Château Fourcas Hosten 2022

Exotic spices, clove, cedar, cinnamon and blackcurrants on the nose. Fresh and forward, this has a silky touch in terms of fruit purity on the palate – slightly chewy tannins combine with cool blueberry acidity to give a lovely texture that is almost plush. Really filling but in a gentle way, delivering a complete and fully charged mouthfeel without any heaviness or harshness. I really like this and I love the soft minerality on the finish. Oak is excellent and this has structure, energy and density. Great drinkability on offer here. Upgrade from Primeurs.

The 2022 Fourcas Hosten is potent yet well balanced. Dark-toned fruit, licorice, lavender and chocolate build nicely in a Listrac that offers very good persistence from start to finish.

Flowers, and black with red fruits get the wine started. But it is the medium-bodied, lifted palate, with its zest, hit of orange rind, and peppery spice that make this sing. This is a superb value play for Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2026–2040.

Deep dark ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, delicate brightening on the rim. Delicate dark heart-cherry nuances, a touch of blackberries, fresh plums, inviting bouquet. Juicy, with nuances of red berries, fresh, mineral and salty, seems light-footed, easy-drinking style with a lemony finish.

Inky dark purple core and hue. Pure and intense with inky dark fruit—cassis, cherry and plum—with fine tobacco, mild oak and spice notes. Very good density and concentration with a youthful yet balanced structure, tannins adding lift and freshness, fresh acidity and rather massive young fruit without heaviness. Long, powerful finish, already finely tuned, with great potential.

Cassis, smoky herbs, leather, and attractive spicy notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Fourcas Hosten, a charming, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced Listrac based on 53% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot. I like it today, yet it should keep nicely for a solid 10–15+ years if well stored.

Balanced, sleek and unfussy, with clear mid-palate concentration that reflects the heat of the vintage, dark berry fruits, figs and black tea. Good quality, with orange peel zest adding focus. Organic farming. 40% new oak for ageing, 15% in amphora.

A vibrant, lifted nose, then on the palate a lovely, fresh pink and purple fruit, delicate and playful.

In the end, ageing didn’t soften the firmness.

This 2022 vintage offers highly expressive aromas, both fresh and jammy. The attack is airy, with already very silky tannins and a sense of dilution. It’s a bet on immediate pleasure in its youth, a digestible wine. Notes of milk chocolate mingle with a fine blackcurrant grain.