Château Laffitte Carcasset 2022

Shows violet and ink notes backed by dark currant and steeped red cherry fruit. A warm paving stone detail girds the nicely structured finish, where a late sparkle of savory adds energy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 8,500 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

Ripe, heady fruit on the nose. Soft and saline on the palate with a touch of herbal dried spice to the blackcurrant and cherry fruit. Tobacco and toast join the spice towards the finish, giving some savoury aspects alongside the clear minerality. A touch lean in the tannic frame, less juicy and bright than Primeurs with darker, more serious edges, but still enjoyable. A hint of heat from the alcohol lingers on the finish.

Flowers, tobacco leaves, black currants, and a touch of spicy strawberries with a hint of cocoa pop on the nose. The palate is supple, creamy, and fresh, with a spicy turmeric edge on the back of the finish. Left Bank wine lovers seeking that increasingly elusive QPR ratio should jump on this. Drink from 2026–2040.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections. Fresh, ripe plums, blackberries and black cherries in the underlay, floral touch; an inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant, fine ripe cherries, fruity with a lively structure, good balance, mineral on the finish, a versatile food wine.

Inky dark color and hue. Pure nose offering ripe dark berries, violet, cassis, plum and cherry with a mild oak-derived spiciness. The palate is dense and vigorous with fine purity of flavor, ripe tannin, fresh acidity, balanced oak and a long, dense finish.

Flash of heat on the opening, softens to creamy raspberry and black cherry fruit, touch of grilled vanilla bean. Good depth through the mid palate, oyster shell finish, a little short but unfussy and enjoyable. Pierre Rousseau owner, 35ha of vines, 30% new oak for ageing.

A very discreet, almost evanescent nose that opens with aeration to warm notes of spices and stewed dark fruits. Beneath still very present tannins, you sense a fresh core that shifts between juicy fruit and floral notes. The substance is not very pronounced and fades before the finish.

The nose is aromatic, with vibrant fruit, spices, a certain intensity, and a fine, peppery grain. It reveals notes of blackberry, crushed redcurrant, and, more subtly, crushed strawberry, with hints of cornflower, a touch of pepper, as well as fine accents of nutmeg and camphor, and a hint of pepperiness. The palate is beautifully delicate, plush, juicy and bright, with a zesty backbone. It shows notes of creamy redcurrant, crushed strawberry and, more lightly, bright blackcurrant, accompanied by subtle hints of violet, juicy/fresh small red fruits, iodine, as well as touches of toast, almond, and a hint of cinnamon and cardamom on the finish. The tannins are sapid and indulgent.

More Merlot than Cabernet: a smart choice, as the former tempers the latter and wraps it in its softness, while the latter brings vigor and expresses its fresh aromas from the very first nose, between violet cream and peat. Structured palate, dynamic tannins, the whole is long and compelling to follow.

A vivid and focused red that offers ripe but vibrant cherries, currants and plums with spice and cedar undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, it has firm tannins and a chalky, minerally aftertaste. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Try from 2028.