh acidity, lemony and mineral finish. A lively food wine with excellent definition and length.

Retains a limestone fingerprint in its texture, its sappy black fruits, and its ocean-spray salinity on the finish. A trace of heat here, but this is a delicious wine. 30% new oak for ageing. Harvest from September 13 to 26. Yields of 40hl/ha, the highest across the Calon Ségur portfolio of five estates, on limestone soils, south-facing, with 6ha added this vintage from Ch Malineau purchased in 2021; slightly different soils (colluvial) which halted the classification in 2022.

Assertive nose, marked by a hint of lacquer, a touch of five spice, and purple fruits with plum-like accents. The palate carries this impression forward, with fruit of a taut character.

Limestone soils with full southern exposure. The bouquet immediately shows freshness, precision and energy. While some like to reveal themselves step by step, this one lays down its markers from the start! On the palate, the interplay of saline, chalky and suave notes is remarkably accomplished. The wine has pep, charm and plenty of finesse. Contrasts that mingle with a smile! The tannins have the back covered and are somewhat firm, yet they still bring freshness to the finish, along with a fine austerity. It needs to finish settling in, but the prospects are already promising.

Black and purple color. Intense nose, with fresh, suave fruit, reminiscent of an Italian wine. Palate is soft and melting, more painstakingly crafted than I’ve ever seen. A more polished touch than ever. Long, perfumed, sappy finish. Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 15% – pH: 3.75. Yield: 40 hl/ha. This wine shows less firmness than at times. This stems from a different vinification, as well as from an expansion of the estate into areas that are more clay than limestone. Current surface area: 12 instead of 6 ha. Winemaker: Vincent Millet (Calon Ségur).

A Merlot-dominated wine, full of jammy black fruits and with a cushioned core of tannins. The wine is full-bodied, with a ripe juiciness and weight. Drink from 2027.