Château Citran 2022

Has developed well since En Primeur; expressive fruit on the nose, clearly more balanced on the palate than at the barrel sample, the tannins are still very present, yet the fruit has reclaimed center stage.

Lifted and lively, the fruit expression is pure and focused with such clarity to the tangy, almost sour strawberry and cherry fruit. Tannins are filling and provide the power, cushioning the fruit and driving the wine forward. It's fun with a focus on the fruit which I love. A hint of clove and cinnamon on the finish puts the oak, and a touch of heat, into the frame, but in a few years this will be lovely to drink.

This shows note of dark cherries, licorice, toasted cedar and cocoa. Medium-bodied, juicy and polished on the palate, with velvety, rather supple tannins. Needs a little more length. Drink now.

Cask sample. Dark and savory. Oak shows a bit for now but there’s fresh fruit and fine, ripe tannins behind. Solid, medium-bodied Haut-Médoc, though the oak needs to integrate. (JL)

The 2022 Citran is an attractive, understated Haut-Médoc. Floral and savory overtones lift a core of vibrant red-toned fruit. This mid-weight, pleasantly hearty Haut-Médoc should drink well for a decade or so.

Medium-bodied, vibrant, crisp, fresh, classically styled wine with good energy, and ample sweet, ripe red fruits in the chalky finish. Drink from 2026–2040.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Fresh red cherries, red wild berries, some liquorice and fresh orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fine fruitiness, lively structure, mineral and lasting, a delicate, well-balanced food wine.

Juicy darker fruits (black cherries, currants), smoked earth, and leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Citran, a medium- to full-bodied, beautifully textured 2022 that has nicely integrated acidity and fine tannins. It’s beautifully done, and I’d be shocked if it didn’t have two decades of overall longevity. The soils here are more gravelly and sandy, with a touch of limestone, and the 2022 is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged 14 months in barrel.

Enticing aromatics, this has fresh acidities and plenty of dark fruits and mocha on the attack, but much of the success is upfront, and things turn spiky through the palate. Give this a few years to soften and recapture the potential shown En Primeur.

Fresh tobacco brings powerful aromas, while the cheerfulness of juicy red fruits and opulent flowers (peony, wisteria) contribute to an intense bouquet. On the palate, present, vanilla-accented oak, which slightly masks the fruit, leads to a lovely finish on fresh coffee.

Somewhat restrained, Citran’s bouquet reveals itself discreetly, with nuances of blueberries and blackberries. With good density, the wine is silky and supported by tannins that confer respectable power and offer promising prospects. An elegant wine that still needs to gain in brightness and energy, but is clearly on a promising path!

In bottle, it shows the same slender, tangy and playful character, built around crunchy cherry, that defined its approach en primeur. It’s not the most demonstrative wine of the vintage, but it champions purity, elegance and an easy‑drinking, highly quaffable side.

A sandalwood aroma signals this wine's weight and concentration. Its juicy black fruits are integrated with tannins and a layer of bright acidity. Drink from 2025.